Vintage Peacock Chair - Emmanuelle Chair

I was probably around twelve when I first saw this image of Marilyn Monroe taken by Milton H. Greene.

Since then, I've wanted one of those wicker chairs - well a peacock chair to be exact - they just look so cool every time I see one in a photo.

Back in the winter of this year I bought one off Craigslist for $25. Damn right it looks cool, but that's about it. The only type of chair I can think of that is as close to as uncomfortable as this type are those plastic white slatted folding outdoor chairs (like this).

 See blondie there in the white sweater? That just about sums up me sitting on the chair!

At least Flo finds it comfortable.

How to Harvest Basil

This one's going to flower soon.  Harvest before it flowers.

via stacy reynaud

Our basil is out of control. To think I never wanted to plant any because I thought I'd end up eating it all in one shot. To get the most out of your basil harvest, here's what to do.

It's best to harvest before the herb flowers as this is when it contains those delicious fragrant oils. Who doesn't love the smell of fresh basil?

1. Start from the bottom of the plant and count up four sets of leaves. When you reach four, snip off the top two. If your plant already has more than four, then pinch off 33% of it. Snip or pinch right above the little leaves that are growing opposite each other. This tells the little guys to keep growing.

2. Once each new branch develops four sets of alternating leaves, pinch them off.  Keep up with this routine until the plant is about a foot tall. By then you'll have a nice bushy plant keen to supply you with enough basil gimlet goodness all summer.

3. To keep your basil through winter, dry it either in a food dehydrator (we have the Nesco Gardenmaster) or air-hang dry it (not in direct sunlight) and put it in an airtight mason jar.

Now, onto our Lemon Verbena plant!

For more in-depth info, check out the post on Vegetarian Times.

This Song | This Color | This Photo

You know those times when you're bombarded with something so much in such a short period of time? Well, over the past 24 hrs I've had three things do it to me.

This color I posted about yesterday,

this song

and this image.

Explanations? Thoughts? Willful exaggerations?

A Green Blue Turquoise Wall Thing

Confession -  I have an issue differentiating between blue and green. Hence, whatever you call this wall colour, I like it. Personally, I wouldn't use it on my walls because I'm too moody for blue (?) - however, my rock star turned designer guy friend Ryan used it in his bedroom and loves it.

I lied. I'd have this bathroom any day - remember my dream of having a window in my shower?

images: mine, bohemian homes, inspire bohemia, Florence Welch's living room in Vogue Living, Shelley Freedman, Velvet and Linen

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Wittgenstein has got it going on

Everything that can be thought at all can be thought clearly. Everything that can be said can be said clearly. 

Ludwig Wittgenstein, Tractatus Logico Philosophicus

Irrefutable Mens Shorts

I'm a leg woman. I can look beyond Magnum's mustache.

Bjorn Borg
Paul Newman
Robert Redford Paul Newman
The Rolling Stones

For the Price of Gold | Put a Bird on It

For close to half an ounce of gold you could buy this Isabel Marant dress.  She did, after all, put a bird on it.

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.

Chair Love - Oscar Niemeyer Rio Chaise Lounge

So Oscar Niemeyer made cool furniture and buildings? Of course, he did. It seems like most architects are budding furniture designers as well (Frank Lloyd Wright, Ron Thom). Niemeyer passed away in December 2012, 10 days short of his 105th birthday.

The Rio Chaise Lounge was designed in 1978 in collaboration with his daughter, Anna Maria Niemeyer.

It features a bentwood frame, woven cane seat, and a leather headrest pillow with weighted straps.

The image shown is a 2001 reissue for sale on 1st Dibs.

1978 original for sale at $28,000 in 2013
1978 original sold at auction for $22,000 in 2008
1978 original unsold at auction $5000 in 2003

images © R 20th Century

Going to California

Now, if it was only as easy as putting love in my eyes and flowers in my hair. Next week I'm headed to Huntington Beach, the last time I was in Huntington Beach I was 14. This Canadian, loves the sun but does not do well in the heat. I puff up like a puffer blow fish, don't like wearing skimpy clothes, and as a wonderful woman in NYC said to me, 'Girl, you are the whitest woman I've ever seen'.

