Speech Debelle

This is actually cringe worthy. Maybe because her album isnt that bad and i used to intern at her label. I feel really bad for her, i heard shes now dropped from her label and career is on the ‘down-slope’

This is footage of Speech Debelle (Mercury Music Prize Winner) in Notting Hill on Wednesday ‘helping’ to promote the new Take That game

Ive never heard anyone get boo’ed sooo hard im my 22 years of life!!

haha watch the bit when the host says ‘anyone can rap’ and starts in on his own ‘ish and makes her sound like a drunk old fougy attemping karoke

Here is the flyer for the winter exhibition, spread the word to one and all…

ONE FOOT IN THE GROVE ‘Christmas special’

‘One Foot in the Grove’ is back from the 4th of December.

Our festival of underground art provides a welcoming, inclusive and visually astounding experience for all ages in an atmospheric 12,000 square foot setting just off Portobello Road. Walk amongst giant sculptures, installations and unique artwork and hang out for good times at our licensed bar with proper music and delicious grub.

The gallery room offers exclusive posters, prints, originals, sculptures, photography, clothing and object d’art that make perfect prezzies for you and your discerning friends and family. We provide that much needed alternative to the Xmas chaos of Oxford Street – so don’t miss out on the best show in town.

Full dates and opening times below. We look forwarding to seeing you in December!

Opening times:

Opens December 4th to December 20th – FRI / SAT / SUN

FRI 12-10pm / SAT 12-10pm (NO ENTRY AFTER 9PM)

SUN 12-9pm (NO ENTRY AFTER 8PM)

Taylor is in London with her Fearless Tour. She’s made sure to take in the sights and do some shopping. These pics are from the Notting Hill/Portobello Road Areas of London.

William: [Spike is wearing Will's wetsuit] Can I ask you why you are wearing that?
Spike: Combination of factors. No clean clothes.
William: There never will be unless you actually *clean* your clothes.
Spike: Vicious circle. And I was rooting around in your things and found this and thought groovy. Kind of… spacy.

(Notting Hill)

We’re excited to announce a host of new work from the Mutoids, some of the world’s great street artists and the screening of some stunning films in association with the Portobello Film Festival. More to come on the art soon but for now here is a trailer for Three Miles North of Molkom which we’ll be showing on the 18th – if you missed it first time around, now’s your chance! It’s Director Rob Cannan’s birthday you see…

Café y Red Velvet Cupcake, The Hummingbird Bakery, en Portobello Road. Esta tarde.¡En terraza!

The Hummingbird Bakery es una pastelería pequeñita que parece salida de un cuento, y fue la pionera en la moda de los cupcakes en Londres. Creo que el Red Velvet es mi favorito, pero están todos bueníiisimos.

Quien quiera comer un cupcake de The Hummingbird Bakery puede hacerlo en cualquiera de sus dos pastelerías en Londres:

47 Old Brompton Road

South Kensington, SW7 3JP

133 Portobello Road

Notting Hill, W11 2DY

Você já quis ter um retrato daquela cena específica do seu filme preferido?

O Ewan doidão em Trainspotting ou

o desespero do Harry por causa de você-sabe-o-quê em Harry Potter e A Ordem de Fênix…

… ou a Meg ameaçando o Tom em Mensagem para Você…

…ou uma delicada recordação de Notting Hill…

…ou o treinamento da Little Miss Sunshine…

…ou…ah, acho que você entendeu.

Mais de 100 filmes foram catalogados pelo Screencaps, segundo o blog Favoritos. Fica a dica!

It’s cool enough that there’s always plenty of new stuff that we haven’t seen this, but we absolutely love this piece thats up in the Westway toilets

We can’t get enough of it, just brilliant…

The photo is from Parlour Magazine, who’ve run a lovely article on the exhibition

Go on, have a read here

Everyone loves Amy Adams don’t they. She was great in Drop Dead Gorgeous and funny in Enchanted. Matthew Goode has been in loads of British TV dramas and was Ozymandias in Watchmen.

Now they are in a new movie, which promises to break out from all the romantic movie cliches you usually get in a film like this.

When their four-year anniversary passes without a marriage proposal, Anna (Adams) decides to take matters into her own hands. Investing in an Irish tradition that allows women to propose to men on February 29th, Anna decides to follow her boyfriend Jeremy (Adam Scott) to Dublin and get down on one knee herself.

