The body of the stone dealer had been decaying for several weeks by the time it was found in an Upper West Side apartment. It was hot and the smell of decay was so strong that Stanley, the building’s supervisor, was ordered to remove everything from the unit. Stanley believed he could make some money from the man’s antique furniture so he called Wally Gibbs an antiques dealer who called Vito Giallo, his peer, for an appraisal.
This story was told by Mr. Giallo at 91 during an interview at his Brooklyn home.
Here’s what he found: A table, a dresser and a desk in the apartment of the deceased man. Although the city tried to locate the relatives of the deceased, it was unsuccessful. There were no heirs.
At first Mr. Giallo was skeptical that any of the items would be sold at his antique shop on the Upper East Side. He gasped when he saw the tiny trunk. He said that the trunk contained thousands of gems. These included amethysts and rubies, emeralds and topaz as well as moonstones. They were almost every type of precious or semiprecious gemstone, except diamonds. He said they were sized from “pinhead” to “thumbnail” and stored in hundreds of disintegrating envelopes. The man had lived off the stones for his entire life until Mr. Giallo saw the stack of checks.
“I don’t know anything about him,” Mr. Giallo said. “Absolutely nothing. “I don’t even know if there was a business that was open to the public.” The super couldn’t believe the stones existed, so he said to Mr. Giallo that they could be kept. Stanley was also in luck and Mr. Giallo couldn’t believe his luck.
Andy Warhol was one of the few customers he sold a few stones. For the past five decades, the majority of the gems were kept in a storage facility. Tara Marrale, the founder of sustainability start-up Grooted, suggested that Mr. Giallo put them to good use during the pandemic. They approached an established jeweler about collaborating on a line cocktail rings, necklaces, and earrings.
“I must have looked through 20 or more jewelers,” Ms. Marrale (33), said before reaching out Catbird, a Brooklyn brand that has stores in Williamsburg, and SoHo, which uses recycled stones in its designs. She wrote an email explaining that Mr. Giallo was an antiques dealer to “the who’s who”, including Elton John and Greta Garbo. He also “put on Andy Warhol’s first show in 1954.”
“This might seem like a crazy idea,” Ms. Marrale wrote. She was preparing for the possibility that Catbird’s team wouldn’t be happy with her pitch. They did .
The brand’s executives were entertained by stories from Mr. Giallo about New York’s midcentury art scene. Leigh Batnick Plessner (creative director at Catbird) received a copy his unpublished memoir. It traces his serendipitous journey to Madison Avenue.
Ms. Plessner stated that “His New York,” as he said in his memoir, was a city that had vanished.” This is a city that nobody cared about being famous for more than 15 minutes, at least not yet.
Andy Warhol’s Legacy
In the years since his death in 1987, the artist’s cultural importance has not diminished.
- Warholmania: If Andy Warhol appears to be particularly prominent right now that’s because he is everywhere : in museums, on the streets, and onscreen.
- Play: In “The Collaboration,” Paul Bettany, Jeremy Pope and Jean-Michel Basquiat give unforgettable performances.
- A book: “Warhol” by Blake Gopnik. This is the first biography of the artist. shows a complex story that grows more complicated the more you look at.
- A Musical “Andy,” Gus Van Sant’s Warhol-inspired stage debut may be the strangest tribute to the director of movies.
- The Brooklyn Museum presents “Andy Warhol – Revelation”, an exhibition that shows how Catholicism seeped in to the Pop master’s work.
Andy and Vito:
Mr. Giallo was born in Brewster in N.Y. He said that his father, a bootlegger, operated 19 stills in various associates’ homes. “We had to be careful with the phone. It was always tapped,” Mr. Giallo stated. We couldn’t tell where he was. He would say “Put the water to boil” when he was ready for home. His father had taped several $100 bills to Vito’s body at age 12 and told him to send them via train to a relative. The F.B.I. His father said that he was watching the house.
After winning an illustration contest scholarship, Mr. Giallo made the move to New York at 19 to study at Franklin School of Professional Arts. Ebby Weaver would be his life partner for 51 years.
He illustrated for “Mad Men”, a style of ad agencies like Young & Rubicam or J. Walter Thompson after completing his degree. At the age of 23, Giallo opened Loft Gallery in the Jack Wolfgang Beck’s studio. Mr. Giallo stated, “By word-of-mouth, it leaked that they were looking for artists” Nathan Gluck, a friend, connected the gallery with Andy Warhol (a young artist) who contributed an origami collection to the first group exhibition.
“It was Andy’s first show,” Mr. Giallo stated. Mr. Warhol’s origami would not stay attached to the wall. Pieces fell like snowflakes every few seconds. Mr. Giallo said that the artist once told him to “just leave it on the ground and let people walk around it.” He had a solution for every problem, and he always found a way to do it.
Mr. Warhol invited Mr. Giallo within a year to become his first paid assistant. He worked out of Mr. Giallo’s East 34th Street railroad apartment, which he shared with his mother. (Mr. Giallo lived one block away in a two-bedroom apartment that he and Mr. Weaver rented for $85 per month from Bert Carpenter. This was an art professor at Columbia. Mr. Warhol and Mr. Giallo worked together on much of Warhol’s early work, except for the ” shoe drawings“.
While Mr. Warhol sketched with a pen on his knee, Mr. Giallo used the light box to create blotted lines. His mother prepared sandwiches and Campbell’s tomato soup for lunch and did the lettering.
They went out at night. Mr. Giallo stated, “I didn’t like wild parties.” Andy loved them. Everyone wanted to meet him. They were disappointed to find out that he didn’t speak any words when they finally met him. He rarely spoke.” Mr. Giallo prefers jazz and quartet shows, such as Ella Fitzgerald’s, Billie Holiday’s, Ray Charles, Miles Davis, and Ray Charles. These tickets cost only a few dollars each. Although Mr. Giallo claims he has never attempted to sneak in, it was very easy.
He said that people could have the best meal of the life for as little as $1.85 in the 1950s. Then, they would walk into Lord & Taylor and ask for a reference for “a light guy.” Alexander Calder was their best friend. Mr. Giallo stated, “It was much more fun.” “You could easily sleep in Central Park and not be in danger. Many people did this on extremely hot days.
After a disagreement between the two, Mr. Giallo quit working for Mr. Warhol’s in 1957. His replacement was Mr. Gluck who became Mr. Warhol’s most important assistant. His first antiques shop was opened on Third Avenue by Mr. Giallo in 1961. He attracted a large clientele from Abstract Expressionist painters like Lee Krasner, Franz Kline, and Mark Rothko. “When they bought something I delivered it to Rothko’s apartment, which is just around the corner,” Mr. Giallo stated.
Mary Gabriel, an art historian noted that these artists were often open to welcoming strangers into their spaces. She said that if you wanted to see the work of an artist, you would visit their studio and talk to them. “It hurts me to think that people can look at a 10-foot painting online.”
After Mr. Giallo had moved his store to Madison Avenue in the 1970s, Mr. Warhol stopped by and said, “Wow, you must have been on Easy Street.” He loved the idea of me being on Madison Avenue. He came back every day for the eight years that followed.
After their reconciliation, Mr. Giallo informed Mr. Warhol of the trunk of gems and offered to buy some for his upcoming venture into jewelry design. “He looked at one of the 35-40 stones and said, “I’ll take all of them.” But Warhol died from complications after surgery and the gems were sold at his estate sale for approximately $10,000 in 1988, according to Sotheby’s.
“You have to be very curious about things”
It is fitting that Warhols gems ended at a Sotheby’s estate sale. For most of his career Mr. Giallo bought his wares there every Sunday. He was such an avid buyer, that Sotheby’s guards gave him keys to unlock display cases so he could examine pieces like Art Deco jewelry boxes or porcelain tableware.
Kevin Tierney, a Sotheby’s silver specialist and who joined the house in 1964, said that Vito was “a pro in between $50 and $5,000.” He described Mr. Giallo to be “a charming individual with a keen eye on quality and style, quick at offering a friendly discount for young employees at Sotheby’s.”
Giallo described his buying approach as instinctual. “When I see something I am interested in, it is a vibration you feel with the item. He said that it was difficult to explain. It’s hard to explain where it is, who it belongs to, and why. You just wonder about all that. That feeling is what I love. It gives me a thrill to touch something two- or three hundred years old.”
Sotheby’s appraisers often underestimate the value of an item and Mr. Giallo would purchase it for a mere dollar. He said, “I bought so many crystal chandeliers as glass,” He said, “They made big, huge mistakes on rock crystal.” One time, he purchased a $100 silver whiskey glass that turned out be solid gold. “A lot of things get lost at auction. This is one of the reasons I go every two weeks.
He would often go on weekend trips with Mr. Weaver (an interior designer) to visit sales outside of the city. He once bought a Chinese drinking vessel from China made of pottery from Han dynasty at a roadside store. It was later sold for $1500.
He said, “When you have a lot of them, you start to get excited about antiques.” He said, “You just want to find the one treasure.” His greatest success came at a Connecticut estate sale where he bought a $12 watercolor painting depicting a pastoral scene. It turned out to be a Charles Demuth. It was sold at auction for $180,000.
“An object that I believe is worth buying, it somehow speaks to me,” said Mr. Giallo. “You must be curious about everything.”
This trait is more evident than anywhere else, including on the walls and surfaces in Mr. Giallo’s apartment. It is easy to feel overwhelmed at first by the volume of blink-and-you-miss-it marvels, including a narwhal tusk, a rectangular meteorite chunk and Italian paintings from the 18th century, as well as works by Warhol, Matisse and Picasso.
Ms. Marrale is Mr. Giallo’s grandniece through marriage and helped broker the Catbird collaboration. She lives in an apartment upstairs with her husband Jonathan Marrale. She has been helping Mr. Giallo to organize his collections. “You think that you’re going down for five minutes,” Mr. Marrale stated. “But he is so fascinating that you are there for two hours and it feels as if nothing has happened.”
Before the pandemic, Mr. Giallo spent every morning at the café across the street. He would order coffee and a pastry, then sit down and begin talking to strangers. Ms. Marrale stated, “It was something for him.” He really digs in.”
Ms. Plessner of Catbird has enjoyed asking Mr. Giallo questions about her art heroes like Frank O’Hara. He said that Mr. Giallo had only met him briefly, but that he was “very dear friends” with another poet. “Have yo heard of John Ashbery?”
M. Giallo is an introvert despite his many successes. When Ms. Marrale suggested the jewelry line, Giallo replied, “Why would people want to?”
She told him, “Because your amazing story is incredible.” “Like, it’s not like a normal life.


