{top two photos by me in sonoma; last photo from the far niente website of the oldest known bottle of wine in california}

What does one do when trying to update a space from an old ceiling fan to a new light fixture, especially when ceilings are not very high? This was a question posed to me by a very kind reader, Becky.

Becky is settling into her home and was asking me if I could help her with her lighting dilemma. We have been corresponding and she was kind enough to send me some pictures of the Living Room and Bedroom in question. I assured her that we would all chip in and give her some creative solutions. So I hope you all give your opinions and help here!

Here is the ceiling fan to be replaced....centered in a coffer in the ceiling. I think we might have a little more height to play around with here than in the bedroom below. The ceilings at the crown molding are 8 feet high. It looks to me like the coffer might go up another 12-18 inches higher.

Becky has gotten a good start with an English Country style in a camel, emerald and cranberry color scheme. She is craving a lantern style fixture, which I think is a great idea. We just need to make sure the height is appropriate. So here are some thoughts for the Living Room:

This lantern is one that Becky had found, and I think it is beautiful and would work very well if it were just a bit smaller.

Niermann Weeks is a company that offers fixtures in more than one size. I love that. This Chinoiserie Tole Lantern picks up on the red colors Becky has in her palette and adds quite a bit of style I think! It comes in a 15x15x25, which would make a nice statement, or a smaller size: 13x13x24.

Another idea besides a lantern style is this Armillary Chandelier, also from Niermann Weeks. It also comes in two sizes: 24d x 16.5h and 38d x 25.5h. Another eye catcher!

This Lantern is from 1st Dibs through Lumiere. Again, I like the idea of the red tole. This fixture measures 19" diam x 30"h. Perhaps a little on the large side. Becky might need to measure for this one!

I love the idea of this fixture perhaps with a red paint . Also from 1st Dibs through Brunelli Designs. 1950's made in Italy, the size is 13" diam x 15"h. It may be a bit too small for the space.

This is Becky's Guest Room. The ceiling here are 8 feet high, so options are more limited.

I think a semi-flush mount fixture is what is called for here. But to get the lantern look, I found a couple of options from Circa Lighting:

These work well for the height of the room and bring a little of that English Style to the room as well.

I hope these suggestions have been helpful! And please chime in everyone. I know there are many of you that will have more sources and great ideas.

I recieved an email the other day bearing some of the best news I've heard in weeks.

One of my favorite culinary TV series, "Two Fat Ladies," is finally coming to DVD!

For anyone who doesn't remember this fantastic British show (which aired back when Giada's decollete was just a glimmer in some TV executive's eye), there's still reason to check it out.

Don't expect healthy twists or 30-minute meals here. Instead, prepare to ride off with Jennifer Paterson and Clarissa Dickson Wright (by motorcycle and sidecar, naturalement) around Britain (and beyond) to prepare seriously hearty meals.

How about joining a hunting party in Scotland for a menu that includes roast grouse and venison with blackberries (episode 5)? Or perhaps you'd enjoy making lobster for a sisterhood of Benedictine nuns in Ireland (episode 14). Soused herrings, Welsh rarebit souffle, onion soup with Stilton, fruit tartlets...the list goes on.

These aren't all recipes that you'd likely rush out and make, but that's not really the point. The settings are verdant and the ladies are undeniably charming, entertaining, and passionate about food.

Even though the show itself is dated, it's novel and refreshing to see them, polar opposites of the squeaky-clean, book-deal-sniffing personae of today's food TV stars, preparing honest food without pretension.

Welsh Rarebit Souffle
Ingredients:
    2 large slices of good-quality white bread
    1/2 pound of high-quality, aged cheddar cheese
    3 egg yolks
    4 egg whites
    1 level teaspoon dry English mustard
    1 vigorous shake of Worcestershire sauce
    1 vigorous shake of Tabasco sauce
    Salt and Pepper

Grate the cheese and place in a bowl. Beat in the egg yolks, a level teaspoon of mustard, a good shake each of Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco sauce, and salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Toast the bread; whip the egg whites until they stand in stiff peaks. Add a spoonful or so of the beaten egg whites into tothe cheese mixture then gently fold the rest of the egg whites into the bowl. Put the toasts into an ovenproof dish and pour the mixture over them. Bake in a preheated oven at 450 degrees for 10 minutes until browned and risen. Serve at once with a salad or spinach on the side.

