Hello Lovely

Artist Violise Lunn creates these
magnificent paper masterpieces I wish I could wear!

I'm more fond of how the gowns look
hanging out in this rustic environment
than the fancy one.




And this is as spookliciously ghostly as it's gonna get on
the blog (quips the planet's most unenthusiastic
Halloweenie who just rolled her eyes at a table of black
Christmas trees whilst shopping for festive Holiday decor...
leave the birth of the Prince of Peace and wintry wonderlands alone, FrightNight).

"Back to fine art!" raves October's Scrooge.
Bravo on these beauties, Ms. Lunn.

Now let's get crafty with paper...yes?

Peace to you right where you are.

Isn't this English house (available for photo shoots
via Light Locations) amazing in its eclectic boho glory?




I find the combination of incredible natural light,
bright whites, and pops of saturated color so
H A P P Y  L O V E L Y
that it makes me want to find a charming
fixer upper in need of love, give it
the ol' white treatment, and lease
it for photo shoots!


Know what would be fun?
Bring in a million colorful balloons,
a bubble machine,
three dozen cute puppies,
and host a disco brunch.



We'll fire up this happy romp
on the big screen and shake our money makers.
I won 2nd place in a freestyle dance contest in 1979. *snaps a z*


Is this my new calling?
A location for photo shoots that doubles
as a venue for disco brunch?

Care to be placed on the guest list?

Peace to you right where you are.



p.s.
no, mom, your daughter's NOT drinking on a thursday night.

I know fall has arrived, and every blogger and their dog
is thinking falling leaves and hot cider, but humor me, yes?
(For corn's sake, there is cableknit in this post, and that
should count for somethin'.)
* * *
Keeping with the beachy vibe from my last post,
check out Kelsi Vande Velden's charming
Hawaiian nest where she creates
one of a kind sundial watches.



Kelsi hails from Wisconsin (just a stone's throw from me)
and inspires me with her design sensibilities, free spirit,
and courage to build a life in a new place.







A gorgeous antique Balinese door became her headboard.

Her studio (Pandeia) is tucked away deep in the jungle,
on the island of Maui.






Pandeia's motto:

"Stay true, be strong and always follow your inner compass."

I have a sneaky suspicion you will be seeing more
Pandeia lovely on this blog...I'm hooked and
thinking dreamily about Hawaii where I will
be vacationing in January.

Peace to you right where you are.

If ever I called a beachy cottage home,
I would be over the bella luna if it resembled
Claire Lloyd and Matthew Usmar Lauder's
Greek island home in Lesvos!

My friend, artist Melissa James introduced me to
this couple's beautiful book, and Melissa has a
special connection with the authors as she adopted
Flossie (above left with Jinx), a fluffy pooch
Claire and Matthew rescued in Greece.
Indeed I have had the pleasure of walking and cuddling sweet Flossie!

Melissa's mood is midcentury modern in her current residence,
and she is always mixing it up fabulously, sharing photos
of the spaces she designs and the pets she adores. 



Back to Greece we go!



Do we really need to interject here?
Good Lord, no.
Let's simply indulge in a deep exhale of coastal bliss.




These images and sources were discovered at the gorgeous
My Scandinavian Home.




Oh, Melissa James, come make my spaces feel like this!




Please don't anyone be surprised if suddenly
my style morphs exclusively into bright white,
touches of earthy stone, and faded aqua/surfy blues.






A hunger for feta, olives, flatbread,
and more Greek Island delish has found me!

Lucky for us, we can indulge in the full buffet in:
My Greek Island Home.

Did you take away any particular inspiration?

Peace to you right where you are.

I have a weakness for art books. (Here's a little bit of the evidence.)

On my etagere is
Pencil in Hand: 20th-Century Drawings
(ACC Distribution)
which offers an overview of drawings
from cherished artists of the past 100 years.



