Saturday, November 29, 2008

Frosty fun...


Hope everyone is recovering from their holiday feast and enjoyed their time with loved ones. For those that are making their way back home, may you travel safely. We woke up to a frosty covering of snow here in Minnesota. Hard to belive we've been home a week already from our trip to New York. I've been posting pictures in a flurry of excitement to share them and be inspired by the sights that we saw. I have links to each nyc post on the right sidebar if you'd like to take in the trip all at once. Today I thought I'd share the lovely holiday displays we saw at some of my favorite stores.

Tinsel Trading had lots of snowflakes and trees wrapped with white soft felt for a warm and cozy feel.There was glitter, glitter and more glitter. It was fun to see so much of Wendy Addison's work all in one place.

It was also fun to see Jennifer Murphy's little holiday critters piled high and happily climbing out of a set of antique drawers there.

ABC Carpet and Home was overflowing with holiday themes of every style and color.



The Shabby Chic store had a huge table filled to the brim with holiday goodness.

The Anthropologie store will have to be a whole post in itself.

What about you, have you begun putting up your holiday decor?

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Gratitude...



On this Thanksgiving day, I am filled with gratitude. Gratitude for the food and shelter that enable me to live, gratitude for the joy in simple things, and gratitude for this human body in which I can smell, taste, hear, see and touch the Earth. I am thankful for my husband, my parents, my sister and her family, friends and family far and wide. I am thankful for my children who teach me more each day than I could ever imagine. I also want to let you know how grateful I am for you. As I develop that which I wish to give back to the Earth you have been there with me. You teach me and stay with me as I try to articulate this beautiful vision of life that I see. May you and your loved ones feel enlivened by the possibilities for health and harmony.


May all beings be safe and have their needs met,


May all beings be well and live in harmony with nature,


May all beings be happy and know contentment regardless of circumstances,


May all beings be let go of anything in the way of their true freedom.


Happy Thanksgiving!

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Color inspiration {new york}


I'm so glad you're all enjoying my trip photos. It's fun to re-live the trip each day as I post. A few of you wondered if I ask store owners to take photos inside their establishment. Yes, in New York I did, and they were just fine with it. I'm going to do another post on all the holiday decor that we saw, especially at Tinsel Trading, Shabby Chic and Anthropologie. In the meantime, I thought it would be fun to share the rainbow of colors that we saw all over Manhattan.
Fishs Eddy. Loved this store!! Quirky. fun. and inexpensive.PurlSoho. Tiny. luscious colors. Yummy yarn.
Pearl River Market. Ecclectic. Kitchy. Fun. Anthro display. Orange is the new red. Tinsel Trading Company. Yes, it really is that good!
Kate's Paperie. Loads of fabulous stationary and paper products.

The flower district. Fresh. Green. Invigorating.

It was also here that we stumbled across the Martha Stewart show studio. The Garage flea market. More Tinsel Trading.

Our hotel was in the "light district".

Inside the lobby, with funky purple walls and leopard print couches.


“The true harvest of my life is intangible - a little star dust caught, a portion of the rainbow I have clutched” ~ Henry David Thoreau

Monday, November 24, 2008

New York whimsy

Even though the kids weren't with us, I am always on the lookout for unique kid-themed inspiration. It came in many different forms in new york city. This graffitti girl was so sweet and yet so edgy.The Alice in Wonderland sculpture in Central Park was worth the walk. We stopped on the way to the Wall Stories exhibit of children's vintage wallpaper and book illustrations at the Cooper-Hewitt Center for Design.The little Parisian carousel in Bryant Park was delightful. Loved the holiday touches.
Then we found the amazing top floor of ABC Home and Carpet. My goodness!! Such delightful children's treasures. It all had a European flair in an absolute whimsical land of inspiration.










The children's section of the Shabby Chic store in SoHo was full of frilly pastel gorgeousness. More pics of this store later.



A world of wonder.