Recently in Guest Writers Category

I was at the library the other day multitasking.
Because that's what libraries are for, right?

Writing recipes, looking for design inspiration while simultaneously reading TITANIC TRUCKS to the boy running through the stacked aisles. I was beginning to think that a vacation might be something to consider when all of the sudden books started screaming and jumping off the shelves -- dangerously missing my head... I grabbed Will and dove under the nearest table. The piles of books surrounded us as one manuscript fell open at my knees... it was Poe, "I am above the weakness of seeking to establish a sequence of cause and effect, between the disaster and the atrocity." It was then that I realized that something needed to be done immediately... Because I have reached the final point, and this is it. I am dangerously approaching the end of my blogging quota.

Visualize this to be like filling a water balloon to capacity or eating copious amounts of McDonald's like this guy did a few years ago... only to result in weight gain, heart disease, ulcers and bad skin.... because what did he think was going to happen? I wonder if he wishes that he could go back and undo -- kind of like going back and picking through - deleting the bad blog posts while copying and saving the good ones for republishing possibilities... revitalizing the QUOTA. But oh the HUMANITY.

I started For the Birds on August 22, 2008. It was a slow start... and, although I never intended for this blog to turn into what it is now... it has been a journey like no other... similar to swimming across the Atlantic or leaving the space shuttle mid-universe to test out that gravity theory... floating aimlessly into DEEP SPACE. And if you know what this blog is about, then you're a hair-slight more genius than I, because I lost track a LOOOONG time ago. But I am missing the point.

What I am trying to inch out there is that I am now starting the tedious task of going back, judging myself and then deciding who gets to stay and who gets to go hang out at the pearly gates of archival heaven. But what do you think? If you are here, reading this right now -- If you wouldn't mind turning time off for a few minutes and letting me know if there are any posts that must stay live... Because beyond self-inflicted torture, I am my own souvenir. And I'm sure that isn't the first time I've said that.   

Yay! February!
January was a doozie, right? Well - time to move on. This month we are trying out a few new things at FTB - including calling it FTB, not to be confused with the notorious OTB but in commonplace with OCD as well as CO'D--Isn't he just dreamy. At any rate. A few new things are happening here at FTB - more reader interviews, more products and more design... yes. more more more. So without hesitation to kick things off, I reached out to my product guru Mari... she's Ma-aaarrrr-va-lous.... sorry, I couldn't help it. Here we go - LET THEM LOOSE!

When Ry asked me to do some regular posts on products it was perfect timing. (She begged, you know, it was pretty sad to see her so desperate for my brilliant expertise and witty posts How could I say no?) I'm a mom and a shopper with no disposable income. So any money I spend tends to go towards my baby birdie. For myself, I've found one of the best ways to get it out of my system is to gather my favorite picks together in an online shopping cart and walk away. All the thrill with none of the regret! Now, I can do that right here. You can look forward to products that are high on individuality, but almost always low on price. Because though I LOVE fine things, and definitely have champagne tastes, I think I'd have a heart attack if I spent $100 on just one thing. This week's binge is courtesy of Etsy.

The Random Five:

1. Forest Wooden Bird Necklace, $10
2. Cherry Kimono Kanzashi Flower Hair Clip, $23
3. Orange Blossom Small Corsage Brooch, $25
4. Lost Lucy Formica Painting, $35
5. Beige Felt Hat with curls, $69

Side note... Ry bought the Orange Blossom Small Corsage Brooch and plans to wear it among her layers of black. But what is one hint of color? Let's watch - she just might implode.

Guest Bird #11 - Melissa

Melissa Siig is a freelance writer and mother of 2.5 kids living the dream in a small mountain town in California. She blogs about life's crazy adventures at MountainMommaMusings.com.

It was the drink's name that got us into trouble. "Dew Drop." Vodka, splash of sparkling wine, fresh grape juice, and something called St. Germain. The latter ingredient was what really got our attention. What was it?  We were intrigued. While our table pondered the possibilities, the restaurant owner overheard us and came running over, very excited. He was dressed like a movie star, with a purple velvet sports jacket, a white shirt with not many buttons buttoned, and a few silver chains. I couldn't place his accent - Australian, South African?

"St. Germain? You really must try it. Made from ElderFlower. It's fabulous," he said excitedly, adding that the drink was imported from France but created by an American right here in Colorado. All the bar shelves in Aspen restaurants were stocked with it. I guess it was the drink of the moment.

