THE GENERALISTA

Mole, Thomas, Goldbeck, and More...

2010-04-07T09:34:00.003-05:00

I began my Google image search with the intention of finding some images of old photographs of artists in their studios, and then this image popped up in my search results... it looks like an old silver gelatin print of some army insignia...and then you look at the full-size image and it is hundreds of soldiers standing in formation!! AH-MAZING!!!

These are called "living photographs," and are described as an attempt to recover national identity through imaging.

You've just got to see them for yourself. WOW.
(This one is my favorite. I need a print of this!)
Photographer Unknown, Grenzhausen, Germany "1st Field Artillery Brigade, 1st Division" 1919
Vintage Silver Gelatin Print

Newman Photo "Animated Crest 34th Division" Camp Cody, New Mexico, 1918
Vintage Silver Gelatin Print

Arthur S. Mole and John D. Thomas,
"The Human U.S. Shield" 1918
Vintage Silver Gelatin Photo Print

All images and information came from this site (it didn't have a name!).

Through the Sparks Photo Shoot

2010-04-06T12:06:00.008-05:00

Last night I had the pleasure of taking some new promo shots of Through the Sparks, featuring their newest lineup and in anticipation of their new release, Worm Moon Waning. With Duquette Johnston as my assistant, we threw the six guys in the back of a pickup truck, beer and cigarettes in hand, and head towards a hidden baseball field. Jumping the padlocked fence and racing the golden light, here are a few of my favorite shots!

You can see the rest of the shots here...

And be sure to check out Through the Sparks--you can download their new album FREE right here.

A Year Away

2010-04-04T08:27:00.002-05:00

After nearly a year sabbatical from blogging, I'm back in tip top form, Lovelies! I've had a new surge of creativity and motivation, and a trillion amazing things are on the horizon...

My husband and I bought our first home...so expect lots of photos and design ideas/projects.

Those of you who know me, know I have a gift of finding amazing vintage treasures, whether it be Frye riding boots from the 60s, a variety of crazy unique objets, the wildest clothing and accessories, linens, art, pottery...so look forward to my launching an Etsy store (and eventually an eBay store, too!).

I've been photographing the most amazing bands lately as well--Spoon, Deerhunter, Roman Candle, The Civil Wars, and soon The Dead Weather, The Whigs, and more...so I'm going to make my prints available for a very reasonable price!

So here we go people. This is going to be fan-tas-tic.
Want to see something specific? Let me know!
Looking for a certain objet and don't know where to start? Message me or comment and I'll find you a brilliantly edited selection!

Let's have our vision and work so hard to see it come to light!

As my friend JR says, "We're going big in 2010!"
And Happy Easter. Go be with your family and friends and be thankful!

LOVE.

Springtime in Alabama...

2009-05-06T09:23:00.002-05:00

I like to think that Spring is my favorite season in the South. The wild flowers and clover take over the land, and the temperatures are a mild 80 degrees. I like to think that this is the time of year to host garden cookouts and sit outside in the Adirondack chairs until the last bit of sunlight each day disappears later and later each day. But, see, here's the truth of it--I somehow forget, until Spring in the South is upon me again, that the entire season is a matter of dodging tornados and praying that your home and your loved ones are not destroyed by "the big one."

When I was a child, the excitement of hearing the sirens revving up, grabbing the candles and my favorite stuffed animal and running down to the dirt cellar of our 1916 Victorian house was thrilling! I'd curl up in my father's arms, my old-fashion cotton nightgown smudged with dirt and the sickly sweet smell of mildew in my nostrils. (I think my secret love of the faint scent of mildew reminds me of my childhood Springtime moments in that cellar.) I can't remember how my parents reacted to it. I can't remember if they were scared. I like to imagine they were cool and confident about the matter, not worrying about falling tree limbs and roofs being ripped from houses, and the insurance claims to be filed. I like to imagine that they were caught up with me and my sister in our primitive game in that dirt cellar with candles and old-fashion night gowns. In those times in the cellar, we only mattered to each other.

If you're truly from the South, your childhood memories are riddled with tales of that "big twister of year-such-n-such." I'm sitting here now, in this wild digital era (is that term outdated yet?), blogging to you while I watch the warnings and the skies gradually turn black. I'm watching the weather reports and the damage reports of my surrounding cities. It's heading this way. My home has no cellar and I'm not wearing any old-fashion nightgown. I'm hoping my husband gets home from work before it hits, and that my father's building in Cullman wasn't part of the damage I'm hearing about in the reports. They're telling me it's gonna hit Birmingham in nine minutes. I'm not as fatalistic as I was a few years ago, but I don't like NOT having a place to go hide. Give me a mildewy cellar in this Alabama Springtime.

I guess that's it for now. I've got to get my dogs on their leashes and go duck my head in my 2 square foot "hallway."

Springtime is here.

I'm back, like Bond.

2009-05-05T09:46:00.006-05:00

Geeeeez. I disappeared again and am so sorry. Again. Things in life just keep getting crazier, and all I know to do is find a way to keep making it all work. Of course, now MY computer is on the fritz, leaving me to the mercy of my husband's schedule. Somehow I will find a way around this...

In other awesome news, the husband's show last weekend opening for the Avett Brothers at Sloss Furnace was an incredible time! There was a crowd of over 2,000 people who received him very well, and I had exclusive photo priveleges for the whole show! Go check out the photos, here.

I've also taken up playing music these days! I am teaching myself how to play bass for the all girl band I play with, Paperdolls. Go listen to our first demo over here. It is so much fun. We actually just had a photo shoot with Don Van Cleave, one of my favorite people and photographers ever. I can't wait to get the image files to show you guys!

Well, I guess when I spell it all out, I have more going on than I initially thought. Sometimes it is too easy to let yourself slip into the dark recesses of discontentment and kind of lose yourself and just go into emotional shutdown. I used to privately journal about this all the time. I finally took all the journals from age 8 to about 20 off of my bookshelf. While they hold the joys and dreams of a girl coming into herself, they also hold a lot of pain and sadness and, honestly, depression. I don't need that glaring down at me these days. Knowing they're boxed up kind of let me forget about that side of myself for a while. But the fact of the matter is, this is a part of who I am, a part of myself that I constantly have to renegotiate and while I want this space to be a source of inspiration, it's okay for me to share a little about it. Because most of us face it. If not every day, then at least once in a while. I'm working my way through it, and I feel like my emotional space kind of runs parallel to my blog space. You can all see where I am in the colors and images (and now, obviously, words) that I post here.

The best thing I know to do is to work through it. Because it's just too easy and so sad to just give in and just stop.

Anyway, I'm feeling the hintings of a little international mystery and great design. Penguin Books commissioned artist Michael Gillette to create 14 covers for Iam Fleming's Bond series, Centenary Edition collection. These books are simply GORGEOUS.

For more information on this limited edition series, check out the Official Penguin Blog, here. And also go check out the Penguin Books launch site for the books, here.

I hope you all have a blessed, wonderful day. See you tomorrow.

What I will be doing today...

2009-04-23T10:38:00.003-05:00

Hey there, friends. I am heavy in the throes of photo editing. As I mentioned yesterday, the husband and I went to see Mogwai. And it was FANTASTIC! One of the best shows I have ever seen! I ended up getting a photo pass--thanks Brian!! I had such a blast shooting them. The lights were ALL over the place. Quite the challenge. I've got about 600 shots to go through, which I will throw up on Flickr as soon as I'm finished.

Until then, why don't you stop by my Flickr page and check out some of the other bands and people and things and places I've photographed?

Just click...Morgan Jones Johnston's Flickr.

See you guys in a bit. And I hope you're enjoying this BEAUTIFUL day!

SECRET HISTORY PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS MOGWAI

2009-04-22T10:38:00.004-05:00

Hey Everyone,If you are in Birmingham tonight (or in the driving radius) come to Workplay to see MOGWAI!!

To get tickets, visit their web site (linked above) or call: 205.380.4082
Tickets are $20 and it's an all ages show.
Workplay is located at 500 23rd St. S.
Birmingham, Al 35233.

Our good friends at Secret History Productions are putting on the show and it is sure to phenomenal!

Don't believe me? Just watch their video for "Stanley Kubrick."

Beloved Curiosity: Southern Accents Architectural Antiques

2009-04-22T09:19:00.024-05:00

I grew up in a little country town in North Alabama, called Cullman. It was a small town with gorgeous Victorian and Georgian and Arts and Crafts homes. The downtown was comprised of a few square blocks with an appliance store that still flies brightly colored balloons and streamers outside its doors, a German toy store that sells lederhosen and nesting dolls, and a bakery, The Duchess, that to this day sells 40cent cookies.

One of those city blocks houses a great hidden treasure of the nation--Southern Accents Architectural Antiques. Housed in the 1901 county undertaker's building (the brick exterior still visibly read "UNDERTAKER") are the door knobs, claw-foot tubs, carved mantles, chandeliers, hardware, windows, and more of eras long passed.

Family-owned, Southern Accents is a mecca for the architecturally obsessed. People fly from around the country to peruse the building that still has the original wood floors and piping from the old Undertaker.

They have an extensive Web site catalog of current items at www.sa1969.com. But nothing compares to going there yourself and exploring, though they do ship anywhere...

If you are in Alabama and looking for a nice day trip in this beautiful Springtime weather, you'll find Southern Accents north of Birmingham on I-65 and south of Hunstville on I-65.

Their address is: 308 2nd Ave. S.E.
Cullman, Al 35055

Here are a few photos I took a couple weeks ago when the husband and I stopped in for a visit.

And here are a few photos from Southern Accent's Web site, of current items they have in stock...

LEFT: cast iron sink, $1450.
RIGHT: terra cotta from a building in Chicago (set of 5), $275 each.

double arch beveled and colored rondels stained glass, 14.5"x60," $850.

LEFT: leaded glass windows, 20"x29," $235/pair.
RIGHT: crystal chandelier, 35"x18," $1250.

LEFT: heartpine half mantel, 58'x50," $375.
RIGHT: pine full mantel, 62"x79," $2750.

LEFT: set of gates, 56"x90," $950.
RIGHT: oak gothic-style door, 34.5"x80," $900.

cast iron entry gate, 9' in middle/7' on sides/14' wide, $2850/set

LEFT: heartpine double doors from Chicago, both sides stained, 30"x8,' call for inquiry.
RIGHT: pine door with window with strap hinges, 79"x36," $1850.

cast aluminum benches and chairs, many styles to choose from, call for inquiry.

folding pews, all stained w/metal ends, from an 1887 church in Shelbyville, TN
10' long, 30 benches total, $525 each.

LEFT: overview of window sashes in stock, $15 each.
RIGHT: Providential Tile Works, Trenton, NJ, 6"x6," $45 each.

For more information, give the Gudger family a call at Southern Accents. Or just drive up there. You can walk around, take some photos, and get a 40 cent cookie at the Duchess.

A little morning dose of creepy awesome...

2009-04-21T08:51:00.003-05:00

Good morning everyone! I don't know why but I just woke up in a wild mood. I think it's because I practiced the bass line to Velvet Underground's "Lady Godiva's Operation" for WAY too long last night...
Anyway, I woke up thinking about Rosemary's Baby and what an incredible and very stylish movie it is. I searched around YouTube
and found the original trailer for the film's release. The song that starts playing about 45 seconds into it is SUCH AN AWESOME song!! It makes me think a lot of Vincent Gallo's recordings. It's very jazzy and and has that menacing kind of feel... LOVE it.

Anyway, here's the trailer so you can hear just what I'm talking about.

I'm back!

2009-04-19T17:24:00.007-05:00

Hey friends, I feel like I've been away from the blogosphere for so long...I was in a bit of a personal rut and lacked all inspiration. I'm battling the bad vibes and trying to get back to a good, creative, motivated place.

As Flaubert so brilliantly put it, one should "be regular and orderly in your life, so you be violent and original in your work."

