recent posts

  • movable migraine

    Please be patient with me dearest readers. I have been down for six days with a migraine, and beyond that I'm preparing for a big move back east. So bear with me. My postings will be spotty and sporadic. But take heart loyal friends, there will be a payoff! I have many inspired projects brewing, including lots of great design/decor before and after images, ideas, and tutorials to share. As well as charting the journey of our move to the east coast, from the road trip, to the landing, to the eventual new discoveries. Now, back to packing…

    The guys

  • Scott Waterman!

    Box

    I found a surprise package from Scott Waterman on my doorstep. If you don't know about this creative and kind soul be prepared to have your world enriched immeasurably by visiting some of these sites…Scott Waterman Artist, Scott's Flickr, Scott Waterman, So Sylvie, and Velvet & Linen. That should keep you out of trouble for a few days. Now take a gander at these treasures bestowed upon me:

    Flowers

    Crowfoot
    My photo is a bit washed out…his painting on board looks like a richly patinated piece of copper:

    Lime
    Paint

    Gilded Pods:

    Gilded pods

    Seed book:

    Ferry seeds

    Globes
    Wavy

    Vintage picture book and painted papers:

    P3040072

    Swirls

    Please visit my Flickr to see more treasures.
    Thank you ever so much dear Scott.
     

  • Housing Works Celebrity Auction

    You can own Chloe Sevigny's fridge!

    A.fridge

    Since my post for the auction last year was so complicated to write (Housing Works has so many gosh darn great links for their web site and Flickr sets) that I've decided to get to the point and paste an excerpt from the press release I received:

    "Starting Tuesday, March 3, Housing Works Thrift Shops unveil our first wave of spring merchandise at separate “preview” sales at each of our locations. (Click here for a full list of preview sales and hours.) The Tribeca Spring Preview, which starts at 10am on Saturday, March 7, will double as the store’s grand opening and feature a silent auction of donations from prominent New York celebrities, politicians and designers. Auction bidding takes place on March 7, from 1pm to 4pm at the Tribeca at 72 Warren St."

    This vintage Lilli Ann coat will be going for $150 at the Spring Preview sale:

    A.lilli.ann

    "All profits from all eight Housing Works Thrift Shops go to Housing Works’ lifesaving services for homeless and low-income New Yorkers living with HIV and AIDS. Those services include housing, medical care, meals, job training and drug treatment programs. Like Housing Works’ other locations, the Tribeca store will provide jobs for participants in and graduates of Housing Works acclaimed job training program for people living with HIV and AIDS."

    Check out some of the items offered at the auction
    (several locations):

    vintage frankoma:            a chinese birdcage:

    A.frankoma A.birdcage

    vintage gucci:                 handmade turkish rug:

    A.gucci A.turkish

    tomek collage:                        mod cabinet:

    A.collage A.cabinet

    a herendon:                     large painting of child:

    A.herendon A.child

    Thanks to all of the people at Housing Works who make life livable for so many.

    A.gown

     

  • In Dedication to Sweet Iris…

    Fire of the spirit,
    life of the lives of creatures,
    spiral of sanctity,
    bond of all natures,
    glow of charity,
    lights of clarity,
    taste of sweetness to the fallen,
    be with us and hear us.

    ~  Hildegarde of Bingen – 12 century ~

    Oh_merci on Flickr

    Feel better and better my dear friend. I love you.
    To my readers: though you may not know Iris, please send warmth and light her way. Merci.

  • My 3 Year Blog Anniversary!

    Cancer free

    My first post was February 27th. Marcel was 6 years-old then. He just turned 9 on February 7th! I really do enjoy this opportunity to write and to share. And meeting new friends who are so kind and supportive of one another is priceless. What a pleasant world this blog universe is 🙂
    Merci beaucoup to those of you who stop by from time to time. xoxo

    Chinatown -Cable Car

  • Heavenly Voice

    I’ve been thinking about Marvin Gaye a lot these days. In fact his music is never far from my consciousness. I truly believe he is one of the greatest singers of all time.

    Marvingaye_getty500_16227t

    Bless you sweet Marvin.

    P.S. The visuals on this video aren’t the best. Just close your eyes and listen…

  • And the Oscar goes to…Handsome Bob!!!

    Guy Ritchie's latest film, RockNRolla was just released on DVD and it's so much fun! His writing is as raucous and entertaining as ever (Snatch and Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels). Handsome Bob is Ritchie's best character yet, played by one of my faves, the captivating and endlessly believable Tom Hardy.

    Tomhardy.

    And Guy's keen ear for music (excepting Madonna; ugh, what happened there?) does not disappoint, providing us with another fabulous soundtrack, including one of my all time favorite Clash songs, Bankrobber. Toby Kebbell is simply brilliant as Johnny Quid. Check it out. In the meantime you can see my cameo at this link!! ** Note link broken, waiting to here from web master.

