dawn x

one jar classico four cheese pasta sauce…$2.26

one box vermicelli pasta…$1.08

four glasses of milk….$0.58

dinner and conversation with my lovely teenage daughter and three of her dear friends before rushing out the door to see a movie together tonight…

absolutely  priceless…

This haiku came to me in the middle of the night, I jotted it down on the back of an envelope and share it with you today… x

Sharing a small glimpse of what surrounds me in my corner of the world…

Wishing you a lovely Easter… xx

I found this sweet little piece of artwork while perusing some shops a couple weeks ago. The simplicity and naivety of the image coupled with the timeless message spoke to my idealistic nature. Each day is a new day, full of possibilities and opportunity. Sometimes it is not so easy to believe this is true with the busyness of life, but even small interactions and simple tasks can lead to great things.

So here’s to seizing your day of opportunity! Happy first day of April…xx

We all have a backstory; a series of events, choices and experiences that have led up to create the life we have now. Each completely unique and singular, but so often sharing highs and lows, victories and defeats, joys and sorrows that connect us inexplicably to the humanity of this world we live in.

Here are ten small pieces of my backstory that you may not know…

..I vividly remember a story being read aloud in class when I was in 2nd grade that made it very clear to me that I liked the idea of making spaces look and feel better…the beginnings of my love for interior design.

..At 16 I applied to be an AFS exchange student to Australia and was crushed when my application was not accepted. I still knew someday, somehow I would travel overseas.

..I used to know how to ride a unicycle, play the piccolo and juggle.

..In college I did travel abroad, as an exchange student to northern Wales and loved every minute of it.

..At 22 I spent a week in Ireland totally on my own exploring and traveling by train. It was after this I realized I never wanted to travel alone again as I had no one to share things with.

..I have been to the Ferrari factory in Maranello, Italy…I like Ferraris.

..I have bartered for hand-knotted rugs in a middle-eastern souk.

..There are 28 different teas in my tea drawer…I like tea.

.. One third of my life has been spent being a mom to my lovely daughter.

..I am an idealist and a dreamer that loves daisies, sunshine, peacefulness and lazy days.

There are many more pieces to my story, but thought I would share these with you today…

With so much talent and creativity here on the world wide web, I thought it would be fun to gather a little grouping of beautiful offerings that I found at Lovely Clusters. Using my recent photograph of the morning sunrise I found pieces with a similar feel and coloration. Hope you enjoy having a look and exploring the following Etsy shops.

From top, left to bottom, right…

Les Coquillages earrings from le Petit Foyer

French Style Basin from Curate and Love

Sunset Hues Photograph from Sandra Arduini

Diamond Necklace from Modern Designs by VKG

Birch Cuff from Nancy Nelson Jewelry

Chicco Earrings from betsy jewelry design

Hair Clip from Virginia Geiger elegant jewelry design

Silver Tree Pin from Susana Teixeira

Happy first day of Spring… xx

As an interior designer I love the power of color and how it is infused into every moment of our day. Color can lift our spirits, calm us down, make us feel cozy or energize us. It is a complex entity that can be elusive at times; as it changes with the light, alters when it is near other colors and has a myriad of shades and tints. I thought it would fun to create pallets from my photographs as inspiration for whatever project you may be contemplating.

These words came to me early yesterday morning before I was fully awake. I used to have many thoughts and musings in the wee small hours of the morning, but for the last two years those glimpses have rarely been present…until very recently. They started again only last week and I am so glad they are with me again.

Nearly two years ago I wrote about these musings in a writing assignment titled ‘between the dark and the daylight’ for the writing group I belong to.

Here is part of what I wrote then…

“Toward early morning my dreams fade in and out and this is the time I am so often captured by some inventive or intuitive thought. The perfect way a letter should be started, or the best way something should be written. The most sensible solution to a design problem I may have been having. The perfect words to relate something to my daughter, that during daylight hours just does not become clear no matter how much I ponder it. This time of the morning is sublime. I revel in how clear all the answers seem to be. I so often wish I could somehow download my brain at that very moment and capture all the insight. Alas, this is never an option. If I am very fortunate I can capture one small part of all the creativity my mind has so generously laid out before me. It takes incredible concentration and fortitude to get my thought onto a piece of paper. Just like swirling wisps of the candles extinguished flame, so are my wonderful musings in my early morning dream state.”

That was just as it happened yesterday, I had to struggle to get the words onto a piece of paper before they escaped my mind. I am not exactly sure what they mean, but the words seemed so powerful in the dreamy consciousness I was in. I think they are words to reassure me… that at whatever pace things are going, wherever I am at or however I see things for the future, I am being enough at the moment.

Do you have these awakenings in your early morning hours? xx