So I am resuming painting regularly--a goal perhaps of one painting every week?
I have taken up playing the bass guitar. My dear friend, Greg, loaned me his extra bass that was laying around the studio and showed me all the notes last night. I cut my nails and cowgirled up, noodling through all the initial bad notes and new fingertip callouses.

I set up my actual office/studio at our house, which mean every morning I can come back here and have some sort of creative space to start my day.

And I am trying to start dragging myself to the gym again (and REALLY trying to convince myself I love it.)

So today...a little shopping!
There are two things I want really, really, badly right now and both are jackets. The first is a studded leather jacket. I'm not really one for the punk aesthetic, but I think there is something so sexy and, bear with, refined about a well-fitted, tastefully designed leather jacket with a few embellishments. I personally prefer the large, flat studs because they're the ironic, "softer" sisters of the stud family, but a well-proportioned pyramid stud would work for me, too.

left: Jacket by Religion. Photo from Stellar Magazine.
right: Jacket by Topshop. Image from Fashionista At Play.

And, this, the greatest studded jacket in the land---Karen O's (of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs) leather jacket, designed by Christian Joy. Revel in its awesomeness. Seriously. (Image from ArchiveVintage.)

The second thing I want is a military, Sgt. Pepper-style jacket. It's kind of snarky and incredibly chic.

left: Balmain Military Style Denim Jacket. From net-a-porter.
right: Another Balmain. Image from Jewel-And-Jewel.

All right people. That's it for this morning. See you tomorrow! (And it's good to be back!!)

Beloved Curiosity: Andrew Bucci

2009-04-14T08:44:00.003-05:00

Andrew Bucci is a Southern-born artist who currently lives in Maryland. Born in 1922, Bucci began taking art lessons at a young age and grew up with a very diverse and thorough education ranging from Engineering at LSU to art in Chicago, France, NYC and some Meteorology at some point. Bucci was a Meteorologist in Maryland from 1956-1979, but he always painted. He still paints now and even creates needlepoint reproductions of some of his works.

He is represented by the Cole Pratt Gallery in New Orleans, LA and Brown's Fine Art in Jackson, MS.

left: "Lady Seated in Yellow Dress," 1950-51.
right: "Seated Nude II," 1950-51.

left: "Lady at Rest"
right: "Color Splash"

The women of Picasso

2009-04-13T09:02:00.006-05:00

Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Crispiniano de la Santísima Trinidad, or Pablo Picasso was infamous for his illustrious love affairs. Rather than spotlight Picasso himself, let's take a look at the women who inspired him, who loved him, and those who he drove mad.

FERNANDE OLIVIER...
Fernande was a fascinating woman who inspired many of Picasso's painting in the Rose and Blue periods, as well as some of his earliest Cubist paintings. Her journals have been published a few times and are on my reading list. There is a fabulous article you can read about this Zola-type character here.

left: "Fernande Olivier," 1905.
right: "Nude in an Armchair," summer of 1909.

MARCELLE HUMBERT/EVA GOUEL...
Next came Marcelle Humbert, whom Picasso called Eva Gouel. She was the subject of many of his Cubist paintings.

left: "Ma Jolie" (Woman with a Zither on Guitar), 1911.
right: study for "Femme en Chemise dans un fauteuil," 1913.

OLGA KHOKHLOVA...
Olga was a ballerina and Picasso's first wife. She introduced him to high society, but Picasso was unwilling to give up his Bohemian lifestyle. They separated but never divorced because he did not want her to gain half of his wealth in divorce. They here technically married until her death in 1955.

"Olga in an Armchair," 1918.

MARIE-THERESE WALTER...
Marie-Therese had a long affair with Pablo. She mothered several children by him and always held high hopes that he would eventually marry her. After his death, she hung herself.

left: "Marie-Theres Walter," 1937.
right: "Marie-Therese Walter," 1937. (I love this one.)

left: "Marie-Therese Walter," 1937.
right: "Marie-Therese Walter," 1937.

DORA MAAR...
Maar became Picasso's companion as she documented his creation of "Guernica." Picasso called her his "private muse."

left: "Portrait of Dora Maar," 1937.
right: "Dora Maar," 1937.

FRANCOISE GILOT...
Francoise was a beautiful young art student who took up with Pablo when he was well into his 60s. She mothered two children by him- Claude and Paloma. (Paloma is an artist who has designed pieces for Tiffany's.) Anyway, Francoise couldn't handle all the women in Pablo's life. She left him and married Jonas Salk.

left: "Portrait of Francoise," 1946.
right: "Francoise Gilot with Claude and Paloma," 1951.

While Picasso had several more lovers who inspired his work, this is a nice taste. Isn't it amazing how beauty can both inspire and destroy at the same time? I can only imagine the intense emotions that filled these women's lives...And to have it all documented through the collection of one of the world's most influential and well-known artists...

Vintage travel posters

2009-04-07T08:40:00.003-05:00

I'm feeling a wave of nostalgia and beyond desire for some international travel...Here are some beautiful vintage travel posters. I hear President Obama is talking about lifting some of the travel restrictions on Cuba. I hope it happens!! I have wanted to go to Havana for YEARS!!

Quelle bore...

2009-04-06T08:27:00.004-05:00

Today is just one of those days. One of those days where the laundry pile is bigger than me and the dog hair blows across the kitchen floor like a tumbleweed and you half expect John Wayne to turn the corner with a pistol in hand. I must clean my house today. I've been so busy it has kind of fallen to the wayside. I can't live in this disheveled state!!!

Here are a few photos from over the weekend and that's it for me today...

This last photo I took at a children's Easter egg hunt over the weekend...this is my favorite. How stylish can 15 month olds be? This is it, people.

Beloved Curiosity: The Garden Gnome

2009-04-03T06:53:00.003-05:00

The garden gnome's history begins with mid-19th century Germany. Phillip Griebel began producing terra cotta garden animals/creatures for people to display in their garden so that they may admire and remember the work the creatures do in the garden at night. The gnome, who existed as a willing and helpful character in German folklore was one of these creatures. The popularity of the garden gnome grew quickly, yet their production didn't grow further than Germany for a while.

Gnoming, or stealing someone's garden gnome, is a wildly popular "crime." The motive is to return the gnome to the wild, and there are organizations for the cause, such as France's Front de Liberation des Nains de Jardins as well as Italy's MALAG (Garden Gnome Liberation Front).
This was the beginning of sending a gnome around the world and taking photos of its journey to send home to the owner... (I believe the first incident occured in Australia in 1997. A note from the gnome was left behind for the owner and pictures followed. Owner was distraught. Great stuff.)

For more information, in English, check out Free the Gnomes.

Who doesn't feel a great sense of childlike mirth when you see a gnome?

Here are some special Etsy gnome finds...

LEFT:Gnome door, from NothinButWood. This 9"x7" hand crafted door is absolutely whimsical and would look great in the back yard. You can choose from several styles, and the cimney is available, too! I imagine one day playing in the garden with my future children, telling stories about the gnome in the backyard. Oh, and the door doesn't open (for humans)!
RIGHT:gnome hat, from pixiebell. I think this hat is really fun, and I would think it could bring a lot of joy to a dreary winter day. I would absolutely wear this.

LEFT:Gnome at dusk pillow cover, from Pixelknit. This pillow cover is loom knit and speaks so well to the quirky sophistication of many contemporary designs. The simple contour of the gnome could go a few minutes without recognition, but what a surprise when one of your house guests finally sees it!
RIGHT:Knit Your Own Gnome kit, from greenmountain. This seller has created a unique kit to make one of these adorable little gnomes with hand dyed yarn. Knitting kits have been popular gifts for a few years, but this one is so unique! Even a non-knitter would love this.

LEFT:Acorn Habitat Moss Terranium, from Betty's Love. This seller harvest her own moss and puts so much effort and know-how into these terraniums. The little gnome home is also hand painted. The terranium measure 4" tall and could be the purveyor of many a daydream if set on your office desk. Terraniums are so easy to keep alive and can be that little green something for the person lacking a green thumb.
RIGHT:Spring Garden Gazebo, also from Betty's Love. Okay, I am officially in love with Betty. This is a handmade deluxe gnome home to go in your terranium. How awesome??

LEFT:Mushroom and Gnome Gocco Embroidery Kit, from ricracsews. Another excellent gift idea, for someone else or just as a little gift to yourself. The kit comes with the hand gocco print pieces and instructions for embroidering the pieces. I love this.
RIGHT:Made to order gnome dress with miniature gnome baby, from germandolls. I don't have children (yet), but when I do, I am buying this. I think it is the single most adorable child's outfit EVER. How clever to have a pouch with a gnome baby??

In need of a new cup--Etsy shopping day

2009-04-01T08:40:00.000-05:00

In the past six months, the husband and I have gone through my large and rather intrusive collection of random vintage dishware (which was carefully selected through the years, mind you) and have narrowed it down to my late 1960's Taylorstone "Cathay" china for everyday use, our Spode "Blue Italian" for formal stuff (it's what we registered for when we got married and only have two place settings and three pieces of serveware), my grandmother's Royal Albert "Country Rose" which is on display in my office (because we don't have room for a china cabinet right now), a cabinet full of my grandparents' crystal serveware and various cups, goblets, etc., and my large (yet shrinking) collection of various sized glass jars.

I felt like I had purged myself of the unneccessary and condensed my tableware collection to the point that it would never create a large pile in the sink before we would run out of clean dishes--I thought this was a brilliant way to put a number on the dishes one should have...

Well, now I have realized that I need some new coffee cups. I am kind of displeased with what we have right now. I like an assortment of mugs so that each one can be ascribed to a mood--am I feeling tiny and delicate today? Or do I need something big and warm to cup in my hands?--but I want them to be relatively cohesive in style (we have open-fronted cabinets). Right now, I have my grandmother's thick glass mugs. There are two styles, a standard flat-bottomed cup and one that's a little more cafe-style. They are really nothing extraordinary, but they always remind me of having coffee with powdered creamer and sweet'n'low at her house. I want to keep a couple of her mugs, but I need something new.

Anyway, here are a few styles that I am liking, though I will probably end up buying a set from an estate sale!

I love the Pyrex (on the left) for its durability and whiteness despite being 30+ years old. And vintage stoneware always has a place in my heart. It just feels right in your hand. And I love the floral prints right now (because it's Spring, I suppose). Maybe I need seasonal sets of mugs...
LEFT:Vintage Pyrex Summer Impressions mugs, from sweetrice.
RIGHT: Vintage Stoneware Takahashi mugs, from jwhite2.

I love mid-century dishware with their perfect shapes and great designs. And I've also considered only having mugs with owls on them--picking a theme and going with it. The husband and I love owls, and we already happen to have a pair of mugs with the cutest little owls sitting on a tree that were gifts from our good friend Jackie over at peppermags.
LEFT: Set of 6 Temporama mugs, from TotallyJuliaRAd.
RIGHT: Owl mug, from autumnalways.

I LOVE these two sets of mugs paired together!! Maybe I will go for a collection of brilliantly colored florals and folk images against the stark white surface of good Pyrex or Corningware!!
LEFT: Scandinavian vintage by Berggren, from levintageMaison.
RIGHT: Vintage flower mugs, from VintageEye.

Isn't this set adorable?? It depicts a cute little dimestore/candy counter scene. It's ceramic Enesco, also from leVintageMaison.

Now, isn't this set WILD?! This midcentury atomic mug set comes from AustinModern, and the seller can't find any information on the production of this set other than it was made by Hall (USA) China. The holders are cast aluminum...if you know anything, I bet he/she would be interested!

A dreary day.

2009-03-31T07:33:00.003-05:00

I always say how much I love the Spring, how its my favorite season, and I romanticize about the reblooming of all the beautiful flowers and trees and picnicking in green meadows...and the Spring actually comes and I remember that Alabama Springs are defined by tornadoes, flooding, and the constant yellow dusting of pollen.

