She is Wearing Lee Andersen

                         
            


           My sister Deb is in the stunning red jacket. It is a Lee Andersen Jacket that she wore to the DogCatemy Awards in NYC last month. She  and her best friend Judy had the honor of being at the Closing Bell Ceremony at the NASDAQ Market site at Times Square with Cesar Millan and The North Shore Animal League.  How thrilling to be part of ringing the Closing Bell with others involved in Humane Work. The Animal League's lifesaving mission is to rescue, nurture, and adopt 20,000 animals into loving homes each year.

Jamie's Special Treasures

Jamie Elliotte is an amazing jewelry artist who finds treasured objects and puts them together to make interesting pieces. She uses old love charms, Milagros, old teapots, and mirrors.  My sister Deb showed me this clear chunky crystal choker attached to a stamped leg part. It reminded me of the fabulous Frida Kahlo jewelry that Frida sported in her day. In Frida's portraits by Nickolas Murray, you can see outrageous pieces that remind me of  Jamie's creations. I met Jamie at Beyond Cotton, a great store in Little Rock. She has a great personality as big as her jewelry creations. She has lived in Morocco, Spain and currently in the US. Her studio is Blue Jay Studios and it is in a closet under the steps of her 83 year old home. Her jewelry is memorable.  Thank God for artists like Jamie who have visions to create spectacular treasures and then find ways for us to discover them.

Judith Joy Ross Photographs Students from Hazleton

                                     


                         

One of my favorite photographers is Judith Joy Ross. She is an amazing photographer. Her photos above are in her book Portraits of the Hazleton Public Schools. I grew up in Hazleton, Pa, and to see her amazing shots of Hazleton people made me feel a connection to her. Her work is represented in the MOMA, SFMOMA, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and Yale where she began her career. In the early 1990s Ross returned to Hazleton to revisit her experiences of growing up there. She shot these with a 8 x 10 inch view camera. To see two of my former high school teachers in her book after so many years was unreal. Her work is unforgettable and profound.

Do You Believe?

Never give up the dream. Sit back and watch Christmas in Connecticut, White Christmas, Elf, A Christmas Carol, or A Christmas Story. The big guy comes only once a year. Keep it going as long as you can.

Merry Christmas

             

Merry Christmas.  One of the many things I like about working in a care facility is that the people that work there have heart. They get up, go to work, and care for others. It is almost spiritual to be in a care facility during the holidays. The Filipinos I work with decorate our halls with these old fashioned decorations. The activities department puts on a holiday bazaar for the residents,staff, and community. Kathleen is modeling a great find made by the residents themselves. Above you will find friends and family's Christmas Cookies and a friend's Upside Down Pineapple Cake. I Love Christmas. Merry Christmas to All.

Anita is Cool

                                      

Anita has a birthday today. She is a great older sister. When I was a little girl she baby sat me and made me do all kinds of household chores. When I was old enough to have sleepovers she and my other sister Deb entertained me and my friends. When I was a teen she drove me and my best friend Lisa around Hazleton. The saddest day was the day she went to Central Penn to college and she would no longer be sleeping in the same bedroom as me. She is a cool person and a great sister to Deb and I. She loves babies and old folks. She loves nature and travel. She loves fresh flowers, good leather purses, fox terriers, cats, modern art and decorating her home. She has a big heart.  A special day was the day Anita was born. Happy Birthday Anita.

Get Crafty

                          

Museum of Craft and Folk Art is located in San Francisco at the Yerba Buena Center. This is a digital and fine art repro of monotype and ink by Favianna Rodriguez. The Museum has carried her prints.  Her art borrows from the pictoral style of the Inca and Aztec cultures to pay homage to migration patterns. She is a printmaker who got her start as a political poster designer in the 1990s. Her art displays the struggles for racial justice in California. She has mentored dozens of emerging young artists and helped to establish a multi-use arts facility in East Oakland. She believes in people improving there lives. She is a true visionary.

