As Promised.

My incredibly low quality pictures of my awesomely high quality tattoo(s). They go together really so, I don't know whether to count them as two seperate ones or not. I guess so.




Top of wist (left) my heart bracelet (cuff):







Opposite side, Lucille Ball's signature:




i really love it a bunch.
Now, the top of my wrist, despite it being right on my bone did not hurt AT ALL. No lie. However, the underside hurt like a (excuse my language but, I cannot stress it any other way) MOTHER FUCKER. VERY BADLY. I CRIED. Obviously, if you're not one for pain and you've been considering a tattoo on the inside of your wrist, reconsider my dear. If that baby ever needs touched up, forget it. It can just fade.

So, what's next?
I'm not certain but at one point I want this quote somewhere:
If you haven't any charity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble. -Bob Hope-

Also, I want a small little something or other on the nape of my neck and perhaps a 40s pinup girl.

We shall see!


PS- Can any of you tell me how to fix the disheveled way my posts turn out? None of the codes I use is fixing this problem. HELP. Please? Thanks!
Sunny Side Up!,
Krista

Hello Friends!

Hello friends!



That's right, I'm alive. I didn't die & I haven't stopped blogging. I was in Georgia from July 17th until the 30th and since I've been back, Blogger hasn't been cooperating with me so, forgive my prolonged absence if you will.

Anyway, I had a more than decent trip & I came away with a new tattoo! Well, two tattos really but, they go together like shoo bop shoo wadda wadda yipitty boom de boom.

I just need to get some half way decent pictures which I SWEAR TO GOD I will do (with the help of my craptastic cellphone camera) either this evening or tomorrow and I will post the results ASAP. all I'm going to say about it now is, more Lucy.
:)

Now I return you to your regularlly scheduled blogging.

Sunny Side Up!,
Krista

Lucy, Lucie, and Ginger..

CHARLESTON!



I can't even say that I hope to be that spry when I'm 60 or so because, hell, I'm not that spry NOW!

Sunny Side Up!,
Krista

She's a, She's a Diva!

Lena & Lucy; each in their own right.

And yes, this photo is so GREAT that it deserved its own post.
Bask in GREATNESS, I say!

Sunny Side up!,
Krista

Watch This Film! (My Favorite Scenes in Film, 2)

Yours, Mine, & Ours; 1968.
Starring Lucille *cough KRISTA'S BFF cough* Ball & Henry Fonda.


Part 2:


& parts 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 10 , 11 , and 12 .

I guarantee you won't be sorry.
Lucy's drunk scene is priceless, don't miss it!
If you, for some unknown reason, can't spare an hour in a half for a decent movie, you MUST watch part 7 which I've mentioned. I highly reccomend it.
Hurry and catch it before they find a reason to delete it.

Sunny Side Up!,
Krista

My Favorite Famous Couples; Dedication 1.

There have been so many remarkable couples spanning the last century who have left their imprint on the hearts and minds of all who were aware of their exsistence. This is the first post in a series dedicated to those who have inspired me the most.

Lucille Desiree Ball & Desiderio Alberto Arnaz e de Acha III.


via 4EverDarling

Lucy & Desi became legends of their own time with the premiere of the first and perhaps, best loved television sitcom of the 20th century, I Love Lucy , on October 15, 1951. Unbeknownst to them, the long shot endeavour that was birthed in order to allow these two love birds to work together as opposed to being perpetually seperated by their careers [and also, by teaming up for this project, taming Desi's notorious womanizing nature], they had unleashed a legacy of laughter and unending enjoyment among the American and, a few years into production, the international audience that has carried on into the present day with I Love Lucy still being aired through syndication not only here in the U.S. but in over 80 nations worldwide, including Britain, Central America, Germany, and Japan.



Besides their television shows, Lucy & Desi owned their own studio, which they christened Desilu , and that company produced and housed the production sites of such popular 50s and 60s television favorites as The Andy Griffith Show , Our Miss Brooks , and even, due to Lucy's own good sense, Mission: Impossible and Star Trek .





I Love Lucy itself ceased production in 1957 but the beloved characters; Lucy, Ricky, Fred, and Ethel expanded in the continuation of ten years of escapades with The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour , which allowed for 13 hour long segments which expanded their popularity by another two years with this show coming to an end in 1960, the same year that the Arnazes 19 year union dissolved.







