Dusk on the Dock

a little fishing


one last pass before night rolled in


the intense pink and deep navy sunset
Click to embiggen!

Uninteresting? Happy? Moi?

I've been tagged by the stylish From the Right Bank to the Left Coast to come up with six uninteresting things that make me happy - all those who think they already know too much about me and none of it could be called interesting, can just be quiet and those who say I'm rarely happy can move along. I'm in no mood for sarcasm today, I'm going to be positively full of joy!

In no particular order:


The water - coastline, lakes, bays, the ocean - it doesn't matter, to see the water every day makes me calm and happy


Snow - the first fat flakes falling out of the night sky and the crisp crunch of the icy crystals the following day.


Expressive flowers: blooms that beckon and sensual blossoms



The smell of old books: cloth covered or leather-bound and the age-stained pages of old encyclopedias


Seasonal food: A plate of fresh red cherries... or heirloom tomatoes ripened in the sun... or a simple salad


The clink of glasses, that happy sound that signals the start of a celebration, or a simple meal shared with friends. Cheers!

Now I'm tagging six inspiring people to do the same:
Nadine at Bouler Design Group
Another New Yorker Just Off the Taconic
Heidi at faboolosity
Jenni at ThirteenEleven
Kathleen from House Things I Like
and The House on Red Hill
All you have to do (but only if it makes you happy) is to find uninteresting things that make you happy, choose 6 people to tag and link your post back to me...

Objets d'Art et du Désir

Some objects just speak to me:

Terracotta Head

Yes!

Deco Meditating Buddah Sculpture

Definitely.

Pair of Metal Heads by Franz Hagenauer

Maybe.

European Skull Candlestick

No!

Doorstop Gnome with Keys

Oh, please...

Rare Pearl Panda

Now you're just toying with me, aren't you?.
Obviously your style and taste may vary! All collectible objects, desirable or not, and many others available on the Vintage and Modern website.

More birds... all around

Skimming the water


Diving


Drying off


Flying in formation (Canada Geese)

Osprey in Flight

Sometimes you happen to be in the right place - the deck of the Beach Association, for example


on the right evening - calm, sunny, with a bizillion tiny fish in the bay that attract the Bluefish


and the right lens on your camera

Egret on a Rock

Not much of a sunset last night at the beach but there were compensations... more bird photos to follow...

If only it had rained today...

I wouldn't have popped out to the nursery to get a basil plant to replace the purple basil that disappeared over the weekend and been seduced by


the sign that read "20% off Hostas",


the smell of catmint in the air


and the florescent green Irish moss.
I came home with a summer planter full of annuals, 12 pots of moss, three hostas, I catmint, 3 liquorice plants, and a large pot of basil. It's official, I have absolutely no will power.

In the yard

The last blooms on the azaleas and rhododendrons have faded and fallen and although the peonies and the late dogwood are out there's little color in the yard by the second week in June. That means, of course, less admiring the garden and more chores.
So yes, there was a FOURTH attempt at setting the stone on the steps to the front door - this time scraping it right back to the foundation. (Probably should have done that first time). No one is allowed to look at it, much less step on it, so it could be a while before we know if we are successfully cemented in. Last time it seemed ok - until the torrential rain loosened the side mortar. I have fingers, toes and eyes crossed for this one.
There was the horrible moment when I put the gardening gear in the garage and I heard chewing coming form the overhang - which meant we hadn't killed all the bees last session. I stuck a kid's paintbrush in the poison dust and poked it into one of FOUR new holes - and touched a bee. That surprised both of us! It stopped chewing but turned it into a coughing, buzzing, shiny black mass of madness. It flew out and landed dizzily on the path whereupon I put it out of its misery. Next month there will be the ritual filling of the holes, followed by the staining of the siding, This never gets old. Not.
The Guy lovingly painted several new examples of poison ivy with the most effective of herbicides - taking great care not to drip it on the pachysandra or rhododendrons. (I'm a super swelling, steroid needing, extra-specially sensitive soul that gets a full body rash from touching the dog who brushed against it hours earlier so I leave this to the so-far immune member of the family). I feel this is going to be an on-going chore this season.
All the windows were washed - outside and in. We carried the outdoor pool furniture up from the basement, set it out and cleaned that, too. (The pool is actually colder then when we opened it, 66F. No one will be dipping in there this week).
The lilac bush at the back of the pool that was toppling over and threatening to decapitate anyone going back there was pruned back - hopefully we'll get more growth from the base and many more blossoms next Spring.
A gorgeous new yellow Hosta generously donated by the Awesome Designer was planted, but will be replanted this week in a more commodious spot. White Impatiens lovingly planted by neighbor Barbara the entrance to the cul-de-sac were rescued from under the fringes of the day lilies and given some more light at the edges of the bed.
Weeds were pulled and death was removed from the lawn, the flower beds and the pool skimmers.

