OC Family - Moms. Kids. Life. - (Nesting Instincts)

Hello Yellow!

Mon, 09 Aug 2010 14:38:00 GMT

Some say that there is no cheerier color than yellow. Yellow is the color of the sun, lemon, sunflowers, butter, and all things bright and happy. Varying intensities of yellow can take on different styles; buttery-yellow in a country cottage, bright and slightly acidic in a mid-century modern.

Like anything else, the color yellow can be used strategically in moderation to brighten up a room or to emphasize positives in décor. Small doses of bright yellows added to rooms add punch, catch the eye, and make rooms feel lively. Believed to strengthen overall well-being, the lively characteristics of yellow will work for the atmosphere of the house when used in moderation. Trepidated? Proceed but practice restraint. A shy lemon yellow on a tiny paint chip can suddenly turn taxi-cab on the wall. Buy a test quart and try it before proceeding.

Such a strong color can tend to dominate a space, so when repainting consider all the other elements in the room such as floors and furniture and trim. Yellow walls look best with trims in pure or pale, creamy white. Also as it is a warm color, adjust the intensity you pick with the amount of light and warmth the room is already receiving.

Here, some bright ideas.

The past is looking bright! President Thomas Jefferson's dining room at his 1769 Monticello home near Charlottesville, Virginia, was repainted in a yellow so bright it suddenly looks hip and modern.

Photo credit above: www.elledecor.com

Bright buttery yellow make the shell collection pop. Popular during the 80's and 90's, these sunny yellows have their roots in 1820's England.

Try: Farrow & Ball 'Dayroom Yellow' No. 233

Below: Paeonia Wallpaper, www.anthropologie.com

Photo credit left: www.marthastewart.com

It's just a touch, but the yellow on this door is brazen and unexpected.
Very bright yellows increase in intensity when applied on large areas, so use

sparingly.

Try: Benjamin Moore 'Sun Porch'

Photo credits: Right, www.marthastewart.com, Below, www.countryliving.com

Entryway/foyer passages are brief, so here you can afford lots of drama.

Try: Farrow & Ball 'Babouche' No. 223

To sun-drench a living room in warmth. This yellow will bring eternal spring to any space.

Try: Benjamin Moore 'Dalila'

This yellow can make a kitchen seem larger. (Bonus: Researchers say yellow boosts metabolism!)

Try: Ralph Lauren 'Goldfinch' No. VM 30

How To Create A Foyer (When There Isn't One)

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 21:29:00 GMT

Falling in love with a room is not the same as falling into a room. Sadly, the latter is the case in many homes that lack an entryway or a foyer; you open the front door and you fall right into the living room.

Call it a 'mini-lobby.' An entryway or foyer is a vestibule or entrance hall that acts as a barrier or transition space between the front door and the rest of the home. Aesthetically, it's supposed to be a physical pause for the entering guest, a few square feet to stand and be properly welcomed in. Functionally, it can be a place to stash keys, umbrellas, coats and bags. Without a proper foyer, shoes tend to gather unattractively on the floor by the door, and coats get dumped and draped on the backs of sofas. A small apartment or home looks even smaller because there is no visual transition from the entry and the rest of the house. There are no surprises and everything is immediately in view. Not good, unless you live in a loft.

How to create a foyer when there isn't one?

The main thing to remember when creating a foyer is that you need a physical or visual barrier between the front door and the living room or the rest of the house. The lack of space and the floor plan can be a great issue here, but there are several tools and methods that can be used. The goal is to visually stop the view from migrating further into the interiors of the home. A physical block literally obstructs the view, while a visual block, gives the viewer something to look at right upon entry, instead of looking immediately into the rest of the home.

A open shelving unit, an attractive screen or even a low bookshelf, can be used to divide the space behind the door and the rest of the room. An open shelving unit or a low bookshelf placed vertically by the entrance, hides the living room from immediate view. It can also be a great place to drop keys and mail.
Photo credit below,right: www.roomandboard.com

If the entrance has a wall running perpendicular to the front door, use this wall as an accent that differs from the rest of the home. Use large scale artwork, a great mirror, dramatic wallpaper or paint that sets it apart from the rest of the house.
Photo credits below: www.elledecor.com, www.goodhousekeeping.com

Use entryway furniture such as a console table, a bench, chairs or a coat rack to infuse the space with function and clearly marks the space.
Photo credits below: www.arredokit.it, www.elledecor.com, www.potterybarn.com

Mark a small square of foyer space by flanking the door with wall sconces, placing an appropriate size rug on the floor and or hanging a great (properly-scaled) chandelier above.
Photo credit below, right: www.southernliving.com

Dorm Rules

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 20:11:00 GMT

There are a few essentials when it comes to outfitting a dorm room. This space that will be your home away from home is just a few square feet, consisting of a bed, a desk and a place to stash your clothes. You really have room only for the barest essentials, and yet you want to make sure this small corner of the universe feels warm, cozy, halfway home-y and conducive to resting and studying. Bringing a well-edited supply of bedding, necessary appliances and clothing, as well as a few key items that will make it feel like home is a great start.

Bedding
The most important thing to remember when purchasing dorm room bedding is that pretty much all dorm room beds are twin-sized and extra long. Retailers such as Target carry lines like this, labeled 'Twin XL' or 'Twin Extra-long.'

     Sheet sets, 2 sets - Sheet sets contain a fitted sheet, a flat sheet and a pillowcase. Invest in a good quality set, preferably 300 thread count 100% cotton or higher. They are softer and not scratchy, and will hold up longer than cheaper ones.

     Pillows, at least 2 - Down and feather-filled pillows are always a better buy. They are washable, and last forever, unlike polyester-filled ones that lose their cushiness after a few months. Down and feather filled pillows regain their shape after each fluffing and maintain it indefinitely.

      Extra pillowcases, at least 4 - Since a twin sheet set only contains ONE pillowcase, you will need extra ones. Since this is the surface you rest your face one, it collects dirt and oil faster than any surface on your bed, so you might want to change them more often.

      A quilt or light comforter - This comes in handy on cold nights as well as make for quick bed making in the morning. All you need to do is throw a quilt or comforter over the bed and you've got it made during rushed mornings.

Above, l-r, top to bottom: Palms Organic Twin-XL sheet set, $24-59, Oceanside Patchwork Quilt and Sham, $35-$199, www.pbteen.com, Room Essentials Southwest Ikat Bedding, $50-$60, www.target.com

Desk Items

     Desk lamp
     Standing file organizers
     Cork board or magnetic white board
     Chair - Bring an ergonomic, study-conducive desk chair if not provided.

Above, l-r, top to bottom: Task chair, $90, www.target.com, Shine-on Task Lamp, $59, Madison Desk Organzers, $9-$29, www.pbteen.com

Bath Items

     Flip-flops for the shower
     Portable shower caddy

Organizing

     Hanging closet organizers - Maximizes closet space. Use for folded items, shoes, etc.
     Rolling drawers - for school supplies or small items such as underwear.
     Laundry basket or bag
     Laundry tablets - are easier to take to the laundry room than cartons or jugs of detergent
     Full length mirror - to hang behind a door or closet door

Electronics

     Laptop
     Small fridge - If you can stock a fridge with healthy food options such as fruit, you just may avoid gaining the freshman 15!
     Small coffeemaker - Save money on your caffeine fix and brew your own java.

Above: Emerson Compact Fridge with Dry-erase door, $89, www.target.com

Decorative Items

Make your space feel like home by bringing items that personalize your space such as:

     Framed photos
     Wall art or wall mural
     Bookends
     Small throw pillows
     A small area rug

Above: Wire Wall Loop, $9, Nouveau Wall Decal, $49, www.pbteen.com

Where to buy

The first stop is your home and your garage. Look for spare items that you can bring so you don't have to buy a new one. For bargains, head to Bed, Bath and Beyond, Target and IKEA, but do check out stores such as TJ Maxx, Ross and Marshalls for great deals on better quality items. If you have more budget to spare, you may want to browse online and get a few items from Pottery Barn Teen or PBTeen and CB2 by Crate and Barrel.