Despite the fact that Lucy and Desi could not live together forever in wedded bliss, they were famously in love with one anopther and it is widely acknowledged that, regardless of the fact that both remarried; Lucy to a mediocre stand-up comedian, Gary Morton and Desi to yet another redhead, Edith Mack Hirsch; they never ceased in loving one another very deeply and they remained extremely close until Desi's death in 1986 from lung cancer and Lucy followed suit barely two years later, a week following a seemingly successful heart surgery when her aorta ruptured in the early morning hours of April 26, 1989.









And so, a decades long love affair ceased to be on that date; April 26, 1989; with Lucille Ball's death, because Lucy remained faithful to Desi's memory for the rest of her life, despite their many ups and downs.

The world and the entertainment industry owe a lot to these tireless pioneers of the craft, what with Desi's many innovative ideas in television production, including the three camera filming method which is still in use today on many, if not all, of your current favorites; and Lucy's comedic genius and eye for the type of entertainment that would have staying power when she approved the making of Star Trek and Mission: Impossible.

These two remarkable human beings are remembered by the vox populi today with respect, reverence, and love and appreciation for the sacrifices that they endured in their personal lives to bring us, their adoring public, such everlasting joy and happiness which, as long as their are individuals like myself and the many other lovely people I have connected with as a result of my own devotion and historian-like tendencies.

I leave you with a heartfelt observation, simple but obviously impeccably true, that Desi made many years after the heyday of himself and his legendary former spouse, in an interview:

I Love Lucy was never just a title.

Sunny Side Up!,
Krista

Lucy at the Emmy's!

In 1975, Lucy was set to present The Mary Tyler Moore Show with their Emmy for their win in Outstanding Comedy, Music, or Variety Series; when things went awry:


Thanks to egexacom for uploading this!


The thing is, right before she was set to go on, Lucy recieved a call informing her that Desi, Jr. had been involved in a fatal car accident. It was discovered right before she went onstage that it had been a prank call and that Desi, Jr. was alive and well so, not surprisingly, Lucy is still shaken by that experience and her mind is somewhere else.

Sunny Side Up!,
Krista

The Sunday Salon: Where the Hell IS Desilu? by Howard Rayfiel.

This memoir was different than anything I've read previously which had anything to do with Lucille Ball in the simple fact that Lucy was just a small part of this book, which is to be expected of course because, this man has accomplished so much besides working for "The Redhead", if I may borrow Mr. Rayfiel's affectionate term for his friend and employer.

Howard Rayfiel comes from a long line of honest, hard working judges. He was raised on a moral code built on honesty, justice, and compassion for our fellow human beings; and that shines through as he regales us with stories of the corruption of the behind-the-scenes business side of Hollywood and the way he chose to conduct himself while working with men who would do anything, stoop to new lows, etc. all in the name of the almighty dollar. Mr. Rayfiel began his multi-faceted entertainment career as a theatrical lawyer in NYC, he later moved to LA where, through a chain of events, he was appointed resident counsel to Desilu Productions, Inc. As he was, in his own words, the lawyer who wanted to be a writer, he went on to the top of the ladder as Vice President of Lucille Ball Productions, Inc., Production Executive on Here's Lucy, a member of the Writer's Guild of America, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Association of Motion Picture and Television Producers.

This work is filled with anecdotes on many of Howard's celebrity friends which included but was not limited to, Lucy and Walter Matthau. This book is very good if, like me, you enjoy becoming acquainted with the private persona of some of your favorite personalities or if the script and story writing prospect is something that interests you a great deal.

All in all, I'd give Mr. Rayfiel's memoir 4 out of 5 stars.

Sunny Side Up!,
Krista

Where the hell IS Desilu? Its in our hearts!

Alrighty, where do I begin?

Well, I've been to Lucy-Desi Days three times; 2005, 2006, and now 2008 and, I must say, 2008 was above and beyond any of the others.

AMAZING.

The highlight events for me were the 50th Anniversary tribute to the Desilu Playhouse which was hosted by the adorable Dann Cahn who was film editor on I Love Lucy and other Lucy shows as well, including the Lucy-Desi Comedy Hours, and a good friend of both Lucy and Desi. As that man sat up there on that stage reminiscing, I could see how his face was just lit with happiness at being able to talk so freely about what must have been one of the happiest periods in his lifetime.

