Wanderlust & Pixie Dust

Love You Dad

Love you with all my heart daddy.  You can rest now.  
Jesus Mungia
May 26, 1939-June 20, 2009

The Abuse of Stone Lions and Other Fanciful Creatures

Gads I 'm hot and bitchy tonight.  Quick time out to post.  Pops is doing dreadful after his last hospital visit.  I'm thinking that I can handle whatever may come next but then again I thought the same thing when I knew I was going to lose my Abby.   Nearly lost my ever lovin mind letting her go.

Every window is open tonight and I am still hot and sticky.  Summertime is hell in Riverside, CA.  It use to be that one could escape the heat by driving out to the coast for cooler weather. Who knows anymore!  Have the time last summer it was just as hot out there.

Alright, enough complaining.

I'm not sure who started this, me or my husband.   Sometime ago we started screeching on the brakes whenever we came across an unusually creative use of stone lions in a front yard.  One day we realized that people were really going all out with these things.

Instead of two lions majestically guarding an expensive home like so: 

A rooftop is much more of a surprise.

This lion had a companion on the other side of the house.  He was painted black.

My husband was so entranced by these rooftop lions that he didn't see the life size lion beside the front door.

We had to flip a u-turn and take a second look see. 

After viewing this marvel, hubby remembered something and tells me that he has a surprise on the way to Joanns.  After driving wayyyyyy out of the way I began to grow a little bit miffed.  What the heck?  Where were we going for Pete's sake? He laughed and refused to give me a hint.  Out of the blue he suddenly hollered for me to get my camera ready. 

It's a good thing that he was doing the driving because I probably would have crashed.  This was the last thing I expected to see! Painted lions, spotted leopards and fanciful headless creatures. Boy, this was worth the price of admission if I do say so myself. We gave one another a high five. 

Now if you have stone lions on your premises I hope you don't take offense.   Once you are on the lookout for the unusual use of lions, you can't stop.  Try it for awhile.  You'll see.

More Random Thingys

I like photographing my stuff.  Is that weird?  I have a difficult time getting on the computer when the hubby is home.  Is that weird?  I can hear him thinking "Again?"  Is that weird? 

Dad just had hospital visit number 5. I was hoping to do this and do that and finish working on something else but It looks as if I may be heading to my parents for a few days instead. Anyhows...

Took some more random photos of my fave things yesterday.  As previously, some of these items may have been posted before but I like photographing them.  Ignore me when I repeat myself.  Dear hubby says that it's my age. 

This beaded green thing below was a recent find on Ebay.  It had been described as beaded trim for a vintage dress.  That description didn't fit quite right.  The photo wasn't the best and wasn't much help.  I had a hunch, took a chance and placed a bid.  My instincts were correct.  It was instead a Victorian era miser's purse.   It has developed a teeny bit of rust over time but I surely don't mind.

This little guy just had to come home with me.  Get a look at that mug.  How could I walk away from that expression?  For 50 cents this  bitty kitty makes me grin on a daily basis.   I like to look at him while listening to music from the 20's-30's.  He's a great contribution to the ambiance.

Yeah  I know.  A grown women like myself REALLY needed Hello Kitty in a kimono. I did.  Really.  I was a flight attendant at the time I found her and I was a junior flight attendant at that.   One that was constantly being flown back and forth to Japan at the last minute.  She brings back many memories and the scent of green tea.

Found this Milan filled frame at an estate sale many moons ago.  $2.  It's a constant reminder that I have yet to visit Milan.  As if I need a reminder.

Cute pair of boots.

This little doggy followed me home recently.  Again I went all weak in the knees over his goofy expression and that red bow on his neck that looks like a Superman cape.

I'm always on the prowl for vintage doggy stuff.  This next photo makes me sad.
 
Sad because I cracked one of his petite companions in two the other day.  Look to the left of him.  One doggy butt and one detached head.

Perfume bottles, a vintage Eiffel Tower key chain and a Victorian wooden box with a hand painted Rialto Bridge.  My beloved Abby left teethmarks on the box.

A pretty, orange turn of the century ribbon.  Finely embellished and embroidered. 

I've had this tiny cardboard cigarette box for eons.  I love it because of the Egyptian motif.  It's another reminder.  A reminder that I have yet to travel to Egypt.  Egypt has always been the number one country on my list of countries to see before I die.  Wow.  That trip seems so out of reach at the moment.  Sigh.

Made me look.

It also made me stop. And buy.

