“…That Our Flag Was Still There…”

Posted in Music, Uncategorized by Michele at Lilacs & Rust

Happy Independence Day!!!

Please enjoy my all-time favorite renditions of the National Anthem. The first one was recorded 35 years ago at the 1983 NBA All-Star Game by one of the greatest singers to ever walk this earth. He sang it with the reverence the song deserved, but in his own unique passionate and soulful way. It was a beautiful and masterful performance.

Twenty-one years later at the 2004 NBA All Star Game, his daughter would use his version to sing it as a duet with her father and it was absolutely stunning.

Enjoy & have a happy & safe 4th of July, friends!!!

Marvin Gaye: The Star Spangled Banner.

Marvin Gaye & Nona Gaye: The Star Spangled Banner.

Movin’ On Up

Posted in Uncategorized by Michele at Lilacs & Rust

Hello, Vixens!!! How are you all doing today? Is everyone in full swing holiday mode? How is it even possible that we are down to the last two months of 2016??? Wow.

I have had a very busy fall. I just started a new job that I love and I just moved (yes, again!!! LOL) . So you know that means I am in the middle of boxes upon boxes, but so happy to share my new place with you. And for the same price of my previous place-a 400 sq foot studio-now I have a four room apartment in the heart of my downtown city. I am just loving it.

My apartment is in a very old house so yes, it had old gorgeous wood floors. But, the landlords had already decided to cover them with new carpeting, so that was a bit of a let down. But the place still has lots of charm which I adore. Like this room, which I was told was the living room but I decided it will be my bedroom:

And look at these fabulous doors…..

The room that was supposed to be the bedroom will eventually become the living room. Right now it is piled with boxes so it will probably be the last project on my list. I do not mind that the double closets are in here, but if I change my mind I can always cover them with curtains.

The kitchen is a bit of a hodge podge of different cabinets which I hope to unify with white paint but probably not until after the holidays.

It does have great charm though, like the porcelain sink and full back splash. I also have a gas stove again after 3 long years!!! Yay!!!

There is an eating area outside the kitchen which can definitely pass as a dining room so I am excited to set that up. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of it before it became a wall of boxes, so you will just have to trust me on this one.

I also have a nice size linen closet, a giant pantry closet and another room with a lot of charm. What is that again??? Oh right, it is the bathroom WITH A CLAW FOOT TUB!!!!

I have wanted one of these my ENTIRE life and without even thinking about it I just followed the real estate agent around the apartment and was SHOCKED when I laid eyes on my dream:

It is in great shape and shined up beautifully after some much needed elbow grease. The bathroom is very small so I could not get a good shot of the room in its entirety. But it is cute with a lilac wall color. But let’s face it…..the tub is the star, right??? I am ecstatic about it!!!

So after several months of packing, interviews, apartment hunting, stress and limited sleep, things are finally settling down. I do have a lot of work ahead of me, but after all the cleaning and scrubbing comes the decorating!!! If any of you have any suggestions, please let me know. You are all so inventive and creative I would love to hear from you, even if it is just to say hi!

Until next time, my fellow Vixens, happy digging!!!

17Jan2016

Weekend Wanderings & Happy Birthday, Betty White!!!

Posted in Weekend Wanderings by Michele at Lilacs & Rust

Hello, Vixens!!! How are all of you doing? Hope all is well. How is it even possible that we are halfway through the first month of the year already???

I went to an estate sale on Saturday, but nothing really caught my eye or made my heart leap from joy. So after I left there, I went exploring. I ended up on a block named Lakeside for obvious reasons: a lake is behind the houses on the block.

Even driving to the estate sale the view was just so pretty. I love to see water in the winter, especially when the sun is shining on it. I see it as a reminder that some things are constant no matter what time of year it is. I like that.

You know how wood slice anythings are all the rage right now? Well, take a look at this adorable little guy (or girl?) I came across. Just too cute!!!

Not far from the wood person, I saw a pretty little bird perched in a tree. I guess he or she did not fly south for the winter.

