VT (for all of my design-obsessed peeps)

(VISUAL TREATS) For All of My Design-Obsessed Peeps: VISIONS OF BEAUTY (INSPIRED BY FALL) / DAY 3 -- PI... : plateimagecourtesyhellotradecom Peeps, Sometimes, not being decisive, costs one much more than money. I had always wanted a Piero...

imagecourtesyelizathlockecom Peeps, I wish you all a wonderful Thursday.  This weekend I will be away from the blogging station, and visiting friends and family in Williamsburg (VA), Charlotte (NC), and Savannah (GA).  Upon my return, I will be sure to update you on my travels through this charming part of the country, as well as to continue sharing visions of beauty (inspired by fall).  Sincerely, Shane

plateimagecourtesyhellotradecom Peeps, Sometimes, not being decisive, costs one much more than money.  I had always wanted a Piero Fornasetti plate, and discovering a collection of six at one of my favorite antique shops (The Scarlet Fox in Old Towne, Alexandria) should have been a celebration in itself.   Sadly, when faced with the object(s) of my long-held desire, I hem'd and haw'd; they were reasonably priced, I could afford to get them there and then, space was not an issue since they could be creatively hung anywhere.  Yet I did not act, but instead promised to come back the following week.  Of course, they were gone by then; snapped up by some decisive design-addict or smart decorator who realized that a bird (or plate) in hand, is worth much more than thumbing through auction catalogues, or trolling the wasteland known as Ebay/Fleabay.   Truth be told, I have seen the Fornasetti plates offered on Ebay, however I prefer to purchase an object which I can clear

(VISUAL TREATS) For All of My Design-Obsessed Peeps: VISIONS OF BEAUTY (INSPIRED BY FALL) / Day 2 -- BE... : bethwebbinterior photocourtesybethwebb Peeps, In the weeks preceding Thanksgiving dinner, and the numerous gatherings for Christmas ...

bethwebbinterior photocourtesybethwebb Peeps, In the weeks preceding Thanksgiving dinner, and the numerous gatherings for Christmas and New Year's Day, I wanted to remind fellow peeps of the need to plan logically and logistically for holiday entertaining.  Why, you may ask?  And the answer is a need for sophisticated civility, as well as a celebration of time's passage through ceremony and circumstance (if not pomp and circumstance).   For last month's dinner party could well have been avoided by me; to be greeted by a flustered co-host at the front door who quickly ushered us into the kitchen where the lady of the house was running between checking the temperature of racks of lamb in the oven, slicing veges for the starter salad, and stirring a saucepan of mango-and-fig chutney did not make for good entertainment.  Neither did wrestling with a wine-cork key, searching for red-wine glasses through numerous cabinets, and avoiding Snoopy and Buttons' food bowls w

(VISUAL TREATS) For All of My Design-Obsessed Peeps: Reinventing Beauty, Chapter 2 / Day 2 -- Myth + Sc... : photocourtesyjjjjound.blog Peeps, Growing up, I remember the myths that surrounded the Easter Island statues. They seemed quite mena...

(VISUAL TREATS) For All of My Design-Obsessed Peeps: Reinventing Beauty, Chapter 2 / Day 4 -- At First... : imagecourtesyjjjjoundblog Peeps, At first sight, it seems that this school of young monks are all queued for a shopping spree at Za...

(VISUAL TREATS) For All of My Design-Obsessed Peeps: Reinventing Beauty, Chapter 2 / Day 5 -- Dancing W... : photographersarahmoon courtesyboxandline.us Peeps, A sense of unease seems to be present tonight (Thursday). The expected showers t...

(VISUAL TREATS) For All of My Design-Obsessed Peeps: VISIONS OF BEAUTY (INSPIRED BY FALL) / DAY 1 -- JO... : photocourtesytalkingmakeupcom Peeps, Its the beginning of the work week and some may groan, while others continue their search for emp...