Links:

www.target.com

www.bedbathandbeyond.com

www.ikea.com

www.cb2.com

www.pbteen.com

Take Your Toys To College

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 12:05:00 GMT

Finally moving out of my parents' house was one of the most emotionally-charged moments in my life. My move (across the Pacific to the other side of the world), involved a lot of tears, drama and considerable sadness. Even now, when I look back on those last few days, those unreal moments when you knew that the change was upon you, and that nothing was ever going to be the same; the memories repeat in my head in just the same melodramatic script. It was not a college move, one in which I could just come back on some random weekend, or on the major holidays. If I got into deep trouble, ran out of money or just missed the hell out of my family, it was not as if I could hop on a bus or a plane and go home. It was the final move, I was never coming back to live there again, and since I was moving nearly halfway across the globe, there would never be any of those impromptu things like a lunch here and there, or stopping by for dinner.

Above photo credit: www.images.veer.com

Well, it was not all sad. It was terribly romantic too, because I flew across the seas to be with the guy I loved. Also, it was not like I never saw them again. To this day, hardly a year goes by when one of them does not come to visit, or when my husband and I bring the kids there to visit. About all the 'stuff' I brought with me, it did not take me long to shed most of them, maybe because in America the first thing you discover is how easy it is to buy 'new stuff', or maybe simply because I did not need them anymore, in an emotional sort of way. The few things I chose to keep though, acquire more meaning as the years go by. Every time I pick it up, or use it, it's like an instant psychic connection to that other part of my life, to 'long ago.' It's like looking at old photographs, or chatting with my brother or my mom about times gone by.

My son and my daughter each have a stuffed animal that they take with them wherever they go. Those toys have been wherever my kids have been. If it's just a long drive somewhere, they sit in the car. If we have to spend the night somewhere, or go on vacation, they come too. They are real-life 'Velveteen Rabbits.' My daughter's stuffed rabbit, which she calls 'Bunny' is so love-worn. Her fur is flat and matted, her button eyes long gone. Her ears are limp and her once-white face is gray. I asked my daughter once if she would consider giving it to me when she moves out, and she flat-out said, "No!" I asked her and my son if they were taking them if they had to live in a dorm for college, and as expected they said, "Yes."

Last week we saw Toy Story 3, the sequel where the main character, Andy, goes off to college. His room is emptied (to be taken over by his little sister); clothes and toys are either donated or sent off to the attic. His famous toys, Woody and Buzz Lightyear, reflect on the impending change, and devise ways to avoid being donated to charity. Andy was grown and didn't need them anymore. He was moving on to the new and bigger adventures of college life, where childhood toys and imagination did not have a place. The movie was filled with precious and funny moments, but most of all (to me at least), many wistful ones. For the most part, I thought the movie is about that time when the props and vestiges of another life are no longer needed and therefore shed. That time when one has to take stock of the 'stuff' and decide which ones to discard and which ones to keep.

One part of the movie that I could never figure out though is why Andy's mom had to totally empty his room out (aside from the fact that his little sister wanted to take over it). Maybe it's just my age, or my children's age, but I kept wondering, "Was he never going to come visit?" What about Thanksgiving and Christmas? Hmmm. I don't know yet what I'm going to do when that time comes for me, but for now I can see myself keeping my kids' room pretty much the same even after they leave, like a shrine to their childhood that I can visit whenever I miss them. When they are off and gone conquering the world, and I am old, I can just take a peek, or even go back inside and take myself back to that time, when they were little and so easy to take into my arms.

College. My son is going to junior high in the fall and so that train is coming fast. Then it will be my daughter's turn, and from there I hear that it just goes by so fast you won't know what hit you. I wonder if I will be ready by then. When they're on their own, I wonder how often they'd visit. Would they be excited or trepidated? I wonder if we've made our home life so that it will be something they'll long to come back to again and again. Just for the heck of it. I wonder if they'll miss their dad and I. The thing about being a parent is you're always steps ahead of your children. So when that time comes, all the excitement and emotion that it brings, you've already felt and relived hundreds of times over. When there's that sort of a good letting-go, it happens because you've done that move yourself, you've been to that place where they're going, and you know, you just know, that somehow just like you, they're gonna be okay.

Next: Off to college? Dorm room style.

Art-A-Fair in Laguna Beach

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 15:01:00 GMT

Last Sunday I went to Art-A-Fair with my family. Art-A-Fair is part of the annual Laguna Beach Festival of the Arts. All of the other events; the Sawdust Art Festival, Pageant of the Masters present such a wonderful exhibit. If you're looking to buy, or just love art and want to be inspired like us, the festival will not disappoint. I suggest parking at the Act V parking lot on Laguna Canyon Road (SR-133). There is an all day rate of $7, and from here you can take the Ride the Wave trolleys that will take you the festivals, downtown and to any of the beaches.
We took the trolley that day and what luck! One of the exhibitors (Thanks Katie Costello!) was in the trolley with us and gave us VIP passes!

Go to their website at www.art-a-fair.com, and if you sign up to receive emails, you can print a $3 off admission coupon. Regular admission is $7 for adults and free from children aged 12 and under.

Now on its 44th year, Art-A-Fair brings together fine art by 125 renowned artists and master craftspeople from around the country and some parts of the world. There is now shortage of paintings, photography, digital art, mixed media, sculpture, jewelry, ceramics and glass. Obviously there is a No Photography Allowed rule, but there are some pretty spectacular and memorable pieces that I will share here.

My favorite exhibit is that of Elaine Hughes. She uses a palette knife, which I like because it gives a painting so much dimension and texture. What draws me into her work is not only the setting and the subject matter, but the concise and simple quality of her work, both in color palette and composition. I chatted with her a bit, and my observation was right regarding the colors. I told her that I liked her work because they remind of photography and the colors in her painting are truer to life. She remarked that she does try to stay true to what she sees instead of increasing the spectrum and intensities of the hues. Her work evokes a wistful, quiet and calming mood, which I think makes it perfect for displaying in a home. Check out her website:
www.elainehuges.com

Above: "Bye" and "Destiny" both by Elaine Hughes

Aside from Art-A-Fair, Elaine's work is showing at Laguna Beach:
Bluebird Gallery
1540 S. Coast Hwy.
Laguna Beach, California 92651
949-497-5377
www.bluebirdgallery.net

Some other exhibits worth the trip:
Katie Costello
Idyllic Southern California landscapes and Plein-air in acrylic
www.KatieCostello.com

Keith Alway-Wild Animal Art Gallery
Art on a mission. He paints endangered species. I loved the animal faces done in Warhol-like colors.
www.wildanimalartgallery.com

Call of the Wild

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 11:57:00 GMT

We're back from our roadtrip! We drove for seven days and 2000 miles, northeast into the Sierra Nevada to the beautiful mountain hamlet of South Lake Tahoe. Then we moved across to the Northern coast of Mendocino, then up to the very top to marvel at the California redwoods. From there, we moved our way back down, stopping at the wine country of Sonoma County.

Along California's backroad highways, the immense breadth and expanse of the state's territory could not be more obvious. The road stretches on and on, with nothing ahead in sight for miles and miles except for more mountains and more land. In these extensive stretches of land, caught in between this great nothingness of wild scrub and earth, one can drive for hours to some pretty amazing, somewhat inaccessible sights that takes hours to reach. Precisely the point: Once you finally got there, you've 'earned the view,' and you feel privileged to be in the middle of nowhere.

