Waterlogged......

Arrrgh...
My dream of becoming a pirate, er, um ...a Sailor..... is coming True!

Tall ships with square sails

The other day Mark and I visited The Center for Wooden Boats in Seattle on Lake union. Boats and boats and boats. Some canoes, rowboats, power boats, Cris Craft, and sailboats....all of wood construction!
Boats with motors ...boats without motors. Big boats...small boats.



The water is so wide and my boat is so small.......
I still can't yet comprehend how boats float and sails catch wind...and don't sink, and sail around as easily as I get up and walk down the block. It will come to me ...I'll get the pieces in my mind to fit together......



The Chieftain and the Lady Washington were docked down there also and we toured them both!
yes the very ship in Pirates of the Caribbean !
All that hemp rigging!
It is really tiny. You'd expect it to be the size of a small cruise ship, eh?
But No!
I stood on the deck, and walked from stem to stern, port to starboard....down to the galley, held on to the helm.......
and tried to imagine a full crew of 12 and tons of cargo...sailing around the Cape and up and down the West Coast and off to Hawaii for trade.....
It just seemed small.
Fine, big enough for a sweet sailboat, but ....small!



from The Historical Seaport website:The new Lady Washington is a full-scale reproduction of the original Lady Washington. Built in the British Colony of Massachusetts in the 1750s, the original vessel carried freight between colonial ports until the American Revolutionary War, when she became an American privateer. In 1787, after the war, she was given a major refit to prepare her for a unprecedented trading voyage around Cape Horn. In 1788, she became the first American vessel to make landfall on the west coast of North America.

A pioneer in Pan-Pacific trade, she was the first American ship to visit Honolulu, Hong Kong and Japan. Lady Washington opened the black pearl and sandalwood trade between Hawaii and the Orient when King Kamehameha became a partner in the ship.

The modern Lady Washington was thoroughly researched by historians and constructed by skilled shipwrights. She was launched as part of the 1989 Washington State Centennial celebration. The new Lady Washington meets all of the U.S. Coast Guard safety requirements for a 21stcentury ship.

Life Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness: My favorite vintage dress......

isn't a fancy expensive designer name like Ceil Chapman, Pucci, or Vionnet.......
This is a simple cotton 50s/60s dress.

It's a pale olive cotton, which is one of my favorite colors...it has snippets of the Declaration of Independence, eagles, drums and the Liberty Bell. It's pretty cheesy, and I love it.



I'm very fond of dresses, tops and shorts and capri with prints like this...especially ones with writing, and with botanical images of flowers and insects.




I love that a designer said to herself ."Yeah, the Declaration of Independence....that's graphically interesting! " Was she a law nerd like me? Was she an artist by default since law schools and politics was hostile to women? Was she a he? I don't have a clue.
I just love it, and I wear it every 4th of July since I bought it a few years ago from And Vintage on ebay. One short cuffed sleeve had a big rip in it so I removed them and made a big pocket out of one of them. I have the rest in my sewing pile of fabrics.
I wear it with a 70s olive leather belt...It all just makes me happy.

Pretty Damn Inspiring Words !!

When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.

some nifty facts about the Declaration of Independence....
most impressive...."If you were a member of the Second Continental Congress in 1776, you were a rebel and considered a traitor by the King of England. You knew that a reward had been posted for the capture of certain prominent rebel leaders and signing your name to the Declaration meant that you pledged your life, your fortune, and your sacred honor to the cause of freedom."

I won't go into all the reasons why America is not living up to the Promise of Liberty...I do think the EU does a better job for many of its citizens ....and I think Canada is great, and Costa Rica is quite amazing.....
But America is my home and we can make it better.......

Summertime and the Living is Easy....

I don't know about you, but I wait to eat some foods in season......they just taste better...I don't mind the wait....

My frig is full of local cherries from Eastern Washington, & a big box of ripe organic strawberries up from southern California....Is there anything better than the first tender basil leaves of summer?

I won't have my own great big garden this year....I just moved into my new house, so I rely on the Farmer's Markets here in Tacoma.....all 4 of them....
Yup, one on Sunday, one on Tuesday, one on Thursday, and on Saturday morning...all within a mile or 2 of my home.....& I think there's more if I want to venture even just a little further!

Summer is here, I've been having fun ...finally wearing tank tops and short skirts..yes...Finally! Sandals, and moccasins and sunglasses!
I listed some sunny-weather-only.....vintage sunglasses, a few vintage summer dresses and a sweet tunic top in the etsy shop today.

