chez toety

While in Monaco, my dear husband and I took a stroll up to the market for some fresh food items along with several bunches of fresh white rannunculas which I proceeded to make this arrangement for dear Toety, my Mother-in-law.  I love the attitude of the one stem that seems to be reaching, vying for attention.  Next to the arrangement is a Diane James Home candle I gave to Toety, which she lit and thought it was the most lovely fragrance filling the room with a heady floral scent.

The room is mostly shades of cream and brilliant blue accents like the lamp.

They have lived in this apartment for thirty years and have collected things they love.

It is such a peaceful room in such a busy little place.  Going there for a visit always feels like an elegant  hug.  I wish we lived down the street so I could personally deliver fresh flowers to this lovely lady, Toety.

old flame

I can't help myself. There is something about the glow of a fire that is so inviting.

above image from elle decor

Be it a fire in the fireplace or something simmering on a hot stove - November just seems like a time to light a fire or try a new recipe.
The glow of a fire, the flickr of a candle or the love of an old flame can ignite warmth to a room.

Love this chest and composition of frames hung. This foyer looks like it is ready to greet me with a hug and love me just the way I am. What old flames are igniting your heart? A fire, a recipe, an old heirloom?

aides-de-camp

Some ask, "How do you do it all?" Truth be told, I really believe that I have several guardian angels around me. There are days that I take on way to much like some general and others that I just trust that a gilded guardian angel is there by my side. It sure helps to know that I have some sort of personal attendant and that it is not all being done by me. That is the key to doing it all, believing that you have some sort of aide-de-camp.

Each day, I give thanks for all the angels around me in blogland. Today, I will take my twin sons to see two colleges here and here and I will be looking for signs of angels around me. I know, call me crazy, but somehow it's a lot more fun to know that I have a little imaginary help.

Do you believe in angels? What are your guardian angels whispering to you?

photo of "Grand Army Plaza" take in NY by T.Perlmutter, (friend and angel of pve)

imagine

pve design personal photo collection - homes nearby

Imagine yourself celebrating in this home. I pass this home several times a week and admire the colors, the red and the tiffany blue door and trim. I often wonder what it might look like inside. I think one day, I may just have to invite myself in, or better yet, perhaps I will do an illustration for a tour. You can imagine how many homes I have collected, imagined and illustrated. I guess with Thanksgiving this week, I think of those less fortunate or those away from home. Blame it on my vivid imagination. You know how I love houses.

Congrats to Alison of The Acorn Cottage, she won the amy butler pattern giveaway.

picture perfect

I just love this image. A picture perfect morning. A circa Dorothy Draper Interior for the Greenbrier. I would love a little weekend escape there.

Picture this, my daughter would be jumping on the bed and my dog would have absconded with all the room service bacon. My teen sons would still be looking for shut eye in the adjoining room. Dorothy Draper really did know how to add a ray of golden sun and a dollop of cream to a room. I am in love with these footstools at the foot of the beds. Hope you are having a picture perfect morning? Care to share your morning picture?

stone barns

Last friday, I had the pleasure of a little jaunt to Stone Barns with Kelsey from "Naptime Chef" along with her two year old daughter. (Blue Hill Farm is a short trip from New York City and very child friendly!)

It is always great fun to meet and connect face to face with other women who blog. I admire Kelsey for her positive energy and that she is teaching her daughter the importance of good food. We enjoyed a bite of "organic" food from the cafe, where we spotted chef Dan Barber. We ate our food outside. It was a crisp fall day. Afterwards we took a little walk down to see the chickens. Wishing each of you a fabulous fall friday the 13th and wonderful weekend.

my gate

All the years I lived in Manhattan, I never even noticed "my gate" at the entrance of Central Park South. "Artist's Gate" sculpted in stone caught my attention. It is true that as a tourist, one does see more of the city. Did you know that there are twenty-two gates with various professions that have been carved at various entrances?

What gate would call your attention and what would it say about you?

"Ever Rest"

Hudson River School painter Jasper Cropsey, "Artist's residence" named "Ever Rest"

Sunday, I had the great pleasure of attending a reception at the "Newington Cropsey" Art Gallery which is open for special shows or by appointment.

It was a gorgeous day inside and out. I will post more this week.

Thank-you to Kathleen for the kind invitation.

photo of "Ever Rest"- Artist's Residence

Central Park

Central Park Bethesda Fountain, New York City

I am one foot out the door, on my way to Central Park to sketch and paint.  More about this later.

Many artists will be flocking to see and to paint plein air with this painter.

hey kid o

A rainy saturday, a good day to be a kid, build, dream, create and play inside.  Now that we are done with this tower of blocks, let's walk down the block and puddle-jump along the way to here.

Hey kid O, why were you not around when my teen-agers were born?   Of course, there were other kids like you but not quite the same.  Aesthetically pleasing, this wonderful kid has just the right amount of stimuli. 
What more could a kid possibly need than a globe to take one traveling and some legos to build a United Nation.  A seed to watch grow and to water.  

Simple bins full of organized supplies to have at the ready for an imagination to draw, paint, or make something using our hands and our minds.
Here is the office of the big kid o behind the creation of my kind of store.  A mother of kids with an aesthetic and a mission to live with just the right amount of stimuli.  How many of you have too much stimuli and need to get a new kid-o start?  

Sunnyside up

Welcome to "Sunnyside" once home to the writer Washington Irving.  This lovely spot lies on the Hudson River in Irvington, NY.  I have enjoyed many a trip to this oasis.  The fall is always a lovely time to visit this home as Mr. Irving wrote "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow."  

