Manny Update

Remember that itsy bitsty puppy that I could hold in one hand 8 months ago? He's 75 lbs and supercharged, although you can't tell from this picture. Apparently he spent the better part of the morning in the back yard chasing streams of water from the hose... see below.... by the time the top picture was taken he was all tuckered out. Doesn't it look like his ears shrank in when they got wet?! I'm still on my hiatus, but I couldn't resist posting these pictures.

A little more personal time....

I try to keep my blog interesting and current... I know I haven't done either of those things lately. I've needed to take a little bit of personal time. Chill time... taking care of important stuff. But I'll be back again soon- within a few weeks. Thanks for understanding.

In The Pink

October is officially breast cancer awareness month, so I thought I'd post some fun pink finds from 1st Dibs to start the month off right.

Above is a hooked rug from the early 20th Century of an Eagle... it's my favorite of all the pink stuff here...

ABC NYC

We were in the city for all of 30 hours last week. A super quick trip- so fast that I didn't get to call anyone to tell them we were there or were coming. We spent one great day tooling around the city trying to pick up things we needed and see some inspiring things. Time was of the essence, so I knew that I could count on a trip to ABC on Broadway for some amazing merchandising and to see what's "new". It's funny, I went shopping for a project back in Columbus a few days later and the difference in merchandise, how it's displayed, and (of course) the price tag were all drastically different. This is why I go to New York....

Note: I'm not the greatest at taking stealth photos with my phone yet. Still a few blurry issues, but you get the idea.





This is an overall shot of the main floor of the store (we didn't have enough time to get to any other floors). You can get a good idea of the combination of natural elements, light, and an overall ethereal feel.




Lots of religious statues of all kinds. Most of them old or with a really cool patina to them. Lots of white and glass.



Blurry, but it has that other worldly feel....




This one is my favorite. This table top was stunning. Those vases in the middle are cast metal vases that look like tree branches. I was this close to buying one... or four. But I didn't. The crystals and rocks were everywhere- and they had them in all shapes and sizes. I might be kicking myself that I didn't buy a few... they're all so different that you really have to hand pick them too.




The above is a really bad photo of the elevator wall covered entirely with paper flowers (at least I think they were paper. I never did get that close to them).

Yes. You should.

I recently read a monthly commentary by the editor of a popular shelter magazine that urged consumers to make their homes a priority, even in this uncertain economy. I thought about posting it, but I don't totally agree with it. Yes, your home is your sanctuary and it is important that it provide a safe, comfortable, and ideally, beautiful environment. This particular editor (who happens to put together a great magazine each month) made it sound like you should just "go for it" and deal with the credit card bills later. My approach is a little bit different. Now is the time to explore what you like, hire a professional, and begin to set the groundwork for a great design to take shape.

If you have the budget available, investing in your home can be a very wise choice. If your kitchen or bathrooms need to be updated, that should be number 1 on your list. Not only will you reap the benefits and enjoyment of a newly remodeled room, but those are dollars you will see again when you do decide to sell your home. Kitchens and baths are crucial selling points, so hire a designer and do them right.

While the kitchen and bath are major investments, you can make immediate changes without spending your entire salary. Again, hire a designer and invest in a design plan. If you know what you're working towards you can collaborate with your designer to accomplish the plan in stages. This way you don't pay for expensive mistakes or end up with a room full of things that really don't work together but cost you a pretty penny.

Overall, I do agree with the editor. Your home is your sanctuary and investing in your comfort and truly enjoying your life at home is important, especially when times are tough. Just do it wisely and perhaps with a little help from a pro. You can enjoy the transformation over time. In our overly technical world we expect instant gratification, but I think we appreciate things more when they develop beautifully over time.

September 11

Italian Garden

I'd love to blog more about gardens, but if you are a regular reader, you know I'm no garden expert. I just know what I like. When I see a picture, I can instantly say: "I want to go there". I've wanted to go to Italy again for a few years, but given the Euro-Dollar exchange rate I'm going to wait a bit. When we do eventually get there, I'd like to find a nice bucolic spot like this for at least a few days. That and a visit to Florence's "I Tredici Gobbi" Trattoria and I might never come home! I'm keeping my eye on the Euro....