But airplanes, weather and fate leave Anna stranded on the other side of Ireland, and she must enlist the help of handsome and surly Declan (Matthew Goode) to get her across the country. As Anna and Declan bicker across the Emerald Isle, they discover that the road to love can take you to very unexpected places.

My mistake. It does have all those romantic movie cliches you have come to expect from these kind of movies. Anna meets surly Declan. They argue, get on each others nerves, a bit of slapstick, they’ll probably get all their clothes wet or something and have to spend the night together in an uncomfortable position (like the back of a volkswagon!) They’ll argue some more, he won’t tell her something important, they get closer and fall for each other, then that important thing he didn’t say crops up and she runs away or tells him to get stuffed. She meets her intended but at the last minute Declan will turn up on the back of a tractor or something and reference something from earlier in the movie. The end.

Oh and there will be some crazy stereotypical Irish folk, Guinness, and a scene involving a cow or another animal with hilarious consequences.

I wrote that last two paragraphs without watching the trailer. Then I watched the trailer…sigh!

Off the top of my head I’m getting 27 Dresses, The Proposal, PS I Love You, The Ugly Truth, Pretty Woman, Notting Hill, How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days, Along Came Polly, The Holiday, Wedding Planner, Made of Honour, My Best Friend’s Wedding, The Wedding Date and so on and so forth….note to self: Stop watching so many romantic comedies. Did I miss any?

Source: MSN

Notting Hill ist wohl eine der schönsten Gegenden Londons, gelegen im Nord-Westen der Stadt. Die Preise für ein 1-bedroom Apartement liegen bei ungefähr 280GBP aufwärts, was nicht gerade das Günstigste repräsentiert, das London zu bieten hat, dafür lebt man gleich um die Ecke von Kensington Gardens, Portobello Road und ist in ein paar Minuten mit der U-Bahn (Tube) an der Oxford Street und Hyde Park.

Eine schönere und vor allem interessantere Variante zur Oxford Street, oder auch Knightsbridge (Harrods) zu gelangen, ist natürlich durch den wunderschönen Kensington Gardens/Hyde Park zu spazieren. Vor allem in den Sommermonaten laden unzählige Grünflächen dazu ein, eine kurze Pause von der hektischen Stadt zu nehmen, und im Gras liegend die Seele baumeln zu lassen. Es gibt aber auch fast überall Liegestühle zu Mieten (Ca. 2.50GBP/2Std.)

Aber nun zurück nach Notting Hill. Es gibt natürlich mehrere Möglichkeiten dorthin zu gelangen, aber die beste Station um zum Portobello Market zu gelangen, ist Notting Hill Gate, welche man mit der Central Line, Circle Line, und District Line. Wenn man von der U-Bahn nach oben gelangt, befindet man sich auf der Bayswater Road, die von der Oxford Street, entlang dem Hyde Park und Kensington Gardens, über Holland Park bis nach Shepherds Bush führt, wo sich auch das grösste Einkaufszentrum (Shopping Mall), Westfield befindet.

Von der U-Bahn kommend geht man nun die Pembridge Road entlang, an der Kensington Park Road vorbei, bis man auf der linken Seite auf die Portobello Road stösst. Nun muss man einfach nur dem Strassenverlauf folgen, und das einzigartige Flair dieser Strasse geniessen. Hier kann man alles finden. Angefangen von Kleidung über Türknäufe, Antiquitäten und natürlich kulinarisches aus aller Welt.

Freitag und Samstag sind die besten Tage, um den Markt zu besuchen. Zwar ist der Markt dann auch mit Touristen überfüllt, jedoch haben auch jene Antiquitätengeschäfte geöffnet, die unter der Woche geschlossen haben.

Nachdem man sich stundenlang in all diesen faszinierenden Geschäften, Märkten und Cafes verloren hat, gelangt man an das Ende der Portobello Road, und hat die Möglichkeit von dort aus mit der Hammersmith&City Line, von der Station Ladbroke Grove,  Notting Hill wieder zu verlassen, oder man bleibt noch für den Abend in einem der vielen netten Restaurants, und vielleicht die ganze Nacht. Immerhin gibt es hier unzählige Pubs, Bars und Clubs. Aber dazu findet ihr mehr unter den Kategorien ‘Pubs’ und ‘Bars & Clubs’.

Portobello Road ist aber nicht die einzig sehenswerte Strasse in Notting Hill. Es zahlt sich auf alle Fälle aus, einfach durch die Gegend zu spazieren. Ich kann euch garantieren, ihr werdet überrascht sein, wie wunderschön, entspannend und abwechslungsreich diese Gegend sein kann.