Back in the pre-digital age, before everyone’s earbuds were plugged into their own personal playlists, remember what it used to be like to hear some random oldie on the car radio that just made you grin? Going to Suds is kind of like that.
Subtitled “The Rocking ’60s Musical Soap Opera,” it’s the new Jewel Theatre Company production now playing at the Colligan Theater.
No, you don’t get to hear the original recordings, where you know every lick by heart. And, yes, the idea behind the show—to weave together nearly 50 rock classics (OK, a few are a little less than classic) into a loose narrative about a teenage girl looking for love—is an obvious attempt to create a crowd-pleaser without having to bother writing a bunch of new material. But the JTC production is full of fun anyway, thanks to a quartet of powerhouse vocalists who know how to sell the songs we love.
Conceived in San Diego by Melinda Gilb, Steve Gunderson, and Bryan Scott, this bouncy musical comedy made its off-Broadway debut in 1988, and has been a popular staple of regional theater ever since. Its only set is a laundromat, decorated here by Scenic Designer Steve Gerlach with giant, colorful murals of vintage Cheer boxes and other soap products. Shaun Carroll directs with the upbeat energy the show demands.
Employee Cindy (Brittany Law), is a fresh-faced ingenue having the worst day of her life, even though it’s her birthday. Among other things, her pen-pal boyfriend has just dumped her. She tries to end it all (wrapping a pair of capris around her neck and dangling one end into a washing machine on the spin cycle—sort of an upside-down hanging), but her plans are thwarted by a couple of guardian angels. Marge (Diana Torres Koss) is worldly and sarcastic. Dee-Dee (Lee Ann Payne) is more of a rah-rah type. But in between sniping at each other, they set out to convince Cindy, via the Tao of pop songs, that life is worth living and true love exists.
That’s about it for plot. But the always watchable Koss and Payne, both great singers, are two of JTC’s most reliable performers—and they deliver, especially in their big solos. (Koss’ “You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me” is epic.) Payne also staged the lively choreography. Law, too, has a big, bright voice; these three divas probably don’t even need to be miked.
Rounding out the show’s quartet is Nick Gallegos as everybody else, meaning every man the women encounter. He’s a riot in a variety of guises and personas, riffing on Elvis and Paul Lynde in walk-on bit parts like Mr. Postman, Mr. Right, and Johnny Angel. A five-person combo in matching powder-blue jackets that marches in to take its place in the upstage balcony keeps the action flowing with familiar downbeats and song cues.
And while the songs are familiar (glance down your row and see how many knees are bouncing up and down as the tunes roll out), the inventive way they’re strung together in service to the minimalist libretto gives the show its pop. “Wishing and Hoping” segues into “Tell Him” as a call to romantic action. The angels burst into “The Loco-Motion” when they mistake Cindy’s flailing away at the washing machine for a new dance craze.
The songwriters represented on the show’s hit parade are a diverse bunch, from Burt Bacharach to James Brown to Johnny Rivers to Otis Redding to Lennon and McCartney. Most of these tunesmiths are male (with Carole King and Phil Spector alumna Ellie Greenwich among the exceptions), but they were often writing for female performers like Lesley Gore, the Ronettes, Dusty Springfield, Dionne Warwick, and the Supremes, who made gigantic hits out of them—simple (and catchy) songs of heartbreak, yearning, hope, and swoony romance.
In other words, perfect material for this lightweight laundromat operetta.
The Jewel Theatre Company production of ‘Suds’ plays through Dec. 2 at the Colligan Theater at The Tannery. Call 425-7506, or visit JewelTheatre.net.


In pub hierarchy, the Brewhouse is between aprés-ski and pre-club.
Few scenes are as Canadian as a well-scored hockey net on a frozen pond.
This is a painting I did in appreciation of where I grew up, which was more or less on these hills.
Osoyoos is a perfect vacation spot if you like warm water, wine, and sunshine.
Shuswap Lake is a favorite BC summertime destination. Every local secretly hopes that the rest of the world doesn’t find out about it.
The Red Bridge was built before the mass production of automobiles; you can tell when driving over it.
Mom loved her garden.
Kamloops is full of golden tones, subtle pastels, and quiet beauty that resonates over time.
This scene is of a lovely cabin in the woods near Barriere, British Columbia after a fresh snowfall.
Teakerne Arm proposal spot.
Site Contents © 2021 Laura Zerebeski Art. All Rights Reserved.


Oh the beauty today, I can’t handle it! I could look at today’s featured wedding in Southern Maryland over and over, and then over again! Tara and Laura held their wedding in Maryland at a place close to their hearts – their alma mater where they met! Their beautiful riverfront, garden wedding ceremony was held at the St Mary’s College of Maryland Garden of Remembrance, where both brides walked down the aisle with their dads at the same time – melt my hearts! The brightly colored, orange and green summer wedding ceremony was kicked off with watercolor wedding invitations and oodles of DIY wedding details. The couple made sure their wedding celebration was one personal event, with a book theme all around them, to show off their shared love of reading! Tara and Laura each had their own color coordinated bridal party – one in orange, the other in green, while the rest of the big day details wove the two hues together. We love how each bride had her own personal style and flair, but it all still flowed seamlessly with the rest of their wedding! Special thanks to the talented Laura Elizabeth Photography for sharing Laura and Tara’s beautiful Maryland wedding photos with us!
From the brides: It was important to us to work with our family and friends from St Mary’s College. Our officiant was Laura’s mentor from her first library job, and both our DJ and photographer were fellow alumni. Our bridal parties helped us with many of our wedding decorations, such as getting some of the books, making paper flowers, and heart confetti made out of old book pages. Tara cut out wooden shapes of Maine and Maryland, and we designed and put together the wedding ceremony program fans and bookmark wedding favors.
Congratulations to Tara and Laura! Thank you for sharing your colorful garden wedding ceremony in Southern Maryand with us! Stay tuned, up next we’re sharing their summer tented wedding reception with you!
The following Washington DC area wedding professionals contributed to their wedding:
Photography: Laura Elizabeth Photography
Stationery: Momental Designs
Floral Designer: Heather Borror (My Flower Girl)
Bride’s Attire: ModCloth
Bride’s Attire: David’s Bridal
Ceremony + Reception Venue: St Mary’s College of Maryland Garden of Remembrance
Caterer: Canard’s Catering
Cake/Dessert: Jessica’s Cakes
For more wedding vendors, please visit our Washington DC area wedding vendor guide and for even more amazing local ideas, check out our wedding inspiration galleries and other Washington DC area real weddings.
Photo Credits: Laura Elizabeth Photography


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rait Design as Universal Reality 1 1 THE ESSENCE OF DESIGN
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Not the greatest picture in the world but heres the progress on Jubilee Jazz.. . . .
Jubilee Jazz (Progress)
This entry was posted on May 30, 2011 by jakobbelbinblog. It was filed under Fine Art and was tagged with art, Artist, Arts, band, evolution, grandparents, Jakob Belbin, Jazz, Jazz Band, jazz hands, music, Painting.
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Mp3Lyrics' Hottest Lyrics
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Ninety degrees in the shade The shade that stretches forever Over black everglades, crystallized And circled with flames of the summer I don't k...
Ace of Hz
Ace on an unbroken line, Ace of Hearts! Mariner of the time, another Ace of Hearts! Sweet procession of cards that you take From each Victorian box...
All the Way...
They heard the sound of the snow falling They left the house, and started running They ran past the street where they fluffed their lines Where che...
Thirty seven thousand feet, broken in a heartbeat This air supply, an elixir To the sea, the singing sands This air supply, an elixir Late Septe...
If I should ever let you go I'll never want to know oh why If I should ever let you go I'll never want to know oh why Inside the sudden loss of ...
Films will come and films will go, That kiss on your neck won't show. Posing in the same place everytime, When your still speaking in the sunshin...
I sent you out to play last night The alarms went off at three. Funny how I'm not loving now Lonely does not guarantee. I sent you out to play l...
The Beginning of the End
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Down on your knees You'll be left behind This is the beginning Watch what you think They can read your mind This is the beginning I got my mark,...
Someone's coming round in the evening One touch on the face of a city. Boy/black plastic chair with some time to spare Black plastic, touching bl...
Straight lines that cut through the scene Like you wanted to, blue jeans Soft loans that spent all last summer Buying drinks for you, blue jeans ...
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When Mother Earth finally gave birth to Spring,
When the world was painted green anew,
I went to see the wildflowers, the very
Gifts of Spring.
Wildflowers blooming, a continuous stream
Flowing off into the horizon. The sweet aromas
Of Mother Nature whirling together and tickling my nose,
The multitude of colors gleaming beautifully under the shining sunlight
Like ink not yet dried.
Overcome by joy,
I breathe it all in with my very being, until I catch
A tree, its tempting shade
Inviting me to slumber.
The wheel of time unremittingly rolling,
Whispering knowingly of all that ever was
And all that ever would be.
Roused ever so gently by the chirps of the
Birds singing melodies
Carried by the wind, I awake
To see the setting sun, the sky spilled with all the
Colors one could imagine.
Night comes swiftly, and the birds cease their chirping,
The silence of the night penetrated by the brave crickets alone.
The cool night air blows,
But the fire in my heart burns yet.
The setting sun left in


|Las Vegas, Nevada|
|I always think of Sean Connery surrounded by beautiful women although I have found him more entrancing in mature roles than in his famous stints as 007. One of my favorites, though lesser known, is his portrayal of Mulay el-Raisuli in 1975's "The Wind and The Lion". Here, he admires (l. to r.) Cher, Bette Midler, Marilyn Monroe (I would have preferred the "blowing dress" pose better), Liz Taylor (Did she invent the original "big hair"?), and Joan Collins. Although Joan Collins is best remembered as the vamp from "Dynasty", I always think of her as prophetic Edith Keeler in Classic Trek's "City on The Edge of Forever."
Madame Tussaud's Celebrity Encounter is an anchor attraction for the Venetian Hotel. When you enter the first main display area, the room is arranged as a cocktail party. You are free to walk among "the stars" and a couple of times I was puzzling over the identity of someone and they moved! A very surreal experience! I particularly appreciated the "closeness" you are allowed which provides wonderful photo opportunities.
Graphic Artist's Notes: These images were all taken with a Sony Mavica FD-81 digital camera with 3X zoom. To minimize glare and maximize the lush colors of the clothing I disabled the flash. After reducing each image to the desired size, sharpening, and adjusting the brightness, contrast, and color levels as needed, I framed them with CreativePro's Online PhotoFrame selecting black for the frame color to blend with this page's night sky background The title image was created with Cool Text's Neon text style selecting the color from the custom option. The glittering stars were produced with Animagic using the Fade In and Fade Out Options and setting the repeat interval for the base image to three different settings to produce stars that blink at different rates.
Although I loved my visit to the Movieland Wax Museum in Buena Park, California, I wish I could have gotten as close to the sculptures there as I did at Madame Tussaud's.
All images copyright 1999 All Rights Reserved
This page last revised:


