Monday, March 15, 2010

Do I really care about Spring flowers? ... and a quick Contest!

I love Spring flowers and all. But I've had it with the Spring rains. If I have to do without flowers, maybe it would be okay. We've had three solid days of non-stop rain. That I can deal with. It's the leak in the kitchen ceiling that I can't deal with. It makes me very sad.
Then, realizing that a mere four years ago, we completely gutted and remodeled our kitchen, only to have it flooded by a broken water heater the next year and had to redo all the floors and baseboards and kickplates. That wouldn't have been quite as dreadful if the following year we hadn't had another flood caused by a new dishwasher, and had to relive through the floorboards warping again and having to be replaced. Now a ceiling leak flood. I'm just getting ticked off.

Then, after calling the condo manager, I discover that the maintenance crew is on vacation this week and won't be in until this Friday. Did I mention we're having non-stop rain? I'm afraid I wasn't kind on the telephone. I'm fairly certain the air turned blue.sigh. I guess I might as well get used to this look. In fact, I might as well adapt it as my permanent style.
One bright spot - it's not nearly as bad in my kitchen as the Paris floods of 1910, when approximately a million people were displaced from their homes. The city had to erect 9 foot wooden boardwalks to get people through the streets.
Isn't this a totally cool house?! Actually, it's a five foot high fantasy cabinet, completely constructed of stone, and two front doors open to reveal a glass shelf with Italian walnut veneer interior. Wouldn't this be a marvelous liquor cabinet?
So many of Marilyn's final photos were taken by Bert Stein - and most of them have become very well known. But I had never seen this series of photos taken with her covered by a piece of lace. What an absolutely incandescent woman! Be sure to click the image to get a larger one (just as with almost all the photos on my blog).
I'm fairly certain I went to kindergarten with this greedy little girl. I didn't like her all that much.
I love high style when it helps people with four arms look fashionable.
Are you bored at work? Or at home? Just download this image, enlarge it and print it ...
and play knight and dragon on your desktop! La! How jolly!
This Day of the Dead Shoe is one of my favorite Day of the Dead shrines. Frankly, I'm not even sure the artist knows he/she made a Day of the Dead Shoe shrine. If he/she doesn't know, I hope he/she reads this and discovers it!
Ahhhhhhhh. My high school graduating class. Or, was this my first cult membership? Well, whichever, memories are grand, aren't they?!
I must must must have this for my Christmas wrapping paper this year!
Have you been looking for the perfect bimbo patterns? Here you go! Get that sewing machine steaming! Whether or not you're going to be Ann Margaret or Tuesday Weld on Hallowe'en, we've gotten the perfect look for you! Please note: bullet brassieres not included.
Odo No Ro! As Astro said, "rah row!"
I found this ad in an antique shop last week. It's about 24" high and was probably a store display advertisement. I find it amusing that they used Marie Antoinette as an "endorsement" of the product, seeing as how it's - um - highly doubtful she shaved under her arms! Oh, those tricky tricky Mad Men! I don't know what I'm going to do with it - but I had to have it. Probably it will sit on a shelf until someday I say, 'what the heck do I have this for?' and toss it.


Contest Time!
Why are these men dressed this way and what is the occassion? First person to get it correct wins a special prize. Now, what is that prize? I don't know. But I always find something good ... at least, nobody has complained yet. Maybe they were just being kind?
PLEASE NOTE: WE HAVE A WINNER!

Okay. I've got to go empty the pots on the floor of the kitchen, finish up a wall hanging that is almost there, start dinner, and get ready for an evening of television with the steady drone of water dripping. Here, we call that multi-tasking.
Go make something beautiful!
♥´¨)
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*´¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´♥ Tristan

34 comments:

Marsha @ Tattered Chick said...

ROTFL, I have NO idea . . . but the "embellishment" on their hats is rather interesting . .

Love those photos of Marilyn!!

I can just imagine how fed up you are . . . . we have one window in the kitchen that leaks and the window's been replaced, roof has been replaced . . . no CLUE where the water is coming from!??!?!

((Hugs))

Rebecca Nelson said...

Sorry about your leak! :(

Now, Mr. T...I don't care WHAT those men are doing in their tighty blue pants but they look SCARY to me!

hahahah

Love Marilyn in the veil. BEAUTIFUL!

Rebecca

Anonymous said...

Well... I was doing rather well & enjoying your post until I came to those badly bikini clad team mates. What are they doing you ask???? Searing my eyes....OMG....Now I will have to watch a segment something really bad on TV to get the image out of my head!!%@(!!! ROFLMBO!!
Hope you dry out soon!!
Love,
Marilyn
xxoo

Cindi Myers said...

I don't have any idea what they are doing!
But the second guy from the left.....that's the one I'd be watching LOL!

Kaerie Faerie said...

