Ring In The New

May all of you and your loved ones have abundant health, happiness and prosperity in 2010

Black Diamond Dangles And Champagne Cocktails

New Year 2010 by belle de ville featuring BELADORA

OK...so I'm not really going to be wearing this outfit tonight...But I think that the inexpensive outfit and shoes from Forever 21 paired with the fur cape and black diamond dangle earrings is a perfectly acceptable look to celebrate the New Year.

Cynthia Sliwa's Jewels on Jewels

Diane de Poitiers

I know that we all have lot's of fabulous blogs on our blogrolls to peruse daily and so little time but I'd like to introduce you to one of of the best style blogs out there.
JCK's Jewels on Jewels extremely well written (unlike this humble blog) by Cynthia Sliwa

Here's a fine example of her writing about modern day trophy wives and Diane de Poitiers, who was alas only a kings mistress not his wife

Gold in Jest & Gold Ingested: A Cautionary Tale of Two Gold Diggers

And another great post with circular motifs in jewelry and Kandinsky

More on Circles & Spheres: Synchronicity & Snow Globes

While I should have been reading the JCK blogs all this time I actually found out about Cynthia's blog from my favorite client Sherry who reads about all things jewelry-ish and is even a bigger authority on estate jewelry than I am!
Sherry just emailed me an told me that Cynthia's blog was named one of the Top Ten Blogs To Read in 2010 by Pierce Mattie PR.
Congratulations Cynthia!

I'm sure that you'll agree that her blog is worth adding to your blogroll.

Is Avatar A Movie About Alien Porn?

"When we would draw Neytiri and she had fins on her back and gills and all kinds of weird protuberances and so on in odd places, the question was, well, would you want to do her? No? OK, let's back off from that." -- James Cameron

The best Avatar review ever
by Mark Morford at SFGate
Please mount my hot blue alien

I think it is so hilarious that I am posting the whole thing


Some say the greatness of "Avatar" lies in its lush visual grandeur, the sheer madhouse spectacle, the revolutionary eye candy that only $300 million in computer graphics and 10 pounds of psilocybin mushrooms can buy.

Others have pointed out how the story itself is terribly thin and actually rather stupid, the dialogue is all sorts of corny, and the entire thing's pretty much a direct rip-off of "Dances with Wolves" (all true, by the way; I've seen it), but none of that really matters when the special effects are so awesome and brain-drenching that you might as well tear off part of your id and toss it in a blender when the movie starts to roll.
To which we can all effortlessly scoff: bulls--t.

Let's just say it outright: This is a movie about alien porn. It's about the great, timeless, hypererotic white man fantasy of the Other. Inhabiting it, having sex with it, becoming it, moving inside it, running and leaping and fighting and taking spectacular risks just before falling into a bed of florid vines with your significant -- and incredibly hot -- alien companion to fondle her tail as the planet smiles in happy bioluminescent munificence all around you.

Let me be clear. I don't mean "hot" in the typical sci-fi sense. The Na'vi are not cheeseball pneumatic fantasy creations, the males all bloated, vein-popping muscle-bound meatheads and the females sporting Volkswagen-sized breasts and giant firedragon swords and asses from here to Lara Croft. They are not the generic, infantile, 10-year-old boy-lost-at-Comic-Con kind of hot. Not completely, anyway.

No, this is adult hot. Kinky hot. Exoticism wrapped in virile prowess slipped into a giant sheath of sexy blue lizardleather. It would appear that James Cameron and his nefarious crew of kinkhounds probed every nook and cranny and orifice of Freud's extraterrestrial fantasy handbook to invent the dreamiest blue lustcreature imaginable. Yes, this is a movie about fetishism.

Evidence? Plenty.
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Let's start with the obvious. The Na'vi are 10 feet tall. They are like every godlike basketball player, Amazon warrior and magical stiltwalker. Did you know nearly every human on the planet wishes and dreams he/she could be taller so as to be more dominant and godlike and reach the top shelf at Pottery Barn with ease? Well, they don't. I just made that up. But I bet it's not far off.

