Spreading the Love

My bestest friend in real life, Marie Louise of Cottage Industries, bestowed this award upon me, which is only fitting as I'm the one who hooked her up with her blogging addiction. Now I'm supposed to give it to 7 blogs that I love, which is harder than it seems because everybody has already gotten this award. This means either I can't think independently, or we all have very good taste. I pick "B".

You've just got to want it

When Sarah Palin first came on the scene folks said she resembled the lovely and talented Tina Fey with her updo and trendy glasses. Well, turnabout is fair play (sorry about the commercial at the beginning).

Snap, crackle and random pop culture

Hey kiddos, sorry for neglecting my space here, work keeps getting in the way of my social life, both real and virtual. Post-Labor Day may be back to school for us Northern Hemisphere types, but for me it is also the kick-off to our busiest event season of the year. My posts may become a bit sporadic at times; bear with me.

So here's a few random pop culture bits that have made it through the fog of my brain these days. First, Victoria Beckham got a new haircut. Now here's a celeb who is famous (currently) just for being famous (and fashionable). But a haircut as news? Hmph. I admit I watched the one and only episode of her "Posh and Becks come to the US" reality show. It was a fascinating train wreck, I couldn't look away. Far more entertaining than most of the reality drivel on tv.

{Gosh Posh, keep your head girl. photo from UK Telegraph}

Her head is just not connected to her body. Note how the pasty English girl is more tan than the hot Latino girl. And she is just too skinny. Posh, a grape is not lunch, go eat a hamburger for cryin' out loud.

Who watched Fringe the other night?




Kind of "Lost" meets "X Files", courtesy of "Lost" creator JJ Abrams (early X Files, when it was about aliens and creepy, not later X Files when it got all weird and paranoid). Interestingly, the music sounds like they are using the same composer and/or some of the same music as Lost. There's even a big menacing corporation performing its own experiments. Yes, there was a kind of superhero-finds-the-antidote-in-the-lab moment, complete with swelling brass orchestral theme. Which was preceded by a rooftop chase scene a la Bourne Ultimatum. The ending was also a bit too tidy; let's see what the next episodes bring.

{Project Runway Season 4 Finale, from Bravotv.com}

Lastly, Remember the Fab Assistant Kelly? One of her college gal pals is photog Stephen Meisel's neice (I know! How cool is that?) and gets to work backstage as some kind of assistant at the Project Runway fashion show today (I know! How cool is that?). So she (and the rest of the anointed ones) will know who the final four are (they always let the 4th one show, to keep the real final three a mystery), even though on last night's episode they were down to only the final six. I'm a bit jealous...

PS - "The Women" opens today. Between the long version of the trailer and advance reviews I'm a bit concerned that it may not live up to my expectations. Let's hope it was the victim of a tired and bored studio marketing exec (as so many movie trailers are) and that it's not as trite as it seems. The original 1939 version was not exactly deep, mind you, but I fear this version may be too shallow....

The joy of human connection

{Peace Love Happiness Friends 63/365, originally uploaded by Pink Sherbet Photography}

Thursday night I met up with two girlfriends for our monthly "book club." I say that euphemistically: we have attempted (for a year now) to pick a book and read it together and discuss, but we never get any farther than "have you read this?", "what are you reading?", "I read that", "did you hear they are making a movie of such-and-such." And then before you know it we are on to some starlet's latest shenanigans, whether the waitress is ever coming back with more wine (because of course we hold these, ahem, "meetings" in a bar), Obama vs Hillary, Mad Men, and the state of our sex lives.

Despite of the lack of literary discourse, these get-togethers are food for my soul, as they are reminders of how precious is the need for human contact, how quickly time passes and how we need to savor each flesh-and-blood friendship. Work, family, chores, outside obligations -- the busy-ness of day-to-day living sometimes takes up so much of our lives that before you know it a week, a month, a year has passed and you and so-and-so never did get together. I try very hard to stay in touch with friends who are no longer part of my every day, but it astounds me how many friendships have faded away to just an annual Christmas card.

I appreciate all the blog friends I have made here, as all bloggers do (and even non-friends - the outpouring of love, prayers and contributions for blogger Stephanie Nielson by complete strangers warms the heart and reassures me as to the strength of human kindness more than I could have anticipated. I would be shocked if this story did not end up on Oprah). And I'm not sure who started it, but there's a reason the "Pay It Forward" posts are so popular these days. Sure, we all love reading and commenting on each other's blogs, and getting emails, and feeling that little connection with each other, but there is something so satisfying about receiving something (especially a non-bill something) in the real, live, postal mail. Some little treat, some sign that someone is thinking of us.

