werner amann

visit German photographer Werner Amann's website for more of his inspiring work. (oh, and click on the photos here to see them large)

cats n dogs

i've been a fan of Cat Stevens since i was 8 years old, when my older brother came back from Junior Rangers all teenage cool and come-of-age, blasting new anthems from his tape deck, the likes of which i'd never heard. i've been a fan of my dog Rudy for three years now, 21 if you're asking her. so yesterday when i came across one of Cat's songs i hadn't yet heard called I Love My Dog, i fell instantly in love with it. without further ado, this one's for Rudy and all the other four legged lovelies out there. happy friday!

robin eley

i am forever awed by the seemingly divine talent of photorealistic painters. Robin Eley clearly possesses mindblowing skill and artistry. see more here.

foxy ladies

sally jane vintage

this adorable libris lunaria fox tote has been popping up on some fabulous blogs lately. i want one. follow the links to see more of how these ladies rock it.

fancy fine

some girls wander by mistake

the snail and the cyclops

a thought is the blossom

hope gangloff

i love Hope Gangloff. i love her style. i love her subject matter. i love her colour choices. i love her off. you can love her off too, here.

peculiar snapshots

i found a wonderful collection of 'peculiar' vintage photos on flickr this afternoon. check it out.

R.I.P. Sidney Lumet (June 25, 1924 – April 9, 2011)

none o yer beeswax

terrible post title, i know. i just couldn't help myself :-) i'm liking these awesome beeswax sculptures by Markus Fiedler

you can't say 'Bombshell' on an airplane #9 - diana dors

caribou pour vous

i'm feelin the Caribou today. enjoy your weekend! xo

before i die...

check out this incredible street instalation by Candy Chan. Candy transformed the back of an abandoned house in New Orleans into a chalkboard of shared aspirations. and the best part is, whenever the wall is full, she washes it clean and the process begins again. i like this. read all about it here.

cabin fever

rustic camping stool

i haven't been posting as often as usual. blame it on cabin fever. winter is hanging on here like a piece o gum that gets stuck in your hair and i've got some serious seasonal whatchamacallit. i'll bet that if i looked up the posting frequency of previous years, there'd be a lull about this time ever year. this slow and arduous season turn, promising spring and then snatching it back again over and over. but don't cry for me argentina, i have recently received word that our site has been successfully booked for a mid-June canoe trip!!! and though i realize this is months away, i am already dreaming of paddles n pine trees. . .

bakelight lantern/flashlight

shawl neck sweater

vintage binoculars t shirt

axe brooch

explorer case

little red lantern necklace

pinecone print

R.I.P. Elizabeth Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011)

hall of dames #22 - malvina reynolds

singer, songwriter and activist Malvina Reynolds' most famous song, Little Boxes (made famous by the great Pete Seeger), recently enjoyed renewed popularity as the theme song for the showtime TV series Weeds - and thank goodness for that, 'cause that's how i first came across her music.

Malvina was born in San Francisco in 1900. she married a carpenter and labor organizer in 1934 -William "Bud" Reynolds- and the two had a child, Nancy Reynolds Schimmel, now a songwriter and performer herself. though refused her highschool diploma because of her parents' vocal opposition to World War I, Malvina went on to earn a doctorate in Romance Philology from Berkley in 1939, long before it was considered proper for women her age to return to school. it wasn't until her late 40s, after meeting Pete Seeger and other folk singers, that Malvina began writing songs in earnest. Malvina's songs have since been recorded by Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Pete Seeger, the Seekers, Harry Belafonte and Elvis Costello, among others.

Malvina wrote songs for Women for Peace, the Nestle Boycott, the sit-ins in San Francisco on auto row and at the Sheraton-Palace, the fight against putting a freeway through Golden Gate Park and other causes. she wrote songs for children and contributed material to PBS's Sesame Street, on which she made occasional appearances as a character named Kate. when Malvina passed away in 1978, the world lost an extraordinary and inspirational human being, who lived as an example that it's never too late to discover and pursue your passions, that it's cool to be smart and to express your opinions and that blindly conforming to the status quo will only prevent you from truly becoming yourself. thank you Malvina!

if you'd like to know more about Malvina, check out her daughter's blog about writing her mother's biography.

this last one is a short song that you must listen to all the way to the end. the last verse makes me want to cry.

forgive me

i hope you'll forgive my absence this past week. busy as a bee at work and haven't had a lot of time for blogging. in two hours i'm off to the hair dresser to chop off all my locks! provided i'm not traumatized by the results, i'll be sure to post a photo of my new doo. i'm wishing you all a wonderful weekend and thanking you ever so much for continuing to visit me here. i got nothin but love for you people! xo

grace o'connor

i'm diggin the heavy nostalgia of Grace O'Connor's paintings. i'd love to have one of these dudes hanging in my rec room (if i had one). see her website for more of her marvelous work.