Sunday, March 15, 2009

The Apple of My Eye........Tinsel Trading Company!

Yay!!!!!!!! Back from New York, finally after 10 long days. It's really unsettling not to see vines, and open spaces for that long. From this ...........

to this.................
is a real transition.......and now for the real highlight of the trip, .......besides promoting the winery, and tasting New Yorkers on our wines, of course.........I went to Heaven on 37th street..........see if you agree.......yes, there really is a "Santa" for artists.

From the outside looking in the window............I knew I was a "goner".........or at least all of my funds were........ that I had been saving for New York. If you step inside remember to have a paper bag close at hand in case you are prone to hyperventilate...........
Just inside the Easter display.............

I stuffed away some Easter things in my shopping basket.....and I do not even really like the art of Easter.......Oh, my I am in real trouble now.......... picking up things that I don't really collect....
OK... OK one more Easter picture I could not resist.........the drawers every chick should have....
Moving on from Easter to the art of Wendy Addison.......she is a friend of the Tinsel Trading Company, and creates for them..........
More Wendy...............
The antique bead, metallic thread and etc., cart that will hypnotize you into putting something from every section into your basket............
all this and antique lithographs too........

The wall of flowers...........

Black flowers my favorite for Halloween, and do0-dads galore.........

The danger zone...........drawers of every possible button, antique metal, bead, bone, etc.......to adorn any creation you could ever imagine..........pieces of a little bit of everything......


Ribbon.......rolls and rolls of ribbon........

and a cabinet full too.......

TRIM "rows" Lane..........

trim..........up close and personal.........

Much to do about trim.....and meeting Marcia Ceppos generational family member still in the business of selling (as she puts it) passementeries, ribbons, metallic trims, flowers, that are vintage, and new at this location.........1 West 37th St New York.....as they say......... priceless.

Monday, March 2, 2009

.....................Two, or Three in the Bush

OK.......I wish I could say that I am a bird watcher extraordinaire, but that's not exactly true.

I mean I am on the lookout for birds......that have a Halloween flair.

I have to confess that these perfectly Gothic looking birds.........were, and I want you to know


that I risked my life shooting them in their wild habitat.................................................


in the parking lot of Target...............

I had to endure the rigors of dodging parking rage rs trying to find a spot, and the stares.......it was all about the stares........for who stands in the middle of the Target parking lot........setting the scene, getting the light just right, adjusting the camera settings like it's 1999, and I am on a photo shoot for National Geographic. No bare breasted females dancing and chanting native songs ......well, maybe there were a few teens doing so in the background, but I got the shot. I captured the moment, just before a car in the distance backfired and scared them away. You just never know the challenges you might face out there in the asphalt jungle............so you must always have your camera with you, and be prepared for anything.

There is an old saying..........A Bird in the camera lens is Worth Two in the Bush..........


Now, by no means do I want you to think that this was my first foray into uncharted territories to observe nature.......I was on a graphic shoot, as I call it...... not too long ago. I was deep in the Florida everglades in a place called the World of Disney........and I came across this exotic creature......


A native boy that possessed strange super powers............and while on a Safari deeper into the tangle, of bramble and brush......these intriguing species.......mind you .......all the while keeping my trusty camera perfectly poised in the safari jeep.......
Look quick........it's a hippo's rear!

And there's a giraffe rock.

Suddenly, someone screamed.....Look, Look, those look just like flamingos......With my vast wildlife knowledge..I shouted back......they look like them, because they are flamingos. That would have been my daughter who made that scream, and then was quiet the remainder of our journey.

And finally a horse/goat or some combo of something with no ears...we were traveling at such a pace it's hard to know.............
Oh, I could go on with my picture safari, but I don't want to get you overexcited waiting anxiously for each finely executed photograph.......there are many more blurry passing bushes, rocks, and various arms, heads, torsos, and legs etc. to see. I want you to know that each of these photos have not been retouched in any way. They are in their natural state, and as pristine as the day they were taken. One parting shot........ I could not resist..........

an animal send off.....or kiss off........if you will.
If anyone is interested.......I am currently unemployed as a photographer, but call me if you need one, or for a good time. Anyway, you get the picture!