I Am Taking Sugesstions For My Decorating Column

 

I am taking suggestions for my monthly Decorating column in 

Today's Vintage Magazine. 

 

 

Spectacle (2006) by Stuart Haygarth created from over 1000 pairs of prescription spectacles

(Copyright the artist. Courtesy Haunch of Venison 2010)

I would like to hear what you would want to know or learn more about in the area of decorating with vintage items or in an old house or apartment. 

http://www.todaysvintage.com/decorating/

 

 

The July Article I Wrote For Today's Vintage Is Up!!!

Well, the article I wrote for the July issue of Today's Vintage is out on the news stands and on line!

It's all about sprucing up your yard...vintage style!

Bringing Vintage Into Your Yard

It's summertime, time to go outside! So, your yard might need a little work...Ok, a lot of work. When working on our yards we want to create an environment that encompasses serenity, life, and eating. At least, that is what I want, but whatever your goals are, it is important to keep them in mind as you decorate. If you are quirky and stylish, the last thing you want is to go down to a big chain home improvement store and buy furniture and decorations straight off the shelves. However, sometimes when you bring in your latest flea market find or old thing from the basement, the garden starts to look more like a junkyard than the enchanted garden of your dreams.

The difference between magical and junky lies in the subtleties of placement and execution. You can use anything to decorate your yard, you simply have to be careful about how and where you place those items. The same rules apply outside as when decorating inside your home with vintage items. For instance, if you are going to hang something on the fence, make sure it is level, just like on a wall at home. Click here for more...

Check it out at 

http://www.todaysvintage.com/decorating/contentview.asp?c=271311

Tobias Wolff At Writer's With Drinks!!!

While I was gushing all over Corrina Bain on how amazing her performance was, she was commenting on how many people (the place was packed) were at The Make out Room on Saturday night, when Stephen Elliot enthusiastically chimed in with, "Because, the line up tonight is OFF THE HOOK" and he was absolutely right.

Charlie Jane Anders

Writer's With Drinks, a monthly book reading in San Francisco hosted by Charlie Jane Anders, is never a let down. As far as I'm concerned it's the best show in town. However, last Saturday did boast an exceptional line up, with Tobias Wolff, Lev Grossman, Taylor Mali, Andrew Lam, Corrina Bain, and Bill Carter!

 Tobias Wolff

Tobias Wolff wrote This Boy's Life, (1989) which was turned into a movie, with the same name starring Robert De Niro, Ellen Barkin,  and Leonardo DiCaprio.

 Taylor Mali

Taylor Mai Was a teacher who wrote poems, now he is a poet who writes about teaching.
 

Andrew Lam

Andrew Lam read his short story "The Palmist" which was read by David Strathairn on the NPR series Selected Shorts.  

I heard that broadcast while I was driving and when I reached my destination I sat in my parked car to hear the whole story. I never knew who wrote it...until last Saturday night.

Lev Grossman and Corrina Bain

If you look closely at Corrina Bain's Photo, you will see Stephen Elliot's head growing out of her neck.

Bill Carter (photo from his website)

Unfortunately, I didn't take a picture of Bill Carter. Here's a snippet from his bio online at http://www.billcarter.cc/, "In the last 15 years he has traveled to more than 45 countries. He is the director of Miss Sarajevo, the award-winning documentary, produced by Bono, who also wrote the theme song for the film. 

Tayor Mali reciting "What Teachers Make"
BullisSchool — April 23, 2010 — 

The Article I Wrote For Today's Vintage Is Up

Check it out!

The article I wrote for the April issue of Today's Vintage is up on their website at
http://www.todaysvintage.com/decorating/contentview.asp?c=267657

The editor took a little creative license and changed the title of the piece from Cleaning Spring to illuminating Spring. I think she gets my humor, but she is afraid the reader's won't. I shouldn't complain, the piece is about lighting...

 

This is in my old store on the corner of Mission and Precita in San Francisco, which is now a BBQ restaurant 

The light fixtures are made from commercial whisks

From what I can tell, the editor couldn't squeeze in all of the photos I sent. They are all fantastic, I'm sure she had a difficult time choosing which photos to use.

 

My Article in Today's Vintage

I am very happy to write for Today's Vintage, a magazine (in print and online) that features many articles about vintage items. I have a terrible time coming up with decorating tips that have to be whittled down to teeny-weeny bite size bits for easy swallowing. I have always found it easier to write twenty pages than have to say exactly what I mean in 500 words or less. To put it in perspective, five hundred words is about a page and this blog post has 784 words.

