Pink, French & Mother

I love this settee and chair combo provided by ABC Carpets. I think about lounging and eating chocolates wearing marabou slippers and a peignoir. My mom is one of the only people I personally know who would look simply smashing in such attire, with chocolates en repose here. Do you know anyone who belongs on this furniture?

People sometimes look like their furniture in as much as they look like their pets,no?

Michelle O'Bama in Narciso: a good combo for a new perspective

Narciso Rodriguez

Even though I searched high and low for the lines of that lovely black and red Narciso Rodriguez dress worn by Michelle the night Barack Obama was elected the President of the United States, I could not tell what she was really wearing. The fact is, even my HD flat screen could not bring it into full focus.The shape was obscured and the red panels oddly ran into the black. At first I groused a bit and thought that Michelle had done a disservice to the dress. Then, as I thought about it (and read about it), I came to a new conclusion.

How nice that she chose (or had help choosing)something that she wanted to wear AND threw on a black cardigan just in case she got chilly. Who cares if I could not see the lines that makes Narciso famous? After all, a new change has arrived that no Fashion Week can possibly match.

House Arrest

House Arrest. This is what it is called when a baby wants to come too early and you have to lay around helping him stay put a little longer. As I have to avoid too many stairs, I now get to ponder my space from some very new angles, from my living room sofa. I've never spent so much time in here frankly. When I first moved in here, I was unsure of the living room, finding it a bit stark and too open and bright. I skittered by it going down to the family room or up to the bedrooms or over to the kitchen. I rounded through the living room only because I had to. It has come a long way but has further to go in the energetic sense of things. Certainly my presence will co-mingle with the vibes in the space and eventually I will make some changes that resonate more specifically with how I want my family to live in it. Work in progress.

A Poem: It says what I'm thinkin'

Maternity Labor Gowns, Right On

Now that I am going to have a baby, I am deeply interested in all things birthing. We are off to HypnoBirthing class soon and my Doula is on the ready with us. You can only imagine my pleasure at finding the perfect outfit for giving birth. Check out Bring Your Own Gown as they provide the hippest and most adorable gowns for that big day. They even have 'Push Socks' that say 'Hip Mama' on the bottom. Now that's more like it! Just a tip, Gwen Stefani recently had her second baby, Zuma. She bought the black and white zebra print gown. I hope it made her feel just a wee bit special.

Humans & Space Observed

So we headed out to Jones Beach in NY this weekend. For the second year in a row, I noted that people sometimes prefer to set up their beach chairs on the edge of the parking lot, facing the lot. That's right, they come to the beach and sit on the edge of the lot which is a good walking and sight distance from the ocean. I find this informatively strange.

I wonder if the way we live in our homes is a bit like this phenomenon. Do we live among things and others that bring us as close to the lovely and divine as we can possibly stand to be at the moment? I suspect this is true. I for one, ache to be in the lap of love and comfort. Perhaps there have been times when I sat somewhere in a chair nearby, not sure if I was ready to allow as much beauty and support as I could muster.

How about you?

Old is New: shabby chic noted

I have always liked the vibration of old things- the lives that have touched them seem to have been imprinted in some perceptible, if un-named way. My family has always traded in that which was pre-owned. Just our way, I guess. It was my delight to see the genre that emerged as Shabby Chic, when this was how my graduate school day's bungalow was furnished many years prior to the official name. I was in East Hampton this summer and got a chuckle to see a Shabby Chic boutique on the main drag of such a refined and upscale venue. I'd never pay those prices...


The painting here is titled 'Blue and Cream' done in the Shabby Chic style by Susan Brown

Soap Love

I love me some soap. That is just the truth. My friends know that I am very considerate when it comes to my budget, but somehow I can spend the ducks on a bar of soap. Case in point, I have been hankering for a bar of soap from a french antiques shop in my parent's hometown that I keep forgetting to ask my mother to mail to me. My love affair with soap started when I was very small and realized that my grandmother's bathroom and, in deed, many older bathrooms had the nicest scent of clean, fresh soap used over years. Then, while in my twenties in Athens,GA, I stumbled upon homemade herbal soaps from local vendors. Sweet, herby, fresh and clean. I was then lead to international soaps always prefering creamy bars to glycerines. I could go on so I won't.