Of course it wasn't all work: dinner was eaten al fresco, steak grilled by the Loyal Blog Reader for the Awesome Designer's family from New Mexico, The Guy and I. Later, specimen maple seedlings were dug and bagged ready for a trip to the southwest, where we hope they will find some hospitable soil amongst all the sand... (and fewer weeds as well).

Futuro House Auctioned

A mid-century icon, one of the original podlike Futuro houses by Finnish architect Matti Suuronen was sold June 2 by Wright as part of their Important Design auction. The prefabricated house had an estimate of $50,000-$70,000, far less than the 140,000 euros another Futuro house fetched at Christie's in Paris less than two years ago.

A sort of futuristic cabin, Futuro houses were light (made of polyester plastic and fiberglass), easily transportable anywhere by helicopter and first used as ski lodges or summer homes. From 1968 fewer than 100 Futuro Houses were built, but they ended up in places as far flung as Belgium, New Zealand and Mill Creek Park Willingboro, NJ. They were sold in the United States for between $12,000 and $14,000 but by 1978 tastes had changed and oil prices had made them uneconomical to produce. Originally designed to sleep 6-8, equipped with a kitchen and, as an upgrade, a fab fireplace, Futuro houses have since found other uses - as media rooms, gas stations, even the "special room" at a strip joint - but you can still stay in a Futuro vacation house in the woods near Milwaukee, Wisconsin to get the full alien spaceship experience.

For more information and a complete history of Futoro try to find a copy of the book and dvd package: Tomorrow's House from Yesterday By Marko Home and Mika Taanila

Egg Chair (Leather)

Vintage leather Arne Jacobsen Egg Chair 1958. Drop. Dead. Gorgeous.
One of a pair at Wright's Important Design auction. Details here.

Baycrest Beauty For Sale*

Remember this tour and this slideshow of historical houses in the Incorporated Village? Both featured the wonderful domed towers and windows of this Victorian (1887) shingle-style beach cottage. It's been on the market as a rental for a while and is now for sale. If I had a yen for an older house I'd seriously consider this one. It's architecturally charming, the views to the Bay are lovely and I could fulfill all my Rapunzel fantasies from the turret.

4 Bedroom Guesthouse

The 1.6 acre property features a guesthouse and a barn plus all the desired amenities (pool, tennis court, beach rights). I can vouch for the roof being new, as I watched the shingles being stapled not so long ago, and I could hear the thwack of balls last summer so the tennis court is probably in good shape but there are no pictures of the pool, and all I know about the interior is what I can see on the agent's website and that doesn't include any shots of the kitchen. Red Flags!

*The list price is very fair for the size of the house and the area but the taxes might make you choke on your breakfast cereal... so put down your spoon before you click here (or here) for more details.

Another Evening, Another Sunset

Suffice to say every one is different and every one a winner.

This is from Saturday. I had let the battery on the Canon rebel run out and I didn't think it was going to be a stellar sunset so I only had my iphone. It turned out pretty good regardless - a little Turner, a little Rubens - pinks, orange, purple and grey-blue. Click, as always, to embiggen.

Come hither...

Spending too much time communing with nature... I think it's beckoning me

Birds, Jellyfish and Sushi

Thursday wasn't just a successful day in terms of house maintenance, it was also the day I overcame one of my irrational fears.

I'm pretty sure my lunch partner had no idea I'm scared stiff of these things. After all, I managed not to do what I usually do when I find myself in close proximity to flying, flapping, feathered animals: scream loudly and run away as fast as possible.

I was sitting four inches from this scene so it was impossible to ignore mama bird feeding her babies. Every time we tried to take a photo she'd fly off but return a minute later with a tiny worm or caterpillar. It was just so darn cute I was fascinated and, because the nest is in a window box, protected from too close an encounter by the glass.  I have no idea what kind of bird it is but I'm guessing a warbler. Anyone know? Here's a couple of really quick videos of her hopping in and flying off. If you want to see them in person you'll need to go here for sushi.

We were supposed to be snapping shells and sea glass but between spending hours cooing over the baby birds and the earlier thunderous downpour we had to put those plans on hold. Despite the persistent drizzle we stopped at Huntington Harbor for a quick photo shoot.

There's always something to see, boats of course - or pedalos. This time the water was teeming with jellyfish. I'm not worried by sea critters (especially when I'm on land and they aren't) so I wasn't afraid to lean in close.

