Cherry blossoms and bluebirds..

My ongoing love of Asian art led me to this little gem of a print. J'adore birds and cherry blossoms and here they are in a pretty pink work of art.

I have found Michael's to be a good place for framing at a reasonable price especially when they have their framing sale periods.

This has joined my other little art works in my bathroom. I think art should be in every room something to refresh your spirit.

Have a PINK day!

Ribbons and buttons ideas galore!

Nicholas Kniel, whose eponymous shop is my favorite shop in Atlanta, gave a presentation at the ADAC ( professional interior design center) at Kravet fabrics last week. He showed how fabrics and ribbons and buttons could make gift wrapping, organizing and holiday decorating stylish and fun.

In the 2010 holiday issue of Traditional Home he will have a 6 page spread featuring his ideas, book and holiday decorating. He used wall paper leftovers to wrap gifts ( his tip use a glue gun to seal the wrapping ends) and buttons became pillow and gift adornment and were the main decoration on a wonderful wreath.

He is living his version of the "pink life" making things beautiful , organized, creative and using what is often at hand in a new way. He incorporates dressmaker details into design for the home or the gift. Many of his clients are brides looking for something special to add to their gowns or to the reception decorations. Enjoy the sneak peak and watch for the magazine soon.

Have a PINK day!

Autumn is taking over the pink garden

Summer is slowly leaving us-- days are still warm, too warm, but I see the leaves dropping and hear the sounds of fall a certain rustle and the sharp chirp of birds. Most of my garden flowers are pink accented with purple and white and they all seem to melt into a green then disappear.

If the air held that crispness I would be so happy. My New Dawn climbing roses are giving a few last beauties to behold. The bees are clinging to the purple saliva trying to get every last bit of goodness before autumn winds blow them away.

Autumn is my favorite time and it is always so brief.

Have a PINK day!

La vie en rose --Paris style

Some soft Parisian light I would say morning light here. How can I not love a city that so often is so PINK and seems to want to look pretty for all to enjoy? I think of the city as a feminine entity do you? Stone buildings seem to be alive with curves and embellishments.

As much as I like the gloaming I do love the first light of a new day and Paris often puts on quite an opening act.

Have a PINK day!

Into the Gloaming

There is that special time of day when day slips into night and the light is so soft and things look a bit blurry -- I love that time. In England it is referred to as the gloaming- we say dusk here but dusk doesn't capture the feel of the light.

Light fascinates me. I love to look at objects when the light seems to bounce off or splinter. Candle light is magical and I often light small votives all around the pond and in my wall sconces on the patio and just sit and enjoy the ambiance and try to figure out just where the dark takes over from the glow of the candles.

Life moves so quickly I wonder if we shouldn't sit and look at a candle flame, observe the light shifting into shadow, revel in the pink of the Paris light, soak in the grey- rainy mist of London, the glint of light on fresh snow .

Wouldn't it be nice if we could capture the light not just with a camera or a film but with our hearts and our minds forever?

Have a PINK day!

Her name is Lola... She is a showgirl!

Sorry Barry Manilow for the lifting and tweaking of your Copacabana lyrics! I couldn't resist.

Happy Pink Saturday everyone! Please check out How Sweet the Sound link to the right to visit other bloggers doing PINK posts today.

Lola, my Pink-In-Law's Yorkie, loves to dress up. I bought her an outfit as a joke and she loved it. She now has 11 outfits of which one is even a little" leather "biker chic vest!!

We call this one her showgirl tutu. She is so funny-- when she sees the box of outfits on the bench and barks at it till my mother -in -law picks it up and then Lola runs over to the sofa where she is then "dressed" in the outfit. After that she wants to go "out" and show it off so she is lead down the hall at assisted living to the common area downstairs where everyone fusses over her.

She must have been a showgirl in a previous life! She loves to look pretty and be admired! She loves bling and ruffles and feathers! Of course, Lola is such a showgirl name!! She has a lot of personality. She is going to be a clown for Halloween and I am now searching for her red Christmas outfit.

She brings a lot of joy to my Pink-In-Laws and to the other assisted living residents.

Please visit Sherry at her blog Country Wings in Phoenix :http://countrywingsinphoenix.blogspot.com/ She is a regular Pink Saturday blogger.

