30 December 2011
eva zeisel : good night
NY Times: Eva Zeisel, a ceramic artist whose elegant, eccentric designs for dinnerware in the 1940s and ’50s helped to revolutionize the way Americans set their tables, died on Friday in New City, N.Y. She was 105.
Her death was confirmed by her daughter, Jean Richards.
Ms. Zeisel (pronounced ZY-sel), along with designers like Mary and Russel Wright and Charles and Ray Eames, brought the clean, casual shapes of modernist design into middle-class American homes with furnishings that encouraged a postwar desire for fresh, less formal styles of living.
Read more here.
calendar give-away
I got caught without a 2012 calendar and no time to shop for one. So I made my own and decided to share it with everyone. As the months go by, I'll add the upcoming two months.
PS: I haven't given credit for the photos because I don't remember where I found them.
24 December 2011
23 December 2011
22 December 2011
winter solstice 2011
Winter solstice explained
If you’ve grown weary of short days and are looking forward to more sunlight, you won’t have to wait much longer. Today is the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, bringing us the shortest daylight period and longest night of the year. Going forward, the days will gradually lengthen as the sun climbs higher in the sky over the next six months.
In 2011 (this year), the winter solstice occurs at 12:30 a.m. EST on December 22. As the first day of astronomical winter* in the Northern Hemisphere, the solstice marks the time at which the sun shines directly overhead at 23.5 degrees south latitude. With the North Pole tilted away from the sun, locations north of the equator see the sun take its lowest and shortest path across the southern sky.
Read more here.
Ray K. Saunders / The Washington Post
Matt Cardy / Getty Images
Luis Romero / AP
Dan Kitwood / Getty Images
new digital mag - heart home
Launched in September 2011, British Interior Design magazine Heart Home is a quarterly publication celebrating all that is unique and good about interior decor and lifestyle. Championing independent British Designers and inspiring readers to create their own great British Homes.
21 December 2011
in tough economic times, women buy nail polish
Who would have thought . . . .
NEW YORK: For the first ten months of 2011, sales of nail polish and products were up 59 percent from the same period in 2010, according to market research firm NPD Group, which also showed sales have grown since the onset of the economic downturn.
"Nail color is an affordable indulgence," said Karen Grant, vice president and global beauty industry analyst at NPD. "It's an easy way to be on-trend and to make a statement."
Although NPD's research focused on department stores, Grant said the trend extends to the mass market as well.
Demitrius Simpkins, manager of New York salon Lali Lali in New York, agreed.
"Beauty is one thing women never forget about," he said. "Manicures are a way to lift spirits."
NPD's research showed that both colored nail polish and base coats were selling well, which suggests that more women may be skipping the salon manicures and doing their own nails.
"With so many looks that you can play with for relatively little expense or commitment, it lends itself to being a DIY treatment," Grant explained.
Simpkins said that although the salon's nail services are popular, he has noticed some customers are looking for ways to save money and opting for long-lasting gel manicures to reduce salon visits.
"Some women who used to come every Monday now come maybe every other Monday," he said.
Grant and Simpkins also think women are aiming for value.
"A bottle of nail polish can last a month or two at least," said Grant. "If you go out to dinner, you only get one night."
Grant also noted the capacity for growth in the nail cosmetics market, which she said is larger than for other color cosmetics.
In 2001, when lipstick sales shot up former Estee Lauder chairman Leonard Lauder coined the term "lipstick index" to describe the increase in demand for lipstick after the late 1990s tech bubble burst.
"The size of the market is burgeoning, and there's a huge opportunity for doubling or even tripling growth," Grant said of nail cosmetics. "It's like lipstick ten years ago."
© Thomson Reuters 2011 All rights reserved.
NEW YORK: For the first ten months of 2011, sales of nail polish and products were up 59 percent from the same period in 2010, according to market research firm NPD Group, which also showed sales have grown since the onset of the economic downturn.
Photo: Corbis Images
Although NPD's research focused on department stores, Grant said the trend extends to the mass market as well.
Demitrius Simpkins, manager of New York salon Lali Lali in New York, agreed.
"Beauty is one thing women never forget about," he said. "Manicures are a way to lift spirits."
NPD's research showed that both colored nail polish and base coats were selling well, which suggests that more women may be skipping the salon manicures and doing their own nails.
"With so many looks that you can play with for relatively little expense or commitment, it lends itself to being a DIY treatment," Grant explained.
Simpkins said that although the salon's nail services are popular, he has noticed some customers are looking for ways to save money and opting for long-lasting gel manicures to reduce salon visits.
"Some women who used to come every Monday now come maybe every other Monday," he said.
Grant and Simpkins also think women are aiming for value.
"A bottle of nail polish can last a month or two at least," said Grant. "If you go out to dinner, you only get one night."