Recipe reprinted from the Two Fat Ladies DVD box set, Acorn Media, 2008.

image source

image source

“Plum says calm; plum says clean; plum says health,� said a rep at Penta Water in Carlsbad, Calif. “Other products in the water category are blue, clear, red,� he added. “This color came out as a consistent representation of vitality, a pure product.� source

Redplum coupons

The Plum Card from American Express for business owners.

“When we were looking at the color of the plastic (during the planning stages), we wanted something classy and sophisticated, and the choice was a shade we called 'burgundy.' " But the company did not want to call it burgundy when marketing it, he added, for fear of confusion with wine brands.

Posted by Bluelines

Ideal for city-dwellers and garden neophytes, here's some easy and out-of-the-box (er pot) ideas from our favorite gardener.

Guest Blogger: Margaret Roach

What’s going to fill those pansy and viola pots once the weather heats up and they go by? For season-long color in containers, true annuals (like petunias or coleus) aren’t the only answer.

What I’m using for “annuals� in some tough low-light areas of my garden made their way to my pots from points as diverse as the shrub department of the local garden center; from my vegetable garden beds -- and even from my favorite mail-order houseplant nursery. The best part: All either were recycled from prior garden use…or will be recycled into another spot indoors or out when I’m done admiring them.

These baby fancy-leaf begonias just arrived from Logee’s Nursery in Connecticut, and are perfect for pots for a location in filtered light -- like under a tree. How many annuals for shade offer this kind of nonstop color? Come October, they’ll move inside with me as permanent members of the family (and summer outside again next year).

Begonia ‘Little Brother Montgomery’(below)

and ‘Marmaduke’ (above) are two of my favorites for their leaf color and texture among Logee’s many choices.

To add some structure to my grouping of pots in a semi-shaded spot with the begonias, I bought this little-leaf evergreen holly or inkberry, Ilex glabra. It is hardy in my zone, and I have a spot in the garden for it…but not till after summertime service. I’ve also potted up some small trees trees, like Japanese maples (below), with pansies and creeping perennials at their “feet.�

I always keep a few choice hostas ready to do duty as pot plants, carrying them over from year to year in the vegetable garden when it’s empty all winter, then lifting the big clumps out and popping them into shade pots. You can also buy some hostas for this use -- or one of many other perennials. It’s easy, showy, and the hostas don’t seem to mind being put on display. A favorite for this purpose: the classic vase-shaped blue ‘Krossa Regal (above)’. Variegated hostas are especially ornamental, too (like Hosta fluctuans ‘Sagae,’ below).

I plug in extra bits of golden moneywort, Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea,’ that have outgrown their place in the garden, or snippets of the gold Sedum called ‘Angelina’ (detail, above) to cascade over the rim. Little-leaf ivy (perhaps snatched from a hanging houseplant?) would be great, too. The salvaged snippets of Lysimachia don’t look like much now, but wait: Soon the top pot, about 30 inches wide, will be spilling over. And I didn’t buy a thing.

Heucheras, another perennial, make great potted subjects, and I love using the newer Euphorbias, like ‘Helena’s Blush’ and ‘Efanthia.’ Both would be showy all season at the base of taller things like my maple trees. Use your imagination: Curley parsley would make a similarly great edger below a taller plant, and the whole herb department is filled with good choices…and you can cut off bits for supper, too. Like I said, recycling at its best.

Pottery Sources:
Great mossy, old-looking terra cotta from Campo di Fiori; lead and stone lookalikes of wonderful quality from Campania. In both cases, these are wholesalers; use their dealer locator to find the seller near you.

So it was my birthday yesterday.

I got together with my high school girlfriends (Jeannie, Jeanne, and Robie) and my old college roommate, Gertrude, on Sunday for brunch at Universal Cafe. They gave me this beautiful terrarium--and Jeannie was the mastermind behind the design! Really nice work guys.

