tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151264452024-03-07T14:02:10.857-05:00Petula * Darlingcrafting a life    Petula Darlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18026577230594400760noreply@blogger.comBlogger168125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15126445.post-41170889205283801572010-01-14T21:50:00.005-05:002010-01-14T22:21:43.674-05:00My Dream Car<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgczYmxl0JKp0Ih1riYAHhc_rVQFylSo1_TapDgfyFTsr4yO1uMLPaZ4KdVZ4MfhFXyQUuMbdS8cLhNbJ4OulEncdv22ljtujeldL7R8cuDoKZrvJbUcyrAWnx7lmlPTatvqb1hEg/s1600-h/messerschmitt.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgczYmxl0JKp0Ih1riYAHhc_rVQFylSo1_TapDgfyFTsr4yO1uMLPaZ4KdVZ4MfhFXyQUuMbdS8cLhNbJ4OulEncdv22ljtujeldL7R8cuDoKZrvJbUcyrAWnx7lmlPTatvqb1hEg/s400/messerschmitt.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426794277595930626" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Isn't it glorious?!<br />Not only is this 1957 Messerschmitt KR-200 lovely, but it got 87 mpg when it was new.<br />The fact that I probably couldn't drive it up a hill if I ate a big lunch doesn't bother me, nor does the likelihood that it probably sounds like a lawnmower. Nope, all of that pales when I picture myself sitting in the driver's seat, turning the key, and then jetting off into the future.<br />(ok, the stats don't actually mention the vehicle's ability to transcend time and space, but can you doubt it?)<br /><br />Here is the interior and the rear view:<br /><br /><table><tbody><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirLIzr2Yupe1t21vw8aav3GP_3RPnnVoYFl9gg302FF8J1JQZAnl5De0mU_xQE75C4lBxhrt4wFqBuGBG7-IhuqqZvy3gkDY7vEWE8nLCvPO317AWfgOIzFb2cuyea2HWwETvE0w/s1600-h/schmitt-interior.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirLIzr2Yupe1t21vw8aav3GP_3RPnnVoYFl9gg302FF8J1JQZAnl5De0mU_xQE75C4lBxhrt4wFqBuGBG7-IhuqqZvy3gkDY7vEWE8nLCvPO317AWfgOIzFb2cuyea2HWwETvE0w/s320/schmitt-interior.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426799925550326594" border="0" /></a><br /></td><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb4frjGq2RpqKjzyUx3nhnLULlfbUiQ5FiSTVwpQJs75JvxJymzJrHqohUKRBl47uPXYg17KjXaOs6hsB-EOZeLyhnlquKb2OFkDRWeKr9UDyFGBO_e0f0_zrnDR_Bb-trxsi4dQ/s1600-h/schmitt-back.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb4frjGq2RpqKjzyUx3nhnLULlfbUiQ5FiSTVwpQJs75JvxJymzJrHqohUKRBl47uPXYg17KjXaOs6hsB-EOZeLyhnlquKb2OFkDRWeKr9UDyFGBO_e0f0_zrnDR_Bb-trxsi4dQ/s320/schmitt-back.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426799927443481938" border="0" /></a><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />These pictures all came from the <a href="http://microcarmuseum.com/virtualtour.html">Microcar Museum</a> which has a dreamworthy cars a-plenty.Petula Darlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18026577230594400760noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15126445.post-35939479226595387322009-10-04T13:43:00.009-04:002009-10-04T15:04:52.405-04:00Masks<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqN9TRBZffYaFSAaQK8tES5JkNcnG35YdNnIHH7lp14jUZ6j1YV87o7RIEc6h-eIcN5XjLJg0C4BXqXCFq8Us50zdyvwVpjX-aoyT9q4IfEfFT5NS-TUf2skYGhLFpGO0jDTiG0Q/s1600-h/masks.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 325px; height: 230px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqN9TRBZffYaFSAaQK8tES5JkNcnG35YdNnIHH7lp14jUZ6j1YV87o7RIEc6h-eIcN5XjLJg0C4BXqXCFq8Us50zdyvwVpjX-aoyT9q4IfEfFT5NS-TUf2skYGhLFpGO0jDTiG0Q/s400/masks.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388806709611667042" border="0" /></a><br />I've been on the lookout for masks lately - mostly classic, plastic, cute animal ones like those above. Unfortunately, that specific set seems to be unavailable in the US, although it's cheap and plentiful in the UK, and I can't bring myself to pay the shipping.<br />Anyway, in my quest for masks of the cute variety I've run across some masks that were so weird that I had to share them:<br /><table> <tbody><tr><td><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTGvVz9esL3zeBV1hHePoO9HtqVX2Q8ChqMWJfyRQUrVKdc331xS8aIr0ep7UKUp6rlrncNsZDVAi8xPDhhVaGvG0MJOyK-gu-rHPsGFfC84iydgjUYIt_bK_srz7XNkgFMmfDhA/s1600-h/astronauts.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 203px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTGvVz9esL3zeBV1hHePoO9HtqVX2Q8ChqMWJfyRQUrVKdc331xS8aIr0ep7UKUp6rlrncNsZDVAi8xPDhhVaGvG0MJOyK-gu-rHPsGFfC84iydgjUYIt_bK_srz7XNkgFMmfDhA/s320/astronauts.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388811463401051282" border="0" /></a></td><td>I didn't know vintage astronaut masks would be so scary. Of course, it's nice to know that when humans go into space they transcend the need for gender identity.</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3qgWH5ti9RU1LtASRxLOnJq_oyBQBFjiL0hgJRigPs2IU66gNTP7Gaj-vFuRXVAMZ_1ABvSgdCIwtzMfKDXHdZabrwxJPPNzg0DYivOhmCy6mw6_0UlIinEuQRqFzvD3ZVTTbqQ/s1600-h/LittleBoyBlue.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 278px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3qgWH5ti9RU1LtASRxLOnJq_oyBQBFjiL0hgJRigPs2IU66gNTP7Gaj-vFuRXVAMZ_1ABvSgdCIwtzMfKDXHdZabrwxJPPNzg0DYivOhmCy6mw6_0UlIinEuQRqFzvD3ZVTTbqQ/s320/LittleBoyBlue.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388813985739542050" border="0" /></a></td><td> And then there was this collection. <br />The monobrowed Native American fortune-teller(?) is kind of cute, while Frankenstein looks like he was drawn by a 14 year old. However, what got my attention was Little Boy Blue. Huh. It gives a whole new meaning to the "<a href="http://ask.yahoo.com/20031003.html">blue</a>" in his name.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Petula Darlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18026577230594400760noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15126445.post-52179657395426575482009-02-22T12:38:00.007-05:002009-02-22T13:55:12.351-05:00Hibernation HaltSo what has brought me out of my blogging hiatus? The answer is: <a href="http://maryjanemidgemink.blogspot.com/">Mary Jane's</a> annual Cassoulet Cook-off. It was as fun as ever, and a good time was had by all.<br />I'm afraid I don't have any pictures, but that might be all for the best since <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassoulet">cassoulet</a> is more mouth-watering than it is photogenic.<br />So why am I blogging about an event for which I have no photos and can only taunt you with various synonyms for deliciousness? The answer is: the <a href="http://www.utilikilts.com/index.php?page_id=46">Utilikilt</a>.<br /><br />Every year one of the top contenders for first place in the best-cassoulet competition is <a href="http://thymeandshallots.blogspot.com/">The Kilted Cook</a>, a man who takes his cassoulet so seriously that he keeps a collection of duck fat on hand at all times (I like to pretend that he constantly scours ebay doing searches for vintage vats of the stuff). The first time I met him was the first time I learned of the Utilikilt, and ever since then I've been on a crusade to get Davis to wear one.<br /><br />The Utilikilt is essentially a non-heritage-specific Carhartt-like version of a kilt.<br />Most men don't realize this, but chicks dig men in kilts. It's been scientifically proven. Ok, maybe my poll of 10 women wouldn't exactly be considered scientific, but 9 out of 10 women admitting to kilt digging still seems significant (and it should be mentioned that the one holdout was my mother whose lack of enthusiasm stemmed from a particular kilt-wearer who had annoyed her).