Hier sind noch ein paar inks zu Immobilien Büros, welche sich auf diese Gegend spezialisiert  haben.

• Notting Hill Residential
• Domus Nova
• Douglas & Gordon

Eine Liste aller Immobilien Büros findet ihr auch unter email4property.

So we’re two weeks away from our tour to Europe which will consist of shows in Belfast, Dublin and Notting Hill/London. It’s been seven years since I’ve been over on European soil and I can’t tell you how excited I am about this trip. Last year I was lucky enough to tour Japan with some of my best friends and this year I’m traveling with another great friend of 10 years, Brantley Cowan. He’s got some great tunes and I’m anxious to see how people embrace his music over there. Brantley is also responsible for coming up with the name of our tour, “Let the Peasants Be Kings”, which I think sums up perfectly what we’re going for with this tour and just sounds plain cool and European to me! The icing on the cake for me is that my wife, Mandy, will be along for the first half of the trip taking photos (she’s an awesome photographer no joke) so be looking for some sweet post tour shots….better yet we’ll most likely be posting photos in real time, right after shows! It’s a plan coming together (as Denver Greene would say)!

If you haven’t seen it yet, stop by our tour site at www.peasantsbekings.com

A special thanks to our sponsors: Mickey Mantle’s, VZD’s and Bin 73 and for hosting our kick off shows!

Stay tuned and thanks for your support!

Much love,
- M

I was walking down Kensington Church Street to Notting Hill when I came across this fine mosaic lining an alleyway. With mirrored tiles that catch the low autumn sun and irregular pieces made into geometric patterns, it’s a primitive influenced modernist masterpiece. Chef’s Kiss!

By far the best meal I’ve had in London was dinner at The Ledbury restaurant on Ledbury Road in Notting Hill. The Ledbury received a Michelin Star and won London Restaurant of the Year in 2006. The interiors of the restaurant are nothing special but the food and service are impeccable. The richness of the food made us heady by the end of the night, but it was all worth it.

Pre-starter: beet root meringue with goat cheese mousse (foreground), beet root meringue with foie gras (background)

Pre-starter: soft boiled quail egg in Greek pastry, cream sauce, and truffle shavings

Starter: Flame grilled mackerel with cured mackerel, avocado and shiso

Main: roast cornish cod with grilled Leeks, hand rolled macaroni and truffle purée

Pre-dessert: cream with rhubarb jelly and rhubarb foam

Dessert: fresh figs, lemon filled doughnuts and olive oil ice cream

Last night, I went to a reading of Vivienne Westwood’s Active Resistance Against Propaganda, organised by The Last Tuesday Society, at  The Tabernacle in Notting Hill.  The manifesto was read by Viv herself and children’s theatre group, The YoungStars Academy, in front of an audience of fashionistas, activists, artists, students and proud parents.

Vivienne Westwood was as flamboyant as ever in a glorious printed jumpsuit, white statement specs and a headband with BRANDED emblazoned on the front.  She introduced the manifesto to a rapturous applause and the children read their parts aloud.

Two of the older kids played the main characters, Alice and Pinocchio exceptionally well and everyone in the audience squealed when the tiny girl playing the White Rabbit bunny hopped across the stage, wearing tufty white rabbit ears – so sweet!

Vivienne Westwood wrote her manifesto 2 years ago and it has since been performed twice – the second time I peered through the glass of the Design Museum while out and about on the South Bank to see Vivienne reciting it with the help of Peaches Geldof and what looked like Jaime Winstone from a distance. 

Vivienne believes that by immersing ourselves in art and culture, we can find happiness in a soulless age, and that as judges of culture, we should strive to get the art that we deserve.  She had a few stories to tell about modern art ‘bullshitters’ who questioned her sense of appreciation because she didn’t deem their works as relevant or true art.

Another part of her ideology is that art should be universal and if the meaning is obscured or inexplicable for the majority , then it is not really art. I agree that the artist should be able to explain his state of mind and motivation, but art based on complex theories shouldn’t be dumbed down for a quick overview, and sometimes a bit of mystery and open-endedness can be enjoyable.

Vivienne references Aldous Huxley in her manifesto and agreed with his peceived three evils in the world -  nationalistic idolatry, non-stop distraction and organised lying. By taking influence from art and to some degree history, Viv believes that you can make yourself completely immune from propaganda and their detriments.