Loves a good yarn
Beautifully hand crocheted lace heart bunting, something just a little bit different for decorating a bedroom or other space.
These crochet hearts have been made from a Japanese pattern.
Fantastically delicate with an open lace effect this crochet bunting is made from 5 hearts in five different vibrant colours of crochet thread and each one is joined to its neighbour with a tiny piece of white ribbon tied into a bow.
The bunting can be hung from the two hanging loops at each end, made from the same white ribbon as the bows.
The crochet bunting itself measures 17″/43cm across the hearts, measured with the hanging loops it becomes 27″/68.5cm in length. Each heart measures 3.5″/9cm at its widest point across.
Each crochet heart bunting comes as a set of 5, however can be made longer and each additional heart will be an added £1.50, please contact me to discuss this.
If you like this crochet bunting but would prefer it in another set of colours, please do not hesitate to contact me as I can make any item to order for you.
A decent sized crochet car seat blanket, crocheted in pure white and a soft dove grey, this blanket is constructed from individual squares made in a traditional granny square style…with a twist. These squares have hearts at the center of them, the hearts are crocheted right into the blanket, not sewn on afterwards.
There are 9 squares with grey hearts in the middle and 16 squares with white hearts at the center.
The squares are all edged in soft grey before being crocheted together using the same grey yarn, and the whole blanket is then edged in a solid white border.
There is a space left deliberately where two squares have not been joined and this is so the buckle of the baby carrier or car seat can fit through allowing the blanket to lie more comfortably on the child, not all bunched up so the belts can be fastened.
This blanket is 25.5″/63.5cm square and is fully machine washable on a 40 degree wool/delicate cycle.
************Free shipping within the UK***********
If you like this blanket but would prefer it in another colour then please do not hesitate to contact me as I can make any item to order for you.
Hello again everyone, how are we today, looking forward to a long weekend (if you are in the UK that is)
Sorry for not posting last week but a headache from hell was threatening to turn into a migraine so went back to bed to sleep it off in between driving shifts and then stayed off the computer.
Today however I am posting (obviously) as it means I can sit down and have a rest, between yesterday and today I have washed a large minibus and cleaned all the glass inside, washed 2 motorbikes and brushed and mopped the inside of said minibus….I do not intend to wash another vehicle for at least a week!
Right, enough waffling, lets get on with browsing some gorgeous finds from Loves a good yarn‘s Facebook feed…….
First up this week is the truly talented Phoenix Glass with one of his newest makes, Fishes!
The things this man can make from glass are simply stunning!
Next up are these dainty little boxes from Anne-Marie’s Sparkle Shop, these just caught my eye as they would be perfect so many different uses, wedding favours, little girl gift boxes….
On we travel to the very talented Wharfedale Woolworks. I adore the yarn that this lady makes and one day when I can justify treating myself to some truly luxurious yarn to make something for myself then I have a very good idea where I will be heading I can tell you! In the meantime let yourself drool over this!
Next up this week is all the way on the other side of the world, Dover&Madden is a handmade knitting and crochet business based in Melbourne, Australia. I love the things she makes and it was this pic that showed up in my timeline…
Now yes this is amazing but the blanket that I really REALLY admire is this one (sneaking this one in as I adore it!)
Every time I see this blanket I am inspired! What makes it even more stunning is I know she uses beautiful cashmere and merino yarns! Imagine snuggling up under one of these?
And last but by no means least is the very clever Diomo Glass. I love looking at the things she makes and I have a tealight holder made by her fair hands, it was an idea I had one day and she very kindly made it up for me and I love it! These are one of her latest makes so I thought I would bring them on here, these are her Lilac Heart T-light holders.
Well, there you go, another weeks (well 2 really) selection of creative makes from some very talented people, go and check out their pages and see what else they have to offer.
See you soon with another post, x
I repeat who says I can teach? I mean I can show someone how to crochet but is this the same as teaching? Where does one stop and the other begin?
Its a moot point anyway as this Wednesday is the first of my learn to crochet classes in a neighbourhood here in Merseyside.
A very lovely and highly enthusiastic lady called Nancie rang me a while back to have a chat, she uses this neighbourhood center but feels that it is under used by the local community and is on a mission to get more people using it by finding people who can pass on skills and teach.
Her enthusiasm came across on the phone and before I realised it I was just as excited at the idea of passing on some skills to others.
Nancie has some funding available so the basis for this first set of crochet lessons is to make something that can keep participants warm…hence learning how to crochet a hot water bottle cover. This might seem strange in May but take a look at the weather we are having it might not be so far fetched after all!
Next came working out lesson plans, working out costings, sourcing materials and writing a basic pattern. Now non of this was too taxing and today I have finally pulled it all together and have my learning packs and yarn and hooks as well as hot water bottles ready..now the panic is starting to set in….so again I ask who says I can teach?
I would ask you to wish me well for Wednesday morning but instead wish my students well with me as their ‘sort of’ teacher!
Perfect for Spring and Summer weddings or those late but still light evenings when the temperature drops slightly, this light, airy and delicate crochet wrap is perfect for draping around your shoulders.
Made from a wonderful blended yarn of mohair, wool and acrylic with a beautiful metallic thread woven through it, this wrap/stole has been crocheted in an open lacy pattern of ripples or chevrons.
The colour changes have been dyed into the yarn to create the wonderful shading that you see, great care was taken when joining in a new ball of yarn that the colour changes matched and each end of the wrap/stole finishes on the same shade.
This crochet wrap measures 78″/198cm in length and is 14″/72cm wide.
If you like this item but would prefer it in another colour then the matching yarn I have available is a white, grey and smokey grey shade and a white, pink and purple shade.
If you are a parent of little ladies like me then you will understand the annoyance and frustration of keeping hair-clips in one place!
Well here is the solution, a wonderful hanging hair grip/clip holder so they will all be in the same place (assuming that you can get said little ladies to put them away on it )
These holders have a triple flower that has been crocheted in a number of colourful yarns, it then has a length of grosgrain ribbon (this one has button print on it) hanging down and weighted with a crocheted heart that has been filled with toy stuffing. This weight makes sure that the ribbon is always hanging straight down. The ribbon has been securely stitched over a crochet loop at the back of the flower and has been stitched into the centre of the heart. There is also a crochet hanging loop that will fit over drawer knobs, door handles or on a hook.
The clips and grips can then be slide or clipped onto the ribbon and kept safely in the same place!
The flower itself measures at least 4.25″/10.25cm in diameter, the heart measures 1.5″ at its widest and the total length from flower to heart is 21″/53.5cm.
If you like this item but would prefer it in another colour combination then please do not hesitate to get in touch as I can make any item to order for you.
This a slightly larger than normal doily in that it is measuring 9.5″/24cm in diameter.
This has been created from a pattern that is priced up in old pence, I couldn’t wait to try it once I got hold of it (I love old patterns!)
This doily starts with a normal circle before turning into solid arches and chain loops, from here it just keeps getting larger and larger using the same two stiches to create the very open and delicate pattern.
Made from 100% mercerised cotton thread in pure white this doily would be marvellous underneath a glass cake stand or something similar.
This doily is ready to send now but if you would like this item in another colour please contact me for a bespoke order.
Simple but elegant, this doily would grace any table setting or dressing table.
Coming in at 6.5″/16.5cm this smallish doily would not be too obtrusive in any decor, perfect for protecting surfaces against water or scratches when using vases, cake stands or even drinks.
With a central sun style motif radiating out in increasing sizes of arches before turning into a shell pattern to create the delicate waves on its outside edge.
This doily has been crocheted by hand in a pure white 100% crochet thread cotton however it could be created in any colour of your choosing to match your decor.
The crochet bag with its big flower is perfect for any young or young at heart Miss.
This bag is perfect for summer with its bright and cheery big flower against a bright white background.
Crocheted in alternating stripes of stitches creates interest as well as texture. The front is decorated with a big flower made of 3 sets of petals in 2 different shades of yarn and a padded raised centre to finish off the striking looking flower.
The strap is long enough to be worn over the shoulder and was crocheted into the bag as part of the top edging for extra strength.
The top edges of the bag and each side of the strap are finished with a reverse crochet stitch known as crab stitch, this creates yet more texture and contributes to the overall appearance of the bag.
The bag is fully lined with a printed cotton depicting a silhouette of Snow White with animals and butterflies.
The bag has a magnetic clasp closure helping to keep contents safe and secure.
The bag isteslf is 9.5″/ 24cm long and 8.5″/ 21.5cm wide, length of bag including the strap is 24″/61cm.
Made from 100% acrylic yarn and cotton lining, this bag is fully machine washable.
If you like this item but would prefer it another colour, bag or flower, the please do not hesitate to contact me to discuss as I can make any item to order for you.
Hello again, we have made it to another Friday and the start of another weekend. This one isn’t a long one like last weekend but it is still a weekend…do you have any plans or just going to go with the flow?
As its Friday that means it is time to show off some of the Fabulous creations that have shown up in Loves a good yarn‘s news feed over the last 7 days. There are only 4 finds from me this week as I spent the first half of this week suffering from that terrible cold/flu like bug going around, I haven’t felt so wiped out for a very long time (and am still not quite over it yet) so I didnt spend much time on-line looking at other peoples makes. But hey, there is nothing wrong with short and sweet is there?
Shall I stop waffling on and just get on with it?
Ok, first up this week is are these amazing pendants made by the very talented RavenMaille Bespoke Jewellery. How fabulous is this?
For other amazing cut out pieces go visit the page and the site, the patience for this astounds me!
Next on my list of finds is this free standing tree by Claire Clemsgems.
I have no idea what you would use it for, you could hang small frames with pictures in, make it a family tree or something. I think it is just beautiful and I love the birds and the owls.
Next we move on to Gillian Arnold, her glass coasters showed up on my feed and the colour of them blew me away, I am not really a pink person but the colour and the pattern on these was fab!
These are available from her Esty shop and there is a like to it from her Facebook page where you can find all sorts of other beautiful things.
And last for this week but by no means least is Mixed Media Artist Emma Lousie Wilson with her Vintage lace pressed plates.
Now you should be aware by now how much I love to crochet lace doilies and the like which is why this caught my eye, I haven’t found the picture of what they like after firing yet but the detail from being pressed is gorgeous!
Well there you go, my finds from the last 7 days, I will keep an eye out for more interesting and beautiful things to bring you next week, take care and have fun in the meantime, x