The amazing thing is, despite their tremendous height, the Na'vi are not gangly or slow or heavy. They have no dexterity issues or joint pain. They are not constantly bumping into things with their gawky six-foot limbs. They are phenomenally graceful and fluid. There is no wasted motion. They have zero body fat. They move like featherweight gazelles when they should move like lumbering gibbons. Mmm, tasty.

Let's talk about those tails. Oh, honey. Did you know animal tail fetishism is one of the biggest sexual fetishes in all of fetishdom? Well it's not. Or rather, it might be. I really have no idea. I just made that up, too. But it sure sounds right, doesn't it? A tinge of bestiality? A hint of exotic animal play? Face it: on the right kind of creature, tails are sexy as hell. Just ask a mermaid. Catwoman. The devil. I mean, come on.

What about those catlike eyes? Wide set, twice as wide as normal humans. And they're huge. Japanese anime huge, and bright yellow/green. Like moonstones. Like sea creatures. Like Japanese anima sea creature catpeople from the moon. Did you know large eyes and dilated pupils trigger a nurturing and protective instinct in humans? True. Do you know when you add that to sexual kink, it's downright perversion-ready combustible? Doubly true. You ever seen any hentai? You ever read "Bondage Fairies"? Oh my God.

span style="color:#000099;">Of course, the Na'vi are deep blue. They are not red. Red would have been too angry and perhaps sparked protests from Native Americans. Yellow is too creepy and urinary. Green too slimy and frog-like. Black too flagrantly racist. Purple too fairy princess. But everyone likes blue. It's sky, it's oceanic, it's blueberry pie. Blue is downright dreamy. Wet dreamy.

And the Na'vi sparkle. Or rather, they have bioluminescent spots that light up and dance and look all magical and nightlighty and tasty. Do you know what else sparkles? Another creature we've excessively fetishized like drunk cheerleaders on meth lately? That's right: vapid teen vampires. Mmm, suck me now, sparkling blue bioluminescent anime sea creature Amazon basketball player moonlike catperson of my dreams.

But wait, there's more. What about the ears? Oh, hell yes. Riding high, small and pointy, just like we like 'em. Just like ... an elf. Did you know elf porn is the second most popular fetish in America? Well it's not. I just made that up, too. But it might be. I mean holy hell, do you know how many fantasies were spawned by the Elfin robe-wearers in "Lord of the Rings," with their high pointy ears and their Orlando Bloom/Liv Tyler immortal hotness? Elfin! High, pointy ears! Done.

a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QKwwR3v3bcA/SzqEumlV-cI/AAAAAAAAFUs/HoM5Fbgd09w/s1600-h/avatar+pair12-29-2009+2-35-53+PM.png">
What else? Oh right. The African thing. I mean, obviously. Tribal. Dreadlocks. Full lips, long, sloping, wide noses, neck beads and loincloths and running through the jungle at top speed, barefoot, never cut or bruised or tripping over some damnable branch like a dumb lumpy white person. The exotic African (racist?) connection is strong and obvious, except for when it's something else, like maybe Maori or Native American warrior, with the ponytails and the tribal markings and the fierce eyes. Baby, the Na'vi have it all.

But wait, we haven't hit the best part yet. Because in this movie, you don't merely get to fantasize about the Other from afar or even just indulge in interspecies sex. You get to literally become one of them. You enter into their bodies and actually move and hunt and breathe and fight and screw and kiss and talk like them, fuse your DNA to theirs forever and ever. It's just like "Cocoon," only far less creepy and geriatric Steve Gutenbergian!

Behold, the ultimate in guilty colonialist fetish fantasy epic porn filmmaking, ever. Flawed, broken white man can, with his righteous modern technology, fuse his DNA with super-hot exotic sexually flawless alien species and become the Other and save the world and then score the hot chick from "Star Trek."

Dude. Mr. Cameron sir. Just stop your silly overblown movie right there. You don't even have to have them fight the bad guys or run from monsters or stage ridiculous epic battle sequences. What's the point? Just have a lame white dude become a giant gorgeous blue sexhotsuckerbeast Na'vi, and film him walking down the street and ordering a latte from Starbucks. Watch humanity share one giant, collective Lacanian psychospiritual orgasm. Perfect.