The reading was really entertaining as well as educational, as Vivienne’s humour, warmth and passion really brought the words to life.  She digressed, dismissed things as quickly as stating them and told amusing stories to stress her points.  Vivienne had the disarmed nature of a family member rather than one of Britain’s biggest fashion icons, although what she was saying was not to be taken lightly.

There was a bit of time left to answer just three questions and as usual in Q and A sessions, an audience member perplexed both Vivienne and the audience with her overblown terminology and pedantic questioning regarding spiritualism and the ‘earth keepers’ in the Amazon. Saving the rainforest was meant as a post-script to the reading, and I’m still not sure if she was suggesting that Vivienne should go and live with a rainforest tribe or something. The confrontation did make Vivienne more impassioned and urgent though, and she came off-stage to discussed it with her while everyone went downstairs for a complementary Hendricks gin and tonic and some tropical beats from Todd Hart of Dalston Oxfam Shop.

Like the majority of the audience, I left the reading feeling inspired and while there were some aspects that I didn’t necessarily agree with, Vivienne reminded me to pursue knowledge and to try and find what it is that at this point in life will make me truly happy. So, remember what Vivienne says: books are cool, culture is vital and pretentious ‘art’ is bullshit.

To find out more about the AR Against Propaganda Manifesto, visit:  http://www.activeresstance.co.uk

Diana Evans’ first novel ‘26a’ was a huge success and won, among others, the Orange Prize First Novel Award in 2005.  ’The Wonder’ is her follow-up. A beautifully written novel set in Notting Hill of both the 1960s and today.

I asked Diana to write something about her thinking behind the novel. Here it is.

‘The Wonder’ was inspired by Les Ballet Negres, a dance troupe who took Europe by storm in the 1940s and whose founder was later mysteriously found dead in his home.  It was further inspired by the biographies of Alvin Ailey, Lucia Joyce (James Joyce’s daughter) and, most profoundly, the eccentric Russian ballet dancer Vaslav Nijinsky, who is now on the wall in my kitchen (Vaslav, for a while, became an obsession). I wanted to capture the glamour, the passion, the anguish, the strangeness, and most of all the movement of the dance world, while also telling the real story of Notting Hill (not the one Richard Curtis told us).  Lucas Matheus lives on a canal boat, feeling increasing alienated in an increasingly gentrified Ladbroke Grove, and decides to research the once famous, now forgotten dancing lives of Antoney and Carla, the parents he never knew. In the process he discovers some dark and unsettling secrets.

And the critics say:

‘Fizzing, sexy…incredibly entertaining…the most dazzling depiction of the world of dance since Ballet Shoes’
The Times

‘This follow-up to Evans’s acclaimed debut, 26a, is also a serious work of art, with sentences like ribbons of silk winding around a skeleton of haunting imagery…Evans was born to write this novel’
Maggie Gee, Independent

I am considering ceasing and desisting with meat consumption again. I say again because I went quite a while without eating meat. Well, to be honest I was still eating chicken and fish and eggs when I was in the mood, but until Ex #3’s mother served me beef stew on New Year’s Day 1996, fully aware that I didn’t eat meat, and said, “Oh it’s fine, the meat is in big pieces you can just pull it out,” I had not eaten red meat or the “other white meat” (intentionally) since about 1986. On that New Year’s Day I threw in the towel and took one for the team (a habit that would become the norm in that relationship.)

Now, sitting here in Asia, where frankly, if it moves, it is food and restaurants actually have signs saying things like, “We do NOT serve dog, cat, rat or snake… Come in!” I am considering giving it up again. And I actually mean the whole deal this time. [Okay, probably not eggs.] Why, you ask? When even Jules admits of Big Kahuna Burger: “Mmm-mmmm. That is a tasty burger…“?

Well. I think it sort of comes down to this idea of violence. Yeah, yeah, I know. Just hold on before you get all whatever you are getting. It goes a little deeper than that. Recently I was discussing the rationale behind eating meat with someone who just said, “It is a violent thing. You should not do violence to yourself. You should not do violence to others. It is the same with eating meat. It is doing violence.” And that made me go, “Hmmmmm.”

I am not into self flagellation or mutilation (save for piercing and tattoos) or cutting or anything like that. In fact, I tend to shy away from most types of violence, especially any that might involve me. I have never been in a physical fight – well, I hit my former step-mother once on my way to being relocated from my dad’s house, but she basically had it coming for years, and then this stranger tried to hit me at the DNA Lounge in the City back in 1994, for reasons unbeknownst to me, but she missed and just sort of got my forehead. [And then she got the boot because I was with the band.] So, that pretty much sums up my personal combat history. Not that I haven’t wanted to hit some people on occasion and come pretty close with Ex #2, #3 and #5. And not that I am unaware that verbal violence can be equally, um, violent.

