Happy New Year

Enjoy the feast that life is this new Year - may 2010 be filled like a picnic hamper of taste, sensation and excitement!

Halloween Finery

Spotted this fabulous hat that seems to combine all the good little girl gone bad visualry.
Vintage and Vogue in Downtown Campbell, CA
Couldn't help peering in and getting caught up in the mood.
I have three potential dress up events and I need to tear the cobwebs away from my fear of looking stupid. I always go as a witch.
But which witch is Witch ?


Decorating the lair is the fun part - do you do it pretty? or nasty ?
Halloween has the potential for us to decorate brothel cool or prim horreur.

I love that juxtaposition.
Who is your Halloween Persona ? and in what room does it reside?

My deck of Color Personality from House Beautiful
I joined in when I discovered Maria's delightful post
choices made from my own photos


1. First Color you see in the morning?
Blue, although I admit the dog is not always wearing glasses.






what color are your eyes- Green for the most part sometimes blue and sometimes hazel so somewhere in here










what color do you wear the most

shades of blue with black & browns







4 what color do you never wear ?
maroon





5 what color do you wear when you want to feel sexy

bronze






6 what color gets you the most compliments
silver grey






7 what color is your lipstick
red orange


8 what color was your living room when you were growing up?
Blue and white -white chairs, white terazo floor, white flokati rug, white marble tables & white metal cut out round coffee table. Fresh blue flowers in a gorgeous Italian vase. Blue and white fabric cushions.




9. what color was your bedroom when you were growing up?
Ever changing depending on my mom's latest inspiration.
Last one I chose was shades of Green with white and black accents. I inherited a real Zebra skin for the floor.




10. what color are your sheets?
blue and white- doing this color quiz makes me realize I am very boring - all my colors are the same.





11.what color was your favorite crayon as a child?
red like the door to the Baccarat Mansion




12. what color is your car ? dark grey, a snarling beast that rides the grey tarmac.
Rather like these beasts from a door in Paris.






13. what color was your prom dress ? - we actually never had a prom - I was in a college type school.
But if I had had a prom I would have worn a dress in this rasberry shade with blackberry accents and trim. I am pretty sure.... I had a raw silk suit in this color and I loved it.


14. favorite gemstone
Emeralds represented here by a Daum piece. Jewels for the home.





15. Favorite flower ?
Peony- just love the layers like a dress- and these bright reds and pinks are stunning.



16. what color makes you the happiest, so many - I love color
but for purpose of this exercise - yellow



17.what color depresses you? Tuna pink like my appetizer on the plane. shades of ugly.



18. what color calms you?
white/ blue/ green



19. what color makes you grind your teeth? burgundy with teal green combo
pepto dismal pinks & yellows
I will spare you the upset.



20. what color would you like to try but are scared to ?
A painted wall of colors would be fun to try - I am scared I would get sick of it.
Good for the hall. When I own my own home again maybe I will do it.

colorburst in the street

Sunday in Paris, a million pictures to inspire, & charm.
The casual pairing, that somehow works.
I pressed my nose against the shop windows of Merci, but it was closed, for August Holidays.
Still live plants and flowers thrive behind the glass.

Old farm House

Just back from France. It was a perfect trip. We spent time in the country to celebrate my belle mere & belle pere's 50th wedding anniversary, time at the seaside- oh the houses! and a few days in Paris. absolutely blissful. Visual Jam everywhere.
Naturalement, I took lots of photos and here is an old farm house in what they call a fauclette. Not even sure how to spell it or what it would be in english, where generations of my husbands family lived. It was a real treat to visit and to exclaim at the wonder that generations of family members lived and farmed here. My husbands great grandmother, was born in this house. and it still stands with history in its breath.

Weekend roses

Lovely early evening roses

Get inspired by Safari

Growing up in Africa was a magical experience.
When I look at the work of Stephen Falke I am pulled by all the elements that touch my soul and of course by his mastery of the two worlds.



Really its all about materials, texture line color and insouciance.
Some fabulous ways to copy this look now




this lamp looks african from West Elm




A rug with texture and African pattern & colors also from West Elm



Sheer drapes from Pottery Barn




cool lights from Vivaterra




Use one of Falke's signature walls to emulate your statement see below- baskets, masks or anything else that appeals- see on Desire to Inspire blog




Find some interesting tables, like this one below from PfeiferStudio




What do you think is the essential Safari element?

Laundry Room blues

Do you ever wonder why the Laundry Room can give you the blues?
All those shiny white appliances that show all the dirt, the white walls, the white floors and those brown cupboards... does functional mean ugly ?
This is a small room that can be enhanced with color.
Decorating ideas and quick fixes are plentiful.
Like this quick change we created for a House Staging on a budget
we took this



to this




Color makes a huge difference. Consider the other items in the room when choosing color schemes for your laundry room.

Art and accesories play an important role in bland functional spaces.
Notice how the blue in the painting pops right out, against the green paint.
The green also tones down the red in the wood.

Fun signs work well in the clean working environment



Laundry Drop Pants Vintage Tin Sign
and I like this sign 'Do it Yourself' from Buy.com


When deciding how to decorate your laundry room, look at some examples -
like this totally cool laundry room from Sarahs house






















and here is a whimsical idea from the delightful home blog

A laundry room if in its own space, is a delightful chance to be bold or wild. It will give you pleasure every time you enter, to do a chore that never ends. Whatever your style country cottage to bohemian chic - you can create a little corner of wonder, to enhance your everyday moments. What do you think?

What would your ideal Laundry Room be ?

luscious Peonies

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color texture and beauty.... love the plump generous Peonies
Great colors for walls or furniture.