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Showing posts from October, 2011

(VISUAL TREATS) For All of My Design-Obsessed Peeps: BITS AND PIECES (INSPIRED BY FALL) / DAY 1 -- MOOD...

(VISUAL TREATS) For All of My Design-Obsessed Peeps: BITS AND PIECES (INSPIRED BY FALL) / DAY 1 -- MOOD... : courtesydesiretoinspireblog Peeps, I am so drawn to this eclectic living room. The owner(s) seems to have gotten all the disparate el...

BITS AND PIECES (INSPIRED BY FALL) / DAY 1 -- MOODY + CHIC

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courtesydesiretoinspireblog Peeps, I am so drawn to this eclectic living room.  The owner(s) seems to have gotten all the disparate elements wonderfully combined to create a visually compelling tableaux which is enigmatic, moody, and cozy.  I am attracted to the decorative arts and crafts of Africa, and so the long banners framing the doorway, suggest Kuba cloth patterns from Zaire (formerly Republic of the Congo).  Over-sized photographs propped against dead-black walls pop (right into the space).  The silvered, tufted sofa reminds me of the 60's futuristic vibe in furniture and fashion, such as the creations of Pierre Chardin, Paco Rabanne, and Andre Courrreges.  All three European designers introduced new shapes in apparel, utilized new fabrics such as plastics (PVC), paper, and other synthetic blends, and exemplified changing aesthetics and cultural mores through the 'unisex'  and 'space-pop' looks.  While those fashions may have been before my time, I can

(VISUAL TREATS) For All of My Design-Obsessed Peeps: " PAY IT FORWARD, PAY IT OFF "

(VISUAL TREATS) For All of My Design-Obsessed Peeps: " PAY IT FORWARD, PAY IT OFF " : imagecourtesymeganonamission Peeps, Going to bed hungry is an ordeal that no child (or adult) should have to experience. Due to man...

" PAY IT FORWARD, PAY IT OFF "

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imagecourtesymeganonamission Peeps, Going to bed hungry is an ordeal that no child (or adult) should have to experience.  Due to many factors, the number of folks who depend on food assistance has steadily increased over the years.  The reasons are many:  single-working moms, the newly-arrived, laid-off-and-cannot-find-steady-income, struggling to make ends meet with rising medical bills, absent parents, and so forth. In order to provide for their families, many of our neighbors (in Arlington County) rely on the Arlington Food Assistance Center for help in getting through times of need.  In turn, the AFAC needs our help with donations, contributions, and volunteers in order to meet a growing need within our community. On November 10 at the Clarendon Ballroom (in Clarendon, VA), a gala fundraiser is being hosted by the Arlington office of Keller Williams Realty.  Gayle Fleming, a KW agent, and chairwoman of the event " Pay It Forward, Pay It Off, " is determined to

The Little Shop(s) That Could + Did / Day 5 -- PEAR TREE COTTAGE (Vienna, VA)

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photocourtesypeartreecottage Peeps, Frances Brayshaw had a life-long dream of opening her own shop filled with beautiful objects.  A few years ago, after various stints with other design shops and boutiques, she did just that in a tiny historic cottage on Maple Avenue in Vienna (VA).  A crisp green-and-white striped banner proudly reads 'The Pear Tree Cottage', and a seasonal arrangement of pumpkins, kale, pansies, and assorted garden statuary lures passersby into to her little atelier where scented candles burn sweetly, and numerous lamps and mirrors provide beautiful illumination.  Frances loves the Hollywood vibe of Kelly Wearstler, Trina Turk, and other West Coast designers who mine the 40's and 60's for inspiration.  The shop's offerings include lots of silver-mirrored vases and lamps, lacquered boxes of horn and shagreen, crystal-decorated iron chandeliers, and Lucite tables. Another vibe that runs concurrently to the glam of old Hollywood, is the weathe

(VISUAL TREATS) For All of My Design-Obsessed Peeps: The Little Shop(s) That Could + Did / Day 5 -- PEA...

(VISUAL TREATS) For All of My Design-Obsessed Peeps: The Little Shop(s) That Could + Did / Day 5 -- PEA... : photocourtesypeartreecottage Peeps, Frances Brayshaw had a life-long dream of opening her own shop filled with beautiful objects. A f...

(VISUAL TREATS) For All of My Design-Obsessed Peeps: Friday Night Visual Treat---A Shot of Color (to th...