At Universal Cafe, Gertrude and I also ran into Cindy, our dorm floor friend...years ago. Which reminds me: when we first moved into our dorm room they so kindly put our names on the door: Gertrude and Margaret (that's my real name). Um, we sounded more like ladies pushing 80 in an assisted living facility than college freshman! Oh yeah, folks were knocking on our door JUST wanting to hang out with us.

And yesterday, I had dinner with my family. And I was surprised to see these paper plates that Marvin bought from the grocery store. I have to say this is pretty cool for Dixie (or whoever makes this), way better than cheesy florals and grapes. Wouldn't this be a nice pattern on fabric?

And this. Well, these snazzy placemats (yes, those are dogs wearing bunny ears) were a gift from my mom. Needless to say, I was speechless.

Why did I pick this photo to begin a profile on photographer, James Bleecker you may be asking yourselves. Having asked myself the same question, my answer has to be this: it seems to tell a poignant story. There is a path to follow, to a place that seems a bit other-worldly with a mysterious sort of beauty that calls for you to proceed even if you are unsure what might happen when you get there.

James Bleecker has this way about his art. He has a way of creating a story with his lens...of capturing a moment in time, that is yet timeless. And James has lived quite a story himself as well. James has been creating photography in his home state of New York since 1982. Having studied at the Rhode Island School of Design, James proceeded to gain prestigious commissions from The Frick Collection, The Morgan Library, the Rockefeller family and The American Museum of Natural History.

I am not just a little impressed with his skill. He has been asked to photograph some of the most beautiful and historic homes in New York, and particularly the Hudson Valley. I was lucky enough to get to spend some time with James and , his wife (and my cousin), Jenny and their son Jamie a summer ago at his country home in New Concord. There I got to see genius at work. With his studio in their red barn, James showed us how he printed his photos onto special archival paper. We got to see some of his very amazing work of prize livestock and stunning architecture that clients had commissioned.

Red Devon

We had begun a correspondence and James has been kind enough to agree to an interview about his recent projects, including his Tuxedo Park project for the Tuxedo Historical Society, as well as upcoming projects.

2) There are so many genres/styles of photography. What inspired your subject matter choices?
The subject chose me. Architecture created between the Civil War and the Depression – the Gilded Age – captured my imagination as student, and hasn't let go.
I don't give much thought to style. I did, however, stumble upon a method of producing black-and-white slides while I was in art school. If you projected them on a screen using two slide projectors hooked up to an electronic "dissolve unit," you could create the most ethereal effects. Often an uninvited ghost image would materialize as one slide dissolved into the next. If you designed a sequence in which every two images created a surprise third, you had something that was hypnotic. Set that sequence to music and now you had a show: a seeming story or poem, and quite haunting.

3)How did your career progress after after graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design?
It progressed from these student slide shows I made. Historical societies and museums commissioned me to make multi-media shows that communicated stories to visitors. My first and best show was Hudson River Gothic, produced for Hudson River Heritage in 1983. The subject was crumbling mansions along the river. Later I won several awards, including a Gold Award from the American Association of Museums, for my film, Up the River: Sing Sing Prison. Some of my commissions have been permanently installed in museums: if you visit the Frick Collection you'll see a show I made back in 1993.

4) How did you become involved in the Tuxedo Park project?
The Tuxedo Park project came to me by way of someone who attended a screening of Hudson River Gothic. This gentleman introduced himself as president of the Tuxedo Historical Society and said, "some day we'll do a book together." I didn't hear from him for several years. Then two years ago I received a call from his associate, who reminded me of that earlier meeting and said, "let's get to work."
Tuxedo Park: The Historic Houses was privately published last year by Tuxedo Historical Society, with money raised from homeowners. It's designed by a top graphic artist named Hilary Kliros and printed on sumptuous Italian paper. I've shown it to commercial publishers who said they couldn't match its quality. The project has changed my thinking about the potential of private publishing. (The book, co-edited by Christian R. Sonne and Chiu yin Hempel, is available at http://www.tuxedohistoricalsociety.org/.)