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnhZvh1BTIY3zLVNFRwtzgqhT9hSUFTdWC_v3gUQLS4SdRhnP3zrzj8f9kJ8OYcOh4EHDwJpU5bLK_0tWexSbT2mIODurqIuj6mb44Co5qEgECu31aFj5tntMMue7IbYOWV4LGRg/s1600-h/utilikilt.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnhZvh1BTIY3zLVNFRwtzgqhT9hSUFTdWC_v3gUQLS4SdRhnP3zrzj8f9kJ8OYcOh4EHDwJpU5bLK_0tWexSbT2mIODurqIuj6mb44Co5qEgECu31aFj5tntMMue7IbYOWV4LGRg/s320/utilikilt.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305686328669381218" border="0" /></a> While I love traditional tartan kilts and all their accouterments, the wearing of them is generally limited to those of Scottish descent. The beauty of this new generation of kilt is that it doesn't discriminate by lineage (sadly it does discriminate by checkbook, though, as they start at $150 and go up from there).<br /><br />I've heard that the look is common in the Pacific Northwest, but it's still quite rare around these parts. Davis has been hesitant to embrace these non-bifurcated garments because he doesn't like to stand out in a crowd, so my plan is to promote the look to others in the hopes that it becomes commonplace. The beauty of my plan is that even if Davis never becomes comfortable with the concept of wearing one himself, I'll still get to see plenty of kilted gentlemen strolling around town.<br />So will you all join me in this cause?Petula Darlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18026577230594400760noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15126445.post-69387234682979362062008-11-12T21:33:00.005-05:002008-11-12T23:10:09.734-05:00Voila!It's so nice to cross something off one's to-do list isn't it? And it's extra nice when that something is "write a novel"!<br />Of course, the whole thing becomes a bit less of a triumphant experience when the item is crossed off not because it's a completed task, but rather because it has become clear that it's never <span style="font-style: italic;"> ever </span>going to get done, and it's best to just be realistic and move on.<br />Ever since I was a child I thought I might like to write a novel. I had a romantic notion of living in a garret in Paris and scribbling with a quill deep into the night, pausing occasionally to argue about philosophical matters with my friends and fellow writers in the local cafe. Well it turns out that I don't want to actually write a novel - I want to have already written it. I want the glory of being able to say that I wrote a book without actually doing any of the writing. It turns out that even when I have an idea for a story, I have absolutely no desire to toil away filling in the details.<br /> I do still want to live in Paris though.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqdy4ck6tIKYx609G5PL7ds6KG0e3QaKku4O9vLCD9-aBoIx5Ciez2FemgKPffxi6uml4_h-TqEZrrS1kmuzMEgMelBvmzvxUyJ8h-mhNpQVSzr1qP3WuahbKqmFmIYCdiPYOn5g/s1600-h/violet-book-chapter2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 332px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqdy4ck6tIKYx609G5PL7ds6KG0e3QaKku4O9vLCD9-aBoIx5Ciez2FemgKPffxi6uml4_h-TqEZrrS1kmuzMEgMelBvmzvxUyJ8h-mhNpQVSzr1qP3WuahbKqmFmIYCdiPYOn5g/s400/violet-book-chapter2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267978376898312642" border="0" /></a>Petula Darlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18026577230594400760noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15126445.post-20108700468051731362008-11-03T21:28:00.004-05:002008-11-04T00:09:44.961-05:00Slow-mo NaNoWriMoUpdate:<br />word count=2,837<br />times I've said "I'm quitting"=3<br />times I've thought "I'm quitting"=42*<br />videos watched on youtube while trying to "find my muse"=70<br />favorite video involving a rabbit befriending a deer= <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwYNmqHswF8">this one</a><br /><br />*make that 43Petula Darlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18026577230594400760noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15126445.post-91288172076577121782008-10-31T19:23:00.005-04:002008-10-31T22:36:57.734-04:00What Was I Thinking?I'm not really sure what came over me, but I signed up for <a href="http://www.nanowrimo.org/">NaNoWriMo</a> today.<br />I have no real plot in mind and only the vaguest of characters to throw into it, so I'm under no illusion that I'll be writing anything that anyone would want to read. Why would I think that writing a novel in 30 days would be an attainable goal for me? Is it that I feel I've honed my writing skills by being an incredibly prolific blogger? Errrmmm.....clearly not.<br /><br />I can only think of three reasons why I would sign up for an event that is clearly going to be horrific:<br />a) I'm a masochist,<br />b) I lack the backbone to stand up to the peer pressure being applied by two people at work who are also doing it,<br />and<br />c) I remembered my college habit of preferring to tidy everything in the apartment to typing a paper due the following day, and I realized that NaNoWriMo's deadline offered the perfect opportunity for our house to get cleaned in places that haven't seen a dust cloth since we moved in.<br /><br />I'm not sure if the undertaking of this task will result in my blog remaining unwritten for many weeks, or if I'll suddenly start posting up a storm in an effort to procrastinate once I've tweezed all the cobwebs from between the radiator pipes. <br />Oh dear, it's nearly time to time to tie up my hair with my thinking ribbon. Wish me luck!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpEX_sO9mnPi-AOgjH5NgM-nebFJ5BytSI0TygbdScdFhJJfqpupbqNWzY_mpKrSkcFclq9zhsSxwC1gRrVK-Tm1q3deaR2sbgdJlehh4le86ih_cEm4H-vS70xnztl5OCn45LFA/s1600-h/violet-book.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpEX_sO9mnPi-AOgjH5NgM-nebFJ5BytSI0TygbdScdFhJJfqpupbqNWzY_mpKrSkcFclq9zhsSxwC1gRrVK-Tm1q3deaR2sbgdJlehh4le86ih_cEm4H-vS70xnztl5OCn45LFA/s400/violet-book.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263507590833172946" border="0" /></a>Petula Darlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18026577230594400760noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15126445.post-47264045305013213912008-08-12T16:52:00.007-04:002008-08-12T17:27:39.781-04:00Pretty Potations<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_dSeoIYnCEx3fV9XgTWcQIllcvqDtqgOEaJIcLkqdBpTnsJzpmM-KVCYR06jsv6kH4REiUBe0MX-TYzeCBP7h7zJp3NbS0v6f1SFv09Q7WjcT17-eaJdujaduunnd6QVtCVPByA/s1600-h/cover.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_dSeoIYnCEx3fV9XgTWcQIllcvqDtqgOEaJIcLkqdBpTnsJzpmM-KVCYR06jsv6kH4REiUBe0MX-TYzeCBP7h7zJp3NbS0v6f1SFv09Q7WjcT17-eaJdujaduunnd6QVtCVPByA/s320/cover.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233739037348925874" border="0" /></a>I can't believe how fast summer is whipping by! Hopefully there will still be plenty of time to enjoy some deeeliciously dated summery beverages...