Why pretend?

Dr. Boli's Celebrated Magazine.

EDITED BY H. ALBERTUS BOLI, LL.D.

 

1234567 All good children go to heaven

From the brilliant Phil Collins. 1998 George Martin Album - In My Life.

This beautiful beautiful world

Until I grab the the dog and we hide away together in the cold downstairs rec-room with a bottle of champagne and a rawhide chew while everybody talks too loud at the same time upstairs. I kiss the dog's soft head, press my heated forehead to the cold windowpane, watch the moon, and am grateful for this beautiful beautiful world. Merry Christmas

A Domestic Catalogue: Exhibit A

Cole Haan "air" loafer. Metallic gold. Victorious eBay win at a great price because no one else bid on these. I can't imagine why. Hereafter to be referred to as my "King Midas loafers".  I'm thrilled thrilled thrilled. And you'll be able see me walking in the dark.

Also I'm secretly patting myself on the back because look at the price J Crew gets for theirs!

Barkeep, a Ramos Gin Fizz for Sis and in the name of God take a day off.

 

http://fredhuergo.wordpress.com/2011/06/14/stop-motion-saturday-the-ramos-gin-fizz/

Sis Fooch got the Captain (my twin brother) and I hooked on the Ramos Gin Fizzes at the Buena Vista Cafe in San Francisco. In spite of uber cranky Snidley Whiplash, the bartender who apparently has not had a day off in 50 years and the surly waitresses who passive-aggressively toss the cocktail napkins and bark that the tables must be shared, we do enjoy our Irish Coffees, our Ramos Gin Fizzes and some seriously lackluster toast and english muffins. The Buena Vista may be an institution, but good lord, they are like the Soup Nazi of Irish Coffee.

That said, one does feel spiritually purged, having a Ramos Gin Fizz, after a bracing early morning cable car ride to the Buena Vista: Full of protein and creamy white jagged shards of ice. You get that nice cold milkshake shaker of the surplus too, which feels like a special little present just for you. Oh, the glory of it all!

Sissy posted this great animated gif on her blog, Smart Dame Tales. Want to know how to actually make one? Check it out.

All hail the Monarch

For, oh, at least 15 plus years now (!)  my friend Gary and I have met each December to go Christmas shopping in San Francisco. He used to be my boss at UC Berkeley; we worked together for many years. I called him "chief" and we had a great working partnership and stayed close friends.

(Note to self: resurrect "Dynasty" shoulder pads. Very slimming) 1997

This year we had lunch at Tartine on Guerrero street, which was delicious, shopped up and down Valencia Street, and finally had a pre-ferry boat/BART boarding cocktail at The House of Shields. It was fun to go to such an old-school SF bar. Gary had a Manhattan while I asked the bartender to make something light. He came up with delightful cocktail, lemony and lovely, and informed us it's a "Monarch" minus the mint. Naturally I had to recreate it at home, and quelle surprise, I had all the ingredients, thanks to my sister giving me a giant bottle of St. Germain.

Hail to the Chief and the Monarch. Long may they live. 

• 1 1/2 oz gin
• 3/4 oz St. Germain elderflower liqueur
• 1/2 oz lemon juice
• 1/2 oz simple syrup

Ice in a shaker; shakey, shakey, shakey. Lemon peel around the rim and twisted in the glass.
Simple and refreshing.  Need I say, use quality gin. 


Here's the actual Monarch Cocktail recipe, courtesy of Chris Paciorek.

Brotips

I LOVE Brotips. Some very clever writing. And on the subject of over-used popular phrases, you're a tool if you say: "Really?","Seriously?","Just sayin'","Best. {Something}.Ever.", "Fuck yeah {whatever it is you like}.com", "{something something something},much?" and "Bitches be liking {whatever it is you think they like}."

The Perfect Tool Storm: "Really Kathleen? Seriously?? Come on!, bitches be likein' those phrases. Fuck-yeah-Brotips.com! Best. Blog. Ever. Just sayin'.

Her Morning Elegance

Union Square, San Francisco.

