Morning's Light

It's Friday.  I've come into contact with people who are punchy today and ready for the weekend.  Perhaps that is why I received these photos + captions in an email today.  I've seen it before, but darn it, I laughed again.

Hoping Friday goes by quickly.  Am meeting Elena, Molly and Kalette at Starbucks to play cards.  If we get enough sugar and caffeine into Kalette, she will be our entertainment for the evening!

The rest of the weekend will be low key: some cleaning, some organizing, a workout or two, maybe a movie (still haven't seen Benjamin Button yet).

Any movie or book recommendations for me?

My eye is normally drawn to loads of white with some bright accent colors*, but something about this room drew me in.  I've always wanted a little attic room. Must be all those books I've read that mention little attic rooms for little girls growing up.  Or it could be the cute rug or the pretty bedlinens.  All I know is that I want to run into the room, hop onto the bed and curl up to read a good book before taking a nap.

image: living, etc.

*So I suppose you're thinking, "What part of 'white with accent colors' is NOT in this photo?  I see white linens and green accents."  You know, you're right.  Thanks for helping me see that.

Angela Hardison is the author of my newest favorite blog, "My Little Corner of the World".  She lives in a beautiful home and her office is so very pretty.  So if you like pretty…..check out that corner.

A description of a traveler's Swedish breakfast has enchanted me. 

The breakfast, the first Swedish breakfast in a very long time, was maybe the closest to a religious experience I have ever come. Eggs and "Kalles kaviar", really good dark bread, incredibly nice (meaning cute) serving staff, "filmjölk" and tasty cereal. Dim lights, still dark outside, lit candles. The feeling of not having to hurry anywhere. Fresh orange juice and real strong Swedish-roasted coffee. The rich taste of the cucumber and tomatoes..

I was close to shedding a tear when the realization of all this beauty hit me.

Business people, in suites and the like, were sitting around me in the sparsely occupied dining hall, discussing something or reading their newspapers. The scene was calm, tidy, proper, beautiful.. divine.

I choose not to pick up one of the newspapers, but to just sit there and watch the scene while eating my breakfast, studying the other participants. Maybe they were going to meetings, conferences, fairs. Maybe the fates of their companies were to be decided in a few hours. Who knows? It's silent. Every once in a while a car passed outside of the large windows facing the street.

Later in my room, I turn on the TV with the morning news while preparing to leave for the US embassy. The broadcast too seemed calm, as if a spell was cast to make everything that morning slow and relaxed. There was a news break about a big section of highway near Gothenburg collapsing because of heavy rainfall. With a yawn I turned it off and headed out to meet the day.

 It's a Saturday morning and I'm at the dining table with my then-three-year-old niece Mimo.  We are playing the Dora the Explorer version of Candyland.  As Mimo passes the special squares on the board with images on them, she bids them farewell, assuming she'll never be back that game to see those squares on the board.  

I got so excited on Monday when I heard about Orla Kiely releasing a line of products at Target. (favorite designer + favorite store = heaven)

However, everyone is mentioning how they'll be at Target February 1st when really, according to the email I received from Target, the release date of the line is February 15 at all Target stores.  Maybe a NYC store will get a sneak peak, I don't know.

I did hear that the prices will be from $1.99 to $21.99 or so.  

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO excited.

Now if she'd just offer some of her purses as well, that would be amazing!

Those words were all I could say when I opened my mail last night.  Inside a London store shopping bag were two items I never expected to see: an Orla Kiely mug and a Marimekko cosmetic bag. Those are two designers I adore.  After all, I was still excited from Monday's news from Apartment Therapy that Orla Kiely's line of homegoods at Target would be available in early February.  I sent the news to Sharona in London, and she must have just smiled at my enthusiasm – knowing that this week I'd receive an Orla Kiely item of my very own! 

Thank you, Sharona!!

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kitchen recipe wall, originally uploaded by cat_scratch.

beautiful. I love the flowers, the floor, the shelving. all of it.

downs: it's really cold here. really, really cold. and I cannot find my cute, winter hat (which also is my only winter hat).  couldn't find my gloves either! Then netflix was sending the next DVD on my list but no mail has arrived in my mailbox for three days.  that's about it.  little things made me slightly grumpy last night.  then this morning, had a tumbler full of a smoothie for my breakfast and spilled it down my arm while going down the stairs to my front door.

ups!! locked my front door, turned around and saw a netflix envelope..checked out the pile of mail and saw the latest issue of domino magazine, my DVD, and a few other pieces of mail.  someone must have gotten my mail by mistake! then I checked a rarely-used-pocket in my purse and there were my gloves.  so things are looking up! also, I am still wishing time would fly by until the first week of February – for that is when Orla Kiely's new line will be available at Target.  (that news was flying around the land o' blogs yesterday afternoon)

all around: here are some cute decor photos I can't keep to myself.

Photo: Louise Fili via Design*Sponge

image: castle linens

image: castle linens