Please forgive the quality of the pictures, except the one of the bird. They are all from my iPhone as my SLR camera is just refusing to work. I am taking it in for an evaluation this week. Fingers crossed that it is not completely dead. I really do not need the expense of a new camera at the moment.

Sunday I spent trying to unpack since last month I got zero of that accomplished. I previously mentioned that I had to move again at the end of last year. Unbeknownst to me, the landlord of my last apartment had been trying to sell the place for over a year before he decided to rent it out. Not long after I moved in, he received an offer and thanks to a legal glitch I knew nothing about, he was able to break our lease. So I spent the month of November looking for a new place and moved on December 1st.

Because it all happened so fast, I completely forgot to take a picture of my new apartment before I moved in (sorry). But I downsized from a roughly 750 square foot one bedroom place to a 400 square foot studio. The one thing I learned from both living in my house and my last apartment is that I spend all my time in one room-my bedroom. My TV is in there, and so is my laptop, my desk, etc. So I sit at the desk to eat & watch TV, or lie in bed to use my laptop, read magazines or go through my mail. And when I need to recharge my batteries, I curl up under the covers to read an old book or watch reruns of “The Golden Girls”. On that note, happy 94th birthday to the sweetest, greatest friend any of us has ever had, Betty White!!!

Source: articlebio.com

So this time around when I went out to look for a new place to live, I realized I could save at least $200 per month if I rented a smaller place, not to mention my heating & cooling bills would be less, too. Not too shabby. Just think of all the vintage treasures I could buy with the money I save!!! Even for a studio, my new place has a full kitchen (dishwasher included), a full bath, its own water heater and two big closets. Here is how one of them looks right now:

I know…..not pretty. I am working on it.

So that was my weekend, Vixens. How was yours?

Until next time, happy digging!!!

11Jan2016

“And The Stars Look Very Different Today…”

Posted in Music by Michele at Lilacs & Rust

Not even two weeks into the new year and we already have a devastating loss in the world of music. David Bowie, the 1970’s rock icon who transformed himself over and over throughout his illustrious career, died after an 18 month battle with cancer on January 10. He was 69 years old.

Mandatory Credit: Photo by Richard Young/REX (100574d) David Bowie DAVID BOWIE AT THE CANNES FILM FESTIVAL - 1983

Photo by Richard Young 1983

Born David Robert Jones in London on January 8, 1947, he changed his last name to avoid confusion with the other Davey Jones in The Monkees. Bowie’s musical career began with his break through album “Space Oddity” in 1969 and he spent the 1970’s establishing himself as a glam rock, art rock musician like no other with songs like “Changes“, “Golden Years“, “Rebel Rebel” and “Suffragette City“. He easily segued from his Ziggy Stardust persona of the 70’s to the suave, well dressed gentleman in a string of 1980’s videos for hits like “Modern Love“, “Let’s Dance“, “China Girl” and “Blue Jean“.

Not only did Bowie do great work as a solo artist, but his collaborations were stunning as well. Aside from his ground-breaking work with the likes of Lou Reed, Brian Eno and Iggy Pop, Bowie also worked with John Lennon on “Fame“, covered the Motown classic “Dancing In The Streets” with Mick Jagger, joined Bing Crosby for a wonderful collaboration of “The Little Drummer Boy/Peace On Earth” and teamed up with rock group Queen for “Under Pressure“, to name a few. These collaborations showed how innovative, versatile and truly unique Bowie’s musical genius was.

Source: ultimateclassicrock.com

Bowie also had several acting roles, most notably in the movies (he played Pontius Pilate in Martin Scorsese’s film “The Last Temptation Of Christ” as well as roles in “The Man Who Fell To Earth” and “The Linguini Incident“) and on the Broadway stage (he played the title role in “The Elephant Man” in 1980-1981). He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and in 1996 he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame by David Byrne of The Talking Heads. On January 8 2016, on what was Bowie’s 69th birthday, his last recording “Blackstar” was released.

