Ain’t this a cute little honey pot!  It would look great alongside our Fiesta and with our Le Creuset cookware …

When I saw The Landscaping Revolution on the library shelf, I thought that it may be an interesting book.  Reading the back cover, it seemed like a good book that would focus on how to landscape without resorting the large amounts of chemicals and maybe how to deal with some of the common landscaping issues without the common answers.

In reality, this book is preach-y and written in a very annoying style!  Despite being only 160 pages long, the book’s tone made it seem way longer!  Out of the entire book, I found one section useful … from page 39 to page 41 when the subject of Native Lawn Alternatives was addressed.  In it, I learned that buffalograss (Buchloe dactyloides) is drought-tolerant and is slow-growing – only needing to see the mower a couple of times per summer.  In addition, new strains have been developed to make it even more lawn-like (in the traditional sense) and to stay even shorter (the shortest grows to only about 4 inches).  In many other sections, the environmental arguments are either way old-school or rather alarmist – a style that makes its age (only 10 years) very evident.

While I could see that this book could be a useful (though very limited) reference book, I would not recommend it as a good garden read.  There are many other books that are better written, better references, or just newer.

Now, this is really not something that you see everyday … flooring made from old whisky barrels.  Somehow the guys at McKay Flooring have figured out how to make flat floors out of curved barrels!

They have even managed to keep the writing on some of them.  I wonder if they would be willing to ship their flooring to the USA?

Thanks to Tucker Redux for the link.

June 1940. Melrose, Louisiana. "A crossroads store, bar, 'juke joint' and gas station in the cotton plantation area." 35mm color transparency by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration.

For some information on Jax Beer, click here.

Image via Shorpy

Since my previous post on the Steampunk exhibition in Oxford, the exhibition has closed and the exhibits have either returned to their creators or have been sold.  Today, on BBC, there is coverage of a Steampunk gathering in London, featuring the many aspects of the genre … it got me thinking about posting a few other things that I have found about Steampunk recently.

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Levi Strauss (February 26, 1829 – September 26, 1902)

Today, 181 years ago, Levi Strauss was born Löb Strauss in the Franconian region of Bavaria.  In 1853, he became a US citizen and moved to San Francisco from New York, where he had immigrated at the age of 18.  In 1870, a tailor from Nevada named Jacob Davis started making the famous trousers and in 1873, he and Levi were granted a patent for rivet-reinforced pockets on denim work-pants.  And, that is how one of the truly American fashion icons was created …

In 2006, Western Union sent its last telegram. A 150-year-old method for sending congratulations, announcements or greetings; it was the IM precursor in fast communication with the benefit of a hard-copy record for future generations to appreciate. Wishing you had known to use it before it was gone? Looking to add a touch of old-world style to your special occasion? Just want a fun, unique look for your correspondence? These letterpress telegram blanks are the answer. Handset with lead type from the early 20th century, my cards are printed on Crane’s Lettra “Pearl White” paper, using a foot-powered 1889 press. Each card measures 4.25 inches x 5.5 inches and comes with a matching envelope, in a set of 10. $16.00 per set.

Recently, I have been looking at getting some business cards printed and was intrigued by letterpress options.  While searching for low-cost letterpress printers, I came across the Lucky Duck Press on Etsy.com – who does business cards – and these cool note cards.  Don’t they look perfect for little random notes or for any number of other uses?

"Hunting Macleod" Harris Tweed

The quintessential British country squire wears tweed and the classic image of a stuffy old professor generally includes a tweed coat, but tweed is, in my opinion, cool!  Originally woven by small crofters for their personal use, tweed is one of the original working man’s fabrics.  In the early 19th century, the surplus of these crofters made its way into the London shops with ‘tweel’ (the pattern in which it is woven) being misread as tweed (a famous Scottish river).  Under this name, it was advertised and after the death of the 6th Earl of Dunmore in 1843, his widow commissioned a pair of sisters, known as the Paisley Sisters, to weave fabric in the family tartan.  This fabric was then made into uniforms for the staff of the Dunmore estate.  Being hardwearing, water-resistant, and warm, it was ideal for the gamewardens and the Countess quickly realized that it was ideal for a range of other outdoor pursuits.  By the late 1840s, with the Countess’s constant promotion, Harris Tweed was the fabric of choice for the landed gentry and the aristocracy. Read more »

While she is best known for the Migrant Mother, many of her other works are visually more interesting and tell much better stories …

Oregon, August 1939. "Unemployed lumber worker goes with his wife to the bean harvest. Note Social Security number tattooed on his arm." (And now a bit of Shorpy scholarship/detective work. A public records search shows that 535-07-5248 belonged to one Thomas Cave, born July 1912, died in 1980 in Portland. Which would make him 27 years old when this picture was taken.)

Or, something closer to home (aka, North Carolina) …

Fourth of July 1939 near Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Rural filling stations become community centers and general loafing grounds. Cedargrove Team members about to play in a baseball game.

For me, both of these images speak volumes. The top image is of two people that, in today’s world, could make a good living with their looks but who are having to live meal-to-meal. The bottom image shows the type of community that is rare to find today, plus I love the vintage baseball uniforms.

The BBC has a great new program that I have been watching on iPlayer called Around the World in 80 Days.  It is part of their charity appeal for Children in Need and is a very interesting program.  Based on Phineas Fogs fictional adventure, this program has six pairs of celebrities racing around the world for charity (there is only one rule: No Flying).  While you may say, “what another travel program” or “another reality TV show”, it is not that simple.  This is real travel!  They miss trains, get turned away at borders, have car trouble, and everything else that happens when you travel.  But, that is not why I am writing this post … it is because in the last episode (which I have not actually watched but needed to post about this before the auction ends), John Barrowman (of Captain Jack fame) gets a pair of custom cowboy boots from Rocketbuster boots.

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