Happy Birthday, Mrs. Parker!

Today is Dorothy Parker’s birthday. Born on August 22, 1893 in Long Branch, New Jersey, she grew up to become one of the great American wits of the 20th century. A member of the famed Algonquin Round Table, this quintessential New Yorker was a poet, playwright, essayist, screenwriter, and champion of civil rights (she also loved dogs). The woman who once said “I'd like to have money. And I'd like to be a good writer. These two can come together, and I hope they will, but if that's too adorable, I'd rather have money” is one of my favourite writers and a role model. 

Birthday Celebration outside one of Dorothy Parker's former homes, 310 W 80th St. Photo by Michele.

To celebrate her birthday, I went on a walking tour of her Upper West Side haunts led by Kevin Fitzpatrick, author of multiple books of Mrs. Parker and the Round Table. During the tour we stopped at 310 W 80th Street, where she lived as a teenager, and sang “Happy Birthday” and enjoyed a specially made birthday cake by Dandy Dillinger. It was a great way to spend her birthday.

So raise a glass wherever you are and say, “Happy Birthday, Mrs. Parker!”

Birthday Weekend

"Perfect Harmony" Louis Icart (1932)

Saturday was my birthday, which meant a weekend full of doing some of my favourite things. I slept in both days, watched a perfect film, revisited the "Capa in Color" exhibit, drank delicious champagne cobblers at a speakeasy, ate decadent chocolate mousse at my go-to West Village restaurant, got a mani pedi in a fabulous new Essie colour, took advantage of the sun and did some people watching at a park, and received some lovely messages and cards. All in all, a weekend worth singing about.

Happy Birthday to Me

Mary Pickford

It's my birthday today! On the agenda is the "Impression, Fashion, and Modernity" exhibit at the Met and shopping at Tiffany's with drinks later at a local speakeasy. Should be enough to distract me from my descent into senility. Have a good weekend everyone!

Another Birthday

Clara Bow

It's birthday time around here and plans are afoot for cake and champagne later on today. Meanwhile, I have a photo shoot to go to and some shoe shopping to get done. Hopefully it will keep me from dwelling on the fact that I'm a year older today. How did that happen? It seems like only yesterday I was turning 21 and now I'm, oh never mind. 

A Big Thank You

It was a year ago today that I began this blog. Since then, I’ve written 99 posts and shared countless images. I still don’t know if there is any rhyme or reason to this blog but as long as people continue to read it, I’ll keep writing. So a big thank you to you dear readers for stopping by. I hope you’ll continue to do so.

Birthday

Marilyn Monroe. Photo: Otto L. Bettmann.

Today is Mrs. Parker's birthday. I shall be celebrating by drinking copious amounts of champagne while fervently shaving off numbers from my driver's license (I'm kidding. No, not really). Anyway, the blog has been a bit silent of late due to the recent passing of my laptop. Birthday present to myself is the purchasing of a new computer this weekend so look for more tales coming soon from this madcap heiress. In the meantime, back to the bubbly.