Finding Inspiration

Before there were blogs to view there were magazines.  I adored Country Home (so upset when that disappeared I wrote the company - to no avail).  I had a subscription from 2002 - until it's demise.  I have loved Country Living for over a decade.  Remember when Country Living used to put out a separate Christmas Issue in October?  Adored that and started haunting stores for it in early October just to get a copy as they usually went fast.

Here in Canada I have had a subscription to Style at Home for about 13 years too.  So.... what this means is I had a lot of magazines.  When I moved, 3565 km to be exact, it was a paid for move so I didn't care what I packed.  Coming back home to beautiful Alberta was on my dime so I had to reduce the pounds.  The best place to reduce was my collection of magazines.  I'm sure I had about 100 + pounds.  So before the chaos of the move set in I started cutting.

I discovered by cutting out the pictures of the homes  that I loved it afforded me more time with what I wanted and less time being bothered by ads. I purchased two folders, 1 for Country Home and another for every other picture I had loved.

And I started to fill them.  They are so full  together they are about 9lbs!

 I had collected some treasures along the way,

I picked up this brochure when I went to Shabby Chic (the Newport Beach store).  It just has furniture in it but they all look comfy and soft.

As well I had this brochure,

This was for a beautiful decor store in Vancouver that has changed hands now.  This store was in a large warehouse and these stairs are painted concrete. It was an amazing place. 

Here's a peek inside.

All my stuff got moved in in early July and I have been unpacking and painting and then a few weeks ago I realized I had not found these folders.  So I started opening boxes and peeking around and still I could not find them.  I went to bed trying to remember where I had packed them (5 months ago).  I woke up thinking I should check somewhere important.  Sure enough, packed in a plastic container with family pictures, hiding at the very bottom, under everything precious were my folders - relief!

I had pictures of inspiration,

From Country Home, done by Michael Mead and inspired this:

and pictures of my dream house,

                 

These 3 pictures are from Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion - Dec. 2006

Inspiration is everywhere, sometimes it's in cheap plastic folders.

Until next time,

Patricia

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A Beautiful Traditional Kerala Home design - Video

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Residential Garden Design in San Francisco

This is a beautiful garden design and cool. One way to enhance the beauty of the home is to attend a garden in our yard. Houses become barren and gives the impression of calm. Especially when summer comes. For this reason Lutsko Associates made a garden in an urban housing in San Francisco.

The concept of this project is an open architecture for daily life, maximizing the impact and experience of a small space. The breakthrough of this sunlight can park with ease because there is no roof in this park. Another advantage is that we can enjoy the garden from the balcony of the second level instead of the inside of the house. Design pays attention to the sensory experience of materials and planting, which contributed to the richness and beauty of the park.

Description:
This city park in the Pacific Heights district of San Francisco around a single family home. The house was designed in 1990 by noted Bay Area architecture firm EHDD under the guidance of the late Joe Esherick. When viewed from two house sites overlooking the balcony, the park is a graph of the composition of space, materials and planting. From this perspective much of San Francisco Bay and Alcatraz Island slip into the views of the city spread out below the property. This park is designed to bring a sense of urban city fabric into the site. From inside, the garden intimately experienced as a sequence of outdoor rooms, their space and design features hidden sequence and expressed as a threshold passing each other in composition.

This park is divided into a series of three enclosed garden room, each tightly defined by the architecture and / or planted edge. Various treatments translucent-edge glass, hand troweled plaster, bronze curved walls, and planting-explore the relationship between the viewer and the adjacent off-site conditions. The walls between rooms consisting of Prunus caroliniana hedge cut, fit within the framework of structural steel. Thresholds between rooms create a sense of mystery and discovery as one moves through the park.

Each room is different in shape and quality. The first room, which requires light and privacy, defined by clear glass that transmits light and reveals the subtle shape of the outer edge of the garden. edge is reinforced by a steaming Pelargonium tomentosum and cacaliifolia Salvia to bring the natural flavor and fragrance into the room otherwise constructed. Osmanthus fragrans sculptural form branched multi-wall plaster, clean end to end view this space. The second room is dominated by the most dramatic elements of the park, a large curved wall made of bronze. From the slot in the wall, water cascades into the basin cut into the pavement beneath. Placed against the wall of the adjacent buildings, water features create a sensual edge with space, quiet introspective. In the third hall, visitors got a surprise vista of the city, bay, and the Trans-America building through the open window like a translucent wall panels. reeded panel's glass-covered walls of the Beaux-Arts fence neighbors recognize pastiche of the city, and is a reference to changing the architectural style from time to time. A lemon tree, espaliered plaster wall, in line with the axial views of the garden.

Park employs a large patch of contrast material to make a bold graphic composition: limestone paving of light that shines in the fog of San Francisco is interspersed with bands of wool thyme; dark granite stone engraved with a spiral pale to generate a mosaic. Restrained planting palette, shades of green and Grey with white flowers give priority to form over color. Bold-textured foliage contrasts dramatically with the materiality of space. The combination of material selection and composition of the structure to respond, simpler forms of home distilled. Park became home to a literal extension of everyday life while still associated with adjacent urban forms. [via]

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Living a Happy Life

Funky Junk Donna asked us to post "all about me" stories...

not sure if this is ALL about me, 

but here is what I think shaped the person I am today:

I am the oldest sister, one of five kids 

and grew up happily  in the 60s and 70s...

