Poor me...

What am I, a 3 year old? I have a fever, sore throat, ear ache, cough, YUK!! I should stay in bed for a day or two but I am not capable of doing that. I can't stay put. It's impossible for me to be doing just one thing at a time. So how could I possibly be expected to do nothing at a time? I just can't.
I spent 3 hours with Nina at the ice rink this afternoon (yes, me and my symptoms), because how else would I be able to say, sometime down the line, "I've done everything for you and in return you won't even clean your room?" Besides, she is so cute out there, trying hard to twirl while wiping her nose and talking to her imaginary friend Jake. I could just eat her up .

One thing always brightens up my day: a large dose of color.
These amazing lampwork beads are made by a friend of mine, the amazingly talented Eleanore Macnish. Her website is on my list of inspirations on the right.

Enjoy!

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Flattering.

I am quite flattered by the attention Home and Garden magazine , the Philadelphia edition, has given our home. Their Spring issue has Three Lofts 3 Ways, How design-minded Philadelphians style one-level living. We are the one called Artistic Retreat.

The home editor, a stylist and a great photographer (Erik photographs for Martha Stewart Living and Metropolitan Home), spent the day here a few weeks ago. It was a fascinating experience. There is a whole different way of looking at things through a camera lens. Each shot entailed an hour or more of setup. Lisa, the stylist showed up with huge buckets of flowers. Hydrangeas, orchids, daisies, tulips. They were gorgeous. In one of the photos she filled a low glass vase with Brussels sprouts, poured water over them and then arranged the flowers in the vase. Remember the lemon phase, when every vase you saw was filled with lemons? Move over lemons, make way for Brussels sprouts...

At 3 PM they were still here so I rushed out to get Nina back from school. She walked in the door and it took her one minute to take it all in and ask to be a part of the show. Off went her school uniform and on went a dress (quite a feat for my tomboy). You will find her seated at the breakfast table pretending to draw.

So, if you are in the area, pop into a local Borders and take a peek.
* all photographs were taken by Erik Johnson and are from the Spring issue of Philadelphia Home

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I'm terrified!

I've been obsessed with design, art, and craft blogs. This is not the first time a whole new world is created and I know nothing about it. OMG! (texting is another world I am a novice at...)

There is an abundance of beautiful blogs that are addictive and have kept me at my computer way into the night reading, oohing and ahhing. The blogging I have seen is about peeking into the lives and thoughts of people who have so very much to say about their passions. It's about enticing the reader with beautiful photography, little vignettes that are meant to tease the creative buds. It's about sharing new ideas, new projects, new accomplishments. There is lots of cottage industry going on, lots of DIY, lots of women who manage to cultivate a family and a business in the same space and with so much love.

So why am I terrified? Who do I think I am? I can't do all that (see above). I can barely keep my life afloat. I already know I need 4-9 more lifetimes to do everything I would like to try my hand at. And yet, I am drawn to this new mode of expressing aesthtics and I can't help myself, I'm joining the party!

So here goes. Please feel free to join in, send comments, react. I know I'm going to have some fun. Terrified and all, here I come...

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