Lovely, isn’t it? It is big enough to hold the dirty laundry of 3 people. It is wooden, so no delicates can snag on little pieces of wicker. It is sturdy, not one of those flimsy fabric or nylon ones that collapse if you throw a sock in. The lid doubles as seat or side table, according to your needs. I painted it to match the decor of the bathroom.

The perfect laundry hamper, you say?

Let’s have a look at the floor next to it:

I have only one question: WHY????

Neither son nor husband can explain why they prefer to dump their worn clothes on the floor right next to the receptacle specifically designed to harbor such items.

Since it is not really that difficult to lift the lid and deposit dirty laundry into a hamper, I have given this phenomenon thorough thought and came up with the following explanations:

1. The hamper is not high-tech enough for men

2. They like the sound of falling clothes

3. It is proof that they, in fact, changed into clean clothes

4. It is a proud display of how dirty white socks can become during the course of a day

5. It is a ‘subtle’ reminder for me to do laundry

6. They don’t want to get the inside of the hamper dirty

7. There was a towel on the lid, so they couldn’t open it

8. The tile floor is too cold on bare feet, so they cover it with soft fabric

9. It is a piece of modern art that I don’t ‘get’

10. The clothes are not dirty dirty and may be used again (which leaves the question why they didn’t make it back into the closet)

11. My loving husband and son do not want to deprive me of the endless joy and enchantment I get out of touching smelly socks and sweaty shirts

12. They have an irrational fear of whatever might jump out of the hamper if they open it

But I think the real reason is part of a devious plan to drive me out of my mind, just like putting dirty dishes into the sink instead of right into the dishwasher

I love those delicate flowers with their soft petals, especially against the backdrop of a freshly mowed lawn. Just wish they lasted longer than just a few days!

Poppy Photography by sunshinartdesign

Poppy Flowers Boby Pins by HansHolzkopf

Felted Brooch by jezek

Ceramic Stud Earrings by azulado

More Monday Mood Boards by the European Street Team on Estella’s blog

Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth”

(Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor, AD 121-180)

Viewed at the right angle, the sculpture and fountain in front of the

Museum of Fine Arts in Boston look like a baby throwing up

More Wordless Wednesday here

What looks like a droll caterpillar conga line is actually a population of Pine Processionary Caterpillars on their way to find another pine tree to destroy. They are very poisonous to humans as well as dogs, so stay away from them!

More Wordless Wednesday here

For me, it is a piece of art that has been designed, maybe researched, definitely created and promoted by one individual artist.

Artists can be found among very different genres, and tastes differ immensely.

But the one thing all artists have in common is the fact that they create with their own hands.  No assistance, no subcontracting.

The online market place ‘etsy’ that started as a showcase for handmade art has lately been taking a wildly debated detour towards mass-manufactured, resold items without artistic value at all.

I want to show you what hands look like that create art. They are not pretty. They are not manicured. They are not smooth or flawless. We carry the scars of our art with pride, may they be burns from soldering irons or acid or scolding wax, may they be discolorations from many different kinds of dye and paint, may they be scars from needles or wood or metals – you add your source!

These are my hands after preparing a dye bath of harvested berries

I am proud of my hands. They create things that are unique. They hurt sometimes, and a coat of nail polish lasts an average of 10 hours. But my hands create pieces of art that last much longer than that. And that’s what counts. For me, at least.

Please take a few seconds of your time and look at all those hands that create art

If you have an etsy account and want to support the cause, please sign up here

If you want to add a photo of your flawed artistic hands, please do so via comments – I would love to see them!

The IB diploma program is a 2-year program where students study 6 subjects in depth; complete an extended essay; follow a Theory of Knowledge course (TOK); and participate in Creativity, Action, and Service (CAS). This very rigorous, challenging program teaches students how to think critically and apply what they have learned in different contexts and across disciplines.

Printable Royal Good Luck Card by thespottedsparrow

Typewriter Key Tie Tack or Brooch by lettershop

Battery Human by lottalosten

Artwork Print by Artistico

Good luck, Alex, you studied hard and I am very proud of your discipline and impressed by how you managed this past year!

More Monday Moods by members of the European Streetteam on Estella’s blog

I strongly suspect that the designer of this glass has not taken into consideration

that one will actually hold the glass, thus changing the message in

a rather unfortunate way.

That makes more sense now, doesn’t it?

 This is a promotional glass from the Wormtown Brewery in Worcester, MA, who prides itself in using Massachusetts grown ingredients in all it’s beers

(for my readers abroad I want to add that ’Mass’ is the abbreviation for the US State of Massachusetts)

More Wordless Wednesday here

(Disclaimer: In no way do I mean to imply that Wormtown Beer tastes weird or has questionable ingredients – it’s just the glass itself that I am making fun of)