• About
  • Available on Amazon
BEGUILING HOLLYWOOD

BEGUILING HOLLYWOOD

If you want a little historical perspective you're home.

Main menu

Skip to content
  • About
  • Available on Amazon

Category Archives: Science

Show Grid Show List

Post navigation

← Older posts

How to help the victims of Hurricane Harvey

August 27, 2017 by Vickie Lester

I write these posts all too often as catastrophe strikes, and it’s heart breaking. Here’s how you can help those in need. Donate to the Red Cross. Mission Statement The American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors.​   Vision Statement The American Red Cross, through its strong network of volunteers, donors and partners, is always there in times of need. We aspire to […]

Categories: Culture, Design, fashion, Film, Friendship, History, Hollywood, Movies, Photography, Science, Travel, Uncategorized, Weather • Tags: climate change, donate to the red cross, flood, Hurrican Harvey, hurricane, Ray Bolger, THE WIZARD OF OZ, torrential rain, volunteer

2

imagine getting into these costumes…

October 31, 2016 by Vickie Lester

Norman Rockwell, 1965, Oil on canvas Astronauts John Young and Gus Grissom are suited for the first flight of the Gemini program in March 1965. NASA loaned Norman Rockwell a Gemini spacesuit in order to make this painting as accurate as possible. Credit: Courtesy Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Licensed by Norman Rockwell Licensing, Niles, IL

Categories: Art, Culture, Design, Entertainment, fashion, Film, Halloween, History, Science, Travel, Truth & Rumors, Uncategorized • Tags: Gemini, Gus Grissom, Happy Halloween, John Young, NASA, Norman Rockwell, spacesuit

Where I live it’s bloody hot! L.A. experiencing warmest year since records started being kept in 1877.

June 23, 2016 by Vickie Lester

I’ve started taking walks just after six a.m. Yesterday, when I turned the corner were my street starts to climb into the foothills, I saw the windows of a Spanish Colonial had all been flung open to catch the (relative) chill. My neighbor was seated at her kick-ass Steinway playing the most gorgeous, lilting, rippling, music into the morning… The painted piano above, in the lobby of the old Ambassador Hotel, reminded me of another friend’s piano. She found it […]

Categories: Architecture, Art, Blogging, Culture, Design, Film, Friendship, History, Hollywood, Life, Los Angeles, Memoir, Movies, Photography, Science, Uncategorized, Weather • Tags: #hollywoodnovel, #itsinhiskissbyvickielester, #lastory, heat wave, José Iturbi, Los Angeles, Steinway, The Ambassador Hotel, The Golden Age of Steinway

8

“There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” Hamlet

May 4, 2016 by Vickie Lester

The Amateur Cloud Society That (Sort Of) Rattled the Scientific Community An improbable tale of how a British maverick harnessed crowd sourced meteorological discoveries to reveal the poetic wonders of the sky. By JON MOOALLEMMAY 4, 2016 …A cloud is only water, but arranged like no other water on earth. Billions of minuscule droplets are packed into every cubic foot of cloud, throwing reflected light off their disordered surfaces in all directions, collectively making the cloud opaque. In a way, […]

Categories: Art, Culture, Design, Entertainment, Film, History, Hollywood, Literature, Los Angeles, New York, Photography, Science, Theater, Travel, Truth & Rumors, Uncategorized, Writing • Tags: #cloudappreciationsociety, #williamshakespeare, clouds, Gavin Prettor Pinney, Hamlet, imagination, John Constable, landscape of the imagination, New York Times, there are more things in heaven and earth

4

Winter storm shuts down Manhattan… The Flatiron Building, the first skyscraper in NY under a blanket of white, 1905

January 23, 2016 by Vickie Lester

The storm — blustery in some places, blinding in others — was a swirling, sprawling mass with a reach of nearly 1,000 miles. It had already largely immobilized Washington, Baltimore and Philadelphia on its way to New York. It all but stopped airline and railroad travel, flooded low-lying beaches and brought down trees and power lines, leaving thousands without electricity. In New York City, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority suspended bus service at midday and planned to halt elevated subway service […]

Categories: Architecture, Design, Film, History, New York, News, Science, Truth & Rumors, Uncategorized, Weather • Tags: heavy snow, manhattan suspends bus service, Nor'easter bearing down on Manhattan, record snowfall, shorpy.com is a great historic archive, The Flatiron building was the first skyscraper in NY

2

Supermoon Sunday!

