Today

Today I accomplished nothing. My flight arrived rather late last night and we got home after midnight - naturally I had a brutal headache (part of the reason I hate flying). To mark the end of my idyllic vacation, I was very migrainey today and spent much of the day in bed. Luckily, I had some company:

Biscuit keeping guard over sick Mummy.

After a lot of sleep, I visited with David and then read the new "House Beautiful", which was waiting for me at home. I also picked up an interesting book at the airport called "Nurture Shock" by Po Bronson (more new philosophies of child-rearing) which is very interesting.

My trip home was excellent. Basically we did lots of visiting, talking, and eating. Some exercise was done, I finished the first Edith Wharton novel, and got to watch the final episodes of Oprah and American Idol with my Mom (she's a fan and I called it that Scotty would win months ago when I saw his audition!). We visited my Grandma lots at the nursing home. A perfect family holiday...

Here is a close-up of the bedroom shelves I stared at all day from my post in bed:

The little swan came from Vancouver (it's antique Goebel). The horse is from a Paris flea market. The paper-covered books and box were made by my friend Noel. The tiny picture frame is from Holland. "The Remains of the Day" is a favorite book, as is "Dwellings" by Sills and Huniford.

The walls in this room are painted a dreamy Skylight by Farrow & Ball, made up by BM.

Hope your day was as relaxing as mine, minus the headache...! I've missed you all.

Spring Favorites & Travel

I am about to embark on a 10-day journey to the east coast to see my darling mother and extended family. I hope to have plenty of time for visiting loved ones, sleeping, sight seeing, spring appreciating, and eating lovely foodstuffs.

I have been meaning to post a few things, but got behind. So I thought I would share with you some things that have been on my mind the last few days.

This is presently my favorite room, from a Paris hotel. I should like to live here, thank you. Excuse the awful scan. Don't you think it is perfect for me (although champagne gives me a headache)?

This is my new favorite book ("Living Traditions" by the inimitable Matthew Patrick Smyth). The front and back covers are awfully nice to look at.

And here is Biscuit, my favorite (and only) cat in the background. A very pretty bouquet of spring flowers, a gift from myself to me, sits in the foreground:

These are my new favorite summer shoes ($11) which I can only wear in the house because my arches ache if I actually walk anywhere in them (my feet demand proper shoes):

Close-up of kitty inspecting camera:

This is my favorite shrub in the yard, a double-flowering plum, attempting to flower (at least the buds against the warm window - the rest have barely emerged).

This is the marvellous book I am reading. I love novels of manners and have intended to read this forever. I keep meaning to buy her book "The Decoration of Houses", published in 1898 (I imagine it's a blast). I am set to read her Pulitzer prize winning "The Age of Innocence" next.

And this is my favorite song (presently, and for the last several months since I first saw the video). I finally bought it tonight on itunes for my plane trip. I do hate to fly, but Adele will help. Collective ahhhhh...

(Adele from Later with Jools Holland)

Happy Spring to you all! See you in June!

House Painting: Different Door Colours?

In my previous post, I showed sample palettes I've been considering for painting our house. I should have trusted my instincts, as I received several comments and emails voting for the two-tone look I preferred (medium greige on top with the brick painted a slightly darker colour).

Until I change my mind, let's pretend this is my scheme and move on to doors and shutters...!

I am drawn to the crispness of black shutters and door, but admit is quite sedate (hey, I've been known to like sedate).

Keep in mind, in summer, there is colour around with a (brief) pink flowering plum to the right of the step, tons of flower pots out front, and a dark purple ornamental crabapple all summer long (right). In winter, think s n o w...

Option 1: Here is the black + black. I love the crispness of the black.

Option 2: I also like this dark plum door, which coordinates with the apple tree!!! I have left the shutters black, which are unbalanced but will pick up the lantern and mailbox to the right of the door (to be replaced with crisp black).

Option 3: Originally I wanted a slate blue door, but it doesn't relate to anything...except maybe the Colorado blue spruce to the left of the door

Option 4: Ok, here is green for someone who suggested it! Matches the landscape and might look nice out back with all the green doors of the garage, potting shed coordinating with our flower garden.

I tried to choose gray tones of the selected colours, to suit the greige tone of the "Requisite Gray" paint colour ("Manor House" on the brick). I tried bright colours for the door but they looked terrible. As Maria of "Colour Me Happy" always says, the cleaner colours made the gray look dirty!! So I stuck with gray versions of the door colours.

What think ye?

Help Me Paint My House!

Our house desperately needs a paint job. Here's the current colour, as we bought it 4 years ago. The wood is sage green and red brick facing appears in three areas. The hot pink doors have to go!

My preferred house colours are white, seaside gray blue, and soft yellow, but only if I had a charming character home! Instead we have a 1970's house in a neighborhood where everyone is updating their house in taupes, browns, and grays. I would like our house to fit in...

The entire back yard (garage, potting shed, and 3 fences) will be painted in the wood colour (or perhaps 2 similar shades), so I really want to love the colour we choose for the wood! It's what I see when I look out the window at our lovely flower garden, so I want to like it!

Everyone in the neighborhood seems to be painting their brick. I don't happen to LOVE my brick, so I'm not too sentimental about it. I can't find anyone in Calgary to stain/tint it, as I'd rather do, to preserve a different mortar colour. So it might just get painted.

I've worked out 4 schemes so far. All options have black door and shutters (I may consider a different colour door later!)

Option 1: Paint the brick. Use a medium greige on the wood, a few shades darker on the brick:

Option 2: Paint the brick. Darker greige on the wood with homogenous brick (perhaps only one shade darker but similar to the wood):

Option 3: Keep the brick. Use a complementary medium brown paint:

Option 4: Keep the brick. Use a complementary DARKER brown paint, which picks up the dark brown bricks:

I think I am leaning to Option 1 or 2. What think ye? Another idea perhaps??

I used Sherwin Williams fabulous colour visualizer for this project!

Colours are all Sherwin Williams:

Option 1: Functional Gray (wood) + Thunder Gray (brick) + Tricorn Black (door, shutters)

Option 2: Dovetail Gray (wood) + Gauntlet Gray (brick) + Caviar (door, shutters)

Option 3: Mega Greige (wood) + Tricorn Black (door, shutters)

Option 4: Mink (wood) + Tricorn Black (door, shutters)

Happy Mother's Day

I have been blessed with the most wonderful mother in the world. She taught me everything I need to know about being kind, loving, curious, compassionate, strong and optimistic.

She is a devoted mother, daughter, sister, mentor, teacher, lover of music, constant learner, cat lover, great cook, and word nerd. She also has great legs, beautiful green eyes, and a ready laugh. I have never met someone as positive and as interested in other people as she is. She is loyal and good and my biggest supporter and number one fan. We are similar in so many ways, including our love of sleep, movies, music, and chatting with strangers. She has the strength of a warrior and a heart as big as the ocean. I am so proud she is mine!

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!