From the top:
1. Serengeti Drivers are the best. They aren't your average sunglasses....This pair, the classic, aviator style is a cool copper color all the way.
2. Fab I Ski cobalt blue with a shaded ombre purple.....
Quality plastic vintage frames and glass shaded lenses.
3. Vintage Cool Ray Polaroid awesome translucent tortoise frames, chunky rectangle shape frames for the 60s Mod groove. You won't be a big square when you wear these!

When it's hot, I love a sweet simple shift.....Cool and calm in colors of lime green and marina blue and dreamscape lavender, on a white background.

Silky cotton satin is a simple shape with a eye-catching impressionist floral print.


This cute dress has a wide stripe of woodland meadow ferns and flowers....so pretty!
Sweet 70s dress with lots of earth tones in flowers, butterflies and mushrooms, with a blue daisy print.

Puffy sleeves, and a blouson top, with elastic at the top of the skirt.



Soft creamy cotton muslin, rainbow cotton embroidery threads and a comfy classic style...
Mexican dresses like this are a summer classic.




Another great shift dress......Stunning big orange poppies pop up over a flower bed of white and green and yellow daisies!

Teal cotton, 60s vintage dress is a comfy shift style. Straight style with bust darts, it goes on over the head.



Long red 50s vintage scarf is the perfect final touch for that charming outfit!
So versatile...
Cool watercolor rose garden, sheer cotton tunic top is the loveliest for a hot day.

Made of a sheer light printed voile cotton, it's in shades of peach, gray and gold, with halting black lines.






Mark and I bought some big basil plants...we love basil! The herb garden won't wait...We just brought home some lavender, thyme and rosemary.
The tomatoes and pepper plants will go in the fresh new garden bed tomorrow...
Once the garden gets established....it'll get bigger and bigger as I add in bean seeds, and whatever strikes my fancy this summer. Right now, I have to plant vegetable seeds that have a 60 day grow season...but late in August I'll plant lettuce, radish, peas, and other traditional spring crops....which will ripen in the early fall.

I have a huge collection of summer sandals and tennies too. I guess I'll always be a California Girl.....up here you can only wear such silly footwear about 3 months of the year, unless you like cold wet feet. 9 months of the year my feet are in boots and wool socks.
But when the warm weather happens, be it April in a weird warm streak, or into October with sultry Indian summer days...you will see my feet and my painted toes....
showing off in my multitudes of summer shoes that spend their lives in dark cardboard boxes like debutantes without dates, waiting for the sunshine phone to ring......

The Top 8 Clean Car Technologies Most Likely to Take Over for Gas

The Top 8 Clean Car Technologies Most Likely to Take Over for Gas

The standard by which I measure......

Daniel Clowes.....always......click it. Really, it's OK. It's a tumbler and this is the best I can do about that...

In honor of MJ...deregulation and Ronald Reagan..and other types of out of control behavior....

I am earnest. I can't do the Shiny Happy People thing, but I am basically happy...considering I am living thru the time in history that saw the lovely society formed by The New Deal, being dismantled by the Republican Revolution, for which Ronald Reagan reigned as First King of Destruction, Federal Edition.
Reagan said this: "

I don't believe in a government that protects us from ourselves.

Ronald Reagan

And he meant It !! Regulation is the way we protect ourselves from evil assholes, hopefully. And, when the regulations on dangerous companies become Republican-style weak, Reagan's beloved Deregulation, the BP Oil spill is what happens.

The BP Oil Debacle is the Exact Universe the Republicans wanted, and what Libertarians wanted ....it is their Wet Dream!

And here is the difference between Irony and Coincidence... So, discuss.....is the BP oil hell, Irony, in that, with Deregulation, companies do what the fuck they want and when the shit hits the fan, Republicans call...For...Regulations !!!
....or just a Coincidence that deregulation and catastrophe happened at the same time, and most of the oil is washing up on the shores of states lead by Republican governors.

Texas - Governor Rick Perry, Mississippi - Governor Haley Barbour, Louisiana - Governor Bobby Jindal, Florida - Governor Charlie Crist, Alabama - Governor Bob Riley.

my mind boggles.


