Pastoral by Frederick Cayley Robinson

Pastoral by Frederick Cayley Robinson, originally uploaded by barlyru.

When I saw the Shepardess print, it immediately brought to mind this *Pre-Raphaelite painting by Frederick Cayley Robinson called Pastoral, which, unfortunately, I don't own.

*Correction: He is classified as Neo-classical, not Pre-Raphaelite.

close-up of Mary

close-up of Mary, originally uploaded by barlyru.

Here is the other one.

Mary by Maria Hansen, originally uploaded by barlyru.

I just love Art Nouveau, pseudo or not. Again with the effing reflections.

close-up of The Sirens

close-up of The Sirens, originally uploaded by barlyru.

Damn reflections. Damn lo-res camera phones.

Sugarbear is in love with this. Junebug is also quite fond.

WInter Ladybirds in Lyon part 2: The Sirens by Maria Hansen, originally uploaded by barlyru.

One of the lovely prints I bought at the Blue Genie Art Bazaar. At present, I am unable to upload photos from my computer, so I'll have to do this by way of separate posts from flickr. Bear with me.

I'm showing you the far-downs (as opposed to close-ups) so you can see the frames. What a bargain these were, matted with lovely frames and everything. Plus, I love them and (get this)
Mr. Man even likes them. It is quite rare for us to agree on art. I just don't get most of the Abstract-Expressionists. He is all Motherwell and Rothko and I'm all Kahlo and the Pre-Raphaelites.

wrap it up. I'll take it.

You know you've got some shopping to do. Well when I get the itch, and this time of year I get pretty itchy, I haul my sweet ass down Springdale Road to the Blue Genie Art Bazaar. Never have you seen such lovelies all assembled in one place for your convenience. Not only are all the goods priced to move (this is the East Side, folks. Not facking Westlake), your little tykes can clamber all over the monstrously-proportioned sushi ottomans and no one will scream at you for it. Seriously, giant Ebi & that sushi with the masago roe on top, whatever it is called. They are a scream. If I had a digital camera other than the one on my phone, I would include a photo here. But go, just go.

As seen on Mighty Goods

These tiny things are completely necessary and I can't believe they've been missing from my life all this time. But the fact that I'm lusting after tiny & cute handcarved clothespin people makes me a little worried that I have passed over into the realm of annoying middle-aged woman who thinks everything tiny & resembling woodland sprites is adorable. So please, if anyone is out there, tell me the truth. Are these things good? As in, "Yes, I would have one proudly displayed in my home." or bad, as in "OMG, I can't believe she's on about these hideous tchotchkes! They will awaken in the night and eat her soul!"

Seriously, I so want one. And want to buy one for all of my friends. But, of course, I would keep the best ones (the ones with the acorn hats) for myself. Go look at the latest ones at The Small Object.

We're on hiatus here...

I'll let ya'll know when I get back from summer vacation.

okay, back to the shopping blog!

This image (on a t-shirt) is what Kris got for her birthday. It was just too perfect for her, she's such a Canadian-wannabe. Anyway, I wanted to post it here for anyone who hasn't gotten to see it in person. It came from Palmer Cash and they have some other good ones, like these:








You can find them all here.
Warning: They run tight & small, ya'll, so unless you like 'em super tight you best order up a size larger than usual.

the first shot that is any good

I'm still getting my sea-legs with the fisheye, esp. in terms of figuring out how much light is enough, without using the flash. There was also this one:

and this one, off center:

she has arrived

She was waiting for me when we returned from Tucson. I think her name is Ludmilla, Milla for short. She came with a bonus, for pre-ordering: the colorsplash flash. The hottest accessory in the world of Lomo, and, according to the lomography 'site, the flyest way to pimp out your LC-A. Can't wait to try it! Photos coming sooon...

my new crush

Behold:the gorgeous fisheye 2. Here's what the Lomography website has to say about it.

Cheers! A votre sante, Alla Salute, Egé szé gé re, Kanpai, Na Zdrowie, Ooogy Wawa, Prosit, Salud, Saúde, Skal, Slainte, Wen Lie, Yasas, Za vashe zdorovye!

