It’s the first proper day of my Christmas break and it’s been a grand old day. Nothing spectacular but just a nice day.

I’m feeling pretty good about things at the moment, I don’t have to think about work for two whole weeks and I’ve got plenty of stuff on the horizon to keep me out of mischief. I went to a Christmas party hosted by my old work colleagues on Friday. It was so good to see everyone again, bar the crazy dutch bitch (who is still up to her old tricks) everyone I worked with was cool. I aked Heather if I could have the job coming up in April and she told me it’s mine. Sweet. I double checked with my old manager and she’s happy to have me back. Bingo! Sometimes it takes a ramble to see the grass isn’t greener, and if I’m not having to cover last minute shifts and deal with mentalist staff I’m more than happy to go back there.

The rest of the weekend was nicely chilled. I totally lost my voice on Sunday. The dog took full advantage of me not being able to tell her what to do. Trying to entice her away from various wildlife was comedy. I gave up in the end. We came home and lounged under a blankie watching absolute nonsense all day. Take That in concert, Love Actually (never seen it – gave me false hope for half an hour before the lump of coal where my heart should be re-emerged) and other crappy Christmas rubbish. I’m still feeling a bit cack but my voice is back for 60% of the time now.

Today I braved the snow and arctic conditions to go for coffee with Gav and after buying the last of my Christmas presents, ventured into the countryside with the dog. We were out for hours trudging through snowy fields and past frozen lakes. There was no-one around so I got to sing along tunelessly and croakily to my ipod. Got home, cooked a mega chilli and finished off watching Goodfellas before settling down to watch Gremlins.

Before people actually owned video recorders, you could hire them out. As a kid, the local video shop hired out these video recorders that came in a giant suitcase. You got it free when you took out the films. As a treat one weekend, my Dad allowed my brother and I to pick a film each. He picked Karate Kid, and I chose Gremlins. One of my fondest memories of my old man is sitting down with him and watching it. I can remember as clear as day which bits he howled at. They put it on tv every year and I have to watch it. I only like the bits where they’ve hatched and are pissed up, driving snow plows and singing along to Snow White, all the Mogwai noises really unsettle me. I have lots of these private traditions relating to my old man, I often wonder if anyone else in the family does. I’ll never find out because we don’t talk about it. Gotta love famillies. 

Stefan Marx, Pleeease, 2009

Installationsansicht Kunstverein Hamburg

Fotos: Fred Dott / Kunstverein

www.kunstverein.de

www.galerie-karin-guenther.de

2009 – 28. November 2010

Pleeease – Kunstverein Hamburg, originally uploaded by The Lousy Livincompany.

The last two weeks i worked in the foyer at the Kunstverein Hamburg on a huge walldrawing including the ceeling. Opening on the 18th of December, come along!

Kunstverein Hamburg

When did I last update this thing? I can’t remember because my brain has turned to mush. Six weeks of school kids shouting at me incessantly will do that. The kids are climbing the walls.  Thank crap I’ve only got another week until Christmas break. I’m totally not cut out for working in a school. I might have the opportunity to go back to the Foyer in April as a project worker for a year covering someone’s maternity leave. I may take it if it’s going, at least I’d get home in twenty minutes rather than the 90 minutes it takes at the moment. And I can be all short sleeved in the summer. Damn school is like a fucking oven even in winter.  Yeah, I’m really not feeling it.

I’ve been out on the lash too many times recently, I’ll be glad when Christmas is done with so I can join all the other spods in a hibernating detox. I’ve mastered the art of waking up without a hangover now. Only took me 33 years to suss that one out. I even turned down Jager shots at 2am. Normally I’d be all “hell yeah, and follow that with a tequila” before playing human pinball around the house until daylight.

