Elizabeth Taylor: National Princess

I always loved the fact that my middle name is Elizabeth; not just for my great aunt who I was named after but because it sounds so glamorous-like Elizabeth Taylor.

When Elizabeth was born the doctor told her mother she had a mutation, her mother didn’t seem too worried when she found out it was an extra row of eyelashes. From the very beginning Elizabeth had all the extras for that movie star quality and presence. She came to be universally acclaimed as one of the most beautiful women of the twentieth century.

Elizabeth wanted what she wanted when she wanted it with movies, men, babies, drinks, diamonds... She once said I’ve been lucky all my life. Everything was handed to me: looks, fame, wealth, honors, love... But I’ve paid for that luck with disasters, terrible illnesses, destructive addictions, broken marriages. Elizabeth Taylor was a fearless fighter who had an enormous passion for life. There was no one like Elizabeth Taylor. Known as “the grand dame”, she once said, I never planned to acquire a lot of jewels or a lot of husbands.

She won two Academy Awards, had many loves (including eight husbands, endless animals, four children, ten grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren), battles with substance abuse and humanitarian causes. She was also a loyal friend. Shirley MacLaine said after her death last week I don’t know what was more impressive- her magnitude as a star or her magnitude as a friend. Her talent for friendship was unmatched.

I remember being a little girl watching National Velvet and recognizing then that Elizabeth was glamorous even at age twelve with her violet eyes. She was mesmerizing. She had said early on, I sometimes think I prefer animals to people.

In college I read Tennessee Williams’ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof then saw the movies...JessicaLange 84' and Elizabeth 58'. Elizabeth Taylor will always be the real Magpie. It was also at that time that my signature scent was one of her many famous perfumes, Passion. I remember feeling glamorous when I wore it, even in jeans!

She was known for always being late. She kept her entourage waiting for hours and even joked that she would be 15 minutes late to her own funeral, and she was!

Elizabeth was an American fashion icon; she defined glamour. One of her gifts was her ability to make uncomplicated clothes seem très chic, naturally. She would wear jeans with diamonds; lots of diamonds (really big diamonds)! There’s no need for a special occasion! Wear those diamonds now while you can because they make you feel fabulous! She said, Enough is never enough when describing her personal style.

In Butterfield 8, Elizabeth wore a simple white slip that was an everyday undergarment for women in the 1960s. But in the movie she made the staple seem like the sexiest thing in the world to wear. Her Grecian white dress in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof hit the same high note; iconic yet simplistic. Another movie I adore is Father of the Bride. In all of her eight marriages, this was her most memorable wedding dress! The movie Cleopatra earned Taylor a Guinness World Record title of the most costume changes in a film.

Elizabeth Taylor made more than sixty movies in all. Like many movie stars of her time, she battled drug and alcohol abuse. She also became a leader in the fight against AIDS and HIV. She helped found amFAR, the American Foundation for AIDS Research.

One of my favorite Sex and the City episodes is when Charlotte has a miscarriage and watches E! True Hollywood Story about Elizabeth Taylor. Charlotte gets inspired to rise up like Elizabeth and puts on her best Elizabeth Taylor dress, jewelry, and hairstyle and goes to a party. I believe that if life presents a problem that I need to rise above, I will have a much better day if I dress for it. If you want to feel fabulous you must look fabulous! I know Elizabeth must have felt the same way.

Elizabeth Taylor was our American princess. She charmed us and left us with many memories. She will be missed.

                                           

Stop and Smell the Memories

The smell of life is intoxicating! Think about the smells you love...the smell of baby's breath; the early morning dew in the summertime, rain...These smells can get imprinted in our memories forever.

We can be transported anywhere by smell. If we wish we were at the beach, a spritz of something citrusy will take us there. My Dad always smells tropical to me because he wears sunscreen daily! That mixed with Old Spice is my Dad's scent. Remember that scene in The Parent Trap when Hayley Mills tells her grandfather she's making a memory and says, "You smell like peppermints and tobacco?" Well...smells, like songs and food can evoke strong memories: We can associate a smell with an experience and it will somehow leave a unique and lasting impression on our brain forever.

I can remember smashing my face against my grandmother's soft wrinkly skin to smell her Oil of Olay face cream. That's why I wear it today, so I can remember her. I cannot smell Gucci Rush without thinking of my other grandmother, Mema; she owns that scent!

I think most women are constantly looking for the perfect jeans, mascara, and fragrance. What fun it is to experiment! I think it also depends on what kind of mood you're in. I like to wear Anais Anais to my ballet class because it's light and ultra feminine. But if I were going out for a night on the town I would choose something with more pizzazz like Flower Bomb!

Perfume means "through smoke." This is going to sound so Bob Ross, but I think of scents like happy little clouds waiting to be discovered.

I can think of many smells that evoke happy feelings: I love the smell of school: crayons and pencils. When I smell the combination of cigarette smoke, car exhaust, leather, and the warm sun I want to bottle it because that smells like Italy to me! I love the smell of paper; newspaper, books, magazines, I love the smell of silk, my friend's car, my mom's kitchen, the Catholic Church, my babies T-shirts before I wash them. These are smells of life. They are delicious!

Last thing I do before leaving for work is spray myself with perfume then hug my children so they smell me all day. I like to smell like them, too. Especially at night after I've bathed them. Mustela and Johnson and Johnson lotions are some of the most comforting and sweetest smells ever! I think these lotions will always be a part of my bedtime routine.

When you love someone, you love their natural smell. I think my husband naturally smells like pineapples! I love to bury my nose in his arm. I remember my sister-in-law saying her dog Dixie smelled like a chocolate cake; I know she meant it because she loved her so much!

A student once said to me..."Hmmm Mrs. Cooley, your house must smell good because you smell good!" I made sure I hugged her every day!

Fragrances react differently on different people. The fragrances that you wear bring out your persona, your style, and taste. Have you ever smelled someone's perfume you didn't like and then discovered you don't really like them much either? I think that's called chemistry!

Perfume is meant to tease, tantalize and seduce. I think of Marilyn Monroe who proudly said that she slept in nothing but Chanel No. 5. I'm sticking to my baby lotion but I think smell is far more important in determining who we are than we realize; I've even read that there's evidence that those who have no sense of smell tend to be very emotionally detached. I think if you smell it to be true, it must be true!

Do you have a favorite fragrance that has been imprinted into your memory?

Photo: Stop and smell the roses! Pink peonies are my absolute favorite flower. I love everything about them! I think they look like scoops of strawberry ice cream and smell heavenly! I hope my children remember them as the essence of Mommy! Here is a painting by Doug Swinton that I think is beautiful.