housemartin

white

I love this post about white over at uniform studio's journal. It is a collection of flickr photos featuring white (photo credits listed on that link). I find the simple combination of textures and light so pleasing. Very serene and contemplative...

wood tones

Some of my finds from antiquing last weekend (after working on 2 weddings mind you - can you say die-hard?). A lovely urn of turned wood, a wood ball (bocce?), a worn green velvet frame, and the piece de resistance - a set of corked lab vials in a box. This is all shown atop a wood pedestal I also found.

pale aqua

Lovely treat from 1st Dibs - these pale aqua wicker chairs from the Musee D'Orsay. We know it's not a bargain if the price isn't even listed right? Better to dream of them....

edible or unsavory?

I have been hoarding...like a chipmunk. Lots of goodies for the shop when it opens. But I'll give you a sneak peek...
You already know of my love for a good botanical...this is one of 12 mushroom botanicals I found last weekend. It is listed as being from the New York State Museum collection. Botanicals vary greatly depending on who illustrated them. These seem very stylized and almost cartoonlike - apparently they are from the late 1800's.

tagged

I am not so hip to the blogland lingo but apparently I have been "tagged" by the lovely printer & piemaker - so here are 8 random facts you don't know about me:

1.I love cats but am allergic to them so we don't have one. Instead we have named all the cats in our neighborhood and even drew a map of where they live...you know "Licky", "Bucky", "Little Bell", "Fradey Walnuts" - all the gang.

2. When I buy a fresh loaf of bread I always eat the piece in the middle first. I don't want to miss out on the best part.

3. I have been a vegetarian for 15 years.

4. Cherry-picking in Hood River makes me giddy like a schoolgirl - something about being out on the farm in the orchard is so refreshing.

5. Refreshing is one of my favorite words.

6. I dressed as Harry Potter for Halloween at my last job and we won the contest. ( I am sparing you the photo - believe me - there is a lightening bolt on my forehead).

7. Even though I have always been a good student, I really DID show up for a midterm exam in college (long ago) and did not know we were having one. I was the goofball next to you saying "ummm, excuse me, do you have a #2 pencil I could borrow?" (pencil lender's eyes roll here)

8. With all the time I spend blogging about good design...I am a sucker for white twinkly lights - no, they are not the height of home decor fashion but slap 'em on a tree and it turns into MAGIC. I didn't take my Holiday ones off the mantel until 2 months ago - eek!

I am tagging:

found object
knit squirrel
frolic!
lotushaus
laura crow
solid cherry
swallowfield
garden rooms

Let's hear some fun details about you folks!

(photos shown - me turning the camera on myself, cherry tree in Hood River, "Cheese" - one of the cats in our old neighborhood (this was not a nickname), one of my floral arrangements, vintage chairs in Hood River)

ink

I have always loved expressive calligraphy...not overly formal lettering but truly expressive lettering. This is a lovely find I got out east while antiquing last year. It reads April 18, 1878 on the back and is signed by Fred E. Harmon of New Haven, Ct. I wonder what the story was - don't you? Was it a love note to Amy M. Fowler? The scroll work on the bird is exquisite.

I remembered having it when reading this post on design*sponge about Betsy Dunlap - who does calligraphic hand lettering . Really wonderful work....

summer brights

Here are a few orders from Monday - all 3 are "thank you" orders. This one feels summery with the dahlias and echinacia pods (also shown are supergreen roses, fuchsia cockscomb, sage, vibernum berries, and unripe blackberries).

These are more subtle with Walzetraum garden roses, pale pink spray roses, sherbet orange cockscomb, sage, and berries.

waiting

Go ahead - pick a chair. You'll need it to wait in line...
We are all anxiously awaiting the opening of the new IKEA in Portland tomorrow July 25.

I have never been a fanatic about it but it will be nice to go and get a decently priced office chair - the dining chair in my office has lost its charm and the Herman Miller, while lovely, was beyond my small business start-up budget.
...and maybe a few orange ceramic garden pots
...and a few throw pillows
...and while I'm there...

I have been shopping for a Honda Element for my business - maybe I need to get it before then???

Here are some tips for a successful IKEA shopping experience:

1. Don't eat too many Swedish meatballs early in the trip - it will slow you down
2. Take deep breaths
3. Keep your elbows out at all times - fends off overly aggressive competition
4. Just like in Jazzercise - "pace yourselves ladies!"
5. 7-11 now serves an "energy slurpee"- keeps you strong - get 2 or 3 before you go
6. Be honest with yourself - are you good at reading instructions and assembling things yourself?
7. Bring only 1 credit card

Happy shopping Portlanders!

space

As of 2 weeks ago I officially signed a lease for my retail store ink & peat. While I still have a long path ahead of me to get the shop open, I feel encouraged by this progress! The space is part of a large renovation project at 3808 N. Williams in north Portland. Since it has around 20 spaces with a common hallway and 2 small gardens - it will have a nice community feel to it. It will also be a LEEDS green building which I like and I also like that it is a re-use project. My space will have cement floors, 20 foot bow-trussed ceilings, and skylights. A perfect start.
Currently, there are already tenants in phase 1 of the building which opened early this year - Yoga Shala, Akemi Salon, and a vegan restaurant soon to open called Nutshell (done by the owners of Tabla and Ten 01). There are a lot of other things in the works for other tenants in the new section as well. It is across the street from Pix Patisserie, 5th quadrant - part of New Old Lompoc Brewing, and Lark Press - lovely neighbors! It will hopefully deliver to me in January or February and then I will need 8 weeks to build it out. Nice to start setting down roots...and sometimes bulldozers can be a good thing.

(by the way dear readers - email me if you would like to be on the mailing list for when the shop opens - make a special note if you are local - we will have an opening party. We will have an online shop after the "brick and mortar" shop opens)

and here is phase 1 that is complete already...

gustavian

I have really been responding to some of the Gustavian inspired furniture I am seeing in the magazines lately. I love these interpretations where rustic fabrics like burlap or heavy linen/flax are used in combination with white canvas. I seemed to have misplaced the designer information for the first one seen in Domino magazine - anyone?

this one is from Country Home