 I'm up on a tightrope, one side's hate and one is hope....


Windows, Louis Vuitton. Thanksgiving weekend 2011.

My Huckleberry Friend

So sweet and so tender. I get misty-eyed every time I hear this.

They'll bust your kneecaps

Oh Johnny, the family won't like this

Truthfully I'd rather be with the animals than the cool people

After a few glasses of wine I'll be sobbing, "I love you Snowball, I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!"

and Snowball will not give a single s--t about my emotions. And they say humans are cruel.
Also, I'm rarely invited to parties. I have no idea why not; "do we have to invite that weird chick who won't stop kissing the dog and cat?????"

Image by the incredibly talented genius illustrator Gemma Correll. 

Continuing along on the subject of spectacles

Meanwhile, back here on Planet Earth

A more accurate depiction of my terrain here on terra firma. Thankfully not ALL of them apply to me.
I won't tell you which do or don't though. From the talented illustrator Anne Emond. I really love her work. Her blog is fantastic too.

A little perspective.

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

Here's to a little peace and quiet.

Blogger's profile question and my answer

You've just inherited a manufacturing plant that specializes in plastics. What are you going to make?

A scientific invention consisting of a body-sized plastic tube that you stand in. Laser beams rain down just like on the Star Trek teleporter. The laser light removes all your excess fat instantly and painlessly. It's a good thing I inherited this manufacturing plant because I'm gonna need ALOT of plastic. This is going to be a HIT.

 

Twinkly things

I know everybody complains about the commercialization of Christmas, and to a large extent I agree.

But as much as I'm in deep, deep denial that the holidays are upon us, I do love seeing the shop decorations and pretty lights. I never get tired of that aspect of commercialization.

In all honesty, sometimes it's one of the few fun parts of the holidays. Sad to say, but true.

These are the store decorations for the boho chic store Free People in the Village Shopping Center. I love the color palette.

Glasses, who needs 'em?

The thing that bums me out the most is that I have all these darling 1920's cloche hats, but my Mom is right; once you have to wear glasses, hats lose their allure. Let's face it; the Queen doesn't look so great in her hats with her sensible spectacles. Mom is right. Damn my poor vision. But I did find the super cool website of Debby Burke with cute vintage-inspired glasses that may save me ( Fun Fashions- Vintage Inspired). I bet steampunk fans know all about this site. Mind you, I never actually wear my hats. I just think I'm going to. I love them, they do look darling, and I have ALOT of them, but once I stopped walking to work {my youthful days in Berkeley}, I kind of lost my hat-wearing opportunity.

Thank You Tumbled Euphoria for the photo

Unlike a coworker of mine, I don't think I can actually work in a hat all day. It's kind of hard to see. At least not wearing a cloche...and f'in reading glasses. Sigh. I'm so bummed out. Seriously. My sister walks to work wearing the cutest hats. They look fabulous on her. People stop her and bus drivers and taxi drivers fall in love with her. Oh well. Let me turn my attention away from hats to world hunger and see what I can better devote my middle-age time and attention to.

Oh my wild and crazy nights

Don't miss James Sturm's wonderful article at Slate.com that includes this brilliant cartoon.

I've had a bad cold for several weeks now. The only satisfaction to be had is knowing I'll never be a drug addict (not counting cocktails naturally) because I can't even handle the crazy NyQuil dreams each night.

I went walking

and what did I see?


some purple smoke billowing up 












a game of cat and mouse




the moon caught twinkling

 

a golden crown shining bright

an angel among us

 the sun at night shining bright as day

an owl guarding a cache of jewels

all in my own backyard.

I'd like to make myself believe, that planet earth turns slowly

Owl City. Fireflies

My first attempt at iMovie. It was HARD.  But huzzah huzzah! I made a little video!

Images from weheartit.com, keywords "fireflies" and "owl city".  Mp3 purchased from iTunes.

