Sweet and Simple Valentine's Day

As much as it pains me to admit, I'm not very good when it comes to being a thoughtful friend. I routinely forget birthdays, often take months to send thank you notes, pick up hostess gifts on the way, and and and..the list could go on I'm sure. It's my life's resolution to amend my sad ways.

However, when it comes Valentine's day, I'm inexplicably on my game. I think it's because my mom, who rarely made a big deal out of birthdays or big holidays, always did something special for my sisters and me on Valentine's day. She never forgot. She would make beautiful homemade watercolor valentines for us and usually have a little treat too. Thankfully, and however illogically,  it's trickled down and so we've been Valentining for the past couple of weeks. Nothing fancy, but definitely sweet. Simple things like

teaching Madds to sew

 and baking with friends

and enjoying the treats that have come our way

I hope your day is lovely.

now and then

I just came across the baby photo on the left, and instantly thought of the one I had snapped at Christmastime this year.

We are quickly approaching the age when it probably won't be cool to snuggle with your cousin, but I hope these two will always be close.

Moss

There are a lot of things I love about my husband, but next to his winning personality, his name was certainly a selling point. Joking, joking...but seriously.

There was no hesitation about sharing his last name, no deliberating whether it would make me a less liberated woman :), no mourning over relinquishing the impossible-to-pronounce-French-Canadian maiden name printed on my diplomas.  It was a happy moment when I discovered that my favorite person had something in common with my favorite natural element.

My girls might not have such an easy time deciding though, as they seem to have taken to moss as much as their mama...

 

oh and ps- if you are interested in seeing a little before pic of this room this client room that I showed you before, I did a before & after for Apartment Therapy today. Check it out here.

After:

**all photos are my own

still life 99-- simple comfort linen sheets

Linen has a special place in my heart. Ever since I was little I've loved it in all forms--clothes, pillows, hand towels.  I can't go into a store with linen and not touch it. It's natural, minimalist, and luxurious all at once. Plus, it feels as good as it looks.

When I used to work for the British textile company, Cowtan & Tout, I would relish putting away fabric memos just because I loved the tactile experience. I remember one co-worker looking at me a little sideways when she handed me a huge stack of sample returns and I lit up with excitement--linen!...filing fabric wasn't her idea of a good time, but what can I say? Simple pleasures.

So you can only imagine the delight I take in these linen bedsheets given to me by my in-laws this Christmas. Sleep is ever so slight, rare, and precious these days, and so sinking into soft linen each night is the sweetest luxury I can think of. Just the right weight, just the right softness, and perfect even when wrinkled.

trail of destruction

 the new-found mobility of this little one has reminded me why simplicity is so appealing....

 and tidiness is so temporary

 and why God made babies so irresistible

making the constant trail of destruction so endearing and delicious.

Magic mirrors: through the looking glass

 (from Saule and Chris's incredible home in Frederick. Click here for the full house tour.)

In looking through my myriads of photographs that I've taken for house tours, design shows, etc, my favorites always seem to be the shots that I've captured through mirrors.

It's always tricky to get just the right angle, but when I do, even ordinary scenes have a little magic to them. The photography experience  has also trickled into my designs, as I've come to see mirrors not only as light enhances or beauty tools, but also as frames for beautiful living. The vignettes that they capture are important (almost like photographs themselves), and so well-placed mirrors have become one of my focuses regardless of the style of home.

I'd like to do a series devoted just to mirror shots. We'll see how far I get, but here's my start...

 (the two above are from Hallie and Mark's home. Hallie is a serious decorating genius. I'll have to show more shots in the future, but you can check out the tour I did for AT here.)

(and these 2 are from Zoe Feldman's home, one of my favorite DC designers. Such a treat to photograph. I had trouble choosing one mirror shot, so I threw in both. Check out her house tour here.)

**All images are my own

speed holiday

I hope you all enjoyed a lovely Christmas season, and are off to a great fresh start.

2011 was a year of blessings for my family, the best of all our sweet baby boy who has brought more joy than I ever thought capable of 18 lbs. He is constant love and laughs (even at 4am).

I've hardly begun thinking about the new year because I can't seem to wrap my mind around the fact that Christmas has come and (almost) gone. I'm hoping a photostream of the past few weeks will help me transition into the new phase. It was packed and sweet.

There was.....

 gift making and wrapping (my favorite part!)

