Happy July

I know I've been gone for a long while and reappearing around here should warrant some sort of explanation, but in truth, I have none.  Life has been good and busy, and I simply wanted to share a few pictures of a sweet feature of our new (old) house in this month's WNC Magazine. 

My thanks to all involved: Rita Larkin, editor-in-chief at WNC Magazine, as well as Whitney and Dustin Deal, who photographed our home. That was great fun. I also wanted to take a moment to thank my beautiful friend Christie who made the gorgeous jewelry I'm wearing. You can see more of her work at Calaycay Design.

Still here and almost there

Put simply: I've been busy with work, house negotiations, getting ready to move, and life in general... Funny how life doesn't give you a breather as you add new things to it. Part of me almost expects it, but no: life keeps its pace and demands the same rigorous attention, regardless of our plans and additional undertakings.

I will say this, my friends: it's been stressful, but I am happy. And excited. And even though I am tired, I can see the end in sight and it promises to feel like the sweetest of exhales when all is said and done.

And it is all part of life, isn't it? The highs and lows, the tight squeezes and the enormity of freedom after them; the tears and joys, and the eventual feeling of unhindered motion that comes after working through the narrow, winding turns that life is made of.

I hope you've all been well. I am sending you all much love, and as always, much peace.

(image: 1. via ikea family live; 2. via super rural)

On my mind, lately.

This lovely crochet garland by beautiful Tina. Because when I look at it, I think not only of Tina, halfway across the world in Australia, but also of Allison, following her dreams, and just like all of us, in her words, crafting a life. And I'm inspired by them both.

This little corner in Cindy's living room. Because I am touched and honored that someone who's become a friend would also hire me to help her out in a most personal of spaces: her home. Twice now.

This hutch. Because it made it to Brooklyn from my friends' store in Asheville and it looks great now that it's stained black and has found a new home in my client's dining room.

This new little cross pillow by talented Liane. Because it is the perfect addition to the (ever-growing, Bill would point out with a little cough) pillow collection on our couch.

This moment. Because I remember not being able to let a loose tooth be. And because I love my gorgeous, growing boy...

...who, all on his own, decided he wanted to play soccer recently and is loving every minute of it.

This photograph. Because in some ways it represents the overarching way I've been feeling over the last couple of months. A bit overwhelmed and awed by the immensity of life in all its possibilities.

We are moving this spring, and I'm excited but somewhat apprehensive about all of the loose ends that still need tidying up. I am one of those people that needs things to be concretely defined, down to the last little detail - all the time. I don't deal with uncertainty very well, but as my wise friend Florence pointed out to me the other day, ‘We live in a world of shifting tides but pretend like we don't, like we can nail it down.’ And she is right. And the details will get sorted out, eventually. And now, more than ever, I need patience.

Lastly, I'll leave you with this video; it's about 18 minutes long, but well-worth the time when you have a moment. It talks about education (among other things), which has been very much on my mind over the last few months. Fall wasn't easy around here. School turned out to not to be a good fit for our beautiful boy, and in great part it's because of the issues brought up here. (I believe I have Annie to thank for first bringing this TED talk to my attention. Thank you.)

I hope you've all been busy living your lives weaved with your many dreams, my friends. As always, I am sending you all much peace and love. Be well.

(images: 1. me; 2. cindy; 3. jen; 4-6. me; 7. apartment therapy; 8. moving boxes)

Snow Days

Busy hands working outside, building a snow fort,

trekking up and down the yard delivering shredded ice

to be shaped into bricks with an old metal pan.

Busy hands working inside, hanging a new set of pretty curtains up high,

and trying to capture that beautiful, ever-elusive winter's light, bouncing off the wonderful snow outside.

And the dog, you may ask?

Busy taking it all in, ascertaining that indeed, this is a good life.

Tenth photo

I was tagged (a long while back, I admit) by two wonderful women, Lotta and Charlotta, whom I admire deeply and who are a constant source of inspiration to me.

I was supposed to open my first folder, scroll down to the tenth picture and write about it. The truth: the tenth photo was rather uneventful compared to this one. So forgive me for cheating a little, but I chose this one instead.

The first digital folder we have dates back to 2004, the year Noah was born. I would love to document that here, even if it means bending the rules just a little bit.

In this picture, Noah was only a few days old - maybe just two or three days old. I want to remember this moment: my calm, but distinct awareness of not quite feeling like his mother yet; Noah's fierce determination to be himself and be heard, which made for a challenging first year, but are traits that will serve him well in life.