Then comes the arrival. The breathtaking views appear in full perspective, no longer obstructed by the trees that line the tiny and occasionally unpaved roads. Time expands as you look around. It is the moment that justifies hundreds of miles of travel; when all your senses come alive as you take in the scene. The mountains, with their time-softened peaks, speaking of an old, secretive beauty. A hike through the woods, that unfolds in a progression of changing moods, textures and light patterns. A brave, quick dip in a cold, alpine lake that looks like a Norwegian fjord. You spot several Canadian geese summer-ing in the area, and you just feel like the luckiest creature alive.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said that, "In the wilderness, we return to reason and faith." Nature's place in our physical, mental and spiritual regeneration, is something that we've always known. As far back as the 19th century, the receding wilderness has been a much sought-after retreat from an industrialized world that is becoming increasingly hectic and stressful. As the need for 'roughing it,' became more popular, the nation's most magnificent natural areas became increasingly accessible. Roads were built, allowing even those less-determined, easier access. When rustic lodges and hotels sprouted in greater numbers, the wilderness experience became more available to all, and not just the few who either had their own summer homes, or were truly roughing it by pitching a tent.

Photos top to bottom, l-r: South Lake Tahoe splendor. Emerald Bay's striking blue waters, View of Fannette Island from hiking trail, Canada goose out for a summer dip.

The wilderness experience must be complete, and accommodations, while being comfortable, must not depart too much from the rustic roots from whence they came. It can be a large lodge hotel or it can be a small cabin, but the requirements remain the same. It has to have that wild frontier image that captures the essence of the landscape.

This trip's first stop is South Lake Tahoe. This picturesque alpine hamlet perched on the easternmost corners of the Sierra Nevadas, appears out of nowhere after about four hours on the US-395. More popular as a winter ski destination, in the summer it is quieter, and the allure of the lake more pronounced, as its cobalt hue is made more vivid by the light of the season. Here we fell in love with the beauty of Emerald Bay, and found Vikingsholm, a 38-room idea of one (very rich) person's 'roughing it,' and one of the finest examples of Scandinavian architecture in the United States. Also nestled in the foothills of the Heavenly ski area is the Grand Residences by Marriot, a beautiful hotel combining traditional mountain architectural design with a modern finish.

Vikingsholm: Built by Lora Josephine Knight in 1929, this 38-room mountain retreat features Scandinavian architecture.

Top: The house nestled in the woods facing Emerald Bay, can be reached via a 2-mile (steep!) hike down to the beach, Top, left: All the wood and granite used in the house were from area. The intricate wood carvings and metal work inspired by old churches were hewn and hand forged on site. Top, right: The sod roof is traditionally Scandinavian. Round granite boulders embedded in mortar is reminiscent of old stone castles.

Top to bottom, l-r: Metal and wood details on doors, Servant's quarters and courtyard entry at rear of the property, Spare decoration and furnishings typical of Scandinavian design in one of the bedrooms.

The Grand Residences by Marriott: No rough -hewn logs here.

Top left and right: The lobby areas feature traditional materials, height and scale with a much lighter and airier contemporary twist. Top bottom: A really cool lamp base.

Cabins and lodges provide a welcome retreat after a long time spent in the great outdoors. At its best, it should be a shelter, yet still somehow remain connected to the landscape. Its enduring allure resides in its ability to be so beautiful without ever completely upstaging its surroundings.

The Smell of Clean

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 12:26:00 GMT

Newsflash: There really is no such thing as a clean smell! Sure, scents like 'fresh linens,' and 'ocean breeze,' from scented oil plug-ins and sprays smell good, and there was a time and place when people thought that if your house smells like Pledge and Pine-Sol, it was clean!

The truth is, clean does not have a smell! We have only associated certain scents to the characteristic of cleanliness, but it's all in our heads. Aerosol sprays only mask odors, it does not get rid of it. If you have rotting food in your refrigerator, the foul smell will filter in to the kitchen no matter how much Oust you spray around. These sprays only mask the bad smells with another one, one that smells 'clean.' Lysol and other bacteria-killing and odor-killing sprays are laden with very toxic chemicals, and spraying them around may kill germs, but think about the chemicals that will stay on surfaces that we touch.

There are other foul things lurking in the air inside our homes.Synthetic building materials used in modern construction have been found to produce potential pollutants that remain trapped in these unventilated buildings. These pollutants can also trigger a host of allergies.If your home has really good, new windows, you know that they seal everything out. These can trap pollutants called VOCs (volatile organic compounds) coming from the building materials, paint and furniture, as our homes and offices are virtually sealed off from the outside environment. Ideally, new furniture (recognize the new smell?), new carpet and new paint should be allowed to off-gas, to allow for the evaporation of synthetic compounds used in the manufacturing of these products (think new car smell). Some studies have suggested that people who are exposed to formaldehyde for long periods are more likely to experience asthma-related respiratory symptoms, such as coughing and wheezing. Formaldehyde also comes from paints, varnishes, and floor finishes (fresh finishes tend to produce high formaldehyde levels), as well as fireplaces and wood-burning stoves, and commonly causes burning and watering eyes, skin irritation, and rashes.

If you have new furniture, the best thing you can do is let it sit unwrapped in the garage (where you don't normally circulate) for a about a week, with a window or door cracked open. You can also request your carpet people to have the bolt your are purchasing sit in their warehouse with circulating air before they bring it into your home.

Otherwise, stick to nature. Certain houseplants not look pretty; they also convert carbon dioxide and remove harmful elements such as formaldehyde from the air.

Here are the top ten examples, mostly available at your local nursery.

1. Philodendron scandens `oxycardium', heartleaf philodendron

2. Philodendron domesticum, elephant ear philodendron

3. Dracaena fragrans `Massangeana', cornstalk dracaena

4. Hedera helix, English ivy

5. Chlorophytum comosum, spider plant

6. Dracaena deremensis `Janet Craig', Janet Craig dracaena

7. Dracaena deremensis `Warneckii', Warneck dracaena

8. Ficus benjamina, weeping fig

9. Epipiremnum aureum, golden pothos

10. Spathiphyllum `Mauna Loa', peace lily

Plants, top to bottom: Ficus Tree, Heartleaf Philodendron, English Ivy

Sources:

http://www.cleanairgardening.com/houseplants.html

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Top-15-NASA-039-s-Plants-That-Can-Save-Your-Life-78345.shtml

Put Your Feet Up

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 11:28:00 GMT

For Father's Day, I thought of doing a feature on recliners. Here instead, are thoughts on the recliner that changed my life.

He didn't tell me how to live; he lived and let me watch him do it. (Clarence Buddington Keland)

There are a lot of other things my dad didn't tell us how to do. He didn't tell us not to smoke, or not to squander your money. He didn't tell us not to lose yourself in your job. He didn't tell us not to value things more than people and relationships. He didn't tell us not to overeat. He didn't tell us many things. He did not like to tell. He spoke very little, and when he did you can almost be sure it was either a simple question he would use to see if you're where you're generally supposed to "be," or it was one of his corny jokes. He seldom berated us, and when we made some poor choices, he did not fling it to our faces but we knew how disappointed he was, and that was more effective than any sermon he could ever belt out. The genius of his fatherhood it seems to me, is that he knew us so well that nothing we ever did really surprised him. It was like he already expected it. He spoke very little, but his actions said a lot. He had shown us what and what not to do, how to do it, and no more words needed to be said. He was quiet but not speechless. When he finished saying what needed to be said, he stopped talking. There are a lot of things he did not tell us how to do. He merely did it.

The time to relax is when you do not have the time for it. (Sydney J. Harris)

For a while now, the bulk of this silent interludes happened on his dad chair. He had a typical La-Z-Boy leather recliner, positioned in front of the TV. When he was not working, he spent a great deal of time on this chair. It was a place of comfort, a throne, a perch from where he sat to rest or to take it all in. My mom would sometimes complain that he spent too much time there, being too silent or taking a nap. I think that my dad was just too happy and content, confident and in awe of the way his wife handled things, that all he wanted was to sit on that chair where he could admire the way our lives were unfolding before him.