Yeah, I admit, I'll probably go see this film this week...
Where else can I get all that otherworldly sexiness surrounded by bioluminescent munificence

Trending Towards Turquoise

Thank God that style guru Imogen Lamport and vintage style crusader Mary Kincaid have informed me of the fact that turquoise is going to be the dominant color of 2010...because I'm always late finding out about these things.



I love the vibrancy of turquoise, it is certainly one of my favorite colors and while I don't often wear the color in terms of my clothes, I do accent what I wear with plenty of vintage turquoise jewelry.

Here's one of my favorite peices because of the blue on blue motif.

Beladora Vintage Turquoise and Zircon Ring in Platinum

Do you wear the latest trend in color in your clothes, accessories, both or neither?

De Gustibus Non Est Disputandum

So these are the hot boots of the season...
who knew?
From the WSJ
The Shoe That Kicked Off a Frenzy
Despite a $1,295 price tag, the Otway boot sparked a craze
The boots in question, which didn't hit stores until September, are called "Otway," and they can fairly be called the "It" boots of the season. Made of supple suede, the cuffed booties are adorned with rows of circular studs and are held up by a four-inch triangular heel.
Those who are still interested in owning them can forget about it. With the exception of a few pairs on eBay, they are out of stock nearly everywhere, despite a $1,295 price tag.

OK...so call me crazy but I'm going on record to say that I think they are hideous for $1295 but they might, and I mean might, be wearable at $295. And didn't we already have boots like these back in the Mid- 1980s?

Right now I'm only interested in what's comfortable on my feet and I'm looking for flat brown boots, not necessarily the OTK kind
Here's what's on sale at Bergdorf Goodman

Prada OTK Boots reduced to $910 from $1300

not exactly a bargain

Michael Kors Fallon Flat Boots $315 reduced from $450
I'm not loving the zipper

Prada riding boots $595 reduced from $850

I'm really liking these but can't I get actual riding boots for less?

Joie OTK boots $315 reduced from $525

I like these but aren't OTK boot going to look so 2009 in 2010?

So the search continues.

But what I certainly won't be searching for are those silly Otway boots.

So not my style

Alpen Avalanches

I'm not happy to read this
Italy avalanches kill 7, including 4 rescuers

Especially because my brother and his two sons are snowboarding in the Italian Alps this week.

This doesn't make the invitation that I just received to go skiing in France next month seem very appealing....cold, ice, avalanches, potential broken bones. I'm such a wuss, maybe this is why I haven't skiied in ten years.

The Millionaire Murderer Next Door

From the Independent
a view of the
Wealthy, quiet, unassuming: the Christmas Day bomb suspect

Like the 9/11 terrorists, this guy wasn't from the underbelly of some 3rd world Moslem country. Abdulmutallab, 23, had lived a gilded life, and, for the three years he studied in London, he stayed in a £2m flat.
Abdulmutallab's father, Umaru, is the former economics minister of Nigeria. He retired earlier this month as the chairman of the First Bank of Nigeria but is still on the boards of several of Nigeria's biggest firms, including Jaiz International, a holding company for the Islamic Bank. The 70-year-old, who was also educated in London, holds the Commander of the Order of the Niger as well as the Italian Order of Merit.
And here's Mark Steyn on the subject
So once again we see the foolishness of complaceniks who drone the fatuous cliches about how "in this struggle, scholarships will be far more important than smart bombs". The men eager to self-detonate on infidel airliners are not goatherds from the caves of Waziristan but educated middle-class Muslims who have had the most exposure to the western world and could be pulling down six-figure salaries almost anywhere on the planet. And don't look to "assimilation" to work its magic, either. We're witnessing a process of generational de-assimilation: In this family, yet again, the dad is an entirely assimilated member of the transnational elite. His son wants a global caliphate run on Wahhabist lines.
Do you think that he went to a strip club too before he embarked on his mission to meet his 72 virgins?

And how about this man of action, Jasper Schuringa?


