New Singing Obssesion: Paulo Szot

A while ago, a friend introduced me to the newest operatic star, Paulo Szot. I heard a few of his recordings, and fell in love with his voice.


Fast forward to last wednsday when I was searching the channels guide on Direct T.V., and I see PBS is showing South Pacific on Live from the Lincoln Center. Loving this staple of American Theatre, I turn it on, in perfect time to hear Paulo Szot singing "Some Enchanted Evening"! I convinced my friend to watch it with me, and throughout the play, I fell in love with Paulo even more. His voice gorgeous, and acting suberb, the performance was simply stunning. Especially his rendition of "This Nearly Was Mine", which had a tear in my eye by the end.



All I can say is Bravo, Paulo, and I can't wait for Carmen at the Met in January

Listening To

So, I've finally decided to update Listening To and the choice of song is Tu Es Ma Camme by Carla Bruni. I love the french language (even though I don't speak it), and when the French First Lady sings, I love it more. It's a bit "upbeat - relaxing," which is perfect for summer.

Pic Picks

I just saw these pics and had to share. They're gorgeous. aren't they?

Oh I do love to be beside the seashore

I recently moved - and close to the seaside (about 30 ft. away), I'm still settling in and decorating, so whil looking for some seaside inspiration, I found this gorgeous Laura Ashley design, and I must say, would love to emulate this into my house.

I'm Sorry!

Before you say anything, I know, I know, it's been a while since I've blogged. You probably don't remember subscribing to this blog.

I don't really have an excuse, just that I have had a busy and trying last few months. I'm not going to get into details, but I will tell you that I've moved (!), and have lost my employment. Which really sucks. I was also in a relationship with someone who is completely different from me and everything I love, so I kind of lost myself, and my identity. But, I am happy to report that it's over, and I have come back full force to who I was (yeah!)



Anyway, now I am back to blogging (I was too busy to make it to the library to use the computer before, but now that I have to look for a job, I'm suddenly not!), and have some ideas.



So, tune in, and I promise, I will not leave you again.

Photo Picks - Nostalgia Eiffel Tower

In keeping with my previous post, I elected to have the nostalgia Eiffel Tower pics the subjuect of today's Photo Picks. All of these are from weheartit.com.

New Mantra

Lately I have been looking for a new mantra for my life. Something inspiring enough to motivate me to make the decisions to get where I want in life. I was browsing weheartit.com today and came across this picture which is perfect because it IS where I want to go in life.

Hope this inspires you to find a new mantra!

LookBook Spotlight

Spring has Sprung. The birds are singing, the weather is warm, the sky is light blue instead of grey, and for some reason, this really excites me! I'm not usually one for spring or summer. I like the cold, monotones of winter, and the darker, richer colours of fall. And, I hate the allergies and sunburn that ensues with the warmer months (I'm really quite pale, and turn a nice lobster red in summer). But not this spring. I am enthralled with the beautiful weather, and even more beautiful flowers.

But most of all, I am loving the fashion.

I am always interested in fashion, but never quite pull it off, mostly due to location (there isn't really great shops around me), and my being overweight. This year, though, I am loosing that weight and vowing to step up my style (so far I'm doing well on the weight, and I have thrown out all the ugly and ill-fitting clothes). I would love to go for a vintage-y Parisian chic (who wouldn't?).

While browsing for inspiration, I came across Louise Ebel on LookBook. (actually, just about everyone on Look Book is awesome) She is an Art-History universty student living in Paris (a girl after my own heart!), and I must say very Parisian Chic.

Here are some of my favorite looks

Love it!

You can also check out her blog, Pandora, here. If you don't speak French, you can translate to English when you get there (she really is Awesome).

OR if you wish to have some helpful advice on how to dress, act, or live like a parisian women, click here, and here, or check out Margret Ambrose at Parisian Women Journal (she really knows her stuff and gives great advice).

La Chasse de Façon Heureuse or Happy Fashion Hunting,

Fashion Update

I haven't mentioned it before, but I love vintage. Love Vintage. It's usually hard for me to find quality vintage pieces that fit me well, so when that happens, I turn to Ruche.