Paul Klee

Inside, you'll find works by Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró, Salvador Dalí, Edgar Degas, Fernand Khnopff, Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele,
Henri Matisse, George Grosz, and many more.

Pencil in Hand: 20th-Century Drawings
contains more than 100 drawings from Spain and abroad.
The works form part of the 20th Century Drawing Collection, 
belonging to
the FUNDACIÓN MAPFRE,
a most prestigious cultural institution in Spain.

* * *

I bet my interior design freaky friends will be
tempted to buy and de-construct this gorgeous book,
framing the masterful prints for a brilliant gallery wall!

Isn't it miraculous what a simple pencil in the hand
of an artist is capable of?

Peace to you right where you are.

I hope you're not too tired of images around my house.
I'm actually very tired, but it's a good tired.

Autumn triggers 'nesty-ness' for me so yesterday involved:
(1) purging closets and
(2) round one of organizing purgatory (the storage room).
That room with the shelves of boxes! Oy! The angst!
It is full of nostalgia, dusty exercise equipment, our sons'
childhoods, and odd stuff we think we may someday use.



Even though I don't have to confront our pergatory on a daily basis
(it's not truly purgatory...more like the land of the unloved),
the objects there do seem to possess energy,
and the change of season signals it's time for a shift.

I strive for peacefulness in my environment
maybe because internally there is often a degree
of turmoil and disruption, and simplifying restores
a degree of control and eases the flurry.


Organizing helps, but living more soulfully helps more.
I have learned, for example, in the past year how spiritual practices can
make a powerful difference in my energy, balance, and health. 


Two practices in particular that are changing me were
a bit of advice offered to Henry Nouwen from Mother Teresa:
Spend one hour a day in adoration of your Lord,
and do nothing that you know to be wrong.

For me, that one hour often involves sitting at this piano,
the same one which has always been in my family.



I compose lyrics, music, and prayers, and while I'm hopeless
as a player and mediocre as a singer, I find great solace and
solitude and communion with my maker here.


An hour of adoration does not necessarily entail singing or
reading scripture; for me, it often looks like stillness
and quiet listening. 
True: As a child I was jealous of the religious practices of my neighborhood friends:
Catholics who had gorgeous churches and these amazing raucous social events, and Quakers
who didn't have to listen to long boring sermons at church (they told me
they simply sat in quiet prayer there).


The balance of that prescription from Mother Teresa
(do nothing you know to be wrong) while more challenging,
is nudging me into a life more pure, holy, and honorable.

Without such active intentions to move me into
a rhythm more divine (and less egoistic), I'm vulnerable
to one disjointed with selfish desires and amnesia for the sacred.


And that is enough confession, soul, and intimacy for today...
especially if you came here thirsty for worlds of energetic
whimsy and motion!

Peace to you right where you are.

Author of
 Modern Retro: From Rustic to Urban, Classic to Colourful,
these creme-tastic images from interior design
specialist Caroline Clifton-Mogg can be seen in
Decorating with China and Glass
(photos by Simon Upton) and just turn me to
j.e.l.l.o.




I love this Londoner's eye!


via

A locker in the dining room!



Clifton-Mogg chronicles a breathtaking
French country project:
Modern Country: Inspiring interiors for contemporary country living
(Quarto, 2014).


No traces of Americana 'country' here in this volume!
No modern take on milk cans or plaques reading
some version of "Bless this Mess."
BTW, why on earth would anyone ever wish to announce their untidy leanings?

Instead, beauty, lightness, inspiration, and
rural sophistication reign beautifully.


Modern Country: Inspiring interiors for contemporary country living

"Throughout the book we can see the inventive
and imaginative ideas and solutions that home owners
 have employed to make their home, large or small,
worth living in," (Caroline Clifton-Mogg)

I am devouring Modern Country: Inspiring interiors for contemporary country living as I
dream of barns, beams, imaginative retreats,
and joie de vivre in the natural countryside.

Does modern European country style move you?

Peace to you right where you are.