But, every time I have acted with violence it has had some fairly real consequences. So… extrapolating from there, it makes me consider the karma, yes really, the karma… like, the karmic load I might have to bear for eating meat. True, if I punch someone in the head, the karmic result will likely be far more immediate than if I eat some tasty bacon [And if I choose to use my words over my fists I know exactly the kind of load I will bear - it is very heavy.] However, I don’t actually know what the karmic effect of eating that bacon might be. It could be building up somewhere aside from my arteries. Or not. But then, that is really the question behind all our actions… “What is it worth…?”

I am aware that all of this is not without irony and hypocrisy. When I first moved to Asia I was completely grossed out that all my food had to have all the body parts I didn’t wanna eat still attached. Like heads and eyes and feet and stuff. The meat was not all nice and neat and visually harmless like it was at home. Here you are quite literally face to face with your meal. But, in a way it is a much more honest way to be a meat eater – you know, facing up to it. And in other contexts, people are incensed about shark fin and turtle soup and sun bear bile, but fine with veal and caviar and foie gras. I was the same with my not-eating-red-meat-but-chicken-little-and-nemo-were-okay stance. And frankly, there seems to be analogous favoritism towards cute animals as there is towards cute people. Lots more people would stomp on a cockroach than a baby bird.

I have had to really think about that.

I live in the jungle and so I probably deal with more non-human invaders than most. At times some of these ‘guests’ have just been so big that killing them was simply out of the question – it would have been too much of an operation of engagement. So then what? Hope that N & M get them? [They often do - but at least the two of them are equal opportunity karmic load bearers and they don't discriminate on the basis of cuteness... case in point the formerly lovely bird I had to remove from my home today. In several pieces.] I have actually take to removing the things. Huntsman spiders. Geckos. The occasional mouse. Grasshoppers. Cicadas. Cockroaches. Yes. I said cockroaches. And speaking of cockroaches, one got away. And now I cannot find the damn thing. Frenchie told me to spray. I avoided that on the grounds that I didn’t want to spray poison in my bathroom where there are so many things that touch my body. She thought I was nuts. And maybe she is right… now I am saying things like, “I can’t find my goddamn cockroach.”

I mean, do all these creatures great and small want to die? I kind of doubt it. I read The Metamorphosis. I saw what Gregor saw. It sucked. My students are reading The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell right now. If you haven’t read it you should check it out, it’s got a great little twist.

“It will be light enough in Rio,” promised Whitney. “We should make it in a few days. I hope the jaguar guns have come from Purdey’s. We should have some good hunting up the Amazon. Great sport, hunting.”

“The best sport in the world,” agreed Rainsford.

“For the hunter,” amended Whitney. “Not for the jaguar.”

“Don’t talk rot, Whitney,” said Rainsford. “You’re a big-game hunter, not a philosopher. Who cares how a jaguar feels?”

“Perhaps the jaguar does,” observed Whitney.

“Bah! They’ve no understanding.”

“Even so, I rather think they understand one thing–fear. The fear of pain and the fear of death.”

My cousin was telling me about a friend of his who has recently gone of the carne as a response to circumstances in her life that made her acutely aware of the reality that no one wants to die. No one. Nothing. That seems reasonable. Aside from the karmic load or my yogi’s advice or any of that, it seems like it might be pretty arrogant to take in one’s hands who should live and die. Unless you are equally willing to put that choice regarding your own survival in the hands of others.

This goes beyond the animal kingdom though. I mean, when one considers the magnitude of violence that surrounds us all on a daily basis (and I am not talking about video games and movies of which I have a entirely different set of issues not at all related to this discussion) I am talking about capital punishment and war and PETA and Anti-Choice people and poachers and the people in Mong Kok who mutilate the street cats and gangsters and pedophiles and genocidal maniacs. Perhaps throttling back a little on the violence perpetrated in our own little corners of existence could be beneficial.

