'Once more into the breach, dear friends, once more'

Had mortality not taken hold, Shakespeare would have been 448 today. What he gave the world in the 52 years he lived was an enduring gift of eloquence and wit. What follows are some of my favorite lines from his plays:

'The quality of mercy is not strain'd.
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
upon the place beneath.
It is twice blest:
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.'
Merchant of Venice

'Love is not love
when it is mingled with regards that stand
aloof from the entire point.'
King Lear

'Macbeth shall never vanquish'd be, until
Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane Hill
shall come against him.'
Macbeth

'When our actions do not,
our fears do make us traitors.'
Macbeth

Feste: 'What is the opinion of Pythagoras concerning wild-fowl?
Malvolio: 'That the soul of our grandam might haply inhabit a bird.'
Twelfth Night


'If we shadows have offended,
think but this, and all is mended,
that you have but slumber'd here
while there visions did appear.'
Midsummer Night's Dream
_____________________________________________________


I could go on. We all could, I'm sure.
I can no other answer make, but, thanks, and thanks.

Happy birthday, Mr Shakespeare.
(Click through the above link to see more good wishes for the Bard.)

Liszt and Lisitsa

Again, not me. But I have done 'La Campanella'. This performance of 'El Contrabandista' by Lisitsa is inspiring - and as near to perfection as I can imagine.

Reminiscing

While this video is not of me, it has me reminiscing. I think back to the days when this piece consumed my hours at the piano. Good days. Long hours. A happy piece and, below, an exciting performance.

Enjoy.   tIO x



Video via Youtube; property of pianist Natalie Erlich.

All Keyed Up

Via Contentedly >> From Bottega Veneta to Topshop, a key edit:

1.  Ebano Intrecciato Nappa Key Ring $190 - bottegaveneta.com
2.  Kim Seybert Greek Key Napkin $30 - barneys.com
3. Dune flat heel shoes £40 - houseoffraser.co.uk
4. ASOS metal jewelry $15 - asos.com
5. Tassel jewelry $75 - reissonline.com
6. Key No.2 Cross Stitch Kit £25 - liberty.co.uk
7. Isabel de Pedro printed top £115 - julesb.co.uk
8. FRIENDLY HUNTING square scarve €349 - veryeickhoff.com
9. Dogeared 14k jewelry $58 - neimanmarcus.com
10. TopShop round frame sunglasses £16 - topshop.com

Happy 2012!

Fireworks at the stroke of midnight, London, 1 January 2012
via the Telegraph

Thanks for perusing and following along in 2011.
Here's to health, wealth, wisdom, and hope in 2012.


tIO x

It's Boxing Day

Have a smashing time! 

Boxing Day Hunt
Source: Flickr

Thanks for perusing; I'll be back soon.
tIO x

Presents Possible: 2011

I am posting this two days before Christmas again this year precisely because I am an optimist. So there.

That's correct; 'Tatler'. $104/year

My favorite WA film. $20 via amazon

Not yet available in the US. Waiting in the gift closet.

Cath Kidston Oilcloth Cross body. $75 at cathkidstonusa.com

This one's been on the wish list for several years. It's time, Santa.

Perennial favorite. $40 at kiehls.com

Now hurry down the chimney, Santa Baby.

Hope you all have a lovely Christmas.
tIO x

Fiskars to the rescue! (again)

We are on our way to make this purchase:

$199 of push mower heaven. Getting green. (And getting in some strength training and cardio, too.)

Thanks for perusing; blog you again soon.   tIO x 

Checking it Twice

To be honest, I've already received my Christmas gift this year: a Kindle. I love it. Truly. But that doesn't prohibit me making a list. *grins widely* And so, in no particular order of preference, I present the 2010 list of 'Presents Possible':

Jigsaw 'Butter Leather Trench'

Sterling gemstone band by JujuBySarah on Etsy
With citrine and peridot, please.

Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits

And perhaps some Christmas biscuits from Biscuiteers as well.

(Thought I'd throw this in for good measure:
I'm still searching for a leather sectional Chesterfield - fyi. Red leather, please.)

Hallmark ornament: 1940 Ford pickup

Blerg.

I've tried to not love it. But I do.

Adore her. (And I may have already purchased this.)

Sing it with me...

This should surprise no one; I ask for it every year.

Vintage NARS: 'Full Metal Jacket'

So, Mr C, aka darling husband... If you are so inclined, I will be most grateful. And thank you again for my wonderful Kindle. xx

Happy Christmas, dear blogfriends.   tIO x

Dressember

'Dressember' comes but once a year, and I'll be posting about it here. What is 'Dressember', you ask? Here is the official description:

December 1st marks the beginning of 'Dressember' - the challenge for women (or the adventurous male) everywhere to shake up their wardrobe and try ditching the jeans and t-shirts.

We're aiming to wear dresses as often as possible: don't worry if it's not practical in the day, you can go for a skirt/top combo if needed. Or have fun and dress up in the evening in that cocktail dress you never get to wear!

There are no rules, it's all about stretching your wardrobe boundaries, trying something different, and having fun, so just jump on in :-)


Sounds like fun, right? If you would like to participate, please visit the Dressember Facebook page. And please let me know too; we can take on the challenge together!