Clare is an artist fascinated by nature, and her work focuses on the interaction of the natural and man-made, things that seem permanent versus ever-changing.
She works from observation, memory and imagination, with a particular emphasis on drawing. She has developed a unique approach to drawing using two hands together.
Many of Clare's works are about her experience of place, including her hometown of London - its streets, skyline, architecture and hidden green spaces, and from her travels.
Clare is a self-trained artist, but since early 2014 has undertaken an intense period of study in drawing, etching and oil-painting at prestigious art institutions including Chelsea College of Arts, the Royal Drawing School and New York Studio School. She teaches drawing, including with two hands, to local art groups on an ad-hoc basis.


Okay, so I suppose I should write something here despite there being the chance that nobody cares. My name is Jesse and I am a 15 year old girl from Wales. I live on tumblr.com at eridumbs and belong to many fandoms such as Invader ZiM(The Jhonen Vasquez Fandom), Homestuck and OFF. I also like Portal, Achievement Hunter and Adventure Time.
I’m too lazy to write anything else.
I've always enjoyed dressing up since I was a wee lil' Jesse. Dressing up for Halloween always got me excited and due to being raised by the internet, I have seen many people's cosplays. I guess I admired it all.
Also, I'm the kind of person who becomes obsessed with things.
If I am really passionate about a character, I will show my love to the world by cosplaying them.
I would like to write more but no.
Conventions I have attended:
Cardiff Comic Expo 2013
Cardiff Film and Comic Con 2013


Personalised Framed Gifts / Art Prints / Stationery. All Dreaming on a Star's work is lovingly designed by Tina Devins, a professional designer based on the Wild Atlantic Way in Ireland.
Dreaming on a Star’s Stationery Sets are gorgeous great value packs of A5 Notebook, Pocket Mirror/Magnet, Postcard & 2 Glitter Pencils. So much loveliness in each pack!
Illustrated by Tina, they are professionally printed by a third-party printing company. The A5 Notebook has a 300 gsm double-sided cover and 80 gsm recycled pages, and the 58mm Pocket Mirror/Magnet is made with high-quality Metal and Glass components.
Wrapped in cute packaging, they are perfect for gift-giving ♡


Other events happening on this date:
CELEBRATE BEING TIWI
– Performance and guided tour with the artists
Take part in a celebration of Tiwi Island culture and contemporary art practice throughout this special three day program.
Hear directly from the participating artists as they share their influences, culture and ideas.
Print-Making & Tunga workshop with Maria Josette Orsto
Sat 13 Feb 2016, 10.30am–12.30pm
$15/$10 MCA Members and Concessions
MCA Creative Studios, Level 3
Image: Maria Josette Orsto, Kulama, 2010, Japanese-style woodcut, Museum of Contemporary Art, purchased with funds provided by the MCA Foundation, 2015, image courtesy and © the artist


You might not have heard yet, but we are in the midst of a pandemic. I am a drama major, which has become an increasingly irresponsible life decision. But hey, I’m all about following my heart. I’d follow my heart right off a cliff.Continue reading
Full weekend lineup after the jump!
“It’s kind of like a Marie Antoinette porno,” says director Madeline Jobrack ’13 of Marie Antoinette: The Color of Flesh, the senior thesis of Verity Allen and Samantha Sheahan which debuted last night. The show—which will also be performed at 8 p.m. tonight in the Hill Theater—tells the story of a love triangle involving the titular French queen (Samantha Sheahan), her portrait painter Elisabeth Vigée le Brun (Verity Allen), and their mutual lover Count Alexis de Ligne (Sam Whipple).
Starting this Sunday afternoon, Kenyon College will undergo three solid days of auditions for upcoming shows. If you’ve ever wanted to be in anything, this could be your chance — there are only so many actors in Gambier, Ohio. Continue reading
Editor’s Note: This review comes to us from Katherine Baker ’14.
Opening the program for The Baltimore Waltz while sitting in the Hill Theater on Friday as I waited for the play to begin, I was surprised to find a letter accompanying the usual information on director, cast and crew, the command to silence all cell phones and the like.
The letter was from Carl Vogel to his sister, Paula, expressing his wishes for his funeral ceremony as he slowly dies of AIDS. Soon after the death of her brother, Paula Vogel wrote The Baltimore Waltz. The absurd situations of the play carry the same tone of her brother’s letter: humor in the face of death, comfort in the face of tragedy. Continue reading


Uncategorized November 23, 2012 From a law library in the Netherlands: a sculpture created out of law books that have been written in, torn, or defaced in some way. 0 Comments Written by J.L. Jarvis Left-handed opera singer/teacher/lawyer who writes romance novels. What's next? Sign up for my new release newsletter at http://news.jljarvis.com/. You Might Also Like Previous Story Previous Post Next Story Next Post Leave a Reply Cancel replyYou must be logged in to post a comment.


Spring Lamp. Designed by Studio Toer.
Steel and Felt Create a Kinetic Lamp
Like a growing bloom blowing in the wind, Spring Lamp emerges from two slender roots. The light balances on dual steel rods, its violet felt shade a playful violet or gnome’s hat. By moving the steel rods, you can adjust the light up and down and left to right, casting the light just about anywhere—it’s like your own little sun rotating around your home.
The idea behind Spring Lamp was to “expresses the versatility and simplicity of LED technology.” Studio Toer succeeded in highlighting the best attributes of the energy-saving light. As light dances on a surface, so does Spring Lamp dance around a space. Like a leaf twirling in the wind or a squirrel jumping from tree to tree, Spring Lamp moves joyously and unexpectedly in space.
Via Design Milk.
About the Manufacturer: Studio Toer designs interiors and installations, develops concepts, and creates products for the home such as tables, vases, and lighting—“products which people interact with on a daily basis.” The company, based in The Netherlands, also helps businesses develop a strong identity. Their conceptual products generate “experimental ideas for future implementation.”


The other night we were searching for a movie to watch on Netflix and Joel picked The Little Hours - a star-packed comedy with Alison Brie, Aubrey Plaza, Dave Franco, John C. Reilly and more. Unfortunately, we only made it about 45 minutes into that movie. The main humor seemed to come from women dressed as nuns cursing like sailors and generally acting like spoiled brats - let's just say it wasn't our kind of humor.
So back to Netflix we went and settled on The Last Laugh - another star-studded comedy with Chevy Chase, Richard Dreyfuss, and Andie McDowell. In this film Dreyfuss plays Buddy Green, a comic who changed careers right before he hit it big, and Chase plays Al Hart, his manager from back in the day. When the two reunite in a retirement community, they decide to take Buddy's show back on the road as the ultimate comeback story.
What follows is some typical road trip shenanigans, meeting a girl, and some family drama thrown in for good measure. I laughed a few times, I didn't even come close to tearing up at the supposed to be emotional moments, and overall the movie was basically a "meh" for me.
Overall, it's not Chevy Chase's best work, and I found the Andie McDowell character to be annoying. Dreyfuss was great in his role but I don't think he was given enough real heart or character to work with. If you want a low-key comedy to watch half-heartedly this one is a great choice, but if you really want to laugh there are much better movies out there!