Writing this latest bit about how to decorate a baby's room with vintage furniture, kicked my ASS! I am not a baby person, per say. I think that might have come out in the article, because I could tell that it was edited in a way, as not to offend. For instance, the title of the article I submitted was not published. In retrospect, that is probably a good thing.

However, that is not the worst thing about the published article. I don't like the layout, it is very messy and they added photos of objects I would never (in a million years, even if my life depended upon it) ever use. They are far from what I would consider stylish elements, IE the lamp and S is for Sweet Pea thingy.

Other than that I am happy...the few other parts that were changed enhanced the piece. However, they didn't like my crack about eating babies...

Wait a minute...I spelled a word wrong in my original title, how embarrassing!

Here's the link for the online version http://www.todaysvintage.com/decorating/contentview.asp?c=266500

Below is the version I submitted to them...

When The Bough Breaks

Your home is finally exactly how you want it. Each room is furnished with vintage finds you have carefully selected over many years that cleverly express your unique style. It hasn’t been easy, especially when your cat decided to dig to China through the 1960 Swiss shag rug made from New Zealand wool, or when the movers reduced the 18^th century corner table into kindling right before your very eyes, and even after your boyfriend moved in with all of his tools and his fourteen-year-old dog.

Now, that a baby is being thrown into the mix, you might be wondering if sticking with your vintage style may be shelved, like jogging or clubbing.  You know you will be able to find adorable vintage pieces for your little bundle of joy, but your biggest concern is whether they will be safe. Have no fear vintage can be baby friendly! 

Here are a few tips that might help you maintain your sense of style while gaining a family. 

1)    Find baby furniture with a natural finish. Lead paint was not banned in the United States until 1978. Leave it natural or choose one of the non-toxic paint or finishes entering the market.

2)    Make sure everything is thoroughly cleaned with no repairs or rickety parts.

3)    Vintage crib bedding should be in the original package, unused.

4)    Follow the Consumer Product Safety Commission crib safety measures

a)    Crib should have a firm mattress that fits tightly into the crib.

b)    Make sure that the crib is assembled properly and that no parts are loose, missing or broken.

c)    There should be no more than 2 3/8 inches between the slats of the crib and there should be no missing or broken slats.

d)    The crib should have no cutouts in the headboard or footboard, in which the baby's head could get trapped.

e)    Doesn't have decorative knobs or corner posts higher than 1/16 inch.

You might not want to go with authentic baby furniture from the early 1900’s, but if Victorian is your style you may choose a new crib and decorate the rest of the room with antiques. If your place is already decorated with classic mid century modern pieces, Knoll kids is the place to shop for the scaled down and hypoallergenic versions of the classics manufactured just for children. An iconic theme, for example, vintage Winnie the Pooh sheets, curtains, lamps, clocks, etc. never used, are very accessible. Plus, there are stores online that carry vintage wallpaper from 1950 cowboys and Indians to 1960’s Peter Max type images.

Remember, stick with styles you already have in your house and pick a theme. The pieces do not have to be from the same era, unless a particular time period is your theme. If, you cannot pick a theme, start with one piece and build the room around it. Don’t worry, I am here to tell you that it is all do-able, you can have your baby, I mean cake and eat it, too! 

When the Bough Breaks

I am supposed to be writing my article for Today's Vintage about decorating baby nurseries with vintage furniture.

I seem to be stuck...I am not really a baby person, what can I say about it. "Um, lead paint wasn't banned in the US until 1978 and that really cute metal crib painted white will probably kill your kid, either slowly by lead poisoning or quickly by strangulation when his head gets caught between the really cool looking wrought iron bars on all sides of the crib."

I did however, find lots of ways to totally deck out a kid's room without trying to kill it. My problem is I have too many different ideas and now my head is spinning and I have no clue which direction to go in.

David Sedaris On The Daily Show

 I didn't see this when it was on June 3, 2008.

It's an interview with Jon Stewart promoting David Sedaris' book When You Are Engulfed in Flames.

Check it out!