Grant also noted the capacity for growth in the nail cosmetics market, which she said is larger than for other color cosmetics.
In 2001, when lipstick sales shot up former Estee Lauder chairman Leonard Lauder coined the term "lipstick index" to describe the increase in demand for lipstick after the late 1990s tech bubble burst.
"The size of the market is burgeoning, and there's a huge opportunity for doubling or even tripling growth," Grant said of nail cosmetics. "It's like lipstick ten years ago."
© Thomson Reuters 2011 All rights reserved.
spanish country house
An abandoned stable in the western province of Cáceres in Spain carefully renovated by architectural and development firm Ábaton. A stunning family home that not only makes you want to pack your bags and book a flight to Spain because someone made a mistake ... you're sure this is your home. On top of aesthetic perfection it's sustainable as well. Solar panels supply energy during the summer while turbines take advantage of the two streams that run through the property providing electricity in the winter. Rain water is returned to the ground. Materials are recyclable. Large expanses of stone floors provide thermal mass. Una casa de inspiración.
reposted from here
16 December 2011
christopher hitchens - good night
NY Times: Christopher Hitchens, a slashing polemicist in the tradition of Thomas Paine and George Orwell who trained his sights on targets as various as Henry Kissinger, the British monarchy and Mother Teresa, wrote a best-seller attacking religious belief, and dismayed his former comrades on the left by enthusiastically supporting the American-led war in Iraq, died Thursday at the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. He was 62.
Michael Stravato for The New York Times
Christopher Hitchens a few hours after being released from the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston in October.The cause was pneumonia, a complication of esophageal cancer, said the magazine Vanity Fair, which announced the death. In recent days Mr. Hitchens had stopped treatment and entered hospice care at the Houston hospital. He learned he had cancer while on a publicity tour in 2010 for his memoir,“Hitch-22,” and began writing and, on television, speaking about his illness frequently.
“In whatever kind of a ‘race’ life may be, I have very abruptly become a finalist,” Mr. Hitchens wrote in Vanity Fair, for which he was a contributing editor.
Read more here.
Past deaths from esophageal cancer:
Harmon Killebrew, Hall of Fame Slugger for the Minnesota Twins - died May 2011
Ron Silver, actor - died March 2009
Tom Lantos, US Representative from N. California - died Feb 2008
Ann Richards, governor of Texas - died Sept 2006
15 December 2011
q & a with diane keaton
It was a real treat to open up my e-mail this morning to find in today's Remodelista Daily this q & a with Diane Keaton. She's up at the top of my most favorite people list.
While Diane Keaton may forever be linked to her role as Annie Hall, we are equally enamored of her design sensibility. Keaton has been branching out from movies for a while now (she's known for her photography and for her writing), and she recently designed a small housewares line called K by Keaton, inspired by "great old barns standing by the side of the road" for Bed Bath & Beyond. We recently had the opportunity to quiz Keaton on her favorite LA design haunts, her own bedding preferences, and her secrets for falling asleep.
Above: K by Keaton bedlinens for Bed Bath & Beyond.
Remodelista: Favorite reading light?
Diane Keaton: I'm in favor of vintage industrial lighting. Old flood lamps have a ton of character and give off a lot of light. I have a great 1940s search-and-rescue lamp in my bedroom.
Diane Keaton: I'm in favor of vintage industrial lighting. Old flood lamps have a ton of character and give off a lot of light. I have a great 1940s search-and-rescue lamp in my bedroom.
RM: Favorite paint shade for the bedroom?
DK: Winter white or dark and dramatic. I think the wall color should set the stage for everything interesting in front of it. I don’t think the wall should be the center of attention.
DK: Winter white or dark and dramatic. I think the wall color should set the stage for everything interesting in front of it. I don’t think the wall should be the center of attention.
Above: A blanket from Navajo Pictorial Weaving 1880-1950.
RM: Essential bedside reading?
DK : A ladder is a great way to display art books. I am an art and architecture type of person; some current favorites are Shaker Life Work and Art, Navajo Pictorial Weaving 1880-1950, and Detroit 138 Square Miles (it’s an archive like no other). Oh, and Six Bridges—just to look at the beauty of bridges and how astonishing they are.
DK : A ladder is a great way to display art books. I am an art and architecture type of person; some current favorites are Shaker Life Work and Art, Navajo Pictorial Weaving 1880-1950, and Detroit 138 Square Miles (it’s an archive like no other). Oh, and Six Bridges—just to look at the beauty of bridges and how astonishing they are.
RM: Where do you go for design inspiration?
DK: You know, I love deserted areas with history. Like downtown LA. It’s just amazing down there with the 6th Street Bridge, the factories, and the Biscuit building; all those things combine to be visually really exciting. It’s really happening.
