Three Weeks Til Christmas...

Cheryl Crane, infamous daughter of Lana Turner and ex-husband Stephen Crane, is the internet proprieter behind Lana Turner Estate Property, the eBay store auctioning off dozens of dazzling digs once owned by Miss Lana herself. Fabulous finds like vintage jewelry, hats, and ashtrays and even personal effects like handbags, perfume, and lipstick are up for sale, with each individual listing providing a complete description of each item and Cheryl's memories of its significance to her mother. There's the decanter set from Frank Sinatra, an ashtray given by Bob Hope, and a pair of emerald-and-pearl earrings that Miss Turner swapped with one Ava Gardner all up for grabs, the last of which I would probably denounce all of my worldly goods simply to wear for an evening.

Whether or not you have $125 to spend on genuine Lana-owned gold bangles or faux diamond bracelets, the anecdotes that Crane unknowingly offers are worth even more than that. In her precise but offhanded descriptions of her mother's treasures, Crane reveals facets of Lana you may not have read about in mama's autobiography, like the fact that she had to keep her massive collection of costume jewelry in custom-made storage, loved to wear pearls with black clothing, and swooned over Bob Taylor's expert wooing skills.

Under a photo of Lana and uber-stud Robert Taylor, for instance, is the caption

"At the time this photo was taken Mother and Robert Taylor were in the middle of a hot and heavy love affair. She always gave him credit for being a good KISSER.........."

Pawing through Lana Turner's jewelry collection, hearing firsthand accounts of her day-to-day life, perusing gifts from past lovers...this is essentially like having a gossipfest sleepover, only without the pajamas and popcorn. I absolutely love it. All this really means for me, though, is that I need a second job. My life will not be complete until I can wear a pair of Lana Turner's screwbacks!