He offered us a taste. Of course, we couldn't refuse anything free in this overly-priced town.

The bar manager brought over a small glass with a clear liquor in it. It smelled like spring-time, like apples and melon. Delicious. Yes, of course, we would have a round. Mine arrived in a martini glass, with two green grapes floating on the bottom where olives normally rest. But Siig's was different. His came in a big tumbler and was more bubbly. Our new BFF Lauren the bar-manager came over and looked at the drinks, her pierced tongue clucking unapprovingly. Turns out none of them was actually the real Dew Drop. They were "alternatives." Apparently, the bartender had already had one too many drinks of his own, even forgetting a key ingredient in my cousin's mojito, which tasted like bland soda water mixed with mint.

But we were quite enjoying our "mistakes." It had the desired effects. Soon, our table was rolling with laughter. I swear I saw a 70-year old proper woman at the table next to us sucking on the fingers of the man next to her; my cousin Jordan stole my mom's cell phone and started texting her boyfriend. "What are you wearing?" he wrote covertly. The answer came back: "White shirt and jeans. What are you wearing?" When he responded: "leopard-print thong" the gig was up. I guess that particular item is not in my mom's panties' drawer.

Then we started doing the ChaCha. No, not the dance. It's a number you text to find the answer to any question. We started writing: "Who is Melissa Siig?" Answer: "Sorry, no one of importance. We have no answer for you."

Ouch. And here I thought I was a world famous blogger. Nothing like technology to put you in your place.

As we left the Wild Fig giggling, our heads swimming with the sweet scent of white grapes and ElderFlower, the acid jazz and electronic music of the French band St. Germain played above our heads on the loud speakers.  I guess we hadn't so much gotten into trouble (unless you count my middle-of-the-night headache) as stumbled into synchronicity.

Let me preface this entry by making a huge excuse for the spoilage of my son, Will. Aside from his inherent awesomeness and beyond this planet cuteness, he is also currently the only Grandson with one set of Grandparents, and a 3rd Grandchild to the other set. He is also a Nephew to my two sisters and my husband's siblings - two sisters and a brother... not to mention the endless sea of extended family that we all love and adore. Then there are the friends... Wow, we sound like the most popular kids in school, right? Not.

In Will's vast lifetime of 2 years... I think that Mr. Sal and I have purchased--at the most--10% of his belongings... toys and clothing... All the rest have been bestowed upon us by our loving collection of friends and family... The toys that have truly turned our home into a playhouse... and the clothing... MY GOD THE CLOTHING. Honestly, we love it... so if you are reading this... please DO NOT STOP... But during the holidays... it does beg the question as parents... What to buy?... I turned to Mari @ Small for Big, a friend that I am stalking whose website I am slightly obsessed with... I love Mari's picks because the items are all dollar friendly, somewhat green and are usually created with an AWESOME design sense... I might just buy a few things for myself to display as our Holiday centerpiece.. Regardless, I'm sure by the end of this list I will have spent it all--sorry to the rest, it's all for Will this year... Take it away Mari!...

When I sent out my request to help shop for the kids dear to you this holiday season, little did I realize Ry's response would be: "what do I get for the boy who has everything?" Hmm. That's one of those tough ones isn't it. And with the grandparents' tendencies to spoil kids rotten (we love it though, right?) I think the phenomenon is pretty common.

So, I thought I'd help her out with some of my favorites for a 2 year old boy who happens to like trucks, trains, blocks puzzles, and balls. There's something in every price range here - and some great things for girls too.

Magic Gertie Ball - Many parents already know the wonders of the easy to grasp, easy to inflate Gertie Ball.  But the Magic Gertie is special - remember Hypercolor clothes in the 80's? It's baaaaaack.  (This is much better than my HS choir teacher and his hypercolor shorts. Not Kidding.)

Stacking Cone - An Act Two twist on the classic stacker - it's definitely harder than your standard version - for the puzzler side of Mr. Will.

Billibo - A toy beyond explanations. Because it's creative potential is best unlocked by a kid (hat? Rocker? Pail? Sled? Something never seen before?) This one made Small for Big's theWANTlists this year.

Dexterity Stellina Color Sorting Puzzle - Mr. Will can find hours of puzzling choices with this crazy star-shaped shape/size/color sorter.

Douglas, from Monster Factory - Because every single monster at the Monster Factory is worthy of Mr. Will's love, but I could only pick one.


