I was a little intruiged by my bottle of Parisian Essence, and wondered what was actually in it to make a dye. The label comfortingly says 'Warning! May stain fabric." Well good, I want it to stain, but just how long would it last? The label says it contains food colouring 105, and not much else, so I looked it up on the net. FC105 is Fast Yellow AB. That's even more comforting; it shouldn't wash out in a hurry.

Interesting; what is the difference between a stain and a dye? I guess a stain is more transparent than a dye, maybe it doesn't have the same masking properties. Who knows. I can colour my fabrics with this stuff, drink it without harm, or make a mess all down the front of my shirt; it's got so many uses.

I think tea-dyeing gives a greyish tone, which is why I haven't used it a lot. I prefer the yellow tones of FC105.

These are photos of sculptures from the Chicago Art Museum. They are part of a display of architectural details from buildings that have been demolished. These were by Lora Marx, and she made them for a night club that was redecorated in 1937; thank heavens someone thought to save these. If I could have anything from that museum it would be these two faces. They are so strong and timeless.

I immediately thought of novelist Ayn Rand when I saw these; they say something about the era she wrote about, her high ideals about art and principles.