photocourtesytalkingmakeupcom Peeps, Its the beginning of the work week and some may groan, while others continue their search for employment.  In the Washington D.C. metropolitan area, we are somewhat buffered from the rising job crisis faced by the remainder of the country, because of the federal government which is located here, as well as numerous associations, lobbying groups, defense and military contractors, hi-tech firms, and tourism.  Yet, we remain acutely aware of what is happening beyond the beltway.  President Obama's Job plan has been rebuffed by many who will not, and cannot, accept any increased taxation on the rich--and I wonder why!!  The shenanigans on the Hill, Europe's debt crisis and the Euro dollar's questionable viability, as well as the global market's decreased demand for our goods and services, should have made passing the job bill something of a no-brainer.  Yet, fat and fatter cats on the Hill still plan to spend the time between now a

photographersarahmoon courtesyboxandline.us Peeps, A sense of unease seems to be present tonight (Thursday).  The expected showers that were predicted for yesterday and today seem to have moved slightly north-east and north-west; if heavy clouds hang overhead they cannot be seen in the ink-black sky.  Earlier this evening I was compelled to run the hose to the base of a droopy viburnum which showed signs of duress after I had been negligent in my gardening duties.  Should we have lots of rain this weekend, I know that everything will beam again with renewed vigor.  It is sometimes easy to forget that many plants, shrubs, trees and fall bulbs still continue through their life cycle and watering must still be part of the gardening schedule.  It is so annoying to visit the garden center in mid September when one sees only huge stacks of pumpkins, bales of hay, over-fertilized mums, and sun-burnt flats of pansies; if history repeats itself, this meagre selection will be replaced in

imagecourtesyjjjjoundblog Peeps, At first sight, it seems that this school of young monks are all queued for a shopping spree at Zara.  Seemingly contradictory for those who purport to eschew all things of this world.  Still, let's not jump to easy judgement or faulty conclusion. His Holiness, the Dalai Lama states that, "  According to Buddhist psychology, most of our troubles are due to our passionate desire for and attachment to things that we misapprehend as enduring entities. The pursuit of the objects of our desire and attachment involves the use of aggression and competitiveness as supposedly efficacious instruments. These mental processes easily translate into actions, breeding belligerence as an obvious effect. Such processes have been going on in the human mind since time immemorial, but their execution has become more effective under modern conditions. What can we do to control and regulate these 'poisons' - delusion, greed, and aggression? For i

(VISUAL TREATS) For All of My Design-Obsessed Peeps: Reinventing Beauty, Chapter 2 / Day 3 -- Out of t... : moviestillarmyofshadows courtesyofreverseshot.com Peeps, To the dismay of (some) fundamentalists, bigots and hypocrites, the mighty a...

moviestillarmyofshadows courtesyofreverseshot.com Peeps, To the dismay of (some) fundamentalists, bigots and hypocrites, the mighty and powerful right-wing faction of the Republican party, and a collective group of traditionalists who fear that things are not they way they have been since the beginning of time (or this country as they imagine it to be, or should be), Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT) was repealed effective this morning at 12:01 am.  ONN internet boards and chat rooms have been abuzz with postings which range from the absurd to ludicrous, such as, 'what will happen on the battlefield if men decline arm-to-arm blood transfusions once they realize that the donor is a homosexual and probably a carrier of the AIDS virus,' to 'I don't want to see guys swapping spit in the shower,' and, 'what if I get propositioned while we are in the foxhole together?'  Statements like these reflect the ignorance, bigotry, and prejudice that created a ho

photocourtesyjjjjound.blog Peeps, Growing up, I remember the myths that surrounded the Easter Island statues.  They seemed quite menacing and almost grotesque to my sheltered sensibilities.  The figures were 14-33 feet tall, and weighed about 80 tons each.  Stories varied from their placement being the work of aliens or giants and so forth.  No one at that time, meaning the early 1970's, was able to satisfactorily explain how the figures could have been placed in their upright positions without the use of winches, cables, or cranes.  Everyone was mystified, and remained so for quite some time.  Much later, perhaps in the last decade of the last century, radiocarbon dating of the island's geological strata(s) revealed that the now barren island was once heavily forested; all evidence suggests that palm trees were cut and used to make rollers (rolling logs to transport the figures over long distances), and leaves of hauhau trees were harvested in the making of hemp rope wh

photocourtesyofjjjjoundblog Peeps, First of all I would like to thank all of my (old-school) peeps and FB peeps who were kind enough to send Happy Birthday greetings.  I am deeply touched by your kindness, and will share the love with my twin brother Kurt who also loves chocolate birthday-cake and rum-raisin ice-cream.  Mr. Sports had a small push-cart from which he sold home-made, hand-churned ice-cream.  I can't remember if he passed our house everyday, or only on weekend afternoons; the ring of his bell could turn even the stoniest of hearts into bright-eyed anticipation at the seasonal offerings of fruit-flavored cold, rich ice-cream with bits of mango, crabu, pine-apple, and other tropical fruits.  Whether it was the small amount of alcohol--or the mere thought of--in the rum-raisin ice-cream that caused my mother to sit dreamy-like on the porch swing for an hour or so after lunch, this infrequent freedom was also delicious.  In this time of relaxed vigilance, my brother

