How do you solve a problem like Maria?

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"With the most primitive means the artist creates something which the most ingenious and efficient technology will never be able to create."

Kasimir Malevich

My apologies for such a hackneyed title for this post, but I really couldn't resist. Once that title came into my tiny ADHD brain it just refused to push off and leave room for a much more creative and better one.

The question remains, how does one solve a problem like Maria?. Simple, turn to Art darlings.

Some years ago now I met a fellow kindred spirit in one of the dark satanic mills, affectionately known as 'high schools'.
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It was clear that the shackles of teaching were weighing heavily on her, on all of us, but Maria had such a spark of life. She refused to stay shuttered up and fettered by rules and regulations, by administration and bureacracy, by petty little people who thrive and fester in the school enviroment. Oh no, I am not talking about the students dear reader, in fact they are the brightest part of any teaching adventure. Personally, my students have been such a source of delight and joy for me, sometimes heartache, worry and put quite simply, massive pains in the posterier, but on the whole they are wonderful and are what gave me the courage to get out of bed every morning. No, I don't complain about the students, but all the so called 'grown ups' in the place.



The School environment can be a very destructive one, some get out, others are churned up and spat out, while some continue on, burned out and numb, going through the motions. Maria Vella is one who escaped and went not into business, into private industry like so many do, she decided to become a professional artist. How risk-takingly brave and wonderful.

Endowed with creativity and talent she ventured off into the world pursuing her dreams. One has to admire her pluckiness, but at the same time, quiver in fear at the unknown.


"Without art, the crudeness of reality would make the world unbearable."

George Bernard Shaw

Happily, Maria is thriving in her chosen field. One is so proud to have a talented and creatively brilliant friend. It makes me feel just a little more clever and special to be acquainted with her.



She has her own website http://mariavella.webs.com/ which showcases her fabulous pieces. I love her art, it's bright, colourful, witty and breathtaking.

"A work of art is the unique result of a unique temperament."

Oscar Wilde

One cannot talk about Maria Vella without relaying a funny little incident that always makes one chuckle. At some grand event, Maria found herself standing next to Austrailan Actor Geoffrey Rush. Both were admiring a painting.

Maria, no surprises here, had a glass of wine in her hand and had been imbibing perhaps a little too much of the nectar beforehand. When Rush made a comment about the painting, she mistook his words and thought he was complimenting her on her dress. Poor Maria was most affronted by this and loudly told him to back off, that she had a boyfriend. As a bewildered Rush walked off into the crowd, she realised her mistake and then began to run behind him, drunkenly shouting, 'Geoffrey, wait, come back', until being dragged away by her poor boyfriend. Just imagine the scene, it must have been hilarious to have been there.

Probably the exact expression on Geoffrey Rush's face as he was chased by an inebriated young artist through a hoighty toighty party.


Slow clap Maria for a job well done.

Maria Vella and Wolfgang.

All artwork feature on this page by Maria Vella.
Geoffrey Rush picture from http://images.rottentomatoes.com/

Carol Brodies Shock and Awe

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Finally, the long awaited third installment of the Carol Brodie collection on Hsn has arrived. Having spent the last 2 months trawling the web site looking for new Brodie pieces, I am very excited indeed after seeing the latest offerings.

Ever since the Capri rings with their onyx bands, I have been completely gaga over the use of onyx in ring settings.

I have been wanting a turquoise ring for some time as it is my birthstone. I almost bought Brodie's other ring with the white quartzite band but I am just not keen enough on white. Then I logged on and saw this beauty. Shock and Awe indeed. I started gasping for breath at the sight of this black onyx version but the price, $89 bucks, are you kidding me? Surely there is some mistake? Such a spectacular and genuine bauble for a costume jewelry price. Oh Ms Brodie you are just too amazing for words.

This praisolte and ameythest necklace is adorable.

Brodie has once again created an array of jaw droppingly beautiful jewels at amazingly good prices.

Lust at first sight.

Right now I am crazy about citrines and smoky quartz. These citrine earrings are a dream come true.



The next Carol Brodie show is still a few days away, but I would not be surprised if many of these fabulous pieces sell out before then.

Time to come out of the closet, I love Birkenstocks!

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No dear reader, your eyes have not deceived you, the Countess not only wears Birkenstocks, but loves them. Once upon a time the word 'Birkenstocks' was enough to make me recoil in horror with vivid imaginings of their hairy legged wearers with uncared for feet. I am no hippy, let me make that clear, would a woman who owns an Uzi admit to that?

