for a long winter's nap

And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains in a bedroom of black

Click on each photo to see its source.

window shopping

branching out

I know that decorated evergreen trees are supposed to symbolize hope, rebirth and eternal life (to one belief set or another) but winter does bare branches so splendidly it's a shame not to decorate them too.

Lise & Kristian Septimius Krogh | Bo Bedre


Lise & Kristian Septimius Krogh | Bo Bedre


Canadian House & Home


A tablescape of twinkling twigs


Jannicke Krakvik & Alessandro D’Orazio


Jannicke Krakvik & Alessandro D’Orazio


One Grand Home


Canadian House & Home


David Stark Twig Topiary | West Elm


David Stark Twig Topiary | West Elm


Elsa Mora


Moline


Dione Herself 9' Driftwood Tree


Mette Wotkjær | Femina.dk


Mette Wotkjær | Femina.dk


Mette Wotkjær | Femina.dk


A string of cowbells from Toast


West Elm twig trees

Robert McCabe

Vintage Photos from Robert McCabe's Trips to Greece in the 1950s

Posted on The Huffington Post

Legendary photographer Robert A. McCabe has compiled what are, in essence, stunning photographic journals of Cuba and Antarctica, among other places.

McCabe also traveled as a Princeton undergraduate to Greece in June 1954, witnessing firsthand soaring unemployment (at the time of his visit, unemployment was hovering around 30%) and poor wages (those who did work were making a little less than a dollar a day). McCabe recalls in his introduction to his book, Greece: Images of an Enchanted Land, 1954-1965, how unspoiled the landscape of Greece felt before all the tourists and development starting happening, which has forever changed the landscape in Athens.

He traveled extensively through the Aegean after that, from 1954-1965, to document fully the experiences, people and places there (he was, in particular, interested in Greece's iconic architecture).

steel island

I love the look of this old metal work island. As Country Living suggests, why not make one? Hunt down a salvaged steel cabinet in an antique or salvage shop, and add butcher block to the top and wheels to the bottom. Since I already have an existing work island, I'm thinking I might clad mine in sheet metal - galvanized would be cool. If that's not feasible there's always stainless steel paint (the real deal) or artist's metallic pewter, which I've used before with great results. Hit or miss? I guess I won't know until I steel myself and do it.

Country Living

treasures in the attic

Since it's so cold out I thought we'd just grab a cup of something steamy and climb upstairs to prowl around the AtticMag. There's taste, insight and inspiration up to the rafters there. Look at this intriquing comparison between kitchens of today and those of a hundred years ago - not for their differences, but for their similarities. I hauled down a few photos to show you but there's way more, so let's fill our cups and go. Or vice versa.

Kitchen Contrasts 1920-2010

From Jane F: "Many times I’ve mentioned the Victorian era kitchen style popular between 1900-1930 and how we keep reinventing it nearly a century later. Still, there’s nothing quite like actual photos of vintage kitchens — like The Kitchen Practical, 1929, above — side-by-side with recently renovated kitchens to put the point across specifically. When I came across an album of 1920s kitchens, it became clear to me how much things had changed – and also how little."

All photos from AtticMag

cartoon fest

In celebration of the one I love - born on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, with a comic strip head and a cartoon heart - here's a festival of Christmas cartoons as fine a vintage as my sweetie. After the first one finishes, click twice for the whole show. Happy Birthday, Superman!



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