Yeah, and I'm kinda in love with him
Watch his inverview on CNN via Huffpo

Bringing Out The Rubies For The Boxing Day Bash

One of reasons that I love the Christmas season is my friend Marcella's annual Boxing Day Bash held at her very cool architectural house in the Hollywood Hills.
Marcella, is a renaissance woman. In addition to being an artist and an attorney, she is involved with the arts and decorative arts at the Getty Museum and LACMA, and with the historical and cultural preservation of historic Los Angeles architecture. Where most private parties in Los Angeles tend to be clannish, you know the same group of people that only socialize within their narrow range of friends, Marcella's parties are put together with an eclectic group of guests, from filmmakers to socialites to curators to business tycoons and then random people like me thrown into the mix.
At any rate I always have a good time.
And this year in the spirit of the colors of Christmas I wore the big ruby and diamond parure that was purchased from a princess....because why should all that pretty sparkly stuff just stay in the vault.

Unfortunately I didn't get a good photo of the house but here is her view of Hollywood to the east

And her view of the Sunset Strip to the west with the Chateau Marmont in the foreground.

But I couldn't stay outdoors for too long with the camera because it was a frosty 50 something degrees last night...

Thank God I have a quiet week until the next party on New Years Eve.

Vintage Value Venture - Couture Allure On Sale

OK people pay attention here
The holidays are always about finding just the right gifts to please our family and friends. But the post Christmas week is a good to time find something wonderful for ourselves.
I know you all have some post holiday cash in hand....or you will as soon as you return that holiday sweater that you received as a gift that you will never wear, back to the department store.
Well Couture Allure Vintage is having an after Christmas Sale!
For me it's kinda a toss up for me between the vintage Oscar de la Renta evening gown with matching coat with mink collar and cuffs...because god knows that I lead such a formal life of galas and black tie events that I need an evening gown...
and this very wearable 1950s Mr. Blackwell cashmere and wool dress for $175!

Certainly the simple black dress will go better with a double strand of south sea pearls and my new favorite pair of south sea pearl and diamond earrings.

South Sea Pearl and Diamond Earrings

So this is what I've picked out....what are you going to get?

(Oh, and don't forget that Beladora's discount code is HOLIDAY09

till the end of the month)

So What Was Your Old Email Address?

Cute girl in a cute video linked by Instapundit.com

( I like the way that this girl is so young that she's talking about hotmail.com addresses being old....especially when she's not even old enough to remember anything as ancient as a compuserve or netscape email address.)

Christmas Cuteness

So cute, enjoy.

Merry Christmas

The prettiest Xmas tree - ignore the bad focus

How it all comes together

It must be the miracle of Christmas

A full day at the office

then the rush to buy Christmas gifts at the very last minute on Xmas Eve

How I ever threw together a boeufe bourguinon, roasted potatoes with Herbs du Provence, salad and Cote du Rhone

at the last minute for my small family of two adult children I'll never know...

maybe it has something to do with 2 decades plus of practice.

With no time to pull out the fine china and sterling silver it all seemed rather pedestrian

But it worked for our simple family of three.

A Very Simple Family Christmas Eve Dinner

Our small family of three enjoyed a simple evening a trois together

and I hope that all of you who celebrate Christmas enjoyed your family too

Wishing all of you and yours a wonderful Christmas

Christmas Music Medley

No More Maison Du Chocolat!

The best thing about finally reaching Christmas

is that business associates and friends

will finally stop sending baskets and boxes

of chocolates, cookies and chocolate covered strawberries.

Seriously...enough already with the Maison du Chocolate, Godiva, Mrs Fields etc...

Does your office fill up with fattening treats every Christmas too?

Guy Style - Off The Cuff

When it comes to women's jewelry my basic attitude is anything goes...

from dainty little hoop earrings to huge diamond pinky rings,

from vintage pearl sautoirs to tremendous tiaras

it's all good

When it comes to men's jewelry I'm all about subtlety.

