provenance

The greatest thing about antique shops: entering absolutely sacred space. But they always seem to have creaky-crisp floorboards and I always seem to be wearing heels. Bull in china shop!

But it's so sweet: things that used to be common, used to be cheap, but now - provenance!

Frequent visits to Northampton Antiques lately. They have several shoe boxes of old/used postcards. I love the ones which have been sent - the best sort of voyeurism.

Dear Ma,
Got here alright and am having a fine time. I am not homesick because Raymond makes me laugh. I like it here. Louise was surprised to see me.
Your daughter,
Jess
- NYC to Belchertown, MA, March 20, 1912
St. Patrick's Cathedral

Dear Gladys,
This card came from Venice in Italy, don't you think it pretty? Received Mama's letter yesterday and will write at once.
Kiss Norman for me.
Love IS (?) all,
Aunt May
- Medford, MA to West Medford, MA, November 18, 1906
Chiesa della Salute

Ah this handwriting is so lovely! And where did she get that incredibly fine-tipped pen?!

I looked up the distance between Medford and West Medford: 2 miles/4 minutes. Could seem laughable, but it's so endearing! Aunt May knows what's up - always snail mail your friends/family and thank you letters.

librophilia

I'm completely in awe of these places!

Hereford Cathedral Chained Library, Hereford, England

Real Gabinete Portugues De Leitura Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

The Long Room, Trinity College Library, Dublin, Ireland

next big project: hidden desk

How can someone like pink so much?!
So impressed by all the hooks and compartments and crazy organization mmm. If I ever built a similar hidden desk, I'm pretty sure I would just stand there staring at it. Wouldn't you be distracted from work by your cute, space-saving little desk?!

Also, How to Build a Hidden Door Bookshelf at wikiHow!

From Martha Martha

Speaking of chairs

Want this!

Chairs: A History, by Florence de Dampierre

Ol' Arne

This time next year, I am going to be very close to Arne Jacobsen's chairs. Bet you can't figure out how (I'm aware of the fact that I can't pull off mysterious)!

Swan Chair

Egg Chair

(Am I trashy for LOVING the cowhide?)

Series 7

Inspired by design couple Charles and Ray Eames' bent plywood chairs.

Ant Chair

For Sherbu, our possibly late 25-pound feline friend

The majority of the sheep on the left are gazing at something/someone to their (definitely "their" because they are so freakishly collective and One) right, but the sheep closer to the foreground turn their attentions toward the photographer. This one in the very front... eerily human-looking face. A pose that is very confrontational and the only sheep with a fully depicted shadow.

If only this image included birch trees and more prominent mountains, it would really be A Wild Sheep Chase.

My apologies to Tim if I gave you a fright - guess I forgot to sign it

:)

On top of a wonderful day...

... the speaker at Graduation 2010: RACHEL MADDOW!!!!



She's from the Bay Area and is local to Western Massachusetts. Pretty sure we're meant to be great friends.

In any case, I'm pretty excited to witness the uproar from the few FOXNews viewers here HAHAHAHAHA