So, in the spirit of back-to-school, here is your homework. This week I want you to mail a little notecard to a friend you haven't spoken to in a while, just to let them know you're thinking about them. Not an email, a real live piece of mail. Yes, you may have to go to the post office and buy a stamp (I'm partial to the Charles & Ray Eames collection and the Albert Bierstadt painting). Include your phone number and email, in case they've lost it. Maybe it will inspire them to get back in touch. Maybe it will just brighten their day. Maybe it will brighten only your day. But wouldn't it be worth it?

So write your note and then post a comment here of who you sent it to. You don't have to get too specific, I understand the need for privacy. You can be vague, as in "sent a note to former co-worker I haven't talked to in 2 years". Let's see how many little seeds we can plant through the postal system.

The Original Frenemies

People, get thee to the cinema.

{The Women, 1939, directed by George Cukor,

based on the play by Claire Booth Luce}

What was so great about this movie:

The Fashion-with-a-capital-F (including a technicolor fashion show of Gowns by Adrian inserted in the middle of the film. Slightly distracting, but still stunning.)

The cattiness

The betrayals

The comebacks

The paybacks

The all-female cast (130 roles, allplayed by women. Even the animals and artwork are female)

The remake has been in the works for 10+ years, with rumors back and forth of Meg Ryan or Julia Roberts in the role of Mary Haines (played by Norma Shearer in the 30s version).

{The Women, 2008, directed by Diane English (as in Murphy Brown)}

I'm guessing the fashion will be just as fah-bulous, and they have cast a great group of actresses. You have time to rent the original before the remake opens on Sept. 12. The popcorn is on me.

Heart on sleeve, cupcake on neck

{Pink Cupcake necklace, from my friend Robin's Jewelry Box}

I have a self-admitted sweet-tooth, and have stated publicly that I find ice cream to be a suitable breakfast (really! how different is strawberry ice cream from yogurt and strawberries?). If you offer me cake vs pie, I will likely pick the slice of cake. And there is something about a cupcake . . . And no, I don't mean a "portion-control" something, except as in "all for me, none for you" portion. Wow, that sounds so mean. But really, they are 75 cents at your local bakery, get your own. Ah, sweet cupcake, come here and let me peel your paper off, and take a big bite of your sugar-frosted yumminess.

But I digress. See what sugar does to me? This is why I should stick to cupcakes (and cakes, and pies, and ice cream) like the one in the photo above. A) no calories! B) no crazy sugar rush! C) no post-binge guilt! D) my friend Robin sells them in her Etsy shop.

Getting my fix from down under

{Image courtesy of Armchair Trader via The House That A-M Built}

My self-admitted, much maligned purse addiction is about to be fed by the lovely A-M of The House That A-M Built. When she's not blogging about the day-to-day of designing/building/decorating a new house from the ground up down in Brisbane, Australia, she is running a wonderful little shop, Armchair Trader, loaded with all the kinds of delicious bits and bobs that make this girl's heart flutter. To celebrate her 100th post she did a little giveaway, and yours truly won the lovely purse above. I love the nautical trim and I hope those are pockets on the outside...

To be honest, its a good thing she selected a particular item from her shop as I would have had a hard time picking one thing.

I have no idea if this would be "my" scent, but I love the packaging.

I love notecards and these are bold, stylish and just the thing to write A-M a little thank you note for the purse.

I need another evening clutch like I need a hole in the head, but that soutache trim is so pretty...

And as if the lovely merchandise wasn't enough, the site is loaded with b&w photos of beautiful actresses: Grace, Audrey, Lana, Rita, Veronica, Marilyn. Tres glam! She does mail to the States, just drop her a line for the postal rates.

All photos from Armchair Trader.

Hooked On House Tours Blog Party

I'm participating in Julia's Hooked on House Tours Blog Party today. She has over 50 bloggers participating, its like her own little Home-A-Rama so be sure to pop on over later and tell her Robin sent you. But first, please step inside...

This is my building. When it was originally built in 1875, it was the largest apartment building in Connecticut. In the late '70s it was slated for the wrecking ball, but an enterprising developer bought it and the yellow brick building to the left of it and turned them into condos. He kept much of the period details like moldings, trims, carved copper hinges, doorknobs, and light fixtures, but installed modern amenities like new sheetrock, modern plumbing, heating and electric. I'm up on the 4th floor, but don't worry, there is an elevator.


When you walk in this is what you see. My place is about 970 sq ft. I was going to "stage" it for this photo shoot, but I figured it is perfect in its imperfection. Oh, and also I did not have time.