For those first few moments with him, and all the moments between then and now, and the moments I don't yet know that I will get to share with my beautiful, resolute boy - for all of that, I am thankful.

For Bill, a man who knows and loves me better than I sometimes know and love myself - for him, too, I am thankful.

For the unconditional love we all three share for one another - for that, I am thankful.

For the kind, encouraging words traveling near and far distances alike, and for the genuine friendships I've made with virtual strangers in this incredible community of bloggers - for that, I am also thankful.

I think my blues have been in part related to things I want to settle in my life - right now. And it meant that for a moment there, I forgot about the very things that have been important in my life - always. So this tenth photo assignment was a good exercise; it was a good way to remind myself that I have much to be grateful for...and that things will fall into place, each in its own time, because I am working toward certain goals - steadily and with an open heart.

Of course it is my wish that we will all reach the goals and dreams we set for ourselves - make no mistake about that. And for now, I need to practice patience.

(image: bill)

Summer blues

This summer has hit me pretty hard. I've been a little blue, and I haven't been able to shake the feeling off too easily. The heat and humidity have been downright unbearable.

Which brings me to these bears - perhaps you've seen them? I just discovered them today and fell in love. And I laughed and laughed and laughed. And then Bill and Noah came over to see what all the laughing was about, and we shared some chuckles together, delighting in Emily's creations and Tom's words.

And it felt good.

Here is the description that accompanies the bear pictured above (printed here with Tom's permission):

"Are you game?" asked the rabbit
"Sorry. Am I what?" asked the bear
"The game!"
"Game?"
"Are YOU game?"
"But rabbit, how can I? I don't have enough checkers on me." bear could not understand. And he had not a single checker on him.
"No, no, bear, i was asking if you are game not if you are the board of the game"
"Could i be the board of the game, maybe?" bear wondered
"You can be anything you want"
"Well in that case... I would like to be an elephant" said the bear
"Ele what?"
"Phant"
"You want to be a phantelle? What is that?"
"No, rabbit, i would like to be an elephant. But only in the game"
"Then you are game?"
"I think i am"
And bear sure was, and rabbit could not remember what that all was about and so they went for a cup of tea. And cookies. Half a cup of cookies.

They come in different colors - each bear with its own bits of wisdom to share. Emily and Tom have even set up a diminutive studio for their adorable photo shoots..!

Put simply, it was just what I needed on this balmy, rainy afternoon.

(images: em's shop of bears'n'such; found the shop via the lovely Annie's Elsa May)

Hi. Hello, there.

I've been absent. So very, very absent from this little space. I know. But life has been incredibly busy - in the best of ways. So... where do I start?


The hydrangeas are in full bloom. We have corn and tomatoes from our garden, and the sunflowers are taller than we are, and we have to squint our eyes when we look up at their smiling faces. It's been hot. Really hot. And it has rained and rained in the evenings, and stormed and thundered much. Summer is unapologetically here.


Noah's nose has sprouted the faintest, most endearing collection of freckles as he spends most of his days outdoors. They dance around his face when he smiles, and I have moments when I look at him and he simply just takes my breath away. He's so grown-up; such a beautiful, beautiful boy. He is both excited and a little nervous about starting first grade come August.


I have met with a couple of new design clients and that has been great fun. My job at the nonprofit has been busy with five-year goal plans and lots of meetings about them.

The house is still on the market - we had a low offer in the beginning, which for obvious reasons did not work out. I am, oddly enough, not stressed about it, though. I truly believe things happen for a reason, so if the house doesn't sell this year, then we'll try again next year. The goal will remain to downsize, but it doesn't have to happen this month, or two months from now, or by the fall, or even before the holidays... We'll just have to wait and see what happens.


In the meantime, the woman who grew up in our house, her daughter and granddaughter will all be here in July to celebrate their birthdays at the house. I am really excited about that and hope that we will make a little video and take many photos of what I am certain will be a very special evening.

As always, I keep dragging outcasts home. Maybe I'll use this at the little house if it all works out this year. Or maybe I'll use it in a client's home. But this kitchen cabinet from the 20's was far too special to be left to rot in a dumpster. It needs some work (and don't we all?), but it will be a beauty again with a little bit of love.


And... that's about it in a nutshell, my friends. Things are busy, busy, busy, and it is all good. Like I was telling dear Bonnie when she emailed to check in - between new clients, my little job at the nonprofit, being mama to Noah, head grocery-shopper and main cook at the house, something had to give - and it has been the blog. For now.