Anyway, I just really wish I was somewhere far away. Like Italy or Istanbul or France or...

Here are some photographs from an incredible young photographer, Glynnis Ritchie. We went to the same performing and visual arts school as teenagers, though she was a few years younger than me. I know that she's currently a student at the American University of Paris and has the dreamiest life of traveling around Europe with her camera.

You can check out her Flickr photostream here. All of the images I post are copyrighted to Glynnis Ritchie and come from her Flickr page.

from Provence...

from the Loire Valley...

I always love to see what Glynnis updates from her travels.

Here are some other photographs of hers...

Beloved Curiosity: Alice Neel

2009-03-26T09:55:00.002-05:00

Alice Neel was an American portrait painter whose pieces are noted their intense emotion and expressionistic qualities. She married a Cuban painter, Carlos Enriquez, and they moved to Havana where she became part of the Cuban avant-garde set. In 1930, Neel suffered a massive nervous breakdown (perhaps brough on by the untimely death of her first child and her husband and second child abandoning her only a few years later), and she spent a year in a sanitorium. She worked through the Depression, having been hired by the WPA. In the 50s she appeared alongside Ginsburg in the Robert Frank film, Pull My Daisy. Neel's fame really grew through the feminist movement of the 1960s.

Visit her official web site here.

Here are some of her beautiful pieces...

left: "Nadja," 1928.
right: "Rhoda Myers with Blue Hat," 1930.

left: "The Spanish Family," 1943.
right: "Robert Smithson," 1962.

left: "Blue House," 1964.
right: "Hartley," 1965.

left: "Nancy and Olivia," 1967.
right: "Pregnant Julie and Algis," 1967.

left: "Gerard Malanga," 1969.
right: "Nancy and the Twins," 1971.

SXSW Recap.

2009-03-24T09:02:00.005-05:00

We officially made it back to Birmingham late Monday night. The drive from Austin took sixteen hours and two days, and nearly drove us both insane! It was so easy to drive down there, yet the same path on the way back was excruciating.

I hate that I had so many Internet problems and couldn't blog. It was one of the many things to learn from for next year.

The whole experience was nothing like I could've imagined. Ever. I expected to be tired and run ragged, but I couldn't anticipate the festival aspect of the whole thing. Thousands and thousands of people are hyped up on music and adrenaline (and probably more than a few on illegal substances), wandering around, driven to find the best place to be/the best show/the best cupcake or taco/the best free beer.

I was super thankful to have a badge that granted me immediate access to any show/party I wanted to be at...I couldn't imagine having to wait in those excruciating lines that flowed down 6th Street like it would never end. That badge also saved me about 5 hours a day. I could pop in to the Billions Party, stay long enough for the husband to say hellos, and then run over to Maggies Mae's Gibson Room, Mohawk to see Richard Swift (and catch J. Mascis on the street), and still make it to Volume to see Beach House. If you're ever going to SXSW, yes, it IS do-able without a badge or wristband, but it's a LOT better of a time if you just throw down the $500-700 for the badge.

My husband played two phenomenal shows--one Wednesday night at the Tap Room and another as part of the Birmingham Day Party. His current lineup is really fantastic, and the new songs are really a whole new thing. On Wednesday, The Austin Chronicle chose Duquette Johnston and the Rebel Kings as a top pick for the night, describing them as "psychedelic Southern rock." I think that's an incredible way to capture the music.

Here's exactly what the Chronicle had to say...

"Psychedelic Southern rock isn't done any more authentically than by Duquette Johnston. The Alabama native takes a personal look at a troubled road amidst loud guitars itching for a Drive-by Truckers session. Currently in the studio working on a follow-up to 2006's Etowah, Johnston and his recent "Nothing to Fear" demonstrate a digestion of Lucinda Williams. " – Chase Hoffberger

The Saturday BHAM Showcase was an unofficial party and took place at the Creekside Lounge, luckily right next door to the 40 Watt party. It made it pretty easy for several people to jump back and forth between the two. My husband got stuck with what I considered to be a rather shiteous time slot, but it ends up not really mattering in the end. Whoever was there, was supposed to be there right then. Chip Midnight from Atomic Ned, an old friend of my husband's from back in the Verbena days, came out to see the set. He wrote a nice little bit on him at his blog's SXSW recap:

"Started out at the Creekside Lounge to see Duquette Johnston and the Rebel Kings at the Birmingham, Alabama showcase. I met Duquette when he was in Verbena many years ago (’96-ish) and we’ve traded a rare e-mail or two every couple of years up until the last two or so years where he’s shown up on MySpace. His live show was more rocking than his debut Etowah - kind of Neil Young / My Morning Jacket / Drive-By Truckers-ish. Good ol’ rock from the South. Been listening to his acoustic CD-R that he gave me a copy of that afternoon - hopefully you’ll have a chance to hear it soon."--Chip Midnight.

Out of the whole SXSW, I have to say that my favorite moments were:
1) Seeing the Delta Spirit play a CRAZY show at the Radio Room on Wednesday night and then stumbling upon an outdoor honky-tonk set of theirs at a morning party with free tacos. I love this band so much. And they're some of the sweetest guys ever. I'm so happy for their growing success. They deserve it because the songs deserve it.

2) Lou Barlow and Imaad Wasif at the Merge Records Party at the Parish. It was entirely acoustic and while I'm not an enormous fan of Lou Barlow's solo stuff, I was absolutely mesmerized by Wasif. I managed to get right up front to shoot (thank you, Fire Marshall for limiting the crowd that night!) and I have some incredible photos of him looking directly at me. It kind of freaked me out. He looks like a really beautiful ghost.

3) Watching Beach House at Volume. I've never been a fan of their recordings, but to watch them live was really hypnotic. The space was really cool--stage was low and the back wall was lined with mirrors. There was a great balcony with cages along the stair rails. The light was all green and spacy. I loved it.

Check back later and through the week for more picture posts!!

Or, go visit my Flickr...there are hundreds of photos there!
Now, for even more rest...

SXSW COVERAGE UPDATE!!!

2009-03-20T11:56:00.002-05:00

All right people, here's the deal: as nice as the Marriott Courtyard is, the wireless Internet SUCKS. So I have started a Flickr account (which I needed to do anyway), and for some reason it is WAY faster than uploading the images on Blogger.

I have thrown up a few photos already--check them out at morganjones241's photostream. I SWEAR I will post more before this time tomorrow...there will be photos of Jay Mascis, Richard Swift, Delta Spirit, Beach House, and so much more.

Thanks for being so patient, people! It certainly takes a lot of it to survive. Hey, there's tip #4.

Major technical difficulties...

2009-03-19T12:16:00.002-05:00

Hey Everyone--
I'm having some technical difficulties with uploading photos right now--I will get it resolved later and post lots of great stuff from yesterday--survival tips, Shiner's Saloon, Tap Room, Duquette Johnston, Delta Spirit, and more!!

See you in a little while...

SXSW--Live from Dallas

2009-03-18T00:14:00.006-05:00

(Jonathan Purvis, David Swatzell, and Duquette Johnston synchronizing watches)

It's 12 am and we just pulled into Dallas for the night. We're picking up bass player Greg Slamen at the DFW airport in eight hours. We braved the ten hour drive today like true road warriors!

We hit the road at 9.30am after meeting up with Valerie McLean, Trak Shak lady extraordinaire!! She jumped into last minute action upon realizing that the Trak Shak trailer (so graciously loaned to the Birmingham SXSW effort) had an expired tag. We piled the gear in, piled the passengers in the truck, and met up with a car load of BHAM people to hit the road.

The ten hour drive passed quickly, thanks to frequent stops awarded to the sole girl in this particular caravan.
.

The highlight of the trip thus far has been the four or five stops we made in search of beer, only to realize that every single town we chose to exit at was in a dry county--in Louisiana and Texas. Too good. However, at one of these dry gas stations in the middle of nowhere, was a casino. Fifty cents were lost in this venture.

Oh, and then there were these birds. Like 500 of them--cackles, I think. They dive bombed us all. It was beyond a Hitchcock moment.

And now we're in Dallas. I'm exhausted and can't hardly think to blog. We've piled in six people in a little hotel room near the airport. Sardines. Comfy sardines.

Tomorrow is going to be one hell of a day--we head into Austin after picking up Slamen at the airport. We go to check in and get our badges. We go to check in to the hotel. We go to load in for Duquette Johnston and the Rebel Kings show, which he will play at 10pm at the Tap Room at Six. Later that night, we will be going to check out the Delta Spirit at the Radio Room at 1.30am.

Good night, people. Or good morning. Or whatever...

Photos from this weekend...

2009-03-16T12:55:00.006-05:00

Hey Everyone! We are taking care of last minute preparations before we depart for SXSW 2009!! I can't wait to hit the road. I'm taking several cameras with me: Canon SLR, Yashica T4 film camera, Lumix point and shoot digital (it has a Leica lens and rocks), and maybe my Polaroid. These are some photographs I took over the weekend...

at the Bottletree Cafe...

at the Urban Standard...

from around the house...

We hit the road at 9am tomorrow and are driving straight to Dallas and spending the night there (got to pick up the bass player from the airport) and then heading into Austin Wednesday around noon. I will be posting tomorrow's road trip photos early Wednesday morning!

BLOG CARDS!

2009-03-13T20:22:00.005-05:00

Things are still crazy as we are three days away from departing for SXSW! One of my to-do's before leaving town was to create a business card for Curious Morgan. I just figure that while I am at one the greatest networking opportunities of the year, I'd do a little sideline promoting of Curious Morgan. I've never done anything like this...what do you guys think?? I'd LOVE some honest feedback!

And remember, I start blogging on our great adventure starting Monday!

Taking an early weekend, sort of...

2009-03-12T06:16:00.000-05:00

Hey Everyone!
This week's blog schedule is a little off as the preparation for South by Southwest is in full gear! I am working on photo shoots today and tomorrow. Tonight is the second Gas Money: Birmingham goes to South by Southwest fundraiser at Workplay in Birmingham.

I hope it's a phenomenal turnout--eight Birmingham bands are heading to Austin to play an unofficial day party at the Creekside Lounge on Saturday the 21st. This is a first for Birmingham, and we are all hoping that it will establish this city as a contender in incredible music.

The bands playing are:
O+S (that's Orenda Fink from Azure Ray and Little Red Rocket and Scalpelist AKA Cedric LeMoyne of Remy Zero and Gnarls Barkley)
Duquette Johnston and the Rebel Kings (headed by Daniel Duquette Johnston, founding member of Verbena, Cutgrass, touring bassist of the Blake Babies, Brother Cane, etc.)
Vulture Whale (including Les Nuby of Verbena)
Taylor Hollingsworth (of the Mystic Valley Band)
13 Ghosts
Through the Sparks
The Grenadines
Kate Taylor

Now, a little profiling of Duquette Johnston...

Duquette Johnston and the Rebel Kings are also playing SXSW on Wednesday March 18th at 10PM at the Tap Room at Six. It's sure to be a great show, featuring band mates Greg Slamen of Through the Sparks, Michael Shackleford of Through the Sparks, The Grenadines, King Carnivore, Maria Taylor, and David Swatzell of Mt. St. Mtn. and Last Flight In.

Here are a couple links to a couple SXSW interviews--from Les Enfants Terribles and another from Atomic Ned-- and a recent review--from Omniplug-- of the Duke's latest record, It Sings Because It Has a Song, that was written and recorded in 28 days for NPR's Record Production Month Challenge.

Also, if you're in the Birmingham area this Saturday, March 14th, Duquette is playing a special acoustic set at The Urban Standard, debuting the songs from It Sings Because It Has a Song. The show starts at 7.30 pm, and will also feature the music of Jon Black and Neil Couvillion.

Anyway, surrounding these thrilling events is the feat of packing everything I could possibly need for a week at a music conference/festival, scheduling an 8am-4am existence for five straight days, figuring out carpool/caravan, and making sure my husband (the Duke himself) does the same.