My two best memories of Bowie after his collaborations are when the TV series “Without A Trace” used “Space Oddity” in Anthony LaPaglia’s signature episode entitled “John Michaels“. The second was Bowie’s performance at the Concert For NYC in 2001. He was humble and grateful to the men and women who kept his adopted home of Manhattan safe and showed that with a stand out performance of “Heroes”. I cannot seem to find that performance online, so here is that song from his “Live By Request” show a year later in 2002.

Rest in peace, David Bowie. “And may God’s love be with you”.

Source: livinglifeboomerstyle.com

Please note that I do not own the rights to anything. I am just sharing some of my favorite music with you.

8Jan2016

The King And I

Posted in Music by Michele at Lilacs & Rust

I can still remember the first time I saw Elvis Presley on TV. (No, it was not his now infamous “Ed Sullivan” appearance. I was too young for that.) My mother was watching “Jailhouse Rock” one afternoon and I sat down to watch it with her. I was not too happy the movie was in black and white, but when I remembered “The Addams Family” was also, along with certain reruns of “Bewitched” I rolled with it.

My mother began to explain the movie to me (“Elvis was not a bad man. He just tried to help a woman stay safe from a man who was bad except the judge did not believe Elvis…”). However, before I heard the rest of the story this beautiful but not bad man with the high hair and unbelievably great voice started to sing: “The Warden threw a party in the county jail…”. Sa-woon!!! OK, I was only 6 or 7 so I did not know the meaning of that word then, but now that I do trust me, it fits!!!

Publicity photo from the movie “Jailhouse Rock” (MGM Inc)

Before I knew it, the not bad man slid down the pole and was doing his hip-shaking, walk-dance amongst the other inmates. I was mesmerized. I remember saying to my mother, “Wow, what a great song” to which she replied, “Just wait until you hear him sing a slow song”. And such was my introduction to Elvis Aaron Presley, not to mention the phenomenal songwriting team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. Years later, I watched Presley’s film “Change of Habit” with my grandmother. I could not believe his co-star was my beloved Mary Richards (Mary Tyler Moore) as a nun!!! But I digress.

Thanks to my mother’s love for Presley, I grew up listening to albums like “Elvis’ Christmas Album” (I still swoon over “Blue Christmas“), “A Date With Elvis”, “For LP Fans Only”, “Blue Hawaii”, and the rest of the soundtracks. As much as I love his rock & roll songs, my mother was right: his ballads are beyond beautiful. My personal favorite is “Can’t Help Falling In Love“, my mother’s favorite was “Love Me Tender“, but let’s not forget “Are You Lonesome Tonight?”, “Crying In The Chapel“, “The Wonder Of You” or “In The Ghetto” just to name a few more. I also love the version his daughter Lisa Marie Presley did in 2007 as a duet with her father.

I am profoundly sad to report that my mother’s records were lost when we moved into our house on Long Island. Sigh. But I have amassed my own collection of Elvis’ recordings with CD’s and vinyl whenever I am lucky enough to find the latter at garage and estate sales. And on March 18, a limited edition 60 disc set of Presley’s recording will be released to honor the 60th anniversary of his first album release. The box set will include three CD’s of rarity recordings and a 300 page book. I am saving my pennies now. If that is too much of an investment for your budget, try “Elvis 30 #1 Hits“.

In the meantime, enjoy the King’s performance from “Jailhouse Rock” as we remember him on what would have been his 81st birthday.

Source: vagalume.com

I do not own the rights to anything nor have I been sponsored in any way for this post. I am just sharing some of my favorite music with you.

Until next time, fellow Vixens, happy digging!!!

30Dec2015

“Another Year Over, A New One Just Begun…..”

Posted in Uncategorized by Michele at Lilacs & Rust

Hello, Vixens!!! Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, happy holiday or just time to yourself, depending on what or how you celebrated. It is always mind boggling to me that with all the months and weeks of preparation, the festivities just fly by!!!

Like so many of us tend to do this time of year, I find myself looking back on the year we are about to say goodbye to as I plan and hope for the new one ahead. But in looking back, my memories wander past 2015 to so many other years gone by and the precious pieces of time those years have taken with them.