 Christmas tree hunts

 a Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes (hosted by my sister & brother-in-law and us at my house)

 dancing and entertainment

 favorite gifts

Doug the pug

 cousins

 there were naps

and attempted naps too

oh, and of course a few projects too. Here's a sneak peak in progress shot, but there will be more to follow. 

All in all, a packed and sweet holiday indeed. Here's to 2012!

Design*Sponge!

I was super psyched to open Design*Sponge today to see Fleurir's before & after featured. So awesome! Design*Sponge has long been one of my favoritest blogs, so it's a total thrill for me to see them post something that I had a part in--ego massage for sure.

If you still haven't tried some of Fleurir's awesome chocolates, it's time to pull the trigger. I stopped in last week and just about fainted over a sea salt carmel. Amaze-zing. 

still life 99-- debut

Growing up with an artist mother, I liked to study the still lifes (is it still-lives ??)  and interesting objects that she set up to paint or sketch on the dining room table or on the wobbly planks of our wrap around porch. Today, I still find myself stopping to admire the little "moments" placed around homes. Even my own. Actually I think that is what I like best about home, the simplicity of haphazard (and let's be honest, many times intentional) collections and the ordinary, sometimes imperfect objects that make me pause and appreciate the privilege of actually having a home.

So, although I've never been particularly awesome at sticking with a series, I'm going to try. The premise is that we don't need a lot of things at home, but what we do need should be beautiful. They should be worthy of being noticed. And so, here. it. goes...

I delight in little containers. Functional ones, even better. It struck me the other day as I cleaned these magnetic spice jars (first time ever I think) what an unexpected pleasure it is to be able to take pleasure in something mundane and ordinary. Sometimes I think it sounds extreme when I say it to the people I'm working with, but I really do think there's something to William Morris's advice: "have nothing in your home that you don't know to be useful or believe to be beautiful." When I decided to try to follow that, it was truly transformative. Life is short, and there really isn't any reason we have to live with ugly things. If you're as visual as me, it makes a difference when you surround yourself with beauty even in the things that you think don't really count.

slices of slow advent

I don't know about you, but Christmas always comes too soon. I love it, of course, but as my fondness for Thanksgiving has increased in recent years, I've found that the transition right into Christmas the very next day is just too quick for me. I like to draw things out so that I can really have the chance to enjoy them. And I like things to last. I'm a savorer.

Last year was the first year that I deliberately tried to slow down (at least at home) during advent, and it made all the difference in the season even after the Christmas season had come and gone. There was a peacefulness about it in our home that was genuine and much needed.

 This year we're following suit. The girls and I do one small advent decoration or project/activity each day like setting up the advent wreath...

 and making hostess gifts...

 and hanging up garlands...

Of course, we are still enjoying the awesome parties and upbeat events that come up this time of year, but it has been so nice to just do small, unhurried things at home. We'll transition into the good old Christmas kitsch when the big day gets closer, but for now I'm savoring slow. The girls favorite parts are still the advent calendar and paperwhite bulbs which are now everywhere, pictures of those to come.

ps- my table clay pot "wreath" was inspired by (ok, blatantly stolen from) the very talented and very lovely Kjerstis Lykke who if you haven't checked out you should. Incredible! Makes me want to take a little Scandinavian getaway stat. 

out-takes

well we've accomplished the monumental task of a Christmas card picture, but I think my favorites are the the outtakes...

 happy advent friends!

thanksgiving backtrack

this year we made the trek next door to Nicole and CJ's to feast, everyone gathered at one big long vibrant table....


but that was only after a little prep work at home....

and one uber intense soccer game, 1st borns versus 2nd borns with the 3rds divided up.

there was only one bloody nose...

 and one incidence of indecency...

 in the end the seconds, generous peace-making middle children let the 1sts win...

table snapshots

Sorry for the impromptu fall-off-the-face-of-the-earth my friends. I hope everyone had a fabulous halloweenfallthanksgiving! Despite the busyness of it all, mine has been lovely, and I think now that we're into advent I'll be able to take more in. This time of year my inner homebody kicks it into high gear, so I savor it all in between job installations and outings and parties.

It seems that whenever we have been home, we've been around the table...

often in costume (obvs)

or under it...

{crawling!}

Our search for the perfect huge dining table for a petite dining room has been a long one. My dream table is too big, and so I think this overstock sub will do the trick. What do you think? If it sticks we'll be on the hunt for chairs.