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
David Sedaris
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Crisis

David Sedaris' New Audio Book On Vinyl

This is an article from the New York Times. Click on the link to read the entire post.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/23/business/media/23vinyl.html?_r=1

Popular Author’s Audiobook Tries a New Format: Vinyl

By ANDREW ADAM NEWMAN

Published: November 22, 2009

As physical formats and devices have shrunk, revenues for the audiobook industry have grown, since it is more convenient to listen to an iPod while exercising and commuting than fiddling with CDs. Digital downloads grew to 21 percent of the industry’s total sales in 2008, from 6 percent in 2004, according to the Audiobook Publishers Association.

 

It is all the more odd, then, that Hachette Audio recently announced that the latest audiobook by David Sedaris, “Live for Your Listening Pleasure,” which features readings before audiences, would be available on the least portable of formats: vinyl.
Reminiscent of Blue Note albums from the 1950s and 1960s, the cover features a photograph of a woman sprawled on a white shag rug with a come-hither look, albums strewn about. More...

I Made A Mistake

In my last post Talking Is So Underrated I wrote down the wrong dog breed when referring to my cousin Nancy's dog Moxie a Shih Tzu.

So, how do I correct that type of thing? Usually, when I write something that has been published, I have to write a statement declaring the mistake with the correction in a separate piece, without ever actually changing the error in the original publication. But, this is a blog. Let me be clear, this is my blog, I have total control. I can edit each post whenever and however I want. It seems sneaky to just fix the mistake without mentioning it. So, I am making it real clear I am doing both. I am mentioning the error in this post and I am making the correction in the original post. 

Talking Is So Underrated

I had a great weekend. It was one of those weekends where I was cognizant of the fact I have a blog. I would do something fun, hear something funny or interesting and I would pause to take a mental note to make sure it goes on my next post ASAP! I felt like I was narrating and directing my life, because it needed the push.

So let's see, I need a moment while I scroll down the mental list of what I SHOULD write about...Friday night? No, I can't even remember what I did Friday night...Saturday...made two pillows not important...went to Writers With Drinks at The Make Out Room, Yes! The writers and their readings, maybe...the audience, sure. See, now that I have started outlining this post, nothing seems that great anymore. My weekend experiences went from fond memories I can't wait to talk about, to an academic exercise tedious and insignificant.

On Sunday, I saw Zombieland and my cousin Nancy's new dog Moxie. After that I went to Safeway and bought a box of gumdrops, you know the chewy candies made of pure sugar covered in sugar, plus TEN different crappy cookies I plucked out of the cookie bin located in the corner of the store, along with two half gallons of unfiltered apple juice, white cheddar cheese, bananas, and my usual health food purchases. I ate three cookies on the way home and four more at home, plus half of the disgusting gum drops and then ate diner. However, I don't think that is really worth mentioning. Except, I totally recommend Zombieland and Moxie is the cutest dog I have ever seen. Oh and I feel like I'm hormonal...because of all the sugar.

Oh shoot, now I remember what I did Friday night. I went to five different open studio art openings. I promised Alan I would cover them for his website Art Business. I feel kind of bad that I forgot about the art openings. I am pretty sure I visited over fifty art studios and talked to most of the artists about their work. Anyway, I shouldn't write about the art stuff here, because my comments are going on the Art Business website.

Actually, I did have a good time at the openings. I ran into a couple of people I haven't seen in a long time and a couple I run into a lot. My friend Wickie was giving life advice free for five minutes with a friend of hers, Dana a career coach. My five minutes turned into a half an hour and then Wickie's boyfriend Jed came up and we all justed started talking about everything we could think of. (I don't think I should end that sentence with the word of.) Oh well...

Oh my God! My cousin Nancy just won a two year long battle with her landlords and was finally able to get a dog. She has been volunteering at Pets Unlimited to get in her dog fix, because her apartment wouldn't allow dogs. It's a long story, but she cat sat my cat Chloe when I went to Costa Rica for a year and when I came back Chloe ended up staying with her, so she had her a total of nine years. When Nancy got married she gave her back to me, because her husband is deathly allergic to cats. Giving her back broke her heart. So, that's when she turned her attention to dogs. Her husband isn't allergic to dogs. On August 10th at thirteen years old, we put Chloe to sleep, because she was so sick. I think that was the catalyst that gave her the courage to really get serious with her landlords about the dog issue.

