“Winter’s done, and April’s in the skies;
Earth, look up with laughter in your eyes.”

John Masefield

“If we had no winter,
the spring would not be so pleasant;
if we did not sometimes taste of adversity,
prosperity would not be so welcome.”

Anne Bradstreet

“April hath put a spirit of youth in everything.”

William Shakespeare

Happy Monday. As I mentioned last week, I am starting a series each Monday reviewing blogs I enjoy visiting. With that, I am excited to share two more delightful blogs with you today. I thought both of them were so lovely that I fashioned my own blog similarly to them.

First I would like to introduce Keiko’s blog Nordljus which she began in February 2005. Keiko is a spectacular photographer and food stylist who was born and brought up in Japan, but now lives in Suffolk, England. Her beautifully presented eatable creations draw the reader into each setting so effortlessly. I particularly love the entries where she shares her travels. The photos are always stunning with unexpected views and framing. She does not post overly frequently, which makes each addition such a treat. Here are a couple of my favorites.

Seville and Blood Orange Sorbet with Sichuan Pepper

Rome Snaps

If you are not able to hop on a plane to Rome, these photos will transport you from the comfort of your armchair…

The author of Pure Blog, Jane Cumberbatch,  is also the author of ‘Pure Style’ and ‘Pure Style Living’ (design-lifestyle books), both of which currently grace a bookshelf in my dining room.

Jane resides in London and started Pure Blog in July 2008. I have been drawn to her simple style for well over a decade and enjoy reading her day to day activities that she writes about on her blog. These being in part; the work undertaken on her home in the Algarve, her lovely garden in England, yummy dishes she happens to be preparing or projects she is currently working on. Her latest book has just been released ‘Pure Style: Recipes for Everyday Living’. Please have a peek at a couple of my favorite entries. Take a moment to look at the link to Spitalfields, the home that Jane restored in the mid 80′s and is shown in some of her books.

Natural beauty

Spitalfields, rhubarb and tulips

I hope you take a bit of time to wonder off into these inviting blogs and find something that particularly speaks to you…until next week.

Although this is not what I see out my window, spring has at last sprung here in my part of the world and we should be seeing beauties like these in about a month or so…oh, happy Sunday!

life is a process and so is creating a home with character, a connection to its environment, and the ability to bring a feeling of comfort to those that experience it…

I wrote those words for an article for Nordic Reach magazine in spring of 2005 but they came to my mind last night as I attended a presentation put on by the Goldstein Museum of Design at the University of Minnesota.

The presentation introduced us to an interactive exhibition that features design and technology to help facilitate living independently as we age into our senior years. The year 2011 marks the first year that the 70 million ‘Baby Boomers’ (born between 1946 and 1964) will reach age 65. The exhibit takes the visitor on a short guided tour of a ‘Baby Boomer’ couple who have the intention to live as long as possible in their own home, a desire of many in that generation.

What I found interesting about the exhibit was that so many of the features would also be very helpful at any point in our lives when injury, surgery and recovery occur. This unfortunate reality takes place in many of our lives and to have a home that is equipped to embrace these situations when they may take place can bring a great deal of relief and comfort.

As an interior designer, I believe our homes should be the one place we can really be at ease and relaxed; escaping the rush and public nature of the outside world. By keeping an eye to the future, as we plan our homes, this can help make our journey an easier transition as we get older.

So the next time you consider an improvement to your home, stop and think for a moment  how the change will affect you not only in the short term, but as time goes on and your situation changes…food for thought.

The exhibit is open until May 22, please click here for more details.

inspiration…

“Without inspiration the best powers of the mind remain dormant, there is a fuel in us which needs to be ignited with sparks.”

Johann Gottfried Von Herder

motivation…

“Motivation is the art of getting people to do what you want them to do because they want to do it.”

Dwight D Eisenhower

Hello dear readers. Today I am starting a short series that will introduce you to blogs that I am drawn to and enjoy visiting. Some will be blogs about creativity or design; some will be about simplicity or inspiring words. Some will be from here in the mid-west and others will be from around the globe. Please join me every Monday for the next nine weeks…through the days of spring…until summer has arrived.

So, shall we begin? As I have mentioned, I have been taking an online course called ‘Blogging Your Way’, so thought it was only fitting that the first two blogs I share with you are authored by the course instructors Holly Becker and Leslie Shewring.

After spending a decade in the corporate world, Holly began decor8 in January 2006; gathering design inspirations and blogging passionately about them multiple times daily. Over the following five years decor8 would grow to a readership of 35,000 daily, due in part to Holly’s dedication, but more likely I believe to her very open and accessible nature. There is a wealth of knowledge and resources collected on decor8, from interior designers and photographers to stylists and crafters to name a few, all beautifully presented and thoroughly researched. However, it is the interaction with her readers that Holly takes time to foster which is evident when reading her posts. The entries I tend to gravitate toward the most are ones relating to Scandinavian and Swedish design. Here are a couple of my recent favorites…

Ikea’s inspiring blog; Livet Hemma

Color inspiration from Sweden

Please have a look at this lovely blog and find what draws you to return…

Now onto Leslie’s beautiful blog…

Leslie started a creative mint  in April 2009 as a place to share her inspired projects and photographs. The first time I saw Leslie’s blog I thought it was the most beautiful one I had seen; so simple, pure and stunning. Her photography is captivating and transports the viewer to a quiet, peaceful place. Just what is needed in the hectic world we live in. Leslie is genuine and sweet and has an amazing eye for detail. Every time I visit her site I come away inspired and centered. Here are a couple recent favorites…

Color Me Pretty Time

Clear Blue

I invite you to have a peek….

Thanks for letting me share these with you today…more to come next Monday.

So today is April first…and I woke up to freshly fallen snow…April fools!

Well, actually it’s true…and I took a little photo for you to see…pretty uh?

Hoping you have a lovely weekend…

dawn