The Light is shifting Spring is near...

Spring. Ah yes that magic time of year when the earth seems to slowly be waking up. The first sign of Spring is the light. The sunshine is brighter and warmer. Oh and my favorite, the sun is up earlier every day and so am I! I think the position and strength of the light is one of the most important parts of feeling the nuances of each season. Winter is dark, the days short and the nights cold and long. Spring is filled with promise. The promise of the coming gardening year, days stretching into weeks of basking in the sun, tending the garden, long walks on the beach, collecting seashells, sailing in a stiff wind and not being cold! The image at the top of the page today was in an ad for one of my favorite stores, Anthropologie. I loved the sentiment of a Butterfly emerging from a cocoon and the lovely artistic bent to the illustration. I feel like that butterfly. Every year around this time I know intuitively the steps I will need to take to get ready for the coming season. This year I will be migrating south as well as waking up from the long cold winter on the Tundra. I hope I will be as successful as this butterfly and soar high in the sky, flitting from one flower to the next. Right now my life feels like Spring, filled with hope, light and plenty of magical surprises.

Fragrance In The Home...

Scenting your home can define how visitors think about you.
Does your home smell fresh? Do you have living plants and flowers in your main rooms? Do you burn incense? Are you a candle person? How do you handle cooking smells? They are not always pleasant and can be lingering. Americans are funny, we go to great lengths to disguise our body smells, but how many folks really take that same care and thought into how their homes smell? When I lived on the west coast I always had boughs of Bay, Eucalyptus and vases of Rosemary scattered about the different rooms. This would give my home a fresh herb-fragrance. I miss that scent. My niece Lu-Lu used to always say she loved the smell of my house and that when she smelled some of the same components in other places it reminded her of my home. Scent is a primal part of who we are. The smell of our parents, grandmas kitchen, a car, the odd smell of a neighbors home. It is all filed in our olfactory memory and we can be walking down the street and be reminded of something quite randomly, because a fragrance triggers that specific memory.
My house is filled with live plants and usually many vases of roses or other seasonal fresh cut flowers. Fresh and clean with a touch of floral would describe the notes of fragrance in my home. I also have a signature candle I use. Capri/Volcano/No.6. I fell in love with this fragrance years ago at an Anthropologie store. The notes are Mandarin Orange and Sandalwood. Yummy scent and easy to become addicted to. Not too sweet and just the right amount of exotic. You can buy them online. They come in a wide range of sizes and the shapes and colors of the jars have expanded over the years and appeal to most everyone now. I am partial to the original cobalt blue jars.
Some tips on scents in the home. Do not burn candles with fragrance in a dining room or in the kitchen when you are cooking or eating. The smell gets in the way of the smell of the food or the beautiful meal you just set on the table. Make sure you buy a quality candle that is created with essential oils. It will burn more evenly, smell better and not cause allergic reactions to folks with a chemical sensitivity.

Dining Out...Top Pick

Hope and Olive is a truly remarkable restaurant. This place is 100%. Yes, the food is outstanding. They choose only the freshest, organic and in season food available. The second plus is this is no hippie/vegan hang-out, no sir, it is tres' chic. The bar is cool and swank and features an extensive wine list, beers from around the world. They also have some interesting and even some organic choices for various Vodka's, Gin's and Tequilla's. Wow everything you would want for a local watering hole and super coolness! Thirdly, the atmosphere. MMMMM, the lighting is sublime, no points of light, all ambient, and down lighting. This space has perfect illumination. Their furnishings are exactly to the scale of the room, and my favorite, they figured out how to have many groups of guests close to each other, yet masterfully achieve making the space feel intimate and homey. The colors are a warm golden hue and the fabric choices work in perfect harmony and synergy with the lighting and furniture choices. So when I am lucky enough to be in Greenfield, Massachusetts or even near it, I always make a point to dine at Hope and Olive. My favorite Dinner? The Beet and Orange Salad, Grilled Tuna, and maybe some Calamari for an Appetizer are so yummy and the presentation could not be lovelier. I have tried many different dishes here and have never been disappointed. The staff is always warm, friendly and just chatty enough. Yes, I do believe this restaurant rates a KDB 100%. Check it out when you are in Greenfield, or make a special trip and let Hope and Olive be your destination. It is totally worth the journey. Hope and Olive, 44 Hope St. Greenfield, Massachusetts,413.774.3150 or visit www.hopeandolive.com

Sunday Dinner? Easy as 1, 2, 3...

