Friday, March 26, 2010

Round Up

My dream car: A 1961 Nash Metropolitan. It has to be these colors too. I have had a love affair with Pyrex measuring cups for years. I have them in various sizes and use them for all sorts of things. I spied this measuring cup with a digital scale in a magazine the other day. Also, measuring cups with lids.

Faces behind famous hands.

I was searching around on the web the other day looking for interesting paper clips. What can I say? I'm an office supply nerd. I came across the history of the paper clip. I like the paper clip gallery.

I was kind of ticked off about the short shrift Jean Simmons death seemed to receive. I was a huge fan of hers and I just found out the other day that she had died. I have this thing about nun movies and I loved her in Black Narcissus even though it was oh so racist.

I can remember seeing a lot of movies with my mother and her explaining to me that some of the themes in the movie(s) were racist. We both loved musicals and I can remember seeing Flower Drum Song with her and her quietly telling me that this is racist and that is racist. I used to know every word to every song from Flower Drum Song. Oh well, as usual I digress.

Also, farewell Mr. Phelps.

I love when I hear about folks helping out the pooches-Pilots and Paws.

Case, cases, cases-Caselogic

I just love the name of this restaurant named after a beautiful mushroom-Hen of the Wood.

Interesting sled history, and more on Morton sleds.

Recycle your kids baby clothes into a beautiful quilt. I don't know if they do this with adult clothes, but I would have loved to have some of my grans aprons and other things made into a quilt.

A librarian and his daughter bond over what else, books.

The difference between gray and grey.

Martha wants to teach us how to fold our napkins into bunny ears.

There's March madness, and then there's March literary madness.

Shaq's mom , Lucille O'Neal has written a memoir, Walk Like You Have Somewhere to Go.

Oh my favorite Lapham's Quarterly has mapped some classics.

2010 is the Year of Cataloging Research.


Have a great weekend. I leave you with a host of golden daffodils.



"I do not want people to be agreeable as it saves me the trouble of liking them." Jane Austen

Friday, March 12, 2010

Round Up

Okay, you all know it's the time of year when I have to whine up a storm. This weekend it is Daylight Savings Time (DST). I LOATHE, HATE, DETEST this human supposed solution to a contrived problem. I hated it before when we had to "spring ahead" in April-now we have to do this in March. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now that I have gotten that out of my sytem.

If you are an ice cream aficonando you must try Laloos. This ice cream made from goats milk is so delicious. Now they have ice cream sandwiches. I found Laloos at Whole Foods.

Some book talk:

I read The Works: Anatomy of a City by Kate Ascher.
This book is excellent. The author tells all about what it takes to run a city, specifically New York City. All the sytems from sewage, to mail, to zip codes are discussed. The book is filled with great graphics and informational factoids like the following:
Did you know that the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge is so long, and its towers are so high, that the builders had to take the curvature of the earth's surface into account when designing it? Did you know that the George Washington Bridge takes in approximately $1 million per day in tolls? Did you know that retired subway cars travel by barge to the mid-Atlantic, where they are dumped overboard to form natural reefs for fish?



Now I haven't read People of the Sturgeon: Wisconsin's Love Affair with a Fish by Kathleen, but I plan to.

Another unusual museum-the Museum of the American Gangster.

Did you ever wonder what the difference was between Dutch pressed cocoa and natural cocoa? I did and this is what I found out.

10 words you need to stop misspelling. Also comes as a poster.

March 16-18, 2010 is the DC Environmental Film Festival. Lots of great movies and documentaries at great venues. Hope to see you there.

I love soaps. I just think for not all that much money you can buy yourself a nice smelling treat or give a nice bar of soap as a gift. I love the packaging and the names of the soaps at Seattle Sundries.

How cool is this? A scholar located a 1641 letter from philosopher ("I think, therefore I am") Rene Descarte. Can you imagine? My hands and everything else would have been shaking if I had something like that in my hands.

What a clever idea. The Animal Blueprint Company will render a blueprint of your favorite dog.
Love it, love it.

I learned to embroider as a child, but I could never master a French knot. I put my embroidery hoop away when I hit puberty, but I have taken it up again and I am still trying to master the freakin' French knot. Maybe this will help. Or here-an actual video. Or maybe I am just hopeless. I learned to make knots in Girl Scouts. I guess it just isn't the same thing at all.

I am so excited that Liberty is coming to Target. The British are coming, The British are coming. I have been a fan of Liberty prints since I was a teenager. We had to make these boring aprons in Home Ec and one of the girls had this fabulous fabric and it was Liberty. I never did find out where she got such a treasure (much too shy to ask). I mean we were in a tiny place in Southwestern, PA. Not exactly the hot spot for fashion or cool fabrics. I've been covetous of Liberty prints ever since then. I so hope Target doesn't 'uck it up.

This would be such a cute craft project for the kiddies at Valentines Day.

I love terra cotta pots and I must, must have one made by Guy Wolff. More about the artisan and his pots.

These pussy willows made from branches and felt balls are adorable (March 7,2010 entry). Betz White has such great ideas.

Check out this NPR slideshow of jobs that have gone by the wayside.

That's all for this week. It's going to be a nice rainy weekend, which I love. I think I am going to relax, run a few errands and
make some Guiness cupcakes.















Have a nice weekend.

"The human mind treats a new idea the same way the body treats a strange protein; it rejects it. " P.B. Medawar

Friday, March 05, 2010

Round Up

Just a few items this week.

Last week I was channel surfing and I came across Daryl Hall and John Oates singing. I think I was on MPT2 or maybe WETA Create. They still sound great, but I must say, I miss John Oates' mustache. I was curious to the age of these two, so I did some investigating. I'll just say they are both in their early 60's.

I always loved their sound. I like all sorts of music and I am a huge fan of great voices. I might not be a fan of an entire genre of music, but if someone has the pipes I'm generally won over. Daryl Hall has a great voice and a nice range. I found out that he restores old houses in his spare time, has Lyme Disease and has a delightful online program, Live from Daryl's House.

Look at these clever pothole gardens.

Typo of the day for Librarians-love this stuff.

Ruth Kaiser is looking for spontaneous smiley faces. This is just too cute. See if you can find any.

Louis Armstrong's Red Bean and Rice Recipe.

Wouldn't it be fun to honor someone you love with a rose with their name.

Tired of cereal for breakfast, but can't think of anything else to eat. Check out Mr. Breakfast. What a fun site.

Gorgeous photographs of yummy food-Tastespotting.

How wonderful. The U.S. Navy has named a ship after Dr. Charles Drew.

Archer-so bad it's good. (The episodes are on Hulu)

Sharpie art. More art on Styrofoam cups.

Interesting article about compact literature.





"It is our choices Harry, that show us what we truly are, more thatn our abilities." Dumbledore to Harry Potter (books by J.K. Rowling)