Switchback Racetrack -  A vertical way to get your fix of racing, crashing, and little boys' squealing.


Dalmation's Choice Fire Engine - The Cadillac (sorry, fire truck) of ride-ons. It's a retro classic to keep for the grandchildren. It has to be for that price.

Thanks Mari!--To follow up, en-route to our house via Santa's sled (PS did you know that if Santa actually went as fast as he would have to go to reach all the children of the world in one night, his sled would burst into flames? sorry.)...

• Billibo - I'm just so curious to see how Will approaches this thing...
• Dexterity Stellina Color Sorting Puzzle - He loves puzzles!...
• Switchback Racetrack - Hours of predictable fun...
• Douglas, from Monster Factory - Honestly... ALL FOR ME, ALL ME - do you think Douglas drinks? Kinda looks like a Patrón man... shots anyone?
  

Guest Bird #10 - Mari

Remember my post on the Master Schedule? I neglected to mention that my biggest hurdle to actually following through with anything is my acute case of anti-willpower. It's been plaguing me for years. I think a lot of those years the lazy bug stemmed from doing too much - I was working full-time, making art in my studio part-time, and an adjunct faculty teaching college courses part-time. And I lived 40 minutes away from all of it. I was overloaded, and it meant that I was never interested in doing any of the things I'd committed myself to do - because there was no commitment left in me.

The cheesy way to put it? I was losing any passion for what I was doing.

Luckily, it appears that working for myself is restoring my gumption. The Master Schedule - picking one main project to focus on each day of the week - works. Mostly. When I have an idea on Blog Monday that belongs with Art Wednesday, all I have to do is write it down for Wednesday (a tabbed notebook is KEY). There's less paralysis over what priority is next. Plus, at the end of the week, I can actually see what I've accomplished on a daily basis. It does require flexibility. The week I devoted to Small for Big's theWANTlists 2009? Well, it took all 5 days and the weekend. But I also knew I had dedicated time for each neglected project coming the following week - when I returned to the Master Schedule. Regrettably, some things don't change. I still have to answer Freelance Tuesday's emails even if it's Etsy Thursday. And no matter what, when Baby Cries it's Baby Day. She definitely forces me to be more realistic with my to-do lists. But the best part? I find myself willingly going back to get something done because I know it's my only chance that week. I thought that part of me was long gone.



However, I am finding that if I push myself too hard, the burnout returns. I've been feeling it the last couple of days. Suddenly, all I want to do is be mom (nothing wrong with that, is there!) and knit someone else's designs - mindlessly. The long and the short of it is this. Even when I'm doing what I love, I need to find a way to reward myself and rest. So the cliches about finding your passion have to be balanced with the other clichés about everything in moderation. So, apparently, I have to listen to all those kitschy signs and sayings? Ugh.

Mari (rhyme that with Atari, not Gary) is a full time Mom that owns and operates a huge for small blog called Small for Big, crafts like nobody's business and stalks Martha in her spare time. She is also an accomplished artist and freelance designer. Heck, is there anything that Mari can't do?

This is Mari's second For the Birds landing. Click here to read her first post.

Guest Bird #8  - Stefan

Stefan Lanfer blogs about fatherhood at dadtoday.com and recently published a book for dads to be, The Faith of a Child and Other Stories of Becoming and Being Dad.

I have been a bike commuter through rain, snow, sleet, and hail, since I was a kid -
first to North Mianus in Cos Cob, Connecticut then to the OG School on my BMX,
then to Eastern Junior High on my Fuji 10-speed (stolen),
later to classes in Hanover, NH on my Marin Bobcat Trail (stolen) then on dad's white Fuji,
then to work at the Limo House Medical Clinic in Eldoret Kenya on a 10,000 lb steel frame one-speed monster.
When I got back to the US, I biked with my friend Keith from Capital Hill to Georgetown and Paolo's Restaurant in Washington, DC.
Then, in my year as an intern with the Seattle Repertory Theatre, I biked from the U-district to Seattle Center on the Burke Gilman Trail,
Then, in New Haven, CT, from 13 Pleasant Street to Long Wharf Theatre, where I worked amid the loading docks of the sausage packers and chicken hackers and the raw-chicken-scrap ice pile out back with the seagull swarm.
 