I will check back in Monday, before we depart, and, remember, I will be blogging daily from SXSW!!

Team Etsy Austin!

2009-03-11T07:51:00.006-05:00

I signed up on Twitter a little over a week ago to keep up to the second on SXSW info--apparently, you're out of the loop if you're not on Twitter during (and leading up to) the event. Even though my phone tweets all hours of the night (I haven't figured out how to make it "sleep"), I am finding out some very cool stuff.

For example, there is a whole Etsy Austin collective, and they're going to be set up at SXSW this year selling goods and promoting Austin crafsters! I am absolutely going to stop by and say hello to them and peruse their wares. What I think is really cool about this Etsy group is that their goal is to establish these artists' names in Austin by giving support and encouragement to each other in life and in the Web. They do meetups and are really trying to help out each others' small businesses...so cool.

Here are some Etsy Austin wares...

left: silver plated horse head necklace, from brokenearproductions.
right: marigold Czech glass earrings, from polishedtwo. (I really love these.)

left: crocheted cactus plants, from fiftyacorns. (I think these are hilariously witty.)
right: oxidized cup earrings, from adornmodern.

left: recipe cards, from pairedhearts. (They come in a baker's dozen of 13!)
right: 12x12 tiny chairs pillow cover, from scarletfig. (She designed this fabric!)

left: slip painted pottery, signed and numbered, from tinalewis.
right: recycled/upcycled Coors can hat, from ultratrixie. (Perfect color combo, and only $12)

left: Winter Warlock sculpture, from spiritmama. (I am beyond impressed--she SCULPTED this!)
right: constellation pendant, from lolariera. (I named a star after my husband for Christmas several years ago...I wonder if I could send Lola a diagram of the constellation and have a pendant made...how cool would that be??)

Texas Ware.

2009-03-10T07:36:00.001-05:00

So in my grand perusal of all things Texas, I came across the most beautiful vintage melamine pieces, called Texas Ware. Plastic Manufacturing Company (PMC) made the Texas Ware pieces from the late 1950s through the 1990s. At one point, PMC was the largest plastics manufacturer in the world, and they revolutionized the stackable melamine bowls and cups. Interestingly, out of the thousands of pieces they manufactured, the speckled or spatter Texas Ware is the most sought after. It's interesting because the speckle in the melamine was a result of using surplus material that was left over from other products. The pieces are so pretty.

Here is some Texas Ware that's for sale on eBay...

11" mixing bowl, No.125, from nrls68.

10" Confetti Spatter Bowl, No. 118, from toms1057.

8" Spatter mixing bowl, from tresori.

Orange Spatter Lunch trays, from ajcarson2000.

11" Spatter Bowl, No. 125, from sewsimple57.

11 1/2" Spatter Bowl, from diamonddeb45.

These boots were made for walking...

2009-03-09T06:46:00.000-05:00

Hey Everyone!! I am back from my week of no posts! I was momentarily lost in the panic of getting a million things done in the span on about four days. We had our yard sale, and it was a great success!! We made far more than we had anticipated and have all the money we need for gas money to get to Austin for South By Southwest and back!!!

This week is going to be another crazy one, but I will be blogging through it! Of course, my mind is on Texas, the promise of the pending excitement at SXSW, great music, incredible (yet practical) fashion, authentic TexMex food, and so much more... So join me this week in getting ready for one hell of a trip!

Today, I am thinking about footwear. We all know my obsession with sexy boots, but I MUST put a very high priority on comfort. SXSW and any other festival/conference involves a LOT of walking. You get little sleep and spend about 18 hours a day on your feet--running between shows and parties and meetings and on and on...

And right now, I am OBSESSED with moccasins. They're so comfortable and so beautifully crafted. I personally believe they can go with ANYTHING, and the leather is so richly colored that they make a perfect accessory in themselves.

Moccasins.com has some incredible pairs of mocs and they are some of the least expensive shoes I've ever come across. They will last you forever, too. Here are some of my favorite styles...

left:Three layer fringe Minnetonka.
right: Knee hi Minnetonka. I lucked out and found a pair of these in brown at the thrift store! I will most likely be living in these in Austin.

left: Minnetonka two button, $32.95-36.95.
right: Minnetonka hi tramper, $49.95.

left: Minnetonka fringe calf boot, $75.95.
right: Minnetonka woodstock fringe boot, $59.99.

left: Footskins knee hi moc, $132.99.
right: Minnetonka side lace, $75.95.

Crazy day...

2009-03-03T09:30:00.002-06:00

I won't be posting anything today due to 1)a torn apart house, 2)a pending massive yard sale on Saturday that I MUST prepare for, 3)I've got to run errands before going to shoot the Soca Fashion show tonight! If you live in Birmingham, come down to the Wine Loft (downtown location) from 5-8pm. They're even giving away a pair of designer denim jeans!! (That means FREE, people!!)

See you tomorrow, and have a blessed day!

Snow fell on Alabama...

2009-03-02T10:21:00.015-06:00

What a weekend we had here in Alabama!! It seems like when I was a child, my memories of growing up in Alabama were framed by winters of light snows, sledding, snowball fights, and hot chocolate by a fireplace. However, it's been around ten years since we have seen more than an inch or so of that beautiful white fluff. Our meteorologists haven't come off as the brightest people this year, interrupting hours of regular programming over the past few months with the promise of hail, tornado, flood, frost, and snow--and it never ever happens. So when Saturday rolled around and every news station urged people to prepare for a snow storm, I just did not believe them. In the early hours of Sunday morning, as the husband and I caught up with old friends on the patio of the Garage, there was still no snow. I still did not believe. We got home around 2AM and fell asleep, stifling our secret desperate hope for snow just so we wouldn't be disappointed in the morning.

Well, along comes morning...and the most snow that I've seen in years!! We quickly bundled up and took to the neighborhood streets with our dogs, Pagoda and Blue. They played for a bit with the new neighbors' baby Husky. All of a sudden it was white out conditions; the snow was falling so hard and fast and the wind was blowing so fiercely, Pagoda got lost. We found him shortly thereafter, but I was soaked through.

We took a break, warmed up in the comfort of our toasty living room, ate coffee cake, and bundled back up to do it all over again--with leashes on the dogs, of course.

D
N

Everything was fabulous! I even joked to our neighbor about my amazement that our neighborhood (notorious for power loss) still had electricity. And then we walked home...and our power went out!!! Normally, we would brave the loss. But my husband was on his last day of recording an album for NPR's Record Production Month challenge. He had to record 10 songs...and we HAD NO POWER. After breaking down and loading up all the recording gear about ten times, trekking to several different locations to find a quiet, well-powered room, two minor mental breakdowns, and one exploding car (seriously, I saw a car BLOW UP), he finished the record!! It was 1 in the morning, but it was recorded, dumped from the four-track, and mastered (thanks to record producer extraordinaire, Les Nuby).

It was a wild weekend and fabulous just the same. The snow is long gone, and we are sad. But I'm sure we will see it again...in the year 2019.

Have a great weekend!

2009-02-27T08:36:00.002-06:00

I hope all of you have an incredible weekend full of rest and joy.

Be blessed! And I'll see you next week!

Novel idea--the Penguin deck chair

2009-02-26T07:50:00.002-06:00

I came across this while perusing the archives of fellow blogger, A Bloomsbury Life. (I really love her blog; you should check it out!!)

Anyway, I think these chairs are fabulous bursts of color and a must have for any great reader (or witty intellectual who doesn't mind poking a little fun at him/herself!)

There are nine choices ranging from an orange chair/Katherine Mansfield's The Garden Party to a royal purple/Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own to a red/Bernard Shaw Man and Superman.

To find these incredible chairs, visit the Bloomsbury Product page, here.

Beloved Curiosity: Alex Katz

2009-02-25T06:42:00.000-06:00

Alex Katz is an American born artist who paints the most incredible figural paintings. I love the colors and the effortless feel of his work. Check out his Web site, Alex Katz.

Enjoy!

"Peter Humphrey," 1960.

"Alex, Ada and Vincent," 1961.

"Upside Down Ada," 1965.

"Rowboat," 1966.

"Ada and Vincent in the Car," 1972.

"Blue Umbrella 2," 1972.

Feedsack Cloth

2009-02-24T06:32:00.000-06:00

I had a conversation with my grandmother the other day about the Great Depression. I want to hear all the stories she has, and considering these stressful economic times, I especially wanted to hear what life was like during the Depression. While she didn't go into great depth, she vividly remembers how difficult it was for her family (she was one of seven children) in rural Alabama. They were farmers and grew all the produce for a small mining community. While their lives were filled with so much worry, back-breaking work, and hunger, she fondly remembers the vivid color brought to her life by the feedsack dresses her mother made for her and her sisters.

The era of the printed feedsack started in the 1920s, when manufacturers realized they could sell more of their feedsacks if they were printed with bright colors and patterns. The timing is a bit ironic, I must say. Anyway, feedsack cloth is hard to come by, but I've come across some on eBay. These are truly beautiful. I can only imagine what my grandmother's dresses looked like...

To see each listing, click on the photo!

Beloved Curiosity: Miroslav Sasek

2009-02-23T08:08:00.002-06:00

Miroslav Sasek was a German illustrator who created the incredible This Is book series. Each book profiles a major city or country of the world with the wonderment of a child's eye. The collection consists of eighteen books that cover locations from Paris (1959) to Edinburgh (1961) to Cape Canaveral (1963), Hong Kong (1965), Greece (1966), and so many more!

I've only recently come across his work via the Internet, but I will forever keep an eye open for first editions of these books!

Here are some of his incredible illustrations, and be sure to check out the official Web site, This is M. Sasek.

left: from This is Paris, 1959.
right: from This is London, 1959.

left: from This is Venice, 1961.
right: from This is San Francisco, 1962.

left: from This is Cape Canaveral, 1963.
right: from This is Texas, 1967.

Happy Weekend!!

2009-02-20T08:23:00.002-06:00

Happy weekend everyone! I've been super busy with photo shoots the past couple days, but I will be back in action Monday! Have a great, blessed weekend!!

Curious Party Idea: Masked in the Garden.

2009-02-17T20:07:00.007-06:00

A friend and I are planning to have a masquerade dinner once Spring finally comes along. You know that scene in Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette when they have that beautiful garden dinner party? That's what we're going for... all white and various shades of cream and the natural greenery surrounding us. Lots of candles. We are thinking of gourmet potluck to save the expense of having a catered thing--I mean, who really has the money or time for that?

The point is to have an effortlessly chic party, so all a guest will need is a good dish and an interesting mask.

This is kind of the mood I'm trying to capture--relaxed, intimate, bohemian, neverending...

left: I love the length of this table, the green bottles spanning the length, and the mismatched rustic chairs. Image, courtesy of Alaskan Photo Adventures.
right: Great, glowing atmosphere. Image, courtesy of LJC Blog.

left: I love the fringed tablecloth, the candles, and the lights in tree in the background. Stock photo, courtesy of Photo Search.
right: Photo, courtesy of Martha Stewart (of course).

A little lighting...

left: Photo, courtesy of Zonefred's Flickr.
right: Solar lights, courtesy of Inhabitat.

These are some fabulous masks I found on etsy that are simply exquisite and beyond perfect for the party! I'm loving the whole animal/mythological theme to the masks. Couldn't you just picture a long table packed with wolves and owls and scales and feathers, teeth and wild grins illuminated by the candle light??

left: Thetis Sea Goddess mask, from asuwish.
right: Mildly Medusa mask, also from asuwish.

left: Ooly Owl mask, also from asuwish.
right: Silver Asteria mask, also from asuwish.

Bluebell Fairy Mask, also from asuwish.
Pink Daisy Mask, also from asuwish.

left: White Fox Mask, from Merimask.
right: Unicorn Leather Mask, from Tom Banwell Leather. (I'm totally going to get this one!)

left: Big Bad Wolf Mask, by Masquefaire. (I would get this one for my husband.)
right: Lunar Fox Mask, from 1ntegral.