Bernard Carter (his son), 1944
Mrs. Bernard Carter, 1961
By descent in the family to the present owner, 1984
'Notable Display of Art to be Seen at the Academy Tomorrow: Brilliant Display of High-Class Art', Philadelphia Inquiror, 18 January 1903, p. 2
'The Academy Pictures', Philadelphia Record, 18 January 1903, p. 9
Evan Charteris, John Sargent, London, 1927, p. 268
Charles Merrill Mount, John Singer Sargent: A Biography, New York 1955, p. 440 (as dated 1903 and repainted 1908)
David McKibbin, A Complete Check List of Sargent's Portraits, Boston, 1956, p. 88
Richard Ormond and Elaine Kilmurray, John Singer Sargent: The Later Portraits, New Haven, Connecticut and London, 2003, no. 408, p. 62, illustrated in color
At the turn of the last century, John Singer Sargent reached the zenith of his reputation as a brilliant portrait painter both in Britain, where he had made his home, and in America. Between 1900 and 1907 he completed over 130 portraits, averaging seventeen per year - a testament both to the painter's appeal to the upper classes, as well as an indication of the heightened demand for portraiture in the early twentieth century. In Britain, Sargent's portraits were a means through which members of the aristocracy could further enhance their noble stature through the iconography and familiar associations of past generations; the bourgeoisie continued to elevate their own social standing through ever more elaborate portrait commissions. For John Ridgely Carter (1864-1944), an American diplomat in London, a portrait by Sargent would have been an ideal asset in hiswell appointed home.
Carter commissioned Sargent to paint his portrait in 1901. By this time, Carter, the son of Bernard Carter, a Baltimore lawyer and his wife Mary (née Ridgely), was enjoying a distinguished career in diplomacy and a prominent marriage to Alice Morgan of New York. Carter was well educated, receiving his undergraduate degree from Trinity College in Hartford, completing graduate work at the University of Leipzig and Maryland University and his law degree in 1888 from Harvard University. In 1894, Carter accepted his first diplomatic appointment as secretary to the American Ambassador in London. In 1905, he was appointed secretary of the London embassy and he remained there until 1909, when he became the U.S. Minister to Romania and Serbia. In 1911, Carter turned down an offer to be ambassador to Argentina and chose instead to go into banking for greater financial opportunity. Carter joined J.P. Morgan & Co. and by 1914, he was made a partner of Morgan Harjes & Co. in Paris, where he lived for twenty-five years. Alice and John had two children, Bernard Shirley and Carolyn Mildred Carter, whom Sargent also painted in 1908. Sargent made sketches of Alice Morgan Carter but a finished portrait in oil was never painted. In 1940, after the German invasion of France, Carter and his wife returned to New York, where they were well received socially; he was a member of both The Knickerbocker Club in New York and The Metropolitan Club in Washington, D.C. Carter remained in New York until his death in 1944.
Sargent was well versed in the great European portrait tradition established by Anthony Van Dyck, Thomas Gainsborough and Joshua Reynolds. Richard Ormond writes, "Sargent turned to particular artists for the nobility of their vision. Velázquez continued to be an inspiration for what Renoir described as 'the true aristocracy which one finds in the smallest detail, in a simple ribbon', but Sargent began to draw increasingly on the portraitist most associated with the glamour of high birth, Sir Anthony Van Dyck. It was a timely moment to appropriate Van Dyck's influence: in 1899, the tercentenary of Van Dyck's birth had been celebrated with major retrospective exhibitions at the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Antwerp and at the Royal Academy in London. The dignity of bearing with which Van Dyck invested his sitters, the elegance of their poses and gestures provide a beguiling and resonant pictorial language" (John Singer Sargent: The Later Portraits, New Haven, 2003, p. 31-32).
A Retro Racing Watch for the Modern Man
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10 Dazzling Jewels from the Bourbon Parma Family Collection
First Look: Relive the 1990s Through the Collection of Damien Hirst’s Legendary Manager
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Please call 1-800-555-5555 to order a print catalog for this sale.
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What breed of bulldog has multiple heads and knows how to do the bunny hop and the crab walk? The third Bulldog B-Boy Battle, of course. DJ-ing, rapping and beat making are well-known facets of hip-hop culture, but elements such as breakdancing tend to get overlooked. Downplay's third hip-hop dance competition should be its largest yet, taking place over two nights and featuring the cream of the national B-boy and B-girl contingents. Legendary California B-boy Paulskee (pictured) will host, and DJs Platinum and SceneBooster SoundSystem (Josh Powers) will be on hand to spin records as the hoofers worm and windmill. The battles offer one-on-one as well as crew-on-crew contests, with winners advancing to the all-ages finals on the second evening. Expect fierce but fun competition and a knockout exhibition from Lawrence's Buggin' Out Crew, whose gyrating body contortions have been turning heads at rap shows for many moons.


Inspired by Tropical Elegance Pendant "Coco Breeze"
Embrace the tropical allure of paradise with the Tropical Elegance Pendant, beautifully named "Coco Breeze." Crafted from 18K white gold and adorned with diamonds, this pendant captures the essence of a swaying coconut tree leaf, a symbol of leisure and natural beauty.
With a weight of 7.28 grams, the pendant carries a substantial presence, much like the comforting shade of a coconut tree. The 0.34 carats of diamonds mirror the glimmers of sunlight that filter through the lush foliage.
Wearing the Tropical Elegance Pendant, titled "Coco Breeze," is akin to carrying a piece of paradise wherever you go. Just as coconut tree leaves symbolize relaxation and tranquility, this pendant embodies the calm and serene energy of a tropical oasis.
Let this pendant be a reminder to slow down and savor life's simple pleasures. Wear it as an emblem of your connection to nature's beauty and let it inspire you to embrace the tranquility and leisure that can be found in each moment, even in the midst of a bustling world.
Coco Breeze Diamond Pendant Details:


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From the PublisherOram's friendly woodland community reinforces a message that bears repeating. Her characters are expressive and concerned without being sappy, and her story makes room for throwaway jokes (Miss Snail turns out to be fond of slow dancing, while Frog is known for his gallant courting). Varley's breezy ink-and-watercolor paintings, rendered in a pale, earthy palette, create a convincing whole world for Oram's sweet animals. Smartly clad in their timeless Sunday best, they exude charm and personality. Their cozy environs, like the story, make readers utterly welcome.
-- Publishers Weekly, starred review.
Told with wit and affection, this charming tale reminds us that everyone needs to be appreciated and that friendship, support, and love are great healers. Varley's delicate, detailed watercolors picture an endearing animal ensemble cast, from accordion-playing Bat to the always-dignified Badger himself. Extremely appealing characters combine with a message all ages can relate to for a timeless and irresistible story.
"This is a lovely story about caring and thinking about others -- and friendship."
-- Preschool Picks
"This insightful story is sure to be loved by parents and teachers. Charming!"
-- Catholic Library World


The wicked King Bohan (Alfred Molina) seeks to gain control of the Heavenly Sword, a powerful divine weapon prophesied to destroy him in the hands of the Chosen One. Nariko (Anna Torv), a young woman whose clan is devoted to protecting the Sword from Bohan, must embark on a journey to find this Chosen One and end the evil king’s reign.
What an odd project this is. Heavenly Sword is an adaptation of a 2007 action video game by first time director Gun Ho Jang, and seems to use a lot of the same visual assets in its computer animation. Whilst that must have been a relief for the animators, Heavenly Sword certainly looks every bit a work of ten-year old animation – and it certainly wasn’t Pixar quality when the game came out.
Actually, I must correct myself – I compared footage from the original game to the film and the game is actually more detailed then this offering. Which, again, is all very bizarre – I can’t really work out why this film was made. Who was it for? Why did the producers think that adapting a seven year old game that wasn’t exactly a cultural touchstone would find an audience?
Was it for fans? Because this is an almost beat-for-beat retelling of the video game’s story, albeit with plot changes that will no doubt mystify them: flatter voice acting, and pacing that generally feels rushed and drained of character.
Was it to attract new audiences? Because the animation cannot stand up to contemporary examples. The plot and editing is extremely choppy and confusing, and if you had no connection to the video game there seems to be nothing at all that would interest you in this production.
Video game adaptations have never really found their feet in the world of film, with even the best examples being patently mediocre. Whilst video games themselves have such polished production values in this day and age that they feel positively cinematic at times, it doesn’t change the fact that the two mediums engage with their audiences in profoundly different ways, with particularly profound differences in pacing and focus.
Heavenly Sword (the game) was a good effort, if rough around the edges – an aesthetically pleasing romp with memorable characters, helped along greatly by the involvement of Andy Serkis providing voice acting work and directing the story sequences. In contrast, Heavenly Sword (the film) has none of these things.
I’d say this was a cheap cash grab, but I can’t seriously see this film making a lot of money.
Reviewed by Brendan Whittaker
Rating out of 10: 3
Heavenly Sword will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on 28 July 2016.


And the glitter ball goes to....Strictly Stortford's charity dance competition was a toe-tapping spectacular
Strictly Stortford was a resounding success as sequinned couples took to the dance floor for a charity competition that finally had its day after two years in the making.
The pandemic put paid to the first attempt as participants came together to begin training in early 2020.
But on Sunday, with an afternoon and evening performance that followed the format of the popular BBC1 show Strictly Come Dancing, eight couples delighted audiences at South Mill Arts with a dazzling display of fancy footwork and toe-tapping routines.
Most importantly, it has raised upwards of £12,000 for Hope for Justice, the charity working to eradicate modern day slavery thanks to the fundraising efforts of the dancers and via ticket sales.
Having been a part of the original line-up with my husband, Rob, but being forced to withdraw due to personal circumstances, it felt extra special sitting ringside to watch the months of hard work that would have gone into the dance spectacular unfold before our eyes. I could barely contain my urge to dance, such is the enjoyment and freedom that dance offers up, and smiled in awe from beginning to end at what everyone had achieved.
It was a pleasure to watch the team, who we had briefly come to know, execute the group Argentine Stroll and then their individual routines with passion, flare and confidence. From 11-year-old Bishop's Stortford College pupil Sebastian, who partnered his mum Nyree, to female duos Bernie and Anita and Sarah and Liz and relative newcomers Fran and Martin, every couple looked to enjoy the experience and had improved remarkably since those early days of trying to remember the steps!
The event was dreamed up and organised by Clive Weir who pulled together support from husband and wife professional dancers Stephen and Hazel Evans, of Evans Academy of Dance, in Harlow, and their daughter, Cheryl, who volunteered their services to steer the couples through their training; as well as gathering sponsors, costume and make-up designers and those who helped produce and market the event to recreate the Strictly effect.
The carefully choreographed show emitted the professional feel of the real thing with pre-recorded introductions played on the big screen ahead of each performance - a getting-to-know the couple feature which worked really well.
There were four judges up on stage to critique individual routines, which included the jive, rumba and cha cha cha, raising their paddles to score. They included the delightful judge, Sue, who you never knew quite what she was going to say next in the playful manner of former Strictly TV judge Bruno Tonioli to professional dancer, Kerry, who a bit like her TV counterpart, head Strictly judge Shirley Ballas, stood up to demonstrate how to best achieve a certain movement.
The group dance kick-started proceedings, compared by guest singer Miguel Olivares who interspersed the evening with renditions of popular songs.
The only difference to the TV version was separate audience and judges awards - the winners of the afternoon session were Bertie and Gillian with their jive, which earned top marks from both the judges and audience, while Annice and Ryan took the evening audience prize for their lively Cha Cha Cha and the judges' chose Sarah and Liz for their well-executed jive.
Bishop's Stortford mayor Dave Anderson presented the winning partnerships with their glitter ball trophies.
Speaking at the end, Clive thanks the Evans' family for all their help."We wouldn't have got here without you so thank you because you are brilliant professional dance teachers."
Andy Williams, of Hope for Justice, said: "The effort and challenges you have all risen to in order to make this happen is absolutely fantastic. Thank you so much for what you have done tonight."
Have you got photos from an event you'd like to see featured in the Indie. Email firstname.lastname@example.org