September 27, 2015 by Vickie Lester

NASA TV to Provide Live Feed of Sunday’s Supermoon Eclipse For the first time in more than 30 years, you can witness a supermoon in combination with a lunar eclipse. Late on Sept. 27, 2015, in the U.S. and much of the world, a total lunar eclipse will mask the moon’s larger-than-life face. Watch NASA’s live stream from 8:00 p.m. until at least 11:30 p.m. EDT broadcast from Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., with a live feed from […]

Categories: Architecture, Art, Culture, Education, Entertainment, Film, History, Hollywood, Los Angeles, News, Photography, Science, Travel, Truth & Rumors, Uncategorized • Tags: Blood Moon, Earth's Moon, Eclipse, Griffith Observatory, Lunar Eclispe, NASA TV live stream, Supermoon, Supermoon Sunday

Leave a comment

California is burning…

September 12, 2015 by Vickie Lester

This is a picture one of my older brothers texted me on Friday moments before he got a mandatory evacuation order as the western side of the Sierras went up in flames. He said it was getting difficult to breathe. Both my brothers live in the area. If you look at a fire map of California you’ll see a lot of it is burning. Back in 2009 the San Gabriel Mountains above Los Angeles burned. The plume from the fire […]

Categories: Architecture, Culture, Film, History, London, Los Angeles, New York, News, Paris, Photography, Science, Uncategorized, Weather • Tags: California is burning, climate change, climate summit Paris, concrete solutions to the environmental crisis, dangerous levels of air pollution, humanity as a geologic force

3

Sending star shine and sweet dreams from the motion picture capital of the world, Bos-Angeles

August 16, 2015 by Vickie Lester

A lovely young friend recently gave me a hot new piece of science fiction to read (and you know, my darlings, I’m all for whatever floats your literary boat). However, I’m afraid I had the same reaction to the book as I do to Game of Thrones…I can’t get past the ridiculous names. Why can’t fantasy/sci-fi characters be named Laura and Steve?  Sleep tight, Love, Vickie, a.k.a., Zerinnia Fresnex of the 4th Quadrant, Beyond the Forbidden Zone in Bos-Angeles

Categories: Architecture, Art, Blogging, Books, Culture, Design, Entertainment, Fiction, Film, Friendship, History, Hollywood, Humor, Los Angeles, Memoir, Movies, Photography, Science, Uncategorized, Writing • Tags: #starshine, #sweetdreams, literary tastes, Production Design, The Shape of Things to Come by H.G. Wells, Things to Come 1936, Why can't fantasy/sci-fi characters be named Laura and Steve, William Cameron Menzies

3

Norman Bel Geddes – design GOD

August 8, 2015 by Vickie Lester

Babies, I’m feeling lazy. So this is my mute appreciation of a man from the past who shaped the present, design-wise. For further research contact the University of Texas at Austin: Harry Ransom Center. Norman Bel Geddes (1893-1958) was a visionary stage designer, director, producer, theater architect, industrial designer, producer of model photography, and author. The Ransom Center’s voluminous Bel Geddes collection documents his industrial design and theater work in equal measure and, frequently, in great detail. More than 500 […]