photocourtesyaccessdecorati.com Peeps, This evening there was no mistaking the fact that fall is upon us.  Grey skies and swollen clouds hovered above, and a cool morning of 40 or 50 is predicted which should make a very pleasant soup-and-sandwich day tomorrow.  I splurged this evening and bought a beautiful orchid to sit next to my bed.  The bedroom is painted chalky white, with a dark mahogany chest of drawers and glass-front display cabinet filled with carved animal figures/lacquer boxes/Burmese water bottles; for some time now I've used accents of blue and orange, and today while out grocery shopping without much thought I selected a small phalaenopsis from which tall spires of magenta blossoms seemed to delicately hover, almost like butterflies.  I am so pleased with the effect that I almost expect an editor or designer from Elle Decor or House Beautiful to spring from behind the wall-screen and pin a gold star on me.  Also proud that it only took this little plant (

(VISUAL TREATS) For All of My Design-Obsessed Peeps: Visual Treats / Design Tips from Wise(r) Voices -... : Designer Stan Topol photocourtesyhousebeautiful Peeps, The democratization of media, especially on-line, now allows everyone (and an...

(VISUAL TREATS) For All of My Design-Obsessed Peeps: Visual Treats / Design Tips from Wise(r) Voices --... : imagecourtesynoonersnuggets.com Peeps, It's day 2 of the series devoted to design tips from wise(r) voices. The dean of American dec...

(VISUAL TREATS) For All of My Design-Obsessed Peeps: Visual Treats / Design Tips from Wise(r) Voices --... : imagecourtesyfinderskeepermarketinc.blogspot Peeps, Never has the moon seem so full as it did tonight. It hung low over the east, and ...

(VISUAL TREATS) For All of My Design-Obsessed Peeps: Visual Treats/Design Tips from Wise(r) Voice -- Da... : imagecourtesysheilabridgesdesign Peeps, The peep-show devoted to design tips from wise(r) voices continues today with th...

imagecourtesysheilabridgesdesign             Peeps, The peep-show devoted to design tips from wise(r) voices continues today with the amazing Sheila Bridges, one of my favorite designers who consistently creates interiors that are colorful, layered, textured, and always intimate.  Love her style, love her look, and love her!! Sincerely, Shane On style, Sheila Bridges states that,  “ I enjoy mixing different styles and periods of furniture as well as combining different textures and patterns .   Drawing from a diverse range of styles is inherently interesting in decorating - it brings the space to life. I think it is also one way that you can make a space authentically yours. ". On color: "I am especially fond of blues and greens. I like to experiment with different color combinations. On one project, it may be greens and grays, the next it may be pinks, yellows, and blacks, or blues and browns." And, on inspiration:  “I’ve always been greatly inspired b

imagecourtesyfinderskeepermarketinc.blogspot Peeps, Never has the moon seem so full as it did tonight.  It hung low over the east, and almost grazed the surface of the river.  Looking up at its brilliant surface, I imagined that I could see mountains and valleys, sometimes partially obscured beneath layers of pale grey and white clouds.  Later in the night, I had another opportunity to view the moon which appeared even closer and larger.  What if moon burst into 100 million sharp jagged parts and a shard pierced by beating heart?  I surprise myself when I recall such thoughts, and I am amused by the erratic ways in which my mind races.  Sometimes surprises are fun and sweet like raspberry jam hidden under layers of creamy chocolate cake, or touching like an unexpected kiss from a loved one--or the one who is the object of our secret desire(s).  And at other times, some surprises remind us of other realities perhaps in opposition to ours.  Like the initial surprise upon hearin

imagecourtesynoonersnuggets.com Peeps, It's day 2 of the series devoted to design tips from wise(r) voices.  The dean of American decorating--Albert Hadley says that, "Ceilings must always be considered. They are the most neglected surface in a room." I subscribe wholeheartedly to this dictum; ceilings are the perfect location for paper, a stencilled treatment, or a color other than blah-blah flat decorator's white, or that mess of pigment commonly called 'eggshell.'  For the bold-hearted, this expanse of surface is ideal to play with a complimentary color to that which has been applied on walls and trim.  Nothing is worse than looking up at a ceiling which seems timid, uninspired, or an afterthought.  In Hadley's NY apartment (pictured above), metallic (leaf) tea-paper has been skillfully applied, and the reflection is quite stunning.  If your painting contractor insists on an application of flat paint for masking imperfections, instruct him to ins