Don't worry that children never listen to you; worry that they are always watching you. (Robert Fulghum)

Raising a family is not only about growing children. Parents are raised too. Growing up is about watching what your parents do with their lives. My mom never seemed to stop moving. She was very physical; always working on something, making it clean, making it better, making it taste impeccable. She showed that not a minute of every day we've been given must be wasted, that every breath we take must be spent doing for the people we loved. My dad on the other hand, always seemed to be in pause and play mode. He works hard but never seems like he breaks a sweat. He was never ever too busy to be bothered by anybody in the family who needed his time. He always took his 15-minute breaks without fail (on his recliner). He showed that not a minute of every day we've been given must be wasted, that every breath we take must be spent doing what we loved. If my mom loves us by doing, my dad loves us being.

The quickest way for a parent to get a child's attention is to sit down and look comfortable. (Lane Olinghouse)

What makes the daddy chair so iconic? Countless living rooms in the world have it. They mostly come in brown or black, preferably overstuffed. Over the years, the stuffing memorizes the shape of daddy's girth and back, and becomes ever more comfortable. Its promise remains the same; at the end of a long day, you dissolve in it, push the back to recline, crank a lever to put your feet up, and watch the world (or the game) go by. It's the one thing that wives allows to be in the living room rather than chooses. The one thing that didn't match. It's like a magic chair; you slide into it, lean back, and the thing for your feet would pop up. It's a bastion of comfort. Dads sit on it at the end of the day and let their worries slip away.

Like a great recliner. The kids get bigger, the couch and the dad get older. The comfort factor remains the same.

In the home that I share with my husband and my kids, we do not have a recliner. Instead, we have an old, comfy couch in front of the TV in the family room, and on random nights when my husband would sit their with his feet up, that was a signal for the kids that says, "I'm home and I'm here." He is a big, tall guy, and when he sat like that, it was all the kids could do not to climb on him. And so they do, and stayed like that until it was time to move. He was a human recliner, big and warm and home at last.

My dad shows me a lot about life just by sitting on his favorite chair. Oftentimes I find myself too caught up in the errands that needed to be ran, the chores that never seemed to get done. I find it hard to sit, lest I fall behind on my tasks. On the other hand, my husband does a lot for our kids just by sitting on the couch with them and sitting through their favorite cartoon. When fathers sit, they shows the kids that he is there, available to anybody with nothing better to do and nowhere else he would rather be.

Buy the fathers a chair. Or understand when they have to sit. Happy Father's Day.

Kitchen Improvement

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 22:44:00 GMT

Summer is here and you know what that means. Labor Day weekend traditionally kicks it off, and last Sunday in my neighborhood was a sensation extravaganza comprised of the sounds of people partying, pool water splashing, the slight heat of 80-degree temps, and most of all the smell of fire-grilled meat. They say that barbecuing is one of the last few primal traits leftover from our caveman days, that of charring the kill over fire and sharing it with the tribe over much fanfare.
No wonder a lot of men like to do it so much.

When I read about and think about the history and evolution of cooking and kitchens, I can't help but notice that it all began with the men doing the cooking. The world was lit by fire, and even at the dawn of the 20th century, kitchens were nonexistent. Cooking was an outdoor affair, done on an open hearth where sparks tended to fly. Then the men realized that they had much better things to do, and along with further civilization and settlement, kitchen outbuildings were put up. They were kept at some distance from the house because the cooking would sometimes end up in flames and burn the main house down. Cooking then was a hot, flaming endeavor that took hours as every single ingredient had to be made from scratch. If you did not render the fat, mill the flour, dress the chicken and smoke the pork leg ahead of time, you're cooked.

Fast forward to the present time. Let me first state that designers and architects often are asked to create elaborate, state-of-the-art, often-enormous kitchens for clients who didn't cook! This says a lot about the leap and change that kitchens have made over the years in terms of function and cultural significance. Nowadays, cooking can be a breezy affair, consisting of opening packages (or takeout boxes) and pressing buttons, with absolutely no flames involved. In Colonial America during the 17th century, a kitchen contained a trestle table or bench, a storage chest, a cupboard and had wooden floors sprinkled with sand, which helped absorb odors (Source: NKBA). Today, the kitchen is easily the most appointed room in the house. Even if all you have to do in a day is make coffee, smoothie and heat frozen food, that's three appliances already, not including the refrigerator.

The social dynamics of the kitchen has also greatly changed. From mere outhouses, kitchens slowly moved into the interior of the home with the invention of coal and gas stoves sometime during the mid-19th century. They were mostly moderately-sized rooms separated from the rest of the house, sometimes with no windows and used primarily for cooking. All eating and socializing happened in the living and dining room (those rooms that come in handy during the holidays). By the end of the 20th century, the kitchen had evolved into a complex area, where mostly all the daily family home activities happen and where now guests are free to hang out. The kitchen is the place to be--to cook, eat, watch TV (got AT&T U-verse?), do homework, pay bills, socialize and entertain.

So it is that the kitchen is now the social center of the home, and truthfully has made the living room and the dining room a place we rarely visit. I have noticed at parties that these two rooms tend to contain certain types of guests; overflow from the kitchen/great room area, shy wallflower types, the uncle who likes to take an afternoon nap, and teenagers who think the adults are too noisy. Everybody else likes to hang out in the kitchen (all the cool people are there and also because you don't have to travel so far for seconds). The kitchen island is an effective social catalyst, the center of the action, where a host can continue to cook while regaling the guests on the other end. Not unlike a bar at a restaurant, a kitchen island holding a buffet of food seems to have the power to loosen everybody up and start conversations going.

For people who like to cook or have to cook like me, the kitchen is command central. It's the part of the house I spend the most time in. It starts in the morning and grinds its way into evening, with periods in between when I summon my 'staff,' to check on what they're doing, interrogate them about their day, and inevitably offer them food. It's a safe haven, where I can get lost in pasta and cake batter, and where I can't be blamed for not responding to cries for help because I cannot hear anything over the hum of the range hood.

I am all for the advancement of the kitchen as the best room in the house. My extended family is happy to hang out in our great room for the rest of the party, all the better to be closer to the food and be handy for cleanups. For several hours, my kitchen/great room transforms from my own quiet corner of the house into party central. I love it. Great food and all the people that matter, all in one room.

However, the daily grind can be too quiet. I notice that my kids would make brief appearances when I yell, "Food!" then put dishes away and then magically disappear. We talk over meals and then I am suddenly alone again. Too quiet again. If I wanted to see and hear more of them I would have to hunt them down, but there's more work to be done in the kitchen, and frankly, I did not want to leave. Then one day, I thought of bringing in some background noise by installing a small TV. At least while doing dishes, I can 'hang' with Vanna White and the guys from Law & Order. It was perfect, but Vanna and Lennie Brisco did not stay for very long. A few days after I bought the TV, guess who lingered loooong after the dishes have been put away. Yes, my hubby, my kids, and some characters from ESPN and the Cartoon Network. Kitchen wonders indeed.

Dexter's House

Tue, 25 May 2010 09:44:00 GMT

I'm making a house call on my new favorite TV show, Showtime's Dexter. I'm into it not so much for gore, but for the interesting subplots and uncannily novel treatment of this dark, semi-comedy, crime-mystery show. The main character's (Dexter Morgan) running narrative about suburban life delivered in dry-wit, deadpan humor keeps me hooked.

Name: Morgan Residence
Location: Miami, Florida
This is the home of Dexter and Rita Morgan in Miami, Florida, from the Showtime original series, "Dexter." Though the house is really located in Long Beach, CA, the palms, the flamingo pink and tropical touches throughout the home's interiors are decidedly from the Keys.

Rattan
Most of the action in the Morgan house takes place in
the great room, where a dining table is surrounded
by pretty wicker chairs.

