My Wattle...

as time goes by, I'm acquiring a wattle, and a waddle....but here's the kind I really love!

photo and Mother Earth news article

That's a wattle fence....woven sticks....almost any kind will do....I think the most common is willow....wouldn't that be nice!
I haven't the time right now to weave my sticks...and I have a lot of sticks in my yard...because I have..several locust trees..and as lovely as they are and they are...^^^^
they are notorious for their rather brittle wood...so, every wind blowing harder than 30 miles an hour, litters my yard with twigs and branches. Which is fantastic! Here's what I did with some of them....
I made a Lazy-Lady Wattle fence...

I decided to make a bit of a woodland garden here between the locusts. I think the skeleton laying in the bed is kinda funny...with the bike and my salvaged beach find...No Wake.
get it. dead guy, no wake...nevermind...:-(

I gathered the sticks and stacked them...I pull the grass and dandelions as I feel like it. I've planted a foxglove, a pretty poppy, and a few seeds so we'll see what comes up.
There's ivy regrowing in the bed...and when the house was being "remodeled" the gold shag carpet was tossed here, in this bed. I shudder, and get real angry when I think of what this yard used to look like...I guess it was full of deutzia, viburnum, hundreds of daffs and lilies, all the best mid-century old fashioned things to grow...just pulled out when a House Flipper fucked it up. What I think was here...will be another post...with pretty pictures!

Just stacked sticks...pretty effective...the flowers will fill in...and by fall it'll be real purty....

and here's night ...with purple lights....

Here's 2 wattle fence ideas from England...which is where I think this originated..it's been around as long as humans had some time on their hands, and a big pile of sticks...

It was a sunny day....and a thing of beauty....

it's a fairy tale...living here...
and here's the castle...On a bike ride thru the kingdom...and the queendom......
Stadium High...

what a great idea ! a view for when the action on the field gets boring...and if we're talking sports...and I am...it's always boring.
 Wow...look at the blue water...the line of low hills...the ships on the bay....
hey look...the lily of the valley is in bloom.....
and so is the ...version by Queen...

a pretty glade of English bluebells (Endymion non-scriptus ).....
 Endymion was a handsome shepherd boy of Asia Minor, the mortal lover of the moon goddess  Selene. Each night he was kissed to sleep by her.

and a poem by Keats.....

Endymion

A thing of beauty is a joy for ever:

Its loveliness increases; it will never

Pass into nothingness; but still will keep

A bower quiet for us, and a sleep

Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.

and on the way home, biking down 6th Ave.... the dude abides...and he's enjoying his coffee.....

my bikes strapped on the car ...which seems odd. Just ride there, OK !

The Lilacs Progress, and a story of perseverance

Finally open and they have a scent that is the breath of the tiniest angels....
Lilacs...Syringa vulgaris.
These are the wild original lilacs we all know. There are many hybrids that bloom in pink, blue and shades of lilac...and even yellow......with blossom floret sprays that are larger and there's more of 'em. They come in doubles and all sizes, and for almost any climate.
But this is one of the 2 old-fashioned bushes in my yard....

Here they are in early March....a bundle of sticks.....with the tiniest bits of leaf and flower. All winter they were ...sticks. I always wonder in December "Will you still love me?" "Will you come back to me?"

Finally ! they begin to open and lengthen...swelling ...with lots of purple delight!
This is mid-April.

Late April...they lengthen even more...in spite of the really cold days....

And the leaves are getting leafier.... Late April.

2 weeks later ...a week past 2011 Mother's Day....they open!
Why did I mention Mother's Day...well....
I always ask for a bouquet of lilacs on my bedside table on the morning of Mother's Day....I can't remember a Mother's Day...when I couldn't have them....they open for me on Mother's Day or shortly before.
Not this year....This year, open on May 12th....

In full leaf and bloom....not as many blooms as the hybrids....but I'll take 'em!
So fleeting...I wait for them...I remember them...I adore them.
One of the garden's rare pleasures...
and worth the wait for 2 weeks of glory....