Of course no photo shoot is complete without a few shots of The Cool House and the yard in the rain. Lousy weather but a pretty successful day.

Not just for cocktail wieners...

Speaking of wood, we've had an issue with the bi-fold doors in the mud room for a while now. The screws simply won't hold the hinges in place anymore, and because these are hollow core doors rather than the solid doors elsewhere in The Cool House using longer screws isn't an option - after all you can't screw into air.

It had obviously been a problem before we bought the house, the hinges had been moved once already. We tried filling the screw holes with plastic wood and gorilla gluing/liquid nailing the hinges directly to the door but the constant back and forth motion eventually loosened the screws, foiling our best efforts and leaving someone holding a falling door and yelling for help!

Last week I'd had enough and marched down to our local True Value to find the answer to my wood woes. I was expecting to be pointed in the direction of super glues and wood fillers but I was offered a really cheap solution: cocktail sticks. The trick is to break off screw length pieces of the stick, two or three or more, depending on the size of the hole and stuff them into it and fasten the screw into these tiny chips of wood.

I was really dubious, after all how many miracle solutions work? But I tried it straightaway and it's held up since. So there you have it, a problem that's caused at least two families endless headaches fixed with one cocktail stick, which we already had, and the right advice from a pro. Cost $0. It was a pretty good day.

Nakashima Woodwork

Conoid bench with back, 1968

For the longest time I have been in love with the distinctive benches, tables and chairs of mid-century designer and furniture maker George Nakashima.  I adhere to his philosophy of "no style", which I take to mean let the object be itself, showcase the raw source and use its imperfections to make a more beautiful piece of furniture.

Arlyn Table, 1988

Not rough-hewn but lovingly finished, natural splits in the wood are tied with his signature butterfly ties and the unique form of burl wood is celebrated for its dynamic shape. 



Other woodworkers have been inspired by his aesthetics and style to produce custom handcrafted furniture. This 6' bench was recently for sale on ebay.

via remodalista

Nakashima influenced designs fit seamlessly into almost any decor - Asian, Modern, Country, and every room - here on a porch,

in designer Shamir Shah's living room (featured in Interior Design), and even in tile designer Sarah Baldwin's bathroom.

Conoid Chair 1988

The beauty and radiance of genuine Nakashima furniture is outstanding.  To wonder at the range and craftsmanship of this unique designer visit the online gallery of vintage pieces at Moderne Gallery or the slideshow of the George Nakashima and Knoll: The Making of an Object exhibit that runs until June 6 at The Design Center at Philadelphia University.

The Nakashima legacy continues under the guidance of his daughter Mira and a team of dedicated woodworkers at New Hope Pennsylvania. Tours of the showroom and property are given throughout the year, contact George Nakashima Woodworker for details.

It's Friday so go visit old houses at Hooked on Houses and Fifi Flowers is giving away a Coco Chanel book (small girly scream)

Ben: Capturing Color

I've been having some difficulty pinpointing the exact shade, tint and hue of paint I need to decorate The Cool House but come June 1st my problems will be solved by Ben.

Ben, or more properly, ben® Color Capture™ is a free iphone app developed by paint manufacturer Benjamin Moore that digitally matches photos to to any one of the 3,300 or so colors in Benjamin Moore’s system. I'll tap the app and let ben do the rest.

Using the iphone camera, I'll snap my inspiration image and zoom in on any part of it.  A strip of colors will appear on the screen under the image, with the closest match highlighted, I can then save my preferred shade to my favorites. Shaking the phone will give me four co-ordinating colors or I can use the app to access the BM full spectrum color wheel. 

Then all I need to do is go to the nearest paint store (using the iphone's GPS system to locate it) and say "I want it this color". Ben should making choosing paint easy and fun, and I'll be downloading it from iTunes first thing Monday morning.

Hues, Tints and Shades

I've been pondering the difficulty in defining a color, an issue I illustrated while trending pink and chartreuse.

There is, of course, the dictionary definition:

   "color refers to the wavelength composition of light, shade is a gradation of color referring to its degree of darkness, tint is a gradation referring to its degree of lightness, and hue indicates a modification of a basic color... hue is the quality of a color that makes it possible to call it bluish green, etc. (the color of a color); shade is a color variation having to do with the value of a hue (lightness or darkness), and tint is a pale variation of a color". 

But that lacks the necessary visual clarity.

Now, thanks to a link from VSL, you can take the Munsell Hue Test and arrange colors in hue order to determine your color I.Q.

I scored 33, which while not bad is far from perfect. You?