Laura Ingalls Wilder's 150th

The Little House on the Prairie books and TV show were a huge part of my childhood, and Laura's heartwarmingly simple descriptions will forever charm my imagination. I just read through this informative, picture-filled post, and this post about her faith, both in celebration of her would-be 150th birthday.

“As the years pass, I am coming more and more to understand that it is the common, everyday blessings of our common everyday lives for which we should be particularly grateful. They are the things that fill our lives with comfort and our hearts with gladness--just the pure air to breathe and the strength to breath it; just warmth and shelter and home folks; just plain food that gives us strength; the bright sunshine on a cold day; and a cool breeze when the day is warm.” 

--Laura Ingalls Wilder (February 7th, 1867--Februrary 10th, 1957, age 90)

Buried Questions

Old graveyards intrigue me and cause me to ponder innumerable questions about past lives and secrets.

I could wander through the headstones for hours in retrospection.

My favourites are the tall, beautifully carved, white marble stones from the mid-1800s.

I'm especially fond of the ones that point to a life in Christ.

Chatsworth House a.k.a. Darcy's Pemberley

 The other day my mom bought a plate at Value Village, loving the Transferware pattern and thinking the house on it looked familiar. Our suspicions were correct because when we looked it up we discovered she had purchased a plate featuring Mr. Darcy's house! Swoon! When it comes to Pride and Prejudice adaptations I definitely fall into the category of Jane Austen accuracy purists and prefer the 1995 version. That being said, when I saw the 2005 adaptation I was blown away by the filming of the scenery. In particular the footage of Chatsworth House, a.k.a. Pemberley, a.k.a. the house on the plate, is gorgeous!

 That's right, Mrs. and Mr. Gardiner--I feel the same way.

 I mean look at that checkerboard!

 And that staircase with the grand carvings!

 And oh how I would adore a room of marble statues in my house.

There he is: the notorious Mr. Darcy in the marble.

Then, later, we see Lizzy flee out the side of the imposing stone mansion...

Followed, of course, by the tension-filled romantic conversation overlooking the stunning gardens. Such breathtaking cinematography!

1898 Art Nouveau Book

 Not too long ago I was picking up some old art magazines from a library archives building. While lifting one of the boxes of magazines onto a trolley, a book in another box caught my eye. I saw something turquoise and ornate, and pulled out this Art Nouveau beauty.

I cracked it open and found that it was printed in 1898! As I was flipping through it, I turned to the elderly woman who was the volunteer book sorter helping me with the magazines and asked where this book was going. She said to a used book store. I asked how much it would cost there. She said probably around $30. We flipped through it some more. I drooled. She saw me drooling. She said she'd give it to me for $5. I grabbed some change out of my coat pocket.   

And now it's sitting in my house.

It is such a fancy book--complete with a gilt pages and golden lily motifs on the covers!

As it turns out, it is a French biography about Capitaine Belletable. I guess I'll have to read it to find out what made this dude so special.

Something I love about old books is the bookmarks that hide in them. I found this perfectly-penned list (look at that calligraphy!) snuggled between the pages.

What a find!

Apollo Art History

 This pretty art history book from 1924 only set me back a few cents at a book sale.

I love the classical appearance created by the olive green, gold text, and gold seal.

It covers the origins of art to the art of the 19th Century. 

Sidenote: something I love about old books is the potential for unexpected bookmarks. This recipe for "Dandy Candy"(on a strawberry card no less!) fell out of the index and made me chuckle.

Art Repros

I've been working on reproducing art from various movements, and I just wanted to share a few of the results! My versions are done in acrylic paint on 5'' by 5'' and 4'' by 6'' sheets of canvas paper. Through this project I've familiarized myself with different styles, and discovered a long list of artists' work I greatly admire.

Because of my love for textiles, of course, I decided to recreate a William Morris print from the Arts and Crafts movement. This one is titled Pomegranate and is originally from 1866.

I enjoyed replicating the bold architecture in Restaurant de la Machine à Bougival by Maurice de Vlaminck from 1905. Fauvism is one of the most bright and cheerful art movements!

I duplicated this Roy Lichtenstein work from 1963, Woman in Bath, as it is one of my favourite Pop Art images.

Finally, this is my reproduction of Exterior of a Restaurant at Asnières by Vincent Van Gogh in 1887. The bright yellow wall and potted plants make this Post-Impressionism painting so lemony and fresh!