Categories: Advertising, Architecture, Art, Blogging, Books, Choreography, Culture, Design, Entertainment, fashion, Fiction, Film, Friendship, History, Hollywood, Humor, Life, Literature, Los Angeles, Memoir, Movies, Music, New York, Photography, Science, Story, Theater, Travel, Truth & Rumors, Uncategorized • Tags: aerodynamics, Aline Barnsdall, Architect, art deco, author, behind the scenes, calamity in Hollywood, Cecil B. DeMille, Costume Designer, design, design god, director, fashion, graphic design, Hollywood, humor, industrial designer, Library, Los Angeles, New York, Norman Bel Geddes, Norman Bel Geddes collection, Old Hollywood, one of cecil b demille's yes men says no, photography, research library, set designer, the car of the future, the house of the future, The Ransom Center, theater, theater designer, University of Texas at Austin

9

Post navigation

← Older posts

BUY ON AMAZON

search

instagram: toobeguiling, behind the scenes

Solar sneezing — when you walk just before dawn, and as soon as the sun beams down and hits your nose — kerchoo! I’ve learned to bring tissues. Sleeves will only get you so far. . . . . . Time for a #sunnyday cup of #coffee. . #livethelittlethings #beautyofstillmoments #goodmorning #decor #door #heart #outforawalk #pursuepretty #postitfortheaesthetic #thatsdarling #architecture #thehappynow #gooutside #Conquer_LA #LAStory #LostInLA #MyDayInLA #elegance #writersofinstagram #bookstagram #author #literature #lovebooks #goodreads #socal #story.
He said, “Look at the sunset,” and I glanced up to see the light had turned luminous coral in the sky, so I ran up the stairs and climbed out on the roof for an unfiltered #LA #sunset. . . . . . #goodnight #love #gooutside #pursuepretty #exploretocreate #artofvisuals #palms #MyDayInLA #clouds #bluesky #naturephotography #citylife #LAStory #silhouette #glowing #hollywood #light #thehappynow #discoverearth #writersofinstagram
There are some #words that just set me off, like effulgent. Which is what this image is, #radiant with #light. And the feeling it captures, which is joyful because shortly after I snapped it I saw a very little boy, maybe 18 months old, dressed in a onesie and tennis shoes out waddling along with his father, when he heard a dog bark across the street. The pre-verbal little one broke into a beaming smile then wagged his head and lolled his tongue out and Papa said, “That’s right! It’s a puppy.” Such a moment makes a day worthwhile. And now I’ll get back to my griping — effulgent — a grating word for something glorious. Don’t even get me started on copious. . . . . . #sweet #friday #california #bungalow #architecture #livethelittlethings #thehappynow #amwriting #outforawalk #hollywood #postitfortheaesthetic #thatsdarling #lastory #writersofinstagram #author #literature #lovebooks #socal #story #beautyofstillmoments #home #pursuepretty #agameoftones #artofvisuals #gooutside
How my morning got a #French twist — stopped by my favorite @cafemontrose and found Mme. Pam herself putting a new #sparkle on the #design, and the food? Merveilleux, as alway! It’s #wine #wednesday at the #cafe. Drop in and raise a #glass in #congratulations. Or, if you’re like me, bite into a #strawberry #pastry and revel in #spring. . . . . . #mirror #friends #reflection #portrait #restauranteur #cafe #neighborhood #Paris in #socal #delicious #coffee #bakery #breakfast #lunch #local #bijoux #bistro
Once upon a time I had an astronomy professor who would explain the quality of light and celestial motion in a rrrrolling Germanic accent. He would tell us all about Tycho Brahe (1546-1601), an astronomer — except he said Tycho Brrrrhhh-hay — who besides being a brilliant and precise observer of the heavens before the invention of the telescope, had a few quirks. At university he fought in a duel and thereafter wore a brass nose. He was considered superstitious and in his native country, Denmark, they refer to “Tycho Brahe days,” meaning a whole slew of inauspicious days scattered throughout the calendar. In April there are seven such days. And, not one of them is the 13th. Wishing you a floral Friday, with ❤️. . . . . . #rose #love #petals #blossom #flowers #history #stars #livethelittlethings #lightandshadow #color #story #friday #fridaymood #superb_flowers #bouquet #exploretocreate #art #nature_perfection #chiascuro #jardin #garden #garten #flores #fingerscrossed #goodluck #visualsoflife #MyDayInLA #amwriting
Our heroine’s romantic fantasy of living in a turret fizzled as soon as she lugged her groceries up the stairs... . Life in #Hollywood, as seen from a babysitter turned movie mogul’s eyes. Just a taste on the blog today. Link in the profile. . #goodmorning #sunday #livethelittlethings #beautyofstillmoments #artofvisuals #design #garden #homedecor #outforawalk #pursuepretty #postitfortheaesthetic #thatsdarling #agameoftones #thehappynow #gooutside #wasthatacastle #LAStory #LostInLA #MyDayInLA #elegance #writersofinstagram #bookstagram #author #literature #lovebooks #goodreads #socal #story.
When you’re writing, and the words come to you in wonderful waves, and you feel like you’re floating just inches above the floor... . #imagine that — . #amwriting another #hollywood #novel.. . And now it’s time for #tea. . #LAStory #LostInLA #MyDayInLA #elegance #style #color #agameoftones #spring #flashesofdelight #flightsoffancy #home #losangeles #artofvisuals #book #writersofinstagram #bookstagram #filmindustry #author #love #literature #lovebooks #goodreads #socal #story
A shout-out to the saintly ladies of Hill Street, who guide us through jury selection with patience, kindness, a bit of wit, and the resolve of the upright. I reported for jury duty the other day and walked into the assembly room as a judge was invoking the words of Martin Luther King, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” I like to remember that, especially now. This is the view from Grand Park, past the superior courts, with City Hall smack-dab in the center. . . . . . #gooutside #cityscape #exploretocreate #think #urban #palms #perspective #architecture #postitfortheaesthetic #dtla #beautyofstillmoments #artofvisuals #agameoftones #thehappynow #Conquer_LA #LAStory #LostInLA #MyDayInLA #elegance #writersofinstagram #bookstagram #author #literature #lovebooks #goodreads #socal #story #itsinhiskissbyvickielester

