Monthly Archives: March 2010

Anatomic appointments…

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Roller Derby (and the occasional yoga before that) has been quietly transforming my wee little vessel. Hot and healthy bodies are all the rage. Recently Gadora stumbled across a few images of figure-shaped furniture and home accessories. Long ago, I’d entertained thoughts of constructing a jewelry box in the shape of a torso. Nipples for drawer-pulls. A shiny jeweled-navel. It never happened. Other bonafide designers have created furniture using beautiful bodies as inspiration.

Peter Rolfe’s “Gen III” birch plywood figure doubles as a jewelry chest. He’s channeled my subconscious—really—and with decidedly more genius. His “current work is heavily influenced by nature, using shapes that we all recognize but would not be traditionally thought of as furniture forms.” Look.

Peter Rolfe's "Gen III"

Peter Rolfe's "Gen III" close-up

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Some things are better in pairs…

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Some things flourish with a mate. A great lounger and its perfect ottoman. Donny and Marie. Roller Derby and protective gear. Home-furnishings sometimes warrant a coupling of similar items and prove some things are better in pairs. Two candelabras on a well-set table. Or, a pair of lamps flanking a well-made bed. Matchy-matchy is sometimes nice.

And while Gadora is refurbishing a twosome of 3-drawer bed tables, at an admittedly snail-like pace, I’ve been obsessed with homely combos and dig these Mid-Mod speckled-ceramic lamp bases (shade not included) from Etsy Seller: FabulousMess.

60s Mid-Mod Lamps

A pair of Vintage Mid Century Modern bookshelf speakers. “Each speaker measures 13 1/2″ tall and 10″ in diameter,” adds Etsy Seller Modnique, and “have been tested and work great.” Not at all sure how the “bookshelf” comes into play, but here you are.

Modnique's speaker tables...

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Turning bottles and a basket into a beaming lamp…

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Late last year, Gadora spied a funky upholstered chair (to be refashioned later) along the side of the street. Free for the taking! I veered the car towards it, pulled the brake, and hopped out. With eyes on the prize, I stumbled (quite literally!) upon a tired and misshapen wire basket. Hmmmmm, I’ll take that too. Remembering the vintage bottles the BFF had collecting dust in the garage, Gadora set out to make a hanging, musical lamp… (remember to click on the pics to see them bigger!)

Lamp ~ DONE

At left: the remaining bottles (I chose to feature similarly sized bottles with some detail). Right: the top of the wire basket—which when utilized as a hanging planter basket would actually be the bottom…

Bottles and the basket.

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In praise of PINK Peeps.

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In praise of Easter Peeps, please allow Gadora a little sugary sentiment. Not at all suggesting you decorate with Peeps, but I have them on the brain. This weekend Gadora is gonna tap into her inner rec Roller Girl with some very outwardly displays of Derby shenanigans when my PINK team (deeming ourselves THE PEEPS) takes OUT the GREEN team (Magically Delicious. Blech!) in our first open-door bout. Open-door = spectators.

While I’ve been trying to come up with my name-for-the-day: The PEEPinator? PEEP-in Tom? SerenPEEPity? You got one for me? Hopping on my bout-fit (a lil wink to Killer Crouton here!), Gadora has procured a pair of bunny ears, and may even don a cotton-tail. Yes, I’m getting ready, folks. And I WILL do the bunny hop. In skates.

Gadora and The Pooh

There’s been some friendly-ish banter between the teams, but it’s gonna be seeeerious on Sunday. Trying to rile us up with a little Peep-aganda, The Green Team sent us a Peep show… this all you got?

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Skeptisys Peep show

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Head-spinning design…

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So, Gadora started this new gig last week. And it’s a good one. Sadly my head is spinning from all the things I’m having to grasp now, and in a hurry: Mac to PC formats, spreadsheets, and that dizzying phone system with all those fancy buttons. Thought I’d take a moment to muse about something that makes more sense… good design, incorporating craniums. Besides it’s an ongoing nod to my love of mannequins…

Getting a head start on spring, Gadora first spotted these pretty planters on Instructables. LilMama wants to know how to make her own flower heads… and I do loves me some succulents.

