Weekend Rental: “My Favorite Wife”

My Favorite Wife is a1940 screwball comedy  produced and co-written by Leo McCarey and directed by Garson Kanin. It stars Irene Dunne plays Ellen Arden who returns to her husband (Cary Grant) and children after being shipwrecked on a tropical island for several years. Ellen arrives home to find her husband Nick just remarried to Bianca. The overjoyed Nick awkwardly tries to break the news gently to Bianca. But before he can do that, an unpleasant surprise–news that Ellen has spent the 7 years on a deserted island with fellow-survivor Burkett. Nick’s jealousy tries to find out the truth. Hilarious confusion reigns before Nick chooses his favorite wife.  The story is an adaptation of Alfred Lord Tennyson’s  poem “Enoch Arden”; in tribute, the main characters’ last name is Arden.

“Are You a Good Wife?”

Are you a good wife?

By LORI BASHEDA
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Tip No. 8: A good wife always cooks a big Saturday or Sunday breakfast for her family.

Apparently, I’m not a good wife.

I’m lucky if I shave my legs every week or every other week. I wear enough flannel to bed for a camp out. And I’d rather spend my weekend mornings playing tennis.

And yet, there is a part of me that admires the June Cleavers of the world.

So when I heard about The Wife, I wanted to meet the woman behind the website. Taryn Cox’s blog, in her words, “is based on my philosophies, beliefs, and aspirations of being a good wife.”

Feminists may cringe. But Taryn has a loyal following of women who are nostalgic for the ’50s, women who want, as one of her readers writes, to dress to the nines to serve her husband a mean martini after he gets home from a hard day at the office, even if they’ve just had a hard day at the office.

I met Taryn for lunch one Sunday and she arrived looking fabulous in high heels, handing me a tidy box of cookies wrapped in ribbon.

The first thing she told me is that she isn’t actually a wife. Now it was starting to make sense. Because I don’t know any wives who are trying to be better wives, only wives who are trying to make their husbands be better husbands.

But then I found out that Taryn is a domestic assistant so she does know a little bit about the gig. Taryn works for Monica Rosenthal, the actress who played Ray’s sister-in-law on “Everybody Loves Raymond,” and the wife of Phil Rosenthal, the man who created the sitcom. A philanthropist, Monica leaves the day to day household tasks to Taryn: planning birthday parties, picking out the children’s wardrobes, grocery shopping and running errands.

“It’s strange,” Taryn says. “But I love doing the dishes and laundry.” Especially in a dress, preferably vintage.

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Style Inspiration: Elle Macpherson

Style Inspiration

I just love the message this commercial asks “What ever happened to style? Where has the glamour gone?” Sadly its  a Chrysler cars commercial, but it still gets the right point across…. We’ve lost our motivation to dazzle and arrive in style! Lets get it back!

THE WIFE’s Make Out Playlist, Vol. #2

1. Slip Away – Clarence Carter

2. Cry To Me – Solomon Burke

3. These Arms are Mine – Otis Redding

4. Tell It Like It Is – Aaron Neville

5. Candy – Big Maybelle

6. It’s a Man’s World  – James Brown

7. Pain in My Heart – Otis Redding

8. I Never Loved a Man – Aretha Franklin

9. Do I Move You – Nina Simone

10. Solid Sender – John Lee Hooker

11. No Shoes – John Lee Hooker

12. Green Onions – Booker T. and The MG’s

13. Comin’ Home Baby – Mel Torme’

14. T.B. Sheets – Van Morrison

15. Please Please Please – James Brown

16. That’s How Strong My Love is – Otis Redding

17. It Must Be You Love – Etta James

18. Try Me – James Brown

19. My Lover’s Prayer – Otis Redding

20. Dont Cry Baby – Etta James

21. Bring it on Home to Me – Sam Cooke

22. Lovin’ You More Everyday – Etta James

23. Fa Fa Fa Fa Fa – Otis Redding

24. Try a Little Tenderness – Otis Redding

25. I Need Someone – Z.Z. Hill

26. When a Man Loves a Women – Otis Redding