Of course, this is all speculation. I have no idea if the fact that I didn’t kill the cockroach that I now cannot find is going to end up being the wrong decision and I have not retired my electric tennis racquet, which, much like the electric chair in Alabama, does not deter mosquitoes at all, it simply fries ‘em. I am also not sure I am going to get overly concerned about the potentially over-abundant heat/passion that apparently emanates from eggs. But I think for a while, I am at least going to be thinking about all these things and enjoying my salads – boring or not – and hopefully not participating this conversation anytime soon:

Keziah: No thanks, I’m a fruitarian.
Max: I didn’t realize that.
William: And, ahm: what exactly is a fruitarian?
Keziah: We believe that fruits and vegetables have feeling so we think cooking is cruel. We only eat things that have actually fallen off a tree or bush – that are, in fact, dead already.
William: Right. Right. Interesting stuff. So, these carrots…
Keziah: Have been murdered, yes.
William: Murdered? Poor carrots. How beastly!

The thing is… what if not smashing that snail could make all of the difference…

Já pra locadora… hahahaha

Uma Mente Brilhante (A beautiful mind)

Desejo e Reparação (Atonement)

Diários de uma paixão (The notebook)

Notting Hill

O Diabo veste Prada (The Devil wears Prada)

Julia Roberts

 

Julia Fiona Roberts (born October 28, 1967) is an American actress. She became well known during the early 1990s after starring in the romantic comedy Pretty Woman opposite Richard Gere, which grossed $463 million worldwide. After receiving Academy Award nominations for Steel Magnolias in 1990 and Pretty Woman in 1991, she won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 2001 for her performance in Erin Brockovich. Her films, which also include romantic comedies such as My Best Friend’s Wedding, Mystic Pizza, Notting Hill, Runaway Bride, and crime films such as The Pelican Brief and Ocean’s Eleven and Twelve have collectively brought box office receipts of over $2 billion, making her the most successful actress in terms of box office receipts.

Roberts had become one of the highest-paid actresses in the world, topping the Hollywood Reporter’s annual “power list” of top-earning female stars from 2002 to 2005, until 2006, when Nicole Kidman won the top spot. Her fee for 1990’s Pretty Woman was $300,000; in 2003, she was paid an unprecedented $25 million for her role in Mona Lisa Smile. As of 2007, Roberts’s net worth was estimated to be $140 million.

Roberts was the first actress to appear on the cover of Vogue. GQ once erroneously claimed she was the first woman to appear on their cover, but later retracted the statement (Carol Channing appeared on a GQ cover in 1964). She has been named one of People magazine’s “50 Most Beautiful People in the World” eleven times, tied with Halle Berry. In 2001 Ladies Home Journal ranked her as the 11th most powerful woman in America. Roberts has a production company called Red Om Films, formerly Shoelace Productions (“Moder” spelled backwards, after her husband’s last name).

Trivia:

Lent her celebrity name to help raise money for research to develop a cure for Rett Syndrome (a disease which is potentially fatal and randomly strikes girls between the ages of 2 to 6 years).

Chosen of the “50 Most Beautiful People in the World” by People magazine in 2000.

Ranked #66 in Empire (UK) magazine’s “The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time” list (October 1997).

Was engaged to Kiefer Sutherland for a short period.

Sister of Lisa Roberts Gillan and Eric Roberts.

Chosen by People magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World in 1990 and 1991.

Has “movie within a movie” scenes in The Player (1992), Notting Hill (1999), America’s Sweethearts (2001) and Full Frontal (2002).

Was considered for the role of Poison Ivy in Batman & Robin (1997).

She once tried out for a part on “All My Children” (1970), but was turned down.

Born to Walter Grady Roberts, a vacuum cleaner salesman, and his wife Betty Lou Bredemus, a one-time church secretary and real estate agent.

Ranked #1 (in Hollywood Power) and #12 (in $$) on Forbes magazine ‘Power 100′.

Tops the list of the 200 “hottest” actors and actresses in the business in “James Ulmer’s Hollywood Hot List: The Complete Guide to Star Power – 2000″ book which is published in October 2000 (June 2000).

Turned down the Sharon Stone role in Basic Instinct (1992).

Frequently works with Steven Soderbergh

After George Clooney and Brad Pitt found out that she was going to be joining them in Ocean’s Eleven (2001), they sent her a card that read “We heard that you get 20 per film” and in it was a $20 bill; the joke was that she reportedly gets $20 million per film.

Named one of People Magazine’s ‘25 Most Intriguing People of 2001′.

Named one of E!’s “top 20 entertainers of 2001″.

At the 2002 Peoples Choice Awards she admitted to being a huge fan of “Days of Our Lives” (1965) and asked to be seated near the cast.

Splits her down time between her ranch in Taos, New Mexico and a home in New York City.

Was named one of the 50 Most Beautiful People by People Magazine in 2002.

