Tuesday on my mind ...

Can you keep a secret?!

I was presented with another award this week, by Ingrid of Fashion is My Muse! This one is really cool - I love the text that comes with it - I love the graphic itself - and, of course, I love that it came from one of my favorite bloggers!

Being a huge fan of Jane Austen, especially Sense & Sensibility and Emma, I was delighted to receive the Excessively Diverting Blog Award from Ingrid at Fashion is My Muse.

The aim of the award is to acknowledge writing excellence in the spirit of Jane Austen's genius in amusing and delighting readers with her irony, humour, wit and talent for keen observation. Recipients will uphold the highest standards in the art of sparkling banter, witty repartee and gentle reprove.

Recipients please claim your award. You may post the badge, list the name of the person who nominated you and link to their blog. Then you many nominate others that you feel meet or exceed the standards set forth. But if you are award-weary or have already won this award before, please just enjoy the honour!!!



Congratulations to all of you!!! You deserve the award and the associated honours. I am addicted to your blogs!

Two years ago, we were privileged to see the Royal Shakespeare Company production of Midsummer Night's Dream. It was an amazing production on many levels. First, of course, was the acting: simply the best of any Shakespeare play I've ever seen. They had the very skillful - and unique - ability to make every single word sound like contemporary English. There was never a moment when the actors were not believable and accessible and right in the moment. Then there was the vision of the director and designers. This was the dirtiest Midsummer I've ever encountered! These faeries were not pretty and fanciful - they were dark and mysterious and downright creepy at times. Instead of the usual butterflies and birds around, the walls had enormous flies and moths and creepy insects of an unknown sort walking them. This was a very dangerous group of woodland sprites - and it was fascinating!

So, why write about it now? Well, we just watched the Royal Shakespeare Company's film version of Midsummer. What a difference! This production had the same wonderful acting - but the vision was completely different ... more traditional - but the most exquisite production ever!
It is very naive, in that it doesn't have the special effects that the (in my opinion, even if it's the only one!) very good 1999 film version with Michelle Pfeiffer, Rupert Everett and Kevin Kline had going for it. But the naive quality of the art direction simply made the "magic" more magical. If you love antique toys, toy theatres, dolls, etc., you will love the opening sequences! There is also a wonderful scene in which a young boy starts to play with his toy theatre, and the play that happens is the faery woods scenes. Charming! If you get a chance, take the two hours and enjoy!

In a total change of pace ... isn't this woodwork simply stunning?! I want to live with this room so badly! It has everything I love about interior design - dignity and history, colour and fancy, and a whimsical colour scheme that totally honors the historical architecture. Gorgeous!
Yesterday I was tossing my mail in a pile and realized that I had gorgeous colour-coordinated mail! My Somerset Publications "Marie" magazine arrived - and it was the perfect background for my blue and green Color Groupies March swap from Lenna! Lenna always has the best envelopes! And her cards are gorgeous. If you aren't familiar with her work, be sure to visit her at Creative Lenna. And, if you're a class/workshop person, she gives wonderful workshops both online and in her studio. Naturally, I realize this is a perfectly nonsensical issue to blog and hardly worth reading about ... but I just thought the colours were all so nice together! Somebody! Grab a crow bar and pry that camera out of my hands!

I still haven't read "Marie" yet ... Tuesday nights are too filled with American Idol and Law and Order:SVU to read! (If you're not an American Idol fan, just ignore this: GO ADAM!)

A somewhat better view of Lenna's ATC for me ... the beads kind of distort the image on the scanner. But it's pretty clear - isn't it pretty?! I just can't make fabric stuff that small!
Well, Dusty decided that I should be up, awake and out for a walk at six o'clock this morning, so I do think that I deserve a bit of a nap before I start doing whatever it is that I'm going to do today. And whatever it is, it must not be shopping on either eBay or Etsy; yesterday I was simply shameless about ordering things. I'm beginning to think I need a twelve step program.

Enjoy your day ... I know that after I take my nap ...

I'm going to make something wonderful and beautiful - why don't you do the same?!

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(¸.•´ (¸.•´♥ Tristan ♥