Check out Trunkt.org which is a directory of creative entrepreneurs. The photo of soap here is provided by Micky Byrd and can be purchased there.

Fertility Celebration

This has been the year for flower fecundity at our home. Our orchid, which only had two lovely blossoms last year, graced us with seven. Our violet, full of lush, iridescent leaves that usually sends up five or six flowers a couple times each year sent a whopping thirty two! And our miniature orange tree that sent a delicious four oranges our way last year, is ripening about seventeen as I write this! We suppose that they are celebrating with us as we anticipate the arrival of our baby boy in December. All of nature is joyously partying right along with us!

To see more lovely prints like the one here, go to The Shiny Squirrel. This one is entitled Spring Cloud by Betsy Walton.

Put a Little Heart Behind Everything

Oh, if only my mouth were on my heart and not on my head! I am clearly at my best when my heart is in charge. My head makes things overly complex every time. I love this image from Irana Douer titled Angel. You can see this and others at Thumbtack Press. Tons of great artists and prints from which to choose.

Organicity: Stop Tryin' so Hard

I was reminded today to be less planful, not more. Just let things unfold. Truthfully, the best things in life seem to simply happen. You find this perspective in some of the great teachings, but somehow in our push-pull world this message gets lost.

I love Rebecca Wood pottery for this reason. It just does not try too hard.

Something Elegant in the Midst of Change

Very recently a sweet friend of mine moved from one city in Georgia to another. She and her husband have two children under the age of five. What an undertaking, to say the least. I wondered how I could best support her during a serious transition so full of dust, boxes and emotion. So, I sent her a Boden clutch from the UK in a print that reminded me of her. I imagined her immediately tucking a few things in it and taking it out the door to dinner to say good bye to friends and feeling just a tiny bit special.

What can you do to lift your burden or that of another just a wee tiny bit?

When Hard Stuff is the Right Stuff

I am reminded by yet another jaunt into America's heartland that doing the right thing, even when it is difficult can immediately clear up a congested circumstance for the better. In this case, it had to do with work. But I am aware that this thought applies to the deeply personal too.

Deciding to take responsibility for a less than lovely aspect of self in order to build healthy relationships and allow for the good to grow is not easy. It does have rewards though. In all cases it restores hope and opens a path to something new and possibly very rewarding.

Of course I'd be remiss if I did not emphasize the importance of providing yourself with a lot of love and kindness in the process. In the heartland case, for example, I engineered the difficult day to include plenty of rest and creature comfort which included a beautiful hotel location downtown right by a bricked-in historic area beside a glorious fountain that attracted lots of children who petted the horses waiting to give carriage rides.

Joan Jett Rocked

We were sweating. The breeze finally kicked in and cooled us as we settled into our seats at the Fairfax Celebration concert that featured Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. Ok, I was curious at best and not expecting anything killer. Well, unbelievably out bounded what appeared to be a raven haired teenager (at least from my view in the crowd) wearing a string bikini top, tight jeans and a Fender Stratocaster. And boy, did she ever ROCK. My husband and I glanced at each other with the same thought.

So, the moral of the story: do what you love, love what you do or some semblance of it. Because it shows. It really shows.

Teach your Children Well

It came to me today that on at least two occasions in my early life, teachers misdirected me. In fact, I was simply smarter (twice, any way). In one case I was in the 10th grade and I referred to cultural factors on a social studies paper as 'disparate' which prompted a red ink mockery saying "This is not a word". I took it at face value and rarely wrote the word again fearing my misunderstanding. Only decades later did I reclaim my original knowledge.

In another instance, a college professor told me that I had made up a condition called Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Tell that to the children who were born with the disease. At least by that point I was old enough to say 'no, I didn't' and to feel surprise at the remark.

