all my life's a circle

"birds make great sky-circles of their freedom.

how do they learn it?

they fall

and falling,

they're given wings."

~ rumi

{a photo of the incredible art of jim denevan ~ found on his website here}

a seat with global reach: maun windsor chair

with her north south project, canadian designer patty johnson is extending the positive effects of globalization to places that have yet to benefit. in the case of her maun windsor chair, that place is botswana africa.
to create the maun, johnson went to peter mabeo, the founder of a furniture factory in gaborone, botswana, with a design brief for a collection of high-quality wooden furniture that could be produced by hand. the result is a chair with shaker-inspired lines that meld with the abstract quality of african wooden sculpture.the design and manufacture of the maun brings long-term benefits to the local craftspeople and community. the designs are created to make the most of the techniques and materials that are unique to their culture and region. the emphasis on the quality of the product is matched by the attention to the impact that their manufacture will have on the communities and economies that produce them.

sfb: program 6

on saturday night i had the pleasure of an evening at the san francisco ballet with ms.tangobaby. after a delicious meal at a new-to-us restaurant called sauce {the lobster & crab sliders were amazing!}, we were enthralled & delighted by the last program of the '08 season. this program's theme was an international salute ~ the delicate battle from the national ballet of canada, duo concertant from nyc ballet {choreographed by balanchine}, and altro canto from les ballets de monte-carlo. tangobaby took a few photos of the theater which she kindly let me share with you here, and i found a few photos taken by erik tomasson of two of the performances to share as well.

a delicate battle has a continual snow falling onstage, and gorgeous combinations of dancers in white leotards, female dancers in taffeta formal gowns and male dancers in black business suits. the choreography was inventive & engaging. i adore snow so this piece was very enjoyable to watch.

but the astounding accomplishment of altro canto made all ballets i've seen so far, ever, pale in comparison. set to pre-baroque music mostly composed by monteverdi {a composer i studied & learned to appreciate while in italy}, the stage was lit by candles hanging from the ceiling in various numbers & locations depending on the scene. the partnering was absolutely incredible. words really cannot do this ballet justice so i hope these few photos and the video clip will give you an adequate glimpse into pure dance genius.

surprisingly, i found a very edited version of this ballet on youtube, but the person who made the video clip had really poor taste and dubbed some horrible techno music over the top. so if you watch {and the choreography is well worth it} be sure to turn off your volume first. ;o)

as you might expect, i was a very happy and attentive fan {captured by tangobaby}:

wind warrior weekend

this is a photo of lourdes bretos, the only woman who rode harleys in cuba before the revolution, when such a practice was practically unheard of and considered most unlady like. boy do i admire her! i hope you're able to experience your version of warriorship this weekend, wherever you are!

{from vice queen maria's flickr collection}

ro::living

ro::living is an exclusive boutique featuring specialty home décor items of original design, incorporating vintage and contemporary couture fabrics and textiles. all of their items are handmade and one of a kind. ro::living proudly rescues vintage designer fabrics, breathing new life into fabulous classic couture textile patterns from respected french and italian designers. their 2007 collection celebrates the textile genius of italian designer emilio pucci (1914-1992). many times these amazing and precious vintage fabrics would otherwise be lost if not revitalized in other creations. a significant number of the textiles that we have chosen for our designs have been out of production for decades. because of this, once our designs from any particular line have sold out, there are no more available.

{this exquisitely delicious upholstered chair balances fresh, quietly modern design with accents of vintage emilio pucci for formfit rogers fabric [circa late 1960s]. the clean, crisp white and minty-cool chameleon green blends smoothly into the genuine pucci fabric, denoted with the unique "epfr" signature on the turquoise, purple, green and blue floral field}

{modern sensibility with high octane style is the standard in the jet set series, distinctively denoted by this chandelier of ro::living's signature design. it's all in the details ~ in this case that means vintage emilio pucci fabric (circa early 1970s) of sequin-like discs that shimmer and mingle with opaque onces in a waterfall pattern. an acrylic cylinder houses the lighting element and diffuses the light beautifully}

{ro::living's vision of this fantastically fun george nelson classic brings it to a completely customized level, with fabrics that coordinate with each client's individuality, personality, and residential/commercial decor needs. the cushions are detachable for easy cleaning, and can be interchangeable, as well. this item is custom-order only}

{especially for jendita & sethie! but what prized pup or kitty cat would not want to ride in style on these exclusive pet travel beds? each travel bed is simply designed with four-legged friends in mind, making their travels that much easiser. with comfy polyfill and couture detailing in a mod orange, moss green and black pattern ~ designed by kiki kenman!}

eco fabric chic

green products, and especially green textiles have a reputation in some design circles as being too earthy and plain-jane, not chic enough. but there are plenty of companies emerging to break that stereotype for good. here are several of my favorites:

{silver state fabrics ~ drink in the beauty of body and soul, a vibrant new fabric collection for the hospitality market made from 100 percent recycled, recyclable polyester derived from plastic water bottles. the high-performance fabric contributes toward leed credit, is 54 inches wide, and is available in 14 patterns, shown in fiery red}

{indika organics ~ simple and elegant designs are created to capture earth's essence and energy using sustainable fabrics that recognize the benefits of natural and organically grown materials. crafted using the highest standard of quality, their custom designs are created especially for those people who desire to live in a chemically free environment and further promote healthy living}

{lulan ~ uses materials such as silk, organic cotton and other natural fibers, natural and/or low-impact dyes, age-old weaving techniques and processes that have been used for centuries that create hand spun, hand dyed, hand woven and hand-finished textiles. the use of these materials and process ensures their fabrics are healthier for their weavers, their customers and the environment}

fool's abodes

happy april fool's day!

brelli love

brelli ~ the world's 1st bio-umbrella. made of bamboo & a biodegradeable plastic called bioplastic. only $28. i would cover my entire bedroom ceiling with these if i could! :o)



found on shopmodi

paper relics & octavine illustrations

i'd like to introduce you to a very talented oregonian who paints art deco & art nouveau illustrations: octavine illustration. her work is sold on her etsy shop, and she has a very nice blog of the same name.

and along similar lines, i discovered an online shop where you can purchase lovely vintage cards, tags & ephemera: paper relics

studio tango vida

pssst.....

new word on the tango street is,

ney melo & jennifer bratt are opening their own tango studio right here in san francisco!

may 2008, make plans to head on up to pacific & taylor to experience traditional argentine tango with two of america's best tangueros at studio tango vida!

luscious greens

i have an inexplicable newly developed major attraction to the scent, look and feel of freshly cut grass. i can't explain it, but i'm obsessed with it. so here are some of my latest finds to also wish you a late happy st.patrick's day and an early happy easter!
print of an original photograph digitally mixed with painting titled lessay, by labokoff

spring in a can found at dandee designs

spring grass hand cast resin bracelet by resinated

hide-&-seek pillow cover made with original vintage fabric by absoluut


this soap scent sounds divinve ~ sweet grass and orange essential oil mixed into one lovely looking soap bar found at karen's soaps

this 8"x5.5" notebook has 14 pages sewn together as one signature ~ by jambox

this necklace is created from a photo transferred to plastic, the front is then coated with a glossy resin-like material. by ellep

each off-white cardstock tag features fresh spring grass stamped in green ink. sheer spring green with white polka dot ribbon added. found at petite pear

one pack gives you 20 grass fruit forks (approx. 8" long) handmade from bamboo cocktail forks and faux grass in a hip professional package. so awesome! found at eat-your-veggies