This link dates to Sept. 11, 2008, in the Bush/Cheney years..........."Government officials in charge of collecting billions of dollars worth of royalties from oil and gas companies accepted gifts, steered contracts to favored clients and engaged in drug use and illicit sex with employees of the energy firms, federal investigators reported yesterday." and it goes on...

that's from the Washington Post. Billions. Of. Dollars. that belong to you and me.that the oil companies kept because of deregulations and corrupt "regulators" in the Republican "governance" in the last 30 years......

So...I can do better than that.... I prefer this:
Back to Daniel Clowes.....


Aren't you glad that we have recalls of dangerous items? That's regulations at work!
;-)
So, regulations of dangerous or potentially dangerous activities...is a very good thing...and over-regulation is not a good thing.


Mindless shopping ...no, let's not do that. But Shopping Is Fun!!
Yes it is and we are wired for it.....
So, buy vintage and used as often as possible.....Fix, repair, mend and make when you can.
Here's some of my faves around the internets.

Electric Cars !

Urban Farming !

Parks ! this land is your land, this land is my land...

Sunburst Industrial clock

A feature of many a Mid Century Modern living room was a big clock that hung over the sofa or over the big wood record player/radio combo console.
Recently I found 50s clock influenced by the iconic Sunburst clock but in a smaller form. It's made of glass and metal....no plastic!

Here's that famous sunburst clock...by George Nelson's company for the Herman (later, the Howard) Miller company. It's available here as a reproduction!
In 1945 George Nelson produced a Herman Miller Catalog, a furniture firm that was looking to break with old traditional designs of furniture and home decor and embrace modern styles.
Some of the most famous home furnishings of the 20th century were designed by Ray and Charles Eames, Harry Bertoia, Isamu Noguchi, Donald Knorr and many more.



Builder and real estate developer Joseph Eichler brought Mid Century Modern architecture ("Eichler Homes") to Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay area, and on the east coast. They have huge walls of glass, lots of hard surfaces in concrete and wood, the shine of steel, and polished wood.

Perhaps the most Mid Century Modern town in the US is Palm Springs.......and they celebrate that each February with tours of iconic homes and gardens, screenings of documentary films on the history of mcm design and the designers, the manufacturing process, and the food and drink of the times.Music is a big part of creating the whole mood of the mid century experience and crooners like Frank Sinatra, moody cocktail music like Martin Denny's Tiki Kitsch, and of course, cool jazz of Miles Davis and Charlie Parker.
The style can include the smooth wood of Danish Modern, the shine of chrome and metals, and the softness of bright and bold fabrics. They way things are put together, the way of attaching one piece to another in a home, a radio, a chair, or a blender and decorative objects gives mcm style a touch of Industrial design also.

Just listed in my etsy shop is this petite version of the Nelson sunburst. It has a touch of industrial with its materials of glass, aluminum and wood.



The heavy glass circle is edged in silver and has patina from over the years of time. The hands are bold triangles and it has a sleek sweeping second hand. All the hands are made of aluminum......a metal that was popular to use in all manner of home goods once WWII ended.



It's made by an East Coast clock company that dates to the late 1800s. William L Gilbert used to make wood mantel clocks as was the Victorian fashion, and as times changed, they added many styles to their repertoire.







The housing is metal, it has simple prong plug, and a handy hole on the back for a screw to hang it up.

Show Me The Honey....

I am officially Bee Obsessed.....
I bought some buckwheat honey the other day....and...I will continue to eat it even though I don't like it....it's so strong !
and I love buckwheat anything....as a child I'd order buckwheat pancakes when everyone else at the table ordered buttermilk......


Even though I know that bees throw up the sugary nectar in a honeycomb ...and viola! Honey....this does not dissuade me from eating my honey.......

What the Hellz is this crap?
beware...a stupid song starts playing as soon as the site begins to load up.
It might taste pretty good, but people, how lazy can you beeee? And then you toss the can in the trash! Stop it.


Let's get right to the fashion.....Bee Cute!
I wear black a lot...what's not to like !
accenting an outfit with gold or yellow is still unexpected, I think...
with a black dress or a top and skirt....most folks automatically reach for white, red, or gray...and don't think often enough of Yellow as the accent.......

Yellow, Butterscotch, Gold...accessories...






Paired with Black...
a romper....
silver sequins with black...mix it up ..gold, silver...copper....heavy metal.......


60s black lace wiggle dress......
black and white scooter print 60s dress...


black floral dress......
Lacy black feminine vintage blouse.....

black with sparkles.....vintage gauze India blouse


Black eyelet vintage dress.......