So, along with our interest for our children to be respectful and agreeable with their education, weave in a bit of reasonable doubt sprinkled with confidence that teachers are learners too.

Pots, Blooms & BBQ

Oh the joy of Spring. Today we visited a large nursery nearby. It was brimming with families who were combing the garden for all manner of pots, gardening tools and plants. It's great to see people pulling red-wagons around as they fill them with their finds. Kids get a great introduction to interacting with nature and parents get much needed stress relief by considering the blossoms so delicate and colorful. The place smelled heavenly to boot. We chuckled to see that a BBQ wagon was on their premises and people queued up to order brisket sandwiches and hot dogs.

Make sure you get some time to participate in a rite or two of Spring, a time of year of youthful renewal and play.

And if you get to Virginia, visit Merrifield Garden Center for all your gardening needs.

Lagom

I just learned a new word for balance: Lagom. This is the Swedish term for 'not too much, not too little: just right'. I like it and I think home design falls well into the spirit of this word. I love it when I walk into a space that has a sense of lagom, that is, a sense that the right balance of color, texture, shape and emotion are all working together.

Hotel Room Relief

On a recent trip to our heartland I had to do a difficult task. I was pleasantly surprised that the hotel at which I was staying provided a 'just right' feel such that I felt at the end of each day I was safely and peacefully tucked in for the night. I don't experience this often at hotels, so I looked around to see what made it so.

In this case the surroundings were contemporary and the layout was a small living room suite and a platform bed area separated by a faux Japanese screen built into the dividing wall. The bathroom area had plenty of black granite looking counter space with a bevelled mirror hanging above. The cozy bed was well done with a feather comforter and neutral high quality duvet. Somehow the arrangement of the space along with its interiors struck a cord of comfort. Sometimes even ultra lux, expensive places do not do this.

Intentional Travel

I was reminded by a friend yesterday of a trip we took to Paris to celebrate my birthday one year. It was not one of those classic hallmark birthdays, rather, it was an intentional marker that I determined would be the start to many new things to come. During the Paris visit I took in every detail with an understanding of why I had travelled and what the event signified. We had a great time.

And, yes, so many new things have since unfolded much to my pleasure and surprise. Where would you like to go to kick off another chapter in your life?

Townie Vibe

I had suspected it all along and now that I live in a large suburban neighborhood in a metro mecca, I am convinced of it. I am a Townie at heart. If you are reading this and are a Townie too you are someone who loves hanging about in roughly five miles of real estate, not too much farther out from that. You gad about among stores, restaurants and parks all within either a short drive, or, sigh, a short walk. And everyone knows you or at least of you. Sigh again.

There is an art to being a Townie in the 'burbs. It involves searching out worthy local businesses and frequenting them as well as carving out habits in the nearest places to get to nature and relax. Establishing visits to the local Farmer's Market is another cornerstone in the Townie habit.

Are you a displaced geographical sort seeking to find home in a new way too?

Ask for What You Need

Lesson learned. For the one thousandth time in my life. When a clear and peaceful voice inside tells you not once, not twice, but three times for you to do something: Do it. There I was at the start of a much needed massage when I heard the voice say "ask her if she does any energy work". I finally gently asked her if she did so and she, with a little surprise in her voice, said, "well, yes, I do". So, I received a terrific hour of great body care and got the balancing energy work for which I was so starved. We also had a very brief and reorienting dialogue about personal and universal themes.

When was the last time that voice inside of you gave you just what you needed?


Thank you Jill.
photos taken at Keystone Lodge&Resort in Summit County, Colorado

In the Spirit of Things

Like so many at this time I am reading Eckhart Tolle's book a New Earth. In fact he and Oprah are conducting a 10 week class based on its premise through a series of Webcasts. One quote of many that I find to cross reference well with my content in this blog is that "in most ancient cultures, people believed that everything, even so-called inanimate objects, had an indwelling spirit, and in this respect they were closer to the truth than we are today".

I am reminded that our objects of daily living reflect us and the way we use them can support us. Just another layer of mindfulness to consider.