Saturday, 11 July 2015
** COMING SOON ** COMING SOON ** COMING SOON ** COMING SOON **
Eloisa is determined to go to her first ever ball, but Fate decides otherwise. Thrown into the arms of her reluctant host, Simeon Calversham, she is drawn into a world of draughty corridors, haunted castles, and mysterious things that go bump in the night.
The dangers within the cold stone walls throw this unsuspecting couple together, but will the mysterious intruder who stalks the corridors of Mitchelham Castle, tear them apart again?
Simeon knows that he has to keep her safe, from him as much as the unknown person who is stealing from his house. However, the closer they are drawn together, the harder he knows it will be to ever let her go.
RELEASED JULY 2015


Sometimes you make a quilt for someone who just NEEDS it. Need in the sense of object to keep that person warm, need in the sense of the act of caring for that person.
This is one of those quilts.
Earthy warm colors combined with blacks.
A bit of vintage floral ’70s fabric that I had saved for something special.
The quilt needed to be bigger… so I added the plum Moda Marble between the rows of churn dashes.
These dark colors were actually way out of my comfort zone. I had to keep myself motivated to keep going ...read more


Drawing A Dream Catcher With Color Flowers Black And White Images
|Include In Article|
Dream Catcher Drawing
|Published Date||Friday , July 05th 2019|
|Uploaded By||Montana Moran|
Free Drawing Pages. Friday , July 05th 2019.
Quote from Dream Catcher Drawing :
With the variety of drawing media readily available, artists can generate a large selection of multicolored and monochromatic art drawings in numerous styles and categories including figure, portrait, and nature. She is among those talented pencil drawing artists that you’re able to discover online. Every drawing should have a defined light supply. Today, it remains one of the most popular artistic disciplines among both professional and amateur artists alike. You can also see Charcoal Drawings. If you practice enough, you ought to be in a position to sketch them without the usage of guidelines or even better, be in a position to visualize and draw any gesture! In cartoon it’s not any different.
Use the Arc tool when you wish to draw 1 arc segment at one time. Use the Line tool when you would like to draw one straight line segment at a moment. LINES Some individuals just draw lines. Next line ought to go at an angle and up to the peak of the star drawing. Now the one thing that’s left is to connect the previous line with the initial one and you’ve drawn a star. Therefore, as soon as you’re creating a star field, it is a very good idea to have an assortment of stars represented. A superb star field requires a lot of work to create, but may be used repeatedly based on your degree of customization, and that means you can get away with using it repeatedly.
Test anxiety is a potential cause for academic underachievement, states Mathijssen. For instance, a child who draws a bearded man may know somebody who has a beard. Our toddlers aren’t attempting to represent reality with these scribbles. Near the end of this stage, clothes might also be shown. After posting my drawings on social networking, a few of my buddies and family were impressed also.
Finding out how to draw hands can be challenging. There’s no demand for it! My work was featured in galleries in the States.
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Revenge finally returned to TV last night and kicked off the season with a mysterious murder that reminded me just how much I love this show. There’s nothing quite like a wrongful death to get my juices flowing!
Every show on primetime can pull off a murder, but they can’t all do it in a way that involves a Japanese Revenge Tutorial Company, an emotionally abused foster child deadest on avenging her parents’ wrongful deaths and the striking good looks of Josh Bowman.
Despite all the ridiculous twists and turns of the season premiere, I still believe that this show’s doing something that no other show’s even attempting. And I’m not just talking about killing off characters and bringing them back to life as the leisure of the plot line and Madeleine Stowe’s contract. I’m talking about taking an incredibly soapy concept and making it must-watch TV that everyone’s talking about.
While I can nitpick almost every drama on network tv for being completely nonsensical and illogical, I can’t get angry at Revenge for doing the same. Sure everything doesn’t make sense and sure I sometimes want to scream at Jack to see a therapist about his unrequited crush on a childhood friend who he only knew for one summer. But that doesn’t stop me from watching the show. It doesn’t stop me from talking about Ashley like she personally stabbed me in the back with her ruthless career ambitions.
(Also, sidenote, she’s totally sleeping with Conrad Greyson too, right? Can we all agree on that?)
I mean, I get to use words like ruthless in reference to this show. What more could a girl with a middle class background and an art collection from TJ Maxx want in this life?
Not since the days of The OC and The Boxcar Children have I been this entranced by such a ridiculous plot about wealthy familes caught up in a web of deceit, lies, betrayal and neighbors with hidden intentions. There are love triangles, secret children, murder accusations and unlikely friendships set against the glamorous backdrop of the Hamptons.
Revenge depicts the life for myself that I would have had if my parents had only gone into business with international terrorists who will do anything to make money. Despite the danger and the murder and the mysterious white-haired-man who double-crosses everyone, I would kill to go to one of their famous society events.
Literally kill, because that’s totally acceptable in this group of frenemies. If you want something that’s only attainable through murder, that’s totally justifiable.
And that’s what worries me about this show. It’s too good to be true. How can it possibly sustain itself through another season without jumping the shark. In the premiere alone Victoria Greyson comes back to life and reveals she’s in “the witness protection program,” Emily Thorne finds out her mother was locked up for being “mentally ill” during her childhood, Charlotte Greyson gets framed by her father for drug use, the white-haired man returns with an ambition to kill Emily (again), Takeda gets replaced by another actor and we meet another student of Revenge R Us Academy.
I just hope it’s not too much, too soon. I hope that they don’t get overexcited by the success of last season and overcompensate with too many complicated plot lines.
The moments with Emily and Nolan spying on Victoria Greyson in their pajamas on her couch are just as special as Conrad locking his daughter up in an effort to get her inheritance.
Keep it simple, keep it revengeful, and keep it somewhat sensical.
I’m looking at you abandoned hospital that’s kept unlocked and in perfect shape.


The Last of the Mohicans
THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS (15)
D: Michael Mann
Warner Bros./Morgan Creek (Michael Mann & Hunt Lowry)
W: Michael Mann & Christopher Crowe [based on the novel by James Fenimore Cooper]
DP: Dante Spinotti
Ed: Dov Hoenig & Arthur Schmidt
Mus: Trevor Jones & Randy Edelman
PD: Wolf Kroeger
Daniel Day-Lewis (Hawkeye), Madeleine Stowe (Cora Munro), Russell Means (Chingachgook), Eric Schweig (Uncas), Jodhi May (Alice Munro), Steve Waddington (Maj. Duncan Heyward), Wes Studi (Magua)
Technically brilliant and ambitiously directed, this adaptation of James Fenimore Cooper's literary classic leans more to the romance side of the story over the adventure and war of Colonial America, as Hawkeye, the white, adopted son of a Native American Indian rescues the two daughters of a British officer and falls in love with one of them.
Though there's a severely lack of characterisation which makes the love affair rather unconvincing, director Michael Mann counteracts this with some breathtaking photography, occasional moments of heart-pounding action and a stirring music score which is amongst the best movie themes of all time.


Live From Across the Pond
There's nothing more satisfying than hearing a spot-on live rendition of your favorite band's best work. On this episode of the B-Sides with Bolin and Blumberg, we collect a number of great live performances of our favorites from across the pond.
We start off with a trio of bands hitting the mark. There's Status Quo from its last concert featuring the group's original members. Then, there's UFO featuring Michael Schenker on lead guitar and the 70's band, Sweet, performing a gig in 2008.
Next, we get into the cream of British guitarists. Eric Clapton performs alongside Steve Windwood at Madison Square Garden, and Jimmy Page with the Black Crowes, and, arguably the best live gig cd, Live at the Greek.
Rory Gallaher just had a previously unreleased 1977 concert from England issued on disc. It's called Check Shirt Wizard, and we hear two cuts, Secret Agent and Used to Be.
Finally, a live cut of Faces doing Bad N' Ruin, and former member Ronnie Lane wrapping things up with Ooh La La. The band’s cut is from a live BBC radio concert, while Lane's song is from a public radio concert recorded in Austin, Texas.
So gather round the radio and feel the audience rock with music you'll only hear on one local venue, Siouxland Public Media


