29.june.07

today is my last day of work before my vacation next week.  and it's dragging on.  i've spent most of the day searching the web looking for celebration ideas that are not your typical run of the mill ideas. of course i can always count on martha for elegant planning ideas. everything i see is just so.... tacky and cheesy. it's my first 4th of july in new england since i left here in 1991 and i forgot how much people celebrate this holiday. the oldest celebration in the country takes place here and it's interesting to see people going all out decorating their front porches, hanging huge baskets of flowers everywhere.  even the yellow lines in the street are painted red, white, and blue.  they're serious about their independence. it's actually exciting, living in miami it's not really a big deal, for one thing it's too damn hot to be outside and of course over 50% of the population is hispanic or caribbean and is not a customary holiday.  needless to say, i'm excited to have another reason to plan a little gathering. and go to a parade.  to see fife and drum cores. may everyone enjoy their independence this 4th.

26.june.07

today i'm stepping up onto my soapbox.  i recently added to my blog a charity giver to raise funds for a place to bark,  a no-kill foster and adoption rescue run solely by bernie berlin. bernie takes in the dogs that have been abandoned, abused or police confiscated.  she fosters, retrains, transports & adopts the animals she takes in.  solely.  my personal menagerie consists of 4 dogs and 5 cats - all rescued off the streets and taking care of them is often a full-time job.  and expensive.  running your own shelter and truly following your heart and making a difference through your actions is beyond commendable.  i think anyone who takes action in what they believe in should be supported and their work recognized.  i urge you to visit her blog, read the stories, see the needs of her shelter and maybe be moved to make a donation. every dollar really does count.  currently, i have 177 subscribers to this blog, if everyone gave $10 a month- $1770 would be donated to a place to bark so bernie could continue to rescue and find homes for the dogs and cats people seem to easily discard and abandon.  seriously, $10- when i think about how i can run through money at homegoods, target, flea markets, martinis (!) ebay, etc.

pics of oliver and einstein, pit-bull mix brothers.  i rescued their starving mother off the streets of miami where i used to work.  she was so skinny i had no idea she was already a month pregnant.  and had heartworm.  seven puppies were born a month later in my closet- all healthy and beautiful.  mom, whom we named basia, was treated for her heartworm ($$$), neutered, nursed back to health and adopted by my niece.  five of the seven pups went to wonderful, loving homes.  two were kept together and every day they are a daily reminder of what might not have been.

25.june.07

this is my last full week of work before my much needed vacation next week.  our company is closing for the 2nd and 3rd (very nice of them) and i'm taking the 5th and 6th off to relax and spend some time in the garden, which needs some serious attention. and enter into my craft room. which also needs some serious attention.  this past weekend i went to the providence open air market- crafts,diy, farmer's market, antiques,etc. and i'm thinking about renting a space for the fall weekends.  it was inspiring and the kick-in-the-pants i needed. right around the corner is the second  brimfield weekend- so i'm off in search of treasures to re-purpose for my market space.

this weekend i was absorbed in the art of peter hollinghurst, a uk, digital alchemist who works in the realms of our dreams and fairytales. i love how he combines digital and traditional elements to stories i've always loved. his latest series, memory and muchness is inspired by alice in wonderland and through the looking glass.

artist technique:
"...working digitally in photoshop, i use montages of photographs constantly sampled and re-sampled.  layers of opacity open me to allowing chance elements to conspire together with the subconscious to bring the characters and places to life.  originally and oil and portrait painter, i discovered that digital techniques could enable a more fluid and dynamic relationship between myself and my art.  combined with discovering photographic techniques used by early criminologists, i have spent the last couple of years refining and building my digital techniques.  i also re-synthesis digital with analogue by combining prints with oils and other media.

20.june.07

victoria magazine returns this fall! published bi-monthly, the magazine will continue it's tradition of featuring stories about home and garden, fashion and beauty, food, collectibles and profiles. i loved this magazine and oohed and aahed over every page- i have a scrapbook of protected collage pages i made from my favorite photos that i take out an lovingly look through when i'm feeling uninspired.  i truly hope they stay true to the direction and elegance of it's former self.

19.june.07

my flickr favs this week

19.june.07

basia zarzyka's designs are pure fantasy and indulgence.  she designs everything from dresses, shoes, hats, tiaras, feathered headbands, and jewelled hairclips that are both glamorous, elegant, and fun.  her shop has been described by hillary alexander, fashion editor of the daily telegraph, as "the most romantic shop in london." a kaleidoscope of colours and texture.  a luxury jewel box of fantasy and indulgence. filled to the brim with exquisite jewelry. wide-eyed crystal lizards playfully dart between the silk chiffon petals handbags.  dragonfly and butterfly brooches take flight.  gilt covered beetles are betrayed by their emerald green backs as they hide beneath hand-tooled shoes.  parasols, feathers, metallic hand-painted embroidered shawls. interested?  gossamer wispy evening gowns, bejeweled ball and bridal gowns are illuminated by exquisite murano chandeliers. i love a good indulgence.