    Rocknrolla

  • Visiting Mama Bear

    I was so happy to be able to celebrate my Mom's birthday with her up in Humboldt, California! What a special time we had…

    P1120064

    My stepdad David & my Mom, Colette…

    P1120049 copy

    "What? You're giving me Frida Kahlo socks again?"

    P1120060 copy

    P1120041

    P1120053

    Marcel of the dunes…
    P1110006

    Some of her shells…
    P1110015

    One of her sweet corners…

    Blue&red

    Lots of good salt air makes for nice naps…

    P1120017

    P1120019

    My beautiful brother Jon…

    P1120021

    P1130081

    For more on the visit have a peek at my Mom's blog!

  • Sick & Tired

    Blue leaf

    I need to find some guest writers for those times when I'm having my migraines for days on end, or when I'm sick as a dog as is the case for this past week. It's the first time that I've gotten sick since having my mastectomy and it really hit me hard considering I have six fewer lymph nodes now to filter the toxins. But as you can tell, I'm back at the PC and so on the mend.

    A valley

    Now, I want to give an update and clarify something about the book A Valley in Italy which I prematurely raved about in an earlier post. Spoiler alert: if you're not done reading it, or if you're still intending to read it abandon this post now as I will be giving it all away.

    What a looney bird this woman turned out to be. Her and her husband having no jobs, and seemingly no resources, somehow manage to spend millions on a palace and subsequent renovations of said palace in an Umbrian village. Fine. I'll suspend disbelief long enough to be taken along on the journey of restoring one's dream home, the one they've searched for all their lives. But it wasn't to be. The only time she mentions the process of the reno it's in muddled and dizzying terms that are not easily translated to any real image of the place. At one moment you would think that she's describing a former stable or garage, at other times she's describing a decadent fortress with a ballroom lavish enough to hold 500 guests and architecture dripping with pediments and exquisite embellishments.

    It's another one in a long line of expatriate memoirs that makes freakish observations of the "little" people of the village. This one being the worst yet. The story became more and more absurd as it went along culminating in the bizarre marriage between her 16 year-old daughter and an older man from France, whereby the author claims a great triumph at having pulled off the wedding at the palazzo with 400 guests in attendance. I had to double-check, what with all of the lazing about, debauchery, and deformed characters, that this wasn't written in the 16th century.

    Footnote: the author, Lisa St Aubin de Teran, after oozing about how she'll live in this palace forever, blah, blah, blah, and spending not such a small fortune on it, has since moved to Amsterdam.

  • Gracing Us with Art

    How lovely on this grey winter morn to discover the wonderful art of Three Graces Gallery. I have to give credit for my discovery to Kim Naumann, a great artist in her own right, for including some of the gallery's artwork in her Flickr stream. Three Graces, out of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, was founded in 2004 by artist Kim Ferreira to provide a forum for "an eclectic variety of paintings, sculpture,
    mixed-media, pottery, jewelry and fine
    furniture." Indeed! Take a look:

    paper cuts, by Elsa Mora ~

    The_Ride_Elsa Mora

    Bird_conversation_

    acrylic on panel, by Rachel Paxton ~

    Small_bird_8

    encaustic painting, by Kate Phillips ~

    Trace_two_kate phillips

    The name has its roots in Greek mythology:

    "The classic pose of The Three
    Graces     is said to reflect the three aspects of the gift:
    giving, accepting, and returning.     Like the Muses, they were believed to endow artists and
    poets with the ability to create beautiful works of art."

    acrylic on canvas, by Rachel Paxton ~

    Penfield_House_Butterfly


    acrylic, ink, graphite, beeswax and Japanese paper on panel, by Liz Tran ~

    Liz_tran

    mixed-media on canvas, by Sarah Ogren ~

    Those_Two_Kind_of_Give_One_the_Creeps_sarah ogren

    This is just a sampling of the paintings and works on paper. There is an incredible variety of work in various mediums on the site, as well as on Kim Ferreira's Flickr,
    like the Teeny Tiny 4 set.

    polymer clay, acrylic paint, matte and gloss varnish 2.5" x 4", by Doubleparlour ~

    Mattie by Doubleparlour 2.5 x 4

    If you're in the New hampshire area try to see the upcoming show of Teeny Tiny works at The Three Graces Gallery, February 6th through March 3rd, as well as other exhibits.
    You can read about the wonderful artists represented here.

    And please do pay a visit to Kim Naumann's Flickr sets to view her lovely artwork ~

    Duckling kim naumann

    Naumann

    Have fun browsing down the artistic bunny trail. Happy weekend everyone!