Designer Stan Topol photocourtesyhousebeautiful Peeps, The democratization of media, especially on-line, now allows everyone (and anyone) to share their thoughts on almost anything (and everything).  While it is generally agreed that this new state of affairs has loosened the vice-like grip of editorial control long exercised by magazines and newspapers as they now must vigorously compete for the general public's readership and subscription revenue, something else has occurred.  Besides the opportunity for neglected and new talent to publicize their services and achievements, a development which works undoubtedly to the advantage of a silent majority who have long and patiently toiled in the shadows without any sort of recognition, the atmosphere of interior design--and here we speak solely of the way in which home decor presents itself--seems at times something akin to that of a carnival.  The many 'looks' which proliferate countless blogs speak more to the ph

CHAC/Mayan God of Rain imagesourceunknown Peeps, I have always been drawn to them; they seem to pull me in, and then hold me captive as my mind and imagination runs endlessly through vast areas of unchecked possibilities--some sensual and some not, perhaps heart pumping erotic but I will never tell--and then back again to the image upon which I dare not lay my head for fear of nirvana. It may have been an earlier copy of National Geographic, or the mid-day Sunday bouts held on Bird's Isle where shirt-less pugilists performed in front of a rowdy, blood-thirsty crowd of sport-fans and gamblers.  Dare say it could have been a younger Henry Rollins, taunting, sweaty, fierce; he is forever locked in my memory, an image of an alpha, the face and voice of a past persistently present.  Yes, yes, I remember him now, that easily conjured image--alone in the spotlight, he (is) with arms akimbo.  In the French quarter, they appeared like ghosts, or dreams, from out of dimly li

RAIN photocourtesykoreandrama.org

photosourceunknown Peeps, I can't remember what came first:  seeing her (on an album cover) or hearing her (at a late-night club).  Suffice to say, what came after is memorable.  That is, pure unadulterated groove rhythms for on and off the dance floor.  This Jamaican-American model/singer/actress wowed listeners, club and and concert-goers in the US and Europe with her hypnotic beat and sultry vocals, strong visual presence, and Surrealist, New Wave and Pop-inspired stage sets and costumes.  In the 1970's Jones adopted a severe, androgynous look  that was much copied, and admired by other artists such as Annie Lenox and Lady Gaga.  Muse to Andy Warhol, close friend of Keith Haring, and inspiration to millions of fans, her music still resonates.  She remains the fierce, undisputed Queen of Club (Music) and makes present day divas look like little girls playing dress-up. ICONIC + PROVOCATIVE + DEFIANT  = GRACE JONES   Enjoy today's visual treat. Sincerely,  S

moviestillfrombladerunner Peeps, It seems only natural to contemplate the movie Blade Runner at this time.  It's been raining all day, with the forecast calling for rain tomorrow and parts of Friday.  As devotees of the movie will recall, for most of the movie, with the possible exception of interior shots and the original ending, rains falls and falls and falls.  No kidding, but when I went to see the movie in 1982 or 1983 at the small movie theatre at Kelley Barracks in Stuttgart, Germany, it was also raining.  There were about four or five viewers other than myself, and after the movie ended, I stood outside under the small canopy watching the rain fall. I remember thinking thought that never before had I been so blown away by a movie, with the possible exception of The Man Who Fell to Earth, and that had been perhaps three years earlier. Blade Runner effortlessly blends elements of film noir and science fiction.  The main character--Rick Deckard, a bounty hunter of sorts

photocourtesychictip.com Peeps, John Pawson's interiors are just as mysterious, austere, and elegant as when I first saw them 20 years  ago.  While enrolled in NOVA's Interior Design course of studies, I stumbled across photos of Pawson's work published in one of the shelter magazines; something clicked in place and I realized that the excesses of Architectural Digest and the floral prettiness of House & Garden had been surpassed by this--the quiet authority and sincerity of Pawson's vision.  Minimalism was a term which I had seen in the context of art, when discussing artists such as Dan Flavin, Carl Andre, Donald Judd, Richard Serra, and the incomparable Agnes Martin.  To see the term minimalism applied to the area of interior design and architecture was almost revolutionary to me, and certainly to many others who were also tired of seeing ill-designed homes with rooms smothered by yards of window-dressing, tables overloaded by objects, and bad lighting. Row