Richard III

True hope is swift, and flies with swallow's wings;
Kings it makes gods, and meaner creatures kings.
Richard III, 5. 2

Was Blogging Ever Cool?

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Daedalus

This is my new lamp. It's named Daedalus, after the Greek architect who created Minos' labyrinth. According to mythology Daedalus and his son Icarus were imprisoned by Minos to protect the secrets of the labyrinth. In order to escape he created wings out of feathers and wax for himself and his son. They flew away from Crete to freedom, but the careless Icarus flew too high and the heat from the sun melted the wax in the wings and he fell to his death. Daedalus eventually landed in Sicily where he built a temple to the god Apollo and offered up his wings as a sacrifice.

Design as beauty and tragedy. It seems apropos to own it.

Spring in the Rockies

Sorry for the lack of posts. Spring has been pretty busy but I'm enjoying a little lull at work. I thought I should catch everyone up before things get crazy again. 

In April I was able to attend my first groundbreaking ceremony for a project I worked on. Speeches were given, project boards were displayed and everyone, including me, took turns posing with shovels. I'd like to tell you all about the project, but it's for the government and if I put up details on the internet I might get audited. But here are a few photos of our presentation boards and some of the people I've been working with. The building is under construction and it will be exciting to see it as it goes up.

In May I participated in a Spring Swap hosted by my friend Susan. I sent a package of my favorite organizing supplies to Marilyn in Utah, and I got this lovely box of goodies from Raphelle in Brooklyn.

It included all her favorite things for spring, from makeup to sidewalk chalk. It was wonderful to come home to a box of spring fun!

In May I was part of my office's IIDA Pret-a-porter team. We were teamed up with an office furnishings dealer in town and our challenge was to turn their products into high fashion. We chose one of their task chairs, tore it apart, and remade it into a dress. It was so much fun, and we won 2nd place in the professional category. You can check out photos of the night here.

Memorial day week I flew home to visit my family. I was there for nine days and had absolutely nothing to do. It was wonderful! My niece Paige turned 8 years old and was baptised. She even asked me to give a talk at the baptism. As you can see she was very excited.

Her message in chalk says "Party on!" I'll post more photos of my week home when I download them from my other camera.

When I got back to work I found out I'm going to be on the IIDA chapter board as the new Student Liaison. For the next two years it will be my responsibility to represent students in four states. I'm not quite sure what I've gotten myself into, but it should be fun.

After all my hard work this past year I decided to splurge a little and on Saturday I bought myself an oil painting. I went to an art market held by a local art league and fell in love with this painting by George Coll. It was painted in the Denver Art Museum and is finally bringing some color into my beige living room. 

It's much richer in person. You'll have to stop by and see it.

That's my quick recap. I really need to write about my trip to Qatar and a few other things I've been thinking about. Unless I get distracted by the warm weather. 

 

Stanley's New Friends

Stanley made lots of friends at work. Everyone was excited to see him. Here is Stanley at my computer. I'm an interior designer and I help architects design buildings.

Stanley got a tour of the office.


Jenny, Claudia and Karin showed Stanley our plotter. It's a machine that prints giant pieces of paper.

Then Caroline, Carrie, Amy and Kirsty helped him pick out some carpet and tile for a new office.



Harry, Anne and Karin showed him how the computers work.

At lunch Flat Stanley and Flat Holly went exploring downtown.

This is the capitol building where the Governor of Colorado works. It's where all the laws are made.

The capitol has a big gold dome and it is exactly 5280 feet above sea level, which is one mile. That's why Denver is called the Mile High City.

There are cannons in front of the capitol to protect it from invaders. Stanley and Holly tried them out.

Across from the capitol is Civic Center Park, and at the other end is the County building and the Denver Mint. The mint is where money is made.

There are lots of churchs in Denver. This one next to the capitol has a tall spire.

This is the Colorado History Museum where you can learn about the Native Americans and pioneers who lived here over 100 years ago.

Here is the Colorado Ballet where all the Ballerinas practice dancing.

This is the new Denver Art Museum. Isn't it a crazy building?

