Studio time

When moving into a new home, one that has just been built, you are foolish to think that it's back to normal. We just had whole sections of the house repainted, touched up, and today the entire place, (aside from the studio), is covered with a film of dust. In the meantime I've been busy improving on some of the design books, writing new instruction books and setting up homes in display cases for my jewelry work. A large glass case is being put together for some smaller needlepoint pieces as well.

I now have an outdoor area and a greenroom for plants galore. I've been working on terrariums and plantscapes and having a wonderful time with my hands in dirt!

This big beauty is going to a new home and a new family today! There are many more in the works.

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I declare mandatory waiting periods!

I'm here, behind the boxes... We moved into our new home two weeks ago today. I have moved at least 30 times in my life, sometimes in the same city, a few times to different continents. It doesn't get easier... Still so much unpacking and finding the right place for our stuff needed. One thing I vow is to stop buying things that I will look to donate a few years later! How much money gets wasted, and in many cases if you wait to make sure you need something, you find out that it's really not necessary. I hereby proclaim a waiting period for anything I buy! Promise!

A few photos of my green room, one of my favorite rooms in the house...

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Can we plan together?

I am very fortunate to have this dilemma!  I love the process of imagining my new home. Our architects, QB3, the same guys who so brilliantly executed our loft remodel 6 years ago, asked me to start with a "Manifesto", what do I consider my ultimate living environment, who am I when I am at home and what's important to me in that setting.  Luckily we have Pinterest, and I started a board called Dream House. This is where I dump anything I love that has any chance of finding it's way to our future home.  I may want a swimming pool, but that isn't happening, so unrealistic stuff I try to keep away from, not always successfully.  

My next assignment is to make a list of things I want, and I see this as a list of "living" knowledge I've accumulated over the years, what I use, what I need, what really makes a difference to me.  I've been working on that list, below I've listed a few of the items.  But what if I could get help from all the years of experience you all have?  What if you could tell me what things you need in your living space? 

 Can I get your help?

Here is a sampling of my list:

• We want to have a TV area not as part of the big living room.  It can be sectioned off with some sort of millwork, it doesn’t have to be a full wall, even a partial partition. We like the idea of sitting in a smaller setting with some sort of sectional that we can lay around on and eat snacks on, (and stitch on, of course!!)
• We want a laundry room with a utility sink.  It doesn’t have to be big but somewhere I can fill buckets of water, do hand wash, keep the piles and piles of dirty laundry we always seem to accumulate so fast.  A closet isn’t going to be enough.
• We need a  table for 4-6 people to eat on a daily basis.  If it could seat more than 4 that would be great.
• We need enough storage space for large items.  (Suitcases, portable heaters in the summer, coolers, all the extra paper products, etc. etc.)
• I want to live in a home with enough light so that I never have to turn on a light during the daytime.  Light = sanity for me.

What would your list have?

Reid and I thank you :)

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The battle to change the image - my constant cause.

Whether it is Jonathan Adler, Frederique Morrel, or Kaffe Fassett, 

this is how needlepoint should look. 

I'm on my soapbox; no more cutsie, no more blah, no more stale. 

This is how needlepoint should look in your home, fresh, modern and exciting.

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What I'm doing -

 Sewing runners, choosing bud vases for little clusters of flowers, planting terrariums for the tables.

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The results are in...

Orin didn't win the Tony this year, although the amazing actress/singer who plays Carole King did win. Still, a great honor to be nominated yet again, and they had a wonderful evening!

Overwhelmingly the vote for location of the antique horse blanket went in favor of not under the painting, but on the other sofa.  I don't have the exact numbers, there are too many replies to count, but no doubt where the blanket should be!!

Nomi and Ruben spent the weekend with us.  Ahhhhhhh.  Nomi and I had a baking date with some cookies, while Ruben and I enjoyed chatting while he jumped around.

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Come on in!

See my new painting!  It's taken awhile.  We had a different one at first.  One that I love but it was way too small for the wall.  We went to visit the artist in his studio and chose this one.  I'm thrilled with it, a perfect match for our room.

Do you like it with the antique horse blanket on the sofa in front of the painting or as seen below, on the other sofa?  You may think this is a silly question, but it's the kind I can contemplate for way longer than I care to admit...

xo
Orna

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Growing in our home.

Funny how at times I find myself very moved, thoughtful, emotional, all brought on by pondering what I perceive as the emotions of my plants.  We have a wall of windows, northern exposure, all along one side of our loft.  The windows are not very well insulated and they can be very cold to the touch in wintertime. And yet, my orchids and succulents seem to thrive on the ledges of these windows.  These desert and humid weather plants, looking out at the bleak winter on the other side of our windows, sprout new growth even in the coldest of days.  The succulents cling to the windows, using them as aides as they climb upwards and out into the winter light of the north.  It makes me admire them.  They adapt, they use what is there, they don't give up, they continue toward light and life.   It struck me, this morning, how they are all showing new growth, that light, full bodied, green new growth.  It warms my heart, it makes me so proud of my strong willed plants.  Is that a crazy sentence?  It's what I feel. 

So proud of you guys!!

But this is the most beautiful flower of all, growing in our home.  Nina asked to buy a kimono so she could wear it at home.  The two of us visited Chinatown yesterday, in the pouring rain, and found this kimono at the bazaar. It may be a Chinese version of a Japanese kimono, but she loves it.  In fact, I hear her in the background, playing with her Wii game while wearing it.  My Nina always provides us with the most amazing combos...

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Strange, very strange.

I find this a little spooky. The first photo is of my new living room rug.  Just got it in yesterday.  The second photo is of a piece I've been working on for about a week.  Do you see a resemblance in the colors, and shapes, or is it just me?  It's so strange because I didn't set out to use the same colors nor was I looking to reproduce the shapes.  I didn't really notice the resemblance until just now!  

Hmmmm, I don't know about this... kinda spooky.

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Follow ups...

1. Follow up on this post...
    Susan Miller, from my class, writes: Thanks for a great class.  As you can see, I'm a type A
 personality. I will be heckled at our next ANG meeting!  

You've done an amazing job Susan! (I may have heckled you too!!)

2. Follow up on this post...
    I received the box of glasses as you can see in the photos below.  Very timely, nice service, great frames.  Sad news, nothing looks good on me :(  Back you go!

 

3.  Follow up on this post...
     I've returned all rugs so far.  I think I've got some sort of block.  This has never happened to me before.  Here are my new possibilities.  Any thoughts?

 

and a reminder of our living room:

Thank you!!

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