The New Cocktail

Since the birth of the original Fisheye, we've been actively collecting feedback & suggestions on how to make our beloved little beastie an even stronger shooter. Using this invaluable data, we've concocted what is simply THE BEST COMPACT FISHEYE CAMERA EVER CONCEIVED. First off, the Fisheye No. 2 includes a “B“ setting – allowing the shutter to stay open and admit that goreous natural nightime light outside. Next, a multiple exposure switch enables as many shots as you like on the same frame. A fisheye viewfinder gives you a real view into the world you're shooting. A flash hotshoe allows for easy use with the wunderbar Colorsplash Flash. I tell you, this camera is a bona-fide Fisheye sensation, and the new treats don't end there. Place a Fisheye No. 2 to your lips & take a sip - does it taste familiar? It should! The tasty new cocktail in your hands is the second version of our world famous Lomographic Fisheye camera. Like the original, it captures nearly 180-degrees of your surrounding environment, it yields a nearly circular shot on a rectangular image, it can be used day or night, it looks incredibly suave, it's light and compact for easy pocket-carrying, and most importantly: it will absolutely knock you head over rear with its breathtakingly distorted and fierce images!

A camera for drinkers! Hey, I drink! And did you see that huge, sexy lens??
But seriously this little plastic fantastic camera can do all this:







Who knows when this sweet thing will ship out to me, or from which exotic locale it will depart. But when it get here, I will be ready. I get palpatations just looking at the picture of it. And there's some tingling. I'm embarking on an unnatural affair, here. I'm so excited! And, fuck! I'm such a dork! Anyway, I need a really sexy, possibly Russian-sounding name for my new playmate. Please give me suggestions in comments.

well, their designs are not within MY reach, but

Design Within Reach sells some really sweet and lovely furniture, like this Parker dresser. Designed for children, the front is painted with chalkboard paint, so you can decorate it yourself. And I like the finger holes instead of drawer pulls. Sadly, it is $1298, so we won't be purchasing one anytime soon. However, they also sell this:

which is genious + red! And only $168. Who would have thought to put a toy box inside a chair? I simply adore a tambour door. If I had the cash, I'd buy 2, dammit! But, hey, you want affordable? Do you? Well here ya go:
It's the Bilibo chair. A steal at only $30, buy at least 2. They rock, spin, stack, and your kids will figure out what else they do. They also come in green & blue. Don't you know someone who needs a bilibo? Oh wait, Junebug's birthday is coming up...

does your kitchen need some chrome gnomes?

Maybe what you're looking for is a nice gnomish couple to move in. They are adorable-ish, or maybe doleful is more accurate. But they really don't eat much and they stay where you put them. I know what you're thinking: why do they look so sad? If you get drunk enough, perhaps they'll tell you.

yes, a new blog dedicated to things,

wonderful things! I've no money to shop for real, but am blessed with a vibrant fantasy life just rife with shopping adventures. And naturally my inaugural post will feature (hello: I'm a woman!) SHOES! And not just any shoes, dammit. Campers. My beloved Campers. Feast your eyes on these babies. I just adore the Twins line. So asymmetrical, yet perfectly matched. Here's what the blurb at zappos.com has to say about them: "The Camper® Twins™ Collection: asymmetrical, different, surprising, surrealistic and modern. Shoes that do the job of two pairs instead of one. Two shoes that are a perfect couple, opposites that are complementary, compatible and inseparable. Each is unique but, of course, you can't buy them separately."


And for those casual days hanging out with the kiddeos poolside, I give you the Red Wabi.
With removeable insert, natch. A steal at $98.95. They also come in a color zappos calls gray but which looks green on my monitor.


And lastly, a pair I love to look at but,
unlike the previous two,
am not quite sure I would actually wear.

While they are undeniably adorable, they would attract alot of attention and my feet normally look like ass. Not in a good way. So, unless you are the kind of person who has routinely well-maintained feet (I'm thinking of Heidi), these may not be the best choice. Damn, I really need an emergency pedicure right now.