Casserole Love

What do you do when a neighbor has a baby or breaks her leg? Well, in the first case, I made blueberry scones and a fruit bowl and in the other, a chicken casserole that my mother used to make on Sundays. Food truly conveys messages of support and comfort unlike anything else in times like these. What's funny is that it is an automatic response for me that seems triggered from deep within my genetic heritage.

In the case of the scones, the blueberries were colorful and fresh and the casserole was provided in a sunny yellow, ruffled baking dish. Check out fantastic cookware at Chef's Resource.

Can you remember a food item that was given to you during a an important life event that gave you that ounce of love that let you know that everything was OK?

I Like Paintings and I Like 'Em Big

The Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington D.C. has a terrific exhibit of what is described as Color Field paintings produced primarily between 1950 and 1975 by American painters on both coasts. These are paintings by Rothko, Motherwell and others which are large in size with healthy saturation of a few colors. I have always loved large paintings, especially if they are abstract. This style of painting provides me with a sense of freedom and vastness that has always appealed to me. I noticed in a couple of paintings that the color almost undulates as it interacts with my rods and cones. Now, how often can you say that?

Miles Redd: King of the Jam Cram

photo taken at ABC Carpets and Home in NYC

I am one of those sorts who can feel cradled by layers of fabric, textile complexity, furnishings and images in small spaces. My creativity simply titters and sparkles with delight when confronted with visual stimulation to the max. Now, I don't want to live like this in my own home for fear that my nervous system might revolt.

But if you want to see what can be done with an enormous amount of decor in a small space check out Miles Redd.

"More Please, Sir"

There is a painful scene in Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens when Oliver, in the orphanage, holds his empty soup bowl out and asks for a refill. Oliver asks for what he wants and gets snarled at by a toothless keeper. That is the problem. He asked for something from someone who was unlikely to deliver.

While I have had more than my share of moments of lack, I continue to be impressed by the fecundity of that which seems to arrive when I spend dedicated time pondering what I want and imagining how I'll feel when I have it in my life.

What have you wanted in your life that has been made manifest?

So Much Livin' in the Kitchen

I love this image of a kitchen. I think about cheese, olives, crusty bread and olive oil when I look at this space. I love funky, old spaces assembled gently in such a way as to become elevated to elegance. This image also makes me want to have a cup of coffee in a teacup and then truck right on off to the Marais in Paris for some flea market joy.

How does your kitchen speak to you?

Check out This is Glamorous, a gorgeous blog on all that is simply fabulous @ http://citified.blogspot.com

Small stuff: Big impact

Great chairs that are also bent objects

I told my husband recently about one summer I spent making farm animals out of notebook paper. Actually I think I made a barn and fencing for the whole lot. I can remember vividly that the paper twisting came out of sheer, unstructured summer boredom while visiting a family member. I also remember that within minutes I became fascinated with the whole endeavor and transported to another world full of tiny, white paper animals.

So, don't dismiss the mundane and tiny of life. Whole worlds can open up with the most rudimentary of objects and materials. If you don't believe me, check out the artist whose blog is entitled Bent Objects at http://bentobjects.blogspot.com. This guy has cornered the market and whoa, what an impact.

Lending and Traveling

It is a good thing to have friends in the know and on the scope out for good stuff. That is to say, good stuff that is loaded with good living.

First up, Kiva.org is only one of a number of micro-loan organizations that let you play the lender to businesses of your choice. The word on the street is that people get hooked on giving in this manner because it is rewarding to support others who are working to express themselves in the world through business. As my friend recently pointed out, your money could grow if invested in your own IRA or mutual fund but the growth of positive humanity far outweighs the personal financial growth of money in the bank. Whole families get involved as a way to serve one another at the grassroots all around the world.

And if you decide to go meet some of the folks your monies supported to grow their businesses, be sure to check out www.tombinh.com. Tom Binh in Seattle makes gear that is current to modern travel needs. Check out the site for laptop bags, shoulder bags, carry-ons and more. The bags are made in Seattle too. A friend of mine has purchased a Bihn bag and is taking it for a spin in Japan very soon. He reports that it has good design appeal and is well constructed.