(VISUAL TREATS) For All of My Design-Obsessed Peeps: Friday Night Visual Treat---A Shot of Color (to th... : imagecourtesyautomatism/ marieclairemaison Peeps, It's hard to believe that winter could almost be upon us. This morning called for w...

Friday Night Visual Treat---A Shot of Color (to the Brain)

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imagecourtesyautomatism/ marieclairemaison Peeps, It's hard to believe that winter could almost be upon us.  This morning called for windy and overcast working conditions, as well as temperatures not above 50; I purposely pulled out a RL wool sweater (given to me last year by my play-mother and which I had been saving for a special occasion), and layered with my favorite button-down and cords, headed out for a day filled with out-door activities.  The forecast calls for rain and the possibility of snow tomorrow, so like a good pilgrim, I headed to the grocery-store for cans of soup, instant coffee, and powdered milk.  Thankfully there was not a frenzied mob free-wheeling carts piled with milk, t-p, bread, candy, bottled water and so forth.  After a light supper and a glass of Royal Oporto, I pulled out bags of snow-melt just in case tomorrow morning gets ugly.  Seemingly in the blink of an eye summer is gone, and striding out with surfer shorts and short-sleeves is courting d

(VISUAL TREATS) For All of My Design-Obsessed Peeps: The Little Shop(s) That Could + Did / Day 4 -- CH...

(VISUAL TREATS) For All of My Design-Obsessed Peeps: The Little Shop(s) That Could + Did / Day 4 -- CH... : imagecourtesypinchgallerycom Peeps, Finding the shop--CHINOISERIE--can be quite a challenge; tucked quietly between Hank's Oyster Ba...

The Little Shop(s) That Could + Did / Day 4 -- CHINOISERIE (Alexandria, VA)

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imagecourtesypinchgallerycom Peeps, Finding the shop--CHINOISERIE--can be quite a challenge; tucked quietly between Hank's Oyster Bar and Alexandria Cupcakes (on King Street in Old Towne Alexandria, VA) very little reveals its location, and only the introduction by a fellow design-addict made me aware of its existence.  Once stepping beyond the door, one feels like you've discovered an untold secret, a mecca of sorts devoted to the pursuit of design and aesthetics, and a celebration of the decorative arts.  Quite tiny, yet filled with a tightly edited array of modern jewelry, Italian and European glass art, Scandinavian pottery and dinner-ware, Middle-Kingdom vases, Heath ceramics, mid-century furniture and lighting, vintage art-books (on graphic design and architecture), limited edition greeting cards, clothing from obscure West Coast designers, and oversized abstract paintings, Peter Zi's point of view is quite apparent.  The mix is informed, defined, and shows an

The Little Shop(s) That Could + Did / Day 3 -- KLARADAL (Olney, MD)

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LarsSjoberg18cSwedishMansion imagecourtesytrouvaiscom Peeps, Gleaning through the IKEA catalogue, and numerous design blogs devoted to the 'Nordic Style,' I assumed that all interiors followed the sparse format with pale grey/beige/white walls, stream-lined furnishings, scrubbed table-tops, and undressed windows; not so, shared Sue (Susan Kopperman) who owns the charming Swedish shop called Klaradal, located in Olney, MD.  Sue had spent quite some time in Sweden and explained that  all Swedish interiors are not pale and filled with painted white furniture, light fabrics, worn surfaces, and bereft of ornamentation.  Historical Swedish interiors reveal an amalgamation of influences:  French love of curves and carvings in the style of Louis XIV/XV/XVI (Baroque and Rococo); German and Eastern European love of heavy pomp and solidity via the Biedermeier style; the arrival of the exotic via blue and white ceramics and textiles from the Far East; exposure to Spanish and Por

(VISUAL TREATS) For All of My Design-Obsessed Peeps: The Little Shop(s) That Could + Did / Day 3 -- KL...

(VISUAL TREATS) For All of My Design-Obsessed Peeps: The Little Shop(s) That Could + Did / Day 3 -- KL... : LarsSjoberg18cSwedishMansion imagecourtesytrouvaiscom Peeps, Gleaning through the IKEA catalogue, and numerous design blogs devote...

(VISUAL TREATS) For All of My Design-Obsessed Peeps: The Little Shop(s) That Could + Did / Day 2 -- HE...