Thanks for perusing; blog you again soon!  tIO x
PS: If you need inspiration, dive into Eleanor Estes' wonderful book 'the Hundred Dresses'. It was a favorite from my childhood; I read it dozens of times.

More Patience

I'm doing some remodelling of the blog right now. Seems like each week, a widget gets updated (or rewritten), pics and videos are lost, or I find a lovely new blog to add to the blogroll. However, I am nothing if not regularly striving to be organized. So this time, instead of plonking down with a book and silently fretting about it, I am doing something. It may take some time and might include using posterous. Or not. We'll see.

Regardless, like every thing else, this blog is a work in progress. I'm even thinking of posting some 'before-after' photos of our house, which has undergone (and continues to undergo) a transformation from its previous owners. During our house hunt, I described it to my husband as 'well-cared for' and having 'good bones', but in need of 'a decorating overhaul' as it's decor resembled a Marriott from the 1980s. The early 1980s. Alright for some (clearly); just not our style. And what a boring world this would be if we all liked the same things, eh?

Here's a tease:

the Master Bedroom 'before'

Meanwhile, please excuse the mess. And thanks for perusing; blog you again soon!  tIO x

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Turkey, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2007 (Getty Images)

"O Lord, we thank Thee for this food,

For every blessing, every good.

For earthly sustenance and love

Bestowed on us from heaven above.

Be present at our table, Lord.

Be here and everywhere adored.

Thy children bless and grant that we

May feast in paradise with Thee."

Happy Thanksgiving

Waiting Patiently

Patience is something I have been advised never to pray for. (And that suggestion comes from someone who also never uses the word 'never' or ends a sentence with a preposition.) Alas, some of us are not naturally inclined toward it and therefore have to either pray for patience or acquire it through osmosis.

I prefer to 'practice' patience. Currently, I am practicing with this:

It arrived in my mailbox today. However, I am waiting until the day after Thanksgiving, aka 11 more days, to plaster it to the glass side door. Of course, I then will practice additional patience, aka 5 days after that, to begin hanging the 'ornaments'. *sighs*

Wherever did I find such a clever thing? The lovely ladies of Willow Creek Signs created it! After 'Wonderful Graffiti' - my online, go-to wall decal shop - closed earlier this year, I'd been looking for its replacement. Unsurprisingly, I ventured onto Etsy. As ever, I am glad I did.

For this 'Advent Calendar' design, they offer four styles of trees:

And for all of their wall decals, they have literally dozens of colors from which to choose! I do like choices.

Oh, look!  *checks clock*  It's Tuesday already! 10 more days...

Thanks for perusing this blog; blog you again soon!   tIO x

More designs from Willow Creek Signs:

   

No Matter Where You Go...

...there you are. Words to live by.

"I'm having a bad, bad day..."

Truly cannot wait to see this. It already makes me giggle uncontrollably.   tIO x

PS: I'm not really having a bad, bad day; I used some gorgeous new MixologyMakeup today and got my hair cut. (Hi, Nancy. xx)
The post title references the lyrics to the title song, 'Despicable Me'.

He is not here.

He is risen!

Indeed. Happy Easter.   tIO x

White Riot

  

The warmer weather has spawned the white riot above us. And immediately, this piece comes to mind, performed by the Empire Brass:

Funnily enough, this little ditty popped in there as well: White Riot.

Happy Saturday, rioters!   tIO x

Verse 30

"It is finished."

April Food Day 2010

The Who Farm is up and running. Jamie's revolution is gaining momentum. And Feeding America is providing food to 37 million Americans, including 14 million children, and food and groceries to 33,500 food pantries, 4,500 soup kitchens and 3,600 emergency shelters, most of which are run entirely by corps of volunteers.

Visit the AprilFoodDay blog and Feeding America site for more information and to donate. Also check-out Local Harvest for information on and locations of community supported agriculture and farmers' markets in your area.

"...the interests of agriculture, the employment of our first parents in Eden,
(are) the happiest we can follow, and the most important to our country."
                                                                          - Thomas Jefferson

It's planting time!   tIO x

Lamb, again?

Can it be? Is this possible? March has come and gone, for us, like a:

Though I googled it, I found no significance of that; no one seems to know (or possibly care) what happens if March comes in like a lamb and leaves it like that as well. Perhaps I've already spent too much time on this. So I will wish you a showery April. Please note I said 'showery' and not 'torrential flooding'. And although we may have had it easy comparatively, our back garden (and those of our neighbors) are veritable squidgy fields of mud. It's the kind of mud in which shoes get stuck and faces get splattered. But, thankfully, though we get dirty we can get clean.

Happy spring, lovelies!   tIO x

PS: For those of you asking (or wondering out-loud to yourselves), I have not abandoned either the 'banner day' or 'mid-week music'. Nor have the conundrums been forgotten. I have quite a few of the former in queue, and the latter strike me as impolitic as of late. But stay tuned... x

PPS: A reminder that today is 'Educator Day' at The Learned Owl. Support your independents!