The thing is that living in Florida makes one do all kinds of weird and crazy things that one would never ever do in a civilised society with a more temperate clime. The heat does strange things to people. Ever seen an episode of 'Cops' and asked yourself why most of the action takes place in Florida? National News here is always full of dastardly crimes and bizarre ones too and one is never shocked to learn that they were most often committed in Flori-duh.

What a hideous pair.

The temperature here is approximately 5 degrees Celcius cooler than Hell. My feet need fresh air, one cannot abide by sweaty feet, never! So look on at me with scorn you fashionistas, stare at my exposed, but regal feet if you must, the Birkenstocks remain.

Birkenstocks are indeed ugly, not as ugly as Croc's though. Fortunately, I have not succumbed to the lure of those hideous looking fashion atrocities, despite their 'comfortable' reputation. It's just that in this humidity, a proper shoe gets so unbearably hot. I try to resist the lure of the cool and comfortable Birki in the name of all things good taste, but like an addict offered crack, I keep going back for more.

Having a wardrobe full of delectable and highly fashionable shoes that are always ignored in favour of the fashion outcasts is just another one of the tolls taken on one by the sub-tropics. Sometimes I look at my lovely collection, Prada, Dolce and Gabbana, Marc Jacobs and a whole lot of Tod's and feel completely sick with remorse that those darlings seldom come out of their sleeping bags.

It's Dolce and Gabbana, Hello?

Sleep my pretties.

Well may people mock my unsightly footwear, but the only thing stopping this unusually limber Countess from delivering a quick kick to their sneering faces is the fact that such a movement will make the Birki's fly off and possibly injure some poor bystander fatally.

All things bright and beautiful all creatures great and small.

This week we had an amazing adventure. Several months ago we signed up to be foster pet carers for a charity called Guardian Angels for Soldiers pets. The group is just magnificent and is doing such an important and amazing job. When soldiers are deployed and have no one to care for their animals they often have to give them up and send them to pet shelters. What an outrage that a person has to have their family torn asunder because of their own selfless service of their country.

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Guardian Angels finds foster homes for the pets, they are then reunited with their owners once they return from deployment.

This is the blurb from their website,

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Guardian Angels for Soldier's Pet, an ALL volunteer 501c3 nonprofit public charity formed in January 2005 after learning that military service members across the country had pets that needed a caring, loving, and safe home to care for them during the pet owner's deployment to fight the global war on terrorism (combat or peace keeping missions), but had been unable to find someone to care for them. This left the military pet owners with only one option, which was to relinquish their beloved pets and pet ownership rights to a humane society, animal shelter, or animal rescue group never to see their pets again, know if they were placed in a new home, or ended up being euthanized.

The Colonel and I requested cats because of our three kitties. All of them are a little temperamental, Romeo is downright neurotic. The vet wanted to put him on kitty Prozac. I thought that was quite funny but I really think it's just so wrong to have to treat an animal with anti-depressants. What's next, ambien for cats? Nice thought.

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An Emergency situation arose where a little dog needed care, his owner was being deployed 2 days later and a variety of complications had arisen, previously arranged carers falling through and so on. Despite the cats we took the little tacker in.

His name is Trusky, I can't help calling him Trotsky. A Miniture Pinscher and super cute to boot, but what rambunctious little guy. True to his is revolutionary sounding name, he stirred things up around here. The poor cats were distressed. Unlike Sabrina the Wunderdog who visited with us, Trusky was able to ferret the cats out of their hiding places as he is little enough to get in after them and hound them out in both the yard and the house. It was terrible for the cats as the little fella just wouldn't give up on his cat hunting mission.

Cuteness Inc.
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He stormed the Winter Palace and sent the ruling elite scurrying for cover. Things were just so unmanageble. I fell immediately in love however and felt like such a traitor to my cats. He followed me everywhere and would sit on my lap and sleep. Talk about puppy love. I really do like dogs better than people.

A vicious doberman trapped into a miniature body.

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To give the cats time to come out and eat and drink we tried to shut him in a spare room at night. Poor Trusky wouldn't have any of that, loudly yapping his little head off until we let him out. Eventually he ended up sleeping with me. It was so cute the way he cuddled up next to me under his little blanket.

Things reached a crisis stage though. The cats were stuck outside in the rain and thunder unable to get to their food. I did try putting food outside for them but this is Florida and after about 5 minutes, hundreds of ants were swarming all over the bowl, while the cats still cowered in fear under the deck. When Trusky tried to get at them they made the most mournful moaning kind of sound, it was excruciating to listen to.

Sadly, we had to move Trusky on to another foster family. I cried all day and had a few tears today. I miss him terribly, amazing how loving and loveable dogs are. He is with a family that has another little dog so he has some canine company.