I do hope this post finds you well and happy, enjoying life wherever you may be. The next couple of months promise to be just as busy as this one, so I am not sure how present I will be in this space. But know that I think of you often and wonder how you are and sincerely hope that life is treating every single one of you kindly. Take good care of yourselves and your loved ones. I am sending you all much love.

(images: me)

A little Etsy love, house news, and a goat

I recently acquired a couple of small beauties via Etsy and I wanted to share them with you because they are just so perfectly lovely and they make me smile every time I walk by them:

a sweet banner made of fabric remnants sewn together by wonderful Jill,

and a pretty lavender sachet made by beautiful Lotta.

As for the house news (and although I hesitate to announce this prematurely), we've finally decided to put it up for sale. I've talked about our desire to downsize and simplify before, and we may just have found a little house that will allow us to live a bit more simply and comfortably. Even though it was not an easy decision to make, I am looking forward to this new chapter in our lives - if the stars align and all that good stuff. (Fingers and toes duly crossed.) We shall see.

Lastly, I wanted to thank Tina - who doesn't have an Etsy store, but is one of those incredibly generous and lovely people that I've met in this blog world and become friends with, despite the distance and the odds.

On learning that Noah dreams of owning vast amounts of land and animals to go with it some day (I think that if he manages to accumulate acres at the rate he's accumulating Lego pieces, he has a good chance of living his dream), she emailed me some pictures of her mother-in-law's farm, including this one:

(Which, by the way, begs the question... could it be that Heather's missing goat is in Australia, not France, after all??)

So, a mixed bag of a post here, but I do hope this finds you and yours well and enjoying life, wherever you may be. All goats aside, there is quite a bit going on around here, so posting may be a little more sporadic than usual for a while.

(images: 1. & 2. me; 3. marie claire maison via mary ruffle; 4. tina)

Lately

I've been dreaming of going away. Just for a little while. I've been fantasizing about having a little cabin tucked away somewhere beautiful, where life would just naturally take a slower pace. A place like Pippi's summer cabin overlooking the water in Norway would fit such a dream, don't you think..?

For more inspiring images and words about this labor of love, click here.

(images: my scandinavian retreat)

Much.

Much has happened in the last few weeks. I've reconnected with my brother after a long stretch of silence and that has been wonderful - in fact he came to visit, which was even more wonderful. There have been many visits with cousins and family and friends; long walks around the neighborhood; pets lost and found and lost and found again (thankfully). The boys planted tomatoes, carrots, sunflowers and corn in the backyard while I recovered from a cold. It got really, really hot and then got chilly again, and now it goes back and forth, between brisk mornings and sultry afternoons. The flowers are in bloom and the trees exploded in a huge collective sneeze of pollen that covered everything in yellow dust and gave us all scratchy throats and watery eyes for a while.

Life, my friends, has been eventful and intense and beautiful, and we've been busy living it. But here I am, my dears. To let you know I haven't forgotten about my little space here. Or you. I've just been...well, quiet, is all.

We're still thinking about downsizing, and although we wouldn't be looking to swap our house for anything this small, I immediately fell in love with this Swedish apartment - for its generous use of white, the pops of wallpaper in just the right amounts and on just the right spots, the fantastic use of space, and the apparent ease with which choices were made to make it look so effortlessly lived-in and well-designed at the same time... I think if I had to live in 500 square feet, I'd try to make it look something like this.




At any rate, my friends... I hope this post finds you all well. More soon, eventually.

(images: via apartment therapy)

Quiet.

I've been spending some time thinking, dreaming, living - simply being. I've been a little bit absent from the blog world, but I'm still here...

I've been embracing quiet time to myself instead, playing Legos with my little guy who just turned six (six!), and I've been taking long walks in the sunshine before the heat and humidity of the south chase me back indoors.

I thought I'd share with you a poem that a beautiful friend sent my way... I've been thinking a lot about this poem's words, and how we have much to learn from the gentler, nobler pace of nature. I hope you'll enjoy this as much as I did.

Tonight and always, I am wishing you all peace, dear friends. Be well.


The Peace of Wild Things

When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children's life may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

~Wendell Berry


(image: via my scandinavian retreat)

Just enough

Sure, this house has a lot of the usual attributes that generally make me happy in a home: the white walls, the rough-hewn wood, the use of natural materials left exposed, and the beautiful tension between rustic, glamorous and simple.

But perhaps what draws me the most to this particular home is its scale.