Well, jumping ahead...her landlords finally acquiesced and she got Moxie, a teeny Shih Tzu, recovering from a gnarly dog mauling experience that left her with broken bones in two of her legs, a punctured rib, and a ton of other things I am not sure of, because my brain stopped listening after hearing about the punctured lung. Apparently, the previous owners were visiting a friend with Moxie, who had a viscous dog that attacked him. Then they just dropped him off at Pets Unlimited where my cousin (who had been pining away for a dog) just happened to be. Sunday during my visit with Moxie, we tried to teach him how to shake, but we didn't really know what we were doing and we weren't sure if we should shake the foot that had the cast or the good one. Anyway, he loved the sound of the clicker and the treats.

Oh, I just got an email from Mike one of the three guys I let sit in the booth I snagged at Writers With Drinks. I got to The Make Out Room an hour early and there was already a line out in front. By the time I entered the bar all of the seats at the little tables directly in front of the stage were taken so, I grabbed a booth to the side of the stage. The place was filling up fast. First a lesbo (I say lesbo, however butch dike is more fitting, but it sounds so dated) around my age, asked me if she and her two friends could share it with me. I said sure, but it kind of looked like her friends liked where they were.  It turned out I actually know her. She was a friend of one of my neighbors and came into my store all of the time. I am trying to remember which pronoun she preferred. I am pretty sure it's she, but I really can't remember. Then I let a guy named Tom sit there with the condition that there would be enough room for all of us, including Barbara who had asked me (earlier) to save her a seat. The second he sat down two guys wanted to know if there was room for them. I screamed to my friend Danny the lesbo and she shook her head, so the two guys Mike and Steve (or is it Steven?) squeezed into the booth. Barbara didn't come until after the show had started. So, for about an hour four perfect strangers all excited to see Charlie Jane Anders' show, passed the time by actually talking to each other.  It seemed so old fashioned, but it felt right.

 Me and My Boothmate Tom
photo by Steven Black another boothmate

Here are some links
Online travel journal by Mike, one of my boothmates 
Writers With Drinks
 

My Article Is Up on Today's Vintage!

Hi Everyone!

My lastest article for Today's Vintage is up online, please check it out at
http://www.todaysvintage.com/decorating/contentview.asp?c=259340

Is Anybody Out There?

Hmmm...I have been blogging for about a month. I feel I am finding my footing, trying to figure out what I want to do with this blog. I am glad not a lot of people are really following it yet, because I am still working out the kinks. However, I am not sure anyone beside Rob and Annabelle are reading it at all. So, I am caught in between being glad I can make my blogging mistakes without much notice and feeling like keeping this blog is too much like masturbation. Please, if you can, help me with this issue. If you are reading my blog, sign up to follow it or at least make a comment. Otherwise, it just feels downright creepy...

Writer's Block

I feel a little tapped out...out of steam...on slow...slowly going nowhere...slowly going somewhere...somewhere I may or may not want to be...or not to be......where is my inspiration...how can I inspire...I feel tapped out...out of steam...on slow...going nowhere...going in circles...slowly...on slow...<sigh>

Poker is Calling!

This is a "SHOUT OUT" to everyone I know!

Poker, poker, poker! That is all I can think about. I really want to go to Vegas and start playing. This time of year, during the WSOP, is the best time to see great action in most of the poker rooms. However, my going to Las Vegas for the summer is contingent upon two things...One, subletting my apartment and Two, working--preferably as a WSOP reporter--while I am there. I am so broke I do not imagine myself just taking off for two months without a few "ducks" in order.


Now, back to reality...I went to thirteen art openings Thursday and Friday that I need to write about for Art Business and I need to work on a presentation--to curate an exhibition--for an art gallery owner...

My Shout Outs!

Poker Shout Out
I am looking for a publication that will contract me as a reporter for the 2009 World Series of Poker.

Website Shout Out
Alan Bamberger has been kind enough to post my comments about San Francisco art openings on www.artbusiness.com, please check it out. I will post the links as they come up.

Magazine Shout Out
Today's Vintage has asked me to write about decorating vintage style for them.

Art in SF Shout Out
I helped my friend Charles Keatts put up some of his pieces in his "Window" series for the event Bar Code, in Pier 3 on the Embarcadero, happening this weekend. Check it out, www.shopthebarcode.com ...it's FREE!

My First Blog

Today is the first day of the rest of my life and I am blogging. Who knew this would ever happen? I sure didn't. I have been very resistant to this kind of public masturbation, until now. I like to write and am finding myself trying to get paid for it. Upon mentioning my new found desire to work as a writer or even better yet, a reporter--to anyone who will listen--I am frequently asked if I have a blog. So, now I have a blog, which is going to take some time to get used to...(sigh)