Sunday Dinner. Seems so retro and Grandma but can I tell you, it is a wonderful quiet event. Sunday is traditionally a day of rest. In this day and age we could use a bit more of that. I think it is important to break bread and share a meal with people that we care about. Family, Friends, Neighbors and fellow community members.
I like to cook a meal that is easy but tastes great, yeah who doesn't right? My favorite dish is a roasted Chicken. I learned how to cook the chicken this way when I was in Provence. Yumm. Tyler Florence a cook who totally inspires me also has some great roasting tips take a moment to check out his thoughts and ideas on his website. Here is my method ... Sunday morning I go to the market and pick up everything I will need for dinner. My preference is an 8 lb. Organic/Hormone Free Roasting Chicken. (If you have not tried the Organic Chickens, you should, the taste is truly superior, and it is better for your overall future health.)
I usually will make a fresh salad and have Asparagas or Haricot Vert as a side dish.
The Chicken is simple. Get out your big roasting pan, rinse your chicken, grab a lemon, squeeze juice onto outside of the chicken. Throw the lemon halves into the cavity. Chop up some fresh Rosemary, Sage and Thyme, scatter and then add pepper, and ground garlic. If you want a super moist bird add a 1/2 cup of White Wine into the bottom of the pan, the meat will be succulent. You then cook the bird at 375 for about 2 hours, use your meat thermometer to make sure it is done. Pull it out of the oven and you have Sunday Dinner, Chicken Salad on Monday and Chicken soup on Tuesday. This bird just keeps on giving.
Hopefully you are inspired to make this a happening tradition at your house.

The Good Life...

Years ago as a young woman starting out in the Garden Design field there were many people whose writings and philosophies shaped my thoughts, approach and ideas. Helen and Scott Nearing were two of those people. They were the original "Back to the Landers". The book I liked best was "The Good Life". Their philosophies were simple. Do good work, live from the land, less is more and everything we need is within reach. Scott was a professor of Economics in New York City during the depression. In 1935 Scott and Helen had their personal epiphany and chucked it all for a life of living off the land in Vermont. They later sold the Vermont farm and moved to Harborside, Maine. The farm they originally established in Maine they later sold to Lynn Karlin and Stanley Joseph. Lynn and Stanley went on to write a fabulous book filled with photos of living on the farm, the four seasons, the amazing produce and the seasonal events that they hosted and also featured their wreath making venture. You can still pick up "Maine Farm: A Country Year" at Amazon.com. When I moved to Maine I met Lynn, she continues to enjoy her work as a garden photographer. Lynn recently published a book with Rebecca Sawyer-Fay,"Gardens Maine Style".
After the Nearing's sold the first Maine Farm they established another smaller place down the road. They called this "Forest Farm". Scott lived to be 100 and Helen 91! This farm is now a nonprofit center it is called the "Good Life Center" and is administered and financed in part by the Trust for Public Land of Boston, an organization that preserves rural sites and crafts. You can visit and attend the many events, seminars and lectures. So in the end Helen and Scott continue to teach and lead by example, through others who are there to share the magic and inspiration of their passion.

This special area of Downeast Maine on the Penobscot Bay has attracted other influential garden writers who have chosen to call it home. Eliot Coleman and Barbara Damrosch are successful garden writers and two of the gurus of the organic gardening movement. Another powerhouse in the area was Katherine White, wife of E.B. White. She was a very popular writer of Garden books and had a weekly gardening column in New York Times. This corner of the world is a fun area to visit in the summer when the weather is amazing and gardens are at their prime!

Reduce, Recycle, Reuse and Redifine...