To the right when you walk in and up two steps is my office, which is kind of messy today due to a bunch of book orders from half.com, plus a craft I'm in the middle of, so this is all you'll see today.

I like my books organized by topic vs color, so that is why they are not neat and tidy at all (and interior designers everywhere are cringing). Top left is cookbooks, top right is historical non-fiction, poetry and vintage. The whole middle is fiction and the bottom is non-fiction, reference and books I loved as a child (Narnia, Anne of Green Gables, etc.). Tchochkes and photos everywhere, and there are more books and magazines all over the rest of the place.

Through the office is the half bath. My camera doesn't scale back enough and the room is small so this is as good as it gets. I love this wall color - Chocolate Sparkle by Behr. There is no "sparkle" per se, but there is plenty of chocolate and after I did this room I wanted to paint every room this color. It is delicious. On the left is a framed page from Godey's Ladies Book, circa 1860s, that I got for a song at an antiques market in Vermont.

Back down the steps to the living/dining room. On your right is the buffet/bar, I just realized the lampshade is slightly crooked. But you don't see it because you are too busy looking at my favorite painting, "Plunging Neckline" by local artist Sandy Welch. I bought this as a (very expensive) birthday present for myself a couple of years ago. Coincidentally I bought it the same night Mr. Marie-Louise (married to my BFF Marie-Louise of Cottage Industries) showed me the engagement ring he had picked out for her. It was an expensive night for both of us. And there was a lot of wine.

Here is the dining area and living room. The dining room set is reproduction Duncan Phyfe lyre-back chairs and pedestal table that were given to me by my ex's grandmother. I recently had them refinished and recovered the seat cushions myself in two different toiles.

A closer look at the living room area; the wall color is Carribean Coral by Behr. The black lump on the sofa is Zoe, one of my two black cats. The sofa is her personal throne (or so she thinks). Her brother Simon is around here somewhere.

I couldn't not show you the kitchen, although I detest it and it is slated for a makeover. Dig that 70s linoleum and light fixture! And don't you love the obnoxious placement of the thermostat on the left? I can't hang anything there and I can't move it. Aaargh!

My bedroom. The wall color looks white-ish in this photo but it is Coffee with Milk. I love my bed. If I could drive it, I would.

Master bath. A new vanity is on the to-do list here as well.

As you leave the bedroom you pass this view of the Farmington River. It was painted by Mr. Marie-Louise and he tells me it was his first oil painting. I don't believe him.

Speaking of views, here is the eastward-view from my little balcony. The beige monstrosity is the federal courthouse, completely devoid of any architectural interest.

And here is the north view, the Hartford skyline, or at least what I can see of it, as the sun sets. We also have a lovely garden that we just redid, but I don't have any photos. It is perfect for a quiet evening with a book and a glass of wine, or a festive barbeque (we are a very social building).

Thanks for stopping by, I promise next time there'll be wine and cheese. Now scoot on over to Julia's and be prepared to not get anything done today because there are lots of houses for you to look at and comment on!

New bird on the block No. 23 and a visit to the farmers market

{Wonderful hand-made soap from Susan Parks at Rich Valley Farm in Stafford Springs, CT. It has a fresh, spicy scent and rich, creamy feel thanks to all the goat milk from Scooter and Olive (pictured below) and their friends.}

On Sunday, Marie-Louise from Cottage Industries and I went to the Coventry Farmers Market, a festive and busy weekly organic extravaganza on the bucolic grounds of the historic Nathan Hale Homestead (as in "I regret that I have but one life to lose for my country"). We tried not to gorge ourselves on the best kettle corn in the world (it even says "Caution! Highly addictive substance!" on the package), bought veggies, fresh blue-ribbon pickles, big bunches of dahlias and homemade fudge. We also visited with Heather of Beauty That Moves and Paula of The Beading Tree; Marie-Louise will be blogging about them and their gorgeous handmade wares sometime this week. I did buy one of Heather's stylish dog collars for my neighbor's golden doodle Boddington, and admired all her pretty bags and pouches made from modern and vintage fabrics -- you can see some in her Etsy shop.

I love handmade soap and spent a good deal of time sniffing and savoring the delicious products at Susan Parks' booth. All her soaps are made with a goats milk or the hard-to-find egg yolk base, and use plenty of shea butter, soy and beeswax for silky rich lather.

{I'm a sucker for pretty packaging too, and all Susan's soaps are wrapped in white parchment with charming labels featuring unique and whimsical woodcuts.}

{Olive and Scooter were not at the farmers market but back at Rich Valley Farms enjoying the sunny day.}

{Top photo by me, all others from Susan's website}

Dreaming of candy pink earrings

It is evening. I am five or six years old. I am in the bathroom with my mother, she at the sink, me sitting cross-legged on top of the carpeted toilet seat cover. Our bathroom has the most fabulous '70s wallpaper: giant purple poppies (or anemones?), white daisies and bright green ferns.