(VISUAL TREATS) For All of My Design-Obsessed Peeps: The Little Shop(s) That Could + Did / Day 2 -- HE... : imagebycalfindercom Peeps, Many years ago while working on the living room for a client who I have affectionately nicknamed 'The Lone ...

The Little Shop(s) That Could + Did / Day 2 -- HERAT ORIENTAL IMPORTS (Alexandria, VA)

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imagebycalfindercom Peeps, Many years ago while working on the living room for a client who I have affectionately nicknamed 'The Lone Wolf' for his ability to track the best of the best at the best price, all the while juggling CEO responsibilities and the demands of a brood of beautiful kids, I was introduced to Zia and Firoz, the nicest guys in the carpet business.  The brothers own and run Herat Oriental Imports, and offer possibly one of the most comprehensive inventories of Oriental carpets on the East Coast.  Housed in a industrial complex located near the train-tracks, their warehouse (just recently opened to the public) is the place for professionals in the design trade to obtain just about anything woven within the past hundred years (or two, or three).  Hand-woven carpets come from about nine premier weaving centers located in Iran, India, Pakistan, Egypt, China, Turkey, Afghanistan (and parts of the other Caucus countries); can be generally classified into trib

(VISUAL TREATS) For All of My Design-Obsessed Peeps: The Little Shop(s) That Could + Did -- Day 1 / DAR...

(VISUAL TREATS) For All of My Design-Obsessed Peeps: The Little Shop(s) That Could + Did -- Day 1 / DAR... : photcourtesy1stdibs/darrelldean Peeps, The question -- what happened to Georgetown? -- cannot be easily answered, yet some of the ...

The Little Shop(s) That Could + Did -- Day 1 / DARRELL DEAN (Washington, DC)

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photcourtesy1stdibs/darrelldean Peeps, The question -- what happened to Georgetown? -- cannot be easily answered, yet some of the reasons for the change from charming shops to chain retail-stores are obvious to the perceptive passer-by.  The flocks of tourists, teens and early-20 somethings, students, and party-goers who traverse M street and Wisconsin Avenue on weekends through the wee hours of the morning are attracted by the likes of Diesel/Club Monaco/H & M and other catchy retail darlings; drinking holes/pizza joints/raw bars, and the many clubs clustered along the main drag offer live music, discounted drinks in over-sized glasses and the allure of being trendy/in/cool (in Georgetown).  On the strip of Wisconsin Avenue heading north, once home to small antique shops like Gore Dean, David Bell, and various art galleries, the scene is now about nail and beauty shops, women's clothing boutiques and (more) pizza shops.  My bi-weekly nightly walks to peer into beauti

(VISUAL TREATS) For All of My Design-Obsessed Peeps: Saturday Night Visual Treat (for all the devoted p...

(VISUAL TREATS) For All of My Design-Obsessed Peeps: Saturday Night Visual Treat (for all the devoted p... : imagecourtesyjjjjound Peeps, Just a quick thank you for all your emails. It seems everyone applauded the wonderful individuals profil...

Saturday Night Visual Treat (for all the devoted peeps)

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imagecourtesyjjjjound Peeps, Just a quick thank you for all your emails.  It seems everyone applauded the wonderful individuals profiled in this week's peep show, 'ICONS (Of A Different Kind)/My Personal Super-heroes,' namely Robert Parry of Consortium News ( www.consortiumnews.com ), John Fales of The Blind American Veteran Foundation ( www.bavf.org ), Chuck Fields of The South Arlington Lions CLub, Jonathan Gilbert of The Gilbert Clinic ( www.thegilbertclinic.com ), and Anne Boston Parish of the Queen Street Clinic ( www.queenstreetclinic.com ).  Everyone who participated in any of the occupy movements should also be applauded, as well as the vigilant bloggers and passionate individuals who keep the spirit alive on FB and other social media sites.  Have a great weekend; you're the best(est)!!! Sincerely, Shane PS:  Tonight's soundtrack is courtesy of SSRadio Deep & Soulful , spinning out of London/UK.