The Beauty of On Site Art

Today Dan and I went on separate art journeys. He went on site to Huasna to paint watercolors and I went back to the San Luis Hospice Thrift store to shoot their decorative front window. There is something magical about on site art. Dan's paintings radiate energy when he paints the outdoors. There is something spiritual about loading up the heavy Hassey and shooting a couple of rolls of Portra in the brisk morning air. I do recommend a decent wool hat and wind jacket to brave the elements. Outside felt right today.

Bill Cunningham New York

Dan and I watched this documentary. I can relate to Bill.  He enjoys putting on his comfortable clothes and taking his camera messenger bag and hitting the streets. This film takes you into his everyday life in NYC from his apartment to the downtown and uptown events. He is not afraid to move around his subjects and move his camera shot from horizontal to vertical points of view. I have been looking at his street and social photographs for years and I really enjoyed spending days in his life. This is a flawless film and I want it for Christmas from my husband.

The Nina and Pinta Land in Little Rock

Dan and I vacationed in Little Rock, Arkansas. The day we were meeting my sister Deb, we took a nice walk along Riverfront Park. This women came up to my husband and asked him if the Nina and Pinta landed had landed. I did not know if this lady lost her memory or was having a vivid imaginary moment. Later that morning the Nina and Pinta landed at Riverfront Park. The replica ships are part of a sailing museum and were set to land in Little Rock before their next departure. The Nina was built completely by hand and without the use of power tools. Archaeology magazine called the ship "the most historically correct Columbus replica ever built". The Pinta was recently built in Brazil to accompany the Nina on all her travels. She is actually a larger version of the archetypal caravel. Historians consider the caravel the Space Shuttle of the fifteenth century. This is a fantastic sailing museum that will continue to educate public and private school children. Now I realize the lady that ran up to Dan had a brain that was working just fine.

Photojournalism by Ish

                                         


                               

I am honored to blog about the photography of Ismail Abdullah. His photos make me cry. I have the same crying experience that I get every time I see the Japanese wedding ceremony in the movie Lost In Translation. I am touched and I cry. His photos take me to places where I feel a connection to the people of the land. I have a photograph by Ish that I treasure. Would the Taj Mahal Gatekeeper allow anyone to fool him? The Thai Boyscout shows the innocence of childhood. The young girl makes us respect and reflect on tradition and how importance it is in our lives. Thank you Ish. I am in line for the first copy of his photojournalism collection of photographs. Ish is born to take photos.

Best Satisfying Shopping Experience

 As I sit here on my day off eating a yummy homemade bacon and tomato sandwich I am happy to share with you my satisfying shopping experience. I spent my money at Hospice Partners Hope Chest, a nifty thrift store at 445 Higuera Street, San Luis Obispo, Ca. I ran into Kay a wonderful friend and looked for Susan, a worker who is a wealth of knowledge in the jewelry department. She sold me a lovely gold chain and taught me how to attach a brooch to the bottom. I thought it was full circle that I had Susan helping me with a jewelry piece that I will wear with several of my mother's beautiful brooches. No more keeping those sitting in the Egyptian jewelry box not getting worn. I found a great pair of stone and crystal dangling earrings. My godmother Lucy got lucky with a great Christmas Pin that I know she will adore. Lastly, I found a Grinch stuffed animal for our friend Candy. I know Candy will Love the Grinch. She has the same sense of Christmas humor that I have. Think about donating to a great cause. You can call (805) 545-5955 to donate. Hours are Mon-Sat 10-5. All proceeds go to helping uninsured and underinsured Hospice Patients and their families.

A Sin Tonic

Diptique Vinaigre de Toilette is a tonic for men and women. It is frequently misunderstood. I do not wear it for work but I do occasionally spray it on during a special occasion. The afterlife of this eau do toilette is perfect. Its composition blends herbs, spices, woods, neroli and incense. It is based on a 19th century formula and it was launched in 1975. It is misunderstood and some people test the smell and get offended by the vinegar odor. But this is where the sin tonic comes into play. Scented vinegars became popular in the mid 18th century with new washing habits. Vinegar was considered an astringent, cleanser, disinfectant and refresher. I admit I like to refresh once and a while.