Beloved Curiosity, Herbert Gehr.

2009-02-17T07:29:00.007-06:00

Amazingly, I can't find any biographical information on this amazing photographer other than he was born in the US in 1910 and died in 1983. I know he shot a lot for Time-Life.

But aren't they AMAZING?? Gehr really captures what I've always imagined of post-war America--the clinical existence, the probing, the automated lives, the voyeuristic clinical gaze... These are fascinating and disturbing images. They're just unsettling...I LOVE them! What do you think??

The Hunger Site.

2009-02-15T15:11:00.004-06:00

The Hunger Site is an amazing web site that has partnered with Mercy Corps and Feeding America to help end world hunger. These organizations also provide disaster relief in poverty/war/disaster stricken areas of the world.

Anyway, there is a store on the web site that sells products made by artisans from more than 80 countries around the world. These are fair trade items, and for every item purchased, varying numbers of cups of food are donated to these hunger organizations.

A very, very cool thing. And they have some really great products at incredible prices.
Here are some of my favorites!

left: "Fearlessness" Sanskrit necklace, $21.95/ 50 cups of food donated
right: Zulugrass Necklaces, $34/50 cups of food donated; these are created from sustainable resources and give economic opportunity to women in the Maasai region of Africa.

left: Tibetan Freedom Bracelet, $2.95/25 cups of food donated; these bracelets are hand made by Tibetan nuns who have sought refuge in India. The proceeds from this bracelet go to the Tibetan Nuns Project, providing humanitarian aid to the over 600 Tibetan refugee nuns living in India.
right:"Evil Eye" bracelet, $16.95/ 25 cups of food donated; in Turkish lore the Evil Eye protects the wearer from harm. Fair traded from Turkey.

left: Bone Button Necklace, $10.95/ 25 cups of food donated; this necklace is made from the bones of camels that have died naturally.
right: Moroccan Palm Tote/Beach Bag, $12.95/ 25 cups of food donated;

Happy weekend and Valentine's Day!

2009-02-13T07:40:00.002-06:00

I hope you all have a great weekend and wonderful Valentine's Day filled with much love, whether you've got a Valentine or not!

See you next week!

Rhinestone Cowboys.

2009-02-12T06:27:00.001-06:00

My husband played a huge role in my exposure to the amazing tailoring of Nudie and Turk and Manuel. He has an original Nathan Turk shirt that I think he was wearing the first time we met. They're exquisitely crafted and utterly dazzling.

Here's a history in images, beginning with Rodeo Ben. Opening his business in the 1920's, Rodeo Ben went on to design the cowboy jean for Wrangler. Rodeo Ben was a Polish born Philadelphian who clothed stars like Gene Autry and Roy Rogers.

Succeeding Rodeo Ben was Nathan Turk, a Van Nuys, California-based tailor during the 1940s and 50s. His clients included Patsy Cline, Elvis, and Dale Evens.

This burgundy colored shirt is my husband's Turk shirt from the 50s.

Shortly following Turk was the great Rodeo Tailor Nudie Cohn. While country singers were well into the ornamental cowboy suit, it was Nudie's relationship with Gram Parsons that introduced the style to rock and roll. However, it was Nudie's successor Manuel, who designed all of Gram's own suits.

Here are some of Nudie's greatest pieces...

left: Porter Waggoner's suit
right: Hank Williams' most famous suit

The following photos are Nudie himself in one of his most famous suits. This is my favorite suit ever.

These Nudie photos come from the official web site, Nudies Rodeo Tailors Official Website.

Next came Manuel, who moved from his native Mexico to Los Angeles in the 50s. In the 1960s, Manuel joined Nudie as his head tailor. A marriage to and divorce from Nudie's daughter prompted Manuel to break away and start his own business. In the late 1980's Manuel moved his business to Nashville--Manuel's Exclusive Clothier's. Manuel has clothed everyone from Johnny Cash to John Lennon. Here are some of his pieces...

Amazingly, it's pretty hard to find a good selection of photos of Manuel's work.

Here's Gram Parson in his 1969 Nudie Suit, designed by Manuel and the suits Manuel made for the Beatles' Sgt Pepper.

You can visit the Manuel~The Legend web site to find out more about him.

Or, if you're in Nashville, you can stop by the store,
Manuel's Exclusive Clothiers
1922 Broadway
Nashville, Tennessee 37203

It's a Bob Dylan day.

2009-02-11T07:56:00.002-06:00

A hard rain's a gonna fall today in dear old Bama. And there's something about the low hanging sky and Spring-scented air that makes me think of Dylan. I think today is going to be a day of laying in the floor, staring out the picture window at the stormy skies, listening to Dylan. I'm feeling a little folky myself.

Here are some great images of Dylan. Just because.

Bag fiend.

2009-02-10T11:05:00.004-06:00

I love vintage leather purses as much as I love boots. At the request of a friend, here are some awesome purses from eBay.

left: leather purse, from sixd3.
right: wicker, leather, gold hardware purse, from vintage*pippi.

left: leather diamond attache/purse, from fauxbazaar.
right: large leather saddle/messenger purse, from ragevogue.

left: handmade leather vintage purse, from bidfamous.
right: 60s patent leather tote/purse, from preserveboutique.

left: oversize doctor-style purse, from indierockvintage.
right: MY FAVORITE!! Indian woven and leather bag, from deja-blues.

left: (Love this one, too) hobo, from indiecultvintage.
right: vintage Etienne Aigner ox blood purse, from myweescotties.

Deeply rooted.

2009-02-10T06:30:00.000-06:00

So I'm still on my gardening kick. I've spent about ten hours over the past two days cleaning up our three yards, cutting back overgrowth, cleaning flower beds, and potting Spring plants. Seeing as how we rent our house, it makes a lot of sense to pot plants seeing as how I can take them wherever we end up (except for maybe on the road). Potted plants are also a great way to satisfy my great anticipation of all things Spring. I've potted some iris bulbs I rescued from bad bed, French lavender, Rosemary, and Cilantro. I ran out of pots today so I'm keeping an eye open for some new planters. I usually grab interesting ones that I comes across at yard/estate sales and thrift stores, but Etsy has got some really cool ones...

Clayflower22 makes these INCREDIBLE hand painted planters from antique doll heads. Here are some of my favorites. (Just click the photo to go to the specific page!)

left: handmade planter from Inkypots.
right: handmade clay planter from Lori Koop. Check her out--she's an amazing potter.

left: vintage jaguar planter, from InspirationMemories.
right: Grouchy Pot planter, from JMNPOTTERY.

left: knotty Oak planter, from lauri706.
right: Capodimonte swan planter, from TheEnchantedAttic.

Live long and prosper, Mr. Spock.

2009-02-09T07:45:00.007-06:00

I had the pleasure of going to hear Leonard Nimoy, Star Trek's own Spock, speak Friday night as part of the UAB lecture series. His discussion focused on his photography but intersected in so many ways with his role as Spock, as an actor in general, as an Orthodox Jew, as a lover of women... There were a couple hundred people there, but it felt so very intimate--like he was speaking to you alone from across a dinner table.

He's 77 (and will be 78 next month) now and still going strong. He said a few years back he called an insurance adjuster to find out how long he was expected to live. They gave him an estimated time in days. He promptly bought a clock that counted down time, and that clock ticks down the number of days he has left. He said he doesn't look at it often. It's just a reminder to live a little more in the days he has.

Here are a couple of photos from the lecture... (I also got to meet him afterward and have a book signed!)

Sale-ing.

2009-02-06T07:25:00.002-06:00

It's Friday!! And it's going to be a beautiful day down here in Alabama. Sixty degrees and bright blue skies. So I'm solo roadtripping to a few country towns in Northern Alabama to visit thrift stores! So excited!!

I hope you all have a beautiful, blessed weekend.

See you next week!!

Lamenting the end of Domino.

2009-02-05T08:46:00.002-06:00

As everyone knows, Domino magazine is no more. This news broke my heart last week as Domino was the last magazine I truly loved after the untimely demise of Blueprint. The publishing industry is taking a really hard hit, and as great as the Internet is, it's not the same as pulling a glossy magazine from the depths of your tote bag and flipping through its pages with the grace of a cool breeze. People need pretty images. They need something to tear out and hold onto. While the Internet can give you any image you want in a split second, those shiny printed pages are secrets we can steal away in our pockets, stuffed inside a day planner, tacked to a wall. They will yellow and curl and the name of the magazine from which you pulled it will be long forgotten, but that pretty picture will wind up in a jewelry box or sock drawer that someone comes across in 2045. It will become their treasure--and it shouldn't be because they've never seen a magazine before!

Oh, and it's not just the Domino magazine shutting down; it's the web site too. So go there are save as many articles and pictures today because any moment they could be gone forever! That's what I will be doing...

Domino's official web site...www.dominomag.com/
The Domino Deco Files, save, save, save...mydecofile.dominomag.com/
Domino Daily Dose Blogs...mydecofile.dominomag.com/
We Love Domino blog...welovedomino.wordpress.com/

Haute Barbie.

2009-02-04T07:10:00.005-06:00

As some of you may know, Barbie is turning 50 this year (on March 9, to be exact). Barbie's caught a lot of flack for reinforcing impossible ideals of beauty, yadda, yadda, yadda, but you can't deny she has become one of the most iconic characters in American pop culture.

I found out about the Poupee Barbie series created by Jocelyne Grivaud from fellow blogger and Barbie enthusiast, Margaux at Midge's Mind. Margaux creates incredible Barbie parts jewelry, and you can find her stuff at her Etsy shop. It's totally worth checking out!

Anyway, here are a few of Grivaud's pieces...
Man Ray...

Guy Bourdin...

Milton Glaser...

And here is a Barbie wearing Margaux Lange-designed jewelry. This Barbie went to Paris Fashion Week!

Going along on a shoot.

2009-02-04T06:01:00.000-06:00

I'm so excited! Today I get to go assist on a couple photo shoots, and I am so thrilled. So since I've got cameras on the brain, here are some fun Etsy camera-themed finds!

left: Shutterbug necklace from Crumpetcake.
right: Eco-friendly tote bag from The Craft Pantry.

left: Working lamp and 1934 Cine Kodak Model 25 8mm camera, so cool. From Litterlamps85.
right: Canon SLR parts shirt, from shopshopdesigns.

I also collect old cameras, mostly things I come across at thrift stores and estate sales--35mm, medium format, even old 8mm. Shocking, I know. Anyway, here are some cool old cameras for sale on Etsy.

left: 50s Mansfield Holiday II 8mm, from Gaze of Orpheus.
right: Exacta Varex IIa, from Zortose.

left: 60s TDC Stereo Colorist Camera for taking 3-D pictures, from Nostalgic Meditations.
right: Yashica-Mat TLR twin lens reflex, from Supply Fascination.

Beloved Curiosity: Female merit badges.

2009-02-03T09:30:00.004-06:00

Mary Yaeger makes these embroidered badges representing female "rites of passage" in a beauty-obsessed culture. I really, really love these badges. I don't think you can order the badges themselves, you can order posters at Mary Yaeger's web site. They're so clever and play on most little girl's memories of busting ass to get Girl Scout badges. Well, here you go, ladies. Menstruation? Get a badge!
Shave your legs? Get a badge!
Black lacy bra? Weight loss? First pubic hair? Get your badges!!!

Here are a few...

from left: "Diaphragm," "Cramps," "Lipstick."

from left: "Pantyhose," "Underarm Hair Growth," "Inserting a Tampon."

Turquoise beauty.

2009-02-03T08:30:00.003-06:00

I love turquoise jewelry so much. I think it comes from my exposure to Southwestern Native American cultures as a young child. My father flew hot air balloons with Thunder and Colt out in New Mexico. We went every year for the races, and every year we were invited to a Pueblo reservation to visit Mary Rosetta, a jewelry maker who had to be 90 years old. She would take me apple picking and show me how she used her kiln. And then my parents would buy several pieces she made--necklaces, cuff bracelets, rings, earrings...