They recently debuted (is that the word?), their Spring Collection, (click here to see it) and I picked out some of my favorite pieces for you (or for me ;)




Cream Cascades ruffle top $32.99
Lady of Shalot floral tie blouse $41.99
Midnight Confetti skirt $37.99
High Wasted skinny jeans $22.99
Garden Locket necklace $14.99
Grab Some Shade linen floppy hat $46.99



Ruche is a modern clothing company that takes a lot of inspiration from vintage. Which is great for people like me who love to wear vintage, but a bit more modern. And also not from head to toe.

They also have a great lookbook (for those of who don't kno, a lookbook is where the company makes outfits out of their collection), which can be seen here.

Although it was hard to, I chose my two favorite looks frpm the Lookbook.

Look One:

Goddess of Fortune bangels, $10.99
Keep it Safe Locket necklace $22.99
Keep it Simple pencil skirt $28.99
Welocme Aboard nautical sleeve top $31.99
Box Pockets purse in chesnut $38.99

Look Two:

Cest Amore blouse $42.99
In the Middle of the Night bowtie skirt $37.99
Regal Rose purse in travertine $42.99
Turquosie Romance earrings $29.99

Reading is Sexy

Do you read? Would you like to read more? Have you always wanted to join a book club, but for some reason didn't? Well, how about joining the Slow Readers Book Club? I came across the Slow Readers Book Club on Down and Out Chic and thought about how much I have always wanted to join a book club. I checked it out and now I am on my way reading Alice I Have Been.




The Slow Reader's Book Club is a forum for those who don't have the time to attend book club meetings (Genious, Right?) They post a book, and send you and email, and you then have Two whole months to read and comment on the book. Sound interesting? If you want to join, you can send me an e-mail at celticred87@yahoo.co.uk or, you can join at the open forum here:http://slowreaders.lefora.com/.

Just remember: Reading Is Sexy

Flickr Tuesday - Eugene Atget

Since Eugene Atget is My Favorite Photographer, I thought it fitting to start these Flickr Tuesdays with photos that resemble his.

Some historians have cited Eugene Atget (1857-1927) as the greatest photographer ever. A seaman and failed actor, he turned to photography at 40 in 1897. For 30 years, he dragged his (even then) ancient camera throughout his beloved Paris. Atget sold his photos to artists to paint from, as many of the buildings photographed had been leveled in the name of progress. Atget's best images have a haunting, quite mysterious, quality unmatched by anyone.

The Savannah Chronicles

I finally started a new knitting project, the Savannah Wrap, and am starting to document the progress (so you can see how slow I am ;). I say I just started, but really I started about a week ago, but just haven't felt like knitting lately!

I found it at http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/80789AD.html?noImages
(If you are and avid knitter, and own a iPhone or Ipod Touch, there is a FREE Lion Brand Yarns app that has tons of FREE patterns)


The Pattern:

PATTERN STITCH Lace Pattern (multiple of 16 sts + 1)
Row 1 and all wrong side rows: Purl.
Row 2: Ssk, *yo, k2, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, sk2p, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k2, yo, sk2p; rep from *, end last rep with k2tog instead of sk2p.
Row 4: Ssk, *k3, yo, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, ssk, yo, k3, sk2p; rep from *, end last rep with k2tog instead of sk2p.
Row 6: Ssk, *(k2, yo) twice, k2tog, k1, ssk, (yo, k2) twice, sk2p; rep from *, end last rep with k2tog instead of sk2p.
Row 8: Ssk, *k1, yo, k3, yo, k2tog, k1, ssk, yo, k3, yo, k1, sk2p; rep from *, end last rep with k2tog, instead of sk2p.
Rep Rows 1-8 for Lace Pattern.


IMPORTANT NOTEWhen working RS rows, the FINAL repeat of the Lace Pattern St ends with a single decrease of k2tog (worked over 2 sts) instead of a double decrease of sk2p (worked over 3 sts).


STITCH EXPLANATION:

sk2p Slip 1 as if to knit, k2tog, pass slipped stitch over – 2 sts decreased.

ssk (slip, slip, knit) Slip next 2 sts as if to knit, one at a time to right needle, insert left needle into fronts of these 2 sts and knit them together – 1 st decreased.

I am in LOVE

I am completely in love with my insane dog. Not in any strage or really annoying way (though I may talk about her a little too much sometimes), but I am in love with her. She has the biggest personality I have ever seen (and that's including humans, too.)
Anyway, here are some pictures of this insane dog

Even though she may be insane, she is also insanely cute!!