<br /><br />Davis and I were out flea-tiquing the other day, and I ran across a copy of a favorite cookbook from my youth: <span style="font-style: italic;">Betty Crocker's New Boys and Girls Cookbook</span>. I was rather obsessed with food as a child (there are even rumors that my first word was "cookie"), and I used to love poring over this book. I don't recall how many recipes I actually made from it, probably not a lot, but I just loved looking at the pictures. There are plenty of the classic kid's goofy cakes and cookies, but for some reason the images that stood out the most were the soda fountain inspired beverages. I have to say, the pictures are still pretty appealing even if the thought of mixing grape soda and vanilla ice cream isn't.<br /><p>Here are my two favorite pages (click on the images if you want to read the ingredients):<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiALWzwGa3YrJ_c-52TLEsLk0saRSZ6ClUg593sfqMhTzhyphenhyphenlF3LFi22t7L8WBRq6pOEf0pjIO939bzgA8cg5rNnenHK3PUHD0CK_A3YDV81BYXs4POXez0X-vMXgkp8-q4vWT1s_g/s1600-h/p20.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiALWzwGa3YrJ_c-52TLEsLk0saRSZ6ClUg593sfqMhTzhyphenhyphenlF3LFi22t7L8WBRq6pOEf0pjIO939bzgA8cg5rNnenHK3PUHD0CK_A3YDV81BYXs4POXez0X-vMXgkp8-q4vWT1s_g/s320/p20.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233742716333005810" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtBXBTUm8EfAEf0F55ZJFutc47Oaf3RRw5dUIM-5-JpjThSpMPaUuSCcN_6ypNYaros4okj8BTo_prFOrN8vnaMGCK8XnqTcbn_dJCstTsSqvijNLJA7AUUTQBVHcokFst1zz9XA/s1600-h/p21.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtBXBTUm8EfAEf0F55ZJFutc47Oaf3RRw5dUIM-5-JpjThSpMPaUuSCcN_6ypNYaros4okj8BTo_prFOrN8vnaMGCK8XnqTcbn_dJCstTsSqvijNLJA7AUUTQBVHcokFst1zz9XA/s320/p21.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233742914239209842" border="0" /></a><br /></p><br />Here's a question for you: How do you pronounce "sherbet"? Do you say it as it's written, or do you stick an R in it and make it "sherbert"? Is that just a New England thing due to our habit of removing Rs from where they belong and putting them where they don't? <br />fyi - I used to pronounce it sherbert, but I've since gone upscale and now say "sher-bay".Petula Darlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18026577230594400760noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15126445.post-24868005115223876082008-07-17T09:38:00.008-04:002008-12-10T02:20:12.953-05:00Video Valor & Villainy<p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMu7nSYoK1r-n_c8jrPaR4Lo8wdyc8iSXW5EYf0O4Ordr8O5YJaT5iUeCuV2AgLpwuOpRty-uWFa0HJvSFLyDHrFQNsZyzeGXV5dppm_ulOoIivNdn2kqKrLtNTPBEHhAWvUWIdQ/s1600-h/horrible.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMu7nSYoK1r-n_c8jrPaR4Lo8wdyc8iSXW5EYf0O4Ordr8O5YJaT5iUeCuV2AgLpwuOpRty-uWFa0HJvSFLyDHrFQNsZyzeGXV5dppm_ulOoIivNdn2kqKrLtNTPBEHhAWvUWIdQ/s200/horrible.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223976946541456594" border="0" /></a>The first two acts of the fabulous <a href="http://drhorrible.com/">Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog</a> are up now, and I highly recommend you check it out if you haven't already. It's a great introduction to the wonderful world of Whedon for those who have yet to become fans (and the only reason a sentient being wouldn't be a Joss Whedon fan would be an unfamiliarity with his work).<br />The popularity of the site is causing the video to bog down at times - my secret to dealing with this is to play the video in a background window with the volume off while doing something else, and once it is done, clicking the "watch again" doodad and it will now play through perfectly. I also recommend watching, rewatching, then watching one more time, as it gets better with each viewing. It will only be up until midnight on Sunday, so don't dilly-dally. Go now. What are you still doing here?<br />eta: If you missed it you can purchase all three acts for a mere pittance through iTunes. Trust me, it's worth at least seven pittances.<br /></p><br /><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUi1hB3VLoA3vWq5n54XBtLq-DUXPqDcWynvHs1OoMRHQnfrSk8bhyDsD_AHL3EQs6ThsX2qlb1qY7CcV8T5XoOnCl9nhanhgmMOnoyQ1S-gBTNW9gKKT0hdjHfM36WUN81EFSGA/s1600-h/Middleman.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUi1hB3VLoA3vWq5n54XBtLq-DUXPqDcWynvHs1OoMRHQnfrSk8bhyDsD_AHL3EQs6ThsX2qlb1qY7CcV8T5XoOnCl9nhanhgmMOnoyQ1S-gBTNW9gKKT0hdjHfM36WUN81EFSGA/s200/Middleman.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223979634859581282" border="0" /></a> On a similarly wacky entertainment note, I've been watching the new series <a href="http://abcfamily.go.com/abcfamily/path/section_Shows+Middleman/page_Detail">The Middleman</a> and really enjoying it. It's a fun, funny, goofy, comic sci-fi action comedy with deliberately cheesy special effects and rapid-fire witty dialog. I only get about half of the pop-culture references (and that's being charitable - wait, is it considered charity if I'm both giver and receiver?), but that doesn't seem to hinder my enjoyment.<br />It's sort of like <span style="font-style: italic;">Men in Black</span>, but centers around a female slacker who's in training to protect the world from evil.<br /></p>Petula Darlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18026577230594400760noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15126445.post-12856515558140133242008-07-14T00:06:00.005-04:002008-12-10T02:20:13.379-05:00One, Two, Cha Cha ChaMy studio is in a complete state of disarray due, ironically, to an attempt at reorganization. I get tired just looking at it right now, so it could be awhile before it's a useful space again. In the meantime, I thought I'd share some things that are making me happy:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIECJYDfJMDBEoWAQo8Wga-qTU8B_9WSm4AdgENzbbr8Ip1SEVD1lVNZLStN7PDL-aXv7Cqg7C50UHCUhtyCnmKbaeW2Eg8lfg4VbjT9uehd907PTbivitu75EcZv7wfBT8hgS_w/s1600-h/shag.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIECJYDfJMDBEoWAQo8Wga-qTU8B_9WSm4AdgENzbbr8Ip1SEVD1lVNZLStN7PDL-aXv7Cqg7C50UHCUhtyCnmKbaeW2Eg8lfg4VbjT9uehd907PTbivitu75EcZv7wfBT8hgS_w/s200/shag.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5222742431863047842" border="0" /></a>1) I'm totally digging the Ray Charles cover of <a href="http://http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sizi33LthYg">One Mint Julep</a>.<br />I've listened to it countless times over the past three days, and every time I'm compelled to dance around to its glorious lounge-y strains while picturing myself as a <a href="http://www.shag.com/">Shag</a>-esque 1960s animation. My rebirth as a 60s cliche has also lead me to try to convince Davis to take up smoking a pipe while wearing v-necked sweaters.<br /><br />2) I just got a pinball machine!<br />A while back I discussed my desire to own my own pinball machine (you can read about it <a href="http://petuladarling.blogspot.com/2007/01/shes-no-pinball-wizard-but-she-can-do.html">here</a> - no really, read it) while oohing and aahing over the amazing graphics of some of the vintage games. Sadly, my machine is not one of the lovely ones, but at least it is a real full-sized arcade pinball machine. It's from 1979 and has pictures of "sexy" elves and these sort of dwarf/Conan type figures (the Barbarian, not the O'Brien) that aren't especially attractive, but the fact that it was found at a yard sale just up the street for just $50 more than makes up for that. It needs a bit of work and is currently sprawled across Davis' workshop, so I'm spending my time asking him "Is it ready yet?" "How about now?" "Well what about now?"<br /><br />3) <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Son_of_Rambow">Son of Rambow</a> - I just saw it a few days ago and loved it. So funny and sweet and adorably weird.