Bits & Bobs

The Olympic Opening Ceremonies are just a day away, and in the true spirit of the games, the Guardian has published a game so that you can play along at home. Yes, it’s OLYMPIC OPENING CEREMONY BINGO! This may be played like real bingo, or as a drinking game.

We’ll have the Opening Ceremony on in the background, I am sure, on my old rabbit-eared television, if I can get it to have any channels other than the snow channel. But since I’ll be entertaining another blogger that evening, it surely won’t be the focus of the night.

Loi Thai, from Tone on Tone is coming up from DC for a small summer supper (casual, so not dinner!). He’s such a huge talent that I am a little freaked out about having him to the house. All I can do is think of are the immortal words from the movie, Wayne’s World… “I am not worthy.” And then plan to spend the next 48 hours completely making over the house and gardens. Ha!

Speaking of gardens, we’re going to do a wander over to the gardens at Cylburn Arboretum just a mile or so from my house, before supper. Loi’s very interested in gardens, and this city park garden is filled with specimen plants from all over the world. You might remember Cylburn from here and here. Click the image below to see a little film shot at Cylburn.

Kim, my dear friend and sponsor from Hooker Furniture, forwarded me a blog post that resonated with me. It talked about an article from Apartment Therapy about taking a curated approach to decorating. “Quirky Curators” and “Home Hackers” are today’s trendsetters according to Apartment Therapy. People are creating a highly curated mix of items in their homes, a look which celebrates their individualism. It’s a personal evolution, changing not with trends and fashions, but your own whims.When I moved back to the States, I literally had nothing… well, nothing except two suitcases filled with clothes, a couple of boxes shipped back from Wales, some copper pots and pans from France and a six-foot long commercial kitchen counter. My curated look consisted of doing what the article said: going to yard sales, tag sales, checking craigslist and buying one piece at a time until I’d assembled a house full of things that each resonated with me. Each and every piece in my house has a story, and almost none of these pieces came from a traditional furniture store. I’ve collected, and yes, curated, these pieces to make my house reflective of my quirky personality and tastes. I am thrilled to know that, for this moment at least, I am a trendsetter!