Below: www.ballarddesign.com, Wingate Rattan Armchair, $299, www.potterybarn.com

A magnet for trendsetters around the world, South Beach architecture is all about atmosphere and light. Time is turned off, and you're not supposed to know if something is old or new. Storybook architectural styles have long thrived in Miami, and Aegean, Mediterranean or even Caribbean influences abound.

Cool Tile
The most noticeable feature in the kitchen is the tile. Theirs is white with a dark trim, but these ceramic art tiles from Ann Sacks fit the bill. Turkish in pedigree and azure in scheme, the Iznic tile collection will be right at home in Miami.

Above: Iznic collection, www.annsacks.com

Subtle Touches
A mixture of Moorish, Mediterranean and marine.

Above, top to bottom, left to right: Cordon collection, $25-70, Resin swordfish, $120, Fresco 18" pillow, $40, Sealife tray, $15, www.zgallerie.com, Veranda round chandelier, $349, Mosaic Hundi lantern, $349, www.potterybarn.com

Color
Ocean blues, and shades of terracotta and coral .

Top to bottom, l-r: Twilight Blue, Coral and
Florida Keys Blue, www.benjaminmoore.com

Look Who's Talking

Wed, 19 May 2010 20:12:00 GMT

Listen to the kid. This morning while helping out at my child's second-grade class, I found proof that indeed, children are the smartest beings on the planet.

From the time of their birth, even without speech, babies have been trying to tell us something. Out this month is a documentary film called "Babies," produced by a company called Focus Features. This visually stunning film simultaneously follows four babies around the world--from Mongolia, Namibia, San Francisco and Tokyo.

Mothers can tell, just by the pitch, intensity or general type of their cries, if they are asking for food, need a change of diapers, want to be held, or perhaps just want somebody to 'talk to.' The capability for language is the most amazing thing, effectively putting humans at the top of the biological hierarchy. Undisputedly, a child's first word ranks right up there with getting a driver's license, and maybe even college graduation.

The wait for those first intelligible words seem to take forever. Then, when they do start talking, there is that large chunk of time, in between the ages of two and eight, when it seems all they ever do is talk. I have tried conversations with eight-year olds and they are pretty much one-sided. I can hardly get a word in, and to be quite honest, I often find myself speechless because what comes out of their mouths are either just too funny, too silly, or surprisingly insightful and profound that I find myself at a loss for words.

So here's the proof. I copied these off a writing exercise from my daughter's second grade class. I therefore conclude that very young kids are smarter than we think, more profound than they look and know more than they let on. They do think about many other important things, just as grown-ups do.

I pretend . . . to be the boss of my brother.
I feel . . . really, really mad at my brother.
I worry . . . that my teacher will get fired.
I understand . . . that I have to be nice to my brother.
I say . . . that God is real!
I dream . . . I can get $100,000
I hear . . . ice cream sing. (That explains it).
I pretend . . . I am playing in an MLB world series
I worry . . . that my grandpa is going to die.
I understand . . . I can only have two pieces of candy a day.
I say . . . that pirates are real. (If they only knew).
I dream . . . about candy. (Me too).
I want . . . $1,000,000. (Me too).
I worry . . . that my Mom or Dad will crash.
I understand . . . that you can't get everything you want.
I hope . . . to go to college.
I wonder . . . if Santa is real?
I feel . . . like my brother is my servant.
I worry . . . that I will die.
I try . . . to stay alive.
I hope . . . I can stay home from school.
I see . . . an imaginary In-N-Out Burger in my backyard.
I wonder . . . how old I'm going to live to.
I worry . . . if my kids will be healthy.
I hope . . . I will be 16 soon. (Uh-oh).
I say . . . my life is perfect.
I try . . . to make the world a better place.
I hope . . . I have fun forever.
I want . . . my great-grandfather back.
I hear . . . a buzzing noise in complete silence.
I understand . . . that art has no right or wrong.
I try . . . to keep my sister happy.
I worry . . . that I'm going to miss my family when I go to college.
I understand . . . how people feel when they are left out.
I understand . . . that Dad has to work a lot.
I hope . . . I will have a good life.
I worry . . . that my parents will die.
I hope . . . I will never die.
I worry . . . about the people in Haiti.
I try . . . to be a better person.
I hope . . . that people find a cure for cancer.

Where would we be without children? While the 'Babies' film proves that the 'journey of humanity' is a simple and universal one (be it a bare mud house in Namibia or a well-appointed San Francisco apartment), when you've got the resources it helps to create the best learning and stimulating environment in children's spaces. A space for them to live and grow.

Take a cue from preschool and elementary school classrooms.
Educational and creative out-of the-box wall coverings and murals stimulate imagination.
Photo credit left and above: www.elledecor.com

    * Choose colors, themes and things that bring out the child's unique personality.
    * Have closets and storage that are well-organized and accessible, so they can find their things easily.
    * Hooks, hooks, hooks. Jackets, bags, caps and just about anything else can be hung instead of ending up on the floor.
    * An extra chair or bench for visiting friends to sit on.
    * Comfortable bedding they can't wait to get into each night!
    * Don't limit yourself to what you think of as "kids colors" or materials. Elegant palettes can reflect a child's personality too, as can unique treatments, such as plastering or painted bead board.
    * Well-constructed beds, desks and dressers will last for years and cost you less in the long run. Plus, you can bequeath that furniture to your kids when they move to their own homes.

Don't limit yourself to what you think of as "kids colors" or materials. Elegant palettes can reflect a child's personality too.
Below right: Design by Jonathan Adler at www.elledecor.com
Below left : Cameron Counter Cabinet Base Storage System, $1,430, www.pbkids.com

How To Clean A Teen's Bedroom

Mon, 17 May 2010 10:50:00 GMT

At some point during the last three years, I just stopped redoing my son's bedroom and let it go how it will. Presently, it is an almost twelve-year old's bedroom, filled to the rafters with countless books and hundreds of those little toys that he likes to collect. Now and then I would find a stray t-shirt or sock tucked in between the bed and the wall, a missing baseball cap under the bed, or one of his teddy bears sandwiched in between the mattress and the box spring. It also now has a smell that, though not completely unpleasant, tells me that this is not, and will never be again, the 'nursery' that it used to be. He keeps it pretty clean as can be expected of a preteen, and has completely taken over the 'decorating.' The bookshelves are now impossible to dust, because it is peppered with a hundred tiny toys and souvenirs. If I moved any of them, I would not know how to put them back, and so I just let it be. Each morning when I come in to pick up laundry, I am tempted to rearrange something but I don't, lest I disturb something that he's working on. Sometimes I sit at the foot of his bed and stare at the books that he loves so much. I sit there and wonder how he had amassed such a large number of tiny Pokemon toys and how he knows the name of every single one. I sit there for a while and miss him, wondering where all the time went in between those years when everything was baby blue and now. I sit there sometimes and find myself afraid, of that day when that room would sit empty, still maybe filled with most of his things but not him.

And so I pick up but mostly leave it alone. At nearly twelve, he has thankfully still maintained a tender innocence and childhood quality that I know is there because of the toys still lying around. It's a comforting sight, a reassurance that I've still got a little time. I try to help him keep it clean, but not too much. That way, whenever I miss him I can come in any time I want, take a look around (and a few sniffs), and let the familiarity wash over me.

Somewhere in between Sesame Street and Percy Jackson, I now suddenly find myself with a (young) man-child. I've never raised a man-child before, and so I tread lightly. I guess it's a lot like his room; it's good the way it is, with an unmistakable and endearing character acquired over the years. You want to improve on it, but not change it too much. Look in corners and unexpected places for things that are going missing. Watch where you step and learn to love the smell.