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFb44UFjKcGT5JlfAno-akgGI7scqPzVzDSoqpuoPzQMDL9I3VdFL0-7_dDy-gutTnAo0YJLZDgcXf3nhxkdhXRduYVuvLItj9fq6m3RzBL9MirpGXD5TIqmNiNwwDJ711Cj8OUA/s1600-h/FletchyO.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFb44UFjKcGT5JlfAno-akgGI7scqPzVzDSoqpuoPzQMDL9I3VdFL0-7_dDy-gutTnAo0YJLZDgcXf3nhxkdhXRduYVuvLItj9fq6m3RzBL9MirpGXD5TIqmNiNwwDJ711Cj8OUA/s320/FletchyO.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5222733937916934114" border="0" /></a>4) There's a new gallery in town that has lots of fun eye candy. This area has a ton of very traditional landscapes-&-lighthouses galleries, but the <a href="http://inbetweengallery.com/">In Between Gallery</a> is totally different - in fact, the owner made a rule that there will be no landscapes or lighthouses of any kind. Aahh, sweet relief! I was really impressed by pretty much everything she had on the walls, and most of the prices were quite reasonable for original artwork.<br />Here's a piece from there by FletchyO:Petula Darlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18026577230594400760noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15126445.post-9393247143323959932008-07-03T16:33:00.003-04:002008-12-10T02:20:13.529-05:00Beatrix Ballet<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnAEGKhj1W9issWAYyKKM29V6AZWSiqWWZUJWPsvY8xnToYnXbk25J-DyQHCmmEn5cb7uvSs54iCknfDfZQCWPsS8w5bWNeuO88joZ2gTDlJq7w36ILxaRZ3WrmvNOvBHXsr7_SQ/s1600-h/BeatrixBallet.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnAEGKhj1W9issWAYyKKM29V6AZWSiqWWZUJWPsvY8xnToYnXbk25J-DyQHCmmEn5cb7uvSs54iCknfDfZQCWPsS8w5bWNeuO88joZ2gTDlJq7w36ILxaRZ3WrmvNOvBHXsr7_SQ/s400/BeatrixBallet.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218888670508097314" border="0" /></a><br />I ran across a reference in a blog a little while ago (I believe it was one in my blogroll, but I can't seem to find it now - let me know if it was you!) about <a href="http://www.peterrabbit.com/beatrixpotter/beatrixpotterballet1.cfm?territory=1&country=1">a production of Beatrix Potter stories performed by the Royal Ballet.</a> You can see a video from it <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=8edwIq0buXs">here</a>. <br />I couldn't believe the costumes! <br />How had I never heard of this before?<br />If I had one of those costumes, I think I might want to wear it on a daily basis, and not just around the house, but to work, the supermarket, the bowling lanes, etc.... Obviously I wouldn't want to wear it in the summer, but it might really be nice and cozy this winter. Beyond just being a-dorable, the outfit could potentially be so toasty warm that I would want to set the thermostat lower, and as a result we could save thousands on our heating bill! It's really so practical that I think I neeeed one!<br />If you see someone who looks a lot Squirrel Nutkin when you're in town, please be sure to give me a wave.Petula Darlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18026577230594400760noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15126445.post-83980129336026167202008-07-01T09:25:00.007-04:002008-12-10T02:20:15.330-05:00The Glorious Garlicscape<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM_guJmr9dU3Z6oDGx5uaKVhzSayvnwcOxJiVd_nNMUcMUU08zm5PlUs2SVs0esB97A-bcubrxbAI52G0pktLtWewKUFRKZhsuyvHnDi5r6U7zxyY6o64Iu2toJB34oxji_wTIsg/s1600-h/GarlicScape.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM_guJmr9dU3Z6oDGx5uaKVhzSayvnwcOxJiVd_nNMUcMUU08zm5PlUs2SVs0esB97A-bcubrxbAI52G0pktLtWewKUFRKZhsuyvHnDi5r6U7zxyY6o64Iu2toJB34oxji_wTIsg/s400/GarlicScape.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218039468288771458" border="0" /></a>I've been wanting to purchase a <a href="http://www.localharvest.org/csa/">CSA farm share</a> ever since I first heard about them, but I kept thinking of it too late in the year. Most places want you to sign up in March, and around here we're not convinced that there will actually be a growing season until May rolls around.<br />This year I finally remembered to do it early enough, and I'm so glad I did. It's great to have a gigantic bundle of organic vegetables handed to you every week, and there have already been some I hadn't tried before. "Our" farm, <a href="http://hatchetcovefarm.com/">Hatchet Cove Farm</a>, supplies us with tips and recipes for braving this new world.<br />The pleasant surprise this week was a beautiful bundle of garlic scapes. Scapes are the leafless flower stalks that grow above the ground, and they get cut off to allow more plant-growing energy (green chi!) to go into the bulbs. More importantly, they're deeeeelicious when sauteed with butter and served with pasta. mmmm....I'm getting dreamy just thinking about it....<br />Sadly, I don't think the garlic that I'm still exhaling is quite as enjoyable to those around me who didn't get to enjoy the meal. Perhaps I should invite everyone over for next year's garlic scape banquet so we'll all smell equally well nourished.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ZBJygfcYFJeB2jnjaBF3Oih89kFoLvYMWnq6XtzSZXAlw3QTESE9OnQlTQnQ7V0wYUCN7qxectJHJQotlDA3T4yBpNXO4OsAdEUkcuATRrrrLDyHEjnQrHC-I4NMpwMBd6DGfA/s1600-h/GarlicScapeBunch.jpg"><br /></a>Petula Darlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18026577230594400760noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15126445.post-39980822915597187012008-06-27T10:19:00.010-04:002008-12-10T02:20:15.912-05:00Peonies, Pens & Pantone Colors<table><tbody><tr><td rowspan="2"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXXlZNU6uK4HORU6Gj8klsKxVg4tAsXB8alOVZiniD0c5UjcbVmfKyvIwOtXL2ehcHl1CGOhWD8jT_CV7NTppSNUUaXvIZZAYmJSOKti44OXyGcSrJj49q6q_ciNM2RSeexfiVEg/s1600-h/peonies.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXXlZNU6uK4HORU6Gj8klsKxVg4tAsXB8alOVZiniD0c5UjcbVmfKyvIwOtXL2ehcHl1CGOhWD8jT_CV7NTppSNUUaXvIZZAYmJSOKti44OXyGcSrJj49q6q_ciNM2RSeexfiVEg/s400/peonies.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216567302010751538" border="0" /></a></td><td >It's Peony season, and our yard is filled with them. With no planning on our part they seem to have staggered their growth habits to give us an exceptionally long flowering period. The tree peonies started blooming weeks ago with flowers the size of my head, and the regular ones with smaller but still sizable blooms are going strong now.<br />You've got to love a plant that demands so little fuss but gives so generously. My only complaint is the ants that invariably accompany them indoors, but it seems a small price to pay.<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td ><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlCbgEgQAklQxahOgFq1zV-syXetk4cyXgkbOiJDRphAy_pz4bGGQC4AQF4n6XounP9uCbRi_AUdjPIbCMBjU9HIsQWrGWW5TTLWrbNyIZ12fnRtbo5H6kJRWHo3IUpQw7ttYmqQ/s1600-h/PeonyDetail.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlCbgEgQAklQxahOgFq1zV-syXetk4cyXgkbOiJDRphAy_pz4bGGQC4AQF4n6XounP9uCbRi_AUdjPIbCMBjU9HIsQWrGWW5TTLWrbNyIZ12fnRtbo5H6kJRWHo3IUpQw7ttYmqQ/s200/PeonyDetail.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216567910678425362" border="0" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table><br />And the other joy in my life: my pens are here!