No 2: Elegant Coverage

I had something of a revelation the other day.



I went to a big family dinner, to celebrate a cousin's birthday. And, of course, I paid close attention to my apperance. I did my hair, carefully applied my make-up and wore a (hopefully) co-ordinating, elegant outfit.



All was going well until my cousin and I decided to play badminton. It's the middle of summer here and the sun was still pretty intense when we started playing. Being the smart girl she is, my cousin was prepared with sunglasses and a hat to match her outfit.



Me?



I had the sunglasses but no hat. And, with the sun streaming down on my head, I quickly accepted the offer to have a hat loaned to me.



The only problem was that the hat looked like this:

Truly.

While it was kind and generous of my aunt to loan me the hat, it did slightly ruin the aura of elegance and sophistication I was aiming for.

Grace Kelly would never be caught in a situation like that.

Ms Kelly had hats (or turbans) for every occasion and had no trouble matching head-wear with clothes.

She received criticism for the hat she wore in the above picture: arriving in Monaco to marry a certain prince, the photographers were dismayed with her hat, complaining it blocked the view of her face.

Personally, I think the hat contributes to the elegance of her outfit.

While I have no plans to begin a hat collection to rival Grace Kelly's, I am realising the value of owning at least one hat. As Ms Kelly showed us, the right hat can add even more elegance to an outfit. As I showed us, the wrong hat can ruin an outfit. I have never been a big hat-wearer but there is a time and a place for those things. If we can be sun-smart and elegant at the same time, then more power to us!

As a beach holiday with friends is quickly approaching for me, I do not want to be caught out hat-less again. So, with this entirely legitimate shopping excuse before me, it is time to find me the perfect, elegant hat and I suggest you do the same.

Grace Kelly would approve.

No 1: The Morning After (Christmas, that is)

Ah, Christmas.

I love everything about the holiday. From the lead up with its downpour of Christmas movies, Christmas music and Christmas parties flowing with champagne, to the day itself, with family, gifts, excited children, yet more champagne and food.

If you are like me, everything is wonderful until Christmas ends and you realise just how much food and champagne you have ingested over the period. The belt to my favourite dress no longer comfortably slips through the tightest notch and I'm thanking God that my new nightie and dressing gown aren't close-fitting. Not to mention the fact that I'm constantly yawning from the combination of parties, shopping and Christmas day itself.

The post-Christmas phase has certainly set in and it is difficult to feel Grace Kelly or Audrey Hepburn-ish.

Or is it?

I remember reading that Audrey would occasionally hibernate for a weekend to "recharge her batteries. " She would rest, listen to music, read and regain the energy she needed to continue being Audrey Hepburn.

I've decided I incorporated a touch of Audrey into my life today by spending it on the couch, reading Tender is the Night and watching episodes of House. Except I will only truly incorporate that touch of Audrey in my life if I spend the equivalent of a weekend doing so, which means another day of House on the couch. (Isn't life tough?) Hopefully by that time, the belt of my favourite dress will be restored to its former glory.

The point is: when it's time to recharge your batteries, it's time to recharge your batteries. And I think post-Christmas is the perfect time to spend a good couple of days doing nothing to bring back your energy, especially since New Year's Eve (and the champagne that accompanies it) is right around the corner.

Happy hibernating!

In the Beginning...

Those who know me - even if they do not know me well - know that I am obsessed with Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn.

When a friend unfortunately mentioned the label Givenchy, I immediately delved into a detailed history of Hubert Givenchy's relationship with Audrey Hepburn. She yawned, I was too involved in my story to notice yet we remained friends.

When I met the costume designer for a play I was in, I spent most of our meeting proclaiming my love for Grace Kelly after I found a picture of Ms Kelly on my character's inspiration board. Perhaps not the best impression to give someone when you first meet, that of the crazed fan.

My obsession clearly needs an outlet. And what better outlet than a blog?

This blog, in fact.

On Grace and Audrey is a blog detailing my attempt to incorporate a touch of Grace or Audrey - or perhaps even Grace and Audrey - into my everyday life. Hopefully, the readers will be able to learn from or even practise some of my attempts and we can all be one, happy, elegant family.

Will I succeed in my attempt?

Will I have any readers?

Will my blog be a sufficient outlet for my obsessions or will I continue to frighten/bore friends and strangers alike?

Only time will tell.