Teen Territory

For preteens, it's all about mapping out an identity. They're busy trying to figure out who they are, what they want to be and how to go about it. They've got some amount of information now to decide and to carve out an image for themselves. They also hoard items in massive amounts, sheets of paper with drawings on them, key chains, models, posters, CDs. Every little thing that comes their way becomes part of their 'possessions.' The best way to deal with this is to give them some tools and equipment for their bedrooms that will allow them to organize and design their 'territories' as they see fit.

These shelves and organizers do a neat and stylish job to suit the decorating needs of any teen.

Top to bottom, left to right: Locker Bookcase, $299, A-Frame Bookcase, $299, Display-It Rails, $25, Skatboard Bookshelf $39-75, www.pbteen.com

Age-Defying Beauty

Mon, 10 May 2010 12:48:00 GMT

Common sense, good taste and general consensus tells us the that the real secret to looking great at any age is to look good for your age. If you are 25, you should look like 25 in a good way, not 15 and not 40. If you are 45, you should look great at 45, not 21 and not 55 either. The people who are masters at this have been known to employ a regimen of clean and healthy living, a flourishing social and spiritual life, and a timeless, as opposed to a trendy personal style. I saw model Paulina Porizkova on TV a couple of weeks ago, and she looked amazing of course, but that's not the lesson here. She's 45, and no one will mistake her for 25, but that's good because she looks as good as she can be at 45. She says she's never had any work done, and there's nothing on her face that she 'wasn't born with.' If all of that were really true, then at face value, that's real age-defying beauty for you. Beauty that changes, evolves, becomes richer and more substantial over the passing of time.

It's like this: Something made entirely out of plastic, like a Crocs shoe, can be classified as 'ageless' for the sake of words. I own a three-year old pair and it looks exactly the same as it did when it was brand new. The color never fades, it keeps it's shape and it's virtually indestructible. It's plastic of course! In contrast, a great leather shoe, while incurring a few scratches, creases and minor scuffs along the road to life, never looks the same with each passing day. Like our faces, it bears the marks of time. If it's well made and taken cared of, the ever-growing creases and variations in tone only make it more beautiful. It ages, but it ages well.

The same is true for furnishings. There are things that are meant to be 'aged,' like wine and cheese. Buy them new and in good quality, and it will last with you forever, ever-changing and bearing the marks that tell the story of their lives with you.

Teak
Unlike people, teak gets its beauty from being out in the sun and the elements. The more aged and weathered it gets, the more attractive it becomes. Give it a couple of years outside, and it loses its brand-new Costco sheen and instead looks like something from an centuries old garden. Teak wood, when left outdoors, will turn a handsome silver-gray. It will even have a few cracks, which is perfectly natural, as wood expands and contracts slightly when left outdoors. What's even better is that all this weathering has no effect on the stability of the furniture in any way, which makes it great for outdoor furniture. Teak requires little to no care, and maintains its incredible strength and timeless elegance for decades. Green Note: Be certain that the teak wood you are purchasing are from sustainably harvested forests. Always check your sources!

Leather
Leather sofas are probably one of the very few that actually looks better after having been sat on for about five years! Like a great jacket or bag, it gains a patina over time. If you go for that kind of lived-in look, all the little scratches and creases add to its allure. It is for this reason that stores carry leather sofas that are already 'pre-patina-d for you. Note that not all leather are created equal and 'genuine leather' does not always mean top quality. A sofa that says 'genuine leather' can still have vinyl panels on the back and sides. Top grain is the highest quality and most expensive grade. It's the topmost layer of the hide, and retains all the original scarring and markings. It is also the most durable and supple. Green note: Eco-conscious citizens, animal lovers and vegans shun leather, but if you're just overall environmentally concerned, leather from ecologically responsible manufacturers can be better then man-made materials that don't last anyway.

Hubby and I personally sat-tested this sofa from Restoration Hardware and it is divine! Deep enough to sleep on, or just put your feet up while watching TV. Super soft, and comfortable. Restoration Hardware stores in Orange County:
South Coast Plaza Restoration Hardware
    3333 Bear Street, Space 241
    Costa Mesa, CA 92626-7768
    714-540-1445
Mission Viejo Mall Restoration Hardware
    27000 Crown Valley Parkway, #22B
    Mission Viejo, CA 92691-6513
    949-364-2246
Fashion Island Restoration Hardware
    401 Newport Center Drive, Suite 201A
    Newport Beach, CA 92660-6928
    949-760-9232

Shown top to bottom: Spirit Song Teak Collection, www.reforestteak.com, Cassara Dining Collection, www.frontgate.com, Maxwell Leather Sofa, www.restorationhardware.com

Moms Designing Species

Thu, 06 May 2010 12:51:00 GMT

Note: First, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! This won't be about interior design, but read on anyway. If you're not satisfied at the end of it, send me a note in return and maybe I can find you the best and prettiest dusters out there, you'll know what I mean.

One Saturday in late March, the day dawned with strong winds that sent our backyard trees swaying and bending. It was pretty strange weather for Southern CA--mostly I'm used to hot Santa Ana winds that blow hot and dry in the early fall, but not this chilly blast of wind in early spring. Well, these winds, like any other, have a way of blowing in all all sorts of things from near and far. Pieces of paper, sticks and twigs, leaves and spores, which I first noticed as a fairly thick buildup of yellow dust on my car. I knew weather systems carry winds far, but still I thought it strange that such dust could build up overnight. Then upon close inspection, I saw it was a fine kind of yellow 'dust', and my son enlightened my that it was not dust, rather it was 'spores!'.

Wikipedia says that spores, in biology, is a reproductive structure adapted for dispersal and survival for extended periods of time in unfavorable conditions. The yellow stuff is composed of spores and pollen, produced during the reproduction of land plants. They are really small cells that plants disperse over long distances to reproduce. The winds carry them over cities and towns, settling on patio furniture and cars, irritating our eyes and noses. With the amount of pollen we have been getting lately, it's surprising we aren't growing anything in our bodies yet.

Well, another thing blew into our house today, a computer game my son had ordered arrived in the mail. Whaddya know, the game is called Spore! He has been playing with a trial version of it, and liked it so much he decided to buy the whole package. Ecstatic with the new toy, he sat at the computer for hours that day, and I had to do my obligatory parental cease and desist, and haul his butt outside for a walk. All through the windy but pleasant mile and a half we walked and he talked to me about the game.

Here is how it goes. The player gets to be a creator in the game and the goal is to develop a species from a microscopic organism and watch it evolve into a complex animal, and raise it to eventually become a 'social, intelligent being'. Success is measured by the degree to which your creature achieves mastery of the planet and ascension into space, where it interacts with alien species across the galaxy. Whew.

It's interesting stuff, and the whole time he was talking about it I could not help thinking it was a lot like raising children. I thought the analogy/metaphor was so clever and undeniable. The game even had stages such as the 'cell stage' (the part where something super-tiny grows bigger and bigger that needs no further explanation), the 'creature stage' (where the grown spore starts to interact with other species friendly or hostile--sandbox days, preschool?), the 'tribal stage' (where physical development ceases, as does the player's exclusive control over the creature--adolescent years?), the 'civilization stage' (which is basically like the time when the kids finally move out and start their own lives), and lastly, the 'space stage' (when they are well on their way to galactic domination). There is even an 'album' that lets you revisit the miracle that is the physical evolution of your creature.

From the day they start to develop from the 'spores' that they were, all our living and breathing is dedicated to growing them into the best individuals they can be. We spend a good part of our lives raising them, watering them with love and care until such time when they are ready to be 'released' and blown into places hopefully somewhere near, and not too far.

That evening, as the spores sat on the deck eating ice cream, the winds were still at it. It seemed to blow from every corner, and brought a slight chill to the air. Earlier that day my husband dutifully dusted my van free of the yellow dust, but surely in the morning the windows will be thick with it again.

