The One About Elvis's Side-Burns

It was 1987.
I had just turned 11.
It was Saturday night and my siblings and I were eager to watch a kid's movie.
But not tonight.
Dad had dibs on the television.
He grabbed a blank video cassette (remember them?), unwrapped it from its plastic and excitedly fed it into the mouth of the VCR.
He was like an excited little boy.

"But Da-ad, we really want to watch the movie!" moaned my sister. But it was of no use.
We were no match for Elvis.

It was the 10th anniversary of Elvis's death and all the TV channels were in Elvis over-drive.
There was no escaping it.

I knew who Elvis was. My father was a big fan and had a large Elvis music and book collection.
I'd seen a few of his cheesy films that played on the weekend tv matinees. He could sing. He could dance. Women would throw him their underpants.

"Oooo.. it's starting!" exclaimed my excited father.

Click. Record.

Ladies and Gentlemen.

Elvis: The 1968 Comeback Special.

Oh, my.

Have you seen it?

Forget about the 1950's coiffed pretty-boy Elvis,

or the1970's puffy, bloated rhinestoned-bedazzled caped jumpsuited Elvis.

The Elvis that shakes my pelvis is the 1968 model with tight black leather suit, leather cuff, jet black hair and slick sideburns you just want to run your fingers over.

The voice. Swoon.

The moves. Swoon.

The curled-lip smile. Swoon heaven!

Hello? Black leather?

Life changed for me that day.
Hormones kicked in and that was the beginning of me changing from an innocent girl into the black-leather-loving woman I am today.

Have you lived the Elvis '68 Comeback Special experience?
Do you like Elvis?


I'm linking up with the fabulous Jess from Diary of a SAHM for 'I Blog On Tuesdays!'

Carry Me Away, Cary Grant!

Cary Grant & Sophia Loren in 'Houseboat'

Sometimes I think I was born 50 years too late.

How I would have loved to have swanned about in the 1940's and 1950's.
I love the Fashion! The Music! The Films.
I have a penchant for the Golden Years of Hollywood and the fabulous Vintage Hollywood Glamour.
But most of all it was the era of Cary Grant.

Deborah Kerr & Cary Grant in 'An Affair to Remember'

Oh, Cary Grant!
Even as I type his name name my heart skips a beat, my eyes twinkle, my cheeks flush and my legs quiver and tremble. To me, Cary sums up the perfect Hollywood man. He was charming, and dashing, debonair, witty and so goddam handsome my eyeballs can't take it at times.

Cary's Happy Dance

Run, Cary, Run! (a scene from Hitchcock's 'North by Northwest')

I was laying on the sofa one afternoon drooling over innocently watching 'North by Northwest' (Classic Hollywood thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Cary Grant) when my sister walked in.
"You do know who he looks like, don't you" she quipped.
"Who?" I replied bewidered.
Sometimes I feel my sister's greatest thrill in life is to tease every ounce of dignity out of me.

Cary was on screen wearing a crisp white shirt, black suit pants and a sophisticated belt. His hair was slick and parted at the side. The camera zoomed in on that dimple in his chin ( you know, the one that you just want to run your finger through..... excuse me while I drift away and enjoy this image a little longer...)

Even Audrey Hepburn couldn't resist that chin. From the film 'Charade'.

Ok, back now.

"Go on, you know!"
"Who?!"
 I stared at the chin again, the slenderness, the high tailored pants, the chin, the parted hair, the chin again (I could & would spend hours mulling over that chin if I didn't have laundry, cooking, husband & kiddies to tend too).
"Oh......!" It dawned on me.
"No..." I replied again, shaking my head.
"Yes!" said my sister
"No! No... No...?"
Quite possibly she was on to something.
"Maybe? Just a little.....?" I replied.

My Darling Hubby is the Cary Grant-esque figure my sister was teasing me about. My Husband is Mediterranean and prides himself on good grooming. For work he wears a shirt and tailored pants, with a lovely slim Cary Grant-esque belt.  He also has gorgeous salt'n'peppery hair that he slicks into a Cary-esque part. AND HE HAS THAT CHIN DIMPLE!!!!!

Could it be?
Was I subconciously attracted to my Darling One because of his Cary-esque attributes?
I guess if you squint your eyes, drink a bit (ie. a lot) of vodka and use a hell of a lot of your imagination you might see a resemblence.

My Darling Cary

My Darling Hubby

My Darling Hubby

What do you think?

Either way I'm a very happy Whoa Mamma. 

I'm married to my Dream Man.