-------------------------  A tale of Perseverance   --------------------------

We know this as wild hyancinth, virginia blue bells, Scilla ....but they are actually Endymion non-scriptus, and also known as English bluebell...and they do go wild. You see them everywhere....pretty, and dependable, and in a rare blue...with a touch of lilac.....Blue is the rarest color in the flower world.

I mowed over it a few times as you can see by the ragged ends of the leaves. But...due to the rains I wasn't able to mow the grass as often as I wanted......so in the week that I didn't mow...The Flower popped up! So, I carefully dug it up and put it out in my woodland garden between the trio of locust trees....

It bloomed. It lived. I believe it will come back next year...
The woodland garden bed...
It looks like not much here....a collection of stuff...but I'm working on it....I believe. I'll persevere. This yard has great soil. It was once a lovely yard I'm sure...I've found the remnants of what it was...
To be continued......
;-)

Stars!

I don't pay attention to what's in style...or what's on the runways....I prefer the classics with a twist of weird.

Fancy schmancy dress with sneakers. Ripped and faded jeans with a silk Edwardian blouse. Long silk black dress with a brown leather jacket.

Over the years I've sold plenty of Vintage to folks who design for the runway...
Lately, a lot of vintage classics have winged their way to NYC, where they all live..

Here's what they're buying....Sperry, Levis, mohair sweaters, old denim....
I have to wonder why someone who has more money than God, would buy old stuff, just like I do. I buy and have worn old clothes my whole life, because that fits my income...I also make my own clothes, and clothes for my family, because I'm arty! and that fits my income!

So, either they're looking for inspiration....but the classics are available in NYC. Or, I think they're mostly wearing the good old vintage because they like the rustic, the patina, the history.
You don't ever get that sense of comfort from day one, when you buy something brand new., (which is, what they make!)....only used clothes can give you that. And, vintage clothes, at the end of the day....are just old clothes!
hee hee....

That's why you see funkomavintage listing a lot of loafers, cowboy boots, slip-ons, deck shoes, tennis shoes and sneakers, denim, Harris Tweed, and all things...... Good quality. Great style. Real materials....wool, cotton, silk, linen, leather, rubber, quality vinyl...

Cole Haan tassel loafers.

Vintage Bass, made in America.

I love blue denim, black or brown leather, plaid, stripes and tiny traditional prints.

You can pair the classics with anything....something classic, or with something trendy, or with something vintage .......and just Instantly....You look fantastic!

Blue denim....

A blue denim Levis jacket.....a Willis & Geiger safari shirt.....

Levis....the best!

Levis are just the best jeans...always have been, and always will be. Fact.

 photo credit.

I also love Prom shirts...old vintage ones with ruffles......
Some looks I love.....
J Crew lately has taken the classics and twists them up good !
...I wish they could find models that looked like real women...like, uh, 5'5", and 165 lbs....

coming soon to the webstore...

online....the world wide web...
yes!
a Mary Quant 70s blouse, Krizia wrap skirt, Filson Safari Bush jacket, Vintage Patio Southwest dress, Harvey Berin Marilyn style vintage 50s dress....
Men's casual shirt with World War II planes, Pink suede wood clogs, Leopard print fur wood clogs, Margaret O'Leary mohair sweater....
these are the things I love to find..that aren't necessarily vintage.....but are everything  I love....Excellent quality, Good style, Classic, and I'll have all my Handmades too...as time goes on....
I hope you'll take a peek sometime in the next week to see ...
I've been thinking about doing this for ....oh, about 10 years....;-)
and I'll move most of what's on etsy over to the webstore too...
********-----**********--------
It's a gardening day, here on Friday the 13th...
so, on Saturday and Sunday, the 14th and 15th...I'm listing these.....


Pink suede wood clogs

Leopard print fur wood clogs

Mary Quant 70s blouse

Filson Safari Bush jacket

Margaret O'Leary mohair sweater

Krizia wrap skirt

Harvey Berin Marilyn style vintage 50s dress

Vintage Patio Southwest dress

Men's casual shirt with World War II planes