DK: You know, I love deserted areas with history. Like downtown LA. It’s just amazing down there with the 6th Street Bridge, the factories, and the Biscuit building; all those things combine to be visually really exciting. It’s really happening.
Above: An interior tableau at Galerie Half in Los Angeles.
RM: Favorite LA design haunt?
DK: Big Daddy's Antiques. Juxtaposition. Galerie Half. And my favorite antiques picker, Dorrie Hall of the Monterey Garage at the Pasadena Antique Center.
DK: Big Daddy's Antiques. Juxtaposition. Galerie Half. And my favorite antiques picker, Dorrie Hall of the Monterey Garage at the Pasadena Antique Center.
RM: Bare wood floor or rugs?
DK: It’s all about wood. But what kind of wood is the question. Reclaimed barn wood has amazing patina and character. Not just any old barn wood—white-washed barn wood.
DK: It’s all about wood. But what kind of wood is the question. Reclaimed barn wood has amazing patina and character. Not just any old barn wood—white-washed barn wood.
Above: Amangiri in southern Utah.
RM: Dream destination?
DK: The dream I’ve never been able to realize is a hotel called Amangiri in Utah. I’ve never been there, but that’s my dream. It’s surrounded by unbelievable natural beauty. I’ll be going there. The setting looks out of this world.
DK: The dream I’ve never been able to realize is a hotel called Amangiri in Utah. I’ve never been there, but that’s my dream. It’s surrounded by unbelievable natural beauty. I’ll be going there. The setting looks out of this world.
RM: Duvet or wool blanket?
DK: I collect vintage wool and Navajo blankets. I admire the work that went into them and the bold symbols and graphics. Who said blankets have to be plain?
DK: I collect vintage wool and Navajo blankets. I admire the work that went into them and the bold symbols and graphics. Who said blankets have to be plain?
RM: Favorite nighttime tea?
DK: Nighttime tea? Red wine on ice. One glass.
DK: Nighttime tea? Red wine on ice. One glass.
RM: Secrets for falling asleep?
DK: A well-designed bedroom. Looking out a bank of windows; big casement windows looking out onto light and life. That’s very peaceful. Lots of books. A busy day. I keep it very busy.
DK: A well-designed bedroom. Looking out a bank of windows; big casement windows looking out onto light and life. That’s very peaceful. Lots of books. A busy day. I keep it very busy.
Photos curated by Diane Keaton.
09 December 2011
total lunar eclipse
Bullet Marquez /Associated Press
LA Times: Bright and early Saturday morning, people in Asia and Australia and on the western coast of America will be treated to a total eclipse of the moon—the last one until 2014.
You'll have to wake up early to see it—NASA says a red shadow will start to fall across the moon at 4:45 a.m. PST. By 6:05 a.m. PST, the moon will be totally engulfed in red light.
Red?
Yes, red.
As Dr. Tony Phillips explains in a NASA release, the lunar eclipse will appear red, not black, because a delicate layer of dusty air surrounding our planet will redirect the light of the sun, filling the darkness behind Earth with a sunset-red glow.
Whether the moon will appear bright orange or blood red or somewhere in between is still up for debate. However, atmospheric scientist Richard Keen of the University of Colorado has hazarded a guess: "I expect this eclipse to be bright orange, or even copper-colored, with a possible hint of turquoise at the edge," he told NASA.
It all sounds pretty spectacular, but unfortunately, the totality of this eclipse will not be fully visible all over the world. In fact, it will only be visible in its entirety from Australia, Asia and the extreme northwest portion of North America.
But no need to despair—the Internet has come to the rescue.
Slooh, the online Space Camera, plans to broadcast a free, real-time feed of the eclipse from telescopes in Australia, Asia and Hawaii. You can access the feed via Slooh's homepage, or by downloading the Android app at the Android Market store.
If you watch the lunar eclipse on Slooh, you'll get the benefit of live narration of the event from astronomer and Slooh editor Bob Berman, who will be joined by guests such as solar researcher Dr. Lucie Green and documentary maker Duncan Copp.
Of course, if you can go outside and see it yourself, you'll get the benefit of fresh air.
06 December 2011
felt
An 8000-Year-Old Technology That's Innovative to This Day
Felt is said to be the oldest man-made material: its story goes back 8,000 years. It’s used in everything from carpets to garments to chalkboard erasers. Felt is basically the matted fibers of sheep, so it has all the virtues of wool — warm, waterproof, resilient, durable — but denser, more compact and much more versatile. It is extremely adaptable and can be made with little more than a pair of hands for tools.
Read more on the Kaufmann Mercantile blog here.
A felt home. Central Aisa, circa 1910.