Much later into the night, the winds finally died down and everything grew quiet. The spores had finished their ice cream, asked for a movie and are now safe in their beds. The winds hadn't yet taken them away, and I am thankful for everyday that they are still young and with us, and all I can hope for is that on such a day when the winds pick up again and carry them far, they will land in a good place and bloom where they are planted. Social, intelligent beings, masters of the planet.

Printed Matters

Mon, 03 May 2010 09:12:00 GMT

In the Philippines, there is a word specially coined to describe certain types of prints on certain types of clothing. The word is "kukur," and although it almost sounds like "couture," the similarity ends there. "Kukur," is short for "kurtina," which is the Filipino translation for curtain. Sure, Julie Andrews made it look easy in The Sound of Music, and even Amy Adams did it in Enchanted. Perhaps it only works when you can sing like that, and in most cases draping oneself in drapery is just asking for trouble. When the dress you have on looks eerily similar to your shower curtain, you know something's wrong. Prints are fabulous. Just like in clothing, mixing prints with solids when decorating a space creates interest, can add color and just generally livens everything up. They are tricky however; the wrong prints can easily make something look dated, and what may seem fun in the beginning can easily become tiresome. There are prints and patterns you can only live with for so long.

The prints on both the dress and the shower curtain in these two photos are pretty. As

to why it's fabulous in the shower and disastrous on the girl has something to do with a very important design element called scale. Scale is the relative size of something as related to another element. Small picture frames get lost hung on large walls, oversize furniture are often too large for most average-sized living rooms, women carry handbags that are larger then themselves. On the shower curtain, the large graphic print is fabulous because it's floral yet very modern. It makes a bold statement yet fits right in. Since the piece of fabric is meant to hang stretched, the large-scale patterns appear as graphic art. In the same way, this same fabric will also lose its impact if it is pleated for drapery, a case of too much of a good thing. Translated onto a dress, the large floral print is just too overwhelming. That some of the flowers are as big as her head should give you a clue.

Those knowledgeable in fashion will tell us that when it comes to print, balance and moderation is key. Generally, smaller prints are safer and better than large ones, and the wearing of print from them head to toe is always a fashion don't. "Scale and proportion!" as Tim Gunn would say. Larger woman, larger print. Smaller woman, smaller print. Get it?

When selecting a print, placement is key. If you are using it on drapery, you must consider how it look both when open and drawn. Generally, smaller patterns with small repeats* work better. The pattern on the drapes below still

"makes sense" when the curtains are drawn. Most finished curtains on the market are safe bets, you just have to be careful when purchasing a fabric for custom drapery.

Prints can be mixed as long as there is something unifying them such as color. The picture on the left shows how two kinds of florals and a stripe are brought together by using the same greens and blues.

Large, bold prints in the right places make a great impact (See pillow below).

Remember that when placed on a key item such as a sofa, the print and its colors will tend to dominate and therefore dictate the scheme in a room. A better solution will be placing the print on a smaller item such as a chair then pairing it with a sofa in a sold color.
*Repeat--The distance between the beginning of one complete pattern in the fabric weave, print, or design and the beginning of the next identical pattern.

Items shown top to bottom:
Jacinda maxi dress, $49.50, www.delias.com
Silhouette Flower shower curtain, $32, www.urbanoutfitters.com
Audrey drapes, $79-109, www.potterybarn.com
Living room drapes and upholstery, www.calicocorners.com
Angelica pillow, $59.95, www.crateandbarrel.com
Jardin chair, $799, www.crateandbarrel.com

(Really) See The World

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 20:00:00 GMT

I own a lot of sticks. I have everything from small twigs to large branches, proudly displayed all over our home. My family and I have hiked and nature-walked a good deal of California and its environs, and on every single one the kids would pick up sticks and one or two huge branches we encounter on our path. Each stick tells a story, and we said we would label each one but they got too many we were never able to do it. We would stuff them into this jar that fittingly has its own story too. Years ago after a visit to Manila, I was so hung over and homesick that I rushed to Pier 1 Imports and bought a huge earthenware pot that came from the Philippines. I placed it in my living room and every time I would stare at it I felt I was home all over again. I treasure these along with a whole lot of other souvenirs I've picked up from different places and items my family have brought me from their travels. They are by no means expensive in any way, but having come from such faraway places makes them so special and intriguing. I guess like taking far too many pictures, it's just a way of taking home something of the places you've been to. Potent reminders of good times gone by.

It's also about having pieces of the world around you. In design talk they call this look, "global," or "well-travelled." You look around your space and it's like opening a book. Stories of different places and cultures told on tables and walls. Various cultures unfolding, right in your living room.

This goes hand in hand with the fact that people's desire to see the world is as old as time itself. Human beings have always longed to see what's out there and beyond, and our ancestors have always practiced the exchange of gifts from their homelands, bringing pieces of their history to faraway lands. These days despite the economic situation, wanderlust has not waned. According to statistics, international passenger traffic grew steeply, especially in places like Asia Pacific, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America. We are also still interested in exchanging goods, and the steadily growing world production markets has led to an increase in freight traffic.

When we can't travel, there are ways we can get our hands on beautiful objects from around the world. Asia, Africa and the Middle East are favorite travel destinations and are known for their exceptional crafts in baskets, embroidery and weaving to name a few. There is a non-profit website called Ten Thousand Villages (http://www.tenthousandvillages.com/php/about.us/about.vision.php), that "provides vital, fair income to Third World people by marketing their handicrafts and telling their stories in North America. Ten Thousand Villages works with artisans who would otherwise be unemployed or underemployed. This income helps pay for food, education, health care and housing." They are a fair trade retailer that helps people in these countries to sell their crafts and improve their lives.

Beholding one of these items immediately reveals its value. Like in the old days, they are the work of true artisans, each one lovingly and laboriously made by hand. Through Ten Thousand Villages, these artisans get to do something they're good and get fairly compensated for their hard work. Truly a far cry from the cheaply-made, mass-produced goods churned out from sweat shops that are sadly all over these places now too (more on that in coming post).

Here is a detail of how one such vase is made:

"Artisans stomp the clay with their feet, then throw it on the wheel. Final details are added the next day. The dried piece is burnished by hand. The following day, a clay and water mixture is applied three times. After the piece dries again, artisans apply various mineral oxides for color, then burnish the surface twice more. Designs are etched by hand, and larger patterns carved into the clay. Finally the bowl is fired for 6-9 hours in the kiln, left to cool and finished with a wax polish."

Check out the items shown here and more. Ten Thousand Things provides online sales and retail stores in several US states and Canada as well.

http://www.tenthousandvillages.com/php/about.us/about.vision.php

She's Got The Look

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 23:11:00 GMT

“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.”
Henry David Thoreau

There are people who are gifted when it comes to this. Children, for instance, seem to be able to see beyond the here and now, past the other less important things that usually befuddle the rest of us. Perhaps the reason why they always complain of being ‘bored,’ is because to them, time stretches on forever. Time just goes on and on because they don’t exactly keep track of all that went on before and don’t necessarily look that far ahead either. They are mostly concerned with the present. They can look at a situation, or a particular moment in time and really see it for what it is; a fleeting moment to be savored and enjoyed for it will never come their way again. Today my daughter’s ballet class got to try on their recital costumes for the first time. It was a very vivid aqua, a vision in velvet, sparkly jersey and tulle. For weeks I have been hearing about this costume, as she went on and on about how fabulous it was going to be. Finally today, at ballet class, she, along with a dozen other girls finally got to try the costume on. Oh boy, it was a delightful time; a bunch of eight-year olds, so ecstatic and excited about this frilly concoction of a dress. It was quite possibly the best time of their lives to date, and nothing was ever going to take it away from them. Only precious children like that can look past a costume that would otherwise be described as too gaudy by others, and see a brief moment in time in their girlhood lives, that will never come again.