Image of Washington Irving

September 28th is a day full of children's books, where many authors and illustrators gather.

Children love this day, and I think Mr. Irving must be loving it too.  Visit here.

Chantilly

Illustration - pve design, the makings of Chantilly cream

Imagine visiting a place known for it's whipped cream.  We visited "Chateau de Chantilly" and toured the Chateau and dined on the property.  

Our special dessert was fresh berries topped with Creme de Chantilly.  Freshly whipped for all of us to see, the chilled stainless bowl, the large whisk, fresh cream, a bit of confectioner sugar and vanilla. 

photo - "open wide " - enjoying the chantilly tasting from the bowl

Voila, lovely cream, a perfect topping to fresh fruit for a wonderful finish to any meal in any chateau or home.  Next time you are in Paris, plan a trip to Chantilly for a taste of 

fresh whipped cream, or perhaps a little Chantilly lace.

looking up

Things are looking up around here.  This photo is of my twins, looking up at "La Tour Eiffel" in Paris where we had a picnic in June.  The lights had just gone on and it was a mesmerising sight.  Note both boys have "right" legs bent.  It must be a twin thing.

My son on the left is recovering from a nine day hospital stay and he is making progress daily.

The outpouring of support from family and friends has been so overwhelming.  Just like those lights, his life changed all too quickly with an infection that required surgery on his "right" hip and antibiotics to treat the infection.   All of this made for a scary time for our family. 

Oddly enough my son on the "right" had an elective surgery on his "right" leg prior to his twin and he is back to his happy healthy self.   It truly must be metaphysical for both boys, twins to have had surgery on their respective right legs.

Thank-you to each of you for your thoughts, your prayers, and humor which helped me to be strong for my family.  

white treatment

She sent me for a virtual "white treatment."

Nothing forced or pretentious - just fresh white to make it all right.

A massage is always good for taking one away from the daily hum drum.

The masseuse inquires, "And what will we be working on today?" I reply, I need the swedish massage, the one that works out all the knots and knarls - you see, I have spent too much time in a hospital and the emergency room in the past week. Not for me, but for my most valued sons - one had an elective surgery and the other a horrible virus. Both on the mend.
This would have been the perfect waiting room for me. I have figured out what is ailing our health care industry. Have you seen the horrible furniture and the lighting in our Hospitals?Hospitals need designers to infuse feel good waiting rooms and hospital rooms.   Two of my favorite childhood characters, "Curious George" and "Madeline" both making trips to the hospital were always inspiring to me.  But reality is that todays hospitals are enough to make one run away and hide.   If only there were these chairs like this -in the waiting room, they are calling me. Come sit and we will comfort you.  

I am feeling so much better and like I said, I am not even sick. No, I am never supposed to say that, because that is the jinx of it for me now. Anyway, just thinking about this cottage makes me want to get away. I would return and friends would say, "Dahling, you look fabulous" - and I would reply, it is a new treatment, "the white treatment." Just a few days spent in an all white cottage and I feel cleansed.


Nothing like white to cleanse the palette, spirit and soul for a heavenly bit of rest and relaxation. Ready to go back to reality and face the infirmary at my place. I can already predict those of you that would want to book a "white treatment."

a reminder to breathe

We were both in a hurry and it was a bad connection.  Darn cell phone.  It was my mistake.  I had asked a reliable source for a nice spot to stay and she said "breathe in" and I thought she said "breeze inn" and that was that.  I booked a very different spot for what we thought would be a nice weekend get-away and instead it was not.  

We should have stayed at "here."

When you see the site, it is so inviting and so refreshing too.

If I were an inn keeper, I would have fresh flowers, fruit, the whitest towels and artfully inspired rooms with beautiful art and books.  I would provide spots to relax and healthy cuisine.  It would be just like this one.  I would illustrate my Inn like this one too.

Care to share, what do you do if you arrive and realize that the place is really not commensurate with the web-site.  Do you stay or do you go?    

I shall take this as a reminder to slow down and to breathe in.  Next time we will stay at the Breathe Inn.

Art Fair adventures

illustration of St. James Court in Old louisville, Fischer 1973

Black and white has always appealed to me for many reasons;  the quality of the line, the positive negative use of space and the simplicity that subjects are captured in a relatively quick and timeless fashion.  Attending art fairs has always appealed to me too.  As a teen, an annual pilgrimage to the "St. James" Art Fair, in Louisville, Kentucky where I would see a variety of hand crafted items from paintings, macrame, stained glass, beaded necklaces, and pottery. Could you tell it was the 70's.   A flood of memories of those days of how impressed I was with artists and their ability to express themselves in art.   I always knew that is why I wanted to become an artist.

I still love to attend art fairs and am in awe of the way that art fairs have their finger on the pulse of introducing new artists.  Artists are always seeking ways to be noticed and to more importantly sell their work.  An Art Fair is a wonderful venue for showing work and for meeting other artists.  Do you attend Art Fairs?  Tell us what you saw and if you made any purchases.

North Fork Weekend

The Mr. and I are off for a weekend of fun and frolic (sans the children)  We are heading to the North Fork of Long Island, to Orient Point to attend a grown-up birthday party.    Much of the area was potato fields.  Now it is vineyards, beach, charm and yes a few potato fields still exist.

The views are wonderful, the smells are salty and the air is plenty.  We hope to have dinner one night at here.

Hope to take a walk here and to dip our toes in the water.

We are staying at at B & B, and most of them are quaint, like this idyllic spot.

Nothing showy, just simple.  Hope it looks like this

Porches, rockers and green grass.  Blue water.  Fresh fish, potatoes and hopefully not too much traffic on the North Fork.  Happy Weekend.