For eight years now, I have biked zig zags through every part of Boston -
rated three times the country's worst biking city,
though with our just reelected to a fifth term Mayor taking to biking,
and sticking to biking - despite getting hit by a city employee driving to work (not fired),
and hiring a bike Czar, things are starting to improve.
 
They improved a lot for me two months ago,
when I started hauling this cute pair.
 

Though at times, hauling them up hills
in my lowest gear at 3 miles per hour,
leaning forward so my front tire doesn't lift off the ground,
I get to feel a bit like a pack animal,
but I also can't help but notice some remarkable changes -

less honking
less flipping me off
more waving me by,
fewer expletives,
more smiles,
more talking...
"Aww!"
"How cute!"
"That's the way to ride!  You got room for me in there?"
 
And MUCH less heckling -
like my lasting favorite,
from a mid-day ride down Washington Ave from Roxbury Preparatory Charter School back to our Dorchester office of the Project for School Innovation - "GET A CAR, ***HOLE!"
 
More grace
more joy
more connection with random random strangers,
like yesterday morning, as we biked past Java Joe's,
a scraggly scruffy guy with coffee in one hand stood on his tip toes and reached his other hand and cigarette as high as he could over his head,
"Sorry for the smoke," he said, an apologetic, not quite awake morning grovel.
 
 It's a different world.

Guest Bird #7  - Sylvia

If you're not familiar with Palm Springs weather, check out last month's warm temperatures!
 
Water has always been an important theme in the Palm Springs area, for the beauty as well as the cooling effect.  At last count, there were said to be over 30,000 swimming pools in the Coachella Valley.  I have chosen the most interesting residential pools to share with you...

Guest Bird #6 - Jillian

Hello everyone,
I have a Blog titled, Is Dis Normal or Dysfunctional and it humorously documents the ironic reality of what happens when you mix true love with children and family living in Aspen, Colorado.

I hope that you enjoy my post and if you want more from where that came from, I would love to have you stop by my website which can be found at: http://isdisnormal.com.

Guest Bird #5 - Mari

I'm Mari (rhyme that with Atari, not Gary, thank you). I'm so happy to have a place to ramble on and on and on and on, without having to post about the things I post about at my usual blog - Small for Big. Hope you're ready for that Ry!  



I've been looking forward to writing a post for days, but I keep running out of time - or more importantly, I keep forgetting it because of all the other random little things that take up my time. They keep pushing the writing aside. So now that I'm actually pushing all the other things aside, it seemed appropriate to write about the random business that is my life.  

I mean, come on, I no longer have a day job! (lost that to a lay off in April) I should have oodles of time! The problem is, I forget to account for the 10 month old nipping at my heels. Ok, she's a baby not a puppy, but she does nip at everything. My daughter is definitely a time-muncher. In my new life as a Work-At-Home-Mom (though the work is rather sporadic, see above) I've been eating up interviews with other Designer/Etsy/Artsy moms who all seem to agree: when your children are awake, your focus is on them. I agree, in theory. But in practice there's always one more email, one more website, a little more to draw, and on my lazy days, a bit more TV to watch. The bigger issue is my Over Achiever brain (I blame that tendency on my liberal arts Undergraduate Degree) (and of course I said Undergraduate because I'm an OA and I also have a Graduate Degree). As an OA, I forget about the reality of the day's schedule and assume I can get 10 things done. Instead, I should be choosing 1. Then, at 10:30 PM when I finally decide to give in and watch some bad Conan O'Brien (and I think he's getting worse) I might actually be able to say I accomplished something.  

I had an old boss who used to email herself the top 5 things she'd accomplished at the end of every week. She used them as a record for reviews later on. But when I managed to copy her practice for a couple of months, I found it actually helped me remember what I'd been doing. Actually, as I think about it, I'd bet a lot of my "time management" issues stem from my inability to remember anything.  

Anyway, the end of all of this rambling is this. I've decided to try out a "master" schedule.  Because the larger problem - larger than over-scheduling my days - is that it appears I've chosen to focus on 5 different career paths. Blogger, Freelance Designer, Artist, (future) Etsy Shop Owner, and Mom. We'll analyze the feasibility of that at another time. Given that the work week has 5 days in it, I've decided to pick a focus for each day. In the order listed above. Obviously I'll still be all of those things - Mom in particular - on all of those days, but let's see if choosing one thing at a time can help me make some progress. I'll let you know how it's going.

