Blonde on Blonde

I love Bob Dylan. And I love Edie Sedgwick. A muse. Lithe and androgynous.  And I love that Bob loved Edie. But used her, in a way. Just like Andy Warhol did. Anyway, her style was amazing. The doe eyes, lined in black. heavy false eyelashes. Chandelier earrings. Black tights. Big vintage furs. I am posting my "Edie" coat on Etsy and will share here.

Ancient History through Photography

I found these old photos of children while antiqueing years ago. Where did these children live? The first photo has plants that look Southwestern. Maybe this was Texas or New Mexico. I love the little double-breasted coat and the hat the lad has on. The second photo is so charming in the creamy sepia tones and especially the pose the little girl is striking with the floppy brimmed hat. The third has a mysterious, atmospheric feel...it looks like the child is on the edge of a very deep abyss.

I Love Patti

Patti Smith is just the coolest. My kind of artist--androgynous, sensitive, not afraid to express her convictions, wild in a good way. Just saw her movie and loved it. I think the name is Dreams of the Heart. I will check that out. Anyway, her book Just Kids is pretty amazing, too.  Patti has had alot of tragedies in her life, with losing Robert Mapplethorpe, her husband, Fred and her brother. She never stopped creating.

Ancient History

In June, my sister Cindy and I went on a rescue mission. Saving old photos and memorablia from The Old Lawton House. We scooped up several stinky boxes of photographs and other ephemera. I haven't had a chance to even look at them since our initial sorting-out and they are still in my car. But today I had to retrieve something out of the car, and happened upon a primitive little wooden box with yarn, shells and other trinkets saved. Found these two images which I dearly love. One is of a twisted tree--very strange. I don't know what kind of tree it is, but it is really bizaar. The other image I think is one of the mighty oaks that lined the drive. A pretty girl with a straw hat and a white dog is posing in front of the tree. We always called these oaks the "Snake Trees" because of the abundance of black snakes that habitated there.

My Westwood Mansion

I have loved living in my Westwood home. It is a fabulous Queen Anne Victorian built in 1903. The entry parlor is one of the amazing features of my house with it's inlaid bordered floor, hand-painted English tiled fireplace, oak-columned stairway entrance, and toweringGerman executed stainglass window. I love the inlaid tile porch with it's meandering design snaking around the circular expanse. The house has a tower and I will never have a house with a tower again!

Missing My Dogs

August marks the anniversary of Bob, my big collie's death. Bob was a big, beautiful boy and he is missed. I found Bob about 12 years ago, after my other collie, Dugan was hit by a car. It was a nasty accident, but Dugan survived, but was crippled by the bad break. Well, I was going to the Y, and there was Bob, trotting down the sidewalk, dragging a big chain behind him. He was friendly and I grabbed the chain and walked him home. I reported him as a lost dog to the SPCA and the owner was located. He didn't want Bob! He was a minister ready to go out West and I guess Bob was too much to deal with. Well, he did tell me a funny story about going to Kings Island (an amusement park) and people seeing Bob in the car (I don't know why Bob was taken to an amusement park) thought that Bob was an attraction! I thought that was funny.

I hope you are looking down from Heaven, Bob and knowing that we love you.

Grey Gardens Fan

I am such a fan of Big Edie and Little Edie. The Beales. Eccentric mother and daughter team who lived in the rambling, decadent 26-room Hampton estate, Grey Gardens. The Mayles' brother documentary was unheralded in it's honest, unjudgmental view of the strange relationship between mother, Big Edie, and daughter, Little Edie. Aside from all the psychological web of love, abandonment, loss of dreams, clinging to the past, I am in love with the style...the decor of decadent, the clutter, the collections, the dust over family treasures and of course, the fashion of Little Edie. Silk headscarves with mink coats, bathing suits with black tights and white heels, shirts worn as turbans, brooches on the turbans. Wow.

