Round Up

I want to make chocolate chip cookies in this kitchen, and sit at the table with friends and chat about old times with Nat singing in the background. (photo via the Kitchn)

50 Best Romantic Get Aways

145 Year overdue book (YIKES!!)

I just love this. The SAME Cafe (So All May Eat)doesn't have a set menu, you pay what you can afford for a meal, and you can volunteer to work there for a meal. More places like this need to pop up around the country.

Something that I just read about the other day are pet food pantries. In these difficult economic times pets are also in need.

Last week I was diggin' Lisa Hannigan, this week it's Esperanza Spalding. I have never been a big believer in anything religious, however I do think that some people are kissed on the cheek by the universe and end up having wondrous talents like this woman. She's got the face of an angel and incredible talent. And get this, she's 23 years old.

I wish this happened all of the time. I am always dancing in the car, so I would have defintely joined right in with these folks.


Ever since I saw the documentary about Grey Gardens, the dilapidated home of the Beale women, I became obsessed with reading any information I could find on Big Edie and Little Edie. I don't have HBO so I am going to have to wait until the Grey Gardens film starring Jessica Lange as Big Edie and Drew Barrymore as Little Edie comes out on DVD to see it. Apparently I am one of many folks absorbed by the Beale women and their riches-to-rags story. There was a Grey Gardens musical, and websites devoted to these two eccentrics such as Grey Garden News and Grey Gardens (the official fan site). There's even a clothing collection.

Sally Quinn, author, journalist and wife of Ben Bradlee former Washington Post executive editor purchased Grey Gardens from Little Edie in 1979. Here is an article with an acompanying slideshow about how Grey Gardens was reinvented.

So you are purchasing a gently used vehicle and want to know everything there is to know about the vehicle. Pay a small fee and access the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System Resource (NMVTIS)Center and find out the goods on your possible new-to-you vehicle.

I can't wait to see this documentary about Herb and Dorothy.

If you have a love of vintage clothing check out Clever Nettle's Estate Sale.

I so love the sweaters created by Design by Nihan.

If you are looking for someone to go birdwatching with you, you may be able to find someone at Birding Pal.

This is such a cute Paint-by-Numbers kit from Chronical Books.

Have a great weekend!!!

"We have to stop making the me decision. We have to make the we and us decision." First Lady Michelle Obama





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Round Up

We Heart It-things that people love.

Some design eye candy-Mary Ruffle.

One of these days I am going to visit all of Scandanavia, until then I visit Visual Norway. Oh, how I envy those that have the wherewithal to travel and see the world.

Judith Krug is probably well-know to library folk (at least I hope we all know who this great lady was), but for the rest of you here's an obituary on this tireless advocate for intellectual freedom.


Medieval Helpdesk (i may have posted this before)


News stories in photographs-The Big Picture.

I have been really enjoying Lisa Hannigan's Sea Sew. I love her voice, and these folksey, easy tunes. I also love that she hand stitched the lyrics. These touches are so appropriate to Lisa's music. Here is an NPR interview with Lisa Hannigan.

I have become addicted to Panera's Iced Green Tea. I've also turned A. onto this treat. We tend to imbibe on the way home from the gym on the weekends. I wish there was a Panera near my place of employment, but then if there was I would probably go broke buying this cup of nectar.

Linda Solovic-love her collages.

How many of you remember Rick Springfield? Now come on, you know you wanted to be Jessie's Girl!!! Well, guess what, he's released a CD of lullabies that he wrote for his children. You can listen to tracks off of My Precious Little One on Rick's website.

For some very cool bed linens-Sin in Linen. If cheesey pin ups bother you, you might want to pass over this link, but the linens are very cool.

Two books that A. just finished are: Dead Aid: Why Aid Is Not Working and How There Is a Better Way for Africa by Dambisa Moyo and House of Cards: A Tale of Hubris and Excess on Wall Street by William D. Cohan. He recommends them both.

Five simple ingredients=luscious treat-Haagen-Dazs Five.

I think that we humans are so quick to judge people by their appearances, by where they come from, how they speak, and on and on. And you know what most of the time when we judge we are wrong. I try, and fail, to work on that in my own personality, as well as a host of other frailities. I think by now everyone has heard Susan Boyle and her amazing voice, if you haven't here she is. (the embedding mechanism has been disabled). No matter how many times I listen to her voice I am awestruck by her clarity and enunciation she possesses.

Blogger is giving me fits so this is it for the round up for now. Have a good week.

"Getting noticed in a meaningful way is less about the grand gesture and more about the small, thoughtful things we do every day. There's often a pay-it-forward beauty to going that extra inch. It can be as easy as writing a thank-you note that isn't expected, or aksing after your client's children by name. Too often in our elbows-out world, it's assumed that being considerate and being compettive are mutually exclusive. The opposite is true." Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval, The Power of Small: Why Little Things Make All the Difference.

