5.31.2009

Blue skies Baby birds Flowers and Ladybugs

A beautiful day in the garden. The skies were technicolor blue...
The wild roses were in bloom...
This ladybug palled around with me while I watered the flowers...
The daylilies invited the bees for dinner...
The mums held onto the dew as long as they could...
These pretty roses wanted to come inside and sit in my kitchen window...
And this scene on my front porch two weeks ago...
Now has new characters...
It was a lovely day.
P.S. The Boy says I cannot name the baby birds because, you know, he doesn't want me getting attached in case something were to happen to them . Too late. I'm going to name them Bert and Ernie. Out of five eggs, I think only two hatched. The little finch on top (Ernie) hatched later and is the cutest, most vocal little thing. The bigger bird (Bert) is quiet as a mouse and until the second finch hatched, played dead whenever he would see me trying to peer in at him. Mama doesn't stay in the nest, but she and her mate hang out in the trees nearby.

Davy

Now that's just wrong.
Source: Sexy People

5.30.2009

Mid-Century Goodness in The Shop

Some recent listings in the shop!

Danish Mod Wooden Bird Salt & Pepper Shakers
Pair of Amate (Bark Paper) Mexican Folk Art Bird Paintings
Hot Gold Leather Harry Levine Bag
1950's Metlox Poppytrail California Mobile Platter
Blakely Oil Cactus Glasses
13-Volume Set of Mid-Century Goodness: The Practical Encyclopedia of Good Decorating and Home Improvment
I would LOVE to recreate this room (from the 60's encyclopedia set above).

This cool mid-century tray sold as soon as I listed it, but I just had to share it anyway. How much would I love for MY man to cook me fondue in a swanky mid-century living room?
Have a great weekend everyone!

5.29.2009

Eudora Welty: Photographer

Before Eudora Welty became a successful writer, she began taking pictures while working as a publicity agent for the WPA in the 1930's, taking candid snapshots of Depression-era life in her native Mississippi as well as New York City. In 1936 she was first published, and she had her first solo photography exhibition in New York. As she would later reminisce in her memoir One Writer’s Beginnings, “The camera was a hand-held auxiliary of wanting-to-know.”

1936 - Girl on Porch (auspicious coincidence)
Ruins of Windsor ( Gibbes Museum). I find this one haunting!
The Rides - State Fair (Garden & Gun)
Title unknown (Up Mississippi)
Title unknown (Garden & Gun)
I stumbled upon a 1989 NY Times interview with Ms. Welty regarding her photography and the beginning of her writing career. Definitely worth a read!

5.28.2009

Garden & Gun and Good Ol' Southern Food

My friend Amy just moved to Florida a few weeks ago, and before my visit she spent hours combing the web for the best local seafood joint. Amy stumbled upon the Garden & Gun Magazine Website. I had never heard of this magazine before, but I'm now thinking of subscribing. I'm not sure about the magazine's title, though I imagine that the publishers were just looking for something catchy to capture the imagination about the "old south". The beautiful photographs and well-written, entertaining articles make it easy to lose a few hours exploring. Of course, this also makes me want to jump in my car and drive down Mississippi's Highway 51 or seek out the 100 best southern restaurants.










One of the many reasons I love the Southeastern U.S. is the food. Why did I include this in the Garden & Gun post? Because I really wanted to post that fried chicken picture that you'll see as you scroll down. Here is a list of some of my favorite traditional southern food indulgences. Warning: Vegetarians look away! Honestly, I don't eat these foods regularly as they are not-so-healthy, and I don't usually eat very much meat. Some of these of these foods are only worth eating when prepared by someone who knows how to cook them, i.e. My Boy's family or in a good restaurant. My landlocked location also limits my access to good fresh seafood. That just makes these dishes even more of a treat when I do eat them! Yum:

Barbecued Crabs
Boiled Crawfish ("Pinch the tail, eat the head!")
Fried Chicken
Grouper Sandwich
HotFish Sandwich
Oyster or Shrimp Po-Boy
Low Country Boil (a medley of shrimp, sausage, corn on the cob, and red potatoes)
Smoked Mullet Dip (and you thought a mullet was just a bad haircut - it's also a fish!)
Fried or Blackened Catfish
Chicken Salad
Chili-Slaw Dog
The Hot-Brown Sandwich
Pulled Pork Barbecue with Memphis or Carolina sauce
Deviled Eggs (we serve these at every holiday meal)
Fried Green Tomatoes
Pinto Beans & Cornbread
Shrimp and Grits
Crawfish Etouffee
Sweet Potato Casserole
Buttermilk Biscuits & Gravy
Slow-simmered Green Beans
Tomatoes (fresh from the vine)
Fresh Fried Pies
Old-Fashioned Chocolate Pie
Blackberry Cobbler

Ok, now I'm hungry. Something tell me that oatmeal just isn't going to satisfy me this morning. What are your favorite foods of the region in which you live?
All images from Garden & Gun.

5.26.2009

Florida Modern (Revisited) & Between Two Ferns

For your mid-century pleasure, here are a few more images from Central Florida Modern. If you missed my first post, click here for more modern eye candy.








No, I'm not a woman obsessed, but since so many of you are fans of Zack G and Bradley Cooper, you really should see the newest episode of "Between Two Ferns", Zack's really odd and dry-humored 'talk show' on Funny or Die. There is even a Carrot Top cameo. Warning, there is some foul language, so be careful where you watch it.

P.S. I just finished watching Man on Wire. The imagery of the Twin Towers is heart wrenching, but I highly recommend this documentary. Amazing!

5.24.2009

The Hangover



I'm off to see Star Trek this gray Sunday afternoon, but I cannot wait to see The Hangover. <---click to check out the studio's fun website complete with previews and stills (my pics sourced from the Warner Bros. site). Sorry I couldn't embed a preview myself. The world will finally discover the wicked comic genius that is Zack Galifianakis. Opening day is June 5.

5.22.2009

Happy Friday!

After a long week of climbing up and down ladders, I'm feeling like this:
Hooray for friday!
Does anyone have big weekend plans? I have to live through you because we will probably be catching up on chores and working on the Etsy shop. Oh, and we really must buckle down and work on our wedding registry. I know this should be fun, but we just can't seem to get started. Have a great weekend everyone!

Photos via flickr and lookbook.nu

Ocean


"How inappropriate to call this planet earth when it is quite clearly Ocean." via lookbook.nu