baby face (1933)
“She had it and made it pay”. This salacious tag line caused some controversy in those days.
Forbidden Hollywood at its best. This Pre-Code film follows Barbara Stanwyck as she climbs her way to the top one floor at a time. From her father’s speakeasy to the final scene’s lavish penthouse apartment, the interiors mirrored her own transformation. If you want to find out more about Baby Face go here, but I’m only interested in showing you the intriguing and telling interior spaces.
what is this?
Still don’t know what it is? Then click on the photo for a larger version. Does that help? By the way, I’m not referring to the artwork by Scott Barber. But just in case you want to know, this piece is called Swell, a Giclée print on Lysonic paper, first edition, October, 2004, limited to 500.
Designed by Charley McKenney and built by my contractor, Bert Watford, this contraption is not intended to cover up a giant hole or a bad plaster job, but is meant to conceal what most folks take great pride in displaying.
Tags: Bert Watford > Charley McKenney > M31 Inc. > Scott Barber > Topp Robertson
ornamental orange
This glass bowl most likely dates from the 1960s.
A new but old centerpiece adds a lively contrast to the green and blue tones of my library/dining room. With its northern exposure the room needed some color punch, and orange was the perfect choice to serve as a complimentary color. Now that most of my new furniture has arrived, I’m slowly adding thoughtful details. And each object must pass the color, shape, purpose, timeless, and quality tests.
what’s blooming now
Black and Blue Sage
Black and Blue Sage (Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’), an herbaceous perennial that will bloom consistently April through the first frost, has been a big attraction for bees and butterflies. I have read that it’s also a hummingbird favorite, though I have yet to see any. The leaves and stems when crushed or broken have a wonderful scent. Now if I can only train my dogs not to charge through it on their way to check out noisy attractions in the alley.
Tags: Black and Blue Sage > Blue mistflower > Pink Skullcap > White Gaura > Zexmenia
backyard jumble
My Texas Lilac Vitex is surrounded by White Gaura, and Powis castle artemisia. Click the photo for a larger version.
Texas Lilac Vitex. Sometimes called the Chaste Tree, this specimen is really a shrub and not a tree, but over time it can be pruned into a tree-like form and be quite spectacular when in bloom. I’ve been told to allow a few more years of growth to happen before breaking out the clippers. Though the Vitex isn’t native to North America, it has naturalized and thrives in our hot and dry Texan environment.
Surrounding the Vitex are wands of white to pink flowers called White Gaura or Whirling Butterflies, and the silver gray foliage belongs to the Powis castle artemisia. Currently the artemisia is trying to swallow up the Gaura, and I’m continually cutting it back to allow the Gaura more breathing room.
Tags: Michael Parkey > Powis castle artemisia > Texas Lilac Vitex > White Gaura