Keep in mind that any intention to support the way we live put into action creates a literal chain reaction of that which is only Good.

Other People's Stuff

Ever noticed that we love to rummage through other people's stuff? There is an entire sub-culture dedicated to flea markets, swap meets, yard sales and consignments. Some families, like my own, have family members who would never show up to a family get together without the ubiquitous bag of items with the preface "I can't or don't want to wear these anymore, so you can have it". There are all kinds of reasons humans exchange stuff. Some of the newest and hippest designers take pleasure in re-fashioning found items or reconstructing used clothing.

Whatever the reason or the intent, it is simply good for us and good for the planet to get in the habit of 'moving it on' and sharing things we don't want with others.

March Winds: A breath of fresh air

The wind is blowing wildly today. Over the years, I have learned that while they blow our energy systems get a handy tousle, not unlike vigorously fluffing a pillow to arrange the contents for perfect comfort. For some the winds can be a bit disturbing or a little disorienting. All the same, when the winds settle, so does the energy. The air usually smells and feels fresh and sometimes, if we pay attention, we have new awarenesses or alternative perspectives on life themes. Gotta love how Mother Nature lends a helping hand.

End of Winter Change-o-Scenery

photo courtesy of Linda K. Long, caspari, inc. in Charlottesville, Virginia

Every year my family meets in Charlottesville, Virginia for a weekend visit that combines meals full of conversation and merriment and a chance to shop around this special town that is home to the University of Virginia. My Dad takes advantage of the bounty of used book stores, my sister and her fiancee cozied up in a local bar for an afternoon brew and my husband drifted into a coffee house for what he called the best cup of coffee ever. My Mom and I took advantage of end of season prices on haute boutique wear. Indeed, Mom scored a Parisian wool coat for a fraction of its original price at Chloe.

My family stumbled onto this gem of a meeting place due to proximity but what we have found is a way to be together and enjoy a change of scenery without too much effort or expense.

Sometimes Silly is Best

I need to carry some type of 'forget-me-not'. I need something to remind me to be way less serious. So much happens that constantly pulls us into the gravity of living and before you know it: grouchy, burdened and overwhelmed become states of being for hours if not days on end. How unpleasant and such a waste if unending,no?

Even the Radio DJ Talks about It

photo courtesy of Kosmos Designs&Ideas in Alexandria, VA

On the way to work today I was struck by the conversation that ensued on the Jack Diamond Morning Show. Jack talked about the importance of avoiding clutter in your home and office. He described how clutter can simply "make you feel bad, irritated and frustrated" which you are likely to carry into your day without being aware of the cause. His cronies chimed in with their own examples of how lack of organization and clutter impacts their lives and how they remedy the situation.

What is this world coming to? Harmony, apparently.

Love is in the Air

Objects as Touchstones

In the book You've Got to Read This Book by Jack Canfield and Gay Hendricks, noted daily syndicated talk show host John St. Augustine mentions the fact that his father had an extensive library in the front hallway of their home when he was growing up. He described that on his way out the door each work day, his father stopped at the library and chose a book for the day to take out into the world with him.

It struck me that this was an excellent example of someone who understood on some level that objects, like a book, can be used on a daily basis as a touchstone of sorts to remind us of who we are and what we intend as we step out of our homes.

My touchstones shift on a regular basis, I've noticed. What are yours?

House Cleaning: Not just for the tidy or obsessed

Every Saturday morning my husband and I can be found doing household cleaning. Much to my pleasure, I met a partner who appreciates that feeling good through the work week is in part due to the comfort our cared-for home provides on a daily basis.

What he may not know is that in the act of cleaning, the energy of the space is balanced and reset from week to week which assists the home to provide a supportive container and launching pad for all our endeavors in the coming week.

Does this idea make you shift your opinion of cleaning house?

If It Offends Thee, Move It

My right shoulder routinely banged into a crinkly sounding bag full of my beloved's belts hanging in our closet. The bag hung right at ear level so I got full richocheting aural impact right off the door. It took a while to identify the irritant and make a change which now, if brushed against at all, only gives a slight whoosh with no pitch whatsoever. Problem solved.