The green scene has hit mainstream. Reduce, recycle, reuse, and redefine these four words open the newest Pottery Barn Catalog. The mass retailers are offering a way to feel "Green" when making a purchase. I think it is wonderful that "Green" is being used as a marketing approach. We need awareness any way we can get it. Wow, think about this the Green Movement is about being more responsible and cognizant of our own carbon footprints, taking personal responsibility for our decisions and understanding the impact of those decisions. In most cases yes indeed it makes sense to purchase items from recycled products, sustainable wood and the newest energy star appliances. But really are you doing the environment a good turn. Consider the word reduce, yes reduce, to use less, have less and require less. Make your footprint and impact less invasive. How you may ask? Well the answer is much easier than you may think. A little bit of change leads to bigger changes. A thoughtful approach is the most effective. Contemplate how you live, what you use and how you can make a difference. It is different for everyone. Walk when you can. Buy Antique furnishings. Recycle your trash.When purchasing new flooring, paints and furnishings consider the materials from which they are made and how they are manufactured. Is your vehicle getting you where you are going using a minimum of fossil fuel? Are you using less water in your garden? Can you keep your home cooler in the winter and warmer in the summer? Can you turn off lights? The answer is yes, it takes a bit of effort, but not much. You can Google "Environment Friendly Products" to learn more. Start reading the New York Times and Dwell Magazine to name a few, these publications have endless articles about living with less impact.You can also check out the weblinks on this blog, under environmentally friendly. Have you watched the Oscar winning documentary "An Inconvenient Truth"? Al Gore makes some great points about what we can do make a difference. Bottom line? It is more affordable for us and responsible for the future inhabitants of our planet. We can and do make a difference everyday, one way or the other.

Heart Rocks, in Nature...

Heart rocks are natures magic gift. They are everywhere you are. Whether you are on a rocky coast, gravel drive or rock strewn path. Somewhere slightly hidden or even in plain sight are these little gifts from the earth. Many years ago I was in Downeast Maine and a friend of mine asked if I collected "Heart Rocks". I looked at him and asked what he was talking about. He said; "Once I tell you, you will never not see them again." He was right. It has become something I do without even thinking. My personal findings with Heartrocks are as follows .



1.Where there is one there is always three. Yes, always and they are within reach of where you are standing. Sometimes they may be behind you or even beside you but I have always found trio's of these little sweeties.

2.You may sometimes see them making up part of a stream, wall or cliff side. This size obviously can be photographed and then left in place!


3.Displaying Heartrocks is a personal affair. I like to scatter them in the pathways leading into my home. I keep a plate of them on my side table. Several usually grace a corner of my desk. They make fun table arrangements, paper weights and are curious pieces of art perched about the home in unexpected ways. No doubt about it Heartrocks are special, fun to find and they make amazing gifts.

I have some friends (mostly the younger set, or young at heart) that like to go Heartrock hunting with me on the rocky coast of Maine. We always find many, many Heartrocks of all sizes. The best part, it's a great way to spend the day, visit, laugh and the big bonus is you get to bring a few of these little treasures home to add to your collection. You can find Heartrocks composed of Granite, Shale, Sandstone, Sea Glass, Tin, Steel and many other materials.

It is a funny thing, I have found Heartrocks in all of these materials and it always fascinates me that these shapes occur through the wearing down and shaping of time. Nature taking its course and creating hearts is a truly magical gift.
So the next time you are out and about, look down and see if maybe a Heartrock isn't looking back up at you. Pick it up make a wish, and then take the time to look for the other two that were living with the one you found.

Todays Featured Artist...Lari Washburn

Lari is one cool chick. I met her in my studio, she had come by to have me photograph her paintings. We hit it off, like peas and carrots. We have spent the last few months plotting and designing her website, photographing her body of work, which is extensive and having a major amount of fun.





I love to meet people who love what they do and have a passion for the life they are leading.It is always a joy to be around Lari. (Her name is pronounced Larry!) One day in early December I went to her home in Wiscasset, Maine to photograph her studio and some of her other paintings. What a kick. I ended up shooting part of my "Arty Still Life" series in her home that day . She has just launched her new website. Her work is clever, fun and tells the stories of a childhood, magically lived. Take the time to check out her work at www.lariwashburn.com

My Three Top "Organize Your Home" Books...