Was ranked 6th of the 100 Sexiest Women by FHM Taiwan (2001).

Married boyfriend, cameraman Daniel Moder, at their ranch home in Taos, New Mexico in a midnight ceremony. Bruce Willis was the only celebrity that attended her wedding to Daniel Moder. Julia wore a simple pink cotton halter dress by pal Judith Beylerian (4 July 2002).

She never acted in a sequel until Ocean’s Twelve (2004).

She has Irish ancestry.

Moved from rank # 18 in 2002 to rank #16 in 2003 on Premiere’s Annual Hollywood Power List. Also in 2003 Julia ranked #10 in Star TV’s Top 10 Box Office Stars of the 1990s. In 2005, Premiere Magazine Stars in Our Constellation feature ranked Julia as the #7 Greatest Movie Star of All Time. in their Stars in Our Constellation feature (2005).

Ranked #10 in Star TV’s Top 10 Box Office Stars of the 1990s (2003)

Measurements: 34B-23-34 (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine)

She is a huge fan of actress Aishwarya Rai, whom she once commented on being “The most beautiful woman in the world, more beautiful than any Hollywood actress.”

Pakistani film director Rauf Khalid wanted her to work in his film, and even invited her to Pakistan to discuss the project, but she refused because of prior commitments.

Observed art history classes at New York University in order to prepare for her role in Mona Lisa Smile (2003).

Her Oscar-winning performance as Erin Brockovich-Ellis was ranked #31 on the American Film Institute’s Heroes list of the 100 years of The Greatest Screen Heroes and Villains.

Announced that she and husband Daniel Moder are expecting twins. Twins run in her family. She is due in early 2005. [June 2004].

Shares a birthday with actor Joaquin Phoenix.

A 9000 year old female skeleton excavated in Bulgaria in November 2004, was called by the archaeologists “Julia Roberts” because of the perfect teeth it had. They said that woman would have had a perfect smile – just like the actress.

Has worked with both Hector Elizondo and Richard Gere in two different movies, first in Pretty Woman (1990), and then again in Runaway Bride (1999).

Because Erin Brockovich-Ellis is right handed and Roberts is not, she had to learn to use her right hand for Erin Brockovich (2000).

Premiere Magazine ranked her as the #7 Greatest Movie Star of All Time in their Stars in Our Constellation feature (2005).

Has played an art historian twice, once in Everyone Says I Love You (1996) and also in Mona Lisa Smile (2003).

First actress to reach 20 million dollar mark salary (for Erin Brockovich (2000))

She and her Ocean’s Eleven (2001) / Ocean’s Twelve (2004) co-stars, George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Elliott Gould, all have guest-starred on the TV show “Friends” (1994), though not in the same episodes

Was named one of the 50 Most Beautiful People by People Magazine in 2005 and appeared on the cover of the May 9, 2005 issue.

“The Alchemist” is one of her favorite books.

Roberts’ production company “Red Om” films is her husband Danny’s second name reversed

As a gesture of thanks for giving her children music lessons, Coretta Scott King paid the hospital bills when the pregnant Mrs. Roberts’ delivered her next child. That child ended up being Julia.

Early in her career, she auditioned unsuccessfully for two soap opera roles. She lost the part of “Linda Warner” to Melissa Leo on “All My Children” (1970); and the part of “Hayley Benson” to Stacy Edwards on “Santa Barbara” (1984).

Was named of the 100 Most Beautiful People by People Magazine in 2006.

Her great-grandmother Elin (Eleanor) was Swedish, born 1884 in Värmland, Sweden. She died in Minneapolis 1960, seven years before Julia was born.

Chosen “Sexiest Bespectacled Star” by the readers of “In Touch” magazine ahead of Felicity Huffman and Alicia Keys (November 2006).

Her Broadway debut in the play “Three Days of Rain” received terrible reviews for her performance and ran only 70 performances.

Cited as America’s Favorite Movie Star in a Harris Poll conducted in 2001.

Ranked #8 in Forbes the 20 Richest Women In Entertainment.