IMHO a wedding ring, a watch and cufflinks are all any man needs

But since men need so little in terms of accessories

(let's face it they are pretty much perfect without accoutrements)

they should have the very best

a straightforward platinum or 18K band

a Cartier, Patek or Jaeger LeCoultrer dress watch

and of course

interesting cufflinks for his monogrammed Turnbull and Asser french cuffed shirts

Since blue is my favorite color I tend to favor sapphires

and here are my choices from Beladora.com

Sapphire Cufflink in 18K $2250

Sapphire Bar Cufflinks in 18K $2050

(made by Charles Gold & Co, who manufactured the Van Cleef cufflinks)

Sapphire Square Cufflinks in 18K $3250

Sapphire Cufflinks in 18K $2250
(Charles Gold & Co)

Sapphire Cabochon Cufflinks in 18K $1850

Maybe the man in your life needs a little Beladora box in his Chrismas stocking

...or maybe a special gift after Xmas but in time for New Year's Eve...

Don't forget the discount code HOLIDAY09

Still Need To Shop?

Still haven't found that special gift?


At Beladora.com there is a huge selection of jewelry under $1000

And at BeladoraII.com
a big selection of vintage fine jewelry under $500

with free shipping and Xmas delivery

Don't forget the 15% discount on all items over $1500
Discount code HOLIDAY09

Appaloosa Betting On The Banks For Big Bucks

At the end of the year we typically look back and determine whether or not we made progress over the past year. We analyze what worked and what didn't work, given the economy, and then we make assumptions about the future and conservatively formulate plans for the upcoming year.

Then we wonder how hedgefund master of the universe, David Tepper of Appaloosa Management, had the temerity of take huge positions in Citigroup and Bank of America at the bottom of the market and earn 7 billion in profit in 2009.

Fund Boss Made $7 Billion in the Panic

Mr. Tepper's hedge-fund firm has racked up about $7 billion of profit so far this year—with Mr. Tepper on track to earn more than $2.5 billion for himself, according to people familiar with the matter. That is among the largest one-year takes in recent years.
Behind the wins: a bet worth billions of dollars that America would avoid a repeat of the Great Depression.
Through February and March, Mr. Tepper scooped up beaten-down bank shares as many investors were running for the exits. Day after day, Mr. Tepper bought Bank of America Corp. shares, then trading below $3, and Citigroup Inc. preferred shares, when that stock was under $1.
So there he was buying against the tide
"I felt like I was alone," Mr. Tepper recalls. On some days, he says, "no one was even bidding."
And it paid off...big
After he was repeatedly passed over for a partnership, Mr. Tepper left Goldman to start Appaloosa in 1993. By 2008, he had a track record of annual gains averaging about 30% and a net worth estimated at about $2 billion.
And, oh the irony of his being passed over for partnership at Goldman
Mr. Tepper entered 2009 cautiously, with more than 30% of his firm's assets in cash, or more than $2 billion. He itched to do some buying. Mr. Tepper explains his investment philosophy with a line from Allan Meltzer, a professor at his alma mater: "Trees grow." In other words, growth is the natural state of economies, so optimism usually is rewarded.
And going forward
Mr. Tepper says the worrywarts have it wrong: "If you think the economy will be fine, as we do, then we're going to do very well."
Of course with billions in personal assets it's a t'wee bit easier to be optimistic
And I do, of course, hope that he's correct

Decollete and Diamonds

I was so looking forward to going to a holiday party tonight until I delved into my little closet of cocktail dresses and found that none of my holiday party clothes fit!

After an immediate state of panic I found one black velvet outfit and modeled it for Miss de Ville to get her opinion. She kindly told me that I looked like a fat nun.

Not good.

I will have to overcompensate for that with decollete and diamonds.

For Friends In Cold Climates

I have to admit that I secretly envy my many friends who will have snow for Christmas

Saturday Silliness - Are You Deaf Or Just Stupid?

And you thought that you had relationship problems...

Happy To Be Home For The Holidays

Another reason why I'm happy to be home for the holidays

Thousands freed from Channel Tunnel after trains fail

Where to put this story? In the global warming department, in the French hospitality department, or in the let's-turn-everything-over-to-government-run-services department?
More than 2,000 people spent hours trapped inside the Channel Tunnel after five Eurostar trains broke down due to cold weather.

