I must leave my darling home and garden.

My living room 2007,

with fishpond, roses and custom clothes dryer over the heating

What a surprise - my landlord is selling my beloved North Melbourne house. After six years, it was starting to look unmistakably like me.

Courtyard Christmas 2009

with river of curvy bricks

Well, by April 15th, my cat, my plants, my furniture collection and myself will all be somewhere else, and I can't for the life of me imagine where.


Somewhere bigger - a old mansion to paint up, with a flock of beautiful Japanese women helping out?



Somewhere further - an old Japanese farmhouse, with my things in storage, and my plants and cat and car with babysitters?

Woodfire stove with kid goat.

Illustration by Cecilia

Something funnier : roaming Australia in a restored frilly 1950's caravan?


Even though I'm a kind of Fairy of Flexibility, I need your good advice and clever ideas, because this is not my average-sized challenge.

Detail of the fairies I painted in acrylic,

splashed with rainbow light from the balcony-hung crystal

Without you, it is quite possible I could end up somewhere....dastardly. Keep in touch. Send advice and ideas. Keep me encouraged.

Producto De Los Estados Unidos

The other 2 full time designers at our flower shop were born in Bolivia. One is a citizen, the other, Betty is a permanent legal resident. Today after work we came to my house and I helped her fill out her application for citizenship. I was honored.

I love them as sisters. I have learned so much from them both. How not to be a princess, how to view every job that comes along as worthwhile, not beneath me. They are both so talented and hardworking, I have come to understand there is nothing I can't ask them to do that I wouldn't do myself.

When I met Betty, she was working at the shop after school, cleaning buckets and the cooler and just making sense of the mess we made every day. After high school she began to work full time and we trained her to design. She is now a brilliant designer. She got married, had 2 beautiful boys. The 12 year old is a 4th year honor student ,the 8 year old has just been accepted into the young scholars program. She is a home owner, soccer mom, fighter for injustice . She taught me by example to stand up for my rights, make the tough phone calls, and set my boundaries. And we laugh daily , trade clothes, share lunches and plants from our gardens.

America is lucky to be getting such a strong woman as a citizen. I am very lucky to have her as a friend.

Table cloth sample!

Our coated table cloth sample arrived this morning. It's water resistent, look!

 

Preppies like to Go Green too!

My family has been recycling since the second grade when our town issued everyone recycling bins and taught us about #6 plastics. My mother has had a compost pile in our garden for even longer. The latest (not really that new though) way of being green is to bring your own bag to the grocery store so as not to use too many plastic or paper bags. Most stores don't even offer paper bags anymore. I'd LOVE to take part in this but every time I see one of those bags I think..."I'd rather not." It brings to mind something like the below bag. Really?? Ew.

BUT THEN. When I saw THESE at Lilly Pulitzer, I thought..."I'll take it!"It says, "Lilly Loves Green." Creme Fraiche Grocery bag.

This one is called "Queen of Green."

These bags aren't very expensive (only $9.95!) and they're made of recycled materials. They're happy and bright and the perfect GREEN accessory for spring. Read more about Lilly Loves Green HERE. "Green" certainly isn't a trend, or some kind of extreme lifestyle, it should just be a routine. A cute bright one, now!


Alicia B.

Gratitude

We were slammed at work today. I don't know what this says about the economy is general, but when people are sending that many flowers on a Tuesday, things seem to be looking up. I'm setting up a new hotel account. A few years ago we might have turned our noses up at their budget. Now we're just grateful for their business. Maybe that's what this post is about: gratitude.

I have a little fat organic chicken roasting in the oven. My house was cleaned today. It isn't snowing (yet). I have a few vases of one of my favorite spring flowers sitting around the clean house. Fritillaria, sweetest little blossoms especially the checkered-lily. And a few more of red parrot tulips. I looked up the spelling of fritillaria in a beautiful old book called The Garden Encyclopedia. It was published in 1936. It's information is as pertinent today as it was then. My mother bought it at auction and I inherited it from her. I always inherited her love of cooking, gardening, auctions and yard sales and a rather sarcastic sense of humor. Thanks mom.

Yep, I'm pretty damn grateful.

Coffee fever

 

That's it! Off to Guatemala to source some Arabica! !Hasta luego! !Nos vemos pronto!

Unique & SImple Chair Design - Furniture For Home

Simple and unique may be which many people liked for chair design now. looks the unique silver and blue design chair above , what do you think about this design chair furniture ?? i think this design very amazing and interesting to have in our home.

Unique silver and blue design with simple ideas chair design. I want to have this furniture for complementary my living room. i think my room will seen the beauty and luxuary room interior.