Heading towards the end of the week...

Have you chosen YOUR Easter Parade frock yet?

I found these lovely ATC background being given away on another blog quite a while back - and now I can't remember whose it was! If it was you, please let me know so I can properly acknowledge the source!
Just click on the image to get a really big image and save it to your hard drive to print. It is sized for 8 1/2" x 11" paper.
I usually do my own backgrounds - but I thought these were really really nice. Enjoy!
Updated! The lovely background is courtesy of Blanca at Magic Moonlight Studio. Be sure to check out the other really special things she offers her visitors!

I used to say "if you got it, flaunt it." I take it back. Now I say, "if you've got it, put on a shirt and pull up your damn pants."

It is so hard to choose exactly the right meat for Easter dinner. And one does have to ensure that whatever the meal is, it matches the ensemble.
Wanna take a little bike ride around Paris?
In the nineteenth century, artists did renderings of the current vogues in European home decorating to send to the American public, who were starved for the latest styles. They also did this with fashion - which is where many of our nineteenth century fashion plates originated.

Here are three renderings of the same room decorated in three popular color combinations of Paris in the 1860's. If you notice, the furniture is all basically the same, with the only differences being in the upholstery and the finishes.




“You know what high school is like, man? It’s like a prison. A prison for YOUR SOUL. That’s what my hair symbolizes: the bars on the prison of my soul.”

I'm not sure which one is Fifi ... but they're both lovely, aren't they? The detail on both the costumes is wonderful!
Photographer Joanna Maclennan traveled around Paris and the surrounding countryside to see the studios and homes of artists. I find the photographs intriguing, beautiful, and evocative. How could one live and work in such provocative surroundings and not create?






I have never seen a receding hairline in reverse before.

Earlier this week I posted some drawings of nineteenth century fashion that got some attention, so I thought I would search out a drawing with some of the popular 19th century hair styles.

Jack Spratt could use no AquaNet.
His wife could use no pomade.
And so betwixt them both, you see,
They wiped their Rite Aid clean.

This is especially for Marilyn of Our Victorian Cottage ...


Get the point? ...
I'm not sure what I think about this hair. Mostly because I'm concerned that she's wearing three belts. If your pants are really that hard to keep up, perhaps she should consider different pants. Keeping your pants from falling down shouldn't be a full time job.
I was looking around for ideas for a festive cake ... and found these at various sites. I thought they were lots of fun ... though there is no way I would need anything this large or outrageous. Well, maybe this outrageous, but certainly not this large!

Is there anything creepier than a pervy-looking dude in a black mesh tank top?

As it turns out? Yes: a pervy-looking dude in a black mesh tank top with that hair. He couldn’t look creepier if he had a tattoo on his shoulder of JonBenét Ramsey chugging a bottle of Mike’s Hard Lemonade.

...just because...


... what are YOU looking at?
Okay, I'm off to dreamland. Thanks for spending time with me!

Go make something beautiful!

♥´¨)
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*´¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´♥ Tristan ♥

Things You Need to See, Things You Hoped to Never See...

I completely missed Pink Saturday yesterday - the day simply got away from me. But, if I had got the chance to post, this was my first image for the post...


Being a parent can be so difficult today...

Thank goodness, Debbie Reynold's here to help us out with those tough answers!

Oh, is the teeshirt over gold spiderman tights with space alien sunglasses back in? I missed the memo!

Woo hoo! I'm just jumping for joy ...
I won the prizes for the giveaway at October Farm! The ever-gorgeous Teddy chose my name for this teapot, jam pot and sterling serving spoon. Aren't I the lucky boy?!

As Lester says...
Don't you want to spend hours shopping here?! Heck, I want to spend the night!
This is the exquisite Mrs. Daury's, 6 rue du Dr Nancel Pénard in Bordeaux, France. I want absolutely everything in this photo. Just look at the silver overlay on that glassware!...and that slipper-on-a-pillow display!
Darn it. It looks like we accidentally dropped grandma off at the dog groomer’s instead of the salon. Again. Somebody go check on Rex and tell me if he has a blue perm and all the neighborhood gossip

I think this is such a delightful piece...it makes me want to write marvelous tales of enchantment - just like the magical stories of Anita at Castles, Crowns and Cottages, or the wondrous stories of Vanessa at A Fanciful Twist.
These fantastic pieces - and many more - can be found at Les Carnets de Miss Clara.

Poor Janelle. She seems to have misread the invitation to the Toys for Tots charity ball.What do you say we join Ann Margaret and her darling pet turtle for a little window shopping?!

This lovely late 19th century demi lune (why can't they just say half-moon?) commode has an amazing neoclassic painted finish. This would look lovely under the chandelier in the entrance hall. That is, if I had a chandelier or an entrance hall.

Wouldn't it be wonderful to sit writing letters of wit and wisdom at this Italian 18th century painted and parcel gilt console table? I know that whatever I might write would have much more import if written at this magnificent table!I love this French garden set from the early 20th century. The marble top means I can drink many Compari and Sodas without fear of getting rings on the table!
This handsome Bohemian glass casket almost slipped by me. It looked like just another pretty box, until I examined it more closely and realized that it's transparent, with red glass engraving and ormolu mounts. It is decorated with foliate and linear motifs, as well as images and names of various German towns, such as Winterberg, Schandau and Haidmuhle. And it's only 7" x 9" x 6" high! I could enjoy looking at this early twentieth century beauty everyday!
Wouldn't this five-foot length of voided silk velvet look wonderful framed and hit with a spotlight? It is circa 1890 French silk voided velvet on a red satin ground in an 18th century style patterned with a pair of birds perched inside a floral wreath and a floral bouquet all surrounded by swags of flowers and tassels, and a lattice-work design of flowers. Amazing.

Want to light up your life? From France, this early 19th century pair of Restoration candelabras are gilt and patinated bronze. I want to design my entire dining room around these!
In the last window of the day, we see an 1820 British Regency rosewood parcel gilt and bronze inlaid center table. Now that's the way to fold the laundry in style!
Can't you just hear her thinking? "Oh man, I really want this nacho-cheese flavored pizza roll, but if my coworkers see me eating it at my desk, I might look stupid."


Look at all the details on this fashion rendering! Can you imagine what it would cost today for all that ruching and ruffling and tasseling and swagging and bowing and smocking - not to mention the yards and yards of fabric!


Tell the truth. When giving directions to your home, wouldn't you just love to be able to use this sign as a landmark!

You know that guy who’s been emailing you about how you’ll be handsomely rewarded for allowing him to temporarily transfer money into your bank account, which he needs to do for extremely complicated and convincing reasons? This is him.
Enough rambling for one day ... thanks so much for spending part of your day with me. I hope you found something to amuse you - to delight you - and a link or two to further your journey through Bloglandia today! I'm going to take the entire rest of the day off ... maybe even take a nap!

Now, go make something beautiful!

♥´¨)
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*´¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´♥ Tristan ♥