The Longest Year in History

was 1972.

Remember the power of three? It's happening again, this time with the year 1972.

First off - Moody Blues, Nights in White Satin - a song I thought, from the very first day I heard remembering hearing it, was a cheesy 70s rambling poem song about King Arthur, so I paid no attention to it. Anyway, it popped up at me on the weekend, and I took the time to listen to the lyrics - which are everything but knights in white satin. 

New old favourite!

Then, I was looking at old Honda motorbikes online and came across this vintage ad from 1972. The truck and camper (and mini bike) equate to the elimination of the living in a van down by the river scenario created by the Vancouver rental pool.

Finally, Tuesday night I was looking at residential architecture and up pops this beauty. West Vancouver's Helmut Eppich house designed in 1972 by Arthur Erickson Architects (and sold in 2010 for $4.8 million.)

On this Day in 2008

When I originally posted this piece, five years,  ago MCA - Adam Yauch (my favourite Beastie) was still with us. Such a loss.

Matteo Pericoli's Grammy nominated album design

Beastie Boys - To the 5 Boroughs

I loved pop up books as a child.

When I recently discovered that the artist of one of my favourite album covers was also a published author, designer and architect I had to dig deeper.

Matteo Pericoli captures New York City in pen and ink. His first published book, Manhattan Unfurled, Random House (2001) contains fifteen hundred buildings and nineteen bridges that unfold into two 37 foot scrolls of the East and West Sides of the Manhattan skyline. A young person's version is also available under the title, See the City: the journey of Manhattan Unfurled, Knopf for Young Readers (2004). In this version, Pericoli adds simple text and hand-drawn labels, telling young readers how he created his drawing. He also encourages kids to 'draw everything'.

Manhattan Unfurled Random House (2001)

In 2007, Pericoli completed Skyline of the World, a 397 foot panoramic mural for American Airlines' new International Terminal at JFK.

Skyline of the World

photo USA Today

Born in Milan, Matteo Pericoli currently teaches illustration and architecture at Saint Ann's School in Brooklyn, NY.

This makes me want to shoot one of me and my bff

It would be pretty hilarious.

Currently on Rotation in My Car

Seriously, ever try belly dancing while seated?

Rough Guide to Bellydance

I just wanted to taste it first

I'm not one of these people that download just one song, I like to get the whole album and by album I mean something that I can hold on to. However, I must admit that after Apple got a hold of Feist I didn't want to buy, let alone listen, to another one of her albums. I'd heard the single from her fourth album, The Bad in Each Other, on CBC awhile ago and it grew on me but I still didn't want to buy her album. Well, Feist won the good ole Canadian Polaris prize (30K) for best album last night. To celebrate the win, CBC is streaming the entire Metals album until September 27th - for free. Thanks CBC and thanks Feist for getting back to your roots - and also for letting CBC stream your album. I'll go buy it now. Let's leave shadow play to the theatre.
Listen to Metals until September 27th here.

Currently Listening To

The Pentangle Basket of Light

Currently Listening To

So, last night I was sitting in the fireplace room with one ear to CBC Radio 2 and one ear to YouTube when I heard what I thought was some new, bearded, Vancouver super group (CBC was airing a Canadian music show). Imagine my surprise - and relief, as super group is not in my vocabulary - that it was actually a single from the Beach Boy Dennis Wilson (the hot one, that drowned). River Song is off of Wilson's only solo album, Pacific Ocean Blue, released in 1977 (yes, the same release year as Star Wars and 20 years before the release of Auto-Tune).

Go give a listen to 'the saddest three minutes in the history of pop music'.

Currently listening to

- call the video a study in what you will culture (I don't say that word anymore).

Last Weekend

Picked up this vintage silk screen for our washroom at the highly anticipated annual 

West Vancouver Seniors' Flea Market.

25¢ for a Kosta Boda Zoo owl.

I'm very happy with this score from the WVS Flea Market. The images were on opposite ends of the table, but I spotted them. Voila! A mountaintop panorama—and yes, they're real photos.

Wild Alaskan Halibut season has begun! We poached halibut with ginger and avocado and served coconut jasmine rice as a side. We paired it with a Pinot Blanc. 

More food goodness! The BCLDB released their Spring edition of Taste magazine. Who has picked this free magazine up? You know how good it is.