Head planters at StoneFace Creations...

ClayFlower22′s Phaedra, 5.5 inches tall with head circumference of 12 inches, “is perfect for a small ivy or succulent. I am a modern doll planter. I have a drain holes for good plant health and would look perfect on your wall.”

Phaedra pocket Planter

Phaedra pocket Planter at Etsy

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Baby-makin’ felted Birdie

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Gadora has befriended (or rather she’s befriended me) this groovy Gal. She’s a fellow Roller Girl. A real sweet crafter. And she’s  currently got the Baby Bug. Freals… Having turned me on to the felting craft, I thought it high time to beget her a bird. And because she has a cunning sense of humor, Gadora got down with her Fertility Bird. Using the Peruvian and Chilean coastal Inca Tern as reference, I gave her bird a preggers belly and one heck-of-a ‘stache. (Sorry Lady, I think growing unwanted body hair is another unpleasant side effect of being-with-fetus.)

Mustached baby-making bird

No matter, her bird also sports three felted dangling balls… they’re totally fun to finger.

Bird's balls...

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Lucky No.3 felted bird: BulBul

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Having a ball felting birds, my precious peeps. Though to date, it’s only been 3. Oh but the plans I have for my bags of beads and jars of buttons… A Southern-friend situated in Dallas requested Gadora create a felted bird for her. I’d be thrilled, I trilled. He would have to be special. A bit frilly. Definitely bejeweled. And everybody would love him.

Bulbul Bird.

Gadora was kind of thinking I’d construct my friend a Goldfinch from Alabama. But by incorporating the lovely hues of her witty abode, Gadora inadvertently created a yellow-bellied Bulbul, known to some as the Alophoixus phaeocephalus. No matter, he’s quite handsome. Here, Mr. BulBul perches proudly along the walk outside and enjoys the sunshine of a blustery day…

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The Bachelor: furniture from Vienna.

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Ok, I’ll admit it and just this once. Gadora found herself partly sucked into The Bachelor this season. Only sometimes. And, I’m not proud. Was it because The Dude is from Dallas (Gadora once called The Big D home too)? Perhaps. Because he was so dramatic in having feelings for each and EVERY one of them? No. Or as I’m typing… exactly right now, Jeffrey Osborne is serenading the nauseatingly happy couple with On the Wings of Love—a tune I’ve sloppily sung a hundred times? I can’t explain my obsession, but the lackluster show DID provide weekly television with which to mindlessly felt a few birds. And felt I did.

To honor what Jake (Pavelka) felt about Vienna (Girardi)—the “most controversial bachelorette EVER”—Gadora presents an assemblage of witty Viennese furniture…inspired by the Bach-antics of ABC’s tired series. Let’s start with the wildly flashy, patchwork Vienna Chaise at Squint. Mama Boobs would look great slouched across this, no?

The Vienna Chaise at Squint

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Blankets in a pig… pining for swine.

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Rather nomadic, Gadora has edited her belongings (this does not generally include my shoes) with near-scientific precision—before, during and after each move across town and country—slowly reducing the muck. The acquisition of things has never been a motivator. The pursuit of adventure, that’s a different story. And sometimes yes a special thing from a special place is in order. Recently, I spied this here “Blankets in a Pig” a friend’s Sister had procured while on a Mexican vacation.

Blankets in a Pig

How stinkin’ cute! Mexico. I’ve been there. How could I have missed this pig? Recognizing the pitch black ceramics I’d seen in Oaxaca, Mexico many years ago, I came home determined to quickly find me a puerco de Mexico. He’s simply precious and makes me giggle. And I want him. Sadly, what I thought would be a quick score has yielded pages and pages of not-so-successful surfing. But Gadora has learned Pomaireware, and what Mister Pig is fashioned from, is both functional and decorative earthenware typically produced in CHILE since the middle of the 19th century.

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Pig-shaped Salsa dish

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