Monday, October 27, 2008

refabulous

My husband and I have gotten into a few debates over the merits of painting wood furniture. Wood is precious for sure, and when the stain is perfect or the grain is too beautiful not to showcase, then I'm all about it. In general, I love rooms that incorporate some rustic wood elements into the design. But a bad stain can totally ruin a piece (or a whole a room), and in that case, I wholeheartedly believe in painting it...immediately :) I love how something as simple as paint can bring an incredible new life to what otherwise might find itself in the dumpster.

If you need any convincing here are a few inspiring furniture refinishes.

dark and depressing

to serene



blah
to fresh (isn't the papered interior awesome?)
And my favorite from Knack Studios via Design Sponge
dated

to classic with a modern edge
I love using cast-off and recycled pieces for our home. It's so fun to see what other people have done to transform a piece that's seen better days...and definitely strengthens my side of the argument, sorry honey!

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

on the town

The trip to New York was invigorating, inspiring, and fabulous for many reasons. Here are a few of them

1) sister time. I don't remember when just the 3 of us were together. It was very special and much-needed, and New York is a wonderful place for a reunion. We loved this bar, a favorite Brooklyn spot of my little sister's, complete with.....

a bocce court
and library.
2) Marcie's Manhattan food tour and hospitality. Marcie is my older sister's friend from college and one of the most brilliant photographers in the world (and happened to be our wedding photographer). She's also a gracious host with vast knowledge of the best places to go if you're looking to put on an extra 100 lbs in a weekend. It seemed as if we stopped for a bite to eat nearly every hour. Some favorites...
I thought I wasn't much of a cupcake girl, until I experienced the incredible taste of the freshly baked treats at this lower eastside cupcake shop, Sugar Sweet Sunshine. The eclectic furnishings and vintage wallpaper set a cozy tone that made it seem perfectly harmless to wolf down 2 decadent cupcakes.
Mariebelle in Soho. Their chocolate creations are as beautiful to look at as they are to taste. We had the richest hot chocolate you can imagine. Not getting the small was a mistake.

A Salt & Battery in Greenwich Village. I loved the name. And the fish and chips. It was not a healthy food choice, but it was delicious. If only moderation had been even the least bit present in my mind all would have been blissful, but as it was not, I left vowing never to eat again.....until we came across this delightful shop five minutes later

and I convinced myself it wouldn't be right to walk right by and not support another local business. It's called Birdbath, an organic bakery in the West Village, with a gorgeous spread of the most delicious vegan chocolate chip cookies in the east.
Lest you know just how gluttonous we were over the weekend, I'll stop there.
3). incredible architecture at every turn. It's so inspiring being a place where every detail of nearly every building is exceptional. Plus I'm a total nut about fire escapes, they're just so cool.
4) store fronts. I embarrassed my sisters by constantly stopping to click pictures at most every cool window we came across...which was about every 5 seconds.

This is where those fabulous mirrors that I posted on awhile back are from. My heart fluttered the entire time I was in the store. It was hard to leave, especially empty-handed.

5). The film we went to see on artist mothers, Who Does She Think She Is. I will say that I liked the idea of it more than the film itself. I thought it was exceptional in depicting the "call to create" that an artist experiences, but it failed to give the call to motherhood equal or even decent consideration. Aside from that, I'm still formulating a coherent opinion... but I did have a lump in my throat throughout most of the movie. At the very least it was thought-inspiring.

Monday, October 20, 2008

back in action

after what seems like five minutes and a year both at once, I'm happy to be back from my blogging hiatus (nearly) fully charged. Like most of you, we've had a lot to keep us busy.

some of the more significant moments were

our daughter's 3rd birthday


Bar results-SUCCESS!!!

and a trip to New York to visit my little sister

I'll expound on each over the next few postings...Happy Monday!

Saturday, October 4, 2008

nature walk

our visit to Colorado has made me realize how little we've taken advantage of the gorgeous outdoors at home. So without further ado, yesterday MG (our 1 1/2 year old) and I struck out on a nature adventure. We're blessed to live within walking distance of one of the most beautifully designed and most expansive (50-acres!) public gardens in the area. We enjoyed every minute, but sadly I forgot the camera. However, we did bring back a few treasures that we found on the ground to share with you and our home.

I haven't discovered what these are, but I'm sure one of you does, so please let me know. They're about the size of a large grapefruit, they fall from trees, and they have a faint quasi-citrusy smell that I can't decide whether I like or not. I think I recall that they might be poisonous...but they do make a good display........

These are gorgeous leaves from a Ginkgo tree, which apparently is one of the oldest tree species on the planet. I love the fan-like leaves, they'd make a great subject for a painting.

Hope you're enjoying a lovely weekend!

Friday, October 3, 2008

yee-ha!

It's been another whirlwind week for the Mosses! We slipped out to South Western Colorado this past weekend to celebrate my husband's grandparent's 55th wedding anniversary. It was absolutely delightful on every level. And the setting was perfect--a gorgeous paradise in the San Juan Mountains above Durango. This time of year is especially beautiful with the vibrant autumn colors of the Aspen trees cascading down the mountains. The first shot is from the plane as we landed--not the best quality image, but you get the idea.

This one of a few HUGE antler chandeliers in the lodge where most of the celebration festivities took place. It was so cozy inside, with incredible views from the outdoor patios of the mountains and valleys below.

My dearest sister-in-law and me before the shindig

Great family time, lots of singing, wonderful food, incredible wine, brilliant setting....and cowboy boots-- naturally, we had no complaints :) but we're still catching our breath!

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