Happy Birthday Mr. Lincoln

To think that Mr. Lincoln's birthday used to be so significant that it was a stand alone National Holiday!

He would have been 201 years today. His birthday will be celebrated as part of "President's Day" on Monday. Not his birthday specifically....he now shares Monday's holiday spotlight with another President. Or at least for now it is with just with one other President.

I wonder how long the grouping will remain so exclusive.

I'd like to think Mr.Lincoln would be pleased with how our Nation is doing now. I think he'd probably be really pleased with a lot of things, like how we have progressed with our racial issues, science, and medical skills.

I think if he were to learn about our national debt, international concerns, and morals he would feel a need to go lie down.

Probably in the Lincoln bedroom. (hee hee...)

At least there still is a Lincoln bedroom in the White House.

Or at least I think there still is. I wonder if it still has Mr. Lincoln's picture in it?

I hear from those who have visited the White House recently that the whole place has been done over with pictures of our current President everywhere. One person reported that there were 300 pictures of Mr. O in just one area...and get this: the photographs of him are updated weekly.
I do hope today at least a couple of pictures of Mr. Lincoln will be included in the mix today.

It would be an appropriate gesture in his honor, don't you think?

Have a good one today...and best of luck to all who are entering the Olympic arena tonight!

Pretty inspiration

Currently priced at under $12 on ebay...go see it HERE.

Anyone got Valentine's Day plans that could include such a chapeaus?

Anybody?

I'm bidding on some vintage white veiling right now. Imagine this hat done in white for a bride.

The same veiling is available in robin egg blue. I'm picturing how it would look for the hat to be done in white velvet, with white feathers and just a few wisps of blue downy feathers, and the pale blue veiling. Maybe with random tiny white seed pearls on the blue veil too?

I'm starting to get the millinery mental mojo going again. My work room is 80% ready to roll...but my time management is iffy. I've got a bathroom to paint, wii workouts and games to do, hot tub soaking to enjoy, plus regular de-cluttering/cleaning, NCIS back episode watching, and naps. And of course the Olympics will be hogging my time for the next few days too.

I live such an exciting life...

Right now I tend to start playing wii and time just flies...last night I bowled 211, had a PERFECT center of balance, rated Body Builder on some of the strength exercises, and came just seconds under B's best time on skiing. Trying to beat B's scores is a great motivator!

Anyway, I am glad that the urge to create is arising. It has been a long time since I have done more than just sew a pillow. I don't know when I will actually get to creating millinery again, but it will be sometime, soon.

Seriously...wouldn't that make a stunning bridal hat? So much more interesting than just a hank of veiling flowing out the back.

But maybe that is just me as a 55 year old talking.

What do you think?

PS: Thanks to Judy for posting a picture of the fabulous Granville Island Millinery shop "Edie's Hats.

Oh wait.

I just figured out why I am re-inspired.

It was the Millinery shop picture!

I'm drooling over it. Really I am.

Non-Union Snoopervision

Nothing gets done around here without the careful snoopervision from the Faithful Orange Cat Tiggie.
Here he is inside, keeping his furry backside warm while he keeps an eye on things going on outside.

Bernie, on the other hand, is having to work outside in the cold.
Mr. B is a member of the Electrical Union. That means that he considers ALL electrical work to be, well, work.
Including putting up and taking down Christmas lights.
He is happy to work for union wages when he is doing electrical work, but here it is pro bono work.
Tiggie, thank heaven, is non-union. I have no idea what he would charge if he was a union worker.
I'm sure we couldn't afford to pay him standard Feline Union fees.

Eventually Tiggie had to go outside to make sure the job was being done right.

Taking down the Christmas lights the first weekend in February....um....there were a lot of really good ski weekends since Christmas and New Years.
No sense interfering with skiing when taking down the lights could clearly wait awhile.
We just kept our house looking festive a little longer than most folks did.
But at least we (OK, he) got them down eventually.
(And peace was kept between the Union and Non-Union workers as well. )
Like I said in my earlier post...we had a very good weekend!

Art and Music: Part II: Big Bad Voodoo Daddy!

Friday Night Date Night: I planned the date this time...

to go downtown to Abravenal Hall

Home to both the Utah Symphony...

and a stunning Dale Chihuly blown glass sculpture...

for an evening of music, beginning with an overview of dance music, melodies.

Here's the official play list:

Johannes Brahms Hungarian Dance No. 5 in G Minor
Arr. Martin Schmeling

Aram Il´ich Khachaturian "Sabre Dance" from Gayane

Bedrich Smetana “Dance of the Comedians” from The Bartered Bride
Arr. Hugo Riesenfeld

Johann Strauss On the Beautiful Blue Danube Waltz, op. 314

Woody Herman Big Band Sounds

Conductor David Cho was a hoot: he juggled during the Dance of the Comedians, and blew "tiny bubbles" with a bubble wand during the Lawrence Welk band music.

But the main event was the music after the intermission....

The Big Bad Voodoo Daddy performing with the symphony.
And signing autographs afterwards!

Catch their swing sound HERE.
Have your sound up and get ready to want to move!

(this is the guy singing on the website link!)

Can you say Go Daddy-O!?
Can I talk about Jumpin' Jive?
How about You and Me and the Bottle Makes Three baby!

I called Laura just before the program began. She is a HUGE fan of the BBVD...and has been since they started seventeen years ago.

Can you say "shut up!!!! like she did when I told her what we were doing?

Man oh man...it was a blast!

Here's the whole program list:

Come On With The "Come On"
Calloway Boogie
Hey Now, Hey Now
Mr. Pinstripe Suit
Minnie The Moocher
You & Me & The Bottle Makes Three (and let me just say that was a hilarious number considering the SLC audience....)
The Jumpin' Jive
The Reefer Man
The Old Man Of The Mountain
Jumpin' Jack
“I Wanna Be Like You” from The Jungle Book
Go Daddy-O

David Cho also hung out with the crowd after the show. He went to Rice University in Houston, and his folks in the San Diego area. Talk about old home week.
Talk about good times!
And it was only Friday night!
The weekend was still ahead!