My husband, too, loves the turquoise. He grew up out in Wyoming and saw his dad wear a big hunk of turquoise as a wedding ring. Anyway, we began our own collection of turquoise and Native American-inspired jewelry that we are very proud of and always looking to add to!

Here's a recent find from eBay. I would buy it if we had the money to spare (saving up for SXSW!).

This is an estate auction from catgre2157. I really love the cuffs and the rings. The lot is going for $200 right now, and I think that's a really fantastic price for this stuff.

How does your garden grow??

2009-02-02T08:35:00.007-06:00

Seeing as how good ole Phil the Groundhog has seen his shadow and we only have six weeks left of winter, I'm reading up on starting a garden! I've never really had a green thumb, but the springs and summers of my childhood are filled with many memories of tomato vines and strawberry picking and apple trees and rose gardens and on and on. I was surrounded by some amazing women with the horticultural gift.

So after having kept a couple house plants alive for more than 12 months, it's time to move into my garden. The husband and I have lived in a really great little rental house for going on three years. One of the reasons we moved into this place was because of the incredible yard--actually it's three full yards. The front yard has some hydrangeas. The side lawn has pecan trees, rose bushes, and some other flowering trees I can't identify. The back yard has an enormous magnolia tree right in the middle, providing shade for our house (saving us a ton in electricity costs when it's 100+ degrees outside). There are rose bushes, irises, fig trees, and lots of ivy.

I have to figure out a way to plant what I want to plant so that our dogs don't destroy the garden...but I want to plant tomatoes, strawberries, blueberries, arugula, dahlias, tulips, fragrant verbena, sunflowers, lots of herbs, and on and on...

Domino, which sadly is soon to be no more, has these great garden layouts online. They're based on the gardens of Oscar de la Renta and are really smart and pretty. Thanks to Jackie at peppermags for blogging on these great garden designs!

Here are some other great links for the beginning gardener (or if you just need to brush up or ask questions!)

The Germinatrix...This was a great gardening Q&A blog featured on Domino's web site. I'm not sure how long it'll be up, but go there and take notes!!

You Grow Girl...This is a really revolutionary site--people trying to change the way the gardener/human relates to plants, emphasizing environmentalism and laid-back gardening. Awesome, awesome, awesome.

Garden Harvest Supply...Thanks to Leatherneck Joe for the tip!

Hastings Garden Center...Check out all the great info under the "Garden Wise" tab; be sure to look at their potted garden layouts.
Enjoy exploring and planning. I'll be dreaming up big gardens as I stare out into the Monday rainstorm.

Women of the Rolling Stones.

2009-01-30T08:10:00.003-06:00

Everybody loves the Stones.
They should also love the women that the Stones themselves loved.
These are some of my favorites!

ANITA PALLENBERG...

CHRISSIE SHRIMPTON...

MARIANNE FAITHFUL...

MARSHA HUNT...

RPM Challenge 2009.

2009-01-30T07:32:00.003-06:00

Driving to lunch yesterday, listening to NPR, I heard a segment on the RPM Challenge 2009. (RPM means February is Record Producing Month.) This is such an amazing project!

Essentially, you get 28 days (the whole month of February) to record 10 songs or a 30 minute record. The purpose is to push artists to break out of the confines that prevent them from creating their art on a daily basis. What an amazing thing?!

I called my husband to listen to the NPR segment, and last night before going to bed he signed up for it! (I'm so thrilled; this will be perfect for him--he has taken well over a year working on his second solo album, which, by circumstance, has come to a bit of a standstill. He needs to create something else in the meantime. This is the perfect challenge.) Today, his mission is to find some gear to record it all himself, a personal project to push his own limitations. I will be documenting the whole thing in Polaroids and sketches and with my Yashica T4.

This morning, my husband looked at me and said, "February. Gotta lot to do. Kind of scares me."

And I say, GOOD. That's what this is all about. It's already happening.

Dandelion Wine, it feels oh so good!

2009-01-29T11:18:00.003-06:00

I'm reading Ray Bradbury's Dandelion Wine, and it's the greatest book I've read in ages. A story about summertime of 1928, it reminds you of all the beauty and wonder of seeing through the eyes of childhood.

My day started out rough. What can I say, the cold weather has got me down. I'm struggling with the overwhelming urgency of grown-up life. And then I read this... (Seriously, take the time to read this passage. You will feel goooooood!)

from Ray Bradbury's Dandelion Wine...

" 'That's the trouble with your generation,' said Grandpa...'All the things in life that were put here to savor, you eliminate. Save time, save work, you say.' He nudged the grass trays disrespectfully. 'Bill, when you're my age, you'll find out it's the little savors and little things that count more than big ones. A walk on a spring morning is better than an eighty-mile ride in a hopped-up car, you know why? Because it's full of flavors, full of a lot of things growing. You've time to seek and find. I know--you're after the broad effect now, and I suppose that's fit and proper. But for a young man..., you got to look for grapes as well as watermelons. You greatly admire skeletons and I like fingerprints; well and good. Right now such things are bothersome to you, and I wonder if it isn't because you've never learned to use them. If you had your way you'd pass a law to abolish all the little jobs, the little things. But then you'd leave yourselves nothing to do between the big jobs and you'd have a devil of a time thinking up things to do so you wouldn't go crazy. Instead of that, why not let nature show you a few things? Cutting grass and pulling weeds can be a way of life, son...Lilacs on a bush are better than orchids. And dandelions and devil grass are better! Why? Because they bend you over and turn you away from all the people and the town for a little while and sweat you and get you down where you remember you got a nose again. And when you're all to yourself that way, you're really yourself for a little while; you get to thinking things through, alone. Gardening is the handiest excuse for being a philosopher. Nobody guesses, nobody accuses, nobody knows, but there you are, Plato in the peonies, Socrates force-growing his own hemlock. A man toting a sack of blood manure across his lawn is kin to Atlas letting the world spin easy on his shoulder. As Samuel Spaulding, Esquire, once said, 'Dig in the earth, delve in the soul.' Spin those mower blades, Bill, and walk in the spray of the Fountain of Youth. End of lecture. Besides, a mess of dandelion greens is good eating once in a while.' "

Be blessed today.

1920s/30s tooled leather purses.

2009-01-29T07:17:00.003-06:00

I've only recently become addicted to eBay, and yesterday I wound up on a search that started with vintage leather purses to tooled leather purses, and ultimately stumbling upon the prettiest purses I've ever seen in my life! I have a few bags from the 20s and 30s, but I've never even seen tooled leather purses from this period!!

Here are a few. Aren't they gorgeous??

This purse comes from Back Thennish Vintage. The inside is dated-- 1-25-21. (The purse just turned 88 years old, and it's still carry-able!) It was made by JEMCO.

This purse comes from Sirwinstonthepug's Done Gone Deals. It's another JEMCO from 1918.

This purse comes from swissgulch Antiques. The purse is circa 1920 and features both Art Nouveau and Art Deco designs, very Arts and Crafts style.

This purse comes from abee2. The inside is dated 11/3/31. It features an Arts and Crafts style floral design.

This comes from Mauri's. The purse features a Mexican/Deco design.

This comes from oldadvertiser. Definitely from the 30s, this leather purser has a bakelite handle!

This comes from Bronnie's Antiques and Collectibles. It's carved bakelite!!! How cool is that?? This purse could only serve the purpose of a dance purse, with only room to hold a lipstick and some cash. If anyone knows anything about this style purse, contact the seller through the link. He/she is looking for info!

In memory of the stereo chair.

2009-01-28T08:27:00.003-06:00

I was at some friends' house yesterday, and in their salvaged junk-filled garage was a 1970s stereo egg chair. I've never actually seen one in person, so when I laid eyes on it I turned into an absolutely giddy little kid. I've always loved the stereo chair, but never took the time to read up on it.

So here's a little bit about the evolution of one the greatest chairs EVER. And some photos, of course!

It all started with Eero Aarnio's 1966 Ball Chair. He wanted to create a "room within a room."

This photo captures Charly Stendig sitting in the ball chair.

Aarnio even installed a red telephone in the prototype of the Ball Chair that was presented at the 1966 International Furniture Fair in Cologne.

left: Aarnio in his prototype with the red phone.
right: the 1966 Internation Furniture Fair.

In 1968 Aarnio created the acrylic ball chair, better known as the Bubble Chair. It hangs from the ceiling because the designer didn't like the way clear pedestals looked.

left: the Informational Lounge at Frankfurt Airport.
right: Aarnio's daughters.

Next came Henrik Thor-Larsen's Ovalia Chair, which was exhibited at the 1968 Scandinavian Furniture Fair. These egg-shaped chairs were sold until 1978.

Reproductions of the Ovalia chair, especially in America, would lead to the stereo-wired chair.

This is the AlphaChamber chair by Lee West. I can't really find any info on this, except the occasional mention in a blog or item in an auction. (The chair in the following photo is being auctioned...click the photo to see!). I am guessing it's from the early 1970s.

Another great stereo chair is the Egg Sound Chair from Starkey Laboratories that was made in 1976. And again, it is impossible to find any photos of it anywhere! I suppose that as the reproductions of these chairs got so vast in the 1970s (and even today with companies like inmod).

Here's the thing--the real ones are out there, and in searching the web for this post, I've come across numerous Craigslist posts and auctions of the real things. How cool would it be to have one of these incredible chairs to sit back in!? Keep your eyes open people. Keep 'em open.

Beloved Curiosity: The typewriter.

2009-01-27T07:09:00.006-06:00

Every morning I come into the home-office and sit before a keyboard, and I always wish it was a typewriter instead. I have big plans one day to write a novel about my mother's mother's life called, The Many Secret Lives of Eula Mae Jean Prater Bachmuth Williams. This novel must be written on a typewriter.

Typewriters are remnants of a life I wish I had been a part of. Parisian apartments, filled with the smell of fresh baguettes and the rolling waves of cigarette smoke and the sound of the tick, tick, tick, tick of stories being created on some old desk and the ringing of a bicycle bell in the distance. (Okay, so it could still be my Paris, but in my mind it's 1954.)

Here's to the typewriter...

left: 1949 Olivetti MP1
right: Jack Kerouac's Underwood Portable

left: Underwood No. 5 (credited as the most successful typewriter design in history)
right: c.1960 Remington Sperry Rand

left: 1924 Remington Delux Noiseless
right: c. 1920 Woodstock 5 HN

left: c.1930-1940 Adler No. 7
right: 1954 IBM Model B Standard

left: Brother Opus 885, date unknown
right: 1965 Hermes 3000

left: 1930 Corona 4 in Mountain Ash Scarlet
right: c.1970s SCM Coronet Automatic 12

left: 1870 Hansen Writing Ball, check this out at The Typewriter Museum. Wow.
right: 1970 Olivetti Valentine. Check it out here, to die for. (I actually came across one of these at an estate sale less than a month ago, and for some reason I did NOT GET IT. Ugh. I could kick myself!!)

Happy typing today, Everybody!

Oh, and happy Chinese new year!

2009-01-26T09:02:00.003-06:00

HAPPY YEAR OF THE OX! This year will be marked by CALM, HARD WORK, RESOLVE, and TENACITY.

That sounds about right.

Housewifey.

2009-01-26T07:47:00.004-06:00

We all wear a lot of hats in life--I approve of this cliche solely because of my love of hats.
Anyway, this "housewife" thing is my latest hat.

I finished a very long, drawn out tenure at college in December with a degree in English with a concentration in Professional Writing and Public Discourse with minors in French and Sociology. I was really, really good at being a student, but how long could that really last? I needed to move on, start something new in my life, change things up, and I needed to quit bleeding money. Whoever would have thought I would graduate with a fine degree (and with high honors, mind you) and enter the worst job market since the Depression?