<br />A few years ago I bought a bounty of inks (below). I didn't know what I was going to do with them, but they were on super sale and I couldn't resist. They dry too fast to be used by dipping a pen into the bottle, and not many pens these days allow you to fill them with your choice of ink. I thought a rapidograph might work, but didn't want to spend $25 for a pen if it didn't. Luckily it turned out that Davis had two as part of his dowry, so I was able to take one for a test drive. His collecting habits are so varied that it pays to ask him if he happens to have the most random things - the affirmative on the cheese press still cracks me up. Anyway, after discovering the joy of the rapidograph and seeing the great deals for new ones on eBay, I decided I neeeeeded to own several in various widths. I haven't had a chance to try them out, but I'm hoping to this weekend.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjASFP_s925ub9NeJKphU-iztRzfN2pJDWgFruAWZ_j813n1G13B4ZMmGSnuOmBJcChl6X9Nz_lTN-Y5m3YJl83WN-Q2ZNNjnCQTsmrMcBoikz30Pf_2G56fULKwQ2ioA93lpmJQg/s1600-h/PensandPantone.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjASFP_s925ub9NeJKphU-iztRzfN2pJDWgFruAWZ_j813n1G13B4ZMmGSnuOmBJcChl6X9Nz_lTN-Y5m3YJl83WN-Q2ZNNjnCQTsmrMcBoikz30Pf_2G56fULKwQ2ioA93lpmJQg/s400/PensandPantone.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216566818552054482" border="0" /></a>Petula Darlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18026577230594400760noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15126445.post-60176793269915809542008-06-23T09:49:00.004-04:002008-12-10T02:20:16.125-05:00Pendants Pending<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk_f9Fv45H2XtWduZkYjHYpcGyH-_HO-bErMkjkJJEWnnT4NcQsISCRFmyfmNs1D_ezEuMqwJo9PFcDelSOKrn33MPSWlTq-bc1zF7muDCRO7xUgZXeNjn03t4EnDH4e2UJuxUyQ/s1600-h/pendants.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk_f9Fv45H2XtWduZkYjHYpcGyH-_HO-bErMkjkJJEWnnT4NcQsISCRFmyfmNs1D_ezEuMqwJo9PFcDelSOKrn33MPSWlTq-bc1zF7muDCRO7xUgZXeNjn03t4EnDH4e2UJuxUyQ/s400/pendants.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215074651831807618" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I've been working on some pendants in my studio, having fun testing out materials, pens and designs. <br />Well, to be more accurate, it was intermittent fun and frustration because my drawing skills have gotten really rusty. I hate it when I have something in my head, and I realize that it's going to be a long learning process before I can bring it out of there.<br />My skinny pen died while working on that one of Mr. William Morris Minor, so production has pretty much stopped until my much anticipated <a href="http://www.chartpak.com/kohinoor/7finearts/rapidographs.html">Rapidographs</a> arrive. I specifically mention these pens by name because the website says they're the sign of a serious artist, and I want you all to take me VERY seriously.<br /><br />random aside: doesn't the one on the right look like it should say "Pow!!" or "Blammo!"?Petula Darlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18026577230594400760noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15126445.post-37155395865398203292008-06-18T15:30:00.004-04:002008-12-10T02:20:16.472-05:00Red Riding Hood RevealedI've been puttering around my studio for the last several days working on a project that I hope to show you soon. In the meantime I wanted to give you a couple pictures from a vintage Little Red Riding Hood book that I purchased recently.<br /><br />The blase expressions in this one crack me up:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeu9mQ6IHiJv-5bV-AJT8mJNIvAWBAnLd2PxjwWxOhHfqY2ACHBzfbRoM3cIMz0-jaQEe-WawD3jqt-iH_Hzyq4VB9L-AeKVDRsWMZwStqd0Q6Ipt0H7PnA7l_oiJCk7-iMIOLFg/s1600-h/cavalier-riding-hood.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeu9mQ6IHiJv-5bV-AJT8mJNIvAWBAnLd2PxjwWxOhHfqY2ACHBzfbRoM3cIMz0-jaQEe-WawD3jqt-iH_Hzyq4VB9L-AeKVDRsWMZwStqd0Q6Ipt0H7PnA7l_oiJCk7-iMIOLFg/s400/cavalier-riding-hood.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213213447788850034" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I also love her bloomers and the shag-carpeted riverbank.<br /><br />The second one is quite interesting. Does it look like Grandma is enjoying this a bit too much?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxyugz-uez0ZV-0mbaiWljw770VsnQC279v453E3bzyEBoMDvE_8IU5ludXpHuoZvu6PPuPL43DPQ2Yf3lFXw84QOducE7SKQfcymKmwkQe02CGpYlXe5mxI3D-Tjf5x92GHSosQ/s1600-h/Saucy-Grandma.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxyugz-uez0ZV-0mbaiWljw770VsnQC279v453E3bzyEBoMDvE_8IU5ludXpHuoZvu6PPuPL43DPQ2Yf3lFXw84QOducE7SKQfcymKmwkQe02CGpYlXe5mxI3D-Tjf5x92GHSosQ/s400/Saucy-Grandma.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213213441408524770" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMS8LaSSX1VVs_h5fHPMhFhcWF5Qv_pwWh3j23RH86dmuECC-l0ZJPT1bw4ycCKUDG3sn_jG9eDnphJWSSBFt8I7q36r53QZ5NfkIMZEbKexL-v4kimcDATylqIGyidezC-4gKcg/s1600-h/Saucy-Grandma.jpg"><br /></a>I like to think that the <span style="font-style: italic;">real </span>story of Red Riding Hood might have been that Grandma was involved in a little role-playing game with a gentleman friend when Red walked in, leading to misunderstandings, mayhem and the birth of a masterpiece of children's literature.<br />What? It's certainly not any more perverse than what wikipedia gives as the original pre-Perrault <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Red_Riding_Hood#Pre-Perrault">version of the story</a>. My version just features the amorous relationship between two consenting adults - no cannibalism or interspecies pedophilia here!<br /><span style="font-size:78%;">oh dear....I hate to see what the search engines will send my way now...</span>Petula Darlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18026577230594400760noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15126445.post-85940699419669190312008-06-13T21:55:00.000-04:002008-12-10T02:20:16.936-05:00Another Friday FavoriteMy new favorite thing? Having my time sucked away as I gaze at Etsy's <a href="http://www.etsy.com/time_machine2.php">Time Machine 2</a>.<br />Have you ever noticed that everything seems more appealing when it's in someone else's shopping basket? TM2's "just sold" section shows you the last 1000 things that were sold on Etsy. When I see something I really like, I go to the seller's store to see if they have more of whatever it was - or maybe something else I like even more. This way I can blow through money as well as time! It's great!<br />Here are some of my finds:<br /><br /><table><tbody><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmguFMuZqkdGbKUydefvbx23eo1wXD9eGOEJy0L6XSI7-s5DhhHjdUu8CBSUKIQ-Fo6Uxm3XhAdhyRODzQ-JPv1GmeDA_e2qDNndGApx0YjhFRM5wVGz2E3qCrLUtTimiru5_Duw/s1600-h/HauntSoaps.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmguFMuZqkdGbKUydefvbx23eo1wXD9eGOEJy0L6XSI7-s5DhhHjdUu8CBSUKIQ-Fo6Uxm3XhAdhyRODzQ-JPv1GmeDA_e2qDNndGApx0YjhFRM5wVGz2E3qCrLUtTimiru5_Duw/s200/HauntSoaps.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211588637419712546" border="0" /></a><br /></td><td valign="top">These soaps are from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5344442">Haunt</a>. Their descriptions sound even yummier than they look. I was on the verge of buying some when I realized the attraction might have been mainly because I was hungry. I put them in my favorites folder to consider at another time when I was better nourished.