Arts and Crafts Details in Tacoma, Washington

arts and crafts era dutch boy tile

Look at the awesome details on this fireplace mantle!

I saw these little gems, and I just had to take pictures.  Original Arts and Crafts like a nice piece of Weller Claywood or Burntwood pottery.  Lovely.  Little dutch boy and dutch girl ceramic tiles.

1921 Craftsman Tile, Tacoma, WA

I have been highly attuned to all things arts and crafts of late.  It's like my arts and crafts radar just started working. Perhaps I have finally trained my eye to find it against the backdrop of so many different styles.  However that works, when I saw these little tiles I immediately loved them.

Little parts and pieces of a Visions of a bygone era.  Little gems that have survived.  For years I lived in a neighborhood that included many arts and crafts era houses.  It was a wonderful neighborhood.


The dutch boy and dutch girl tiles came from that area, and are located in recently remodeled 1921 craftsman style house in Tacoma, Washington, in a neighborhood known as the North End. 

The fireplace had been the sole source of heat and the tiles were covered in 90 years of smoot. During a rebuild of the house, the homeowner cleaned the tiles. I totally agree with cleaning the tiles.  Who needs all that grime in a nicely remodeled home?  Some, and I would like to think a small number of people, would have said to leave the patina.  I disagree completely on this one -- clean is cool and brought out the details and contrast.  

I noticed them immediately and thought how nicely they complemented the period of the house.  Interestingly enough, almost the only thing original about the house was the mantle and tiles.  I can't imagine how much scrubbing it took to get these tiles this clean.  Nice detail to save.

Jimmyjumpnjive 2012

Beer, Boobs, Tattoos and Silliness

I wander around and take pictures ....

These photos are from the Pint of Tacoma, an event held in downtown Tacoma in August of 2012.

Here's the view from inside the beer garden (where I spent all my time).  Everything I wanted was there ...

I saw this nice lady from across the walkway.  I was attracted to her smile, personality and the red devil woman tattoo on her arm.  I waddled over to her and asked her if I could take a picture of her tattoo.  She smiled and asked me which one ...

Because she had an angel tattooed on her other arm.  She was nice.  Cool lady.  A lovely girl to meet at a beer garden.  Peace to you pretty sister.

I don't know what kind of beer this was, but the label was cool.  Can you imagine ordering this?  Yeah, uh, I'll take a glass of that beer there with the nasty looking demon on the can ... chug a couple of these and I'd probably turn into a white rascal.

I love titties and beer!  This brand of beer is pronounced "uni-brow" like if you got one eyebrow that goes all the way across your forehead. I got one of those.  I got that on the top of my ears too.

Beer antlers front.

Beer antlers back.  

This dude was a gas, thanks!

They even had a dog with a beer on its side.   I don't drink but I'd almost make an exception for a beer with a dog on its label.

And a skeleton tap guy.  Freaky!  He was a good sport too.

This is my tattoo.  This is my motto.  Shit Jim, this is my mantra. Write this in magic marker across my forehead and use my unibrow to underline it.  When I arrived at the beer garden, I said to myself, "I'd tap that ... and that ... and that..."  

Can you believe that they started karaoke at like 2:00 in the afternoon.  And that was because I made Colin start so that I could butcher a Nancy Sinatra song (and go home and take a nap).  

Folks seemed pretty well lubed by that time.  I was home by 4:00.  

I'd have to imagine there were some pretty wasted folks by the time this event ended that evening.  Good for them, huh?  Living the good life in Washington with some cold beer, music and sunshine.  Next year I hope to attend again and take even more pictures of beer and boobs.

JIMMYJUMPNJIVE

Dog Friendly (Canine Thirst Quencher)

Tacoma Metro Parks built this kid play area, which is totally awesome, and part of it is a water park.  I don't go to this park very often, but today I noticed that it had like the coolest dog water fountain I had ever seen.

Now that's dog friendly!

Dog friendly places are where you know it's okay to have your dog, so long as your dog is okay with whatever else might be there.  You know what I'm saying?

It's like when I walk my dog, I know which houses have dogs and probably don't mind if my dog makes a little wee wee on their lawn.  (I always pick up the #2.)  I know which houses are dog friendly.  Hey, yeah, and I know which ones aren't!

The entire world is like that.  To find the dog friendly places, sometimes you have to look for them and sometimes they just surprise you.

Did you know that fancier hotels in the US are more likely to allow dogs?  Yep.  Think about little old ladies with teacup pooches in their purses.  Cheap American hotels won't let you have your dog there ... fancy hotels will.  Not always, but most of the time.

And the dog/fancy hotel works with larger dogs.  Many times I have had to upgrade the hotel to find one that's dog friendly.  I should add that this rule applies in all places BUT Canada. But in Canada a cheap hotel is likely to allow dogs.  Don't know why that is.

It's also easier to fly with your dog in Canada, so long as you depart from Canada.  So, I used to drive up to Vancouver and fly over to Calgary, rather than fly from Seattle to Calgary.

Dogs enjoy wide-spread acceptance in Canada, within reason.

When you get a dog, though, it's like the rest of your life consists of bouncing from one dog-friendly place to another.    From your house, to the dog park, etc.

Ah, heck, though I do have to admit that I appreciate the City of Tacoma putting this dog fountain in.  It's in the park behind Norpoint Center.  If you know Northeast Tacoma, you probably know where this is.

My dog's name is Zoozoo, and she is a Rhodesian Ridgeback mix.  If she is an indication of the breed, this is not a good breed for the novice dog owner.  She's a handful.  She would chase cars and scare people if I let her.  I don't let her.

Anyway, she gets doggone thirsty when we play frisbee at the park.  Just saying.

Jimmyjumpnjive  April 2012