The trains failed as they left the cold air in northern France and entered the warmer tunnel.Some passengers were evacuated via service tunnels to car trains, while others were kept on their trains. Many have faced gruelling 15-hour journeys.

…Lee Godfree, a passenger evacuated from one of the stranded trains, said he and his family had arrived in Folkestone at 0500 GMT, having left Disneyland Paris at 1837 GMT.He said their journey had been a "complete nightmare"."We were without power. We ran out of water, we ran out of food and there was very, very poor communication from the staff," he told the BBC."We lost air conditioning when we lost the power. We had to open the emergency doors ourselves."The evacuation procedure we followed was one that we set down ourselves."

ht/no pasaran

A Little Holiday Offer

One of the problems with getting on an email list is the constant barrage of email.
Take Bluefly for example. I get about 5 emails from them a day.
Naturally I get Gilt and Hautelook emails everyday too, but they do time based flash sales so I understand the need for daily communication.
But what about Nieman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman and the rest of the stores whose mailing list I find myself on....isn't their email one step away from the viagra spam that I get everyday too?

At Beladora we didn't want to become that annoying store that is always popping up in your inbox. Jewelry isn't something that you purchase daily. It tends to be an occasion based product, so we don't have a daily, weekly or even a monthly email marketing strategy.


But this year we sent these email cards to our clients with a special offer of 15% off on all jewelry over $1500.

I think that the cards came out quite nice, don't you?

And, I like to extend our Holiday discount offer to all of you

because after faithfully reading BHB

you definitely qualify as 'friends and family'

The discount code is HOLIDAY09

and it is good until the end of the month

You might have a special birthday or anniversary coming up

or maybe you've had a your eye on something special for a while

so come on over to Beladora.com and BeladoraII.com

and tell your friends!

Around Town - Sabrage At Christofle

If you are in Beverly Hills
Thursday December 17th
the CEO of Christofle demonstrating the Art of Sabrage

Yeah...I bet you CEO can't do this!
History of Sabrage:
This technique became popular in France when the army of Napoleon visited many of the aristocrat domains. It was just after the French revolution and the saber was the weapon of choice of Napoleon's fearsome cavalry (the Hussar). Napoleon's spectacular victories across all Europe gave them plenty of reason to celebrate. During these parties the cavalry would open the Champagne with their sabers. Napoleon probably encouraged this and is known to have said: "Champagne! In victory one deserves it; in defeat one needs it."

Hollywood Skankdom - Not Only for Teenagers

What's wrong with these people
no seriously
WHAT'S WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE

Who would dress a 9 year old girl like a complete skank

the lipstick, the mini dress and those S&M ish platform boots

So here we have Noah Cyrus, the 9 year old sister of Miley Cyrus

Can we talk about the early sexualization of children here
Not only tasteless
Thoroughly disgusting

Vintage Value Venture - Never Pay Retail

I just thought that I would point this out

Henry Dunay Diamond Sabi Ring in PLATINUM from Beladora.com for $5750

Henry Dunay Diamond Sabi Ring in GOLD from Bergdorf Goodman $15,600

NOTE: The ring from Bergdorf's has is in gold and not platinum

has about half the diamonds, and is about 3 times the price

as the ring from Beladora.com

Bergdorf's would probably sell the Dunay platinum ring for about $30,000

It just blows me away that anyone would pay retail

Favorite Foularde

Taking a clue from Deja Pseu
I thought that I'd show you what I am wearing today at the office
my foulard de la semaine


This is the same scarf that I wore to my first job interview after I graduated from college....waaay back in the day.

Et voila,
fine silk scarves like fine estate jewelry will last decades, if you take care of them.

Beladora.com in Elle.com

Vintage VCA from Beladora.com

Buying Vintage Jewelry for the Holidays
A guide to getting the most bling for your buck
By Kate Davidson Hudson

Here are a couple of paragraphs from this very interesting article

The vintage jewelry market, is, for many, unfamiliar territory. It's sometimes perceived as terrain riddled with esotericisms and studied references that are intimidating to broach (no pun intended). Yet, in an economy that is encouraging people to streamline their wardrobes; vintage jewelry companies are finding a ripe market for buying and selling vintage gems with everyday consumers rather than connoisseurs or other dealers. This means that the product is more accessible and the marketplace more transparent, so, you are bound to get a little more bling for your buck.

