Tag: Murals

Seven Things I Love (4-5-2021)

  1. 1. This Comedian’s Solution to Gun Control – So simple. I’ve only recently discovered Steve Hofstetter and he’s hilarious. I start watching his videos on YouTube and end up watching for hours.

By the way, I bought a small portable (annotated) version of the constitution which I carry with me. I’ve been surprised at how often I refer to it. Originally I got it because I wanted to be like RBG – but I never thought I’d actually use it. Turns out there’s a very practical reason for carrying one around and it’s no surprise that Justice Ginsburg would know that.

2. This Roundabout Mural in My Hometown of Dubuque – I’ve never seen this myself but then I’ve not been “home” for a few years because, well, you know why. I was curious to see if this was a thing, if maybe artists were doing this around the US or even around the world but I couldn’t find any others (admittedly I only did one search.) I did, however, find that public traffic sculptures are a thing.

3. This Video Clip from Sesame Street – most of you who grew up on Sesame Street will remember John John. Be sure to watch all the way through and see if you don’t have a big smile on your face when this is over.

4. This Video from 1949 about a “Step-Saving” Kitchen, from the Department of Agriculture – Created for farming families, the video is pure vintage delight. Set aside for the moment the whole housewives (only) do all the cooking thing, and focus on the design aspect. There are actually many things I wish were standard components in today’s kitchens. The cookbook holder on the inside of the cabinet and the garbage hatch were two things I was most impressed by.

I also loved the counter height analysis. I wonder if they still make “pull-out boards”. As a taller person I find most counters are usually too low for me.

A few last thoughts… the video made me miss the “olden” days, just a little bit. Things like having a landline in the kitchen and the little desk you’d sit at while taking a call. I also thought it was interesting that they chose to have a woman narrating the video even though it was about architectural design. It’s a little bit of a relief to know that in 1949 they didn’t feel it would be necessary to have a man present the plans. I realize it was for something considered a “woman’s world” but it would have been the man making the decisions and paying for it.

5. These Hand-Painted Wallpapers – Anyone who knows me knows that I’m wallpaper junkie. And chinoiserie wallpaper, especially hand-painted chinoiserie wallpaper, well, it makes my heart go pitter-patter. When I bought my current house (it’s my Golden Girls’ Dream House,) I knew I absolutely had to have wallpaper put up in a few of the rooms. And so I did and in my opinion, the wallpaper I chose is magnificent. But admittedly, none of it can compare to these.


Chinoiserie (or China Style) “is the European interpretation and imitation of Chinese and other East Asian artistic traditions, especially in the decorative arts, garden design, architecture, literature, theatre, and music.”

From Wikipedia

The story of how de Gournay began could possibly be movie-worthy:

Started in 1986, founder Claud Cecil Gurney started de Gournay following an unsuccessful search for experts to restore the antique Chinoiserie wallpaper in his family home. His passion for art and Chinese history brought him to China where he investigated the possibility of working with local artists to replicate the pieces he longs for in his home.

Once in China, he quickly discovered the government’s preference for mass design, making traditional hand painting of wallpaper a dying art. In an effort to save the vanishing tradition, he widened his search and eventually located artists whose parents, grandparents and ancestors had been trained in these specific techniques and who shared his wish to continue the traditions.

De Gournay || The World’s Most Beautiful Hand-Painted Wallpapers; Pendulum Magazine; April 30, 2018

Swoon.

6. These Peeps Sandals – My friend Leann made these for Easter. I think they are adorable! Full disclosure, she said that it’s a bugger to work with marshmallow (even marshmallow that you’ve allowed to harden) and a glue gun.

7. This Training Video for Wendy’s Employees – Only in the 80s. It was a simpler time. MUCH simpler. (Still, this brought me much happines.)

Word of the Day


Quote of the Day

“All grown-ups were once children… but only few of them remember it.

~ Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince


It’s….

Do you have a library card?

Seven Things I Love ( 10-19-2020)

1. This Music – I’ve been working on this playlist for a while and although I don’t think it’ll ever be finished, at least I feel it’s good enough to put on my blog. Over twelve hours of my favorite tunes from the past fifty years (with a few outliers from before I was born.) I hope you enjoy it and feel free to share!

Now, on to the Menopausal Broad Christmas Playlist!

2. This new Mural in Milwaukee by Shepard Fairey titled “Voting Rights are Human Rights”

3. This Song by Demi Lovato, Commander in Chief – I’ve always been a fan of Demi Lovato but I think she’s underrated as an artist, disregarded as a “pop star.” I know that I thought that until I heard the song Stone Cold. It blew me away, what a voice. I wish she would do more songs like that. She was wasting her talent. But now she’s done this song. Fantastic. And the video, it makes my heart hurt. I hope she’s decided to start making songs with meaning.

4. This history about the Court case that killed “Ladies menus” – how many of you are old enough to have seen a menu or two without prices? Menopausal broads certainly are old enough.

Gloria Allred. Conservatives hate her, even conservative women. They can’t even recognize they are benefiting from her accomplishments. Conservatives don’t attack liberal powerhouses like Allred for what they are doing. Oh no. They attack them for things like being too loud or too aggressive or too unladylike. Because that’s what sexists do when they disagree with a strong woman. It’s a tactic people need to stop condoning.

5. This…. one’s for you Meta…

Baa Ram Ewe.

6. This Eight-Year-Old (who’s now nine), Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja, singing the National Anthem – no words necessary.

7. This Fisher Price Museum on Instagram – welcome back to your childhood! How many of them did your family have? The problem for me is that I recognize most of them and I can’t remember if we actually had them, if my cousin’s family had them, or if I saw them in the Toy Story movies. I hate my memory. Either way, it’s warm & fuzzy time and that’s all that matters.

Chatter Telephone from Mattel

Word of the Week


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