The Ardabil Carpet commissioned by Safavid Shah Tahmasp I in the mid-16th century. The Shah had a need to have the greatest carpet ever made. Master weavers and master wool dyers were brought in to make one of the truly great examples of hand knotted carpets ever. Measuring 34 1/2 feet by 17 1/2 feet and approximately 350 knots per square inch, it took about 15 years to complete with 4 weavers working daily. The great carpet fanatic Safavid Shah only got to enjoy this true master piece for a few months before he passed away.

The ‘Ardebil’ carpet, is now in the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.

Posted by Russell at 12:01 PM PDT

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Few people would visit Thomas, West Virginia, unless that person was skiing and staying at the Canaan Valley Resort (pronounced “Can - ain” with an emphasis on the last syllable). Although I wasn’t skiing, I did visit the area and stay at that resort. That’s how I ended up in Thomas eating lunch at the Purple Fiddle in early August, as that restaurant was just 13 miles from the resort and conveniently located near some antique shops on the main drag between the resort and Elkins.

The Purple Fiddle was created from the old DePollo general store on Front Street. The store was basically gutted, but the original tiled ceilings remain, along with many of the wood features. And, I’m sure that the old store didn’t resemble a poet/music/coffee shop straight out of a 1970’s Height Ashbury. Now, you’ll find quilts, bottle-cap shaking sticks, photographs, and memorabilia everywhere along the walls and hanging from the ceiling, along with a shelf filled with games to help pass a lazy morning with a friend while sipping latte.

Read on, mon cher! »

Posted by Linda at 8:29 AM PDT

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The need to feel mobile is part of human character. Perhaps one reason behind this is that all our ancestors were on the move, migrating to other continents to get away from Big Brother or simply on the move to find food. No fight or flight here…just the need to feel mobile…and perhaps take the comforts of home with you or…not!

At right: Markus Voglreiter, an architect-general from Salzburg in Germany, built this 14 metre-long and 10 meter-high house with about 300 sq. meters of floor space. Yes, it’s electric. There are no emissions. Oh, gosh - is it a Tesla?

At left: The Innovan, an aerodynamic and inexpensive way to attach a house to a car. Just take out the folding chairs and have a sit, as the world is your back porch. Oh yeah - and the shower is outdoors as well.

At Right: Roger Beck’s Some Turtles Have Nice Shells: A Picture Book of Handbuilt Housetrucks and Housebuses is a guide to the global subculture of house trucking, including a brief instruction manual for building your own whimsical mobile home on top of an old truck or bus chassis. Visit Handmade Houses for more, you gypsy, you.

Posted by Russell at 8:41 AM PDT

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