Mirror, Mirror on the Wall...

Next to my chippy shutters, my next big love is old mirrors - the big heavy and hand carved frames and the mercury splatters on the other side of the glass.... dreamy.

My son says I sound like an old lady now when I sigh... run my fingers along the carvings and lament that they just don't make things like they used to...

...but they don't.

I'm in love with this Antique Italian mirror and it looks just like the moulding going up in my little muse shack...

Isn't it gorgeous?

The detailing on this silver hand mirror is so sweet...

What a lucky mirror to live within a tapestry of weathered and timeworn beauty...

I've been on the hunt for the perfect mirrors for project 36654433 here in Museville, but it's slow going...

but half the fun is in the hunt for just the right ones ...

Angels Among Us...

An angel, like a butterfly, knows it is a great privilege to fly

...even if only for a moment. -- unknown

I have a deep and profound love for certain ancient statues -- some I have seen with my own eyes, some through the eyes and lens of others.

The ones that speak to me are those forever frozen within a moment of grace and benevolence.




Such beauty with a hint of sadness - held to the earth by the weight of concrete - like fireflies trapped in a jar --



I always thought that many were just too beautiful to have come from imagination and as a child always wondered if there was indeed a gorgeous creature imprisoned within ... but knew that something of that amount of grace could never be held by anything of this earth - and so I romanticized that they would in their own time take to the heavens - leaving behind mementos of their time here.


via Greyfreth

Shedding their earthly costume - leaving behind treasures for those lucky enough to find them.




as seen in pottery barn


I was lucky enough to find them. You can be, too.

Color My World

I love the Fall. The crisp mornings that melt into warm afternoons -- but most of all, I love the colors. My favorite colors all come together then. The grey green leaves of my olive trees against the red crescent moon last night - the burnt cinnabar and saffron of the neighbor's Japanese maple which is starting to turn .... the rich and beautiful color of my favorite spices...

I am so very glad that I changed my mind about neutralizing the walls that I so painstakingly colorwashed in saffron earlier in Museville. because I find myself, at this time of year, longing for the weight of saturated colors - those which have been sun washed and somewhat faded. My walls feel like a gentle embrace each morning. As I walk down the hall, the morning sun dances slowly across the heavy texture and the subtle color differences of the paints... it's rich, warm, and lovely.



It looks wonderful as a backdrop for all my chippy and ancient treasures -

...as you can see here is the dining room of Museville in its 'during' state as we were loading things in just after painting... (I especially like the one candle... heh.) you will see this photo again later between the before and the after... stay tuned.



I used to feel that I was afraid of color, but that is not the case. Afraid isn't the right word, it's that I don't like bright colors in my home - they have way too much energy and make me feel chaotic. Too much white and grey make me feel somewhat empty and cold. No, I definitely prefer the smokey spiced hues of saffron, paprika, curry (after they have sat out in the sun for a month or so...) -- the grey greens of tarragon and the greys of fennel seeds.... the warm sun ripe hues of honey ... it seems it's always about food lately...

Being such a tactile sort, texture is big in my book - I'm always running my fingers against things as I walk by - tattered book pages, the deep grooves of rough hewn wood, the rough surface of rusted iron -- all parts of the symphony which makes my heart sing.



I'm in love with so much of this John Saladino living room - there are those delicious sun drenched and time worn colors again... I am putting that same dental moulding (after it has been beat up and tea-stained) throughout Museville. Sure it's out of scale and it's very grand for my little beach shack, but that's part of the fun. Besides, it adds some architectural interest of sort to a boring and boxy interior. I love it, and that's ... well, that's that.


Fall's food. I have been so looking forward to this -- when the evening is so crisp - the air so chilled ... there is nothing like a hearty soup and homemade breads. The scent of fresh bread baking in a warm kitchen on a cool Autumn afternoon is heaven.



Yep, trends may come and go, and the latest is planted firmly in much of what I already and always loved - the ancient, the time worn, the faded ... the rich textures of leather, wood, velvet, burlap and rusted iron .... antiques and industrial in organic glory

With just the right amount and perfect juxtaposition of bling thrown in the mix...

The element of surprise in the mix - opulent mixed with rough - the unexpected ... the ordinary made extraordinary. All things that sing beautifully together in perfect harmony to me.

I hope Fall is adding its magic and beauty to your world, too.

*

photo credits: photo 1 unknown, photos 2 - 6 my photos of my dining room & home, photo 7 unknown source of a living room designed by John Saladino, photo 8 flickr, photo 9 unknown, photo 10 via Joni Webb's Cote de Texas photo 11 unknown.

Moody Blues....

Into the blue, out of the blue, singing the blues...

Blue moon, blue Monday, true blue...

Blue Bayou, blue ribbon, blue blood...

Bluestocking, bluebook, blueberriers...


Beautiful, cool, and calming



Some of my favorite things are blue, so I thought I'd sing a few.
Singing the blues on this Wednesday morning,
yes indeed.

...blue yonder.... blue ice... blue bonnet...

photo1 -4 unknown sources - sorry, forever buried in the files photo 5: James Merrell, photo 6 Taschen NY style

Time to Get Away...

It is *hot* and all the little residents of Museville have been working so hard - I think we're going to pack up some basics, throw the surfboards on top and the dogs in the jeep and head to Mexico for the weekend.

A little R&R is in order -- and so are margaritas, fish caught and grilled, sleeping in ... ahhhh. Yep - that's the plan.

Happy weekend!

Photography by J Canosa