I also married the greatest man ever in September (after seven long years of...well, it makes for one hell of a story in itself). He's a musician and a carpenter, and we are doing well enough ("well enough"= we can pay our bills on time and buy groceries and that's about it). So right now I am not totally stressing about my jobless situation. I'm just playing housewife, which I guess I am not really playing seeing as how that's kind of what I am for now...

Oh, but I LOVE it! Aside from taking pride in caring for my home and enjoying the freedom I have to paint and blog and go take photos anytime, I've always been super fascinated with 50s/60s housewife life. It was so fabulously deluded!! I've got books and books on the subject--I collect these etiquette manuals and women's interest books from the late 1800s-1970s.

But to get to the point of my semi-rambling blog, hey I gave up caffeine three days ago and I am sitting here with a cup of decaf. I have the right to ramble...

Here's some housewife imagery...maybe it'll motivate me to get out of the office and perform the 43 chores I need to get out of the way before 4pm.

Here's some great housewife Etsy buys...

Sarah Wathen is a painter and photographer, and I really like these photos. They are part of a series...

left: It's a little quilt from extratoppings.
right: Diary of a Mad Housewife, from juliemarie23.

Come sale with me...

2009-01-23T07:10:00.003-06:00

Well, it's Friday, and that means I am going to my sales (as I love to call them). Oh, and it's going to be a good one!

This is what I am keeping an eye open for:

-Sunglasses

-50s and 60s ladies clothing, namely lingerie, sweaters, coats, blouses, scarves, gloves

-Purses

-Luggage

-Linens, including tea towels

-50s/60s serveware, including carafs, platters, etc.

-SHOES! (Boots, boots, boots)

-Old office supplies

-Old b&w photos

-Records

-Maritime-themed

-50s Parisienne

-60s women's interest magazines

-unique pillows with needlework

-Etiquette books

-Men's clothing, especially old Brooks Brothers, Wrangler, Levi's, felt hats, vests, belt buckles

If I find something fantastic, I'll throw up some photos (unless I am simply too caught up in the joy of my discoveries!!)

HAVE A GREAT, BLESSED WEEKEND.

Home Invasion: Todd Selby's photographs

2009-01-22T09:09:00.003-06:00

Do you ever walk into someone's home for the first time and just want to stray away from your host to catch a glimpse of all their stuff??

Todd Selby is a fantastic photographer who has hopped around major cities, photographing people's spaces for his project, The Selby. I'm always curious what other people's home/work spaces look like. Selby's photographs fulfill the semi-creepy voyeur that resides in all of us.

Here are some of my favorite spaces...

Guy Blakeslee and Maximilla Lukacs...

Diva and Lola Dompe...

Aaron Rose...

Brett Simon...

For the love of tea (towels)

2009-01-22T05:00:00.000-06:00

I love old tea towels, especially those made of linen. I always keep an eye open at estate sales for great colored and patterned towels. I think they make perfect hostess gifts, or, hey, Valentine's Day is quickly approaching! Here are a couple of my favorites that I've adopted over the years and some others that I've found on Etsy...

Straight from my oven door...

And a few great finds from Etsy...

left: "Too Many Cooks Spoil the Broth," from randomretro.
right: New Zealand 1984, from paisleypath.

left: Blue rooster, from VinegarAndPopVintage.
right: Owls, also from vintageJones.

left: Cuban recipe towel, from SuzisCornerBoutique. (I'm in LOVE.)
right: G. Beaumont City of York towel, from empressjade.

left: Citrus and houndstooth, from thodge62.
right: Swedish print, from souvenirsouvenir.

left: How to get a Maid, from callmejasper. (I really want this one, too!)
right: Wrought iron, from IdleHoller.

Get inspired--Decor8's Creativity Series!

2009-01-21T08:27:00.004-06:00

So I was checking out the new posts over at my good friend Jackie's blog, peppermags, and she posted this great entry--Inspiration:Mind Mapping via Decor8. Basically, Decor8 is doing an 8 week creativity series. Every Thursday, a new creative "project" or something to just inspire the creative process will be posted.

The first project was mind mapping things you loved to do as a child. It's a stream of consciousness exercise--just sit down and brainstorm, making a tree of things you loved, images, smells, ANYTHING, from your childhood. It's amazing what you will uncover!! It could turn out like anything!

Here's what Decor8's looks like:

Here's what peppermag's looks like:

And here is what mine looks like:

So bookmark Decor8 and get involved with the project! Challenge yourself. Be inspired. You never know what can come of it!

Where I finished my inauguration day...

2009-01-21T07:51:00.006-06:00

At Bottletree! I just want to post a few photos of where we ended our night. The husband and I watched the President and his beautiful wife take their first dance at the Neighborhood Ball to Beyonce singing "At Last." It was quite beautiful. And, boy, does he have some moves! We watched a couple send-off shoe tosses at an effigy of Former President George W. Bush--don't be offended. All the shoes are being donated to charity!! We ate some vegan chili, passed hugs and hopeful words all around, and went home to sleep.

(and that lovely lady in the bottom row is Tracy Martin!)

Etsy Spotlight: Johnnyvintage

2009-01-20T20:53:00.004-06:00

So I was just visiting one of my favorite blog's, sfgirlbybay, and she posted the most fabulous sofa I have ever seen. Ever. So I followed her link to johnnyvintage's Etsy shop, and I think I've found a new favorite vintage vendor!

Here are some of my favorite items he has for sale...

This is the mid-century sofa that sfgirlbybay had posted on blog. Lust. Lust. Lust.

I'm not really a doll person, but these are just really fun! I always liked the Blythe dolls, and these share the same feel but without the whole immediate icon recognition thing.

We've established my wild boot fetish...and these are really kind of fabulous. It all lies in the stitching, of course. I'm not usually wild about platforms, but the costume-y feel of these boots makes it a great accessory to a really simple, well-made A-line minidress. I would even go so far to say you should wear the boots with a black wool A-line and black opaque tights. If you're bold enough to wear these boots, go all out.

Happy shopping (or lusting after turquoise sofas...)

It's a new day, it's a new dawn, it's a new life...

2009-01-20T17:38:00.008-06:00

First of all, let me say a loud, triumphant WOOOOOOHOO! I was so deeply moved throughout today's events. I ended up spending my day at Rojo, the greatest neighborhood bar/restaurant/hangout ever--Bob Dylan recently recommended it in a radio interview. To look around a packed room of mostly strangers--people from Over the Mountain Democrats--and see hope and compassion in their faces. I could hardly shoot photos from tear-filled eyes. (Seriously, most are pretty terrible! I really couldn't see!! Haha.)

This is how packed it was in the side room with the projection screen...

People were even lined up right through the door, standing on chairs on the patio...

I went to the restaurant side; they have little t.v.s hung around the bar. It was amazing to see an entire room of people eating in complete silence with their eyes glued to the television. Even the bartenders stood beside their patrons, shedding tears quietly and smiling ear to ear.

But the festivities aren't over yet!! The husband and I are off to Bottletree to celebrate our new President and help usher out the old one--we are throwing our old shoes at a Bush cutout and all shoes are being donated to charity!

A day to go down in history...

2009-01-20T05:00:00.002-06:00

I can't begin to express my excitement as a new era begins in our nation. I am filled with an overwhelming sense of hope and joy as Barack Obama becomes our President!!! I will be glued to the television today at my second home the Bottletree cafe, celebrating with dear friends.

Speaking of dear friends, my dear friend Tracy Martin posted a comment on Facebook that really moved me as we approach this tremendous occasion--she said she wishes her father could witness this event. Tracy's dad was the amazing Spider Martin, photographer and civil rights activist. He passed away a few years back, but the images he captured live on in so many ways. The photographs he took during the Civil Rights Movement are so powerful, and I think they speak loudly as we make this huge stride forward in American history.

Please visit the Spider Martin web site, here. All photos are courtesy of the Spider Martin web site. I hope these images inspire you and fill you with a hope that endures!

Beloved Curiosity, Emil Otto Hoppe

2009-01-19T08:06:00.002-06:00

I came across an image of E.O. Hoppe's work in a magazine spread a few years ago. I cut out the 1937 photo of a Dandy standing outside the London Stock Exchange and have saved it ever since. Somehow I've gone two years without really thinking about the guy too much. As I draw close to the end of the sketchbook that contains that photo, I really need to get to know Hoppe.

Amazingly, I can't find much information other than he was born in Munich in 1878, is considered British, and he died in 1972. I did, however, find a ton of his photographs in my search. I'm actually liking the fact I can't figure this guy's life out. I don't want to anymore. I just want to look at his photos and wonder...

A curious thing to wake up to this morning.

2009-01-17T11:21:00.006-06:00

I woke up early-ish on this chilly Saturday morning. I made coffee. I showered. When I was drying myself off, I noticed this crazy looking bite on my shoulder! It looked like a hefty mosquito bite surrounded by this crazy red, oblong ring. It doesn't itch, just burns a little and freaks me out A LOT.

So as I sit here waiting for this thing to either grow or go away (I'm praying for the latter), I figured I'd explore some great spider accessories. My theory is that if you're wearing/carrying a spider piece, you're showing support to the spider cause--and maybe this gesture will move the spiders so as not to bite Curious People all over the world!

A nontraditional pincushion, by GaileBertham and a spider locket from edmdesigns.

Sterling silver earrings by BeadsInTheBelfry and loteria pillowed ornaments by missbutler.

14k gold, pearl, and diamond stick pin from Master68uk and a Native American old fire agate brooch from FireAgateFreak.

And this last spider find is probably my favorite spider piece of all time. It also comes from Master68uk's Etsy shop and costs a pretty penny. But it's 14k gold and diamonds. It's handmade, and the details are incredible!

Gone sale-ing...

2009-01-16T09:08:00.002-06:00

Hey Everyone! Every Friday I go estate sale-ing/treasure hunting...

If I find anything phenomenal, I'll post some photos later today!

If not, please check back Monday...

I'm still trying to figure out my blog schedule.

I will have something consistent SOON!!!

Anyway, have a blessed, blessed, frigid day!!!

What I really want right now...

2009-01-15T08:50:00.004-06:00

...is a leather cuff after seeing the gorgeous cuffs by Giles and Brother by Philip Crangi. Seriously, go check out their web site. It is AMAZING. Anyway, I can't afford to spend $500 on any bracelets right now...but I can find some cheaper, equally cool alternatives!

This is an Etsy find from CoRnEy. I think its proportions are spot on for both the ladies and the thinner-wristed gentlemen. Best part, it's $5!!
Amazingly, this is an Urban Outfitters find! I don't shop at UO that often. I find most stuff is overpriced and underquality. But this is a good find, and it will be even better once it's discounted. For the time being, it's $20.

Another Etsy find! I really love the bohemian feel to this one. It's very feminine, too. This metal bubble/bauble shape will be huge this Spring/Summer. Go check out Cindyhoo's shop. Oh, and this costs $86.

For the eco-conscious, Repurposed4You.com is a really great site to find tons of accessories that have been, well, repurposed from something else. This cuff is made from recycled leather. I really like the metal cut-out embellishment. It reminds me of the new Yves Saint Laurent cut-out shoes that are so popular right now...The cuff is only $35; the YSL booties are $1590.

Beloved Curiosity, David Downton.

2009-01-15T08:03:00.004-06:00

I came across the illustrations of David Downton a few year ago, flipping through some article on fashion illustration. He does these phenomenal illustrations and celebrity portraits. Downton's signature is his use of negative space. By leaving out a detail, he brings out the greatest details of his piece. He will actually go back to a near-finished piece and start taking away until it's just right. He uses watercolor and gouache on small pieces, india ink on line drawings, and his larger pieces are cut paper collage and acetate. I love this man.

If you love what you see, too, check out the prints for sale at the Fashion Illustration Gallery.

The old book gets a new look.

