Glimpses of beauty and simplicity around the world.
Anita, a blogger in Austria who has lived in Dallas, introduced the home of Caro (Soda Pop Design). (Both blogs are in German which means Google Translate comes in handy to read these beautiful blogs!) Anita describes Caro's home as "fresh, light and uncomplicated" to which I agree.
images: 1richtungsblog
It's hot out there. I know it's Wisconsin and not Texas or Arizona hot… but our temps jumped UP over 20 degrees on Sunday and hovered at 90 with high humidity. My wardrobe and home were not prepared for this…so I picked up a cute blouse to wear with a simple skirt for work on Monday and turned on the air conditioning before bed last night. I find it a challenge to fall asleep when it's hot and humid.
Soooo..it's hot. That's my update! Had a relaxing weekend and saw Letters to Juliet (very cute film!) and played games with friends at a cabin on the lake.
Hope your weekend was swell!
This photo on a flickr group (flickr member "sass face") + seeing some chic youth group students at church inspired my purchase of black capri leggings to wear under dresses and skirts. Yesterday was cool enough for me to compile an ensemble of a black linen sundress that is a bit see through + the leggings + a white cardi + a yellow/white scarf. Did I die and go to heaven? The leggings were THAT comfortable! I kept thinking colleagues were going to send me home for working in my pajamas!
The last time I wore leggings it was (cough cough) the early nineties. I was wearing a pair of navy leggings under a cute top and was lagging behind some friends in a restaurant's parking lot in SoCal. Some businessmen were arriving for lunch as well.
My friends called to me, but the dang leggings had kept riding up past my knees, so I had to stop to make an adjustment. Thus I yelled to the friends, "I'll be right there! I have to PULL MY PANTS DOWN!" Those men's heads whipped around so fast I swear they had whiplash!
Leggings. Love 'em.
PS: The original outfits I saw that had me thinking "hmmm..leggings? okay!!" were from the flickr member, Melinda, a/k/a weddingpie.
click on images for a larger view
Just picked up the latest book from Apartment Therapy….. Apartment Therapy's Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces. Am only halfway through the book and already have changed my ideas on brown/blue in the bedroom (new favorite colors now) and how to sparkle up my bathroom!
Sunday was busy and fun. The morning held the final Ignition service for the school year. Then I dashed off to a city two hours away to see my new nephew, C, who was born a mere 10 days before my visit.
C's older brother H was still sleeping when I arrived, so Mom and I played a quick game of cards..but I had to take a photo of H sleeping!
When he woke up, I whisked him off with his older siblings to shop at Target. H got to pick out whatever he'd like for his birthday…within reason. He ended up with three things: a set of Thomas Train bath toys, a big microphone in which he sings his version of Staying Alive (sounds like "Chin Live" or "Chin Lice"), and a plastic bag from Target. He seemed to view the bag as part of his gift.
We then had a cookout for dinner and the birthday boy loves his chips.
My mom gave me a tour of her studio apartment attached to my brother's house….and it's adorable. She has impressively paired down her belongings from an 1800 square foot ranch home that she lived in for over 20 years – to a mobile home with limited storage – and now to a studio apartment with even less storage than she's ever had before. She's done a wonderful job and has declared that she's given up rummage sales and browsing her favorite stores (Pier1, Target, World Market).
Here you see her Murphy bed pulled down so H could nap.
And here is where the bed is stored upright and leaves room to walk around the main room.
She has an armoire for clothing and miscellaneous storage (no closet!) along with a small kitchen with a bar area. (Her front door is to the left of the kitchen.)
This is the living area kitty-corner from the kitchen. Her TV armoire, couch and glider fit nicely into the corner.
The house and apartment overlook a city park, so the views are incredible. The builder (my brother) included a large window in the living area to encourage light to come in and access to the stunning view.
Not shown are the three grandkids who burst into and out of the doors at all times of the day as they visit Gramma or run through to the backyard or have to tell her a story RIGHT NOW!.
I had so much fun there I didn't want to drive home!
Photos by sunnygirlsf
Please pardon the funky formatting. Am using Microsoft Word again and am figuring out the formatting options. Thanks for your patience.
I've owned one of those wires you use to hold photos and magazine pages with clips but have never used it. Now after seeing the photos by Victoria of sfgirlbybay, I must dust off the wire and put it to use near my desk. Then the only challenge will be deciding which of the hundreds of tear sheets I have stacked in binders and boxes to include on the wire!
Happy FRIDAY to you!
These offices of Rhetorica were designed by What We Do who decided to work with the all-white painted interiors.
The new office space was located in an old backyard workshop building with nice old-fashioned window-panes and raw visible plumbing and electric connections. The office had one big room with big blank walls that just invited us to come up with some unique wall-decorations.
Sean MacPherson's closet is one of the best I've seen. (One friend saw the closet photo and emailed me, "I'm in love!") I love the cubbies and the wire baskets in those cubbies because open storage is what works best for me. I have to see my belongings to know they're around. Clothing tucked into drawers is quickly forgotten about.
This look of open shelving in the kitchen is oh so very pretty.
Feels good to be back here with you again! Due to some personal and family situations, I've been missing you all here but now am back. While I was gone, I made a trip to my favorite big-box store that I mention way too often on here. Arrived home with a chair (the PELLO chair) that I put together myself without tears or frustration. I'm so not a handy person so that was amazing. Also while I was gone a new nephew was born…. CJ. I've yet to meet him in person. Hoping to remedy that this weekend!
This is Marion of tous les jours dimanche, a French blog about a family's life. I love her pink bag and her overall chic style that is in no way hindered by her pregnancy. She looks amazing. And there are glimpses into her days – of naps with the children, gardening, attending the ballet. I must keep reading… can't get enough of the blog!
Don't mind me. Am playing a bit. Just discovered that Word will let me create blog entries but I couldn't believe that would be true. Thus I'm creating this to…..well, prove myself wrong!
How was your Mother's Day? I couldn't make it to see my mom so I called her. Being the gracious mom she is, she allowed the phone call to be what she claimed she needed. I was happy to hear that my niece and nephews who live in the house attached to her apartment made her breakfast and delivered it to her. Plus I'm sure she had some time to cuddle and smell (in a good way! That baby smell!) her new grandson (10 days old).
Guess Word really does create blog entries. I'll know as soon as "publish" is clicked. Here we go……………..
Morning's Light 