This weekend a few of us went to a local *cough* ‘alternative’ club. When we got there it was totally rammed but the dancefloor was clear except for one lonely tosspot who I’ve seen around and tried to ignore for years.  He’s got a face like a butchers bin and a personality similar to herpes.  I know this because he was always sharking around at any party, chewing the inside of his cheeks, gurning and staring at the girls tits. He was notorious for being a monumental douchebag.  I haven’t seen him for a very long time but there he was, proudly dancing along to some Oi bollocks song. I was gobsmacked when he was waving his football scarf above his head, singing along to what I would call questionable lyrics. It went something along the lines of “England is mine” and anyone else should fuck off back to where they came from kinda thing. I couldn’t believe my eyes or my ears.  I didn’t know who I wanted to spark out more, the dj for playing it or him for dancing along to it. I did have a word with my mate who was also djing that night to find out what the fuck was going on was but he was equally dumbfounded. Anyway, fast forward a while and some guy is chatting me up. He was quite the fitty with his cheeky smile and shaved head but way too young for an old biddy like me. He badgered me into taking his number and I did just to get rid of him more than anything but it was quite flattering at the same time. Imagine my horror when flicking through someone’s facebook photos of the weekend (hoping and praying I wasn’t shamed up in the background of any of them) that I see the fitty hanging out with the racist. Thank fuck I wasn’t dumb enough to give him my number. Yes, I will judge and dismiss a man by the company he keeps, as well as a myriad of other ever changing criteria. I’ll maintain my fussy bint status until I die a dried up old husk of a woman.  I’d almost forgotten what it was like to go out in the limited gene pool of Swindon.  Quite depressing really.

There’s a one eyed pug in the rescue place I got Hollydog from. I loves me some dumb looking animals but to have one that’s missing an eye? Must. Resist. MUST. RESIST.

Windsor Smith’s site is one of my favorites. The images of her rooms are nothing short of stunning, each more gorgeous than the last. A wonderful mix that is a perfect balance of colors and textures with a fabulous attention to detail. Here’s a favourite…I adore the black and white (of course) but am drawn to the rich pewter/platinum hues, punctuated by fresh green. And check out that central seat, what a fabulous spot to just lounge and enjoy the space. Imagine how great this foyer would be during a party!

Bébé Reborn

Une nouvelle artiste se fait découvrir dans le cadre d’une toute première exposition à la Maison de la culture jusqu’au 18 décembre 2009, Line Pelletier, artiste reborneuse de Sainte-Anne-des-Monts, nous présente ses poupées de collection et qualifiée de thérapeutique. 

L’exposition « Bouttendresse » nous présente dix-huit poupées fabriquées par la technique « Reborn » qui fait référence à revivre et à renaître.  Le processus de « reborning » d’une poupée nécessite de nombreuses étapes, ce qui permet de créer des poupées très réalistes, c’est à s’y méprendre.  De plus, chaque poupée est unique au monde. 

Line est l’une des sept artistes canadiennes connues qui exerce cet art, dont trois sont recensées au Québec. C’est lors d’un congé différé que Line a découvert cette passion qui prend de plus en plus de place dans sa vie. Ce qui attire l’artiste dans cet art? C’est le côté trompe œil, cela l’a fait toujours sourire de voir la réaction des gens devant ses poupées.

Maison de la culture de Sainte-Anne-des-Monts

Bonjour

Nous sommes heureux de vous accueillir sur notre blog. En le parcourant vous aurez accès  à toutes les activités et services que la Maison de la culture de Sainte-Anne-des-Monts vous offre. Bienvenue!

Where to begin? As with any project, I suppose, in order to complete one project, five others upstream must be done first. So it was true regarding the stair paneling. I so desperately wanted the large panel out of our parlor. Unfortunately, the way the original carpenter had built the stairs, it required that the lower panel be installed first. Before I could install that panel, I wanted to make sure that the final three stairs were complete since I would need access from behind. Before I could install the stairs, I had to design and build the bull-nose riser and tread for the initial step. Before I could install the steps, I had to figure out what to do with the hole in the oak flooring. At any rate, you get the idea…

I can now say that I have bent wood; something I have always wanted to try. But I didn’t take any photos. I have no clue why. Lazy, I guess. The slightly modified technique I used came from a copy of “Handbook of Doormaking, Windowmaking, and Staircasing” by Antony Talbot. It actually worked quite well and I’m pleased with the results.

The reclaimed baseboard is now nearly completely in. I like the looks of the corner blocks. It’s a marriage of two different homes’ trim, but it works. The outside corner base trim piece came new from a local lumber yard. Who would have guessed? The corner protector came from a salvage yard. $3!!!!!