I love to organize things. Whether it is a drawer, closet or a whole kitchen. I like the ease of locating whatever it is, when I need it. I know it can be difficult in our harried lives, but can I tell you, I do not spend time looking for anything. Many years ago when I lived on my farm in California I was semi organized. In January of 1994 the big earthquake hit. I guess the shock of seeing everything everywhere jump started me into wanting everything in its place. I remember clearly that moment in time. I have since made it a habit to make sure everything is where it should be. I love my closet, if I need a white shirt, or black jacket, my closet is organized by color so finding what I need only takes a glance. This also helps me to see what I wear the most and what I rarely, if ever wear. (The "one year rule" kicks in) It is a breeze and a pleasure to get dressed. In my Bathroom I have my silver basket of bling. See my Blog posting "Bling on my Counter" Jan.16th. Everything is where I can see it. I find I actually wear my jewelry more often. But I have the most fun organizing my kitchen. It was from the book "A Place for Everything" by Peri Wolfman and Charles Gold that I pulled the foundation of my organizational ideas. Wolfman & Gold inspired me to not only organize, but to display my items in a beautiful way. In the kitchen I use silver vases, antique celery vases, and beakers all together on a colorful tray. They are abundantly filled with silverware, cooking utensils and all of the other items I use on a daily basis. They are displayed in a cool way and easy to see at a glance. Allowing me to see exactly what I will need for the task at hand.



Another great book is Storage and Display published by The Pottery Barn. This photo filled gem is packed with lots of great applications for interesting and sometimes surprising ways to use common items like Bookcases, Credenzas and Armoires. My third favorite book is Real Simple's, The Organized Home. This clever book is packed with great ideas on shelving, closets, drawers and garages. While this book is not poetic, it is highly practical and well thought out. So if you are serious about being an organized gal, this trio of books are must haves. You will find yourself referring to them time and time again. Now for the upside of an organized living space. You will not believe the time dividends that you can cash in if you invest your time on the front end just by getting organized. Think of all of those hours you will have to be even more productive or maybe you can use your gift of time and sip on a cool drink while reading in your hammock. Remember, your time is valuable. You can do this and yes it really is that easy. How do you think I get so much done? Easy, I spend zero time looking for stuff!
Get cracking. These books are available at Amazon.com.

Clutters Last Stand. Make Room for Possibilities...

Funny isn't it? When it comes to ourselves we are usually the last in line. We are busy raising children, being wives, doing our work and volunteering. Often times somewhere in the middle of our lives a window of opportunity opens and a ray of sunshine pours through. The children go off to college, move away and get lives of their own. A high percentage of us will separate or divorce our spouses. A fair amount of us will decide to switch careers or follow a path that is dear to our hearts. Now is the time to go through our homes. Look closely at those shelves, drawers and closets that are stuffed beyond full with mementos, broken games, old books and boxes filled with things we were going to get to someday. I call this the house of "WHY". Why are we holding onto all of this stuff. Why do we need it? Why do we want it? Why can't we move forward without it? The answer is the "One Year Rule". If you haven't used it in a year, read it in a year, needed it in a year or worn it in a year. Goodbye. Say yes to less. Say yes to an empty shelf, drawer or closet. How can we create something new if we do not have room for it? I know, some of our stuff is sentimental. We say things like, it was my sons, daughters, or other family members. Ask yourself this funny little question. Why are you the caretaker of the collection?
Be ruthless with what you want to carry with you into the second half of your life. Have your kids stop by and make a day of it. Clean things out, revisit good times and fond memories, share a meal, laugh and have some fun. Then send them home with lots of boxes of "stuff". I know myself it feels good to have less. Today, myself and a few other friends got together and helped another friend organize and clean out. We had a purge party. Yes it was alot of work, but we had fun. Our friend had the support and courage to say yes to boxes for the Goodwill, yes to garbage sacks and yes to letting go of the past. I know how hard this must have been. However she seemed pretty happy when we left and can I say, her cupboards, bookshelves and drawers were less cluttered and reflected the woman she has become. I raise my glass to her courage. Try this at home with your friends, you will forge a deeper kinship and lighten your load. Less is more. Pass it on!

Favorite Store - Ornament in Bath, Maine

I am a fan of "Boutique Home Stores". I am enamored with this fact; usually a woman or group of women have a dream to create the perfect Home and Design store. With all of the terrific books and magazines they almost have a built in clientele. Having made this bold statement, I know myself, being a designer I can never have enough shops to explore, books to read or magazines to peruse to satisfy my endless curiosity about Home and Garden Design. Pure inspiration!




Whenever I travel I stumble upon these gems. Yesterday I stopped in at a favorite haunt, a fab store in Bath, Maine called Ornament. I happen to know the owner. She is delightful and fills her shop with beauty and fabulous finds from around the country. Some old, some new, all have a sense of elegance with a touch of bringing the outdoors in (My Fave!) Gayle Hunt has created an inspirational little shop in the historic shopping district.



