More things I covet

I enjoy dragonflies immensely, but I do not like to tell anyone because there is so much that's the bad kind of tacky in the world and I fear having it show up in decorative wrapping.

Of course, I am telling all of you because none of you are likely to buy me a present, and if you did you would look for the finer things, like these:

Tasty, attractive, and every single one of them does the job they are dressed for!

MLO Artwear - Spring Cleaning!

The best thing about artists doing spring cleaning is it means a lot of art goes up for sale, because they need to get it out of their house as badly as you need to clean out your fridge. (I'm guessing)

MLO Artwear is offering an incredible sale throughout her shop on all manner of paper art: original collage bookmarks, watercolor greeting cards and ATCs.

Some of my favourites include:

Perhaps even better than the incredibly low prices on some of her watercolour cards, is the knowledge that coming St. Patrick's Day (or thereabouts) an entirely new collection is coming to her shop.

Tingling with anticipation, I am.

Progress? What Progress?

No, this is not going to be a rant about the current state of our nation, it's about me - because sometimes it just has to be all about me.

I had a messenger window pop-up recently from a firl I haven't talked to in ages, and she asked how my birds turned out. You know, the ones I was working on last summer. Yeah, seven months ago.

Were I Lucille Ball, I would have lied and then gotten myself into the kind of situation where I either did not sleep for three days or decoupaged feather boas to a canvas and prayed she wouldn't remember what they looked like when it was time for the 'reveal.'

Unfortunately, the fact is I have barely touched them since Labor Day. It has been so long that I can no longer classify them as Works-in-Progress and they are unabashedly, shamefully Un-Finished-Objects. Apparently my laundry room, with it's two-bar fluorescent light and slit window that looks out on the dead leaves under my porch is not the most inspiring place.

So here they are, in all their unfinished glory:

I did manage to finish the small blue toucan,

But the Hyacinth Macaw has become 'the-piece-that-shall-not-be-named.' Really, gloriously bad. With the Hyacinth I tried to paint right out of the tube. I failed. Apparently, I only understand colour if it comes up in pale, pale layers on top of a black and white base.

So who wants to light the fire under my ass that gets me back to these?



PS . . In my own meager defence (yes, I know the old chestnut about the mental acuity of those who are their own lawyers) I have been ridiculously inspired by rachel gurney to attempt collageing again (and failing!) and I've been playing with icing techniques, which may well be worth sharing one day soon.

I'm broke

Anybody want to buy me this t-shirt? It's only $18 from NonTrendy. Seriously, I could use new duds.

NovemberAir - Luxury on Sale

Sometimes even luxury goods go on sale - especially when they are very seasonal. Such is the case with the current November Air Sale. Reflecting discounts of 20-40%, most of the shop is currently on sale, offerring some great deals on winter accessories. When you've finally accepted the damp groundhog was right, and you realize you really have lost your favourite scarf on the train or in a cab, well now's as good a time as any to pick up another. Or possibly two.

Let's begin,

There are several scarves in this style in the shop right now, but this is my favourite colour pairing. It's somehow a sophisticated country palette that I adore. Currently on offer for $20.

The very subtle variations of this scarf do not scream spring - quite frankly they do not scream anything, but sometimes, you just want something fat, soft, and warm, and maybe a little subtle, too. Currently listed at $21, click the image to purchase.

Hey, that's Julia! Hi, Julia! And she's modeling the most affordable piece I am going to recommend - a great, cozy coffee-n-biscuits neckwarmer. At only $18.40, I am sorely tempted to pick one up for me. I adore neckwarmers (they button, see, so the wind doesn't unwind your ends) and I adore those two colors together. Yum.

Party Gear

I do not know anyone who is getting married this year (at least I do not think I do!) so I do not have anything to dress up for.

That does not mean I am not looking. If I had an event that required something not currently in my closet I would wear something like this:

To start, a black and red polka dot dress from ZombieDolls. Flattering neckline and full circle skirt, custom-made from $90.

To keep warm in the evening, a vintage bolero from Artifactory. At only $10 it may well wind up in my closet without an event planned.

For $20 my glossy brown locks should be decorously untamed by a lovely black rose and feather hairpiece from MsChrista.

And for my toes: a $15 pair of vintage pumps from AngiesCloset. Perhaps not the sexies pair of shoes, but attractive and easy to dance in!

That makes a grand total of $135 for an outfit anchored on a custom dress with all the comforts of dancing all night. Not bad.

Original - Affordable - What're YOU Lookin' At?

I am a big fan of useful things - I like gifts that serve a purpose. I also like to have the occasional object on the shelf that makes people do a double-take. Like my (replica) skull pencil holder or my lynx jawbone.


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I am going to start with a vintage woman's shoe mold from the interwar period, offered by MLO Artwear. This would look particularly well on a birch or beech wood shelf, or set off on a dark shelf by a crisp linen napkin.






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My next suggestion is a ceramic insulator from AtticEclectic. I am partial to these, in ceramics and glass, because we have them all over the house. One of my uncles was an electric company linesman for a lifetime and as these were phased out from active service, he would bring them home instead of sending them to the tip.

They are also great fun at parties when you have to explain to people under the age of thirty that electricity was not always carried through thickly insulated cables, but once came through live wires that had to be buffered from the wood and metal of the thickly tarred poles (otherwise everyone who tacked up a 'Lost Dog' sign would have been electrocuted.

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RetroThreads offers this absolutely terrible pair of fabric covered trinket boxes. They are so horrible, I cannot help but adore them.

I want that fabric for an ottoman - or at least a floor pouf.

Actually, I suppose this satisfies both my desire to have something useful - after all they are storage boxes - and to have something that makes people stop and stare.