She won an Oscar for playing Erin Brockovich-Ellis in Erin Brockovich (2000), making her one of eleven actors to win the Award for playing a real person who was still alive at the evening of the Award ceremony (as of 2007). The other ten actors and their respective performances are: Spencer Tracy for playing Father Edward Flanagan in Boys Town (1938), Gary Cooper for playing Alvin C. York in Sergeant York (1941), Patty Duke for playing Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker (1962), Jason Robards for playing Benjamin C. Bradlee in All the President’s Men (1976), Robert De Niro for playing Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull (1980), Sissy Spacek for playing Loretta Lynn in Coal Miner’s Daughter (1980), Susan Sarandon for playing Helen Prejean in Dead Man Walking (1995), Geoffrey Rush for playing David Helfgott in Shine (1996), Jim Broadbent for playing John Bayley in Iris (2001/I) and, most recently, Helen Mirren for playing Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen (2006).

An accomplished equestrienne, Julia did her own riding in Runaway Bride (1999).

Turned down leading role in Sleepless in Seattle (1993) which went to Meg Ryan.

Received the American Cinematheque Award (10 October 2007).

Is an alumni of the Lee Strasberg Institute such as actors Angelina Jolie, Frank Miranda, Mickey Rourke, Scarlett Johansson, Rosario Dawson, Dennis Hopper.

Five directors that cast Julia at least twice are: Mike Nichols, Steven Soderbergh, Garry Marshall, Robert Altman and Joel Schumacher.

Good friends with Bruce Willis.

After divorcing Walter Roberts in January 1972, her mother Betty Lou married theater critic Michael Motes (11 September 1972).

Her films have grossed more than $ 2 billion at the US box office, making her the biggest female movie star of all time (February 2007).

Has supported UNICEF enthusiastically.

Buys her own organic greens at the market near her apartment in New York.

In 2006, she earned $5 million for endorsing Gianfranco Ferre. She posed for eight print ads, which was equivalent for one day of work.

Named #57 on Empire Magazine’s 100 Sexiest Movie Stars. (2007).

By 2004, she had a fortune estimated to be worth $212 million.

In 2007, Forbes Magazine estimated her earnings for the year at $9 million.

Made just one movie – Blood Red (1989) – with brother Eric Roberts.

Ranked #1 on Forbes magazine ‘Celebrity 100′ (2000).

Is one of six actresses that have won an Academy Award, BAFTA Award, Golden Globe Award and SAG Award for the same performance. The others in chronological order are Renée Zellweger for Cold Mountain (2003), Reese Witherspoon for Walk the Line (2005), Helen Mirren for The Queen (2006), Jennifer Hudson for Dreamgirls (2006) and Kate Winslet for The Reader (2008).

Remember we told you about the Not Just A Label Pop Up Store?! Well here are some photos we took at the event at Beach Blanket Babylon, Notting Hill…

BBB’s 2nd floor ballroom was the perfect location for the shop, providing a beautiful interior for the one-off designer clothes and statement accessories to be displayed. NJAL’s first pop up shop was a great success, meaning that there will be plenty more to come-they are already planning their next location as we speak…

I’ve been writing proposals to try and get on the road to putting on a solo exhibition. I’ve written an application for funding from the Immaterial Art Fund, a fund established in memory of Vickie Paniale to help promote the work of young artists who share her particular areas of interest. My work fits in with their requirements of being related to the theme of time and fits one of their required categories of media – installation works. They fund up to £1000 of work to include devlopment of new work and exhibiting of work.

Freezing by Yunju Hwang. Shown in Westbourne Grove Artspace.

In terms of where to exhibit I have put in an application to show at Westbourne Grove Church Artspace, a contemporary exhibition space in the heart of Notting Hill. The space looks fantastic and I think my work would sit really well in the meditative context of the building. They have told me their next review meeting to decide on the exhibitions for the later half of 2010 will be after Christmas so fingers crossed for then. Likewise The Immaterial Art Ffund say they hopefully let people know within three months.

Fingers also crossed for the 3 pieces that I took up to Poole yesterday. The three pieces I submitted to the Reopen exhibition all got through to second round of judging so yesterday I drove up with them and set them up for the viewing which I think is happening today. They said they will probably let us know tomorrow and then unselected work will have to be collected Monday. I really hope I’m not making a trip back to collect all three – even though they do good cake at the Lighthouse.

Scrimshaw, Drawing on Lace Handkerchief, 2009 by Vered Lahav

Tomorrow I’m going back to the West Midlands for a few days to catch up with my parents and friends. While there I’m going to the private view of Vered Lahav’s work Sleepless at Wolverhampton Gallery which looks amazing! Her work is right up my street. On the Thursday I’m planning on going to Solihull to see Kirsty E Smith’s show Close Encounters Of A Frillip Moolog Kind. I’ve got to know her a little over the internet after admiring her creations – check them out they are fab!

Tall Legs by Kirsty E. Smith