Sorry to hear of your repeat leaking, homeownership is a bitch, as is that bitching photo, guys in boots and matching undies, no clue looks European only they would do stuff like that, Americans are toooo uptight LOL
thanks for sharing
your fairy friend
Karey

Createology said...

Hello Mr. Tristan! How did you know I was wondering where you have been? I am sorry about your rain and ceiling leaking. Sounds like you need a new abode. I like the one out of stone with the glass shelf. Oh Marilyn...you are just so alluring! Love the shoe shrine (try saying that fast). I think these guys are a live chess game in Tim Burton's Alice. LOL I have no idea. Put on your swimmies and stay dry. I will try to share my sunshine and send some your way. Love your blog and thank you for sharing. Happy creating...

Sue said...

Stealing a comment from one of my fave bloggers:

I hate to make light of your problems, but this post was hysterical.

http://tristanrobinblakeman.com/spewcoffee.gif

And the guys with the necktie fez hats and the bad Ed Hardy looking tighties? Mongolian male folk wrestlers at an event in NY. Dressed like this, just so we know that they are male. LOL

Hugs

Tamerie Shriver Halliday said...

Oh my gosh! Those speedo-clad boys are just a it much! Did they not look in the mirror before they left the house? Their mothers must be so proud!

Hope your kitchen situation gets resolved quickly. Rain, rain, go away!

Love the squirrel picture!

Hugs,
Tamerie

Shell said...

I feel your pain. I've had the ceiling leak in my place to ruin my kitchen and bedroom
..in my living room..the radiator leaked twice..so i had to get my floors redone twice.
Water damage is a bitch!!!!

jaz@octoberfarm said...

i think i went to grade school with the girl you went to kindergarten with. she projectile vomited at least 4 times a week at lunchtime when she drank her milk out of her thermos. either her mother was poisoning her because she didn't like her, or her mother had maunchhausers (spelling?..too tired to look it up), or she was lactose intolerant before anyone knew what that was. all i know is most of us all dry heaved 4 times a week. the nuns never cleaned it up. they just had even more miserable looks on their faces and sprinkled some weird granular stuff on it to preserve it for the janitor. no wonder i am weird.

Debby said...

hehehe..I know I shouldn't be laughing but you have cracked me wide open, you nut!!! When I got to your new look I about lost it, some how it just doesn't work. Love the Marilyn pics and I haven't a clue who those goofy's are in the picture, actually I don't want to know. I hope you get your leak fixed soon, that just plain sucks! Thanks for the smile and making my dogs think I have gone mad from cackling at a computer screen.
Hugs,
Debby

Jorge de Rojas said...

Sounds to me like you should make your kitchen your bathroom. Love the shoe, only you could find something so incredulously marvelous! Thanks again for putting a smile on my face. BTW what are those men up to? They look like the chorus for RuPaul.

The Joy of Nesting said...

Hello Kiddo!!

You know most of the time I can resist from drooling and lusting over the many treasures you dig up. BUT I must must must have the Day of the Dead Shoe!!!!!! It truly is the most beautiful and unique DOD shrine I have ever seen!!!

Hey that's not Squeekie Fromme in the front row is it???

Pattie ;)
Mazatlan Mx.

PS No it's definitely left over varnish. Tiles aren't usually laid on wood in these parts think small humidity loving critters. :)

audrey said...

Tristan, there are some scarey looking people (including children) on this post. LOL! I do love that DOTD Shoe Shrine. I would say that is a definite winner!!
Sorry you are having water problems. I hope you can get it taken care of soon.
Thanks for another interesting post.
♥ audrey

Malisa said...

Okay...I had to go change my underwear because that little girl in photo 2 just scared the poop out of me! Meeeeeeeeeaaaaan!

I am just wondering by posting that crotch shot photo, if you are trying to prepare us for Lady Gaga's naked vajaja shot? :)

I think I dated some of the guys from your graduating class! Small world!

I know you already have a winner (dammit), but I am guessing those fashion minded teammates are Siberia's Winter Olympic Frozen Water Aquatic Ballet Team. Right?

Sorry about your leaks. Bummer! However, the high water pants become you! :)

Unknown said...

It stinks about the leaks. I grew up in a house with perpetual problems like that and I have to say.... I actually enjoy renting! I just complain when something goes wrong and someone else fixes it!

I am enraptured by the desk set. My cube is chock full of stuff like that, although my favorite is a Stonehenge model that I knock over with my mini gnomes then rebuild. Have to do something while I patiently listen to people complain.....

The shoe is FABULOUS. The Christmas paper is a hoot, too. I would be thrilled to receive a package wrapped in it... would expect something marvelous and unexpected to come out of the package wrapped like that!

KeKe said...

Tristan, OMG! LOL Where do I even begin??
I am sooo sorry to hear of your leaky kitchen problems. I'm afraid I wouldn't have been too nice to the condo ppl either.