Moral of the story: Life's comforts really are found in the small stuff. If something is in the way, say a piece of decor or furniture, move it.

On a Stool in a Pea Patch

To this day I am a person who likes to get immersed in my surroundings, somewhat lost in space and time while involved in activities. The same little girl who sat in the pea patch efficiently picking peas in Dry Fork, admiring the morning glories with dew on their delicate and colorful leaves, is the same woman who loves a business day totally immersed in the moment while working at meaningful endeavors.

What can you remember about yourself as a child that still comes shining through about you in your adult life?

Jewelry by Gina Tackett

(photos courtesy of Gina Tackett taken by dogfaceboy)

I had a chance a couple years ago to hang out in Baltimore and soak up the rampant art scene in that locale. The quality and accessibility of fine artists abound in this rough-funky burg. One of the artists I met was jewelry designer Gina Tackett. Take a look at her work below.

In her own words: "I guess I am a sculptural jeweler---sticks and stones are my latest passion. I have some photos on flickr.com under dogfaceboy. She is my photographer, and you can see some of my current work there. I work in Sterling Silver, Gold and unusual alloys of palladium and platinum."



Gina Tackett can be reached by e-mail at ginatackett@gmail.com or phone 410-235-7784

Grace Puts Shoes in the Oven

photo courtesy of ABC Carpets & Home


Domino magazine this month has an ad of a lovely woman named 'Grace' who loves shopping so much that she turned her tiny kitchen into a closet, thus removing the ability to do any cooking. After all, Grace loves fashion more than food. I suppose, since as she says she lives in a large city, she can always get takeout. So she won't starve.

This ad reminded me that the lovely Grace, while being extremely beautiful and well-heeled will be missing one of life's pleasures. Tuning in to your and your family's need for sustenance and nutrition and the art of cooking coupled with the deliciousness of eating and sharing food are fundamentals of life. Not to wax too wacky on the subject, it just struck me as supporting the usual life imbalance that we all can experience.

Object Conversation

Object conversation is the concept that we put objects in relationship to one another and they 'talk' to each other and to us. That is, They are in some sort of relationship that provides a context or a story within their space about which we consciously or unconsciously have some level of awareness. Some people create object conversation purposefully, others are more organic and it simply occurs.

Take a look around your house. What are the objects saying?

From One Home to the Next

A living room in a Paris apartment


In a recent conversation with my mother-in-law I was able to hear about the joy and recognition of the important life change that comes when it is time to select a new home for a new life stage. In her case, she and her husband are selling the neighborhood family homestead and opting for a chic condo overlooking trees and water. This move gives them ample fodder for choosing what goes and what stays as well as what is newly desired or needed. This method of paying homage to an ever changing life is invigorating and challenging.

Even though the actions it takes to make these life changes seems almost perfunctory and matter of fact, it may be important to perceive a bit of the sacred in such a change time.

What's the Focal Point?

Spaces in our homes often center or focus around design themes of some sort. Sometimes the focus is accidental and sometimes over-engineered. But when it is 'just right', the focal point is a referencing agent that centers the senses and stimulates internal responses that make people feel 'at home'.

The same thing goes for our lives. What is your focal point?

Spatial Relationships

This month's Washington Woman Magazine kindly published one of my articles that focuses on how we use home design to demonstrate our accomplishments in life, among other aspects to living well in the home. Check it out at www.WashingtonWoman.com

Here is an exerpt:

Increasingly the American public is tuning into the ways we can harness our homes to support and improve the way in which we feel and live. Over the last twenty years methodologies for architecture, interior design, redo and organizing have aggressively expanded to incorporate Green applications, Feng-Shui and a myriad of other perspectives. The psychological component of living in space has been a part of home design from the beginning. But these days it is taking on a more significant role as people search for ways to care for themselves and their families. These methods are more human spirit centered and less reliant on products or prescriptions.