You make me so happy

I'm busy packing my home and am moving back to California.  Whittling my possessions from a five bedroom home to fit into a one bedroom apartment has been a challenge.  I've donated boxes of books, tons of room decor, and all of our outdoor goods.  We've sold our treadmill and sofa set.  I've given away house plants that I could not have imagined I would have let go of. There are certain things I'm taking with me, however, that make me feel happy every time I look at them.

I snagged this print called "Cobalt Skies" from Ikea in San Diego in 2003.  I recall suffering moral guilt over buying mass produced art at the time.  My other favorite Ikea purchases include a TV stand and my Barbar bird tray (top).

This green lamp from Target is one of the first things I bought for my house in 2006.  It's beautiful and functional.  If you get close you can see tiny glazed cracks in the green ceramic. Update: My lamp did not survive our move.  The movers dropped it on the sidewalk.  While the ceramic part was okay, the fall bent the part where the lightbulb is inserted.  When I tried to bend it back into shape it snapped off completely.

I bought this watercolor block from artist Erin Williams in 2009.  She was selling her artwork at a beachside park in Santa Barbara.  In addition to birds, William painted vegetables, flowers, and landscapes, all creatively mounted on canvas and woodblocks.  I loved every single item she had for sale and regret not buying more of her paintings that day. Update: If anyone has seen my bird block would you please let me know?  It's gone missing amid the move and I'm genuinely sad about it.

Occasionally my husband makes smarter choices than me.  One of them was choosing this colorful Joe Boxer Prizm comforter over a tan comforter that I wanted.  When we opened it up at home it unfolded like a vivid Korean bojagi!  Another nice thing about the comforter is that it's lightweight and machine washable.

It's not easy finding reasonably priced, attractive plant pots.  These days I lean toward organic-looking, glazed ceramics.  I bought this small orange pot at my local greenhouse.  Combined with a Mother-in-Law Tongue plant, it totally does the trick.

Cooper, our seven pound, senior Chihuahua is definitely going with us to California.  He's been with us for the past seven months.  Sadly, our other dog Ginger died from kidney failure in March, so Cooper's moving with us as a solo dog.

A casualty in our move is my Nelson Bubble Lamp.  Our realtor repeatedly scoffed at the request I take it with me, and to keep me from exploding like a nuclear bomb, my husband promised we'd get a new one.  I hope the new homeowners keep it up or at least sell the lamp for a few hundred bucks.  If it ends up in the trash then BAD KARMA on our realtor!

Psy's looking for a chef

Clones 25: Johnny Weir and Loki

The internet is reassuring in that I found I'm not the only one who thinks professional ice skater Johnny Weir (above) looks like actor Tom Hiddleston (below).  Hiddleston plays Thor's supervillian brother Loki in Thor and The Avengers movies.

Beyond their looks, Weir and the fictional Loki are both non-apologetic, known for their sharp tongues, and have legions of fans.  See more Clones on Ajumma's Pad!

Pics via Ice Network, Nexus News and  Hiddlememes

Men in cars

 James Dean (1931-1955) from Rebel Without a Cause and Giant 
met his fate in his Porsche Spyder at age 24.

 Steve McQueen (1930-1980) is notorious for his Bullit
 car chase scene through San Francisco.

Jerry O'Connell from Stand By Me and Burning Love

Channing Tatum of Magic Mike and G.I. Joe. 

Charlie Hunnam from Sons of Anarchy and Green Street Hooligans

Jeremy Renner of The Hurt Locker and The Town

Zac Efron from High School Musical and 17 Again

Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston from AMC's series Breaking Bad

Daniel Henney from Shanghai Calling and X-Men Origins goes topless.

Previously: Men on leather sofas , men in pork pie hats, and guys wearing glasses

Bob's Burgers sizzles

My favorite current television show is Bob's Burgers on FOX.  The animated series follows the Belcher family, led by patriarch Bob, who own and operate a humble burger restaurant.  I love the Bob's Burgers theme song, their sweet and awkward characters, and their witty writing.

Oldest child, Tina, loves horses and boys. By Amy Liu

Gene dressed up for Halloween as Queen Latifah via Spoilertv

 Baby Louise costume via Pinterest

 Cross-section of Bob's Burgers and apartment by
How to Carve Roast Unicorn

Say Cheeseburger, Bob 3-D art by viking-fu

"What I like about photographs is that they capture a moment that’s gone forever, impossible to reproduce.” - Karl Lagerfeld

 River Phoenix

 Dana Delaney

 Ishmael Butler

Tamlyn Tomita

Maggie Q. is bangin

I understand why Maggie Quigley does not wear bangs.  She's an action star and bangs would get in the way.  They'd constantly have to be readjusted for each take.  Also, like Tyra, Maggie's ten-head is her trademark.  These things aside, Maggie looks smoking hot in Brooklyn bangs.

Photos via Empire Wallpapers and Starpulse

Bare shoulder stare down

 

Korean star Song Hye Kyo is striking (below), but no one does bedroom eyes like legendary Chinese actress Li Gong (above).

Photos courtesy of Chine-Nouvelle and Ifahisablackjack

This is golden

I have a hair appointment next week.  To find hairstyles suitable for my face shape, I search online for "Long hair, fat face."  Besides Kelly Clarkson (who in my opinion does not have a fat face), this photo of Russell Crowe appeared.  Is it me or is this what Shia LaBeouf is going to look like in ten years?