Round Up

R.I.P. David Winans, Gospel Patriarch.

I'd Like to Have Been in that Meeting...Harry Potter



A poetry lover like me not stating that April is National Poetry Month in my first April entry. I should be flogged. Read a poem, memorize a poem, find a new poet that you wouldn't ordinarily read.

Share your Smiley Face with Spontaneous Smiley Face.

I want to move to Chicago and volunteer at the Inspiration Cafe. What a wonderful idea.

Roadside America has a blog.

I have been enjoying Jessica Hagy's site Indexed. Now she's coming out with a postcard book of her clever index card observations.

I wish I could visit all of the most interesting bookstores in the world.

My mom, gran and I used to sing 3 part harmony all of the time. If things had been different, my mom could have been an opera singer with her beautiful voice and great range. I have always been a fan of harmony, even if I wasn't a fan of the groups music in general-take The Beach Boys-loved their harmony, didn't care for their songs. Why have I never heard of The Boswell Sisters ? My girl Ella was a big fan of the group, especially of Connee Boswell. Here is another site about them. I am so excited to have found them.

There was a time when I thought it would be super chic to live in a loft, and after seeing some of these gorgeous lofts in Loft Life, my interest has not waned.

Girligami led me to the Origami blog.

Share ideas by writing on the whiteboard-Imagination Cubed. (hours and hours of fun)

Watch documentaries on Snagfilms. And yes, I am still looking for funding for my documentary on crossing guards.

First it they tarted up the Sun-Maid Raisin Girl (they call her a girl) now it's Dora. She has highlights for goodness sakes!! Good Grief!! Why couldn't she have remained ageless like that horrid Barbie or The Flintstones.

Everyone knows by now that there is just oodles of information buried in the web that takes some special keys to unlock the doors to reach this veritable treasure trove of information manna from heaven. DeepDyve is one of those special keys.

I love, love, love Grammar Girl.

Library of Congress has a YouTube channel.

There is an entire Flickr pool devoted to design variations of the wonderful Keep Calm and Carry On poster.

The World Digital Library will launch on April 21, 2009.

"If you are irritated by every rub, how will you be polished?" Rumi

I leave you with some lovely sweet peas, the flower for April.

Round Up

R.I.P. Andy Hallett-This was a shock. Only 33 years old, and dead from congestive heart failure. I will never forget his performing Lady Marmalade on Angel. He was incredible in the role of Lorne and why he was never given an Emmy nod is beyond me. So many great performances go unnoticed, it's such a shame.

R.I.P. Bill Holm. I adored this man. I'm an author groupie anyway, and if I had ever had the honor of meeting this marvelous spirit I know I would have turned into a babbling school girl. I think my favorite of his books is Eccentric Islands: Travels Real and Imaginary. Most of his works were published by Milkweed Editions. Appropriately the author's surname means "island" in Icelandic. Such a loss.

Here are some new Etsy finds: Petal Candles, Sweet Poppy Studio-cool retro cupcake toppers, and House of Mouse.

Hide your television in style-Reversica.

Yes, there is a World Database of Happiness.

The eggs of the Tinamou bird are amazing. They look like precious gems. This image from the book Eggs and Nest by Rosamund Purcell.

Watch this trailer for Toy Story 2. You will want to watch it again and again.

Ever wondered how books got their titles? So has Gary over at his blog How Books Got Their Title.

Vaulted Treasures is an exhibition ofmedical books published between 1493 and 1819. They are part of the collection at the Claude Moore Health Sciences Library at the University of Virginia. I could spend hours and hours on this beautiful site.

Historic Polar Images from the Scott Polar Research Institute-Freeze Frame

Book covers galore at the Book Cover Archive

I am so thrilled that a few of the Terra Cotta Warriors are going to be on exhibit at National Geographic. The exhibition is not until November, and the tickets, for which their will be a fee, go on sale in May. I will definitely be going to see this exhibition. I have had an interest in the Warriors ever since I first read about them, and I never thought I would get to see any of them in real life. What a treat this will be!!

I'm sure everyone has heard about the great find in Lincoln's watch, but I enjoyed the story so much I though I would post about it here.

Yelp-Real People, Real Reviews. .

Loads of inspiration and ideas for art projects on Access Art.

The economy is in the tank, but the candy business is booming, just like it did during the Depression.

I became a huge Hannah Holmes fan after I read her book, The Secret Life of Dust. If you are a science geek, then I think you will enjoy this author. She also has a delightfully informative blog.

It's Cherry Blossom time in my area and yes they are beautiful. Unfortunately for the tourists today is a rainy, cloudy day. Hopefully the rest of the weekend will improve for them.

Happy Weekend!!

"For it is life we want. We want the world, the whole beautiful world, alive — and we alive in it. That is the actual god we long for and seek, yet we have already found it, if we open our senses, our whole bodies, thus our souls. " Bill Holm