Tuxedo Park School

Allee

Tennis House Columns

Lake and Tennis House

5) What has been your favorite photography project/subject and why?
Tuxedo Park has been among my favorite projects. The place has a craggy, Picturesque character, with rustic stone houses designed by Bruce Price that seem to grow right out of the cliffs. I love rain, and it seemed to rain almost constantly during my six months of shooting there. The place became a rain forest. I was blessed each day with uncanny effects from the heavens: sun bursts through dark clouds, fog banks drifting up the steep hills; rain drops glistening on gardens. This atmosphere pervades the book. Another editor might have grumbled, "more sun." But my editors knew the Park and knew we had it right. A perfect project.

Hills in Mist

6) What is your favorite pastime after your career in photography?
Hiking with my wife Jenny, son Jamie, and our new dog. At nine, Jamie's just turned a corner: he now walks ahead of us, enjoys steep open faces, and is more or less fearless. New York City is not unlike San Francisco in that's it's surrounded with magnificent parks, mainly to the north along the Hudson River.

7) What are you reading at the moment?
The Intelligence of Dogs, by Stanely Coren. My puppy Retriever is resisting house breaking, and I hope this book will reveal whether her many accidents are truly those, or if she has, in fact, a cruel design upon our antique oak floors.
8)Where do you like to go to get "away from it all"?
We have a small Greek Revival house in the farm country that we escape to on weekends. Though it was surely built by a local carpenter, it has fine proportions. In its whiteness (no shudders) it becomes a gleaming sculpture. I can stare at it for hours. I've taken many pictures of it, some of which you can see on my Web site. (http://www.jamesbleecker.com/)

House, New Concord

9) What are you never without?
I should say my camera, right? I will correct that soon by buying a small digital camera that I can keep glued to my hand.

Sutherland Pond

10) If you could be anywhere anytime, where and when would that be?
I would be transported to the southeast coast of Maui in rainy season. That's the steep side of the island. The twisty road along the ocean threads in and out of the mountains and past innumerable waterfalls dropping hundreds of feet. It's all shrouded in mist and you can only imagine the height of the peaks above you. Rain and fog: is there a motif running through this conversation?
11) Who are your heroes and why?
While he was more of a grouch than a hero, I admire Walker Evans. His iconic photos of Depression-era towns stop me in my tracks. He brings dignity and stature to simple buildings like a vernacular Southern church or a gas station. It's partly his straight-on, no-nonsense compositions, and partly his soft Pictorialism: opposing styles brought together without irony. I feel his pictures are honest and ennobling. That, to me, is close to a heroic accomplishment – at least in artistic terms.

Barn, New Concord

12. What are you up to at the moment?
I'm working on my next show in Chelsea, which will feature giant prints of the High Line. The High Line is a massive, rusting elevated railway cutting through the Chelsea gallery district of Manhattan. It threads its way into and out of the old warehouses here, the buildings actually enveloping it. I suppose it was too massive for anyone to take on the task of demolishing it, so it sat idle for years. Now it's being adapted as a greenway park; imagine walking through thirty blocks of Manhattan at an elevation of 30 feet, like King Kong.
The High Line appeals to my love of old or abandoned structures – in this case one that cuts through some of New York's swankest new architecture, making for startling juxtapositions. New York's only contribution from Frank Gehry, the new IAC building, is the backdrop for one of my photographs.
It's fun not to be photographing houses for a change. But guess what? One building along the High Line is a semi-ruinous 19th-century office that someone has stabilized. They've built a modernist townhouse within – and peeking out from – the crumbling walls. Now that's a house I could live in.
(This show opens in November at Allen Sheppard Gallery, 530 West 25th Street. http://www.allensheppardgallery.com/)

Rockefeller Center

Please take a moment to check out James' website to see many more stunning photos and find out more about the book Tuxedo Park: the Historic Houses.

From Francesca:

The rigorous simplicity of this dining room by architects Tsao & McKown appeals to us. The matte finished oak table is custom made by Carlton House, one of the best millworkers in New York City. The glossy sideboard is another custom piece, made by laminating a photograph and sealing it with layers of resin, a painstaking process. The wicker chairs are from the English manufacturer Lloyd Loom.

Recreate the look for less using the following elements:

Below: Oak Sophia Credenza from custom furniture maker Ohio Design, based in Oakland, CA; $1,475. Using PrintTechnology, a photo transfer process, owner David Pierce overlays photos of flora and fauna on his pieces.

