Color My World

I want to share some photos of items from my home that illustrate my love of vibrant color and patterns.


Enamel jewelry box

Asian/chinoiserie style slippers

Mexican blanket I got on my honeymoon

Patina-tile mirror

Tiffany-style table lamp (I have 2 of these and 1 floor lamp)

Indian-sari table runner

Bohemian-graphic kitchen towels

Indian throw pillows

Dining room wall panel-My favorite is the second to last one on the right; the orange-brown panel where if you look closely, you will see a peacock.

Seeing all of these items with the colors/patterns grouped together is inspiring to me. I am a visual person and just the presence of multi-colored items comforts me and enables me to dream and do good work. What do you have in your home that inspires you?

Whimsical Eye-Candy

One of my favorite inspirational blogs is My Marrakesh. Maryam and her family moved to Morocco to build and open their own boutique hotel called Peacock Pavilions. She has a wonderful way of weaving thoughtful words and magical images together and inviting readers into her life. For one of the boutique hotel rooms, painters from Modello Designs created this fanciful wall mural:

I have always been part-unicorn so I love this type of aesthetic. I can't wait to see how the room will look when it's completely finished.

The same painters created this floor design for Maryam's son's bedroom:

Love that they included a Barack Obama quote.

So creative, and just a perfect complement to a child's imagination. I think everyone could use an inspirational spot in their home.

Maryam's son is at the age where innocence can be harder to hang onto, and the cruelties of other children and life come into play. She wrote:

If only she could provide some protection against the hardening of his nine-year old heart.

Perhaps if he slept among the wise words, among the magic numbers, among the street signs, it would penetrate some how and leave an indelible imprint just below the surface……… for times when he felt lost in the maze of his little boy life…..

Click on the link above the floor design to see more of her blog.

Notes From The Weekend

*Bought tickets to see Erykah Badu in concert in March. So. Excited.

*I studied with a few classmates who all smoke (3 on Saturday, 2 on Sunday). This morning I noticed small red blemishes on my face. My precious face. They've tarnished it with their cancer sticks, tarnished it I say!

*I feel good about attempting to live more simply and healthier. Gave up cable and fast food and giving up items that serve no function around the house.

*In search of some fine bed linens. I want the white, hotel look.

*Check the poll in the sidebar. Out of 10 votes, only 2 consider Sunday as the start of a new week. Interesting.

*Upcoming book review blog post soon (maybe Wednesday if I have the chance).

*While looking at different funeral home websites for a research project, I stumbled upon this gem. He is apparently a DJ in addition to his funeral home duties. "We can funeralize your loved one at a price from..." and "This ain't no ranky-dank funeral home. This is a first class funeral home run by first class people" are sending me to an early grave myself. Please look at his website. For me. I am not responsible if you fade to black after you view it.

*Here is a recipe I cooked up. This was so full of yum due to the different seasonings:

Rigatoni with zucchini, diced tomatoes, red, yellow, and orange bell peppers. Used nutritional yeast to give it an almost parmesan flavor (you can find it in the bulk aisle of natural-food grocery stores and regular well-stocked grocery stores and it's full of vitamin B12), red pepper flakes, and chicken seasoning (which is basically paprika, garlic, onion, pepper, and some other spices). SO. YUMMY.

Closet Porn

Over at Making It Lovely, the

author organized her closet and put pictures up. Man, I want this in my life somehow. Maybe when I get a real closet; one without those apartment built-in racks. This is like a jewelry-box closet...everything is so organized and pretty! I have to figure out what I can do with what I have so far; this is inspiring.

*Pics originally peeped at Decor8.

Tidbits

I've been busy moving to my new place of residence and everything that is involved with that. Why is it that when you hang a shower curtain and liner up (especially when you're already tired at the end of the day), you feel like you really accomplished/defeated something? Or is it just me? I felt so powerful when that last hook was snapped, don't take my victory away dammit! Lol.
I also had jury duty this week. I got called to a panel and went to the Criminal building, but our case accepted a plea. I would love to go up there on a free day to see how things work and the procedures. It was so interesting to me to see lawyers walking around with their notes, defendants, crying families, and etc.
Anyhoo, without further ado, I present you with tidbits of information that caught my attention this week (For non-bloggers, click on the link where the font is a different color):

Wyclef Jean supports and promotes programs for Haiti to help the country get back on it's feet. This is so much more important than just pumping in aid. You have to put the helping opportunities in the hands of the people and have them work for themselves and each other instead of just accepting handout.
Click here for a website of an orphanage in Haiti that is taking significant strides to help children of Haiti who could not be raised by their own parents. You can donate money for food; it goes directly to the children. It also has a section for adoption.

15 African immigrants die trying to reach Spain, many of them children.

Essential information on making sure women save enough money for retirement.

Lettuce wraps. Yum, and more lettuce wrap recipes.

Infinity Blue

I've been infatuated with blue lately. Turquoise, teal, that sort of infinity blue. Majorelle blue (as celebrated in Marrakech). These blues invoke the ocean, peaceful sky, relaxation, and just a general satisfaction with life to me. I dream of waking up in a restful, peaceful, sensual, cocoonish Majorelle/cobalt blue bedroom.....like this one:

I want teal/turquoise for my living room walls, so friendly but not overwhelming....something like this wall color:

This penchant for peaceful, serene, tranquil, jewel-box blues is seeping into everything I covet including drinkware:

Pier 1 Imports

Target