STEAM Enrichment Program
STEAM Enrichment (for preschool/kindergarten ages 3-6)
STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math. STEAM is STEM plus the inclusion of “the Arts”, which includes all arts (music, drama, dance, movement)… not just visual art.
Our STEAM program is offered as an integrated 5 full day STEAM/Montessori combination class. Children attend about half their time in Montessori and the other half in STEAM.
The STEAM model supports and reinforces the learning that children acquire in their Montessori classroom and gives children more time to explore topics at their own pace. Children benefit socially in this environment where they can participate in collaborative group activities and projects. The STEAM program provides activities that strengthen a child’s fine and large motor skills, support concentration and cognitive skills and ignite the imagination.
Each day children are engaged in creative problem-solving, collaboration, investigation, and open-ended exploration. A wide assortment of learning material, creative activities and planned projects are woven throughout the classroom, providing children with plenty of hands-on learning experiences. Opportunities for both individualized and group learning occur daily.
Engineering, Construction & Technology
Students engage in a variety of large and small projects and are provided with a range of materials: specialized building blocks, Legos, puzzles, cylinders, found and recycled materials, and items that can be taken apart and put together again in new and creative ways. Throughout the year children build their own simple machines and see physics in action. They can build a bridge or tower or create a grade with a ramp and race cars to see which car goes fastest and furthest, or construct a pulley system to lift a basket of toys.
Engineering and construction encourages and challenges children to plan and solve problems as they invent and create. They are provided with a vast assortment of art and recycled materials for open-ended art exploration. Children actively construct their knowledge as they plan and design, tapping into their imagination and creativity.
Students learn how to use interactive apps to teach math, logic and reasoning skills, creativity and problem-solving skills all within the STEAM technology space. Students will work on computer programs to learn those skills. Children have opportunities for both individualized and group learning. As a child’s skills increase, the level of technology provided will also increase to match the child’s development. An introduction to coding with screen-free, hands-on materials also is incorporated.
Music & Movement
Children have plenty of opportunities for inside and outside (weather permitting) movement and exercise. Using various specialized gym equipment and yoga, children develop coordination and balance while strengthening core muscles. Outside activities allow for relay races, tricycle and scooter play, and organized group games where children strengthen large muscles, develop hand-eye coordination, learn to listen and follow directions, cooperate, take turns, and practice good sportsmanship. The simple act of playing outside builds confidence, promotes creativity, teaches responsibility, reduces stress and fatigue, and most importantly, gets children moving!
Children also engage in plenty of music and movement activities, learn to sing folk and classic children’s songs, and discriminate between different types of instruments. Children learn to hear the rhythm and harmony in songs and identify song structure and notes.
Children explore the world, learning about the people, culture and biomes of the earth’s continents. As we go on our world journey, it is exciting to learn about the history, hear different languages and music, learn new songs, and try out new dances at every destination we visit. We travel the continents from Antarctica to Australia, with many exciting and educational stops along the way. World arts and crafts, and international cooking are threaded through this joyful, multi-cultural interactive and hands-on class, perfect for the curious little explorer!
A wealth of hands-on activities demonstrate various elements of biology, zoology, physics, circuitry, and chemistry through the exploration of simple chemical reactions. On one day the children might study metamorphosis and the similarities and differences between plants, insects, and animals, and on another day, they may make their own clouds, or learn about polymers and create their own plastic from milk. Other areas of investigations may include the study of the human body, rocks and geodes, magnetism, animal habitats, and the study of light and rainbows and the study of live mammals, bugs, worms, and reptiles.
In addition to daily activities and experiments, the STEAM teachers have created an assortment of classroom STEAM kits to engage young children in creative problem-solving and collaboration. The kits introduce children to basic math and science skills such as prediction, experimentation, forming a conclusion and data collection. Our youngest children can conduct a simple experiment to stack multiple blocks and record how many are stacked before they fall, while our older children are learning to take their data from the same experiment and record it in simple graphs. Geared and individualized to meet the skills of this multi-age group, children will learn how to predict, experiment, collect data and form a conclusion in this dynamic classroom environment.
Children are given the opportunity to develop the essential language and literacy skills of listening, speaking and vocabulary building, as well as using their imagination while acting out favorite stories, making up their own stories, and playing with puppets. Children will use their artistic skills to create props and costumes and work on crafts connected to our story of the week. Through our classroom activities, based on nursery rhymes, favorite fairy tales, well-loved classics and new releases, and stories from around the world, children learn to recognize rhyming words, notice the rhythm in spoken language, create a storyline, predict the outcome and learn the moral of each story as part of character education.
Storytelling is a wonderful way to weave lessons from the entire week into a fun and engaging conclusion. Beans from Jack and the Beanstalk are integrated into science Thursday, while international stories reinforce lessons from World Travels.
Clean Recyclables wanted: Students love to create a variety of crafts with items you may be recycling at home. Items such as shoe boxes, paper towel and toilet paper tubes, oatmeal tubes, corks, clean egg cartons, clean/empty water bottles, buttons, and clean baby food jars may find new life as special child-made projects. Check with our STEAM/Montessori Teachers if you have items to donate and thank you for helping replenish our supplies!


Born in Indonesia, coming from an island and raised by a different culture in the Netherlands has without a doubt shaped who I am, shaped what I love and most importantly shaped the foundation from which I now continue to grow.
I love to travel and have a deep appreciation for nature with a healthy appetite for the unknown. To do so I am using my vision as a nomad, seeking out and collaborating through different elements like yoga, art, writing, nature and surf. We are all surfers of sort, sometimes surfing literally in the ocean like me, but most often surfing the current of life and all that flows with it.
In 2013 I was diagnosed with cancer. This emotional and natural experience changed my view on life. I realized more how precious the physical body is and how fragile we still are as human beings. I also realized that nothing is guaranteed even when you live healthily and enjoy life fully. My own yoga and meditation practice were great tools to keep me in form both physically and mentally.
After living in Morocco for three years, I am currently back in the Netherlands; living in this dynamic and vibrant city of Amsterdam. I´ve discovered that it´s actually more fun to share it with others and to be surrounded by people who inspire us. That´s what keeps me going. And so I have been graced with incredible experiences with teacher guides of healers, friends and other warm loving people who I’ve met along the way. They are the ones who keep my eyes and heart open to the limitless potential and love that surround us. Thank you!
Love & Light,


Why and How to Prevent Chimping in Photography
Chimping is a term used to describe the behavior of photographers who immediately check their camera’s LCD screen after taking a picture. While this may seem like a harmless habit, it can actually be detrimental to the overall quality of the photographs being taken. In this essay, we will discuss why it is important to prevent chimping in photography and how photographers can break this habit.
Firstly, chimping can be distracting and take away from the creative process. When a photographer takes a picture and immediately checks their LCD screen, they are interrupting the flow of their work. This can be especially frustrating when shooting in fast-paced environments, such as sports or events. Instead of being present in the moment and focusing on capturing the shot, the photographer is distracted by reviewing the image on the screen. This can lead to missed opportunities and subpar photographs.
Secondly, chimping can be misleading. The LCD screen on a camera is not an accurate representation of the final image. It may appear that the exposure, focus, and composition are all correct, but when the photograph is viewed on a computer screen, it may be revealed that these elements are not as they seemed. Relying too heavily on the LCD screen can lead to overconfidence in the quality of the photographs being taken.
So, how can photographers prevent chimping? The first step is to acknowledge that it is a habit that needs to be broken. Once a photographer realizes that checking the LCD screen is a distraction, they can consciously make an effort to resist the urge. One technique is to simply turn off the LCD screen or cover it with tape so that it cannot be viewed. This forces the photographer to rely solely on their instincts and technical knowledge, rather than relying on the camera’s screen.
Another technique is to shoot in burst mode. By taking multiple shots in rapid succession, the photographer can avoid the need to check the LCD screen after every shot. This allows them to stay in the moment and capture more opportunities.
Lastly, photographers can learn to trust their instincts and technical knowledge. By practicing and developing their skills, they can become confident in their ability to capture quality photographs without the need to constantly check the LCD screen.
When using a used camera, chimping can be even more detrimental as the LCD screen may not accurately represent the final image due to wear and tear. It is important to rely on one’s instincts and technical knowledge to properly assess the exposure, focus, and composition of the shot. Additionally, when purchasing a used camera, it is important to inspect the camera thoroughly to ensure that all functions are working properly and the LCD screen is in good condition. By being mindful of chimping and taking the necessary steps to prevent it, photographers can avoid missed opportunities and capture quality photographs regardless of whether they are using a new or used camera.
In conclusion, preventing chimping in photography is important for several reasons. It can be distracting, misleading, and take away from the creative process. By breaking this habit, photographers can become more present in the moment, capture more opportunities, and ultimately improve the overall quality of their photographs. Techniques such as turning off the LCD screen, shooting in burst mode, and trusting instincts and technical knowledge can help photographers break the habit of chimping and take their photography to the next level.


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This finely detailed and hand painted angel is one of the most beautiful and serene sculptures you will find. The soft colors and flowing dress make you feel the motion of her being uplifted.
Out of stock
Size is: 11″ H x 7 1/2″ W x 7 1/9″ D
Material: Stone Resin
Angel “Let Grace Fill Your Heart”
Snoopy With Love Balloons
Sweet Dreams Water Globe
Sophia 1st Communion Seraphim Angel
Ruth Angel with Scroll
Young Angel with Harp – Porcelain Musical
Dragon Chest – Celtic Style Box
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I enjoy organising and facilitating creative work.
School art Projects
For the past twelve years, I have facilitated Art projects and workshops with early years children right up to third level students.
This is a video I made with the children in Zurich International School, where I developed the school art curriculum under the The International Baccalaureate Organisation.
I co-ordinated a street party similar to a mini festival. The event included music, a swap shop, a craft workshop, barbecues, picnic area, decorations, children's games, face painting, and an outdoor cinema screening at sunset.


BringOnTheBold Media Event
GANSEVOORT HOTEL | MEATPACKING DISTRICT, NEW YORK
Elizabeth Arden underwent a phenomenal rebrand to target at a younger demographic, and wanted to flaunt their fun, vibrant and youthful side, while keeping it classy in ways only Elizabeth Arden knows how. So with an event for editors, they were swooned with food and drink, and we created a sizzling atmosphere, impossible to forget. We suspended an oversized hashtag #BRINGONTHEBOLD 15’ above the ground; and installed a giant wall of shrubbery, set behind beautiful black lacquered display tables with hot pink flowers. These bright pops of color were true to the brand’s new color scheme, with shiny black and flashes of hot pink peppered throughout.


