explore

The use of traveling is to regulate imagination by reality, and instead of thinking how things may be, to see them as they are.” – Samuel Johnson



Today is nothing but packing, wrapping and battery checking for me. Happy Friday!

image via Erica George Dines

freak out

Today I'm racing to get everything ready for Christmas and a 3 day drive/adventure with my friend and our combined four kidos 7,6,5 and 5. I'm close to losing what little there is left of my wee mind and still struggling to let go of some of my ridiculous holiday expectations. Here a short, random illustrated list of my to dos and not to dos...



Go to Half Price Books... get the girls some bookage for the trip and life.


Ignore all the cool design sponge holiday decor ideas and release myself from any need to make something crafty wafty.

Send out Christmas cards TODAY! We have never done it because I always end up in an overwhelmed ball on the floor with all my half-baked, stupidly ambitious ideas for the most-creative-christmas-card-ever spread out all over the house. This year we bought cards and my hubby is writing in each one for me because I always want to write extremely long, personal love notes to each person (basically I have a problem shutting up in person or in letter and that takes WAY to much time). I was only able to let go of making cards this year because we have a GREAT photo of the girls thanks to this fine fellow. Thank you Steven Visneau you made the Christmas cardness possible.

Time with the man I love. I miss him when I'm in crazy mode and I know he misses the un-frenzied me. I gotta slow down and remember who I really want to be with and what I want to be doing and let everything else go.

Must take time to exercise some creativity and explore design with the googles (girls) and play, just play.

Finally, NO MORE shopping! Only love, music, friends, family and food, lots of glorious holiday food, from here on out.

o

o

images via design files & design sponge & hometta

quote author unknown

cool kids

When I was looking around the Paumes website yesterday I discovered that they are the publishers of another one of my favorite design books, cool kid's rooms.

This book details the rooms of Parisian artists' children. Each entry show the parents trade (artist, fashion designer, interior designer, etc) and the child's name and age. I love the eclectic, unplanned, treasure-driven approach these rooms have. Some are cluttered, some are simple but they are all so real, living and beautiful.

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So...guess what I found out, Paumes has TONS of beautiful books with the same artistic direction and I'm dying to get a copy of them. The only hiccup, cool kid's rooms is the only book they publish in English, everything else is in Japanese. Oh well, I still think the pictures are worth it. For example...

o

The Parent's Loved-Chiselled Gifts for Their Tiny Ones

Despite anxious nights, preparing bottles and changing nappies, or living under the stress of preparing baby's imminent arrival, some parents still find time to create wonderful gifts for their tiny ones! It seems that expecting a child or becoming a parent stimulates creative energies within families, what could be more beautiful than designing and producing one's own unique and personal gift for one's child?

Kids' Bedrooms in Stockholm

Children's Rooms "Copenhagen"

Children's Rooms London

There are about 32 books in all that I'm curious about and most of them non-kid themed

London Vintage

Pàtisseries à Paris
Copenhagen Apartments
Appartements de Garçons
London Gardens

Paris des fleurset des fleuristes

London Ateliers

San Francisco Kitchens

Paris Kitchens

Paris Studios

Paris Brocante

Paris Book Lovers
Mum's Favourite Recipe. Paris.

Paris Love Apartments

A to Z of Nathalie Lete

Stockholm's Ateliers

Stockholm's Love Apartments
Studio Apartments Paris

Souvenirs of Paris

London Kitchens

Stockholm Apartments

Paris Kitchens

Paris Flower Shops

Kids' bedrooms in Paris

Stockholm's Kitchens

st... st... studio

still wishing for...

Time Fades Away by Gideon Bok










Franklin Evans open studio

a place to spread out my madness.

images via paumes

it is finished

I had no time, energy or single stream of coherent thought to post last Friday. I was finishing up the final preparations for the last of three events I've planned and carried out for 150+ people in under two months. I'm finished. It is done. I can go back to my own personal craziness without any large looming parties hanging over my head. I will miss the nightly Sprinkles cupcakes, bag of Ghirardelli milk chocolate chips, or Ben and Jerry's New York Super Fudge Chunk that were easily justifiable mandatory stress eating treats. For this party last weekend, a few good, kind friends and I made a 100+ paper flowers that turned out fabulous. My girls enjoyed playing in them post-party.

holiday smoliday

Honesty, how do the holidays get so CrAZy each year? I'm totally ready to loose my mind with all the places to go and lists to do. Here is a Parisian mental health break courtesy of danske's beautiful and calming photos of April in Paris.