Finally!...

... I have pictures of my first kniting project. I finished it a few weeks ago, but had to hold off on the pictures because I had no camera to take them. Well, I finally snagged a friend's camera, an voila! we have pics.












What Do you think? I am proud of it. If you want to let me know, there is a poll you can take! Completely anyonomus, but I promise I wouldn't hold it against you anyway!

You Use Them For Eating But,...

what else can they be used for? Confused? Asking yourself just what the heck am I talking about? Plates, of course. I recently came across a few pictures of plates that were used for decorating and I thought "What a good idea!" I know it's not anything new, but, let's face it, plates are putting themselves back on the wall. Not only that, they are turning themselves into clocks, and serving the mail!

Think you'll try it?

Spelling With Your Furniture

I was bored and on the computer, so I started looking for something to play. My game of chioce- Scrabble, the word game. while searching for a good spelling space that was also free, I came across these pillows. I thought they were innovative, but very humorous, and thus, I had to tell you about it.
I personally love the 'Me & U' but, alas, I'm not sure if it is enticing enough to use in my own home.

The Weight Issue

This post is a knd-of How-To. Today I was watching the Rachel Ray show, where they were talking about weight, and tips on how to loose it. Rachel had Dr. Ian Smith (Celebrity Fit Club, The 4 Day Diet), who talked about his tips on how to loose weight. I quickly grabbed my notebook to weite them down:

And, I decided to share them with you because I know that you probably would like to loose weight (don't be scared to admit it, almost everyone does!) and because I love you THAT much.

So here they are:

*If your mind is in it, then your body will follow. You have to have the right mind set when it comes to weight loss, or really any lifestyle change. If you don't, you will not see the results you want.

*Portion Control. One main problem most people have is that their portions are too big. The Portion Rule: leave atleast 1" around the plate and don't let your food go higher than 1 1/2". OR use a salad plate instead of a entree plate. (they are naturally smaller, so you don't have to look funny measuring you food!)

*Good Ol' H2O. Dr. Ian gave us some insight into how the stomach works. When you eat, the stomach stretches, and when it has stretched to the max, it sends your brain a message saying 'I'm Full.' The Tip: Drink a glass of water before you eat, have your meal (using the portion control methods), and then have another glass of water. That way you are stretching your stomach for fewer calories!

*Colour Variety. Dr. Ian broke food down into colour, saying that you should eat more of the Rainbow (orange, red, blue, green), that give you essential vitamans and minerals and the Browns (wheat bread, brown rice, wheat noodles, sweet potatoes) that give you the multi- and whole grains. You should eat less of the Whites (white bread, white rice, noodles, and potatoes) that are made with enriched flour, and have less fiber and more calories.

And Finally:

*Change your diet every 3 to 4 days (like your workouts) that way you won't have Food Boredom and you burn more calories because your body never gets adjusted to eating the same foods.
I think that these are pretty good tips and because I am trying to loose that weight for summer, I will def try them!
And I must say, the best thing about these weight loss tips was the home-made pizza I was eating while watching!!

The Beginning

This is where the journey begins.Hello to anyone out there reading this blog. I'll start out to say, this is my first bog, ever. So, any advice is helpful and welcome. I'm not sure what the outcome of this blog will be, but I hope it will be a good one. (a bit cheesy perhaps? o well!)
I recently started to knit, as in two weeks ago. After I finished my first project, I was looking for patterns to begin a new project. I noticed most patterns came off of 'craftblogs.' Thats when it struck me to possibly start a 'craft blog' of my own. I let it fester for a few days, until I finally convinced myself, and here we are. Or, at least, here I am.
In my head, this blog was going to be a knitting blog, since that is what I am newly obssesed with (not kidding, every spare minute in front of the t.v., I am knitting), but, as the weeks went on, and I kept looking at the various 'craft blogs,' i started to realize that my blog should be about being creative, not just in knitting, but in every way. So, that is what it has, and is, growing into. Anything Creative- Food, Interior design, Music, Art, Travel, Movies, and Crafts. Mostly DIY (so I can try it ;), some fashion, and non-DIY art that I think is fabulous. But why not go a step further, and add in How-to's I come across and feel that urge to tell someone?