Quote

"The particular, feminine joys to be found in buying and redecorating a beautiful house"


"There are certain things about women that men will never understand, in part because they have no interest in understanding them. They will never know how deeply we care about our houses - what a large role they play in our dreams for ourselves, how unhappy their shortcomings make us...nor can they understand the way physical comforts or simple luxuries-the fresh towel or the fat new cake of soap-can lift our spirits."


Caitlin Flanagan in her article The Glory of Oprah, The Atlantic, December 2011

Process

I recently came across a wonderful saying: A garden is a process, not a product. Isn't this true for our homes, as well? I am constantly rethinking, rearranging, dreaming, imagining, and testing in my home. Am I never satisfied, or simply trying to find that place of peace with my environment? Or, maybe it is my way of expressing my creativity. Whichever, it is never ending. 

In Zen practice, process is important. I, like many of us, usually focus on the endpoint, often missing the beauty of the journey. Staying present in that journey does take discipline. 

In looking at some photos of my home from just a few years ago, I realize how much it has changed, yet I am barely conscious of this. And it will change and evolve again and again from where it is today. Process. Journey.

These shots of my dining room were taken in the summer of 2009, just after my boys were born. We had not been living in our home too long, and had little time, even then, to devote to rearranging and decorating. 

BEFORE 2009

The rooms are more cluttered and I hadn't yet learned some simple, yet poignant decorating rules, such as using a mirror to open up space, that I learned in a wonderful book Use What You Have Decorating. (the author also has a consulting firm).

AFTER 2011

 cleaner, simpler, and better feeling. I wonder what will come next?

(sorry, the earlier pictures are not too great; my daughter took them with her i-phone).

Montreal

The weather has been extra nice (finally!), so every spare moment I get (which is not a lot) I am outside digging in the earth. I am not happy that I have not been posting so frequently, because there is much I'd like to share. Last weekend, for example, for May 1,  I went to Montreal to visit a friend. I had not been there in 20 years. Though Spring was even less advanced than here, just being in a new environment, and a foreign-speaking one, was refreshing. I took a few photos, and have reflected upon what I liked about that city. 

1. It is a large city with a small town feel

2. It is French speaking

3. It has style, both in the way people dress, and in how the city is planned

4. There are interesting neighborhoods with an edge and that are hip

5. They honor public transportation: there is an extensive public bicycle system and a clean, easy-to-use underground system

6. There is plenty of good food to be found

7. Although it is a northern city, there was plenty of outdoor life spilling onto the sidewalks, i.e. cafes

8. Interesting housing

9. It appears to be child-friendly. There were lots of babies and kids around with parents

10. It had a vibrant, dynamic energy

Montreal is known for its interesting stair cases leading to flats

There are stations where you can rent bicycles to get around the city. This is meant as a viable means of public transportation, and not just for touring. The system encourages short-term use for this purpose.

 We found two adorable and delicious restaurants on the same street, one for dinner and one for lunch, two separate days. I just loved the interiors. For me, atmosphere is extremely important in my overall dining experience.

Dinner at Les Entretiens

 

Each table had the most adorable lamps and pots of flowers, each individual

Lunch at La Boite Gourmande

The cafe had all white walls, and fixtures with just a few accents of color, which contributed to a modern and serene feel

Not to mention that this fennel and tomato soup was extraordinarily good. I will try to recreate it at home. It was soupy and not too thick.

Another street scene

 

People sunning themselves on this gorgeous day

 

Even the mail boxes look interesting

I packed very light for this weekend and it all fit into my Vera Bradley overnight bag. 

1 pair of jeans

1pair of black pants (which I never wore)

1 fitted plaid shirt

1 3/4 sleeve orange t-shirt

1 more elegant H&M t-shirt

elegant scarf

jean jacket

rain slicker

ballet flats

riding boots

Somehow I managed to look sufficiently cool in so little. I feel self-satisfied about that! smile.

Spring Fling

Monday through Wednesday this past week were particularly warm days, the warmest of the season yet, with a mixture of sunshine and rain. I am marking these days, April 25-27 2011 as the first days of what feels like spring. It has been a long, cold winter, and I am not exaggerating when I say that things blossomed, literally, overnight. I could mark over four inches of growth in my hostas alone. All of us, even the plants, were bursting with joy at the weather! I went out and took some photos of my burgeoning garden. This will be a baseline. I will put other photos up later in the season to mark the growth.

Happy Easter Season

My neighbor offered me these beautiful eggs for Easter

Look at the detail close up

 

 

Here is how she did it:

collect beautiful leaves from your garden

wrap an egg with the collection pressed against the egg tightly in a piece of ladies' hose

tie tightly with string

boil as you would a hard-boiled egg in water with onion peal

That's it. Amazing, isn't it?

They were almost too beautiful to open, but eventually I did and made deviled eggs, which are a must for Hungarian Easter, but more about that another time.

 

Speaking of Hungarian Easter, I just had to post this hand-painted egg, which is also a tradition. Beautiful, isn't it?

Happy Easter Season!

No Bags

I have a real pet peeve about plastic. There is too much in this world. Having lived in Europe, I got used to having to buy my plastic bags, and/or bring my own bag when I went shopping. Here in the US, plastic bags are in abundance. I cannot stand the clutter their accumulation creates in my environment, not to mention the damage they wreak on our environment. So, I stopped using them. Whenever I go to the store, I use my own handbag, or bring my own reusable bag when I grocery shop. I'll request not to be given a bag when I purchase something, and I am always looked at as if I have three heads. You would think by now people are used to such behavior, but perhaps I am wrong.

I recently bought a pot for flowers, a gift for a friend, socks for my boys, and groceries. I carried it all out or in my hand bag, and put it in my trunk. 

It helps that my handbag is large. I have been using Eileen Fisher's Whole Life Bag for over a year now. Unfortunately I did not see it on her website anymore.

I am a proponent of simple living, but I admit, that sometimes not accepting the bag can make things harder to deal with. I am dedicated to this practice, however. It is better for everyone and everything. 

Blackboard

I love when I have company. It forces me to get little projects done around the house that I otherwise put off. My family was coming to town for a week, and I wanted to complete a project in my kitchen. I had been completely inspired by the idea of using blackboards in decorating, which I saw on many blogs, but the original one that I love to follow is from the Gardener's Cottage. I think it looks so classy, and gives the kitchen a bistro feel.  So here are some before and after shots to show the difference. I think it made a huge improvement.

BEFORE

 

 

AFTER