<br />I just ate dinner, and they still look good to me...is it wrong that I want to eat soap?</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi34IT6yNuLI0n-Zj8Bz2L9IDPS-kJKM1yc8A4VufX-E4-CJLGRcs4ewFmaWsSgwdYL-PfSEJsuwp_GPT3_Tx19deCCJDf_nY_jgt4eZaczUig8NlvZs7cAWXR7skPtRN_WJQfQxw/s1600-h/ImogenPendant.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi34IT6yNuLI0n-Zj8Bz2L9IDPS-kJKM1yc8A4VufX-E4-CJLGRcs4ewFmaWsSgwdYL-PfSEJsuwp_GPT3_Tx19deCCJDf_nY_jgt4eZaczUig8NlvZs7cAWXR7skPtRN_WJQfQxw/s200/ImogenPendant.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211589034277063202" border="0" /></a></td><td valign="top">This pendant is from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=21975">Imogen</a>. It's really cute and has a great price. Added bonus: I'm not even remotely tempted to eat it.<br /></td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG-ihINp60nJsUIo2cSE_edo2NejO8wEB2gPFqQt8mBuRALli41MHDOKDNBPCwyxmteqCmGDQjJ7xt7RtAZrA2fXHttPD6ZKoc4V7sjaMIT06CZqtgd7Z3JhfiFGhDDBMV6Fct3Q/s1600-h/SpottedScamp.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG-ihINp60nJsUIo2cSE_edo2NejO8wEB2gPFqQt8mBuRALli41MHDOKDNBPCwyxmteqCmGDQjJ7xt7RtAZrA2fXHttPD6ZKoc4V7sjaMIT06CZqtgd7Z3JhfiFGhDDBMV6Fct3Q/s200/SpottedScamp.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211604347122748354" border="0" /></a><br /></td><td valign="top">I'm quite amazed by <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=50861">Curster</a>'s minions. Their faces are adorable, and their construction looks so complicated it makes my head hurt. She sells some cool looking prints too.<br />I've long thought I could use a minion of my own. I'm not sure this one would do my bidding, but it seems worth a try.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Petula Darlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18026577230594400760noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15126445.post-24421158042356538922008-06-09T10:30:00.001-04:002008-12-10T02:20:18.254-05:00The Tea PartyDavis recently brought home a very cute set of tiny cups and saucers. They're about the right size for espresso, but I'm off the sauce right now due to a recent coffee binge that nearly made my head explode.<br />I was worried the cups would remain tragically neglected until <a href="http://tollipop.typepad.com/tollipop/2008/06/the-legend-of-the-magical-nautilus.html">I was reminded</a> that rabbits are known to enjoy a good tea party every now and then. I decided to hold a tea party picnic for them in my dressing room (my rabbits don't hold with going out of doors for fear of gangs of woodland ruffians).<br /><table><tbody><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBtEYJOGV7H_t4clXYTKWjPfuTv1jL_zAa5693HNAYSoEAYFFialQ9hRUk52gXwE0VvWT7OHBcX5pcAyyn6Bo056e-34-Myah7zGMP4ipjiGowDKfJ2uuoZ5dwWuFpBCY-IXYuYQ/s1600-h/TeaForTwo8.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBtEYJOGV7H_t4clXYTKWjPfuTv1jL_zAa5693HNAYSoEAYFFialQ9hRUk52gXwE0VvWT7OHBcX5pcAyyn6Bo056e-34-Myah7zGMP4ipjiGowDKfJ2uuoZ5dwWuFpBCY-IXYuYQ/s320/TeaForTwo8.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5209558572635400162" border="0" /></a><br /> </td><td>It started off in a quite dignified manner.</td></tr><tr><td><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFgy7wjgH-Vat7VeBOV-wGLFdn3Q_b7lMx660p-rG0vMwPg1FyWdGpi61WEW9ZsgEWR9U8VAqgz2IsyZBSDUVYRiZUW744S732DDKExo3m6mAom2dFpj5S_JJ_FV7uS0vNHh_vBw/s1600-h/TeaForTwo3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFgy7wjgH-Vat7VeBOV-wGLFdn3Q_b7lMx660p-rG0vMwPg1FyWdGpi61WEW9ZsgEWR9U8VAqgz2IsyZBSDUVYRiZUW744S732DDKExo3m6mAom2dFpj5S_JJ_FV7uS0vNHh_vBw/s320/TeaForTwo3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5209558576930367474" border="0" /></a></td><td>Midge poured her tea into the saucer to cool, and she delicately sipped it.</td></tr><br /><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ1k4Bvcbh3OmkJ2zHTv7jM6pzYMBzqL0qzKf0hdHKSzhyphenhyphendORucYibjTVXmdJCashUuBkh7VPlTdpZUGSXlbSUxA1lCOTjnW69pdwipQM8rl0EicDDAI2Z6biQSflpjPIg_1lzIw/s1600-h/TeaForTwo4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ1k4Bvcbh3OmkJ2zHTv7jM6pzYMBzqL0qzKf0hdHKSzhyphenhyphendORucYibjTVXmdJCashUuBkh7VPlTdpZUGSXlbSUxA1lCOTjnW69pdwipQM8rl0EicDDAI2Z6biQSflpjPIg_1lzIw/s320/TeaForTwo4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5209558576930367490" border="0" /></a><td>Morris became intrigued.<br />He wasn't sure if he liked tea, so he took a taste of Midge's.<br /></td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilxDVSoKK6BmBTVnQ4QzXJZV4kBf26V8YUAIJoXuOBGelBeh9-DulfKykj7FqxboMXH-KT7aoI0ui95QRymT5lvJhIGZxoJx4at8PyLh5vhKjN1yg6-fOyc_QfTtMyeRaP6YTCDQ/s1600-h/TeaForTwo6.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilxDVSoKK6BmBTVnQ4QzXJZV4kBf26V8YUAIJoXuOBGelBeh9-DulfKykj7FqxboMXH-KT7aoI0ui95QRymT5lvJhIGZxoJx4at8PyLh5vhKjN1yg6-fOyc_QfTtMyeRaP6YTCDQ/s320/TeaForTwo6.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5209559680736962578" border="0" /></a></td><td>Morris liked it so much that he decided to have a cup of his own.<br />He enjoyed it with great relish.<br /></td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp79w_eXQqkQhyphenhyphenUqG4JzwH06Z9rL-77qDHBR-lpneq1FUgunLi0RCz8pj0P7mX_vERdNvLQYn9KAZ2RFo8JYvqUcVSO0p84NaJdzk2ghvMhleOc_msdSpzAHxDFUSq2f-T5bZOTA/s1600-h/TeaForTwo11.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp79w_eXQqkQhyphenhyphenUqG4JzwH06Z9rL-77qDHBR-lpneq1FUgunLi0RCz8pj0P7mX_vERdNvLQYn9KAZ2RFo8JYvqUcVSO0p84NaJdzk2ghvMhleOc_msdSpzAHxDFUSq2f-T5bZOTA/s320/TeaForTwo11.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5209559942729967650" border="0" /></a></td><td>Possibly too much relish.<br /></td></tr><br /><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd1si1oQPXASjacASIXvraqHTThd2HA2SRo-IpBPV76q21OWWvfnHS-EIuOgREylQtZXC1KNBgpYVWqfxrfPpdvcQTX-TWJtBjaMmm9TlMGlp1fYyO0VI_T-UDHAjCuRhZ7hWxaA/s1600-h/BucketHead.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd1si1oQPXASjacASIXvraqHTThd2HA2SRo-IpBPV76q21OWWvfnHS-EIuOgREylQtZXC1KNBgpYVWqfxrfPpdvcQTX-TWJtBjaMmm9TlMGlp1fYyO0VI_T-UDHAjCuRhZ7hWxaA/s320/BucketHead.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5209560110233692210" border="0" /></a><br /></td><td>The afternoon went on, and it seemed as if their manners declined as their caffeine levels rose.<br /></td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBt7o4abITb_tZGADevZef_06HOgcp6htSbCjyxOdefNpV7SXDqdToryqZRjMVUBrcoD7UcHQRO9QXwYjugseUoex6NbtL1JaPLRocTencMP9wBmCdI_3mjMS2gq0eukNkR-h9jA/s1600-h/TeaForTwo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBt7o4abITb_tZGADevZef_06HOgcp6htSbCjyxOdefNpV7SXDqdToryqZRjMVUBrcoD7UcHQRO9QXwYjugseUoex6NbtL1JaPLRocTencMP9wBmCdI_3mjMS2gq0eukNkR-h9jA/s320/TeaForTwo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5209560350751860802" border="0" /></a></td><td>The rabbits were not happy when I announced they had been cut off.