Saturday, August 13, 2011

Friday, August 12, 2011

A few gems

Here are a few pieces of jewelry that have caught my attention over the last few...

This diamond and emerald number is called "The Spanish Inquisition Necklace' although it has no connection to the Spanish Inquisition. Click on the photo to get a really good look at this stunning piece of jewelry. It is in the Smithsonian's collection of gems. It was worn by Katherine Hepburn to the Academy Awards in 1947

This diamond necklace is called the "Napoleon Diamond Necklace" and is also in the collection of the Smithsonian. This necklace was made for the Empress Marie Louise as a reward for producing the heir that Josephine Beauharnais had failed to give Napoleon.

This piece is a man's necklace made by Cartier of Paris for an Indian maharaja, Maharaja Bhupinder Singh. It is considered to be the most expensive necklace in the world. 
 
One morning, the Maharaja turned up at Cartier with a chest full of various precious stones and asked them to make a necklace using all the stones. He asked Cartier to set the huge yellow diamond as the centerpiece of a ceremonial necklace. Cartier made a necklace with five rows of diamond encrusted platinum chains weighing 1.6 Kilos (3 pounds) comprising of 2,930 diamonds weighing about 962.25 carats.

The necklace turned out to be so beautiful that Cartier requested that it be displayed before the Maharaja took it to India. It was described as “Rivers of diamonds set on a sea of platinum” and was valued at US $ 25 million (in 1925 dollars!).

This ruby and diamond neckalce was also made for the Maharaja by Cartier. The Art Deco styling is magnificent.

This necklace was made by Cartier as well and is called "The Cartier Tutti-Frutti Necklace". It is set with rows of emeralds, diamonds, rubies and sapphires set in platinum.

This brooch is from the collection of Marjorie Merriweather Post (the Post cereal heiress and mother of actress Dina Merrill). It now resides in the gem collection at The Smithsonian. It is composed of diamonds and carved emeralds (apparently a very difficult gem to carve) set in platinum.

Here's a picture of Mrs. Post wearing the enormous brooch with her daughter Nedenia (Dina). Mrs. Post had the largest private collection of important jewels in the world at the time.

INDIANA: State GOP Rep Busted In Craigslist Gay Hooker Scandal

I love the smell of Christianist hypocrites roasting in the morning! Nasty closet case!

From JoeMyGod:

Indiana state Rep. Phillip Hinkle, a noted anti-gay Christian activist who forced the state to offer an "In God We Trust" license plate, has been accused of hiring a male prostitute from Craigslist's M4M section. Local newspapers have been provided with emails between Hinkle and the alleged hooker.
The emails, sent from Hinkle's publicly listed personal address, ask the young man for "a couple hours of your time tonight" and offer him cash up front, with a tip of up to $50 or $60 "for a really good time." The email exchange is in response to the Craigslist posting in which the young man -- who lists his age as 20 in the ad but says he is 18 years old -- says, "I need a sugga daddy." The young man told The Star that they met, but that he tried to leave after the man told him he was a state lawmaker. He said the lawmaker at first told him he could not leave, grabbed him in the rear, exposed himself to the young man and then later gave him an iPad, BlackBerry cellphone and $100 cash to keep quiet. When contacted by The Star about the emails, Hinkle, a Republican who represents portions of Pike and Wayne townships, did not contest the emails but said, "I am aware of a shakedown taking place." Asked what he meant by shakedown, Hinkle would not elaborate. He directed further questions to his attorney.
Hinkle is married to a woman and has children. According to VoteSmart.org, he opposes same-sex marriage and supports a long list of Christianist political goals.

Sunday, August 07, 2011

In Praise of Portraiture

Forgive me for reposting this but I think you'll find it amusing... Frenchy

Ah... the studio portrait.


Yours truly




Do these shoulder pads make me look gigantic?


What are you doing back there?


Ronald (he's the pink one)


Some old queen and her cats


It's Alive!!!


