Yay Pets!

Life.com has done it again. A photo album that discusses celebrities AND pets is obviously something that I cannot resist.
I can never get over the fact that owners look like their pets. It's really narcissistic if you think about it..
Anyway, if you haven't guessed, I really LOVE animals. Pets are even better cause they live with you! It sounds awful, domesticating animals, forcing them to live with you - oh but I want a pet of my own so badly.

And of course, I couldn't help but make a few collages. All of this reminded me of one of my ALLTIMEFAVORITE shows Martha Speaks! I'm not the least bit ashamed at the fact that the program is mainly geared towards children half my age and teaches life lessons my parents can only hope that I learned long ago such as how to make your bed, and treat others with fairness.
You know, the usual.
The show is based off of a children's book about Martha, a family pet who develops the ability to carry conversation with the help of some alphabet soup.
I think have already made it clear enough that this is simply one of the best shows ever.
Moving on...
Our next, well the topic we originally began with, Celebrities and their Pets.
I'm not sure if it's just me, but I could have a condition where I automatically believe that things are greater, more precious, outstanding, fabulous and everything with a celebrity's touch.
Something about these photos further glamorizes the lives of those in the public eye. Audrey Hepburn and her creatively named pal Mr. Famous look even cooler and carefree riding on a bicycle together. With the celebrity touch, swimming looks more attractive, as well as hanging out in one's fur coat and cuddling.
And who can even forget presidential pets ... which I have sprinkled into this last collage here.

Royal Weddings

So in all my internet surfing, I have recently discovered a new love of mine - LIFE.com. I remember going to flea markets with my parents and looking through old issues of Life magazine and being amazed. Not only were they great 'cause they were like a portal into the past, but the images were just so mesmerizing. Then again, I'm a total image freak.

The types of image galleries Life had was insane and I went crazy. I couldn't help myself from venturing into an album titled "Royal Weddings."
Often regarded as perhaps a fairy tale gone wrong, here we have the wedding of Princess Diana and Prince Charles. Even though their marriage turned out to be fairly unhappy, their wedding was jam-packed with opulence as expected. Princess Diana looked like an 1980s meringue and her train looked like a giant strip of white paint dragging down the aisle. Oh and those flower girls looked like tiny golden bells. The best part of all was the mug set.

And then there is the famed wedding of movie star Grace Kelly and the Prince of Monaco who met while Miss. Kelly was filming what would be her final film for Hitchcock, To Catch a Thief. Although it is the wedding here with some of the fewest pictures, I like to assume it is immediately my favorite and the most beautiful. I cannot image a more dream-like and glamourous union.

This was Grace Kelly's hand-pearled bible used in her wedding ceremony. So elegant and beautiful, it really is like something out of a 1950s dream.

Well shame on me for forgetting so quickly who this royal couple was... Nonetheless, the images from their day of matrimony still excite me. Just look at all those flower girls and bridesmaids in their dresses. They look like they're outfitted in tiers of ruffles on their shoulders, their busts and the edges of their hemlines. I can't help but see them as poofy glacial fairies. Just imagine how wonderful a hug from someone in those dresses would be. There is also the Princess's tiara, almost too shiny and splendid to be true.

The best part is this image of the bride's lace train. It looks like bed of flowers floating behind her.

I stuck these in here mostly because of its adorable backstory. This beautiful princess, fell in love with her personal trainer. Out of all the pictures I shuffled through, the emotions in these seemed the most genuine. Everyone looks happy and love.

And then of course we have American Royalty. I could not resist. The Kennedys' marriage didn't really work itself out into something beautiful, but rather something filled with secret affairs and ugliness (similar to many other high-profile weddings) only to end in a tragic assassination. The mystery and darkness behind the classic all-American façade really adds an extra appeal to the Kennedys' style (as disturbed as that sounds).

Peter Beard

I first saw Peter Beard's work in the Olsen Twins' Book Influence and have been hooked ever since. He's a master of a whole other realm of collage. Even though it's obviously affected, Beard's photographs appear to be completely untouched and natural. There's something animalistic in each picture's energy. Its hard to say exactly what it is that brings out the natural and alluring grit of each piece, but they just make me want to stare for hours.

I couldn't believe that I even forgot about Beard until I came across shots of Eva Mendes for Above Magazine.

This prompted some more re-exploration. Having lived in Africa for many years, Beard has been known to photograph wildlife but also several celebrities and supermodels like Iman, Mick Jagger, David Bowie, and Versuchka. Some of his own friends included Andy Warhol, Jackie Onasis, and Bianca Jagger. Bead's collages began in his young age and stemmed from his love for photography. Here are some more of my favorites to enjoy.