Missed It By That Much!

When we were kids, the show “Get Smart” was on in re-runs in the afternoons, and it was a toss up which I loved more, Get Smart or the Addams Family. One of Maxwell Smart’s signature lines was “I missed it by that much”, and that’s what I’ve done.

I had meant to post on the occasion of my 2000th post, and share that accomplishment with you all. What I had really wanted to do was publish my 2000th post on my eighth anniversary, but some slacking on my part over the Christmas holidays made me a little short on posts.

My 1000th post was on January 5, 2011 when I posted about this sweet little settee I saw sitting in front of a local consignment shop.

I average about 284 posts a year, mostly on a Monday through Friday schedule. Sometimes it’s simple to find something to write about and other times, I wrack my brain to come up with something. It helps a lot that I read several papers on-line each day and subscribe to lots of blogs, and that’s where some of my topics are generated. I see something that I piques my interest, and then I start following a thread. Off I go, until I find something that interests me, and hopefully interests you, too.

Once again, thanks for following along with me, and for reading what I write! Here’s to the next 2,000!

Paperwhites

It’s at this time of year, deep in the winter, that I find I need a bit of cheering up. Paperwhite narcissus bulbs are just the ticket for that cheer. Paperwhites have a very distinctive scent and there are two schools of thought that: the people who hate the smell, thinking that it is akin to the scent of cat pee, and those, like me, who love the peppery scent. Their white flowers, long green leaves and saffron-coloured stamens brighten these long and cold winter days.

Paperwhites are simple to grow. All you need are some stones or glass pebbles, a container of pretty much any sort, and a couple of bulbs, which are widely available for a dollar or so apiece.

I use single teacups, small bowls, pitchers and jugs, and about anything that can hold the bulbs and water – probably three inches or taller.

I usually get a dozen or so bulbs in December and plant a few at a time, waiting until each bulb has bloomed and then starting new ones. I keep them in the office and at home – anywhere that I will see them frequently.

To me, this is the perfect juxtaposition – cheery white flowers against the cold white snow!

Quiz: Where Should You Actually Be Living?

Personally, I can’t even imagine how this quiz works, since I didn’t know understand the questions, so I couldn’t imagine what the answers to the questions could possibly be!

I’m sorry, my what?

Whew! At least that one was easy… and I am not showing all of the answers!

Regardless of how this was calculated, I got London! Of course, I did. I know the city pretty well. I lived and worked there. I’ve visited there a zillion times.

Here’s the quiz. Take it yourself and let me know where you should actually be living!

Booked

I saw these images of an artist whose medium is books, and knew I had to share it with you. Keep in mind that no actual books were harmed during this process, and that all of the books are custom-made editions made by Japanese artist Yusuke OonoYusuke Oono.

Book 1:

Book 2:

Book 3:

There are several other books, and you can see them here.

Canine Companions

Yesterday, I attended a luncheon lecture and the topic was the Canine Companions for Independence and it was fascinating. Especially being the owner of a dog who, at age 13, has yet to distinguish between “sit” and “speak”. There were three Yellow Labs at the lunch, two were still youngsters, less than two years old, and the other, Mahler, was eight. He’d been the companion of a woman since he was two. She’s confined to a wheelchair much of the time, and her dog has helped her become independent.

The group exclusively uses Labrador Retrievers for their work, and they are given to volunteer “puppy raisers” when they are eight weeks old, and their training begins.

They live with a “raiser” until they are almost two, and then they return to CCI for some final training. My first question was trying to understand how someone could raise a puppy and then give it away. One of the volunteers (and they are all volunteers) explained to me that it was like raising a child and then sending him off into the world to do a job. One of the people at the lunch was raising his 11th puppy for the program.

After the training is complete, the dogs are matched with their people and they complete two intensive weeks of training. At the end of this time, the dogs know at least 50 commands, if not more, and are socialized to all situations. The dogs graduate from the program, the puppy’s family says good-bye and the new companion takes over.

The woman who had Mahler told us stories of the things he could do. When she goes grocery shopping in her specialized vehicle, the dog goes with her. When they get home, he takes the bags of groceries out of the car and into the house and puts them on the counter. He can help with the laundry, although he can’t separate the lights and darks, and he pulls her in her wheelchair. The most amazing thing was watching her drop a dime on the carpet and seeing Mahler pick it up and put it in her hand.

For more information on this amazing group, which doesn’t charge the “end-user” a penny, please check out their website. I almost wish that I had taken Connor with me, so he could have seen these great dogs and maybe gotten a little inspiration.

Mad as a Hatter

About 10 years ago, I was attending the American Craft Council show in Baltimore and I bought the best hat. It was the perfect hat. It was a tweed Polartec® bucket-style hat. It was light-weight and warm and I could chuck it in the washer and drier and it would come out perfectly.

I took it with me when I moved to the UK and it was ideal for the climate and the styles there. It was perfect with my old Barbour coats, both the heavy long one and the short quilted one. Somehow, along the way, between here and there, then and now, I lost the hat.

With all of the cold weather we’ve been having, I’ve been wishing for that hat again, and I am on a search to find a replacement. I Googled “fleece hat/American Craft Council” and came up with a vendor I thought it might have been, but it wasn’t. She recommended someone else, but I don’t think it’s the same person. I am waiting to hear back.

So, in the meantime, I’ve been looking at some other contenders, but none are quite right. Here are some of the ones I’ve considered.

A waxed cotton hat with a tweed band. I had a similar one, and the waxed cotton close to my ears made everything echo. I know, crazy.

This is pretty similar to the one I had, but the tweed may have been a little more “hounds-toothy”.

This one is waxed cotton and fleece. Somewhat of a contender.

These two are fun, but they’re not as casual as I am looking for. I’d feel bad chucking this in the laundry, or getting it really wet walking Connor.

If this was Polartec® instead of tweed, I’d like it a lot more.

This is the right sort of shape, but it’s a wee bit busy for my taste.

The thing is, I could probably make one myself. But it would be a matter of sourcing the right fabric and then finding the time to make it. By the time that happens, it will be warm again, and I won’t need the hat.

Design Vocabulary Quiz

Undoubtedly, some of you will whiz right through this quiz from the Wall Street Journal’s Off Duty section this weekend. The words will be familiar to some and a foreign language to others. Some of the answers are quite witty!

Or you can click here to take the interactive quiz!

Antiques Show & Tell

After the past few weeks of endless parties, visits to friends and families, I am ready to get back to my no-routine routine!

To start, I am heading to Washington, DC, just a short hop on the MARC train which now runs on weekends and costs $7.00. Seriously, you can’t drive and park for that amount! I am going to the Washington Winter Antiques Show at American University.

The theme for the 2014 show is Southern Celebrations: Traditions Handed Down. The program celebrates the South at its best, a culture rich in memorable traditions that have transcended generations.

On Saturday morning, the Show is presenting an appraisal clinic where visitors can bring up to three pieces and have them appraised. If I wasn’t going down on the train, you can bet I’d be hauling three pieces down to have them appraised. Wonder how much Dr. Harris is worth?The cost is $10 per item, and if you find that you’ve got a huge treasure you never knew about, it’s a great bargain! (And you don’t need to buy a ticket to the show to have an appraisal done, although you should!)

One of my favourite people, Julia Reed, is giving a lecture on Saturday afternoon. You may know Julia from her writing at Garden & Gun, the New York Times and numerous books. She’s hilarious and will be so much fun to see!

The best part of the day will be meeting up with fellow bloggers and friends, Stefan from Architect Design, and Michele from My Notting Hill.

Tickets to the show are here.