Deck Chairs

Well it will be a week tomorrow since LV came down with Chicken pox. As we wait for the the inevitable..CLJ to get them, we are stuck indoors & our garden. So as boredom sets in, LV is finding it hard not to be with her friends and missing school. Even, with my grand ideas of art/making things, she still is beside herself....so here I am on this rather hot day, thinking about quite things, sitting & reading....in a deck chair. So many are around this time of year, but my favourite is the Thorn Back & Peel.
From top to bottom, Thorn Back & Peel, Art meets Matter both Penguin classic and Agatha Christie and Hen & Hammock

ps. listening to the birds singing! Also over the weekend, I popped to a car boot sale and will post my finds later!

Short but certainly sweet

Two books I am reading...

ps. listening to Chairlift

Loving the Sun

In the light of LV's chicken pox, we are house-bound. We are still making the most of the sun in our back garden. We have been sitting outside and trying to tidy our garden. In the meantime, I am thinking about ordering a picnic blanket (kissing rabbits) from anorak online, also I love the above shot of one of the robin designs in oilcloth tableware.

Clever Ms Daly

There are so many things that I think, oh I'd like to learn/try that...one being the fine art of upholstery. I remember the first time I set eyes on Aiveen Daly's exhibition/stall, a few years back. Aiveen's imaginative take on upholstery, dazzled me! I was impressed with the vibrant fabrics, the attention to detail and the fun design names, such as Miss Moneypenny to Empire State.

Loving Danish Design

With the amount of lovely Danish Design, I am thinking this could be a label in it's own right. Recently I found this lovely textile and paper designer Rie Elise Larsen. I don't know much about her, as her website is in Danish. In each category there is something that I love...oh to own a tea room and gift shop.

Featured above are quilts, wrapping paper and a hanging bird.

http://www.rieeliselarsen.dk/

Roses Part 1

Yesterday at Nymans Garden, West Sussex, I snapped away! The scent of these roses was most memorable.

After a lovely morning snapping photos and watching LV run after her friend Sid, when we returned home, I had a sneaky peak at Photographer Lisa Cohen's website. Here are some of my favourite images.

Where dreams are made

Dreams of floating through moonlit streets, over seas and other islands, and wearing candy coloured fluffy full length dresses - I remember being introduced to the work of artist Marc Chagall as a teenager. Today I am wondering what he would make of the fast growing world of illustration. As a teenager, I loved the distant places that Chagall took me to. His paintings allowed the mystery of love to be alive and I was fascinated by the haunting depth of the colour blue. Then imagine my joy at finding illustrator Lisa Evans. One of her characters, Brigg, reminded me of my days growing up in inner-city London and looking out on the world from my mum's first floor flat. I love her....! Seriously, I feel like her work is the stuff that dreams are made of. Find out more about Lisa at http://firefluff.blogspot.com/

ps. currently listening to Leona Naess, Thirteens...very Sunday morning!!!

Another Garden Thought

The idea of digging down is very appealing to me at the moment. In interior design book Downtown Chic, I loved the idea of digging down a trampoline area. Imagine the fun and peace of mind as the little ones bounce away. As for the adult outdoor living space...I am loving this dug out seating area design found on http://www.insidethegreenroom.co.uk/

Dedicated to Design

During this summery season I keep thinking about outdoor living spaces. From deck chairs to summerhouses, to setting the ultimate garden table. I love the idea of a collection of vintage jugs, with cuttings of flowers from our garden, on a mixture of printed table cloths. Today I found such inspiration on a favourite website, http://www.marston-and-langinger.com/UK/ This company is truly dedicated to design and craftsmanship. As I browsed the garden furniture and decoration, I spotted this jug....I loved the texture and I can't help but think forget flowers, this jug is crying out for homemade lemonade or pimms!

Yesterday

Once again, the sun is out! For like five/six days in a row the sun has been shining, delighting most and making things bright and cheery. Yesterday, was no different, fed the girls, cleaned, did laundry, played with the girls, visited a friend and both our daughters played outside. We could hear faint conversations between the four years old of adventure, bears and a dead father bear! But towards the end of the day, my soul was heavy, LV wasn't listening at dinner time, the back and forth of this mealtime took a painful two hours....I felt frustrated. So why this post? Well, for the best of times, I am happy, upbeat, determined, creative, hopeful, open and honest. But sometimes, the need within is never voiced....it remains hidden, a nagging, a little indulgent, there some days more than others. Outside of being a mum, wife, a member in an extended family and friend, is the longing to be loved. It is so human, yet the cue is often missed. In England we rarely gush about love, or give it away unconditional. So friends as I ponder this one, I hope that I will pick up on the cues, to gently whisper, that you are loved.

ps. the softest and innocence of this image, is for me creative and honest. Found on http://designismine.blogspot.com/