Thursday, March 22, 2012

Diamond Jubilee - Celebration?

Their Majesties in giant terra cotta?  To celebrate her Diamond Jubilee (60 years)!
Can't say they stooped to the latest trend in photoshopping (ok, in this case sculpture-shopping) for vanities sake.

No, not a bit.  Not even a happy face.

Too bad.  When can you, if not for a celebration of your own longevity and highly regarded service to your country?


"captured" via NBC's Today Show     


When broadcasting her report on this mornings Today Show (accomplished, athletic & cute as a buttonNatalie Morales ad-libbed, "....they are not good looking, I'll tell you that..... absolutely bizzare!"


Terra cotta BUSTS of Their Majesties - maybe from this angle they are smiling, a bit.

Morales described the artistic endeavor as taking teams of potters 2 months to build the 11 foot tall terra cotta tubs weighing 1000 pounds each.  And she questioned, "The Worlds largest Chia Pet?"

Can we imagine together how much money must have been raised through the The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust to have the committee decide that this was a "bang on" monument?  (bang on, Chiefly British Slang terrific; marvelous; just right:That hat is absolutely bang on.)  


I searched for a photo of the garden heads from the back.  From there I bet they are smashing, bang-up, bully, corking, cracking and dandy!


Cheers!  Linda

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

I'm Do'in It! - Eggshell Veneer

Just you watch me!





As seen in Architectural Digest April 2012 Artisan column





I just hope that I don't need to get my garage as organized as Eric Chapeau's shop (seen above) before I can begin!

Here's my eggshell stash after day 3 of saving....  (saving $400 a square foot of finished veneer - as if, I could hire Eric's crew)



My goal is to "eggshell" decoupage a board to fit behind this....

Steuben dish, Crate & Barrel bowl, vintage ball from the same antiques store as the marble lamp.

.....measuring 26" by 32".  I wonder how many shells I will need?  (How many square feet is that?) Will I have the patience to wait and save the number it will take to finish?

If I had the board, the other supplies (what are they again?) (oh!  I have an x-acto knife!) and all the eggshells, I know I could "knock this out".  I love detail work.  Really.  Love it!

Where do I find an artists assistant?  You know, the gatherer of supplies.  The garage art space organizer.  The cut to size board "cutterer".  ("oh sweet Daughter?"  "hell-lou Hubby?")

The article mentions that the shells are mounted to paper first and then applied to the wall panel or object...do you think I would have to do that? (or just apply them directly to the board?)  (I want to fit it into the back of my bookcase not attach it permanently.) 


OK.  This project of mine is open to suggestions and advice (especially if you really know what your talking about!)

Thank you  :-)


Cheers!  Linda


Monday, March 19, 2012

St Paddy's Day Leftover - Simple Corned Beef Hash

We jumped and had ours last night - not so secretly I think we all enjoy the corned beef and vegies hash-style better than the dinner!

As it was Sunday, or as I like to say "Old Fashioned Day", first things first satisfy the thirst...

oooh the focus...mommy needs new glasses



Don't move too far from the bar to the cutting board.

Thank you to Hubby for his expert chop and prep of the hash ingredients - everything leftover from St Paddy's Day dinner - we had onions, cabbage, carrots and the beef.


Hot pan, cold oil, food won't stick.  I use olive oil, someone else may use butter or a mixture of both, for browning.  Black pepper.  Push it down and let it crust before stirring once and pushing down, let it crust once more.

Hubby and I had steamed artichokes with our hash and daughter chose her favorite baked cauliflower.

Other ingredients in baked cauliflower

Saute (no, brown) cauliflower florets with olive oil adding chopped garlic later so it does not burn.

Off heat: juice of half lemon, coarse salt, ground black pepper, crushed crackers (my substitute for seasoned bread crumbs) capers and more olive oil.

Into 325 degree oven until fork tender.  Toss with chopped parsley and parmesan cheese.

This is before baking - see how the cauliflower is a bit browned
I have made this many different ways depending on the ingredients I have on hand ie: no lemon?  White wine.  no parsley?  Celery leaves.  no parmesan?  No cheese needed.

But we still call it "Mr Hansen's Baked Cauliflower" as it was he who shared the original recipe - Thank you!   :-)


Cheers!  Linda

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Long Beach Flea Market Sunday


My trip to Long Beach for February's Flea Market was fun?  Well, it ended up that way....


Kidnapped Daughter to go with me.  I had driven to LAX for a rendezvous transfer of Daughter from her Aunties car filled with still slumbering party goers (niece and her gal pals from Santa Barbara) after celebrating Daughter's 16th Birthday.  How else do you "come down" from a day and night "all about YOU" filled with giggles, Universal Studio (including the skydiving ride/lesson), wonderful gifts, card games & movies until the wee hours?

Well, I came up with it - surprise stop at the Flea Market!

"Whaa  The?!" "Mommm, no.  please, I'm tired!"

And boy did I work sell it.... "But I'm right here!  How can you ask me to just drive straight home?!  You'll see some great things - not just stuff I like!  You've never been to a Flea Market!  Get out of the car - I'm NOT leaving you here!"

And then her suffering began....



(Detail of above photo)  In the background you can see the selection from this dealer.

Apologies to blogger friends who would love to know how much $ this was, I should have you on speed dial/text messaging - we'll figure out shipping later!


