Swings On A Porch

Robert A.M. Stern

Ahhh, those lazy, hazy last days of summer.  The weather was generally cooler than normal and the humidity low here in the Northeast, and that allowed many happy hours relaxing outdoors!  What better way to idle away the remaining days of summer than being cradled in a porch swing?  Oh how I want one ever since I sat in one in the Hamptons.

A modern approach to a traditional county look is at home down South

or out West

It's the perfect beachside beauty or lakefront hotspot, if you are lucky enough to have a home there. Whether your porch swing or sofa swing (which may be a more appropriate label) is located in plein air or in a sunroom of sorts, the feeling of relaxation is no different.

 The rocking motion so soothing it's hard to resist not falling asleep.  Build it big enough and the promise of a perfect night's sleep to the sound of crickets await if the desire arises.

This pair of swinging sofas creates the casual note the designer was aiming for with a definite "dash of drama"

Brad Ford

As if the sofa bed and layered luxe of this room wasn't enough, the decorative chains from which it hangs elevate the piece to ~ de résistance.

Do not underestimate the rope detail, or any detail for that matter!

Phoebe Howard

Of course, this is another way to go….

I'll just add it to my lists of wants, needs, didn't know I had to have...

Head In The Clouds

As I was flying home from the Florida job I was treated to a beautiful display of cloud configurations.  Who isn't completely mesmerized by the other worldliness of the look of clouds, especially when you are IN them and not just looking up at them?  The billowiness, the opacity, the shapes I imagined I saw: I was so taken, I wanted to stay on cloud nine a bit longer.


These curly cue clouds have a chinoiserie feel.  It is a traditional pattern in Japanese design. Along with waves and cherry blossoms among others.

Savel Textiles

This wallpaper always seems magical to me.  Universally, clouds are the quintessential symbol for serenity and peacefulness; perfect for a bedroom (or any room).

Fornesetti via Cole and Son

Speaking of magical ~ Science and art intersect when Dutch artist Berndnaut Smilde literally creates nimbus clouds in interiors for a photo surreal effect!

I always enjoy a Wade Hoefer Cloud painting.

With the lightness of a cloud and the movement of water, designer  Tokujin Yoshioka's paper cloud sofa is inspired by nature.  It looks like it floats in a room.

May peaceful slumber come over you as you sleep under the cloud formations above the bed.  That's a mouthful!

Coffinier Ku Designs

What a perfect shape for a quirky mirror  that most certainly will turn into a conversation piece

Kristen Kelli, LLC

The Cloud House: McBride Charles Ryan created a playful addition:  Crazy inside and out.

Contemporary lighting is a natural fit for this diaphanous design.

I must have been channeling Marc Jacobs because his Fall 2014 show was all about the cloud.  Who knew?

ph:Jesse Miller

ph:Clint Spaulding

Hello, Häagen Dazs, why have we not seen the dusk and dawn ice cream clouds in the states?   Design team FONT, in collaboration with the ice cream company, sells these treats in London, Brussels, Madrid, Barcelona, and France.

"As Scandinavians snow is an essential part of our winters," said the designers. "We were inspired by how the snow clouds in the north transform the landscape. We made an ice cream snow cloud that sprinkles snowflakes on your plate."

I would like snowflakes on my plate while my head's in the clouds.

Another Year ...

older, another year wiser.  Last week was my birthday and I did not get around to posting this. The thing about birthdays is as you get older, they seem to roll around faster and faster: not fair!  Last year I examined happiness. See that post here.  I like to take stock of where I have been and where I want to go??

I find myself starting to talk in cliches, while my sons are talking in acronyms, "YOLO MOM" and I am sounding more and more like my mother by starting many a sentence with "remember when…"

Growth, Contentment, Friendship, Happiness, Passion: All important concepts that I am still trying to master.  Generosity and Positivity are words that have really resonated with me this year.  I love that we are all works in progress.  It's never too late to try something new; let go of something that feels stale.  I have found that when one thing shifts~ like Domino's, many must shift as well. "Why Not a Big Life"

Stop getting stuck in your old stories. Reinvent, recreate, revitalize yourself and your surroundings.
I am happy to celebrate others and their accomplishments.  I wish I could say that with no expectations, but I always hope it's reciprocal, don't you?

I often take the road less traveled forever wondering why ~ each opportunity holds promise, every choice prepares me for the next chapter.  We always end up where we are ment to be (or so they say). We may not understand it but at some point it will be revealed.   #DEEPTHOUGHTS


This is another great opportunity to thank you for coming along on this little journey with me <3



quotes via Pinterest

Prepping for a Photo Shoot

To make a home look beautiful, lived in and, hopefully, effortlessly chic in photos takes work!  It's like when you try on 10 outfits in order to look like you didn't try at all;you just rolled out of bed and without a thought or care you put yourself together in a way that makes everyone jealous.

The house in Florida was sold before we were completely done but I wanted a few shots for my portfolio.  I took stock of the shots that I thought would be strongest and begun the task of  setting them up.

I had to have succulents which led to Issac's Farm.  It was a treat to see.  Now, I know where to go for great pots, then on to the always dependable Whole Foods for cut flowers.  Figures that there were orchids on every corner but I didn't want orchids in these photos.  I always seem to make things harder then they have to be OR, I am detail oriented and sweat the small stuff??

There is ALWAYS cleaning to be done and if you are photographing a bed, the sheets and pillow cases need to be ironed.  Everything must be considered.

20 minutes was spent arranging the bamboo in the vessel so it looked good in the shot AND in the mirror.

We wait for just the right light.  Having so much natural light is a luxury.

We  experiment; Dog in or out?

Everyone wanted to get in on the act

Jeff Herron hard at work.

Furniture is moved, pictures are switched out, pillows are fluffed, food is styled.  Sometimes hours are spent setting up complicated shots. So next time you are looking at a picture in a magazine, realize ~ it takes hours and a village to make a room look "finished" and there is a bit of magic that happens when you capture it just the way you envisioned it.