The World's Biggest Yard Sale, Part 1

So yesterday was my day to visit the World's Biggest Yard Sale in Covington, Kentucky. I think this is the "headwaters" for this happening event. I arrived fairly early, around eightish, and was off to the races, so to speak. My first find was four roller skating cases, super colorful with neat graphic appeal. The girl was a collector and I think she regretted selling them. I love them! You will see them in my shop, because I collect wicker and leather suitcases and can't start another suitcase fetish :). I also bought a small vintage globe from her. Then to a wonderful older Irish woman who had some beautiful clothes. I bought a thirties crepe dress in a lovely rich cream. I think she wanted to sell it to my friend Emily, who owns the charming Otto's restaurant, but I really wanted it. It also will go into the shop. Then, the most beautiful, aged doctor's bag. I really love this and might keep it around for a bit and love on it. I am posting a photo of a charming tinted photograph I bought today (I'm bad, went today also!) of a Jane Hathaway type camper with her muskie catch.

The World's Biggest Yard Sale

No, get out! This is totally my cup of tea, or joe. I love, love, love yard sales and this is the Big Kahuna of all Yard Sales. It starts around here, in Kentucky, I think and goes all the way down to the Deep South. I'm leaving in a few to go check it out in Covington, Kentucky. I have to make a quick run then home to clean for a house showing at 3:00.

I'll probably go on Saturday and Sunday also, because you never know what treasure is lurking out there. I'm really into books now, well I've always been, but am starting to buy to sell. I'm posting an a adorable Grimm's Fairy Tales with the best cover of Little Red Riding Hood.

Heat Wave via Global Warming

Yesterday, here in the Queen City, was the hottest day ever. I think it was 109F with the heat index. There was getting around it...it was impossible to feel ok about being outside. I've taken to wearing a Banana Republic gray tank top with the sheerest little cotton shirt and cotton carpenter shorts and this has become my daily uniform. I even go jogging in this getup. Well, I drove to Covington to pick up some dandy linens from my beloved linen guru Beth and almost cooked while walking down the street. Seriously. Felt like the Earth left the oven on while us earthlings were just sitting on the oven shelf. Nothing like feeling like you are slowing being heated up, with no control!

I've also taken to wearing the hair up in a little bun. This little vintage crochet top might be my next going out look...hmmm. Maybe layered over the tank  top.

Trials of City Living

I guess it  doesn't matter if you live in the country or the city, but I don't like the whole locking-up-everything mentality. I do lock my car and my house at night, but recently, after several thefts, I have taken to shutting all the downstairs windows and locking them and also leaving porch lights on. I really hate that stale air that hits me when I walk downstairs. Well, I'm the naive one and rather stupid, because I have left my garage unlocked and no surprise, got my mower stolen. They must have come in the heavy bi-fold doors around 2:00AM (my neighbor's dog barked then, they told me), so they had to move a little iron fence, then  shuffle things around in the garage to get the mower out). The thing is, I think I know who did it...a naer-to-well kid who I am sure is a crackhead. So, I have a lock on the door now and am pulling my Element all the way to the heavy bi-fold doors, so there is no way to open them. Today I am going to cable lock them from the interior. But being city or country, thieves will always happen. p.s. the rhodendron is from my city garden this spring and has nothing to do with thievery :)

Flea Market Daze

Today is the first Sunday of the month, so it's off to Lawrenceburg, Indiana for the monthly Sunday Antique Market. I'm always on the lookout for linens and especially curtains; lace, dotted swiss, barkcloth. I ran out of the house without my checkout and only took out $60, so my buying was greatly curtailed. I found a neat wire basket and a great cake tin with an aeroview of Manhattan and scenes of NYC on the four sides of the tin. Jim said it was very Ayn Rand. I think we might have to keep it! My favorite linen dealer, Beth, was excited to show my the collection of Victorian linens she has been stockpiling....and oh my goodness, they were extraordinary! Shams, a beautiful sheet, monograms, gorgeous and the best old fabric. Beth was a doll and took a deposit, since I was cash poor. I'm going to meet her in Covington to pick up all my goodies.