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Recent Posts

  • How I shake-off the headlines…
  • Easter chick? Only in Hollywood…
  • This is a purely fanciful tale, a little nightmare produced by the unaccustomed high living of a brief visit to Hollywood.
  • Where a lack of punctuation can lead…
  • “It was my Uncle George who discovered that alcohol was a food well in advance of modern medical thought.” P.G. Wodehouse

Archives

  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • December 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012

Categories

  • 4th of July
  • Advertising
  • Animation
  • Architecture
  • Art
  • Audio
  • Baseball
  • Blogging
  • Books
  • Chicago
  • Children
  • Choreography
  • Christmas
  • Cooking
  • Cosmetic Surgery
  • Crime
  • Culture
  • Design
  • DIY
  • Dogs
  • Early Television
  • Easter
  • Education
  • Election
  • Entertaining
  • Entertainment
  • fashion
  • Fiction
  • Film
  • Friendship
  • Gardening
  • Gastronomy
  • Halloween
  • History
  • Hollywood
  • Humor
  • journalism
  • law
  • Life
  • Literature
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Marriage
  • Memoir
  • Mother's Day
  • Movies
  • Music
  • Mystery
  • New Year's Day
  • New York
  • News
  • Olympics
  • Palm Springs
  • Parenting
  • Paris
  • Perfume
  • Pets
  • Photography
  • Poetry
  • Politics
  • Presidents Day
  • Publishing
  • Recipes
  • Relationships
  • Romance
  • Science
  • Short Stories
  • Sports
  • Story
  • Sundance Film Festival
  • Thanksgiving
  • Theater
  • Travel
  • Truth & Rumors
  • Uncategorized
  • Valentine's Day
  • Vegas
  • Weather
  • Wedding
  • Writing

Meta

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries RSS
  • Comments RSS
  • WordPress.com
Blog at WordPress.com.
BEGUILING HOLLYWOOD
Blog at WordPress.com.
Cancel