learn something new everyday

http://www.learnsomethingeveryday.co.uk/

finding frida kahlo

Are these things of 'hers' fake? Read more here.....It seemed inconceivable that after decades of exhibitions, auctions, books, and movies, unpublished Frida Kahlo artwork could still be found anywhere, much less a shop in a converted textile factory. Finding Frida Kahlo presents, for the first time in print, an astonishing lost archive of one of the twentieth century's most revered artists. Hidden from view for over half a century, this richly illustrated, intimate portrait overflows with fascinating details about Kahlo's romances, friendships, and business affairs during a three-decade period, beginning in the 1920s when she was a teenager and ending just before she died in 1954. Full of ardent desires, seething fury, and outrageous humor, Finding Frida Kahlo is a rare glimpse into an exuberant and troubled existence: A vivid diary entry records her sexual encounter with a woman named Doroti; a painted box contains eleven stuffed hummingbirds, concealed beneath a letter in which she laments her discovery that her husband, Diego Rivera, had been monstrously dissecting 'these beautiful creatures' to extract an aphrodisiac; an altered French medical book describes the pain she was suffering from the amputation of her right leg, written by Kahlo upon pages that illustrate an amputation technique; a letter to a friend expresses her loneliness, and a simple request for coconut candies. Frida Kahlo never wrote an autobiography. Instead, she left behind a much more complex material universe.

much food for thought

NY Times columnist Tom Friedman's column today, "Where Did "We" Go?", is a must read!

Tortoise Flea Market !!

Co-owner, Taku will do the flea market in the patio of Tortoise General Store on the following date:

Oct.11th Sunday

Oct.17th Saturday

Noon-5pm

Cash only.

If you have extra paper bags at home, they will reuse them as their bag at TGS. So please bring them and let them reuse as their original!!

Go to their website to see what else they've got going.

TGS (Tortoise General Store)
1208 Abbot Kinney Blvd Venice, CA 90291 310-314-8448

open:

Tue-Sat 11:30-6pm

Sun noon-6pm

closed: mon

diy :: outdoor seating

Emphasizing sustainable and recycled materials, Sean Knibb created a slipcover for standard hay bales. They are sold for $270 (hay included) at his outdoor furniture showroom on Abbot Kinney. Or you could just make them yourself!

roll on

Chadou Yama's intricate paper cuts out of tissue paper rolls are unexpected, intricate and playful all at the same time! Each little tube is a scene right out of everyday life, but the perspective makes it intriguing and worth a little more investigation. A nice reminder for all of us to look at the small moments for more meaning now and again.

via soolip

adamson house - malibu

A girlfriend and I recently made a visit to the Adamson House in Malibu. We got there too late for the last tour but the doecnt working the gift shop felt sorry for us and after closing-up she gave us a personal tour! It's a stunning house!

The Adamsons were the last desendents of the family that owned the original Mexican land grant of Malibu. While searching for oil on the property, which they didn't find, they found a high-quality clay that turned into their business of Malibu Potteries.


This classic home was designed by Stiles O. Clements in 1929 and was built for Rhoda Rindge Adamson and her husband, Merritt Huntley Adamson.

The house and grounds share one of the most beautiful beach locations in Southern California. Gorgeous views are afforded the visitor - Malibu Lagoon, Malibu Beach and the Malibu Pier




The lavish use of exquisite ceramic tile, produced by Malibu Potteries (1926-32), is a hallmark of the house. The use of decorative tile has always been characteristic of Spanish Colonial Revival architecture. Mrs. Rindge wisely decided to utilize the unique red and buff burning clays that existed in the Malibu area, as well as an abundant supply of water from a spring in Sweetwater Canyon, to establish the Malibu Potteries. Beginning in 1926, a profusion of brilliant tiles flowed from this establishment to hundreds of residential and public buildings throughout Southern California.

On the floor is a Persian style “rug” complete with fringed ends designed into the tiles. William Handley of Malibu Potteries designed these tiles which are fine examples of ceramic art in the house.

LIVING ROOM -The family living room is a delightful area with views of the ocean to the east and south. The ceiling is supported by decorated mahogany beams, the small ones solid, the two main beams steel, boxed in mahogany veneer. The Moroccan influence is seen here in the pointed arched window (called a “donkey window” because its shape allowed fully burdened burros to enter a building).

DINING ROOM - This room contains an antique French refectory table surrounded by six dining chairs. A large mirror over the sideboard was placed there so that guests who were seated with their backs to the ocean could still enjoy the view.

KITCHEN - This room adjoins the dining room and blends strong elements of art deco with Spanish Colonial Revival.

MASTER BEDROOM - This bedroom is joined by a small private sitting room, and by a dressing room and bath.

GIRLS’ BEDROOM - The closet is cedar lined and filled with dresses and hats once worn by the Adamson daughters.



Read much more here.

sale - update

I went to this the first day and didn't buy a thing. Somehow a $600 dress marked-down to $300 still doesn't seem like a good deal. Now that dress would only be $200. You be the judge!

something to do

www.altacarexpo.com

culture war

Maoists protest 'undignified' pageant

KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Scores of Maoist activists protested outside the venue of the controversial "Miss Nepal" contest on Thursday 24 September, saying the beauty pageant was an insult to women.


The former civil war rebels chanted "you can't expose the women" as they sat on the street outside a high security army club in the heart of Kathmandu.

