My Paisley World

January 9, 2013

Toothpick San Francisco

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"Rolling Through the Bay"

is the title of Scott Weaver's abstract toothpick sculpture of the city of San Francisco, CA.

You heard me right. The thing is made entirely out of toothpicks, over 100,000 of them!

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Palace of Fine Arts

Ping pong balls roll around and through San Francisco landmarks

via 4 different paths in this colossal kinetic structure.

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Painted Ladies Victorian Homes

When they say "big", they mean it! 9' high, 7' wide, 30" deep.

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Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island

This labor of love has taken him over 3,000 hours, over a period of 34 years,

using none other than Elmer's glue!

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Cable Car

I can't imagine the need for patience...and a very, very steady hand.

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China Town with Chinese Dragon

Engineering and creativity.

Ingenious! And a lot of fun.

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Scott gives us a tour in this YouTube video:

January 7, 2013

Chic Chartreuse

Chartreuse is one of those colors that many folks just aren't sure what color it is exactly.

Not really lime green. Not kiwi. More of a yellowish? Not quite neon.

So sad to be so misunderstood.

But here it is, in all its vibrant glory.

Top: Boho Dress Deloom
1 Eiffel Tower print Home Decorators
2 Roses photo credit topsyturvystyle
3 Yummy Mummy Beach Bag Hard to Find
4 Deck Furniture photo credit margaretfurlong
5 Parka Lands End
6 TPS File Cabinet CB2
7 Perennials photo credit bhg
8 BIA Cordon Bleu bowl Bed Bath & Beyond

January 6, 2013

Penny-farthing

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I've heard the term "Penny-farthing", but not until recently did I find out what one was.

A Penny-farthing is the name of a bicycle from the Victorian era, easily recognizable

because the front wheel is very large, and the rear wheel is much smaller.

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In this photo of the British penny and farthing coins,

we can see how the difference in their size inspired the unusual name for this bicycle.
Now, isn't that a fun bit of trivia?

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This was the first machine of its kind to be called a bicycle. Other names it

was referred to are "high wheel", "high wheeler" or "ordinary" bicycle.

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My interest in the penny-farthing came with this recent necklace
I created for Paisley Beading. You can find them at my shop HERE.

January 4, 2013

Snowflakes by Kenneth Libbrecht

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The heavens declare the glory of God;

And the firmament shows His handiwork.

Psalm 19:1

Kenneth Libbrecht is a physics professor at Caltech. To study a snowflake's descent to Earth, he set out to grow his own snow crystals. His photographs are just dazzling!

In an interview with Margaret Wertheim of Cabinet Magazine, he explained,
"We grow crystals on the end of an electric wire charged up to 2,000 volts. When you turn on the current, a needle of ice grows from the end of the wire. It is very, very thin, and then if you turn off the voltage, the needle growth stops and an individual crystal starts to grow like a flower from the end of the needle. We grow them at different temperatures, humidities, and air pressures."

In 2009, the United States Postal Service issued a set of 4 stamps featuring Libbrecht's images.

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Enjoy these fascinating photographs!

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Kenneth developed a website through Caltech called SnowCrystals.com. It's a great place to explore the physics of snowflakes, buy posters and prints, and find really "cool" (haha) projects for kids!

In the same interview, he said this: "I’m always encouraging people to get a magnifying glass and go look. There’s a lot to see with just a two-dollar magnifying glass."

I'll be waiting for our next snowfall.

January 2, 2013

Wear Your Seatbelt

Embrace Life. This video was made for and introduced to the internet two years ago.

It is ranked as the 8th most popular YouTube video.

In November, 2012, it reached the mark of 15,200,000 views.

Simple. Profound. Powerful. Life-saving.

Wear your seatbelt.

Tieks

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These are Tieks by Gavrieli. A re-vamped version of the ballet flat.

And all the rage with women across the globe.

Their combination of comfort and style is off the charts.
Pricey, but are they worth it? Would love to hear from you!

Tieks are made of 100% premium top-grain leather. A single piece of soft leather wraps around the foot to form the shoe's upper. Along with a cushioned instep, the heel area uses cushioning instead of elastic to get that oh-so-comfortable fit.

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The lightweight split-sole design makes Tieks flexible. Always "Tiek Blue", by the way, along with the stripe on the back of the heel. They fold into their own drawstring pouch to be tucked into your purse. Worn for their comfort alone, or as a convenient back-up plan when you wear heels. Imagine wearing these on your commute to work, then switching to heels when you arrive at the office.

We're not talking trade-off. There is no sacrificing style for comfort here! Tieks seem to easily take the place of dressy heels. Yes, even higher than high heels. That should be great news for millions of fashionistas out there who pine for comfy feet.

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Here are just some of the many choices, priced in the upscale range of $165 to $295.

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Tieks are very popular with brides and their bridal parties, to wear as they walk down the aisle, or for later when they head to the dance floor! They're a favorite with women who travel. Pregnant women love them!