Walter is Everywhere

Ghoulish Graveyards

Pumpkin Shopping at Trader Joe's

So many great choices.

Cocktails for Two

We LOVE Halloween and promise to bring you the best in local decor and costumes for the next week and a half. 

Art Heals

A big thank you to the folks who purchase the art that is on display at the University of Washington Hospital Main Campus (UWMC). I visit my AMAZING headache doctor there every three to six months and look forward to walking the corridors and checking out the new pieces. Here's a little of what I saw on display this week.

Untitled (Cherry Tree) by Errol Etienne, 1995

The artist was in Seattle in 1995 for a liver transplant at UWMC. He trained at the Art Center School of Design in L.A. 

The UWMC Art Program and Suze Woolf presents 

Inspired By Zion

Watercolors created during an Artist-in-Residency at Zion National Park in 2012

My (almost) open letter to Miley

I started writing a letter to Miley today... it was time. I've been thinking about her. Also I was thinking, "Maybe this will be the post that gets 1 million hits!" Wait, I'm no better than the music industry pigs--I too want to use Miley for my own selfish needs. So I put it to rest. Then, later in the day,  I read what Gloria Steinem had to say on the matter and I knew that Glo, in her wisdom, deserved the final word on our blog.

I don't think Miley's VMA performance was a feminist set-back. "I wish we didn't have to be nude to be noticed...But given the game as it exists, women make decisions. For instance, the Miss America contest is, in all of its states...the single greatest source of scholarship money for women in the United States. If a contest based on only appearance was the single greatest source of scholarship money for men, we would be saying, "This is why China wins." You know? It's ridiculous. But that's the way the culture is. I think that we need to change the culture, not blame the people that are playing the only game that exists."

We need to stop blaming Miley and change the culture. Thanks Gloria.

Okay Fite, Bring it!

Tetherball! Wow, serious memory flashback. I played this game EVERY DAY during recess at Devon Elementary with Suzanne Knapp, Claudia Kerschner, and Carolyn Fite. Fite was the best, feisty and determined, but I could hold my own against her.

Today I was out for my regular walk and came across this--a street signpost and the surrounding turf converted into a tetherball court. Brilliant. Well Done--it's good to be back.

Lazy Susan & me

First off, can someone tell me why this is called a Lazy Susan? I've always wondered. Okay, to the meat of the post. Some things in life just make me happy and I mean really ridiculously happy. One of those things is coming across UNBELIEVABLE vintage items and deals while thrift shopping and another is Lazy Susans. So imagine the joy I felt when my BFF Carol found this baby (see photo) at Value Village Capital Hill yesterday. Yes folks it's a killer Lazy Susan. And there it sits on my dining room table (okay, I want a new vintage 50's table, but that's another story) making every single meal taste so much better. 

Twin Set

Does anyone know what's going on with the knitting project at Dahl Park? I sure would like the scoop. I was out walking the other day and "BLAM" there it was: sweaters on a bench, sweaters protecting trees, and my initial dangling from a tree.

A Letter To Our Husbands

Dear Michael & Royal:
It's okay that you NEVER read our blog because last night we learned that Richard Shumway reads it all of the time, so there! And if you had been paying attention, you would know what the h*ll these vintage salt & pepper shakers are all about. We love you anyway.
Rebecca & Anne

Ps. Read the installment prior to this one and solve the S&P mystery.

Dale & me

Honestly, I was skeptical. I've never been a huge Chihuly fan and the politics around the property at the Seattle Center seemed sort of crazy; so I was ready to be underwhelmed. Guess what? I was totally wrong. Not only is the museum space well laid-out and terrific for events, but Dale Chihuly's glasswork and personal collections are nothing short of astounding. I most liked the PNW room with the Native American baskets and Pendleton blankets and Edward Curtis portraits. Who knew that Dale was such a collector of everything? He must own an entire storage building in Tacoma to hold all of his stuff: vintage tvs, accordions, radios, toys, cameras, blankets, baskets, and on and on.

The photos in this post are from the Collections Cafe. Dale designed the display tables and practically everything else on the lot. I think I'm going to dust-off my vintage salt & pepper collection and find a suitable display spot. Thanks Dale.

Healing Garden at Children's Hospital

Today I went to the Children's Hospital with my son for his biofeedback appointment; he gets bad migraine headaches (I'm sorry George it's in the gene pool). While I was waiting for him to finish his session, I wandered around the Katz sculpture garden, which is part of the beautiful landscaping on site. I thought about all the families who come to the hospital with very, very sick children and I could imagine the brief respite this space provides them. There's a lot of literature out there regarding the effects of gardens on mental health, but the basic take-home is that nature soothes our souls and allows us to breathe more slowly and relax--I guess you could call it natural biofeedback.

Do Not Touch...

Here's the latest installation from my favorite gallery in town. 

Clever Cart

Baby jogger + "vintage" recycle bins = Terrific, easy to maneuver shopping cart

First Tomatoes from the Ballard Farmer's Market

I love tomatoes and I love this rhyme.

"I hear my mother calling when the summer wind blows, 'Go out in the garden in your old, old clothes. Pick me some runner beans and sugar snap peas. Find a ripe tomato and bring it to me, please.' A ruby red tomato is hanging on the vine. If my mother didn't want it, the tomato would be mine. It smells of rain and steamy earth and hot June sun. In the whole tomato garden it's the only ripe one. I close my eyes and breathe in its fat, red smell. I wish that I could eat it now and never, never tell. But I save it for my mother without another look. I wash the beans and shell the peas and watch my mother cook. I hear my mother calling when the summer winds blow, 'I've made you First Tomato soup because I love you so.'"

Excerpted from "First Tomato," by Rosemary Wells

Our Newest Library Branch

Summer Light

Summer Light -Thru the Trees
Summer Light - Spotted Me
Summer Light - Palest Gold
Summer Light - Bright and Bold

I Saw Summer Light Descend
Summer Light, Made Shadows Bend
Summer Light, On An Emerald Pond
I Reached Out… It Touched My Palm

Summer Light, It Fell Like Powder
Or a Floating Incandescent Feather
Came Down, Like A Sheer, White Swan
Summer Light – Lifted Wing-Like Arms

So Sunrays Slanted – Shone-Misty
Summer Light-Beams, Embraced Me
Warm, Wonderful Summer Light
Touch Me Tender, Solar- Might

Summer Light, When I Was Lost
Summer Light, Found Me Before Frost
Summer Light - None Else Looked For Me…
Summer Light Said, “I Always See…”

I Love Summer Light 

MoonBee Canady

Value Village Score

My niece, Sofia, hit the jackpot today at Value Village. I think a thin, brown belt and some cute ballet flats are all she needs to create a terrific Audrey Hepburn inspired outfit. 

Olympic Ducks

What can I say, the ducks have the Olympic spirit. Enjoy!

Summer Break

FYI: Anne and I are still here; we are just taking a little summer vacation. We have been talking about the future of Well Done Blog and we both agree that it's time (and we hope we've earned your respect) to make occasional posts regarding stuff that is not well done. It's out there and we are going to start commenting on it--not in a b*tchy way. We promise to be constructive and we sure would like your feedback. In the meanwhile, we hope you are enjoying summer (now that it's here) and are making the most of these spectacular days.