As I made my way up there on friday morning, the one thing I wanted to come away with more than anything was a better understanding of what it was like to be right in the middle of it all, all of that creativity and comedic genius. However, I left Jamestown with so much more than that. I was given the privilege to look in on, not only Mr. Cahn's personal relationship with my favorite couple but, insight into just Lucille Ball, the human being, made possible by the darling Wanda Clark , who was Lucy's personal secretary for 30-plus years and Howard Rayfiel who was the attorney for Desilu Studios and Vice President of Lucille Ball Productions later on, who were host and co-host at I Remember Lucy on saturday morning where I was fortunate enough to snag an autographed copy of his memoir, Where the Hell is Desilu? which, I've heard from VERY credible sources, is a MUST READ for any Lucy lover. I cannot wait to crack it open but, Im still working on Portrait of a Lady and I'm strange in that I cannot begin another book until I've finished up any current reads. So, I'm going as fast as I can!

I also met the founder of Lucille Ball's fan club and author of weekly newsletters over at lucyfan.com, Tom Watson. He, too, was just a doll and I'm so happy to have met him.

All of their stories and memories are priceless treasures for me and I am beyond greatful that those lovely people were so eager to share them with me and all of my fellow fans who attended as well.

...But, that isn't to say that I didn't manage to spend oh...somewhere upwards of $450.00 on memorabilia and including all the events I attended, that jacks the tag up to almost $800.00. But hey, it was my early birthday trip so, that makes it completely justifiable.

On top of meeting almost every special guest, {sans Wilmer Valderamma but, he was not a priority on my list to begin with and at $100.00 a head, I highly doubt he was a must meet for many of us.}, I met a few lovely fellow fans/friends who I found myself speaking to more freely than I have spoken to anyone in my life. My only regret is that every time I ran into said individuals, I was not carrying my bag which had my address book so, I wasn't able to get any of their contact information.

And so, I'm a very happy young lady.
...for the first time in awhile.


Sunny Side Up!,
Krista.

My (not so funny) Valentine, to Lucy.

My funny valentine,
Sweet, comic valentine;
You make me smile with my heart.
Your looks are laughable,
Unphotographable,
Yet, you're my favorite work of art.

Don't change a hair for me,
Not if you care for me,
Stay, little valentine, stay;
Each day is valentine's day.

My Funny Valentine, Rodgers & Hart,
1937

Right there, that little showtune I just quoted, It's exactly my feelings for Lucille Ball.

Her extensive body of work; three television series , over 80 films , and countless guest television appearances and specials; all just parts of the whole which, put together, leaves us with the valentine that she put together so diligently over the span of her 40+ year career in movies and television.

A lot of you might not be able to understand the way I feel about this incredible woman and, that's okay; understandable even.

I'll come right out and say it..

Lucille Ball saved me from suicide.

Yeah, that's right, that crazy "redhead" whose only real plot was trying to get into show business by cooking up hair-brained schemes with her BFF, Ethel, and driving her temperamental Cuban husband absolutely bananas with her unpredictability; that scatterbrained secretary who pushed her ultra- serious, no nonsense, yet somehow lovable curmudgeon of a boss, Mr. Mooney's buttons until they could be pushed no more; that doting working mother.. no, that's wrong..

None of those ladies are the individual who showed me what the world could hold in store for anyone who made the decision that their lives are no longer going to run them, they are going to take the bull by the horns and start running their lives. Granted, they are all a part of the lady I speak of but oh, what small, miniscule, cells they are in the person that was Lucille Desiree Ball.




The woman who refused to let CBS executives tell her that the American public would never buy into the idea that her all-American, Protestant self could possibly be married to the tempremental, 'hot-blooded', Catholic [gasp!] "latin bongo beater"; Desi Arnaz and, that's why he couldn't be cast as her spouse in the TV pilot which was in the works for her; by saying, But..we have been married for 10 years...and if he doesn't do it, I don't do it..

The woman who did not allow herself to sink and forcefully yet purposefully picked up the reins and trudged forward after the seemingly tragic dissolution of her 19 year union with the love of her life and, up until that point, the brains that kept the 'Lucy' empire running smoothly...

The lady, who at the tender age of 50, became the first woman to ever be appointed as the head of a studio, and went on to assist in the creation of such pop culture staples as Star Trek and Mission Impossible..

The caring, loving woman who was appointed National Chairwoman of the March of Dimes , made countless donations to hospitals, opened her home to children whose last dying wish was to 'meet LUCY!', and even, in one instance, funded the hospital stay of a woman who worked for her..

THAT is the incredible individual who showed me, taught me, unbeknownst to her of course; that there are, indeed, lovely human beings on this Earth, they just do not always sing [oh, lawdd, should I use that? ;-)]as loudly as those who are dead set on making others feel inadequate and unwanted.