The little girl is a trip~She looks awfully greedy...lol, but it did make me laugh. I needed a good laugh!! Thank you~

Stephanie Suzanne Designs said...

Honestly, I think someone pissed off the plumbing contractor when that place was being built! Poor thing....what a mess and I know it has taken it's toll on you.

Have no idea what those guys are doing..but it can't be anything too physical or else they'd lose their head piece. :0)

The bimbo pattern is fabulous! Now if only my waist were that tiny! That Day of the Dead shoe is really great!

I hope it stops raining soon so you can get some relief.

Hugs,
Stephanie ♥

said...

I couldn't even begin to imagine but they don't look like they're in the U.S.

p.s. I love that Odorono ad - I've never seen one in color before! I have a couple b&w ones on my Flickr.

Claudia said...

Sorry about the leaks. When I was in grad school our apt. had a leaking roof and we had pails everywhere. All winter and spring long.

Love the photo of the greedy little girl - she's cracking me up!

Claudia

Jingle said...

So sorry about the leaks! That is SO not fun! That shoe is freaking amazing!!! I'm blissfully ignoring the scary kid in photo 2 and the less than perfect bodies in less than enough clothing further on down the line. However, the squirrel - that makes me smile. Squirrels have a way of doing that to me, though.

Georgina said...

Wow, talking about something completely different!! Now can you desensitize us to that photo!! Interesting head gear, but I'm clueless as to what this contest with these undie clad men are doing!! But I need to get this image out of my head and head on out to the mall for my daily walk...maybe I'll see something to take my mind off your photo!!! LOL

And yes, we are put completely under for our colonscopy. My daughter had one where she was awake and said it was a horrible experiences...can't imagine!! I'm given some wonderful drugs and off I go to dreamless land...wonderful!!

Have a great week and take care.

xxoo,
Georigna

Anonymous said...

I really love to read your posts Tristan! You find the best pictures! They almost always make me smile : )

You have a delightful (if not frustrating) day...

Maybe you need to appeal to the rain Gods and the kitchen brownies/eves to quit playing in your kitchen.

sexyjavabelle said...

That little girl gritting her teeth is freakin scary! yikes! I love your post, you crack me up! i dont know what those bikini guys are up to but it says a hellavu lot about there personalities to be dressed like that in public, i think its a riot! they look like some kind of crazy shriners, lol!

Anonymous said...

Wow. What phallic little toppers on their hats. :)
I love Miss Monroe's shoot. I never had seen that set before. So fab and so dearly missed...

Anonymous said...

Yes, my hubby often plays with that mambo orchestra (we're your typical Ricky and Lucy haha) but he's really a jazz musician and crooner, here go check him out www.myspace.com/jasonhannajazz

Frieda Oxenham said...

All the rain sounds horrible and you're so unlucky with your kitchen. Perhaps it wants to be converted to a swimming pool!
Hope you'll manage to keep your head above water!!

Anonymous said...

Thank you for comment and visiting! Wow water problems are crazy here in Mass.Amazingly I had no flooding but have been sure that this sand bar will break off USA someday! I always feel like Dorothy with these 'ocean storms'..tidal waves is more like it!
Your photo montage is sooo intriquing I think I see my x hubby in those undie shots.Thats me the 80's Bimbo in pink capris wasted my life on Jersy Shore 'Situation' 80's type..ugh when I think of the smell of hair and cologne! The hippies look familiar I wore that costume and played hippie too.."Go ask Alice"
I think squirrel is bracing himself so as to not fall into water and not drown..Squish Squish!!

apinkdreamer said...

how wonderful your photos are...

Chrisy said...

Well no wonder you're pinged off with a wet kitchen history like that...hope you're managing to keep your sock dry. I love coming here and reading about all your discoveries...see all your photos...thanks for all your effort...

Ingrid Mida said...

You must tell us who had the right answer!!
Hope your water problems soon go away and never return.

Trouvais said...

You're the perfect antidote to dreary! We had such a glorious sunny day today...don't want to make you envious...just to let you know that sunshine IS still being made and used and will eventually be available in your own backyard. Merci. Trish

Unknown said...

I heard on the news about the terrible floods near you. We had some towns flooded also. In fact my daughter Ashley is helping friends in Newton, Ma. because they have lost their basement. Waltham is a mess too. Poor Plum Island is about to lose homes, no more beach to hold them.

Your photos are lovely, I hope your flood isn't too bad.
Karen

Deborah said...

Sorry to hear about your leaks. Living in condos does tend to encourage leaks. We have one unexplained leak in the broom cupboard in the kitchen right now. They don't seem to be too interested in fixing it because it is not major and it seems it may involve digging into a wall. It has warped the cupboard door though so it is not something we can let them ignore. Anyway plumber is coming tomorrow. I will see what he says then. Love the desk set. I think playing with that would make any work day go much faster. Love the awesome shoe. How is the soldering coming along?