Recently, my husband and I drove home from visiting family in two separate cars.  I wound up way ahead of him as usual.  About a block from my house I spotted the following:

I just about wrecked.  Laughing aloud I pulled over to the curb and whipped out my camera.   After mentioning to the young yard sale lady how much I loved her sign, she replied that no one else had seemed to have noticed it.  No one?  Screech! I could not pull over fast enough.

3 cd's of world music later, I raced home and called my husband as I sat on my front porch. He answered the phone laughing.  Yep.  He had just driven past Liberace in all his life size glory.   He knew exactly what I was calling about.  

I kind of hoped that he had stopped and inquired as to whether or not the owner would part with Liberace.  Maybe Liberace would be peeking over his shoulder as he came up the driveway?  No.  T'was not to be.  Where would we have put him anyways.  My husband and I are goofy like this.  He sticks things in my yard without telling me just because he can.  Like the gargoyle, the tiki man that looks like Obama, and the three faced head thingy that he brought home from the $1 store. If he HAD driven up with Liberace at his side, I wouldn't have been surprised.  I would have been laughing yes, surprised, no.

True love I guess.

The Silver Metal Lover

A rose by any other name
Would get the blame
For being what it is-
The color of a kiss
The shadow of a flame
A rose may earn another name.
So call it love;
So call it love I will
And love is like the sea
Which changes constantly,
And yet
Is still the same.

Tanith Lee

Great Gatsby Picnic

Years ago I read about a dream come true picnic in Victorian Magazine.    Referred to as the Great Gatsby Picnic, this was a yearly event that took place at  Dunsmuir Mansion in Oakland, California.  I didn't know it at the time but I would one day become a docent there.    Sadly my time as a docent at Dunsmuir was limited because my ex-husband soon after got a job transfer to Las Vegas, land of endless Victorian mansions and historical properties.  NOT.  I cried for days.  But that's a whole other story. 

Somewhere I still have a copy of that issue.  Where in blazes is it?  When it turns up I shall share.

The first chance I had I volunteered to work the day of the picnic.   That's me below in the vintage pink dress (not me up above with the happy feet!)  I don't know what happened to that dress darn it.  I know that I sold the vintage satin heels though.  That was a huge mistake.  Always think twice before parting with vintage shoes that are in great condition and wearable in YOUR size.  You may regret it later.

 

I remember being in absolute awe.  These people were not kidding around. 

 

Everyone dressed the part or made a grand effort to do so.   Everywhere I turned I saw authentic and period perfect outfits and accessories.

 

 

A vintage car club joins in on the festivities.

 

 

My ex-husband was not interested in participating so I attended by myself.   Happily, my current and final hubby loves all this sort of thing just about as much as I do.  My fingers are crossed and I don't know how now but we're hoping to attend next September.  It would be great to see a whole bunch of like minded and kindred spirit blog friends there.

As I find out more and dig up additional photographs (they're spread out all over the place) I'll add them here.

Lord Have Mercy, Chris Isaak

 

I don't know how it happened.  Somehow I got sidetracked and instead of walking the dog, I swooned over Chris Isaak on youtube for a half an hour. 

Years ago when I was still in High School,  there used to be a free magazine called BAM.  You could pick it up at record stores. Records stores wow.  They've gone the way of dial telephones.

One day I noticed this gorgeous, heavenly man on the cover.  Or was it a full page picture?  Not sure now.   Anyhow I was mesmerized.  I remember reading a description of his music.  I can't remember what the hay it said but I remember being immediately hooked.  I vowed that the first chance I had I would see him perform live.

Feign to deny it,  I fell in love with the man before I ever heard a sound from his sexy lips.

I saw him live at Bogart's in Long Beach.  Of course this club is long gone.   U drove for miles on a weeknight to see him croon live in San Juan Capistrano.    Did it several times actually.  I saw him perform a couple of times in San Francisco.   After all these wonderful performances and swooning over him from afar, would you believe that a friend of mine went to go see him and he shook her hand.  Or said "Hey Baby" to her or something to that effect.  Not fair!  Guess I shouldn't complain. 

It reminds me of another time that my friend Sylvia (or Silver as I called her) had her father take us to see Leif Garrett.  Girls were going psycho nut crazy.  I'm sure that we were too.  Somehow we got separated and I alone got to say hi to the teen idol and get his autograph.  TWO autographs mind you.

Afterward Silver begged and clawed at me to give her one of the signed photos.  No way man.  The more she made a scene the more I resolved not to give in to her.  Before you wonder how I could be so mean,  stop for a moment and remember what it was like to be a pre-teen girl.  If I remember correctly, she gave me the cold shoulder all the way home.  Back then you could ride free and easy in the back of pick up truck.  Trust me.  We were pals again before long. 