For a little while now I have been craving the coziness of smaller spaces; I've been dreaming of finding a smaller house - one where no room goes unused, and no corner is left unattended, especially now that we've finally made the decision to have no more kids...


...and this house seems to fit that fantasy. For me. At this particular moment in my life.

We'll see, my friends. Only time will tell.

(images: jordi canosa)

Thanks and more thanks

To all, for your kind and encouraging words - I've been overwhelmed in the best of ways this last week and I appreciate each and every one of your thoughtful comments. So a big thank you to all of you, kind readers of this little blog of mine.

I'd also like to take a moment to thank Rue, Donna, Jillian, Cheryl, Eva, and Marcela for the mentions on their blogs about our home and projects we've worked on. When you have time, you can find their blogs by clicking on their names.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend, my dears!

Oh, and the image above is by crazy-talented Cara of Peonies and Polaroids. Go visit. She's the perfect mix of pixie loveliness and a swearing sailor. You'll love her. I can't wait for her shop to re-open.

This and that

Remember this post..? Well, I ordered this handmade pillow from Liane at enhabiten... I think it's the perfect companion for our quilt in the spare bedroom, don't you?

They're calling for snow here today... I know most of you are about done with winter by now, but it doesn't snow much around here, so I'm actually kind of excited. Maybe we'll get to do this again tomorrow:

Now, that would be fun, no?

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Noah's bedroom

My little boy's room.

My little boy who will be going to first grade this fall.

My little guy who is learning how to spell words and write proud, deliberate numbers...

He who collects leaves and rocks and seashells; and dried flowers and the spiked fruit from gumball trees...

He, to whom I read Goodnight Moon not so long ago in my arms, rocking back and forth, back and forth...

My Little Prince who is growing up. The little man who is becoming so wise. I worry about his heart - how it will be broken, and how that is part of growing up. But I tell myself: he'll be fine. It will soon be time for him to go from the safety of his little school to the big school. His world is getting bigger and bigger every day. And he'll take it all in stride and be just fine...

I, on the other hand, might have a little bit of a harder time. But I, too, will be fine. For my little boy is growing up - and that is a good thing. I hope the world treats him with the love and kindness that he deserves, and that he, in turn, will treat the world in the same way.




*For those of you who asked, the color on the top is Silver Sea SR209 (the same I used for the bi-fold doors, since I had leftover) and on the bottom, the color is Dust Storm EE2046C. You can get them both at Lowe's.*

Friends. Etsy. Love.

Since I started blogging last year, I've come to know some pretty spectacular and ridiculously talented women. And as we've slowly become friends, I've tried to purchase a little something from each of them so that I can have them close to me and think of them at unexpected moments - like while I do my dishes; or right before I turn the light off to go to sleep; or as I look for mascara in hopes of making my sleepy eyes look less tired in the morning; or as I catch a glimpse of myself in a mirror and see the little sparkle of an earring or necklace...

Sometimes it'll happen when I'm looking for a bowl that is just the right size for a snack; or as I leave home in the frazzle of morning and look up from the black hole that is my purse to see a lovingly-made pillow...

Or it may happen as I stop to think for a minute, while sitting at my little desk upstairs in my bedroom, and see a row of beautiful pictures, all lined up, anchoring me in time....or when I see a pretty card, leaning against said desk, reminding to smile...

It is at times like these that I think of some of the new dear friends I've made on this journey.... And it makes me so very happy to think of them as being part of my everyday life here at home, even if it's in a small way.

So today, I'd like to share some of the beautiful things that have made their way from Etsy to my home...won't you take a look with me?

Traci's beautiful photograph of pretty eggs from her shop, Blissful Images.

Denise's bowl, its glaze the most perfectly subtle shade of cream I've ever seen, found at Chez Danisse.

Rebekah's gorgeous patchwork pillow (which, incidentally, inspired this post) from her wonderful shop, Little Byrd Vintage and Handmade.

Cindy's carefully crafted card and bag, found at Pretty Neat Designs.

Melissa's perfectly delicate necklace, from her wonderful shop, Acts of Kindness.

Jill's cheerful zip bag, the best companion for these gray and cold winter months, found at her lovely shop, Jill Bent.

Beautiful photograph by beautiful and talented Cara, of Peonies and Polaroids.

Michelle's lovely earrings, perfectly bohemian, found at Blue Moss.

And last but not least, Azzari's wonderful 2010 desktop calendar, which you can find (along with other beautiful work) at her shop, Gabrielle Kai Photography.

When you have a moment, do stop by these women's wonderful blogs and shops.... You never know - you may even end up making a new friend, just like I did..!