ICONS OF A DIFFERENT KIND (My Personal Superheroes) -- Day 5 / Queen Street Clinic

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imagesourceunknown Peeps, It's Friday and for some that means the end of the work-week and two days of relaxation during one of the most beautiful times of the year (at least here in the Washington DC metropolitan area).  The mornings are cool and pleasant, the day-time temperature just about perfect for light tweed jackets or cashmere sweaters, and the nights encourage endless glasses of full-bodied Chilean red, autumnal fare, and long conversations in front of a blazing fire.  It would be naive to believe that everyone is able to just unwind on Saturdays and Sundays; for shop-clerks, wait-staff, delivery drivers, landscape workers and practically anyone who works in the retail and service industries, the pressures of getting it done (before the various holidays) has begun to be felt, and once the costumed revellers have gorged themselves on treats (or tricks), the countdown really begins in earnest. The countdown to passing the Jobs Creation Bill seems to be stalled some

(VISUAL TREATS) For All of My Design-Obsessed Peeps: ICONS of a Different Kind (My Personal Super-heroe...

(VISUAL TREATS) For All of My Design-Obsessed Peeps: ICONS of a Different Kind (My Personal Super-heroe... : imagesourceunknown Peeps, This is the season of sniffles, headaches, sore muscles, coughs, mild colds and so forth. This week the lan...

ICONS of a Different Kind (My Personal Super-heroes) -- Day 4 / Jonathan Gilbert

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imagesourceunknown Peeps, This is the season of sniffles, headaches, sore muscles, coughs, mild colds and so forth.  This week the landscaping crew exhibited many of these symptoms; I am acutely aware that plenty of rest and liquids are called for, yet with a tight schedule leading up to the holidays, one must press on, and thankfully not a single individual has been absent for work.  Last week Friday, Jane, the kind nurse, insisted that I get a flu-shot and without hesitation I did just that, knowing that it is the best prevention against getting the flu, as well as hoping that new strains of the bug will remain in parts yonder.  I still remember the first (and only) time that I got the flu, and something with which I had had no experience.  In January 1995, I woke up one morning unable to move and in a condition closer to a corpse than I had ever felt before (or since).  In the weeks that followed, this a period of slow, slow recovery, tiny steps as such from the bed to the bat

ICONS OF A DIFFERENT KIND (My Personal Super-heroes) / Day 3 -- Chuck Fields

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sourceofimageunknown Peeps, In an insightful article for online magazine Being Latino, writer Nick Baez lamented the slow decline of community involvement within today's society, particularly within immigrant communities where the newly-arrived are eager to 'fit in.'  He acknowledged the tremendous pressure placed upon the head of households, indeed on all of us, to succeed, usually at the cost of tremendous isolation.  As we are all aware, success -- portrayed by Madison Avenue advertisers, steamy tele-novellas on the Spanish-language channels, radio marketing campaigns, and even free circulars sitting next to the bus-stops, involves two important facets, namely consumption and transformation.   Success, as one moves up the socio-economic ladder, demands larger and more; bigger autos, newer electronics to fill the kitchen, den, and bedroom.  Larger vacuums, barbecue-pits, freezers, lawn-mowers and leaf-blowers are obligatory to appear as being part of the now/the cur

VISION OF BEAUTY (MID-WEEK VISUAL TREAT)

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imagecourtesyjjjjound Peeps, I wanted to take this opportunity to provide you with a mid-week visual treat, and to thank you all for your many comments on the peep-show entitled "ICONS (Of A Different Kind)/My Personal Super-heroes." Robert Parry and John Fales Jr are truly inspiring individuals, and role models for all of us.  Please remember to visit the blog site next week for our show (The Little Shop(s) That Could (And Did)) devoted to small, independent design-shops (and the wonderful persons who run them). Sincerely, Shane PS:  Hope that you are all enjoying these beautiful days (and nights) of soft rain!!

(VISUAL TREATS) For All of My Design-Obsessed Peeps: VISION OF BEAUTY (MID-WEEK VISUAL TREAT)

(VISUAL TREATS) For All of My Design-Obsessed Peeps: VISION OF BEAUTY (MID-WEEK VISUAL TREAT) : imagecourtesyjjjjound Peeps, I wanted to take this opportunity to provide you with a mid-week visual treat, and to thank you all for y...

(VISUAL TREATS) For All of My Design-Obsessed Peeps: ICONS OF A DIFFERENT KIND (My Personal Super-heroe...

(VISUAL TREATS) For All of My Design-Obsessed Peeps: ICONS OF A DIFFERENT KIND (My Personal Super-heroe... : imagesourceunknown Peeps, I know that fall is here by the sight of falling leaves, and deepening shadows at about 6 or 630. Some morni...

