Paris Was a Woman

In my search to find a Bellingham equivalent of Seattle's most wonderful Scarecrow Video, I found Film is Truth. A great local place with a nice selection of both old and new movies, where I stumbled across the film, Paris Was a Woman. An intriguing title, so I picked it up.

Paris Was a Woman is a documentary about the women of Paris during the inter-war period where literary and artistic salons flourished. Women, many expatriates, flocked there to become writers, poets, artists, muses, salon hostess, lovers and often times many of the above. Characters of the like of Gertrude Stein (writer and poet), Alice B. Toklas, Colette (writer), Sylvia Beach (owner of Shakespeare and Company) and Josephine Baker (entertainer and singer) knew and nurtured people like Pablo Picasso, James Joyce, Ernest Hemingway and Ezra Pound. It was an incredibly artistically productive period in Paris, producing some of the twenieth centuries most famous works. The film inspired me to try reading Gertrude Stein again, even if her style pains me.

The thing that gets me the most, are that the women of this film are fierce intellectuals, who refusing to be tied down by social constructs of marriage, monogamy, heterosexuality, and patriarchy strike out to redefine what it means to be a woman. They are women to be admired for their courage and creativity, but in many ways are unknown next to the big male names of the era. I would like to purpose a toast to these women, who were unafraid to live life on their own terms.

Homey Home

Various ideas for decorating my new apartment... Any thoughts?

Things I am Grateful For Today

1. Summer time. For it seems never-ending until it is gone.



2. Winter time. That I miss dreadfully more than a sensible person should.



3. A delicious book, that I can bite into like a tart apple. That transports me and entraps me in another world.



4. Sweet peas! They run wild here and I can't stop picking them. I love watching them fade from a brilliant pink to a soft lavender.



5. Soon to having a space to call home. My homelessness existence of recent has put a great deal of strain on everything. I cannot wait to feel the coziness of having a home with all my pretty little things around me.

Thrifting Finds of Late

Pretty little Earthenware vase for my new little apartment!

A lovely Polish Pottery teapot found at Shipwreck Days for my mother!

The perfect mixing bowl that I have been looking for FOREVER!

Little House on the Prairie boots for the impending wet weather. Check!

Playing Hooky on Lummi

I convinced S to take a day off of work, which is nearly impossible, to go explore Lummi Island. We took a bus through the Lummi Res, which was an experience in itself. But there is a little ferry that bring people and about 10 cars for the seven minute ride to the island. There were plenty of beautiful private beaches, fruit trees and blackberries. We had a couple of beers at the little cafe and all in all had a lovely day. Picture from the new lomo camera to follow..

Pickin' apples

Driftwood that looks like a dino skull..

Good way to end a day of adventuring

Antika

I've been hanging around Bellingham these days getting my job in order. The other day I visited this antique shop, that blew my mind! So much to take in. I wanted everything! But here are a few corners I loved.

Busy Busy Bees

So I've been running around like crazy trying to find a job and get my life in order up in Bellingham this weekend. Now I'm back in Seattle and here is a little photo update.

There were chalk murals on the sidewalks all over downtown! Some were really awesome. Like this one.


I took a little walk around S's neighborhood and saw some neat houses and gardens.





These people converted a church into a house! Like in one of my favorite movies, Alice's Restaurant. Except this is more yuppie than hippie.


These people have a little stand out front their house selling flowers and sometimes eggs. Its based on the honor system and is quite lovely.




This sweet deer was just calmly eating apples as I walked by. It was missing an antler!


And it was my darling friend A.'s 21st birthday last night! Happy birthday suga!

The Edge of Love

The Edge of Love is one of those movies that comes out without anyone noticing or making much of a fuss. And sometimes that means its one of those really awful straight to DVD movies. But in this case, it is a precicious gem. The story follows the two women in the life of famed poet Dylan Thomas during WWII during the bombardment of London and later in Wales. Vera, the childhood friend and sweetheart, played by Keira Knightley is a no nonsense jazz singer and Caitlin, played by Sienna Miller, is Dylan's over-the-top and light-hearted wife. The two first meet suspiciously but quickly bond over Dylan and his eccentricites. The movie is filled with plenty of wonderful 40s costumes and hairdos. The best was the floral dresses under a cozy sweaters and wellies. Its beautifully made and tragic really. But at its core, the movies resonates about the friendship between the two women and the man who had brought them together and would eventually drive them apart. Here is the trailer if you are interested!