Despite this situation not ending the way I would have liked, I still want to assist the group and will be doing administrative tasks on a volunteer basis for them. With my cosseted kitties, taking in another pet will probably turn into another traumatic encounter. Hopefully I can contribute to the aims of the group through other ways. Servicemen and women deserve so much for the sacrifices they make, their pets deserve a break too.

Facebook page for Guardian Angels.

They need all the support they can get, hint hint. :)

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High Tea Hijinks.

"There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea."

Henry James

My lovely neighbour came over to visit me today and to enjoy High Tea. She is such a delightful lady and is amazingly spritely for someone 88 years old. Not able to get out and about as much as she would like, I decided to create a high tea for her at my home.

The Colonel was off to a gun show, (wonder if he will come home with a Micro Uzi for me), so it was up to us fancy ladies to have a fancy afternoon tea.

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I generally prefer to take my tea in sumptuous surrounds and with someone else doing all the hard work, but I did my best to create my own, and might I say, none to shabby high tea.



There were cucumber sandwiches cut into the shape of a map of Australia which I thought were particularly delicious, what a lot of whimsy! I did cheat and buy the petits fours though. I simply am not able to make such delicious little fancy cakes. Way too fiddly for someone so ADHD like me.

Hello Aussie! Cucumber sandwich shaped like Australia. Crikey.

"Is there no Latin word for Tea? Upon my soul, if I had known that I would have let the vulgar stuff alone."

Hilaire Belloc

The Hills are Alive....or the Hills have eyes?

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Yesterday we closed on our new property in Idaho. We had attempted to purchase two other houses before this one. Success at last, country life here I come.

The new abode is not as big and wonderful as the first house that I was madly in love with, however, it's in a much better location. Surrounded by hills and trees and near a gorgeous arty town as opposed to the redneck, Texas chainsaw massacre country of the first one. En route to the first house we put in an offer for, we were warned by locals not to go up there, in case we got shot. That did send some chills down this city slickers spine.

The house is solar powered, on 40 gorgeous acres and surrounded by National Forest. It's crazy to think that a city girl like me will be moving out there. Fear not, I shall be well armed. Having seen one too many horror movies containing homicidal axe-wielding maniacs romping through the middle of nowhere and leaving a trail of carnage, it has gotten into my head that one must own anUzi, a micro Uzi to be exact, now that is one stylish piece of metal!

Any walk through the woods just would not be complete without a gorgeous little weapon, dipped in gold preferably. "Oh hello crazy homicidal axe-wielding maniac, please don't run away at the sight of my fabulous hardware, you'll only die tired". Perhaps I will just mug him and steal his axe, those things always come in handy on a farm.

That's HOT.

www.leelofland.com/wordpress/?p=811

Gold plated Uzi, fancy and whimsical, I like it!

First thing that must be done once we move is to build a chook shed. I want some of those Araucana chooks that produce pastel coloured eggs. We are going to have bees for fresh honey too. I plan on making exotic kind of gourmet fare like jam with champagne and other gastronomic extravagances. Let's face it, a girl who wants a gold dipped Micro Uzi usually has fancy tastes too.

Unlike every other house in Idaho, (it would seem), there shall be no stuffed animal heads, real or fake on display. NONE!
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http://www.redbubble.com/people/ouinatalie/art/3484127-2-deer-heads-are-so-on-trend-right-now


Green acres is the place for me!

Emerald love

I almost bought an Emerald ring once. The store was Schlager Antiques in Melbourne and still being a student at Melbourne Uni, I was not exactly flush with cash.

Mackay Emerald

At the time it was a little over $3,000 AUD. A big east west rectangle shape, set in thick gold. It was simply magnificent. Very square and old looking, it had been recovered from a shipwreck. Having a major in History that aspect made the piece all the more enticing.

The friend I was with at the time kept saying that Emeralds are brittle and not worth it...blah blah blah. If only I had told that redheaded nag to shut up. There always seem to be people around who have to throw in the negative point of view don't there? Why oh why didn't I put it on layby?

Emerald prices are just out of control now. Lately I have been drooling over Emeralds and remembering the time the opportunity arose to own one with a history!

The ring was similar to the one pictured above, but it was less square and more rectangle. The one pictured is also a find from a shipwreck and is selling for $75,000 USD...oh my. What an awful mistake I made all those years ago.

Angelina Jolie's 2.5 million USD Emerald earrings are just the most covetable things ever.

Emeralds are far more precious than diamonds and a lot prettier I think.

Chopard

Van Cleef de Arpels