July 24, 2008

Desiderata

I know that this really doesn't fit the overall feel of this blog, but sometimes I need a reminder of the truly important things.


Go placidly amid the noise and haste and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others; even the dull and ignorant; they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals; and everywhere life is full of heroism

Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul

With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy

MAX EHRMANN 1927

July 14, 2008

The great outdoors.

My wonderful husband, Chris, is currently working on building a patio in our backyard. Once the patio is complete I will be celebrating the occasion with a patio party. In anticipation of the event I thought I'd post some outdoor inspiration.

July 9, 2008

Wall collages

I collect things. I buy things when I don't need them. I have weird stuff around my house. I think that is why I am always drawn to wall collages. To me they look like the owner collected items over time and piece by piece hung them up. Here are a few of my favorites that are sitting in my inspiration file at the moment:

I wish that my floors were shiny enough to reflect!

Of course I'm always drawn to all white!

Here's a small little collage, but it looks so homey.


I ADORE this! If I had a huge stair case I'd love to have a huge collage!

I really like this entire photo. The warm wood tones, mixed frames, and I am loving the light fixture.

I really like that long faced painting in the middle.

This is perhaps my favorite of the bunch. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!

July 7, 2008

Mary McDonald

I'm seriously in love with Ms Mary McDonald - I feel like I could move right in to her website! Check it out for yourself:






{www.marymcdonald.com}

July 4, 2008

Ladurée

While my husband and I were in Santa Barbara we had the privilege of being taken to the most adorable pastry shop. Unfortunately I got a phone call in the middle of our visit and didn't think to take a photo of the outside (or even record the name of the shop!), however these photos were to 'yummy' not to share.



These photos make me wish that I was at Laduree. Now for those of us in the midwest who aren't familiar with that I thought I'd share from Wikipedia (obviously the best resource...):

Ladurée is a luxury cakes and pastries brand based in Paris, France. It is known as the inventor of the double-decker macaron, fifteen thousand of which are sold every day. Louis-Ernest Ladurée, a miller, founded the bakery on the Rue Royale, Paris in 1862. During the Paris Commune uprising of 1871 the bakery was burnt down. A pastry shop was built at the same location and Jules Chéret was entrusted with the interior decoration. The chubby cherubs dressed as pastry cooks, painted by him on the ceiling, form the company's emblem. The interior of the premises were painted in the same celadon colour as the façade. Ladurée's rise to fame came in 1930 when his grandson, Pierre Desfontaines, had the original idea of the double-decker, sticking two macaron shells together with a creamy ganache as filling. Queen Catherine de' Medici had brought the macaron to France from Italy in the 16th century, and the recipe for the biscuit had hardly varied over the years, but the amounts of the ingredients used and the appearance of the end product were up to the individual bakers. Desfontaines was also the man behind the idea of opening a tearoom at the pastry shop. In those days ladies were not admitted to cafés, which were the exclusive domain of men. This was a big success with ladies, who enjoyed meeting in the freedom of the tearoom rather than their homes. {http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ladurée}

Now that you know what it is, let's have a look, eh?
I think that my sister would want to move in!