I grew up traveling the world at age 5

 and living overseas because of my dad's job.

Our parents did a great job raising their kids.

We first moved to Brazil.

Our belongings were shipped via freight

...my toys were finally here!

I've also been to the Coliseum in Rome....

and I've been to Tibet...

I lived in Pakistan for 2 years...

where we had elephant rides instead

 of pony rides at our birthday parties

 I also lived in Thailand for 3 years....

and sported a Mia Farrow hair cut. Ugh.

I visited the walled city of Jerusalem...
love those "60's" clothes.

and rode in rickshaws around Cambodian ruins...

I vacationed on the idyllic coast of Thailand.... 

 then finally went home to live in the States 

but toured Europe along the way (Copenhagen)...

Back in the good ol' USA in 1970!

Went to college and studied English and Art..

then married at age 21 

and fulfilled my dream of becoming a mom.

After 20 years my marriage had ended 

and I was embracing turning 40.

 Quite certain I had the happiest years of my life

 ahead of me, I lived my life,

 not waiting, just living.

An independent mother of 3 who was capable of starting over, 

not afraid of making mistakes, 
making a life for myself and my growing sons,

and still believing in the full happiness that was yet to come.

And so it was to be...
In 2007 I married Dave, Mr. Maison Decor. 

This partnership has brought out the best in me. 

I can't say enough about being with someone who "gets you", 

who is kind and generous and secure in themselves 

so that they can be a full and loving partner. 

 I also cannot stress enough that if you have the belief 

that you are going to find yourself in a better place, 

just go forward and believe in that. 

It will happen.

The thing that defines me most is my ability to embrace change.

 Moving around a lot as a young person

 gave me that ability and it is the thing I value most. 

It negates the fear that hinder most of us.

Problem solving, counselling, mothering, leading, partnering 

and home making are my other assets. 

My job doesn't enter the equation when I define myself, 

so I haven't put that into this essay.
 Although true to admit
 I am good at what I do and 
that I get pleasure from my job as a designer.

 I consider myself lucky to have been able to trust myself

 to go in the direction that gave me the biggest payoff~

living a happy life. 

linking to Funky Junk Donna's 3000 follower event: WHO AM I?

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Easy Way to Decorate Home with Home Decor Accessories

Pleasing environment of your home relaxes your mind and gives you the energy for the next day. People spend lot of time and money on buying home decor accessories. Really with all kinds of changes, new and positive energy is given to home.

Scented Candles

Nothing more romantic than scented candles. Moreover as the festival season is approaching so you can put the bright scented candles anywhere in your home. These are great addition on dining table, center and consoles. Also there is an option of floating scented candles that gives the feeling of paradise. Scented candles are also used to welcome the new season with fervour. So you can decorate any place without spending much.

Cushions

There is nothing more colorful and bright than the bold cushions with thick and bright fabric. You can decorate the cushions as per your choice and match these with any theme you want. Also there is a great choice of fabric in these cushions. Place these with in bedroom, living room or on couch and feel the effect of the bright cushions.

Flowers

Next very easy but effective home decor accessory can be flowers and decorative flower vase. Colorful ceramic flower vase are available at very low rate but quiet good when used. Also if you can afford then you can buy the branded flower vases.

Table Lamps

Another home decor accessory is the table lamp. There is a great option of style and color of table lamps that are available. Tiffany lamps, wrought iron lamps, mica lamps and wood lamps are very popular. Then you can pick the desired lamp shades having different fabrics and accessories. These come in very decorative and sophisticated designs. To make this fabric is predominantly used but also you will get this in glass, paper, silk, metal and beads. Every different material has its own charm.

Decorative Mirrors

Mirrors are such a decorative accessories that these can be used as living room accessory as well as bathroom decorative accessory. In bathroom these are hanged above vanity and living room you can hang it where you have space on the wall. But in every case do consider the rest of decor and placement of furniture etc. Decorative wall mirrors also make your home or room look bigger.

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On The Move Adult & Young Adult Apron Set

On The Move Adult & Young Adult Apron Set Review

On The Move Adult & Young Adult Apron Set Feature

• Mommy & Me set with Adult apron and young adult size apron
• Reversible with coordinating print on back
• 3 pockets on the front and ties at neck and back
• Washable, 100% cotton fabric
• Young Adult size fits most size 8 up to 5'4"

On The Move Adult & Young Adult Apron Set Overview

Going for a ride? This apron features a fun, retro transportation print. With 3 pockets on the front, these aprons reverse to a colorful stripe. Fabric placement varies. The adult size apron fits most up to size 16. The young adult size apron fits from size 8 through 5'4". This adult apron is also available in a set with the kids size or toddler size.

Available at Amazon Check Price Now!

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Sep 29, 2010 20:03:12

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japanese interior home design

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