I wonder how it is possible that I am now older than my mother was when she died at the young age of 36. Or that even though my dad lived to be twice her age, these last four years without him have been the loneliest I have ever known. And how much I miss calling my paternal grandmother every night despite the fact that she died 14 years ago. Some habits just do not go quietly.

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My parents at their engagement party in 1961 & on their wedding day in May 1962.

I know a lot of people who say they feel their loved ones around them and that is a comfort. I long for that feeling. For me, the pain of my losses is so real and present every single day I feel more like John Nash (who died this year) in “A Beautiful Mind”, minus the mental illness induced hallucinations, of course. My family is real, they are just not here anymore. But I feel as if they are following me around like Nash’s imagined college roommate Charles did. I can talk to my family in my head and imagine what they would say, but they ignore me the way Nash had to ignore Charles for his own good. But how heartbreaking was it when Nash confessed to his wife, “sometimes I really miss talking to him.”

My family does not ignore me intentionally, it is just a result of the veil that separates our roads. I may see them, or hear them, and I know they are there, yet there is no way to touch them or feel them. And sometimes the need to do that is so overwhelming I cannot breathe, which almost makes me wish they would just disappear for a minute or two so I could catch my breath.

My paternal grandparents on their wedding day in April 1934. Unfortunately I never knew my grandfather , but my grandmother (Idie) raised me after my mother died.

But like Nash, I always see them and it is up to me to know that some days will be worse than others. And on the really bad days, I have to close my eyes to my family just to get through. But eventually I will have to open my eyes again and when I do, I see that veil that stands between us so clearly. They may be my family but heartbreakingly, they are in my past and as Nash said about his hallucinations, “They are my past. Everyone is haunted by their past.” Incredibly big sigh.

Thank you all for being a part of my past year on this blog. Your support means so much to me and I sincerely hope you will continue with me in the future. I wish you all love, blessings, luck, happiness, health, great music and great finds in the year ahead and beyond!!!

Here is my last song recommendation for 2015.

Enjoy!!!

21Jul2015

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

Posted in Uncategorized by Michele at Lilacs & Rust

Hello, Vixens!!! Hope you are all doing well & enjoying your summer. If you are like me, you are counting down to the start of fall in about two months!!!

A couple of blogs ago I told you that I was getting ready to move again, this time to a small New England town in Litchfield County, Connecticut. Today I want to share my new place with all of you. These pictures were taken before I moved in. Once I am fully unpacked and settled, I will share the after photos with you.

Here is the view from my living room and bedroom windows. I feel so blessed to be able to see this each morning when I wake up!!! If it is this beautiful now, imagine how spectacular it will be in the fall!!!

Here is the entrance hall to my apartment.

The kitchen features a flat top cooking surface (no more scrubbing drip pans!!!) and a dishwasher, which I have not had since my college days in Massachusetts!!!

The view of the kitchen from the living room.

The living room with the most important feature: air conditioning!!!

Sorry for the lighting in the bedroom picture, but the sun was very bright and fighting me!!!

The bathroom has additional storage thanks to the shelving unit left behind by the previous tenants.

I know that medicine cabinets offer more storage, but I love the look of a stand alone mirror in the bathroom. I think it is so much more elegant!!!

My new apartment is in a quiet area but close enough to shopping so it is very convenient. I am also less than 30 minutes away from one of my favorite places on earth: The Elephant’s Trunk County Flea Market (read more about one of my shopping trips here). But this could turn out to be more of a curse than a blessing LOL!!!

So now begins the next chapter of my life. Thank you for coming along for the ride.

Until next time, fellow Vixens, happy digging!!!

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Lilacs & Rust

I swoon for chippy paint, a gorgeous patina and a fabulous song!!! I love great music (read: Bruce Springsteen & Otis Redding), white lilacs, walking in freshly fallen snow, the Golden Girls, road trips and the fall!!!

Tag Archives: antiques

“…That Our Flag Was Still There…”

Movin’ On Up