I digress.

Back to Chris dear.   It was during his Forever Blue tour that I was able to see him for free at the Aladdin in Vegas.  My husband at the time knew someone who worked there and I we luckily were given free tickets.  Old married woman that I was,  I swooned with the best of them and  walked away with an autographed t-shirt that I still have today. 

Take that Countess Jain Olenska.  Where are you by the way?

Yesterday

I spent the afternoon at Heritage House.

 

My husband thought it was funny that I got so worked up about my hair.  I had cut it into a 20's type bob earlier in the week.  I explained that the blouse I was wearing (with white on white embroidery) had late 1890's leg-o-mutton sleeves that clashed with my head.  Two entirely different time periods.  I've been meaning to create a hat and now I really have to get to it soon.  

I wore the little birdy brooch up above on my shirt.  To avoid any damage to the shirt I just pinned it through two eyelets.  I found this brooch on Ebay some time ago.  I won it for close to nothing and felt dreadfully guilty about it.  I think that it's just darling.

It was pretty slow at the house yesterday so I wandered about and took a few pictures.

You can glimpse book from the gift shop that I staff, propped up on the other side of this beautiful beveled glass window.

Love this little paperweight.  I actually have been lucky to own several of these of my own.  Sometimes they have a sturdy wire on the back to allow them to stand up on your desk or mantle.

I attempted to photograph myself in this huge mirror.   As you can see it came out all blurry but I kind of like the effect.  It looks nice and spooky.  

This one came out blurry too but you can still get an idea of how large the poof is on these sleeves.

Below is my favorite room in the house, the linen closet oh my.  Oh how I wish I had a space like this in my house.  I would love to have a small room or a huge walk in closet devoted to linens, textiles and fabric.   

I always tread carefully when in  this house and refrain from man handling anything but let me tell you how tempting it is to want to unfold every last thing in this room, one by one.

This particular photo is pretty high up on the wall.  I'm not sure what the flowers are made up but I love the effect.  I'm guessing that they were created fro

m some sort of shell?

Here is a pix of the gathering on the backside of the shirt that I wore.  My modern hands are not used to ironing such things.

Not used to ironing huge mutton sleeves either.   Luckily the cotton in this shirt appears to be strong and sturdy.  There are a few areas of thinning (that were not mentioned in auction I might add!)  but the fact that it was large enough to wear comfortably made up for it.   I own several vintage or antique tops that are suitable and sturdy enough to wear.  I'm trying to carefully rotate them to keep stress on the old delicate threads to a minimum.

Amazing how ornate everything had to be back then.   So pretty.

I just love all of these critters.  Look!  See that cute little bunny in the center? 

I just love all this shelf full of doggies.  Wish that I could bring them all home with me!

I've Been a Baaaaaad Girl

Ok.  Like a lot of you money is tight in our family.  VERY tight.   I go into the worst withdrawals every weekend because I am dying to bust out and go treasure hunting.   Well yesterday the husband was home and we ran around first thing in the morning running errands.  When we had finished we then strolled through a couple of small local antique malls. 

I crossed my fingers behind my back upon entering the first,  Please I hoped, let me only find a pretty postcard for a dollar!  A bit of antique lace for $2, or a bag of delightful old buttons for a few dollars more.  You get the picture. 

Did not turn out that way.  I wound up with the plate up above, an old sewing basket, a lovely old fringed textile and wonderful (unusual) vintage piece of wicker.   Long story short, I headed back to one of the stores later without the husband intending just to splurge on the sewing basket for $11. 

Shhhh....more pictures to come later.  Somebody else puh-leez tell me that you were also naughty this weekend!

Things that I've done and want to do again

I'd been seen this list here and there on the internet lately and decided to give it a try.  I was pleased to be able to check off more than I thought.  Of course this list means absolutely nothing if you have no desire to do these things in the first place.  I must confess to NOT being one of these folks.  Personally I would love to do almost everything on this list and go back and do what has been done again.  Is this being greedy?

1.  Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

HONORABLE MENTION:

8. & 11.  65. Does parasailing off a mountain in Austria count?

13.   Have not seen this but I have flown through numerous thunderstorms as a flight attendant.

17.   I've been inside the Statue of Liberty.  We were not allowed to walk to the top for security reasons. Does anyone know if this is still the case?

43.   I've purchased someone a sandwhich and a hamburger before. 

50.   Been to the Eiffel Tower several times but the line to go up was always too long.

85.   Read 1st half.

86.   Been to the White House but never inside.

I do believe that it's time to make a new list.

I have no interest in skinny dipping.