Arsenic and Old Lace

I love to spend the Halloween weekend sitting around, eating trick-or-treat candy that I should not have opened, and watching old black and white movies. Poor trick-or-treaters, "Sorry kid, the Snickers are gone. Here's a box of raisins. Oh quit your blubberin'. You've got a whole pillowcase FULL of candy."

A clip from the great Charlie Chaplin. Stand up to tyranny and bullies and hatemongers, whatever guise they hide behind. At work, at home, on the television, in the ether, in your neighborhood, in your government. You know the right thing to do. DO IT. Stand for something. DO something for someone else, for all creatures great and small, for the planet. Be kind, be gentle, be good, be brave. Let us all unite.

I'm up on a tight wire

I've always loved Leon Russell's Tightrope. I think I'll make it the theme song to go with my circus lady doppleganger. Not crazy about Leon's scary makeup for this album cover though. Ick.

I'm up on the tightwire one side's ice and one is fire its a circus game with you and me I'm up on the tightrope one side's hate and one is hope but the top hat on my head is all you see And the wire seems to be the only place for me a comedy of errors and I'm falling **Chorus** Like a rubber-neck giraffe you look into my past well maybe you're just to blind to - see I'm up in the spotlight ohh does it feel right ohh the altitude seems to get to me I'm up on the tightwire flanked by life and the funeral pyre putting on a show for you to see **Chorus** Like a rubber-neck giraffe you look into my past well maybe you're just too blind to - see I'm up in the spotlight ohh does it feel right ohh the altitude really gets to get to me I'm up on the tightwire flanked by life and the funeral pyre putting on a show for you to see

A Monday quote

“All that I hope to say in books, all that I ever hope to say, is that I love the world.”
― E.B. White

Bloom

From Emily Johnstone at Vimeo. "Nadine, depressed and alone, has been living her life in the dark. A gift from a friendly neighbor gives Nadine something to live for. With a new life, Nadine has a chance to pay it forward." http://vimeo.com/29865151

This animation was made at SJSU by students of the Animation & Illustration department.
sjsuai.com

A lovely little piece about all of us who still have time to bloom, early or late. This one is for my sister
{she would represent the friendly neighbor in the film}.

I must disclose

photo from weheartit.com

As I start this new blog I feel compelled to disclose some truths.
I don't have a lovely home saturated with beautiful light. My house is tiny and dark and in dire need of renovation. No lovely studio devoted just to my art, but, lucky me,  I live in lovely Marin county which is wild and wonderful.

I don't have a fancy camera with gigantic lenses. I just use a little Canon Powershot I bought at Costco (nice little camera actually).

I have no idea how to use Photoshop. I told you I'm technically challenged!
I hate Facebook. I have nothing to Tweet about.  No fancy knitting, no kids to chronicle, my cooking is not really photogenic.

But my life is filled with abundant blessings and gratitude. So there we have it.  Let us proceed.

A (no) Sewing Project Even I Can Manage

I love this tutorial from Behind the Seams that turns 1 square yard of material into a neat wrap or scarf.  I can handle cutting two holes in a square of fabric. Do it Yourself: Wrap-turned-scarf. I like the two looks on her blog; with a belt and under a jacket.

Photo from Pinterest, rights held by Behind the Seams

Spark Journal

Here is a photo collage of the journal I made for Mary Ann Moss's fabulous online class, Remains of the Day. Later I'll show you the book as it looks now with journaling in it.  Lots of fun. I used baker's twine to sew the signatures and I like the contrast of the twine with kraft paper and cardboard. Like the silhouettes, too. For some perverse reason I enjoy my journals most when they're blank. I'm more interested in the construction than the actual use of them.

Hello

I’m a children’s librarian, an decent mixed-media artist, an amateur but enthusiastic mixologist, and strive to be an upstanding citizen of the universe. I love my family- immediate, extended, and adopted; human and furry.

Sadly, I am appallingly unskilled in all things technological. But I’m getting better at it.

I do hope you’ll bear with me as I learn this. If I’m the only person who ever reads this, I’ll secretly be relieved.

My name is Kathleen, I live in Marin County, California, where the wild things are.