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Petula Darlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18026577230594400760noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15126445.post-64106051375831275242008-06-06T20:14:00.005-04:002008-12-10T02:20:19.859-05:00Friday's Favorite is Filled with Hi-Fructose<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqNqDXUtIIWxHwOchsfzZcMVcNu_y1NUx-hFDSWfW9vDCo0g1LA13pOIGnvSGKDeofYD2C98Z_PoAdqcqG3Uff0vr2CpAfYp7ueRdbXgpJMAOsYT0zqRNQQZfWgpp_b23SbYeExg/s1600-h/LizMcGrathBatboy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqNqDXUtIIWxHwOchsfzZcMVcNu_y1NUx-hFDSWfW9vDCo0g1LA13pOIGnvSGKDeofYD2C98Z_PoAdqcqG3Uff0vr2CpAfYp7ueRdbXgpJMAOsYT0zqRNQQZfWgpp_b23SbYeExg/s320/LizMcGrathBatboy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208926490888382274" border="0" /></a>A little over a year ago I <a href="http://petuladarling.blogspot.com/2007/03/sunshine-in-mag.html">posted</a> about my infatuation with Hi-Fructose, a magazine I had just discovered. After devouring the first two issues that I bought online, I got a subscription and have loved every page of it. It's the one magazine that I literally read cover to cover (well, technically it's more like cover to middle to somewhere in the back then over to the contents, etc... but it all gets covered). Even the ads are eye-candy.<br /><br />The magazine only comes out quarterly, so that used to leave me with three and a half months of pining for the next issue. Luckily, <a href="http://www.hifructose.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=1&Itemid=56">they now have a blog</a> that helps fill my pop-surrealism needs in the interim.<br /><br />The image on the left is from their entry about <a href="http://www.elizabethmcgrath.com/index.html">Liz McGrath</a>'s latest show.Petula Darlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18026577230594400760noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15126445.post-33371095029568282052008-06-05T11:56:00.009-04:002008-12-10T02:20:20.233-05:00DirndliciousI have long loved the <a href="http://www.tourmycountry.com/austria/dirndl-dress-tracht.htm">dirndl</a>, but in the past year or so it has become an actual obsession.<br />I've rewatched The Sound of Music and Heidi for dirndl sightings. I've quested in vintage clothing stores and combed eBay for one (or several) of my very own.<br />My pursuit has been thwarted by several problems:<br />1) Dirndls are not the traditional folk-garb of New England (unlike cat sweatshirts)<br />2) Dirndls are generally not designed to fit bust-free waistless gals<br />3) Dirndls can be really expensive<br /><br />Imagine my joy at finding this kitschy catch of dirndly goodness last week at a relatively local antiques mall - and it was on sale! Hooray!!!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjh7LTEWKawImsqfRJiv1lQrIEgRloxh1Fp32w83CHhx0HV__Lvr4QbCMAzveX3auE1D2Ev9PUGjozJywxvdpUy0MHXLQWZlN787footwt22q04tHDwzQjgRVgMnCyUOfB8uDIWA/s1600-h/dirndl.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjh7LTEWKawImsqfRJiv1lQrIEgRloxh1Fp32w83CHhx0HV__Lvr4QbCMAzveX3auE1D2Ev9PUGjozJywxvdpUy0MHXLQWZlN787footwt22q04tHDwzQjgRVgMnCyUOfB8uDIWA/s400/dirndl.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208441861796634370" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4qC7vrzrmofWVpgDhlcEzI4ZUJ-mAXWEVKQczx21gxbLZHZeWqW-2gowjlTe9ZegMNjiAnfeJrzGYKRPfFRtMfovqqanA8rGtdW49wjU2gLNkDCihm43SXbZo3j_9JFC8OEOh7Q/s1600-h/DirndlDetail.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4qC7vrzrmofWVpgDhlcEzI4ZUJ-mAXWEVKQczx21gxbLZHZeWqW-2gowjlTe9ZegMNjiAnfeJrzGYKRPfFRtMfovqqanA8rGtdW49wjU2gLNkDCihm43SXbZo3j_9JFC8OEOh7Q/s200/DirndlDetail.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208442957013294866" border="0" /></a>Petula Darlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18026577230594400760noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15126445.post-84221457272407044932008-06-03T08:44:00.016-04:002008-12-10T02:20:20.922-05:00Awards, Aviaries, Automata and the ArtsThe wonderful <a href="http://maryjanemidgemink.blogspot.com/">Mary Jane</a> has awarded me the Blogging With a Purpose award - yay!!!<br />Instead of choosing five bloggers to give my own award to (how could I choose just five?), I've decided to start up a Favorites Friday theme where I'll mention a blog I'm currently loving. Why Fridays? Because I just happened to do it last Friday and it seems as good a day as any.<br /><br />And because I hate to do a post without pictures, I'll give you some photos from our recent trip:<br><table><tbody><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil2JuAeIvyYmjKtxAKxETZuyEDJVswbKLl0tjfh9BNNjxBPMltOTE6gS9C-H8JVGoWVGW3Ap6EVSjEW5JtDc1RgcFBBM08lCGlKTI2-DNVwQh-V-2697CaIE2cEeuILWQsMn1rYw/s1600-h/RoseateSpoonbill.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil2JuAeIvyYmjKtxAKxETZuyEDJVswbKLl0tjfh9BNNjxBPMltOTE6gS9C-H8JVGoWVGW3Ap6EVSjEW5JtDc1RgcFBBM08lCGlKTI2-DNVwQh-V-2697CaIE2cEeuILWQsMn1rYw/s320/RoseateSpoonbill.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5207649693733592754" border="0" /></a></td><td>This is a freakishly fabulous roseate spoonbill from the rain forest section of the <a href="http://www.clemetzoo.com/">Cleveland Zoo</a>. The outdoor part of the zoo was the usual depressing fare, but the rain forest was absolutely amazing.</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_s0hjh_saXARmsYEeR1zbOO6NhCDrv57IUv8X2GzScyhby7gDxMBrB60Z1r6Uo_Odf3zP1C6lu35SRjdL2EW8uaz7zTvfi-Cv1Hukz1W2LTEF13jg7AFN6iOWL83sYsMGCZGLiw/s1600-h/MorePower.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_s0hjh_saXARmsYEeR1zbOO6NhCDrv57IUv8X2GzScyhby7gDxMBrB60Z1r6Uo_Odf3zP1C6lu35SRjdL2EW8uaz7zTvfi-Cv1Hukz1W2LTEF13jg7AFN6iOWL83sYsMGCZGLiw/s320/MorePower.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5207643899822710402" border="0" /></a></td><td>Another highlight of our trip was <a href="http://www.marvin3m.com/">Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum</a>. It's a sort of arcade that's filled to the brim with vintage games and automata that all work. Put a quarter or two in, and this guy comes to life, complete with terrible jokes and power surges.</td></tr><br /><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3hVB2Ex1cRbXWDXqkHpyuw8ApUynwLiPk5pp6Mfw_k-gKCsJJvYJZ9OjtVjJ1WefyWEYovF9Pp1kzc6I0h1gPoZ7hK0sMcoeo8WOewFWGKFgNtsO1LT_GTTQngBM7dg9flWtqNg/s1600-h/YeOldeDragQueen.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3hVB2Ex1cRbXWDXqkHpyuw8ApUynwLiPk5pp6Mfw_k-gKCsJJvYJZ9OjtVjJ1WefyWEYovF9Pp1kzc6I0h1gPoZ7hK0sMcoeo8WOewFWGKFgNtsO1LT_GTTQngBM7dg9flWtqNg/s320/YeOldeDragQueen.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5207643856873037426" border="0" /></a><br><br><br><br><br></td><td>The <a href="http://www.dia.org/">Detroit Institute of Arts</a> was a wonderful surprise. They had a really impressive collection of art, and it was displayed beautifully. On the left is a portrait of a Colonial crossdresser (it didn't say that on the tag, but I have a degree in art history and I know these things), and below is a detail from Bruegel the Elder's <span style="font-style:italic;">The Wedding Dance</span>. And to think some people think art museums are boring!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixOmUnRrFSvuTXKUdcHWF007bstQr2BxlSm4iC8mHm_Im8gC70WghAEqrMk289tXEcORaWO3UQalLtHIy-xsG-V2yVIcwjeE-q9GR28UXH63aQAl8s9C7JnEvTWX8HvfQaG-Kzqw/s1600-h/bruegel.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixOmUnRrFSvuTXKUdcHWF007bstQr2BxlSm4iC8mHm_Im8gC70WghAEqrMk289tXEcORaWO3UQalLtHIy-xsG-V2yVIcwjeE-q9GR28UXH63aQAl8s9C7JnEvTWX8HvfQaG-Kzqw/s200/bruegel.