2009-01-14T08:09:00.007-06:00

I love, love, love books. I love to read them, but I really love to stockpile the ones with great covers. Of course, thrift stores and estate sales are the greatest source for the super cheap finds (we're talking 50 cents to 2 bucks). That being said, I've got piles and piles laying around, lacking a home and lacking organization. (Maybe it's time to create a Curious Morgan Decimal System.) Anyway, what I'm getting at is that old book covers are incredible!

Since the Kindle came out and gained the all holy Oprah's endorsement, the publishing industry has taken another big hit. I'd be devastated to see the book die. Anyway, when the times change, you'll find that books change, too. And I'm not just talking about the content. The layouts, the cover art, the size of the book will change in response to the changing world it occupies. For example, after the Great Depression Simon and Schuster created the first paperback book and forever changed the publishing industry!

I have to face it, Kindle will change the way we read and how what we read is produced. But I KNOW the book will not die. It will just change a little bit...

"TALES TO TAKE YOUR BREATH AWAY"

British publisher and design company, Tank Books, has launched a series of books that "pay homage" to the classic design of the cigarette pack. The abridged volumes fit inside a cigarette pack with exact dimensions, and the designs are just fantastic. They're whole thing is that the cigarette pack has passed the test of time--and with the book being threatened, they're putting the literary classics in a classic package. I LOVE these. So smart. And the series comes in a metal cigarette box.

The series includes:

Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness

Ernest Hemingway's The Undefeated and The Snows of Kilimanjaro

Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis and In the Penal Colony

Rudyard Kipling's The Man Who Would Be King, The Phantom Rickshaw, and Black Jack

Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Leo Tolstoy's The Death of Ivan Ilych and Father Sergius

Bombshells of the 1960s.

2009-01-13T08:06:00.004-06:00

So I found this really amazing book at an Antique store the other day--BeBe: The Films of Brigitte Bardot. She's my favorite bombshell of all time(with maybe the exception of Jane Fonda, but only in Barbarella). I mean, she embodied that whole new raw sexuality that emerged in Paris (and the rest of the world) as the war ended. Look at her affairs--Roger Vadim, Jacques Charrier, Christian Kalt, Serge Gainsbourg. Oh, and there were those two or three suicide attempts. Here's to the wild woman, the eternal sprite, Brigitte.

Now here are some of the ladies who whose looks were inspired by BB...

Olinka Berova... Julie Christie...

Marianne Faithful... Anita Pallenberg...

Verushka... Edina Ronay...

Ewa Aulin... Sharon Tate...

Beloved Curiosity, Jonathan Adler.

2009-01-12T08:20:00.012-06:00

I just love, love, love Jonathan Adler. I mean, most people already know all about this guy, but here are some interesting facts about Monsieur Adler that I have come across today in my search for all things Adler...

He's married to Simon Doonan!! I literally had NO idea. What a couple!

He went to Brown to study semiotics in the early eighties, which I think is kind of present in some of his pieces--like the condom caddy and similar pieces, as well as the drug container cookie jars. Semiotics is the study of signs and signifiers--what is communicated and how its meaning is understood. These pieces manipulate our understandings of what is meant by an image of a phallic sword, a pill box, or even the slang drug terms that fell out of popular use in the 1970s. They're clever. They're funny. But most of all, they're so beautiful.

Here are some of my favorite Adler pieces, beginning of course with the quaaludes and downers and prozac and uppers and dolls... (click on the image to follow the link, all of course from Jonathan Adler.)

And I just love the Utopian pottery series, too. It reminds me of 1950s/60s tiki/island inspired figurines. I think it's the bulbous heads with tiny eyes and the proportions of the bodies. These are some of my favorites...

Throw some munny on the deck.

2009-01-10T10:50:00.016-06:00

Last night the husband and I went to the coolest fundraiser for the University of Alabama at Birmingham's art gallery. The show, on display from now until 30 January, features the work of thirty local and national artists who have designed skateboard decks and the coolest little Munny toys from Kid Robot. Each piece is being auctioned off to raise money for the gallery, located at 900 13th Street South . (The auction will be going until the last day of the show, and it's totally worth the bidding war for some of these pieces!)

I've provided links to all artists who had web pages available. I really hope you follow a few of them and discover some really amazing stuff...there are some huuuuuuge things coming out of this region of the big, wide world.

Anyway, I had a chance to ask UAB Gallery Curator Brett Levine some questions about the show...

CURIOUS MORGAN:Where did the concept for the show come from?
BRETT LEVINE:The idea for the show came from my own interest in skateboarding years ago and my love of skate graphics. I also began to notice that a lot of our students were really interested in the artists in magazines like Juxtapoz and that they were really knowledgeable about skating and vinyl toy culture and collecting. I also wanted to create a show where the artists had a fun limitation - something someone provided to them that they would never have picked for themselves.

CURIOUS MORGAN:If you could send your Munny on a skateboard anywhere in the world, where do you think he/she would want to go and what would he/she do?
BRETT LEVINE:If I could send my munny on a skateboard anywhere in the world, it would be to the Obama inauguration with Mindi (Levine's lovely wife) and myself in tow! Otherwise, maybe with both of us on the back to Sydney!

THE DECKS

Deck by Doug Barrett

"Blink" by PUSH-Andrew Thomson, Foster Phillips, & Lloyd Cooper

Deck by John Fields

"Larry Langford" by Neil Kirkpatrick
(For any of you who haven't heard about the antics of our dear ol' mayor, check out this link! Seriously, it's worth reading up on Birmingham's king, who is now being indicted on over 100 counts.)

Deck by Dan Bynum

"Elemental Ban: Create/Decimate," by Erin Wright

Deck by Pat Snow

(top) "Pro Model" by Alan Barton and Rachel Gainer
(bottom) deck by Jason Varrone of Brooklyn, NY

(top) Varrone
(bottom) deck by Megan Kimber

(top) deck by Walton Creel
(bottom) deck by Clayton Colvin

Deck by Alan Skees

"Swing," by John Powers

"Shred It" Table by Jane Timberlake Cooper

"Pocket Rocket," by Gary Chapman

Decks by Derek Cracco

THE MUNNYs

Munny by Bo Hughins

"Spur," by Christopher Lowther

"Clock Munny," by Lisa Michitti

Munny by Chatham Hellmers

"J Munny," by Amy Pleasant

Munny by Kristin Skees

Munny by Merrilee Challiss

"MUNsNoopY," by Stephen Campbell

Munny by Byron Sonnier

Munny by Christopher Davis

"Blue Munny, "by Annie Butrus. This munny is based on this late 18th century painting by Thomas Gainsborough.

Creative Inspiration of the Day: Andy Warhol's Factory.

2009-01-08T08:25:00.004-06:00

Sometimes, while in a creative slump, it helps to drown it out with images of your favorite things. The Factory period, its characters, its work, its images, is my favorite thing to just look at to feel inspired. Happy viewing...

(left) Courtesy of Audart Gallery. (right) Courtesy of Galeriemons.

Courtesy of Warholstars.

Courtesy of Photomania.

(left) Judith Green portrait, courtesy of The City Review. (right) Courtesy of Oregonlive.

(left) Courtesy of Loudpaper. (right) Courtesy of The City Review.

Courtesy of Rock Pop Gallery.

Courtesy of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.

Boots on Parade.

2009-01-07T12:20:00.018-06:00

I must confess, I have a total boot fetish. I think they are the most fabulous clothing item since the prehistoric loincloth! I see a beautiful pair of boots and I become short-breathed and tingly inside. Thank goodness I have quite the eye for absurd bargains via thrift stores and estate sales!

Here are some of my own private boots that I am so proud of (that I'm parading them like 4 year old beauty queens)...

This is one of my favorite all-time finds. I found this pair of vintage Frye boots in mint condition at an estate sale here in Alabama. The greatest part- I spent all of $3 on them! They're in need of some polishing now (note the little scuff mark on the left toe, how embarrassing), but I am so deeply proud of this pair. I've searched all across the Internet to try to put a date on these. I'm guessing they're from the 1960s-1970s. They predate the double F on the outside of the boot. The inside has a gold stamp in the sole that says "FRYE de luxe" and the side of the inside is stamped in black: 7 1/2B ISI6039 FRYE 219 Authentic." Ahhhh, love.

This is a sentimental pair of boots. They belonged to my grandfather, a true New York cowboy--fashion designer, manufacturer, horse and dog breeder, New Yorker, transplant Alabamian. He was a tiny guy, only wearing a 9B shoe size. I like to wear my cowboy boots big (it just feels right), so this is the pair I claimed when he passed. The shoemaker has made no stamp other than the size and a few measurement marks (in pencil) and a stamp of the date they were completed-JUL 25 1983. I only wear these a few times a year, and they still smell like my Grand Joe's boot closet.

These are my new hot rock boots that I simply can't take off! They're Stuart Weitzman, and, I'll admit, cost more than I should have spent...but I had been dreaming of them for weeks (yes, really dreaming about them). And they were 50% off. They have definitely paid off. I feel super sexy in them, look super tall in them, and guys think they're the hottest thing since sliced bread. (Okay, I don't really know when guys thought sliced bread was hot, but it must have been a really long time ago because I've never really heard it, thus rending these boots the hottest thing of the century!!)

These are my first keep-'em-forever-worthy boots I ever bought. It was December of 2002 and I had just moved to London with a pair of Chucks, a pair of black strappy stilettos, and nothing more (shoewise). In a pedestrian city filled with snow, I needed a flat pair of boots. I stopped in a random store in Richmond that was having a sale, and my absurdly great shoe fortune began. These are made by Dick Boons. I've never come across them anywhere else (or even on the Internet so far). They are the most comfortable shoes over. The shape, sole, color, buckle (Oh, the buckle...), and even the stitching are so sleek. I've worn these babies to hell in a handbasket and back, and while they have scuffs, waterstains, and more, they could never be more perfect.

These are my most recent addition--a pair of barely worn Tod's boots. They're too new to me to have any great stories, but I'll add they were a thrift store find and cost $4. I'm considering selling them on eBay, but they're so streamlined! Hmmm....

These are another estate sale find. They really are that worn out. They're my prerequisite one and a half sizes too big. I loved the color and the extremely squared toe and the piping is a nice touch.

I bought these amazing vintage English boots for my husband on his birthday this year. He, too, is a bit of a boot collector. We got them from this fabulous lady, Debbie Jackola at ShoeConsignOnline.com. She was a pleasure to work with and we recommend her to anyone!

Today's poster art.

2009-01-07T06:17:00.000-06:00

So my last post gave a quick retrospective of some of the big names in 1960's American poster art, and it only makes sense to do a post on who's got great stuff going today!

VIC DONATI:

Vic is an amazing graphic designer that was based in Birmingham for quite a while. He's a dear friend of many of my dear friends, and while I'm not quite sure what he's up to these days, I'm sure it's something big and awesome. Here are a few posters he has done in the past two years for the greatest venue in many, many years, Bottletree.

This was for a Dan Sartain show. I've known this guy since I was 14, and he has had one hell of a career already! Strange, sexy music...

Courtesy of http://www.gigposters.com.

This Bonnie Prince Billie poster was for the first unofficial show at Bottletree, back in the BYOB days. Will totally cast a spell over everyone in his pale yellow short shorts.

Courtesy of http://www.gigposters.com.

METHANE STUDIOS:

Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Methane Studios has been making posters since 1997. Having been featured in multiple art and design publications, their prints are quickly becoming high dollar collector items. (They're also fans of my husband, Duquette Johnston and our friends Warm in the Wake.)

Courtesy of Methane Studios.

If you're like me, and you know what you like, Poster Cabaret is an incredible treasure trove! They sell concert posters and have great galleries to peruse, and they also feature non-concert art prints. Here are some of my favorites I came across on the site...

Cat Power and Mum by Little Friends.

Gob Iron by Guy Burwell (this guy should be HUGE!!).

My Morning Jacket by Guy Burwell.