I like how she breaks up her space into room-like vignettes. Some areas feel like a chic Bath/Powder Room another area is set up as an intimate Sitting room or Bedroom and scattered throughout there are several over-sized tables that become cool Garden Potting Table arrangements.





I am delighted by her merchandise, colors, and expertise. It is fun to have a store that also doubles as a design laboratory. Keep up the good work.








Ornament is located at 11 Centre Street. Bath Maine. FMI 207.442.6636 Stop in when you have a moment you will not be disappointed.

Flowers Under Glass...

I discovered an interesting trick to making my flower arrangements last longer. It was quite by accident. I have a fondness for glass cloches. (see Blog Listing- Jan.12th- Cloches...Objects Under Glass)
I was fooling around with the arrangement of objects on my Thanksgiving table.





The rose under glass was inspired by the book "Little Prince" written by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. In the story a precious and finicky rose is an overprotected jewel and the glass cloche kept the rose warm at night. I decided I would do the same and really make this little yellow rose a stand-out. It worked. I loved the look and how it made the table feel. It stepped it up a notch. Sometimes an inspiration or amusement can lead to doing something differently and can even change how the object is viewed and thought about. An interesting thing happened. My findings amazed me, that little rose lasted 2 weeks under glass. I had other roses in different vases on that same table only last one week. Sometimes I feel like my home is one big laboratory and I am a scientist!
A few top tips would be:
1. Add a splash of bleach in the water, to keep the water crystal clear. You should do this in all of your arrangements, if you don't already. 2.Choose a small and sweet vase, remember a cloche makes everything look even more interesting and special.
3.Set coins or a two small folded pieces of paper opposite under the edge of the base of the cloche. This will allow a bit of fresh air to filter through. 4.Do not set in a sunny place. It will act as a terrarium and steam up the glass. Give it a try. Cloches are fun and magical. Yo can pick them up at Home Goods, TJ Maxx and select gift stores.

Bookshelves 101...

We all have bookshelves. Some are formal and built in others movable & modern and sometimes they are antique and funky. No matter the style how you treat each shelf individually and as a whole can and will make all the difference.

I personally am a fan of rooms that have a "Library" feel to them. I think a bookcase is a great medium for displaying not only your favorite books but also your most treasured objects. As kids growing up it was popular for the folks and grandparents to display their favorite objects in Curio Cabinets. This trend has been replaced with the Bookshelf/Display area as a combined concept.

Think about the possibilities, whole shelves devoted to a favorite place, like Paris or New York. Shelves with all the old classics stacked by color and size with a few photos of ancient relatives to round out the feel of history.
Thematic display whether by color or subject is the key. Everything is possible.



I recently redid some shelves in a home office. We worked hard at de-cluttering and displaying in a thematic matter. We even hung a few interesting items on the outside of the shelves adding a dimension that is interesting and a surprise all at the same time. Notice this, they look tidy and professional yet reflect the personality of the person who occupies this space.


Do not be afraid to really personalize and have fun. However to pull this eclectic look off you MUST be organized, and forever tidy. Otherwise your shelves can look, well, a bit crazy. Have fun, be inspired and make some sense of the shelves you have with a personal touch!

Art Clubs and Groups...

I had so much fun at my sister Sheila's, Art Club. It is a cool trend that is sweeping the nation. Basically it is Artists, and people, mostly women who are interested in socializing and doing some kind of interesting "Art Project" while catching up on news and kids. Friendships are forged and a good time is had by all. Oh and you get to take some sweet artful gem home that you created with your arty pals. No downside there!

The gals who hosted this Arty Afternoon were a delight. These events are usually held in someones home. The interesting thing are the levels of creativity and actual talent vary, however the Art at my Sister's club in Charlotte is mostly different variations on the current craze of "Assembledge".



Joseph Cornell is one of my favorite Assembledge Artists. His work is inspired by nature, mostly. Cool boxes and/or frames with items truly taken from nature. It is a cross between a mad scientist and a naturalist with the creative mind of an artist displaying the many items that surround us in the natural world. I am inspired by his work.

So if you are
interested
in an
Arty Club
in your area, consult Google or your local newspapers for events close to home.