Now a pole dancer in Biloxi


Operates an antique shop in Key West


Biggest hair at the dance (him)


Remember those kooky "Glamour Shots" places that sprung up some years ago. Francois will not post the one that his sister did, unless there is a popular outcry...


Now the 4th richest man in the world


Male or female? Not that it matters much to a priest


He had his portrait done topless??!!?? Bold move (not)


Note the blue tips on her hair match the dye job on her poodle. Call the MSPCA!!! (And a hairdresser!)


I can't even imagine what this is all about


Forgive the mullets shots here and


here LJ...


Now a hairdresser/cosmetician on Dancin' wid duh Stars (Cable-access, Pidgeon Forge, TN)


Maybe Uncle Louie should not have stopped off at Comalong Inn before the sitting


Looks like they took the photo 10 minutes after they threw the switch

Living Rooms

With nothing else to do today I thought I'd go through my photos and it inspired me to do a post called Living Rooms. I am including photos taken in various living rooms through the years of my life. Not all are here as I can honestly say that I have been rather a gypsy and not always inclined to photograph some of the, shall we say "dumps", that I have lived in. You may not always get a good view either but I will lay it out for you. It's kind of interesting to see the progression of my style (or those with whom I have lived) through the years.

Circa 1950 Providence, RI (pre-Frenchy): This is my Mom after being married in our 1st Living Room in Rhode Island. This was the Living Room of our grandmother's house in Providence. We moved in here after leaving Kentucky some years after this photo was taken
Circa 1971 Warwick, RI: This is my friend Michael D on the sofa of our very tacky home in Warwick. That robin's egg blue wallpaper went so well with that early American tufted plaid sofa didn't it? I honestly believe that this wallpaper is why I will never suffer blue walls in my house again.

Circa 1984 Providence, RI: This is my friend Bunnie and I on the futon in my living room in Fox Point, Providence. Note the Art Deco clock and Beidermeier-inspired lamp in this room. Beginning to appreciate "decor" at last!

Circa 1992 Brewster, MA: This is Bunnie again at a little birthday party I had for him at my place in Ocean Edge. This is the first place I had on my own after I moved to the Cape. This place was leased furnished so the style is a little "rental condo". It was comfortable however and it did make me take a closer look at traditional-style furniture and accessories). (Note the Bombay Company box on the chair. I said I was taking a closer look at traditional-style stuff... not quality traditional-style stuff.)

Another view of that room. This is my friend Stuff after we came back from the Star Trek Convention in Warwick, RI. My cat Blackmale is checking things out here too. 

Circa 1998 Chatham, MA: This is a little 1-bedroom place I rented in Chatham. There was a combo Living Room/Dining Room set up and I couldn't seem to find a photo of the other end of the room. You will note that I am now fully into the traditional-style of decor.

This is my cat Leo making himself comfy on one of the Italian cameo-back fauteuils (arm chairs) that I acquired at a distressed furniture sale.
Circa 2004 Yarmouth, MA: This is the Living Room of the first house I shared with my new husband, Mr. B. All of this stuff was squeezed into the apartment in Chatham too. It is a little tighter as for as decor is concerned. I once again used the "brown paper" color that I used in Chatham. It is a great color for natural, candle or incandescent light.

The other end of the Yarmouth Living Room. I know... a little fussy. Just married, I was "nesting".
Circa 2006 Brewster, MA: This is our place in Brewster. More of an eclectic style but still with the traditional roots. The room was this color when we moved in and as it was green I felt I could live with it even though it was so close too that awful blue I showed earlier.

The large painting above and the suede fauteuils were are legacy from Bunnie's estate when he passed away.
Present Dennis, MA: This is our place in Dennis. We have obviously downsized into a small condo but find it quite cozy. Still eclectic but the emphasis is on comfort.

Yeah, I know... my feng shui is off.

The other end of the Living Room. A very cozy spot. 

 I hope you've enjoyed this tour. If you have Living Room photos you'd like to show us please send them to us here. We will post them as soon as we get them.