I am watching her "put her face on". She is getting ready to go to a party with my dad, wearing a pink satin tunic that she sewed herself, two rows of silver sequins adorning the keyhole neck and the cuff of each 3/4 sleeve. Her frosted hair is pulled back from her forehead with a tortoise barrette, the ends are straight with a flip. She looks so glamorous and pretty, even without the makeup, and I am in awe as I watch her apply powder, blush, eyeshadow. Her eyeliner is in a red plastic pencil that requires a twist, and it doubles as an eyebrow pencil. Mascara, lipstick for her, less lipstick for me. A spritz of Joy perfume for her, much less for me, on my wrist.

I am holding her earrings, candy pink squares that dangle from long silver sticks. They almost touch my shoulders when I try them on and they have always fascinated me. They are one of the items I covet most in her jewelry box, even more than the iridescent green crystal earrings, which are like shiny fairy moss, or the chunky smoky quartz ring, which barely fits my thumb and I'm always tempted to lick, certain it would taste like the root beer barrel candies that I don't really like anyway.

The babysitter is here. She is very pretty and she gets me into my pajamas soon after they leave for the party. She lets me brush her hair, which is dark brown and really, really long. It's time for bed, and I fall asleep smelling the perfume on my wrist, dreaming of candy pink earrings that dust my shoulders like magic.

{all photos from Etsy, click on the earrings to get to their respective shop}

Good morning sunshine

{red gerbera, originally uploaded by robinsegg0523}

While my "Charlie Brown Christmas Tree" tomato plant puts forth one lonely little fruit, my gerberas are doing nicely thank you. They smile at me every morning when I water everything in my little balcony garden.

A diva's work is never done

Sorry for the long absence folks, I've been busy with the installation of my self-portait series...

Opening my boutique...

and getting my photo taken for Russian Vogue.

Actually my life is nowhere near this glamorous and I've just been busy with work stuff and haven't had time to post anything interesting.

Addictive photo fun by PhotoFunia.

Shall we dance?

{RFC_5025, originally uploaded by robcuni.com.}

When I first saw this picture on the Flickr homepage (under "Everyone's Uploads") I thought it was a dance studio or a very fancy karate or exercise studio. Then I realized that the contraptions in front of the "paneled" wall were not pilates torture devices but garage door tracks. It's a garage. With chandeliers. And a tin ceiling. And checkered floor that would make Fifi Flowers swoon.

Don't you just love Flickr?

Ah, Summer...

{shelter, originally uploaded by littlelakey}

Summer is dining at an outdoor cafe... the smell of wet dirt from last night's rain as the morning sun heats up... nasturtiums on salad... waiting in line for a coke float at the burger stand... cold white wine and sweet citronella candles on a blanket at a nighttime concert in the park.

Summer is fresh herbs growing in pots on the porch... tomatoes from the garden seasoned only with the warmth of the sun... homemade ice cream... swimming lessons... iced coffee... the squish of bare feet on wet sand at low tide.

Summer is the refreshing cool of air conditioning on a hot humid day... kids running through sprinklers... admiring your new sandals and a fresh pedicure... the sound of the crowd at a little league game... eating popsicles before they melt... playing hooky from work to enjoy a less-crowded beach on a weekday.

Summer is reading "chick lit" in the shade... getting out of the car to watch sailboats pass while the drawbridge is raised... fresh peaches... children's tiny bathing suits drying on the clothesline... driving with the sunroof open, the AC on and the radio loud.

Summer is here, finally.


Julia at Red Otter Shop inspired this post with her query for what defines summer (illustrated with pies not made by human hands). Thanks Julia!

And, as this is my 50th post, I would like to thank you for being here: those who comment, those who link to me, and those who just stop by to read. I'm so glad you all enjoy my random musings enough to keep coming back. When I started this little experiment to see if there was an audience for my ramblings, I never guessed that I would have made so many new friends and been so inspired.

A big thanks to Patricia at PVE Design, who was the first person to ever comment (on my third post). I have no idea how she ever found me but I am grateful for her early encouragement. A special thanks to those bloggers whose own posts are so interesting to others that their readers click through their blogroll and show up here. I get TONS of traffic from Julia at Hooked on Houses, A-M from The House that A-M Built, Rebekah at Little ByRD, Robin at A Little Bird Told Me, Laura at Fifi Flowers and Diana at Please Sir.

