Home and House: September 2011

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

children's rooms

: : while I'm on the topic of kid's rooms, here is more inspiration from .bolaget.

In Praise of Vitex

Above- a monarch feeds on vitex (chasteberry) nectar...

Vitex has proven itself once again as a phenomenal survivor; this year in extreme drought. DespIte relentless Texas summer heat and almost no rain, we still had two rounds of blooms and berries from our trees, which are only 3-4 years old. This tree, which grows to mature at about the same size and shape as a crape myrtle, is also known as "Texas lilac" because of its fragrant purple blooms in mid-late June (and again in late September!). Its fruit - tiny gray berries not much larger than a pin head - are one of the most common ingredients in teas and tinctures prepared to help in the balancing of women's hormones.

We have 7 of these trees - also fantastic as natural attractions for both bees and butterflies - planted here at the Homestead, and I predict more will follow!
Mary at Forgotten Works
guardnplanet.blogspot.com

Rustic Wine Holders from reclaimed Texas materials

Perfect for the loft. Perfect for the ranch... Where ever your homestead may be...

These stacking wine cubes hold 9 bottles each and are topped with repurposed woods, each beautifully sealed to celebrate its natural color and graining. They are sturdy enough to serve as stools on the floor, and pretty enough to serve cheese on the bar top. Stack three high for a unique and versatile storage display. Email maryphillips8888@sbcglobal.net for more information and pricing:)
Mary at Forgotten Works
guardnplanet.blogspot.com

märta's room

: : Today is this little lady's birthday. During our Sweden vacation, we visited her colorful room and Pippi Longstocking and all her friends came with us to Spain.

castle home decorative

Since I'm single in the city, I don't usually post about kids or anything related to them. These photos from Vogue Enfants, a supplement to French Vogue, are so cute though that I couldn't resist. I always love the look of European children's clothing. It's so classic and well made. They look a lot chicer than most of the people I see on the street in New York. That little dachshund is pretty adorable too! Bon Weekend!

It's a good thing that Sofia Coppola decided to get married in Italy this weekend and not anywhere along the East Coast. She married Phoenix frontman Thomas Mars in the garden of her family's villa in Bernalda, Italy, the town where her grandparents were born. Her lovely lavender dress was made by her fashion designer friend Azzedine Alaïa. Due to his feud with Anna Wintour, this is one wedding that probably won't be making the pages of Vogue. Best wishes to the happy couple!

Sofia Coppola and Azzedine Alaïa

de Kooning: A Retrospective decorative

If you live in New York, I suggest you don't look at the weather forecast for this week. All the rain has me wishing that de Kooning: A Retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art was open now. It would be a perfect rainy day activity but unfortunately it doesn't open until Saturday, September 18, 2011. As I've mentioned many times before, I love abstract expressionism but I know not everyone feels the same. I hope this exhibition that features over seven decades of the artist's work will open their eyes to the beauty that can be found in non-representational art. Although, de Kooning was known to include figures of women in some of his works, they aren't exactly known to be beauties. It's in these works that you can see his influence on contemporary artists such as Cecily Brown. "This is the first major museum exhibition devoted to the full scope of the career of Willem de Kooning, widely considered to be among the most important and prolific artists of the 20th century." It will run through January 9, 2012.