Giant agricultural fan - screaming to be a garden ornament or industrial design detail on one of those  "fantastic" architecturally well thought out SoCal 22 ft walls.

Nearly 5ft tall!  $1500 (asking)  If we were not needing to replace fencing and pool tiles...  would have been perfect on our bedroom wall facing the end of our bed, just dipping behind the small flat screen TV on a low grey... (yada yada yada - see it below)




Observation of Daughter at this point is, "This place goes on forever. (that's bad?) We will never get though it if you keep stopping to take pictures!" (again. that's bad? I need to share these!)


This brass knocker made us both laugh - lion or orangutang?  (should have taken a side view shot - that nose!)


Heavy Iron knocker with good sound,  $55.  (why sound is important, here)


Flea market items when your this close to USA's southern border - great color!


Brass belt buckles $5 each or 5 for $20 - we made a deal on 2 for $8. (this impressed Daughter!)

"Look Daughter!  A possible MOB dress!"  (our family acronym for Mother Of the Bride)  Or bridesmaid, that back detail - pleats with a cut out.   Fabu!


















Now for one of those dealers who put together a boutique shopping experience.  Her style is industrial with tattered custom linen and burlap upholstery - really L.O.V.E.


SOLD !
She had a pair of these, linen w/upholstery tack trim....check out the table too!
Pieced linen with big nail trim - cozy barrel shape


Sloppy flat styled welt trim - pieced linen and burlap
"MOM!  I am sooo hungry! Can we please go home?!"  (I just knew items like this were going to weaken her interest..)

"OK.  We'll just finish this area." (I waive my hand in the direction of 4 more aisles - kinda in the direction of the exit)

cute sunny bar cart
.... and I assign her to be the photographer as we rush through (confession, I'm quite hungry too)
Very tall, good curves
























Carved and Gilded head board - good "transitional" style 



Ok, this could become almost anything!  Mantel, over door detail, behind a custom sofa - I just remember that it's price seemed very reasonable for what is was and how much it would cost to replicate.  (Where would you even start to find an artist to do this for you?)


Two belt buckles, stone knob set, Daughter's #33 tag necklace

Our Loot!  


$20 original oil on canvas - Oregon Coast view from North of Cannon Beach
Woo Hoo - Score!  All hauled around in my Splendid Market tote bag blogger Emily sent to me as a prize/gift in December.  I made certain that her logo was in plain view - hoping someone would notice.    :-)

Today is March's Long Beach Flea Market and we are sitting this one out as the weather has poured rain, hammered hail and sun breaks rarely.  See you there in April!

Cheers!  Linda

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Blogger Injures Self - Aggravates Old Wounds

When does posture really matter ?  Looking at yourself in the mirror, in a photograph, sitting on a towel at the beach or by the hotel pool, when you're being judged (I was thinking of when I was a competitive horseback rider and then realized, these are all "judgement" times...)

And now I know that when we Blog, or any other length of time at the "screen" it is VERY important to practice perfect posture.

I have aggravated two old (2 seasons ago) ski injuries (very minor) and after 3 sessions with a physical therapist who specializes in Myofasical Release, Craniosacral Therapy and Frequency Specific Microcurrent I can now return to the screen for the first time in 3 weeks.  Yipee!




So learn from my mistakes make your sessions very short - 20 minutes (ha!).  Learn the keyboard!  My most injurious habit has been small continuous head motions to glance at the keys.



And yes, in my "soft focus" years I do have to wear cheaters.  Their "smart girl" frame design is obstructing my view just enough that I am looking over and around them, rather than through them (which causes more head movement).

Imagine this......



Corrections I have made to my computer desk & posture are:
  • If I need to, I hold up the keyboard to find the correct key (yes, I am memorizing it - slowly)
  • Notes are now clipped to the screen instead of to the left of the keyboard (no more head turning)
  • The screen is tipped so that I look into it at 90 degrees
  • My feet are (mostly) flat on the floor
  • My back is touching the back of the chair (though I do find myself creeping into the "perch" position if I have worked past the 20 minute session)

New practices I am (will) bring to my passion for blogging are:
  • Use my break time to do some cross training like walk the dog, stretch, do the dishes from last night, yoga class (haven't gone since Fall - the season, not the accident)
  • Set a timer (next time for sure!) so I am aware of how long I have been sitting, typing, searching, reading your blog entries
  • Judge your posture throughout your day.  Stand tall and tight, well alined, stomach pulled in, engage your muscles to give yourself the support necessary for stability in even minor tasks like walking and bending.

Now that I have sought a solution to my "conditions" I am thankful for:
  • My physical therapist
  • The fact that I wear a helmet when skiing (and walking about) - though I rarely fall, and never at a high rate of speed, I do have a tendency to whack myself with my skis and poles simply exiting from the car
  • The cold feeling nerve "firing" over my ear is not a brain tumor
  • The hot feeling nerve "firing" in my calf, and up my leg, is not DVT (deep vein thrombosis) 
  • Being a questioning patient who sought out a non invasive therapy - after seeing a neurologist who suggested a shot of cortisone into the tight muscles along my skull
Take care of your personal home ie: your Skeleton and all it's connective tissues - the engineering that has gone into its design is beyond amazing!

If it "goes" (and it may) you really miss how perfectly it ran before and you'll do anything to get it back to (or better than) normal.

Cheers!  Linda

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