Measuring Up

Spent the weekend making this bench all snazzy. I found the bench at a garage sale, painted it and attached some of our colorful vintage yardsticks to the top. I picked up the big circus wagon from Etsy and it looks perfectly at home on my new ruler bench.
It was fun using a saw and hammer, it made me feel like I could build a little cabin in the woods (think Uni-bomber).

It's A Girl!

If Liberace and Sid Viscous had a baby it would be these boots! LuLu picked these up over the weekend during a jaunt down to Halsted Street Market Days (at least 10 blogs worth of stories, yikes). These are vintage Doc Martens, never worn, stored away in a stock room for the past 20 years. LuLu had her eye on some new Docs that have a non-sparkly gold finish, so we went on a hunt. I remembered this store from when I lived in the neighborhood 100 years ago. I always imagined musicians would pick up their rock star clothes here. When I told my 29 year old musician brother, Toby about the boots and the store, he seemed quite shocked and said "You took LuLu into an S&M store?" Silly boy, of course not, it's the place where rock stars go to get their outfits! Toby said "didn't you notice the leather masks and bondage stuff?" I always imagined a Judas Priest or a Megadeth tribute band from Des Moines picking those up, I said quite defensively. I simply had no clue! I am so glad I didn't tell the young woman trying on the rubber suit that rubber doesn't breath, and she will get very hot.

It's offical, I have completely run out of things to say.

Here is a post from the archives
8/12/08

Happiness Is...

Deke and Lulu

The music of Louis Jordan and...

Louis Prima and...

Louis Armstrong

Tiny Champagne Grapes
Did you know that currants are dried Champagne grapes?

Annie Hall

Paris as seen through the lens of Willy Ronis

Busby Berkley Films

Louise Brooks

Reading old menu cards

Vintage bra advertising

What makes you happy?

Jessie Willcox Smith

Jessie Willcox Smith (1863-1935) was a prolific American illustrator for Good Housekeeping, Ladies Home Journal and Collier's Weekly. Jessie illustrated Charles Kingsley's odd fairytale The Water-Babies in 1916.
I keep hoping I will find a first edition of this book at an estate sale or junk store for $1.00!

L'Shanah Tovah Tikatevu to all of my friends celebrating Rosh Hashanah.

TMI

I would like to thank the lovely Coco from Screaming for Chocolate for recognizing this blog with an award. I am now required to list 7 things about myself that you will find interesting. Obviously I don't have 7 or even 2 things very interesting to write about, so I will give you 7 less than interesting things about myself.

1. My Granfather Ungaro's dying words to me were:
"Leenda, Leenda come here, why do you look like a clown?"

It was 1986 and I was wearing Everlast boxing type pants and leather high tops while visiting my Grandfather in hospice. I have never boxed before and I mistakenly thought I looked cool in this get-up. Perhaps the other patients thought I was there to entertain them.



2. The last time I rode on a roller coaster was Space Mountain about 20 years ago. I held my black leather Coach bag under my chin as a sick bag.

3. My Dad flunked me when I enrolled in his class at the U of M.



4. I worked in the sports department for a local TV station and I had to cover a big Chicago White Sox event. When I returned to the station the Producer asked me who I had interviewed and I told him I had spoken with Scatman Crothers. Apparently Scatman never played for the Sox or any baseball team. The Producer was getting all red faced when he rather rudely told me that it was actually Minnie Minoso aka Mr. White Sox. Who knew? Not Me, it was the first time I had ever heard of Minnie.
Boy, did they hate me there.
Shouldn't I get some type of credit for knowing Scatman Crothers?

I could actually fill my list up with the unfortunate events during my stint in sports news. This was in the pre -Google days, so when I was asked to get tape of Carlton Fisk and I had no clue who he was, I had to secretly call Gar. Usually Gar's first response to my question went something like this, C'mon are you serious? You really don't know...

5. I am tired of seeing every one's feet. I look forward to flip flops going away.

6.I have apparently injured my Achilles tendons while sitting at the computer.

7. I have made wonderful friends through blogging and I pass this award on to all of you!

Hammer Time

click on pic for a close-up!

I picked up this giant hammer at the flea market this weekend, it is an old advertisement from a hardware store. I have a weakness for this type of advertising, I have a giant pair of eyeglasses in the garden and an enormous fork in the dining room. I would love to find a huge shoe for our foyer.

Chicago Pals And The Snoopster

The Snoopster is having a big shindig this Thursday in Hubbard Woods, and I am hoping all of my Chicago Pals will stop in and say howdy to her! There will be snacks, prizes and super cool shops to visit. I had the pleasure of meeting The Snoopster when she knocked on my door to poke around and take photos.

Church Rummage Sale x 4

This morning I made lunches for the kids, drove them to school and went to four church rummage sales. I was back home by 9:30 am. I know you are thinking, wow Linda, a lesser person would be dead! This is just a portion of the loot I picked up. I found loads of pendants and charms for my charm bracelet assemblages and I uncovered the most amazing scrapbook from the 1930s.
Have a wonderful weekend!

P.S. Lulu tried to convince me that she wasn't feeling well enough for school today, no fever, cough, soar throat. She needed to produce an internal organ in order to stay home, she couldn't so I sent her to school. The child has moxie given her blog post today!

Andy Goldsworthy

Andy Goldsworthy's art involves the use of natural and found objects, to create both temporary and permanent sculptures. I adore Goldsworthy's beautiful sculptures and I feel compelled to pay tribute to him every time I see brightly colored leaves in the Fall.

Baby Blog

A certain anonymous offspring has started her very own blog, Lulu Pictlast's Guide To High School. I have enjoyed the two posts she has written so far, one is about being picked last for teams in gym. Can you believe they still do that? I thought that only existed in teen angst films. I can't wait for her do more posts, I just hope she doesn't do too many about her kooky family.

So Long Summer

Apples ready to be dipped in carmel and decorated

Our summer actually ended on August 25th when our kids returned to school. It was much easier saying goodbye to Summer when our temperatures were hovering in the 60's, but now we are experiencing warmer weather and it's hard not to feel a bit melancholy. I am closing up my imaginary cottage this weekend. I wonder if it would be harder to say goodbye to Summer if my cute cottage didn't just exist in my crazy head.

Deke's 11.5 and Economy Flowers

The plants in our urns were on their last leg and I needed to replace them,
so I made a croquet mallet bouquet.
I have actually never purchased a croquet set,
they have all been found at the curb!

Today we are celebrating Deke's 11 1/2 Birthday!
Do you celebrate Half Birthdays?