Many protesters waved black flags in protest as 15 young Nepali contestants, wearing multi-colored shining saris, took center stage on the catwalk.

"The contest is a forum where women are used by companies to popularize and sell their products," said Manu Humagain, head of an anti-pageant Maoist panel. "It is a blow to the dignity of the women. We oppose it."

On the other hand, the contestants said the event helped them forge a "separate identity" for themselves.

The winner will represent the young Himalayan republic at the Miss World contest in Johannesburg in December, organizers said.

Riot police stood guard outside the club but there was no violence and no arrests were made, police said.

Organizers said they were making the event, beamed out live on state-run Nepal Television, a low-key affair in view of the Maoists' concerns.

The Miss Nepal contest has been running for 15 years, though organizers canceled last year's show because of Maoist protests.

The Maoists waged civil war from 1996 until a 2006 peace deal.

They led a coalition government after a surprise election victory, but the Maoist chief Prachanda resigned as prime minister in May after just eight months in office in a row over the sacking of the country's army chief.

(By Gopal Sharma. Editing by Matthias Williams and Jerry Norton)

born into brothels

On Friday, Oct. 2, 2009, the Kids with Cameras Foundation will celebrate Mahatma Gandhi's 140th birthday and the United Nations' declared International Day of Non-Violence with a historic worldwide screening event of the Academy Award-winning film Born into Brothels. We are asking our fans and supporters to help make a difference in thelives of more children in Calcutta like those featured in the film - just by having a house party. By hosting a movie night in your house, community center, school, house of worship or other local venue, you will join our supporters on four continents already registered to host a"House Party for Hope." All proceeds raised on October 2, 2009 will help us to build the film's legacy project called "Hope House" - a home that will provide mentorship, counseling, and a private day school educationfor 100 daughters of prostitutes living in Sonagachi - the largest red light district in Calcutta. Hope House will be the source of necessary support and opportunity to provide a different future for these vulnerable young girls who have been or will be another statistic of human trafficking.

Here's how to host a movie night:

1. Log on to http://www.kids-with-cameras.org/home/

2. Sign up on our home page to be a host of a "House Party for Hope" as part of our worldwide screening event of Born into Brothels on October 2, 2009.

3. Donate $20 to KWC to receive a copy of the film and our special companion DVD to introduce your guests to the plans and vision for Hope House.

4. Using our online event management system, invite your friends to your party and encourage them to donate to Hope House either when they register or at your event. KWC has suggested a guideline of $30 per person, $50 per couple, or $20 for students but your guests are welcome to contribute any amount of their choosing.

5. If you can't host a party, check back on the KWC website to find a party in your area to attend. If there is not one nearby, consider making a donation to Kids with Cameras or buying one of the prints, books, or copies of the Born Into Brothels DVD available here.

Born into Brothels by Ross Kauffman and Zana Briski won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature in 2005. A tribute to the resiliency of childhood and the restorative power of art, Born into Brothelsportraysseveral unforgettable children who live in Calcutta's largest red-light district, where their mothers work as prostitutes. Zana Briski, a New York-based photographer, gives each of the children a camera and teaches them to look at the world with new eyes. As Ross Kauffman, said

"It was a dream of ours as we made the film to have a place for these children to learn and grow. The dream is close to becoming a reality. There is no better way for anyone that watches the film and falls in love with these kids, just as we did, to make a difference in their future."

Here's the Born into Brothels trailer. Now you have a chance to make a difference in their future as well, just by hosting a little hope.

via liberty post

russel wright's hudson river valley home

Through October in Terminal 3 of SFO is an exhibit presented by San Francisco Airport Museums (SFAM) entitled Wright at Home: Modern Lifestyle Design 1930–1965, an exhibit of dinnerware, furniture and accessories by the American industrial designer. Russel Wright is considered the first brand name or “celebrity” in home furnishings – the Martha Stewart of his time – largely in part to the brilliant marketing skills of his wife, Mary Small Einstein.

It was Mary who encouraged Russel to put his signature on his work – a wise decision considering that 250 million pieces of his American Modern dinnerware were sold between 1939 and 1959. But the pair was interested in more than just giving people the tools for easier living; they also wanted to teach people how to live in more efficient, less formal ways, and in 1950 they published their manifesto Guide to Easier Living.

Russel Wright sent the plans for his Hudson River valley home (above) and studio (below) to Frank Lloyd Wright for review. The two met when FLLW was in New York working on the Guggenheim, but there’s no evidence that Frank visited Russel’s property.

Spun Aluminum designs by Russel Wright. In the 1930s, Wright discovered that this affordable metal was easy to work with and could be made to look like pewter.

The dining area in Russel Wright’s home is next to a wall of boulders and the trunk of a cedar tree, which serves as the building’s primary vertical support post.

Wright built his fireplace to accommodate logs stacked vertically because he believed they burned more efficiently this way.

The bathtub in Russel Wright’s studio overlooks the quarry and has a view of the pond.

Low-maintenance steps in Wright’s home.

Check out the Russel Wright exhibit if you’re traveling through SFO, and if you’re on the East Coast, be sure to visit the Russel Wright Design Center.

From DWR newsletter

Les Sources de Caudalie

How about a stay at Les Sources de Caudalie, a hotel in France surrounded by vineyards and châteaux, offering cooking classes, wine tasting courses, and a vinotherapy spa - treatments that combine naturally warm spring water with vine and grape extracts. Oh my...sign me up!!












via desire to inspire