ICONS OF A DIFFERENT KIND (My Personal Super-heroes) / Day 2 -- John Fales

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imagesourceunknown Peeps, I know that fall is here by the sight of falling leaves, and deepening shadows at about 6 or 630.  Some mornings are brisk and require a T-shirt worn under my favorite Gap plaid work-shirt, and the line at the nearby 7/11 for coffee and hot-tea is much longer than a few weeks ago.  Sadly, the relentless whine of leaf-blowers continues throughout the entire day as well-meaning landscapers remove every evidence of nature's seasonal cycle, and in driving down Rt 50 one has to be ever mindful of 18 wheelers (groaning under the weight of towering stacked pallets of bagged mulch) trekking into garden centers and nurseries.  I'm a staunch advocate of on-site composting and remain critical of this new sub-category of the landscaping industry where the garden is stripped of natural additives/nutrients (in the form of leaves), and then blanketed under a too liberal application of mulches mined from slowly depleting sources and transported from distant parts

(VISUAL TREATS) For All of My Design-Obsessed Peeps: ICONS of a Different Kind (My Personal Super-heroe...

(VISUAL TREATS) For All of My Design-Obsessed Peeps: ICONS of a Different Kind (My Personal Super-heroe... : imagesourceunknown Peeps, For the past couple of weeks, social media sites and vigilant bloggers alerted us to a phenomena known a...

ICONS of a Different Kind (My Personal Super-heroes) / Day 1 -- Robert Parry

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imagesourceunknown Peeps, For the past couple of weeks, social media sites and vigilant bloggers alerted us to a phenomena known as the Occupy Wall Street Movement.  It seems that tens of thousands of ordinary Americans are fed up with the trickery practiced by financial institutions as top executives reward themselves with bonuses, while service fees on checking accounts/debit purchases/loans and so forth increase inexplicably and unreasonably, and all this perfectly legal thanks to the successful efforts of powerful lobbyists, lax oversight by government regulators, and (until a few a weeks ago?) a general reluctance on the part of the American public to voice dissatisfaction at this state of affairs.  Was it the Arab Spring movement(s) in the Middle East and parts of the African continent, or the deepening debt crisis around the world; was it rising unemployment as well as spiraling living costs here at home that spurred middle-class voters and tax-papers to take to the st

(VISUAL TREATS) For All of My Design-Obsessed Peeps: Beautiful Gardens, A Source Of Constant Inspiratio...

(VISUAL TREATS) For All of My Design-Obsessed Peeps: Beautiful Gardens, A Source Of Constant Inspiratio... : photocourtesymichaeltrapp Peeps, The work-week draws to a close, and I look forward to sleeping late tomorrow, at least until 9am. Rai...

Beautiful Gardens, A Source Of Constant Inspiration -- Day 5 (Michael Trapp)

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photocourtesymichaeltrapp Peeps, The work-week draws to a close, and I look forward to sleeping late tomorrow, at least until 9am.  Rains during the week, especially last night and this morning were quite pleasant.  In the garden, dahlias and zinnias are still quite vigorous and the pineapple sage is almost chest-high and shows no sign of slowing-down.  At this time of the year, ferns, Japanese anemones, and maples are glorious, as are clematis-covered fences highlighted by tiny, fragrant flowers.  John Brooke's Small Garden has been a late-night read for the past week or so; on the subject of small gardens, he states that, " Resist the temptation to work on a small scale just because you are dealing with a small space. " I live in a tiny space where larger furniture, objects, and paintings, when placed carefully and used most judiciously, are dramatic, unexpected, and blur the distinction between real or physical space, and perceived space.  The same approach can be

Beautiful Gardens / A Source of Constant Inspiration -- Day 4 (ARTERRA Landscape Architects)

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photocourtesyarterra.com Peeps, Too often lighting is an afterthought.  Beds are planted and a light layer of fine mulch has been applied; sprinklers set for 540 am; the cafe table and chairs beckon invitingly and visions of paradise fill the evening sky as well as the imagination.  Yet, in the time between waiting for the landscaper's truck and helpers to leave, loading a picnic tray with wine-glasses/snacks/sparkling, fruity Portuguese white wine, and finally getting all the gang out in the new garden, night has fallen and very little can be seen because landscape lighting was forgotten in the hurry to get everything perfect for Easter Sunday supper and Grandpa's visit.  Planning and planting done in the fall allows one to fully visualize the completed garden which entails hardscaping, plantings, irrigation, and lighting requirements.  To trample and unearth newly-planted beds in order to run electrical wires is no fun; solar-generated path lights and spotlights hav