Interest in vintage jewelry heightened in the last few years as greater attention focused on the investment-worth, and, design exclusivity offered by estate pieces. Estate jewelry, specifically fine pieces, tends to hold its value, or, even appreciate over time. The 18k yellow gold chain that you’ve held onto for the last decade is, in most cases, worth more today than the day you bought it; and if it’s signed, you may have just bolstered the rate of return on your initial investment two-fold. High quality vintage is quickly becoming the delicacy of the jewelry world as rarity in quantity and design, make it an increasingly exclusive commodity.

But be sure to read the whole thing!

Johnny Hallyday - No Way To Retire

From the Guardian.UK
Johnny Hallyday in drug-induced coma after surgery
'French Elvis' in hospital in Los Angeles as family seeks legal advice over original operation in Paris

The most famous French entertainer, the legendary pop star Johnny Hallyday, had to come to the Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles to fix the botched surgery that he had in Paris

What does it tell you about the French medical system if the most famous man in France can't get good medical treatment in his own country?

Sad that this aging rocker, who has performed for some 50 years, couldn't have just retired to a happy life of leisure and family. According to this article in the Times Online, the poor old man had an entourage to support, bills to pay and taxes to avoid

Fingers are pointing at Camus, a tough businessman, for pushing Hallyday too hard. Despite his lifetime sale of over 100 million records, Hallyday is said to need the money to pay past bills and keep his entourage in the luxury to which they are accustomed. Like many stars before him, Hallyday has a reputation for being manipulated by the people around him. He is said to have lost a lot of money over the years. The public is also not told why France's national institution divides his non-working time between homes in LA, Saint Barts' in the Caribbean and Gstaad, Switzerland. The reason is that he needs to stay out of France to retain non-resident status to avoid income tax. He has been domiciled in Switzerland for the past three years.

Sad, very sad

Ouch!

Here's Tiger's favorite "girl"

No wonder he paid the big bucks for the orgies, ooops I mean parties

Vice queen: I set up Tiger’s £25,000 orgies with 15

Yeah, but eventually there's a downside to all the partying
Tiger to suffer a '$180M' slice

A year away from golf would cost Tiger Woods $180 million in lost endorsements, tournament winnings and appearance fees -- about $15 million per floozy, industry analysts estimate.
In an announcement that stunned the golf world, Woods said on Friday he was withdrawing indefinitely from the game to try and mend his broken marriage to his betrayed wife, Elin Nordegren.
The superstar swinger has earned an estimated $1 billion over his career, but his financial future is now at stake. Sponsors are jittery now that Woods' extramarital harem has swelled to at least a dozen reported paramours.

And now wife Elin is going to cash in on the mega pre-nup

It couldn't have happened to a nicer guy
Ouch!

Holiday Hiking In The Hills

After two weeks of nonstop work and staying at the office until 9:00 at night
and dealing with some major office mayhem
not the least the servers and cameras going down
topped off with scrambling to get jewelry to to ELLE magazine in NY
and driving through the pouring rain to get the goods to
Vanity Fair magazine for a cover shoot by Annie Leibovitz!!!
I was desperate for some down time

So the sun came out today and I took to the Brentwood hills for some hiking

Sadly, the last rainstorm was warm and all of the snow has melted on the local mountains

but still beautiful

it was beautiful

And tomorrow is another day...back to work

Vintage Value Venture - Holiday Gift Ideas Under $500

Here are four fabulous suggestions for vintage fine jewelry gifts under $500

from BeladoraII.com

Diamond Hoop Earrings in 14K

Vintage Mid-Century Diamond Ring in 14K

Antique Sapphire Bar Brooch Pendant in 14K

Sapphire and Diamond Cascade Ring in 14K

And....for purchases over $1500 on BeladoraII.com

use the discount code HOLIDAY09

for a 15% discount