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5207648924934446754" border="0" /></a><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Petula Darlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18026577230594400760noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15126445.post-70418738288911315072008-05-30T15:28:00.007-04:002008-12-10T02:20:21.081-05:00My New Favorite<a href="http://tollipop.typepad.com/" title="you can click here to go to the tollipop blog"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjONOUKjlaXKmd6RNn1KYGeEyMbu4ePO6vl1o0N-Fi-bqGzaSbw7UzRoE5U11aZY2_ag32uz-7DLJMamjOYQJwEWbxITlG7G9ZIEubs2pZGaDULcat7zn7F6LGbt1lovK_Qp_qMSQ/s320/TollipopLibraryDay.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206255262926431490" border="0" /></a>I have a new favorite blog that has kept my eyes glued to this screen for the last couple days. Well, truthfully, I have also gone to work, made dinner, gone to the bathroom, and done some embroidery, but I have been reading the archives of this fabulous and funny bit of iCandy quite avidly.<br />Check out <a href="http://tollipop.typepad.com/">tollipop</a> for yourselves!Petula Darlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18026577230594400760noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15126445.post-15678349925391088032008-05-28T15:49:00.006-04:002008-12-10T02:20:21.135-05:00The Stitching Continues...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjio5AGitsMY9Qk9vkQq5yKU5gqVg1-XRTsqp9RHpm5JK65qH48PnGjeA8pMSDkXjsl-W0AyGmmqnw9rq-bhvfd6fU_lVWg_Q9mRHcHnFOXfI2idKZ0-2HEd_qcbbfzeqVViG6Dnw/s1600-h/EatMe.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjio5AGitsMY9Qk9vkQq5yKU5gqVg1-XRTsqp9RHpm5JK65qH48PnGjeA8pMSDkXjsl-W0AyGmmqnw9rq-bhvfd6fU_lVWg_Q9mRHcHnFOXfI2idKZ0-2HEd_qcbbfzeqVViG6Dnw/s400/EatMe.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5205579926563775714" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I finished another embroidery!<br />This one was found <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rectangel/2324860880/in/set-72157604000644048/">here</a>, albeit with slightly different text.Petula Darlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18026577230594400760noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15126445.post-83033232129973197362008-05-27T10:20:00.012-04:002008-12-10T02:20:21.296-05:00A Darling Dishcloth<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSauf6Mat4C5_0Ci9kprE4jwHomQSKFlmUn3kGWMgt7k7tHZcpOo-bCm871yKv8WJDJQqgD_CnAJPC2eGzyYSGcfPpxRzAIuXLGT1s28KuoJlMRCSouCR6rGbwZATlDdZgb3CgIQ/s1600-h/BeeTidy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSauf6Mat4C5_0Ci9kprE4jwHomQSKFlmUn3kGWMgt7k7tHZcpOo-bCm871yKv8WJDJQqgD_CnAJPC2eGzyYSGcfPpxRzAIuXLGT1s28KuoJlMRCSouCR6rGbwZATlDdZgb3CgIQ/s400/BeeTidy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5205215859365962914" border="0" /></a>I found this pattern <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/floresita/254114395/">here</a> along with many other fun ones. It's on a piece of heavy white cotton that I bound with bias tape. My photos of the whole towel didn't come out, so I'm afraid I can only show you the small area that I scanned.<br /><br />I've been embroidering off and on since I was a kid, but it's been quite a looooong while since my last stitching spell. Turns out it's not quite like riding a bike - my skills were so rusty it's lucky I didn't corrode the dishtowel. Fortunately they seem to be slowly coming back now that I've started on my second one.<br /><br />My favorite things about this:<br />- the vintage striped bias tape border<br />- the morose expression on Mr. Bee's face - he'd rather not bee cleaning<br />- the unintentionally ironic wonky-looking "Bee Tidy" (it could definitely bee tidier)Petula Darlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18026577230594400760noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15126445.post-57649859945537423832008-05-22T00:50:00.004-04:002008-12-10T02:20:21.383-05:00Doh!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaX55NCtHmxZ55Vj-4_jS5CV6booWaZq-xQ86nEmOr9YjJN3spQD_LJ4CazSuuYmy1Cr8ot3iQ99S_qFvZ3zbFLf7Mhc3q4vG9c1bTgmeP6MPGLWNpDSdROoJNFo217JCHZkK2Dg/s1600-h/birdie.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaX55NCtHmxZ55Vj-4_jS5CV6booWaZq-xQ86nEmOr9YjJN3spQD_LJ4CazSuuYmy1Cr8ot3iQ99S_qFvZ3zbFLf7Mhc3q4vG9c1bTgmeP6MPGLWNpDSdROoJNFo217JCHZkK2Dg/s400/birdie.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203062543152374898" border="0" /></a><br />I found this adorable salt shaker on our trip to Michigan.<br />I'm not sure if the little guy is shielding his eyes from the blinding light, or if his gesture is due to the realization that he should have had a V-8.Petula Darlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18026577230594400760noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15126445.post-13050008386297748862008-05-20T08:50:00.004-04:002008-12-10T02:20:21.589-05:00A New Family Hare-loom<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhix_lkfzKGxMTi2TqOrxKUJHJbTsSe_RIDvKT3uirBa6gZYyf-a2gIrGJ7P1hkAP7JhVu2LAK0ZcEKjlL9Zsuafdt1OCJX941b7R0GOgZGSlms6EXFzB46007noYSxEmCGuUaV4A/s1600-h/GoneToEarth-Plate2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhix_lkfzKGxMTi2TqOrxKUJHJbTsSe_RIDvKT3uirBa6gZYyf-a2gIrGJ7P1hkAP7JhVu2LAK0ZcEKjlL9Zsuafdt1OCJX941b7R0GOgZGSlms6EXFzB46007noYSxEmCGuUaV4A/s400/GoneToEarth-Plate2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202441819492372994" border="0" /></a>Lookit what I just ordered from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=32500">Magic Jelly's etsy shop</a>!<br />I'm envisioning displaying it as a family portrait with an ornate gold antique frame.<br />It will take a couple weeks to wing its way over from Australia, and I'm pretty much planning to stand by the window staring at the mailbox the whole time.<br />You can check out the very cool Magic Jelly blog <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=32500">here</a>.Petula Darlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18026577230594400760noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15126445.post-76998356876601644612008-05-15T13:35:00.009-04:002008-05-15T14:59:04.592-04:00A Finished Object<table><tbody><tr><td><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2203/2494674665_ffca59790e.jpg" alt="DropsCardiDuo" height="500" width="158" /></td><td valign="top"><br />It's probably too warm to look at woolly stuff where you are, but up here in Maine we still have several more weeks of sweater weather (it's actually beautiful today, but it is Maine and you never know when it's going to drop below freezing).<br />This is the <a href="http://www.garnstudio.com/lang/en/visoppskrift.php?d_nr=103&d_id=1">Drops Jacket</a> that it seems like everyone on <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/">Ravelry </a>has been making. I probably wouldn't have made it if I hadn't seen how good it looks on nearly every body type - my favorite thing about Ravelry is that you get to see how knit patterns look on real people, not just on models with stylists cinching, hiking and hoisting. This is the first sweater I've made for myself, and it only took a little less than a month. Granted I worked on it while on vacation, and I have needles in my hand in virtually every photo, but still that's a vast improvement over the year-long <a href="http://petuladarling.blogspot.com/2007/11/avast-at-last.html">Avast project</a> for Davis!<br />And don't worry, seeing these pictures inspired me to get my hair trimmed almost immediately.</td></tr></tbody></table>Petula Darlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18026577230594400760noreply@blogger.com4