(images: me)

Holiday glimpses

I know, I know... They're over. The holidays, that is. But maybe there is a holiday going on somewhere in the world (there must be), and we can bask in the good feelings a little bit longer....

We're still listening to Christmas music around here (driving Bill somewhat batty in the process, I'll admit), and just feeling the lazy comfort that came from having unstructured time off... In that spirit, I'll leave you with a few pictures that capture, in a small way, what life was like around here in December...

Folksy Santas,

Noah's cheer,

pretty lights...

Handmade stockings*, one, two, three...

...and a fourth one for The Bean.

Moose** pancakes (because some of you asked),

for dinner, no less..!

(Because Noah asked.)

The good news is - we can revisit all of this any time we want... We don't need a holiday to have twinkling lights, deliciously idle family time, or ridiculously shaped pancakes (for dinner or otherwise)... don't you think? Happy January, dear friends!


*made by wonderful Rebekah of Little Byrd

(**editor's note: Uh. Yeah. Apparently these aren't moose pancakes, but reindeer ones. Heh. My apologies to the moose. And the reindeer. Of course it makes sense - I mean, moose don't pull Santa's sleigh in Buenos Aires either. I just wish Bill had pointed all this out before folks started leaving comments. Siiiiiiigh...!)

(images: me)

New beginnings

I know it's not news, but I am still in awe of the new year: 2010. It sounds like the stuff science fiction stories, fairy tales and magic are made of...doesn't it? It feels a little bit like I've woken up in a comic book. Shazam! It's 2010!

Then again, maybe it's just me.

I have to confess I've started a new post a few times since I've been gone, and it just never seems to be quite right. So I'm just going to post this clumsy post and move on... I'm feeling a little bit rusty and I think I just need to get over the initial awkwardness of writing a public journal entry for the first time - even if it is not the first.

We had a good holiday break, filled with lazy days, lots of good food, and the first cold nights in the area, which left behind a thin layer of translucent frost. We hung twinkling lights from a cypress tree and ate silly pancakes shaped like moose; we baked cakes, and wrapped presents, and later opened them with delight; and we got to spend some time with family and dear old friends we had not seen in a little while.

I hope your holidays were just as special. I can't wait to visit each of you and find out what you've been up to lately. Happy 2010, my friends. Here's hoping that this year treats each of us with the kindness, peace and magic that we all deserve.

(image: shan b's photostream)

Quietude

I've been walking around feeling a little bit dazed with all that's been going on lately. It has all been terrific and a little bit terrifying at the same time, and as a result, emotionally, somewhat exhausting.

Between the photo shoot, and following a couple of leads for doing design work (maybe - we'll see), and keeping up with my part-time job at a nonprofit, and being a mom and wife, and continuing on with other general domestic duties, I must admit I've been feeling somewhat overwhelmed. So. What do I do at times like these..?

I come back to white interiors. And Jane Cumberbatch. I will never tire of her home. I know I've posted photos of it before, but it looks like these may be a little older (or newer?) as the house is styled with an even greater abundance of soothing whites in these pictures - which is exactly what I need to look at when I'm feeling slightly frazzled by life. I hope you'll enjoy these as much as I do...








(images: via the ever-inspiring bliss)

A bright and happy place

My dear friend Florence, a wonderful writer of stories for young people, asked me a little while back if I would write a post about a place I thought would suit her...

I haven't had a chance to come up with a whole house or apartment for her, but when I stumbled upon this kitchen, I thought of her. It's a little bit bohemian and girly, and even though she might protest the girly label, it's just her style, I think.

The pink on the window frame, the old Hollywood glam chandelier in such a utilitarian room, the warmth and texture of the many wooden drawers and vintage pulls on that piece (not to mention the playful scale of it in the room); the somewhat flirty, sheer curtain under the sink, the easy comfort with which mismatched chairs and plates and pottery accumulated over the years all coexist in perfectly inspiring harmony.... Yes - it all speaks of beautiful Florence to me.

Wouldn't you agree that this kitchen belongs to a wonderfully warm, interesting, and creative person...? I think so. And such a person is my gorgeous friend - my dear Florence.

Do make time to visit her little corner of the world, Cate's Folly when you have a moment... You'll find a little taste of a mid-grade comedy she's been working on called Gas for Pluto, a wicked recipe for tomato-nut soup, musings on being a writer and how to get published, and an inspiring post on the need to create picture books tailored to the specific needs of kids with autism, among her many wonderful entries.

(image: marie claire maison)