Thoreau’s quote can be applied in many ways, certainly in the way we regard our lives and our homes. It is quite true in almost everything, that looks can be deceiving. People and lives are so complex, that merely looking at the surface never tells us the whole story. We have to probe deeper to really see. When we look at our homes, what do we see? There are a lot of ways that a space can be colored, arranged and decorated in order to achieve a certain ‘look,’ but what we see when we are in the room is also important. In model home design and in home staging, spaces are arranged in a way so that potential buyers are able to ‘see themselves’ living there. The ‘look’ is important, but what a person ‘sees’ supersedes everything. It may be the look of the moment, but if we can’t see ourselves living there and actually using the space, it does not work. A space should adapt and suit the people who occupy it and not the other way around.

Amazing too, are artisans and humanitarians who look beyond the surface and see new possibilities. Prisonart.org (www.prisonart.org) created by a person named Ed Mead, is an online outlet for the sale of artwork and craft created by prisoners. He was a former prisoner himself, and he started this non-profit service as a way of helping political prisoners and POWS raise money. In South Beach, Florida, a woman named Tessie deFelice (www.tessiedefelice.com) picks up garbage on the beach and turns them into works of art. She is hoping her work will inspire conservation and bring attention to the growing problem plaguing many of the world’s water systems.

They say seeing is believing. Today my daughter showed me exactly the way she sees life: bright, colorful, frothy and very sparkly. She and those girls danced like there was no tomorrow. It was an unforgettable scene, one where she twirled and danced and made me see, that life is indeed a stage, and we should play our parts to the hilt. It was the past, the present and the future coming together, in one quick dance; nostalgic, wonderful and promising, and I saw it with my own eyes.

Shown above: "Beached" Oil Painting by Judie Giglio, www.prisonart.org

Goodness and Light

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 10:20:00 GMT

We poor Californians, it’s the end of April, the marine layer is in and it’s 65 degrees outside. Where’s the sun when you need it? I got together with some friends at Salt Creek Beach over the weekend; the picnic was great but there was no swimming involved. The atmosphere was warm and we chatted and ate, but stayed bundled up in our sweaters and blankets. The park was pretty full, I suspect because the the forecast was for a ‘great sunshine-y weekend in the 70s,’ and it’s just typical of Californians to grab every opportunity to head outdoors. It’s pretty predictable really; as soon as the temps climb to at least 72, you can bet the beach will be packed, shorts, tanks and flip-flops are donned and the grills are fired up. Californians, especially Southerners, live for warmth and sunshine and light.

I, most especially, am a creature of the light. Though I enjoy the occasional romantic overcast days, a week of cloudiness or rain and no sunshine will put me in a seasonal-affective disordered state. My circadian rhythms get messed up, and I become sluggish and gloomy.

There’s scientific basis to this. Apparently, people need light like they need other nutrients. Light sets our nervous systems and regulates our circadian rhythms or day-night cycles. Without enough light stimulation, our body cycles become sluggish.

So, let the sunshine in! California interiors should make the most of the glorious natural light outside. Since we typically have pretty much a year-round dose of it, we have the option of dressing up our homes in a season-less fashion.
Tip 1: Go light on the window dressing.
Nix the theatrical curtains. California windows don’t necessarily need heavy drapery. Our Mediterranean climate calls for lighter, airier window fabrics such as cotton duck, voiles, silks and linens. The fabric should be light enough to flutter in the breeze a bit when you open the window.

Tip 2: Undress!
Sometimes the view outside is so beautiful you don’t necessarily want to cover it up. These windows call for treatments that cut glare and let filtered light in without totally masking the view. They can be custom-fitted to fit your window or door dimensions and are available in a variety of colors and patterns.

Tip 3: Maximize indoor light.
You can make the most of the natural light entering a space by choosing the right materials. By using materials and finishes that allow light to pass through or reflect light rather than absorb it, the room appears brighter. Lighter finishes reflect more light while darker ones tend to absorb light. This principle applies to everything from the finishes on wooden furniture as well as paint and upholstery. Materials such as glass, steel and aluminum are also more reflective in contrast to heavier materials such as dark woods, brick and stone. For example, a coffee table made of iron and glass allow light to pass through and looks ‘lighter’, as compared to a solid wood table which has a ‘heavier’ look.

Tip 4: Lighten up on color.
This is basic; lighter, cooler colors reflect light and darker, warmer colors absorb it.

Roller window shades shown above from:

www.smithandnoble.com
Pottery Barn Tanner Coffee Table above:
www.potterybarn.com

Welcome Home

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 15:23:00 GMT

Past the threshold, the pace of life shifts. Light softens and the soothing quiet whispers to you to relax your shoulders and kick off your shoes. The faint spicy scent from a previous meal lingers in the air yet, and you realize you are famished. Interestingly, you are just beginning to realize how tired you are and yet the moment you walked in all the weariness and exhaustion has been lifted away. Reality is suspended or is faced. Welcome, you are home.

A home is that shining beacon of light at the end of a long tunnel. The sweet promise of returning to it makes up a lot of what keeps us going through the day. Mental pictures--of a couch and an unfinished book, a bed, a nice warm bath, a gently simmering crock pot of stew in the kitchen can inspire us to keep going about our jobs and errands away from home. Even after a great vacation spent in fabulous places and elegant hotels, nothing compares to that precious moment when you set your bags down and throw yourself down on your own bed.

It's familiarity. Over time our home becomes imbued with its signature scents and aromas, variations and distributions of light and shadows, its own distinct areas of jumble and arrangements, and even a 'color' apart from what's on the walls. If you're very sensitive, you will notice that these qualities present in a home, are so personal and characteristic, as to be found nowhere else. My parents' home where I grew up in has its own smell, a mixture of different things from in and out of the house that seems to linger in every single item in the house and heavily in air. So much so that when they send me packages and gifts, I only have to lift it to my nose, take a whiff and instantly recognize that familiar smell. If I close my eyes and let my imagination soar, I am at my parents' home, all over again.

Home is that wonderful miracle of a place that is the keeper of everything that we are. Though imperfect, broken in some parts, unfinished, or a work in progress, it the place where we lay down all of ourselves along with everything else that is also broken and unfinished within us. Home is the place where our dreams are formed and our aspirations take flight. It is a safe harbor where we can be ourselves and experiment on all the things we want to be.

For families, home is where you raise your children into the wonderful individuals you are hoping they would become. A home is a child’s first experience of the world, in a micro scale. Everything that he or she sees, smells, touches and tastes in this little world, leaves a lasting, indelible mark that will have something to do with the person he is going to become.

We’ve all heard of the importance of allowing our children to experience the outdoors, one of the reasons being that nature holds the most wondrous and beautiful things a human being can behold and experience.

In the same manner, we should surround ourselves and our children with beauty inside our homes. Human beings are programmed to respond to beauty in things. Sensory experiences in color, contrast, texture and shapes, are what a young child uses to form his first images of the world.

Form, scale, color, texture, pattern and light. These universal elements of design are the parameters which our mind uses to decide what is attractive and what is not. They are the qualities in things that we respond to. When you go hiking in a boreal forest, the vertical lines on a towering redwood tree soaring into the sky allows you to feel a rightful sense of insignificance in the scheme of things. Look down on the forest floor at the tiny, colorful blossoms and creatures and you quickly learn that there is more beauty to be found in the tiniest details.

These same elements found inside a home form an ever growing catalog of inspiration, memories, and more importantly, an early idea of what is beautiful, in our children’s minds. The colors and shapes on a rug, the hand feel and texture on a pillow, pretty light filtering through a window—when our memories fail us with all the other details, it is these things that remain. They are the lasting impressions that we will always remember and somehow become part of who we are.

The interiors of a home is an evolving environment. It grows and changes with us. Over time it must become filled with beauty; the kind that tells the story of what’s important to us, who we are and where we’ve been. In this way, it becomes a reflection of all that we are inside, so that every time we walk into that front door after a long day, we can truly say that we are HOME.