Guest Bird #4  - Sylvia

Palm Springs is in the Coachella Valley (in the desert) about 100 miles east of Los Angeles.  It's hot -- it was in the 80's or 90's every day in October, and it rarely rains!  It does get up to 115 degrees in the summer, so most people do not live here year-round.
 
Palm Springs was sparsely populated until the arrival of air conditioning in the 1940's!  Then it became a hotspot where Hollywood came to play.  The town really kicked into cocktail hour in the late 1940's and 1950's when Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Lucille Ball (our friend Susie owns Lucille Ball's former home in Thunderbird Country Club), Cary Grant, Clark Gable, Jack Benny, the Gabor sisters, Red Skelton, Dinah Shore, Liberace, and Kirk Douglas moved in.  Some of these entertainers would "break in" their routines at clubs here, before headlining the showrooms of Las Vegas.  Palm Springs was the ideal escape -- at the time it was a dusty 4-hour drive from Los Angeles and inaccessible enough that there were few paparazzi...  In the 1950's golf took over, and many people lived inside "country clubs", which turns out to be a great idea NOWADAYS (good security, private, quiet, safe, etc.)


These affluent vacationers wanted their second homes to be beautiful and different.  Wood disintegrates in the desert, so the architects who came here started designing homes with glass, stone, steel, and concrete.  They wanted differing rooflines:  curvy, butterfly, zig-zag, pointy.  And, they wanted transparency between being "indoors" and "outdoors", lots of skylights, and interior spaces more "open" and minimal.  Thus the architectural style known as "Palm Springs Modern" was born, also referred to as Mid-Century Modern.  Palm Springs Modernism reflects Hollywood, tourism, the desert, and wealth.  Similar forces existed in Los Angeles, but in Palm Springs they were concentrated in a small, isolated area.  The architects who subsequently became famous for this innovative, daring, unique style are:  Richard Neutra, A. Quincy Jones, Paul R. Williams, Albert Frey, E. Stewart Williams, William Cody, Donald Wexler, Palmer and Krisel, and John Lautner.
 
Palm Springs has recently developed a dedicated group of modern preservationists, as many of the mid-century homes were to be knocked down.  In 2002, the 1963 Maslon House at Tamarisk Country Club, one of only three homes in the area designed by Neutra, was demolished and this ignited American Modern preservation in Palm Springs.  My in-laws (members of Tamarisk Country Club) were very close friends of the Maslons, and spent a LOT of time at this house.  In 1960, Samuel and Luella Maslon started working very closely with Richard Neutra to design a house to hold their extensive contemporary art collection.  The property was two acres (the Maslon's purchased THREE lots), it was on the fairway, and it had a very desirable mountain view.  After Sam and Luella died, their heirs put the house up for sale.  It was purchased in 2002 by Richard Rotenberg for $2.45 million.  About 30 days later, my mother-in-law was playing golf at Tamarisk.  When she got to the 12th hole, she saw to her complete horror -- the Maslon house was being torn down.  She immediately stopped playing golf, ran home, and called the Maslon's daughter (an attorney in Boston) to inform her of what she had just seen.  The daughter said, "The buyer PROMISED to keep the house intact."  My mother-in-law said, "Did you get that in writing?"  The response was, "No, it was on a hand-shake."  I can't remember what my mother-in-law said next, but the Maslon's daughter hasn't spoken to her since!
 
For some fascinating reading about presidents and celebrities and their homes in Palm Springs, read excerpts here from:  Palm Springs Legends: Creation of a Desert Oasis (start with Chapter 29 and keep reading!)
 
When viewing the photos below, please hover your mouse over the word "Notes" on the lower right side, so that you'll be able to see the descriptions!



Great books I recommend:

• Julius Shulman: Palm Springs
• Palm Springs Weekend: The Architecture and Design of a Midcentury Oasis
• Palm Springs Modern

 
Palm Springs Modern links:

• 2010 Palm Springs Modernism Week
• 2010 Palm Springs Modernism Show & Sale
• The Palm Springs Modern Committee
• Palm Springs Preservation Foundation
• Palm Springs Art Museum:  Architecture and Design Council

Sylvia grew up in central California, spent 20+ years working in Manhattan, and is currently trying to sell her New York house--located in Hamptons. You can connect with Sylvia, a Diva at Networking, via http://twitter.com/SylviaEnder and http://www.linkedin.com/in/SylviaEnder.

This is Sylvia's second For the Birds Landing. You can find her first post here.