. . . an eclectic mix of things I find beautiful, inspirational, important or just plain interesting . . .

30 August 2012

the perfect sheet

Remodelista's post for today was an update on the perfect white sheets.


Above are Comfort Wash Linen from The Company Store.

The New York Times did an article about thread count back in 2009 that's a great guide.

"WHEN it comes to bed linens, Julian Tomchin is a debunker of myths, like the one that says a 1,000-thread-count sheet must be of superior quality (not necessarily, he said) or the one that professes a pure cotton sheet can be wrinkle-free (don’t get him started)."

Read the entire article here.

22 August 2012

free calendar download

Click here for the free download. Print on 8.5 x 11 cardstock. Then cut down the middle along the line.

21 August 2012

recent aquisition

I collect vintage Navajo rugs. I recently saw this photo on eBay and was the winning bidder. It was part of an 1890 photo album that was attributed to photographer Fred Kiser who along with his brother Oscar were two of the most well-known landscape photographers in the United States at the beginning of the 20th century. Their most notable works were of Crater Lake National Park in Oregon.


Here is the seller's description on eBay:


I believe the seller misrepresented the date and possibly the Fred Kiser attribution. In asking him how he came to those conclusions, he was honest in saying he didn't have any proof, just a hunch, and that I should purchase the photo on the merit of it's subject only. Fair enough.

The 1890 date doesn't hold up because Fred Kiser was born in 1878 and Oscar was born in 1883 making them 12 and 7, respectively in 1890 and hardly old enough to go trapsing across the southwest. Also Fred was in college from 1898 to 1901. Their professional photography careers didn't begin until 1902.

In doing some research on this photo I've determined that it is of the Walker Redrock Trading Post booth at the annual Shiprock Fair in Shiprock, New Mexico. The fair began in 1911 and continues today as the Northern Navajo Nation Fair. There are several photos of the 1913 fair that show the Walker Redrock booth but with different rugs displayed. So my conclusion is this photo was taken in one of the two years prior to 1913 or in the years soon after.

I also can't find any reference to Fred Kiser photographing American Indians other than the Blackfoot Tribe in Montana for the Great Northern Railway Company in 1909 and 1910. But that doesn't mean he didn't.

This photo as well as the others that were in the album are remarkable, even if they weren't taken by Fred Kiser in 1890. The photographer had extraordinary access to daily American Indian life.

the album cover

some inside pages

I totaled up all the auctions and the seller made almost $2,000 on 40 photos. The highest one went for over $180.00.

Here are some of the other photos:







I'm going to continue to research these photos and hopefully will eventually find some answers. Stay tuned!

15 August 2012

handsome storage


$38 for three. Get them here.

julia child - 100 today



NY Times: Child was born 100 years ago Wednesday, and without her, the phrase “aspiring food writer” would probably have never been uttered in the United States. 

It was Child — not single-handedly, but close — who started the public conversation about cooking in America that has shaped our cuisine and culture ever since. Her “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” was published in 1961, just as trends including feminism, food technology and fast food seemed ready to wipe out home cooking. But with her energy, intelligence and nearly deranged enthusiasm, Child turned that tide.


Read the entire article here.

flowers of summer


Dahlias in the backyard.

13 August 2012

life in topanga

This week's temps. I've decided I could never live in the desert!

10 August 2012

friday wisdom


georgia o'keef's abiqiui

To mark the legendary artist's 125th birthday, Architectural Digest looked back at her Abiquiu, New Mexico home and studio, first published in their July 1981 issue.


At 94, the indomitable artist Georgia O’Keeffe delights in the New Mexico highlands, where, since the 1930s, she has lived and worked, both in the village of Abiquiu and at the more secluded Ghost Ranch. It took long years of persistence to acquire the Abiquiu house.




More photos and article here.

07 August 2012

new rue

Click here.

life in topanga

This is what the week has in store for us. Yikes!


One of the reasons we moved to Topanga was to get away from the cold and dampness we experienced in Venice. Be careful what you wish for!!!