Below: Staach Cain Collection Dining Table; 68 inches long, available in maple veneer or seven different colors; $1,160 at Design Public.

Below: Agen Rattan Chair; $34.99 at Ikea.

Below: Meridian Grande Pendant with linen shade and brushed nickel fittings; $390 at Design Public.

Below: Swiss Railway Clock from Mondaine; $175 at New York’s Moma Shop.

Below: Or consider Russell Callow’s refurbished vintage oversized Czech Railway Clock; £195 at London Timepiece.

From Julie:

Los Angeles furniture maker Cisco Brothers has just introduced a new line of locally made handblown pendant lamps inspired by vintage wine jugs. Priced from $395 to $495, they are available at Cisco Home’s stores in LA (440 N. La Brea Ave.; 323-932-1155 and 474 S. Arroyo Parkway, Pasadena; 626-584-1273). Via the LA Times.

Shhhhh.....she was secretly domestic.  She loved setting the table.  She enjoyed folding the napkins.  She liked arranging the flowers.  (Oh dear, what next...?  wearing aprons? ironing?)

When the darling Peacock Painters were here, the blogging girl wanted the tables to be, well, pretty…………

Take a peek.

 
She had a thing for pink......a girlie girl?

The tablecloths were of her own design, edged with handmade passementarie buttons. She didn't want to cover the graceful stems of the Saarinen tables.

She bought the vintage tables from the Italian cultural attache.  The 12 chairs - which she had refinished - were formerly in the garden of the Mamounia hotel; she liked their modern chic.

Little silver decorative animal boxes bought in Cambodia.  Even tables deserve jewelery.....

What do you think of the herringbone floors made out of handmade bejmat tile....?

This was the blogging girl's own seat.......sigh, the one marked compulsive shopper.  Go figure.....

Alright. Since Lisa's told me that she's "tired of looking at the computer wires" on the previous post (and really, so am I)--I've finally put together a new post. Things have been super busy lately and because of all the work I've been producing over the past month and half, it's given me some carpal tunnel issues. Great. So I've had to limit my computer work, like blog posting.

But anyway, I got this book called Pattern Magic Vol. 2 a few months ago. While I don't plan on making any of these pieces (I don't know how to sew and the wearability of some of the pieces are totally questionable--like the bottom image), I was intrigued by the sculptural and architectural forms of the clothes. Really beautiful pieces.

Posted by Scott

Recently, I have become a fan of Nydam Press on Etsy, especially these Eagle Mirror Linoleum Block Prints.

A framed series of these on one wall would be spectacular. I love how there’s a hint of fancy ornateness to the frame mixed with the craftiness of the linoleum print to bring it back done to earth. That’s my kind of art!

Want more? Check out these other charming prints.

Rocking Chair Print

Italian Greyhound Print

Whale Block Print Card

Note from Bluelines: If you are thinking that our blogger is lazily surfing Etsy all day, not so. In addition to bringing us a constant stream of charming (not to mention affordable) finds, he is a talented stylist who recently launched his own site. Here he is hard at work on a shoot (far from an Internet connection).

Sacramento has done some major changing since I moved here some 16 years ago. One of the best things that has happened has been the instigation of the Second Saturday Art Walk, We have an incredibly lively and pedestrian friendly night life in Midtown Sacramento, and people flock to the galleries every Second Saturday.

Here is a bit of info about the "scene" and what it's all about.

This photo is from the new website and truly does not do it justice. There are street bands and many streets are blocked off for entertainment venues. It is sooooo much fun. (And the art is not bad either!)

My friend Ted Weldon, who has worked with me on a number of restaurant projects, is having a showing at the new 500 N Street new "luxury condos". Please check out his website cuz he is fabulous!

Photographer, Jay Canter, is also showing. He travels all over to capture images like the one above. Quite impressive.

And I wanted to give a shout out to my new blogger friend Julie, who let me know about the event. Please say "Hi" on her wonderful blog JUST JULES AND YOUR AVERAGE JOE. You will not see a more beautiful couple....nope....not anytime soon....they should be models.....and he proposed to her on a dinner cruise on Lake Geneva.....I kept thinking George Clooney was gonna be in one of their slide show pictures....that's how gorgeous they are. SO, visit!