I first saw Bandit last Thursday night when we were walking home from dinner. He has the cutest sideways scamper. I was lucky enough to run into him and his pal taking a walk on Saturday afternoon. It turns out Bandit is paralyzed. He was trying to befriend a deer on Bowen Island when the deer stomped on his back, breaking it. That was four years ago. Bandit is eight. He can't move his back legs, so his paws drag, hence the booties. I hope to run into Bandit more in the neighbourhood. He has such a good spirit!

Bandit

vintage Pyrex percolator coffee pot and Pyrex glass teapot

If you've been reading Bijou Living for a while, you know how much I love my coffee and my coffee maker. Whenever I find these vintage Pyrex percolators, I have to buy them—just in case I break one of mine, I'll have a backup. I bought these two at a yard sale on Saturday. The teapot has such a great design. $20 for both.

Weekend listening. Willie Nelson, Red Headed Stranger, 1975. 

Favourite track? Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain.

These two have been living in our neighbourhood for a few years now—actually, they live next door. Last summer, one scooped up a dog from the sea walk. On Thursday, I opened my curtains to see one dive bomb and fly off with an unsuspecting seagull from the building next door. It was not a sight I wanted to see. I've heard rumblings around the building within the last 24 hours that a dog may have been scooped up again last weekend. 

Great, now I'll have anxiety strolling the seawalk.

Quote of the Week - Keith Richards

Source: bohogypsygirl.tumblr.com via Stacy on Pinterest

If you don't know the blues...
there's no point in picking up the guitar and playing rock and roll or any other form of popular music.

Currently Listening To

Last night I was looking for a video of Dinah Washington singing, Baby Did You Hear Me? All I could find were cheesy remixes. As a last resort I tried rcrdlbl. Do you ever go there just to read the awesome band names? While looking for Dinah, I came to the conclusion that David Dead Deer should compose a new album, Ghost Wolf of the Panda Woodland.
Okay, Verve, I will now go and purchase Dinah's single.

6 Things I Got Into in 2011

rollerblading, Nickelback, spandex, iCulture, cow print, Charlie Sheen.
You know I'm joking, right?

1. Lindeman's Framboise Lambic
2. Doubling my 1967 Tias Eckhoff for Lundtofte collection.

3. Vintage dinner napkins because new ones feel disgusting on one's skin.
4. Organic Blackstrap Molasses (unsulphured) - In late June I found out I was anemic. My get back to health regime included a morning dose of Floravital, Megafood - Blood Builder, and Chewable Vitamin C ; which was followed in the afternoon by one big spoon of blackstrap molasses in a cup of warm unsweetened almond milk. It worked, I am now attractive to Vampires again.

5. smashing, melting and refrigerating

6. Definitely not a new fixation but I finally found a record player (a cool enough for the MoMa vintage Bang & Olufsen Beocenter 7000 I may add) and pulled out all the old Zeppelin - which is so much better on vinyl.

Currently Listening To - Bert Jansch

Currently Listening To

Tickle the Invisible

Skeletelepathic


Mind Mountain

Reminds me of Nothing's Shocking era Jane's Addiction.

Weird Owl - from Brooklyn NY. Two free downloads at RCRDLBL or you can buy their limited edition purple vinyl here, and I think I just might.

Style Inspiration

Pete Townshend and Paul Weller - 1980
Paolo Hewitt joined in the shot with a snazzy outfit later
© Janette Beckman

What am I listening to?

something dirty.

that was not inspired by this



or this




it's this:

let me enfold you

Tim buckley - song to the siren subtitulos by musicaenvo
Long afloat on shipless oceans
I did all my best to smile
'til your singing eyes and fingers
Drew me loving to your isle
And you sang
Sail to me
Sail to me
Let me enfold you
Here I am
Here I am
Waiting to hold you

Did I dream you dreamed about me?
Were you hare when I was fox?
Now my foolish boat is leaning
Broken lovelorn on your rocks,
For you sing, 'touch me not, touch me not, come back tomorrow:
O my heart, o my heart shies from the sorrow'

I am puzzled as the oyster
I am troubled at the tide:
Should I stand amid the breakers?
Should I lie with death my bride?
Hear me sing, 'swim to me, swim to me, let me enfold you:
Here I am, here I am, waiting to hold you'

Currently listening to...

Santigold
I have no idea if it's Santogold or Santigold. Whatever. The song is Go featuring Karen O from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs

listen here:



or on YouTube

Currently Listening To

Grinderman 2
download it here

The Spa Channel is Rather Intense on a Saturday Night