Once the steps were in, the paneling could be installed. Since the plaster and lath were removed, it changed the way in which the panelling fit, but luckily one cut off the top made it fit nearly perfectly. The panel itself took my son, my wife, and me wielding a finish nailer to get it in, but it worked! I’ve decided my son cannot leave home this summer for college. Who will help me with the heavy lifting-type projects?

With the panelling in place, the remaining trim could go up on the east wall. It’s beginning to look like a room, believe it or not…

Inside the foyer of the indoor aviary at the National Zoo, in Washington D.C., looking out through the etched glass of leaves to the trees outside adorned in fall color.
© 2009 D L Ennis, All rights reserved.

NOTE: Permission for the use of my images is granted for personal websites and blogs but is to include a link back to this site and proper credit given to me, D L Ennis. Link to be used…(Visual Thoughts http://dlennis.wordpress.com/)

NOTE: Commercial use, and the creation of prints, must be purchased! For more information you can contact me here.

My brother was in Italy and wanted to get to a railway station.  He communicated with some of the locals by making train sounds (Thomas the tank!)   It did the trick. They pointed in the direction of the local railway station.

I was also in Europe and into my third week. It was my first chance there to use the internet. At a hotel in Lourdes, France, I was given a computer to use for the purpose.  It was in the foyer and the lighting was very poor. I started to touch type and it came out all wrong.  This was my introduction to the French keyboard! I never knew that the French keyboard was laid out differently to the one I use.  My first internet session is Europe was a dismal one.

Novembro, 2009!

HAPPY BUSINESS CAMPOS DO JORDÃO!

No dia 30/11 a Emporio Sorio vai até Campos do Jordão para participar da XVII edição do Happy Business no Restaurante Le Foyer, localizado no Chateau La Villete. Venha nos visitar!
O evento acontece mensalmente em diversos restaurantes da cidade, sempre oferecendo uma oportunidade de negócios em um clima descontraído e receptivo. Frequentado por empresários e público interessado em novidades, o encontro abre espaços para fornecedores de serviços e produtos de diferentes ramos, atendendo principalmente a área de gastronomia e hotelaria. Nesta ocasião os expositores terão oportunidade de mostrar diversos tipos de alimentos, vinhos, serviços, cultura, decoração, artigos para cozinha, artesanato, etc.
ENTRADA GRATUITA
LOCAL Rua Cantídio Pereira Castro, 100
Mais informações

(12) 3662-6088

(12) 3663-4294

We will be walking the plank for the next few days as we work on the floors in the foyer. Right now, as I type, I hear the pounding of the hammer building the plank taht will go from the bottom stair into the dining room. Believe me, I know that in reality, there are still going to be footprints on the new finish. Anyway, the simple project has been turned into a Cubscout activity for #1. He likes sawing and measuring. Good thing, too. Because apparently, that is what we are all about.

I also realized that I never posted any pictures of our fall season! It is gorgeous here in the fall. About half of the leaves have already fallen, but it is still a beautiful display of God’s amazing art.

[Click image to see what's under]

This piece of work is my way of paying homage to Erick White’s piece in the current exhibit STAGES. The photo was originally taken by a friend of mine.

I don’t really do “color”. Just look in my closet. It is a collection of black and gray; however, you will see some orange and coral peeping out of that abyss. I have a thing for orange. I would love to have an orange room but it isn’t really fitting with the scheme of things right now. But, I can admire it and plan for the future, right?

foyer from Martha Stewart

This first little space if from Martha Stewart’s website. I love the bold harvest orange with the crisp white millwork. This really pops. I love it against the deep wood tones. (That being said, I love anything against deep, rich wood tones). But, yes. This is a great space. I adore the curiosities displayed on the walls and love their bold, graphic, and simple frames. What is that black/espresso stuff lining each edge? I think the website said it was ribbon. That’s a bit odd and time consuming, I imagine. I’m sure it would look silly in real life but it takes a great picture. I would personally just painted it. This is a nice small foyer, about the same size and layout of the one that we have. Currently, it is housing a dark ladder back chair until I find that perfect something. I still do not what that something is.