Pardon me but I'm going to add this here as well:



I love you, Lucy and, for the millionth and one time, thank you.
For everything. All of your sacrifices, your hard work, 'twas not in vain, lovely.

I'm here, in large part, because of all of them.

And so, this weekend is all for you, darling.
I hope beyond hope that you're up there, looking down, reveling in the celebration of your life, as I continue on with my own.





With all of my love and deepest gratitude,

Sunny Side Up!,
Krista

Picture Post:Lucille Ball.

In continuation of my week-long celebration of Lucy-Desi Days, 2008; I thought I'd post just a few of my favorite photographs of my favorite redhead.

Feast your eyes on these:




Weren't they a gorgeous couple?
These are circa mid-forties.


At the 1954 EMMY Awards.


Lucy and Vivian Vance remained close until Viv passed away due to cancer in 1979.


It isn't generally known but, Lucy was among the many young starlets who tested for the coveted role of Scarlett O'Hara in the now classic epic Gone With the Wind.



Lucy, in her role as Mame for the 1975 movie version of the Broadway musical that originally cast Angela Lansbury in the lead, portraying Mame Dennis.


I'm not sure of the story that may be tagged to this photograph but, it's a personal favorite of mine!


Out on the town, circa mid-60s.

That's all I've got, for the time being.

Sunny Side Up!,
Krista.

Classic.

For my next Lucy installment this week, I give you, one of the top 10 most memorable scenes from I Love Lucy, I hope it makes you smile!



Sunny Side Up!,
Krista

In case you've missed the few subtle hints..

I'll come right out & say it..
I ADORE LUCILLE BALL.
'Tis true.
Its been that way since age three, to be exact.

I collect memorabilia, own many Lucy movies & the entire I Love Lucy series.
(I'm working on Here's Lucy and The Lucy Show)

I bet most of you don't know about this but every year, Lucy's hometown of Jamestown, NY holds two festivals, the first being Lucy-Desi Days at the end of May and Lucy's Birthday Celebration at the beginning of August, as Lucy's birthday was August 6th.

Well, I am overjoyed that I will be attending Lucy-Desi Days, 2008 this coming weekend from Friday the 23rd until Sunday the 25th.
Jamestown is just about a three hour drive away from my current home base and, its really very scenic and it goes by very quickly.

Anyway, to make my point, I thought it would be cool of me to post a little Lucy snippet of something or other at least once a day, right here, on my little blog in honor of my upcoming weekend.

I hope that all of you at least some of you lovely fellow bloggers enjoy this idea of mine..if not..
..that's fine too..I guess..
:)

To start, Here's an appearance Lucy made on my favorite classic game show, What's My Line?circa 1955, if I'm not mistaken.



PART 2:


By the way, the 'martian talk' that Lucy uses here was also used in the I Love Lucy episode, Women from Mars..
You know, the one where Lucy and Ethel climb to the top of the Empire State Building as part of a publicity stunt for an upcoming movie in order to earn $500.00 a piece so that they can donate to a charity headed by a wealthy former classmate of Lucy's.



Also, as an intriguing side story,
panelist Dorothy Killgallen was a very well known journalist of the era and after the assassination of President Kennedy, she took it upon herself to uncover the real reasons and perpetrator[s] behind the incident. Apparently, she found out some pretty damn incriminating evidence against someone or some establishment because, she was found murdered in her own bed seemingly after or during reading a book and this happened just weeks after she conducted an interview with Jack Ruby in Dallas, Texas and she also printed secret transcripts from Ruby's trial.

(if this interests you, read a write up here.

Enjoy, if you please!

Sunny Side Up!,
Krista

FIRST OFFICIAL POST!!

Well, welcome my darlings!

I've had the idea of a personal record in blog form turning over in my head for quite some time and, on this dreadful (SNOWY....I cannot believe I just typed that..) mid-May morning, I buckled down and got busy setting up my little treasure trove in order to tuck away little rays of sunshine that give me hope, turn my frown upside down, and 'warm me up' (or so to speak.)

and so...

Shall we begin with a little Lucy?
(my friends who I've directed here, would expect nothing less!)



I've been been flipped "sunny side up" by this little light countless times in the past few months..

I present for your enjoyment,
Mr. Foster Brooks' contribution to the Dean Martin Celebrity Roast for Miss Lucille Ball circa mid-seventies:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SDxzIFpniI


Sunny Side Up!,
Krista

ps-I'm brand new at this so, bear with me but, how can I post the actual video as opposed to the link? Anyone?
Thanks.