Inner Houses

From the beautiful blog http://roomseventeenstyle.blogspot.com

Every once in awhile I stubble upon a blog

(in this case there are two blogs) 

that reaches deep down into my soul 

This image is from an inspiring blog called The Paper Mulberry

And makes my heart ecstatically jump.

because 

If my inner house could be expressed in images

These are what they would look like.

Thank you 

Room Seventeen

&

The Paper Mulberry

I am going to be working on my outer house this long weekend.

Refinishing a front door that my dear mister purchased from architectural salvage, 

building a door jamb, taking down an old iron security door and then marveling 

at the lovely new entrance :-)

Wishing you an inspiring holiday weekend.

Cristine

Childhood Captured

I love these black and white photographs of my sons.

While…

they are a bit older now 

(9 and 11 years old)

there is a part of my memory that

will always carry the image of these

young boys as they were when they were small.

Although…

the faces today are just beautiful as they were then 

and 

I never tire of admiring them.

Cristine

Satchel Shout Out

I don't know what I would do without my big bag of everything under the sun

(aka briefcase)

So when the shoulder straps began to fray and tear 

(who could ever imagine that I could carry so much heavy stuff ;-)

I thought that I might have to retire it.  

Until the idea came to me…to look up the manufacturer

and see if they could repair it.

Well…not only did the manufacturer replace both shoulder straps 

with brand new ones…

they did it all at no cost.

I had to pay for shipping to NYC and that was it!

They sent it back to me good as new and neatly wrapped

in a fabric bag. 

So I am sending a great big shout out to 

Jack Georges, Inc.

&

Mark Rossi 

(the man who provides excellent customer service and you don't get that very much)

Thank you for fixing that which I cannot live without.

If you are in the market for a well crafted, beautiful briefcase of your own…

I highly recommend Jack Georges, Inc.  

Now I am off to go fill it up with some grass seed, alyssum blossoms and potting soil

for my weekend garden project.

May your weekend blossom.

Cristine

Hidden Heroes

Have you ever wanted to be just like someone?  

I don't mean wanting to look like some famous movie star 

or possessing the fame and money of some popular sports figures.

I am talking about someone you meet in your ordinary life 

who

 just happens to move you, 

or inspire you 

or whose mannerisms you wish you could emulate.

Someone who makes you want to be the person that you know that 

you are.

Someone who makes you feel like you can accomplish anything.

In the past week I have been reminded of two such people 

in my own ordinary extraordinary life.

The first is ....my mom.

A photograph of my mom, brother and me 

How incredibly fortunate I am 

to have 

the most beautiful, loving, passionate, talented and generous woman

as my first and most important role model.  

(what a lot to live up to ;-)

The second is a professor that I had while attending 

the University of Colorado at Boulder

Old Main on the CU campus with the Flatirons in the background.
image from sco2powercyclessymposium.org

I came to discover that she is no longer teaching at my alma mater

but

she is close by.

Book image from moreintelligentlife.com

In fact, she lives only 6 blocks from our downtown Victorian.

I was able to catch up with what has been going on in her life

(mine seems so insignificant by her standards)

She has written several books and done a lot of world traveling.

She also still teaches..thankfully.

I am certain that she has inspired and touched many other students

since my classroom days.

My mom and my professor have some things in common.
(aside from being highly intelligent)

Both of these amazing women brought about in me 
a genuine love of reading and books, 

of writing and being inspired by the things around me and inside of me.

Both encourage me to find something that I am passionate about

and pursue it with my whole heart.

Image from dynamolund.wordpress.com

I only wish that I could capture that essence of them and carry it around with me.

To be continually reminded that I can accomplish anything.

And so can you...wherever you are.

Cristine

Great Plans

I had great plans...

...to post about the progress that  I made

~over the weekend~

 on my step daughter's  bedroom design.

Alas...I forgot to scan some of the most important images 

and it will have wait until tomorrow.

So today-I thought that I would "fill in" 

with this beautiful image from 

Country Home magazine-May 2004 issue.

May you have a week of great plans and beautiful images.

Cristine 

Which two things are not like the others?

Which two things are not like the others?

Does anyone remember the song?

Which two things are not like the other..

I think that it was from Sesame Street or The Electric Company

(I may be revealing my age here ;-)

Image from COUNTRY HOME May 2004

The answer is...

Image from COUNTRY HOME May 2004

None of them.

Close up of  fireplace above.

All of them go together.

Image from Country Living October 2008

And rather splendidly at that.

Wishing you a splendid evening.

Cristine 

Smoke Signals

Dear friends and fellow bloggers-

I would like your opinion.

Which of the two fireplace surrounds and mantels 

would you choose

if...

Your living room looked like this?

and your fireplace looked like this?

I guess that I should show you some other details 

in my living room-to give you the whole idea..

Three bird prints that hang in the entryway 

(please don't notice how crooked they are ;-)

I have used a lot of the golds and yellows

and the blues and the greens.

I would like to incorporate some of the gray tones.

Above is a close up (for color purposes)

This is the wallpaper that hangs in the dining room 

which is open and very visible from the living room.

The fabric and trim on the draperies.

The drapery panel fabric against the window seat fabric

(I love the "bee" fabric)

You can also see the wall color here.

Other items in the room include the pillows above...

This vignette...

Black Hutch with fabric back...

Above is the fabric that I used for the back of the black hutch.

More elements like this terrarium which sits on

the shelves next to the fireplace.

Close up of some other items on bookshelves...

and other details.

I love the warmth of the first fireplace surround 

and the

combination of the stone mantel

with the metal screen.

and 

I love the gray element in the second fireplace surround

along with the detail in the mantel.

Now that I see them together..

they really look very similar 

hmmmmm...

Tell me please...

what do you think?

Wishing you warmth and elegant details 

wherever you are.

Cristine