It has lots of angles and looks like a spaceship. It was designed by a famous architect named Daniel Libeskind.

Look! A giant broom and dustpan!

Here's another building with crazy windows.

Across the street is the Denver Library. It was also designed by a famous architect. His name is Michael Graves.

Stanley really likes this big orange sculpture. Orange is his favorite color.

This is another sculpure of big red Ys that have messages of peace on them.



But this is Stanley's favorite sculpture of all. A giant chair with a horse on it!

Then Flat Stanley and Flat Holly went back to work so he could see his new friends.

Goodbye Flat Stanley! Come back and visit us again!

Stanley's Sunday

Today Flat Stanley and I went to church. My church is on a street called Holly Street. Stanley thought that was funny.



In church he played with the other kids in primary and had lots of fun.



On the way home I stopped and showed Stanley this giant ice fountain.





Isn't it cool? Stanley thinks so. But it was so warm today that the ice was melting fast.

After lunch Stanley played with Athena. He had another fun day.

Wish List

If anyone is wondering what to get me for Christmas, you can start with these shoes from United Nude by architect Rem Koolhaas.

Peel, like an apple.

Eamz, inspired by an Eames chair.

Mobius, after the strip, and connecting the curves of a Barcelona chair.

Address At The Heavenly End

If a picture is worth 1,000 words, then this weekend I've caught up on months worth of posts. I hope you don't mind a few more.

I love cemeteries. Either you love them too, or you think I'm weird. There isn't much in between. I've always found them to be peaceful and fascinating places. Back in Utah I used to take friends around on cemetery tours in the fall and tell stories about all the interesting people. Now that I've moved I'm cut off from the familiar names and traditions I know. Near my home in Denver is a large cemetery named Fairmount, and last week I spent an afternoon wandering through. Apparently it's a popular thing to do because there were many others walking or biking along the lanes. There was even a group of people sitting next to a grave playing the guitar and singing.

I was also joined by a bus from a retirement center. The bus slowly drove around and stopped in front of a monument. Then a minute later it would drive around the corner and stop again. No one ever got off, but it slowly made the rounds as each person inside must have had a turn giving directions.



It was a beautiful fall afternoon. The weather was perfect.



According to the Fairmount's website, the 285 acres was opened in 1890.

Designed by German landscape architect, Reinhard Schuetze, the layout incorporates sweeping vistas in broad curved lanes thus creating a beautiful and serene park like setting.

Brett, is this the type of work you want to do?

It does, indeed, have sweeping vistas and some very curious monuments. There is also a different section for every religion and affiliation you can think of. There is a section of physicians, of veterans, of Catholics, of Greeks, of Jews, of Elks. If you belonged to it, you could be buried among it. Here are a few of the more interesting things I came across.

Most unusual monuments, in a contemporary art sort of way.



The inscription ad astra per aspera is Latin for "through adversity to the stars".





(The white building in the back is the mausoleum. It's huge!)

Best Nick-Names




Furthest Distance Travelled to be Here



Most Melodramatic Carved Image



Most Apropos Decoration



Idea I'm most likely to steal



Most "Colorado"



If this were Utah it would be red rock.

Most Cliche, but Still Touching



Coolest Headstone Calligraphy





Accompanied by
The Most Poetically Over-wrought Inscription



It's a little hard to read but it's by Tennyson.

"Now folds the lily all her sweetness up,
and slips into the bosom of the lake."

Most Appropriate Landscaping



Loveliest Carving





Best Name - Ever!



Most Intriguing Offerings



At the base of the candle is a pile of coins. Does anyone know the meaning behind this?

Coolest Religious Offerings



Most of the Jewish headstones were covered with rocks.

Best Monogram



Best Carved Name



Oddest Headstone



Cheesiest Amateur Poetry



Best Inscription and Carving Combination



Most Overly Sentimental Sentiment

If Tears Could Build a Stairway
And Memories Were A Lane
We Would Walk Right Up To Heaven
And Bring You Back Again

I wish I knew some of the stories of the people buried here. I bet they are fascinating.