Wool “felts” because the animal fibers have natural directional scales and kinks (like a lizard, or a pine cone) that bristle into action when water and friction is applied. The scales reach up to the source of friction at a 90 degree angle and then back again, which causes the fibers to stitch together and form felt.
In India, felt is made for the mass market by laying down wool in shallow pools of water and going over it with giant steamrollers. Watch a modern-day Mongolian tribe demonstrate the process of building a traditional home out of felt in this You Tube video. The entire process is recorded, from herding and shearing the sheep, to beating pelts of unprocessed wool with long reeds, to erecting a ger, or yurt, just like the Xanadu pleasure palace of Kublai Khan, or the mighty military bases of Ghengis Khan. Felt is moisture-wicking and insulating, because even the badasses of the Mongolian plain desired a cozy and durable dwelling.
A felt hat if nothing else. Collecting surplus goods in Arizona. Photo by Russell Lee via The Denver Post.
Felt wall paneling at the auditorium of the Museum of Tolerance
Read more on the Kaufmann Mercantile blog here.
02 December 2011
01 December 2011
world aids day
World AIDS Day began as a way to increase awareness of the disease and support those affected by it.
On December 1st, we observe World AIDS day. First observed in 1988, World AIDS Day began as a way to increase awareness of the disease and support those affected by it, their families, their communities, even entire countries. It provided an opportunity to fight prejudice against people living with HIV, improve knowledge about the disease among the wider population, and raise money for research.
World AIDS Day was first conceived at the World Health Organization, or WHO, a specialized agency of the United Nations. This year's theme, which runs until 2015, is "Getting to Zero:" Zero New HIV Infections. Zero Discrimination and Zero AIDS Related Deaths. Other countries at the forefront of the fight against HIV/AIDS, including the United States, have come up with additional themes, reflecting their own efforts to eliminate the disease.
The Centers for Disease Control, a branch of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, first identified the Acquired immune deficiency syndrome, or AIDS, and its cause, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, or HIV, in 1981.
The early years were tragic. The infection spread widely around the world, but the medical community had few weapons in its arsenal. In 1988, the life expectancy of most patients with AIDS was about two years.
We've come a long way since then. Today, for those who have access to medical treatment, a diagnosis of HIV/AIDS is no longer an automatic death sentence. Over 6 million people in the developing world are now receiving lifesaving antiretroviral treatment. In Africa, the world’s hardest-hit region, over 3 million people are receiving treatment with support from the U.S. President's Emergency Program for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR. And the number of new infections each year around the world has dropped by approximately 25 percent over the past decade.
These are encouraging signs, and new scientific advances hold great promise. This year's U.S. Government theme, "Leading with Science, Uniting for Action," highlights the opportunity to do more. Ultimately, the shared responsibility to fight this disease is one in which all have roles to play. This World AIDS Day is a time for all of us to commit to the goal of an AIDS-free generation.
via Voice of America
Nepalese people light candles in the shape of the red ribbon, the universal symbol of awareness and support for those living with HIV, in Katmandu, Nepal, Wednesday Nov. 30, 2011. (AP Photo/Niranajan Shrestha)
On December 1st, we observe World AIDS day. First observed in 1988, World AIDS Day began as a way to increase awareness of the disease and support those affected by it, their families, their communities, even entire countries. It provided an opportunity to fight prejudice against people living with HIV, improve knowledge about the disease among the wider population, and raise money for research.
World AIDS Day was first conceived at the World Health Organization, or WHO, a specialized agency of the United Nations. This year's theme, which runs until 2015, is "Getting to Zero:" Zero New HIV Infections. Zero Discrimination and Zero AIDS Related Deaths. Other countries at the forefront of the fight against HIV/AIDS, including the United States, have come up with additional themes, reflecting their own efforts to eliminate the disease.
The Centers for Disease Control, a branch of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, first identified the Acquired immune deficiency syndrome, or AIDS, and its cause, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, or HIV, in 1981.
The early years were tragic. The infection spread widely around the world, but the medical community had few weapons in its arsenal. In 1988, the life expectancy of most patients with AIDS was about two years.
We've come a long way since then. Today, for those who have access to medical treatment, a diagnosis of HIV/AIDS is no longer an automatic death sentence. Over 6 million people in the developing world are now receiving lifesaving antiretroviral treatment. In Africa, the world’s hardest-hit region, over 3 million people are receiving treatment with support from the U.S. President's Emergency Program for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR. And the number of new infections each year around the world has dropped by approximately 25 percent over the past decade.
These are encouraging signs, and new scientific advances hold great promise. This year's U.S. Government theme, "Leading with Science, Uniting for Action," highlights the opportunity to do more. Ultimately, the shared responsibility to fight this disease is one in which all have roles to play. This World AIDS Day is a time for all of us to commit to the goal of an AIDS-free generation.
via Voice of America
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