Braless in a kaftan, that's it! I own a plethora of those! Alas, if only I were going to a fashion conference and not a technology leadership conference.

Yes, you've assumed correctly, that's me and my atv in the olden days at Pismo Beach Dunes before three wheelers were banned!

6 Things to Do in BC before I Die

Not that I'm planning on departing any time soon, I just don't like the term bucket list.
I was born and raised in the Lower Mainland and there are things that I've always wanted to do but haven't gotten around to.

Come to think of it, I can now see four of these six from my balcony. Nothing like a daily reminder.

1. Ride in one of those really big tug boats
2. Tour the BC Sugar Refinery
3. Hike up The Lions/Sisters
4. Tour the Mascot gold mine in Hedley
5. Go to Haida Gwaii
6. Tour the Port of Vancouver at night

Strawberry Mint Muddle is Not Leningrad Stew - Cocktail Recipe

stacy reynaud

Voila - mushy strawberry mint cocktail!

Ingredients:
1 - 2 ounces white rum
3 big ripe strawberries sliced
3 big fresh mint leaves
2 - 3 tsp. blue agave syrup
Add all ingredients to a rock glass and muddle with a wooden spoon
Add ice cubes
Top with soda and stir
Eliminate the rum if you don't want a boozy version.

Enjoy!

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Momo the Cat and Kevan - the stuff of legends

1. natural disaster
2. suspense
3. human compassion
4. cute quirky Canadian
5. and Momo the cat

Three cheers for Kevan and Momo!

Calgary flood June 21 2013 - a full list of organizations looking for volunteers for the clean up can be found here.

all images © Jordan Verlage/Canadian Press
photo set at CBC

My Kitchen Table

The other day I was catching up on blogs before they disappear from my Google Reader and I came across one from God knows who because now I can't find it! Anyway, it was a post on tables or work spaces or her table or something like that and she asked, 'What does the top of your kitchen table look like?' Well, I took a photo of what my kitchen table looked like just then - and still looks like now but the tabouli has been replaced by oatmeal. Who are you dear blogger? I want to link to your post!

This image reminds me of one of the vocabulary activities I used to give to a beginner ESL class - I gave them a photo and had them identify as many things as they could. Oh, the good old days!

The Luxury Crafstwoman

Popular during the 1960s and 1970s, Italian designer Gabriella Crespi abandoned her career at its height in order to 'settle the inner conflict that had torn her existence forever'. Crespi moved to India in the mid 80s to work with her spiritual advisor Sri Muniraji. In 2008, after nearly two decades of life in India, she worked with Stella McCartney in a limited reissue of five of her jewelery designs from the 70s. The proceeds from the line, which debuted at McCartney's Paris flagship store, were donated to an eye care hospital in the Himalayas.

Gabriella Crespi

Ellisse - Cubo Tondo - Scultura tables

brass - design 1976

table top right $31,250

image Architectural Digest 1979

Essential Coffees That are Dishwasher Safe

Hey, remember this?
Well you can buy it, for a kind of weird function.

Take Me With You | 5 Ways

I won't leave you in the Google Reader graveyard. The reader is toast as of July 1st, 2013. So, to follow my Bijou Living blog with another reader select that orange icon in the right hand column. Flipboard is also a cool platform to use.  Where am I posting when I'm not blogging? May I suggest subscribing to my other social media channels to keep totally up to date with my ramblings? You can do so right here: 

1. Twitter feed
2. Tumblr feed
3. Facebook feed
4. Blog feed
5. Email 

Whatever you choose, please know that I really appreciate you sticking around!

8 Hot Living Rooms

images via arkpad

6 Quotes from My Teens Grow Up

While reading some bad poetry of my youth last night I saw a common theme in quotes I admired from way back when. 

Here are some of my teen faves and how they've grown up:

1. If it's meant to be it will be. Don't just sit there, go and get it!
2. If you love something set it free; if it comes back it's yours, if it doesn't, it never was. I got married.
3. Hang in there, baby! Pull yourself together, damnit! - in Mid-Atlantic English accent
4. If at first you don't succeed, try try again. F*ck it. 
5. Carpe Diem.   
6. I think I can, I think I can.

One of my cousins must've had the cat poster in their bedroom when I was growing up because it remains indelibly etched in my mind.