Wow, it's like an Oscar speech. Cue the music and cut to commercial.

Bon appetit!

{The renovated kitchen in Julia Child's former Cambridge MA home. Photos from Premier Properties of Boston}

{Julia's kitchen back in the day, now on display at the Smithsonian. Julia had the counters custom designed at a height comfortable for a 6'2" woman to cook at. On the right is one of two pegboards designed by her husband to hang all her pots, pans and molds. Photo from the Smithsonian via current.org}

The late, great Julia Child donated her famous Cambridge kitchen to the Smithsonian, so it stands to reason that the house it came out of would need a slight remodel. Now that the house is for sale, the world can peek into the rooms that never made it on camera in the 40+ years that she lived in and filmed her Boston-based public television cooking show.

The original kitchen has a homey look that contributed to the success of her show, which focused on the approachable aspects of gourmet cooking. But I think she would have appreciated the bright airiness of the new kitchen, especially as it features Miele, Sub-Zero and Kuppersbusch Okotherm appliances, as well as a big marble-topped island perfect for rolling out pastry dough. As it should, for $4.35 million, no?

Time for Vacation

Robin at A Little Bird Told Me turned me on to this nifty Wordle widget that takes the most-used words from your blog postings and amalgamates them into this cool visual word cloud. Given that "time" "work" and "paper" show up so much in mine, I think its a sure sign that I need a vacation.

Whose bright idea was this anyway?

{Light bulbs, originally uploaded by Alastair Bird.}

I am not a fan of the eco-correct, mercury-filled, last-forever compact florescent light bulbs (CFLs). I have spent way too much time under their flickering beam in corporate America to want to live with them at home as well. Plus I took all that time and effort finding just the right paint colors for my walls; if I wanted puce walls I would have painted puce walls.

So I buck the trend and stocked up on some soon-to-be-outlawed 4-packs of the Reveal incandescent light bulbs at the Home Desperate tonight after work. In exchange for their low prices I endured the wrath of some CFL eco-freak who acted like I was beheading a kitten. I told her I was allergic to CFLs but I don't think she believed me.

For the record I do lead a pretty green life otherwise - recycle, reuse, walk to work, etc. But do I have to bathe my home in icky green light to be green?

These ain't no kindergarten scissors

{Impenetrable Castle (detail), 2005, by Peter Callesen}

I am so envious of artists who work in a medium like this, their skill, their patience. It's not like an oil painting, where if you make a mistake you can paint over it, or a dress, where you can rip out the seam. One slip of the knife and kaput! hours of work, ruined.

Peter Callesen, the Danish artist behind these creations, magically turns two-dimensional paper into three-dimensional images. He calls it "obvious magic, because the process is obvious and the figures still stick to their origin, without the possibility of escaping. In that sense there is also an aspect of something tragic in most of the cuts."

{Cut To The Bone, 2007}

"Some of the small paper cuts relate to a universe of fairy tales and romanticism, as for instance "Impenetrable Castle" inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale "The Steadfast Tin Soldier", in which a tin soldier falls in love with a paper ballerina, living in a paper castle. Other paper cuts are small dramas in which small figures are lost within and threatened by the huge powerful nature. Others again are turning the inside out, or letting the front and the back of the paper meet."

{Erected Ruin, 2007}

You put your left foot in...

I had a really stressful and busy week at work last week (huge project, plus juggling multiple little projects, Kelly the fab assistant out with lyme disease, insane condo board meeting, and no time to post or to catch up on reading all your fabulous posts), and this video cheered me a little. Except for the part about how I can't dance like that.

A Rainy Home Companion

I grew up listening to Garrison Keillor and A Prairie Home Companion every Saturday night. I loved the familiar notes of the opening song,* the goofy commercials for duct tape, rhubarb pie and Powdermilk Biscuits, the guy who makes all the sound effects, and the folksy News From Lake Wobegon. Although the show is taped live at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul each week, the majority of the audience is via radio. From time to time they take the show on the road; I've seen it live once at Radio City Music Hall many, many moons ago, and each summer it comes to Tanglewood for one show.

The BF and I were going to drive up to Tanglewood to see tonight's live broadcast, but alas, this is the forecast: thunderstorms, followed by scattered thunderstorms. Not conducive to sitting outside on the lovely Tanglewood lawn or under their metal and wood Music Shed filled with electrical equipment.

Sigh. Oh well, there's always next year...

*Well look who's comin'
Through that door
I think we've met somewhere before
Hello Love
Hello Love
Now where in the world
You've been so long?
I've missed you so since you've been gone
Hello Love...