The other room is a living room from Southern Accents (RIP). This room has that colonial feel but it is really fun and vivid with the walls that harvest orange shade. This is another example of how nice this color goes with white millwork (doesn’t everything). I like to see orange look this formal and not like an Ikea show floor. Orange has the potential to really look elegant without being too immature or “modern” a.k.a Target’s “dorm” collections. It works nicely with deep woods and some rustic pieces. I must mention that this chair in this room is very weak. I am not fond of “skirts” but the chair could of benefited from a print or even another bold color such as ochre or brick. However, that’s my opinion.I can never look at a room and think that is perfect and to my liking. I do the same to my own space. Perhaps that is one of the many reasons why this is taking so long.

Southern Accents harvest orange living room

-Victoria

Solidarités larges et soutiens demandés : la lutte concerne tous les foyers!

l’AFTAM ( ex sonacotra), a pour mission de “nettoyer” tous les foyers de migrants. Depuis des décennies volontairement laissés à l’abandon.
Ce foyer va etre rasé pour construire des studios.
Logements trop chers pour les migrants,et les retraités les foyers sont ainsi “nettoyés” : DEHORS misère et couleurs chassés de nos villes!

L’O.P. infiltrée dans les foyers, a capté cette lutte contre ce programme d’expulsions, mais en la cassant .
Nous ne pouvons accepter de tels agissements : les résidents dehors à la rue, et l’O.P. QUI FAIT DES PETITS MARCHES ENTRE AMIS AVEC LA MAIRIE! Les
Maoïstes obsolètes hors des foyers!

Nous devons élargir TRES largement les solidarités et lutter contre le projet de ce gouvernement xénophobe, du tout profit.
Ils ont travaillé toute leur vie ici , vivent ici , doivent etre TOUS relogés ici!
PAS d’EXPULSION SANS RELOGEMENT.

4 cars de police en retrait, plus nous serons nombreux, plus le rapport de force pourra enfin être posé pour exiger le relogement pérenne pour TOUS.

Métro Ourcq, (M° Danube fermé), boissons chaudes, nourriture, solidarités à
partager sont les bienvenues. Ce soir, réunion informelle devant le foyer à
18h .

Huitième nuit dehors devant le foyer 15 rue David d’Angers

Les résidents expulsés poursuivent leur mobilisation!

Une semaine après l’expulsion des 116 habitants du foyer 15, rue David d’Angers, Paris XIXème, la lutte se poursuit pour le relogement de tous dans des conditions difficiles.

La police est intervenu brutalement samedi 31 octobre pour enlever tout le matériel, tentes et bâches offertes par le soutien bien sûr, mais aussi affaires personnelles,
téléphones et argent appartenant aux résidents. Une plainte va être déposée.

Le travail de division mené par la secte “Organisation Politique” se poursuit. Son avocat en compagnie de deux délégués qu’elle contrôle négocient avec la mairie du XIXème la division des résidents entre “bons” et “mauvais” candidats à un relogement.

Lundi 2 novembre, une manifestation des habitants expulsés a eu lieu devant la mairie et dans une altercation bruyante, les résidents ont fait savoir qu’ils refusaient cette tactique de la division. Ce qu’ils veulent, c’est le relogement – et la régularisation si besoin est – de tous ceux qui étaient dans le foyer au moment de l’expulsion.

Le seul moyen de gagner cette bataille est de faire preuve d’unité et de solidarité, de réserver sa réponse à toutes propositions jusqu’à ce qu’un engagement soit pris pour
trouver une réponse positive pour TOUS les habitants.

Un point encourageant – la solidarité de nombreux habitants du quartier qui manifestent quotidiennement leur soutien à la bataille pour le relogement et la régularisation des habitants expulsés.

Un POINT INFO et RASSEMBLEMENT aura lieu demain devant le site à partir de 18h. Ce sera l’occasion d’échanger informations et idées pour soutenir la mobilisation et le courage des habitants expulsés du foyer.

POINT INFO
15, rue David d’Angers, Paris 19ème
Mercredi 4 novembre à partir de 18h.

Association des rejetés et oubliés du programme de réhabilitation du foyer David d’Angers, Réseau de soutien (habitants du quartier, copaf, dal, 9ème
collectif, etc…)
Pour tous contacts : Cheick Camara 06 29 86 42 86

Yesterday, the vestibule picture rail was installed. Mating the rail to the arch was a head-scratcher but it worked out in the end. I really like the look and utility of picture rail. I suspect that I will hate it when it comes time to paint…