Sister Ivy began in the summer of 2015, when on-again/off-again explorer of
music, Rachel Waterhouse, decided that she couldn’t keep hiding skeletons of songs under her twin bed anymore. The decision arose when local reporter Carrie Eidson, booked her to play a Mountain express acoustic session at Sherwood Music in Asheville, NC. Rachel nervously dusted off two of the skeletons and scribbled a few charts so that guitarist Brian Kirk could understand them (kind of), and chose a name. But it wasn’t enough. There was so much more that could be done…with drums…with some low end…with the endless supply of song bones. She needed a band. So, with a few poorly made charts and quite a few more pipe dreams, Rachel set out to find collaborators to flesh out her dreams.
The going was tough…with complicated designs and limited experience, band leading was a difficult task. There were lessons that Rachel had skipped that she had to keep going back to pick up. There were mistakes made and multiple changes of members, but every change was a challenge to grow and get better at the work. New songs came, along with new inspirations and new influences, gifted by the exemplary collaborators that loaned their time and energy to the project. Beautiful and excellent musicians added to the tunes in turn…giving them skin, motor skills–a nervous system even. Rachel began to be more on music than not, day by day, as the project grew in complexity and depth, and Sister Ivy became a matter of utmost importance in her life.
Now, after nearly two and a half years of gestation, Sister Ivy is feeling rooted enough to release somewhat permanent interpretations of her music, in the form of recorded material. The EP, Plecia, recorded at El Rancho Morbido in Black Mountain in June and July of 2017 with guitarist Kayla Zuskin, bassist Brennan Dugan, and drummer Will Miller, will be released in March. The three-song EP features a fairly wide representation of the sounds Sister Ivy produces, from the neo-soul vibe of Dark Magic, to the highly jazz influenced track, Nu V.U., and the epic, free-verse poem that is Song of the Skeleton Woman. The single, Sepia Sun, recorded independently with current band members (Asher Hill on bass, Paul Gladstone on drums) and local trumpeter Alex Bradley, will be released in February, along with Sister Ivy’s first ever Music Video. The E.P. release party at the Isis Music Hall on March 30th will be a showcase of all these tunes and more, with appearances from past and current members as well as new collaborators.
Ghost Pipe Trio, the brainchild of guitarist Leo Johnson, delivers high-energy compositions and groove-centric style which summon impressions of late masters, like Django and Zappa. They are a virtuous blend of vintage and modern jazz fused with elements of gypsy jazz, early swing, afro, latin, and flamenco. The trio’s spirit and lavish improvisations landed them a residency at one of Asheville NC’s finest late night establishments. Bolstering the city’s bustling nightlife, devotees of the band can be heard chanting “PIPE, PIPE, PIPE” as the band steps off for a set break.
With effortless feel and endless supply of ideas, Tommy Moore’s (drums) west African tendencies shine bold as the trio transitions through time and meter.
Isis Music Hall & Mt Spirit Promo Summary
Meanwhile, Sean McCann (bass) paves a golden road of groove and passion ensuring danceability and sophistication. Touted as “the best rhythm section in town!” by Zach Page (local bass legend), the group’s following grows every week.
The trio’s intention to improvise is realized through vintage tone. Driven by Leo’s “Hot Rod” Harmony Archtone 1963 and Sean’s 1967 Fender Coronado, the band pushes the boundaries of expectation and style. As the band’s first year nears a successful end, they set their sights on a European tour in the spring of 2018, as well as the release of their first full length album, “The Effervescent Professor, Dr. Bubbly”.


Staff and students alike were very impressed with the show. The subject was an excellent choice and hit exactly the right level for our students. The cast was professional and friendly. I was particularly impressed with the many spontaneous interactions with our students whenever they were unexpectedly on stage with you or added some new lines to the script! Thank you for accommodating our children’s enthusiasm to get up and dance with you. Please come again.
- Brisbane, Australia
Our Year 8 and 9 students really enjoyed Botfarm 2014 – Rise of the Appliances. The show conveyed the key elements of dystopia – particularly Orwell’s Animal Farm – in a fun, accessible format. The pop culture references were appreciated, and the physicality of the performance made for lots of humour.
- Canberra Girls’ Grammar School, Canberra, Australia


Adele Admits She ‘Wasn’t Doing a Great Job Emotionally as a Mum’ on Her Most Vulnerable Song (INTERVIEW)
Music superstar Adele recently caught up with PopCrush Nights host Kayla Thomas for a chat about the singer's stunning new album, motherhood, memes and more.
When asked which track on her new record, 30, is most sentimental to her, the artist revealed that her song "My Little Love," on which she addresses Angelo, her 9-year-old son with ex-husband Simon Konecki, was the most vulnerable song she worked on for the album.
"Probably 'My Little Love,' [which is] the one that I wrote for my son," she shared. "It's incredibly vulnerable, me sort of admitting obviously not only to myself and most importantly him, but also to so many that I don't know by putting it on my record, that I wasn't doing a great job, you know, emotionally as his mum."
Adele explained that though "it was a very short period of time" in which she wasn't fully there for her son, she was "just mortified in the moment that I couldn't access my emotions for him."
"It's about him so that's why it's so sentimental, but also it's just so vulnerable. I feel like it's sometimes hard for mums to admit that," Adele added.
On a lighter note, the "Easy On Me" singer also dished on her favorite meme about herself. The internet will certainly be excited to learn that not only does the musician see all the memes about her, but her personal favorite is the iconic Adele-hiding-in-a-bush meme.
"It's the one where I'm in the bush from SNL," she shared, laughing. "It made me laugh when I first saw it because I didn't know that the camera was on me at that point. I thought the camera would swing to me when I started actually singing 'Hello' from inside this bush, but they had it already on me and I was waiting which is why I look so bloody ridiculous and uninterested and satisfied."
The artist added that the meme "really reminds me of the famous one of Kim Kardashian popping out from behind a bush."
Listen to the full PopCrush Nights video interview with Adele, below:


Edna O'Brien Short Fiction Analysis
Edna O’Brien has written short stories throughout her long career. “Come into the Drawing Room, Doris” (retitled “Irish Revel” in The Love Object collection) first appeared in The New Yorker, on October 6, 1962. “Cords,” published as “Which of Those Two Ladies Is He Married To?” in The New Yorker, on April 25, 1964, adumbrates many of the aspects of loss and missed connections, which are O’Brien’s constant themes. The missed connections are most frequently between mothers and daughters, and between women and men. O’Brien is at her most persuasively graphic when her protagonists are clearly Irish women, at home, in a vanished Ireland whose society as a whole she re-creates and often increasingly indicts most convincingly.
The question above, which forms the original title of “Cords,” is posed in the story by Claire’s scandalized, rural, Irish mother on a London visit to her sexually active, editor, lapsed Catholic, poet-daughter. The dinner guests are a husband, his pregnant wife Marigold, and his mistress Pauline—which grouping elicits the mother’s question. The newer title, “Cords,” more aptly focuses attention on the constrictive mother-daughter bond, which is at the center of this story. The conflict is effectively rendered; no final judgment is made on who is to blame. The Catholic, self-sacrificing mother, who masochistically sews without a thimble, is a spunky traveler. The rather precious daughter, with her “social appendages” but no friends, “no one she could produce for her mother [or herself] and feel happy about,” for her part means well. The two similarly looking women are deftly shown to be on a collision course, not just with their umbrellas or their differences over food. The detailed parts of the story all function smoothly. The mother looks at herself in a glass door; Claire sees herself reflected in a restaurant’s mirrors. Each woman is herself and an image projected elsewhere. The constraint between them is vividly rendered from their moment of meeting until they are at the airport again, where both “secretly feared the flight number would never be called.”
In the background here, in Claire’s thoughts, is the father, “emaciated, crazed and bankrupted by drink,” with whom the mother’s unhealthy, symbiotic relationship continues: “She was nettled because Claire had not asked how he was.” In “Cords,” then, are many of the perennial, rush-of-memory themes: the family feuding, the malevolent church influence, the searing, almost flawlessly detailed exposé of the tie that binds many mothers and daughters. All is rendered here with the saving grace of good humor, and even old jokes are recalled, such as those about good grazing on the Buckingham Palace lawns, about Irish planes being blessed and therefore never crashing, and about an overly heavy suitcase—“Have you stones in it?”Claire asks.
“A Scandalous Woman”
“A Scandalous Woman” sets the tone for O’Brien’s second collection, named after it, and reveals an increasingly gloomy view of the female predicament, whether in Ireland or elsewhere. The story, published in 1974, concludes, “I thought that ours indeed was a land of shame, a land of murder, and a land of strange, [to which is added in the stronger A Fanatic Heart version, ‘throttled’] women.” Here is an indictment of a family, its church, and society, very like that in A Pagan Place, and to be seen again in “Savages.” The anonymous narrator leads the reader through Eily’s life from early courtship days until the moment when the narrator, now no longer a young girl but a mother herself, seeks out her childhood friend, to find her much changed: “My first thought was that they must have drugged the feelings out of her taken her spark away.” “They” and their “strange brews” are part of the “scandalous” environment of this pagan place.
The anonymous narrator graphically describes how, as a young girl, she admired and sought the company of Eily, who was a few years older and had the “face of a madonna.” The narrator tells how she loved Eily and visited her home each Tuesday, even though this meant that she had to play, in the hospital game, the patient to Eily’s sister’s surgeon. Lying on the kitchen table, she saw “the dresser upside down” in a world whose values are far from upright either. It is Eily, however, who is hollowed out at the story’s end: Her playing Juliet to her Protestant Romeo, a bank clerk named Jack, ends in Eily’s sniveling at a shotgun wedding. The young narrator had acted as lookout and cover so Eily could meet her lover, “Sunday after Sunday, with one holy day, Ascension Thursday, thrown in.” When Jack attempts to throw Eily over, the narrator reveals in herself the same confusion of pagan and Christian values of the others:I said that instead of consulting a witch we ought first to resort to other things, such as novenas, putting wedding cake under our pillows, or gathering bottles of dew in the early morning and putting them in a certain fort to make a wish.
The combined forces of the family, church, and community, in a profusion of animal imagery, move events along to the marriage solution.
This is a dense, beautifully put together story, packed with details of the repressive effects of parents, school, and church on a lively girl, who is cowed into submission. From the symbolism of the upside-down world observed by the child on the kitchen table to the loaded “Matilda” term for the female genitalia (between “ma” and “da,” there “I” am), everything in this story contributes to the indictment and ironic redefinition of what is “scandalous.”
Mrs. Reinhardt, and Other Stories
O’Brien’s pessimism about much of the female condition shows little alleviation in the Mrs. Reinhardt, and Other Stories collection, heavily though...
(The entire section is 2460 words.)