Have a PINK day!

Another cozy English cottage... is Pink Boy catching the clue here?

I am not sure how often or how carefully Pink Boy reads this blog. If he is reading it maybe he sees these charming English cottages and will take it to heart that I really am yearning for a Cotswold's trip in 2011.

I just keep finding these lovely little dwellings or they find me! This one is adorable even called Rose Cottage! Pink Boy works with people in the UK on a daily basis and when they visit us they all remark on how large our homes are here and how bright they are. I think the way our builders make volume and thus increase light makes them feel the homes are bigger than they are. Our home is small yet they always say it is large.

I just wish I had more storage space for my china obsession!!

Have a PINK day!

Paris when can I see you again?

It has only been 3 months since I was there but I am sure missing Paris already. The incredible beauty that is all around in that city really makes me feel so happy. I wish I were a smarter person so I could figure out a way to "need " to go over more often or make more money so I could go over!!

These images make me want to go right now and also make me hungry too. The pastry in Paris is so, so, so YUMMY and so fresh. I miss the bread too.

Most desserts are eaten rather quickly by moi! They are so flavorful and not as sweet as our desserts. Lenotre pastry shop in the 16 arrondissement is a favorite stop for carry-away treats.

I just watched the season premier of Gossip Girl and it was shot in Paris. And it was shot at the same time we were there because the Chanel window and the department store windows are the same. They changed the Chanel window while we were there and it is the one on Gossip Girl.

Have a PINK day!

PINK GIRL on wheels!

Took awhile but I finally got my new vanity tag! Now everyone can see me coming or should I say see me going since we only do rear plates in Georgia!

I am so thrilled with my tag. I bet men shake their heads or think it is stupid.

Poor Pink Boy I feel sorry for him if he has to drive my car now--the pink stickers on the back were bad enough.

If I ever get my dream car with pink leather interior I will really feel sorry for him then.

Have a PINK day!

The world is mad for cupcakes!!

Cupcakes are taking over the world it seems. I see them everywhere- on TV shows, in ads, in shop windows. Atlanta has several bakeries that specialize in cupcakes!

These images intrigued me-- are the items on top of modeling icing or what? I don't think I could eat those tiny tea pots too too cute!!

Cupcakes are a big deal in France too and in UK. Does anyone know about Italy?

I guess if something is taking over the world I am happy it is something wonderful like a cupcake.

Have a PINK day!

Watch Nate Berkus show on Sept 21st

I have mentioned before the wonderful blog by Sandy --My Shabby Streamside Studio. Well, she was featured in the NY Times magazine then Country Victoria magazine just did a photo shoot with her (it is in issue on newsstands now) and Nate Berkus and his TV crew visited her and will show her segment on September 21 episode. Set your DVR's or TiVo don't miss her charming studio.

She did it all herself with just a little help with some of the heavy lifting. She can use power tools which I admire. Her little world she created is charming and serene and dreamy too. The photos are hers or Country Victorian. Just wanted you to see a little peek of the dream she has created.

Have a PINK day!

A Scented Palace, a scented life

I really enjoyed the book A Scented Palace by Elisabeth de Feydeau. It covers the career of the perfumer to Marie Antoinette. I learned a lot about perfumes, the court rituals and wonderful information about the language of the "patch" (facial patches) and all the inventive items Jean-Louis Fargeon created for his customers at Versailles.

Some things never change--women still want beauty products and scent. We still go in for make-up fads from time to time.

A few of the more interesting items I learned were: The perfumer would scent the gloves and use scent on the folding fans too--how delightful that must have been! He also created lingerie pouches that were scented.

The word toilette comes from the use of the toile fabric Fargeon used to soak in scent and then line it front and back with satin and it was used on the dressing table. Remember in those days scent was essential because of poor hygiene (the English bathed more often but the French were slow to accept daily bathing) and the poor air quality within the chateau.

The dressing table was important and women and the queen had people in while they completed their "toilette" at their dressing tables.

Marie Antoinette's insistence about taking her lavish toilette set, in part, led to their ill-fated attempt to flee Versailles. They also left in a fancy carriage--duh!

Have a PINK day!

Pink tassel and Pink Saturday

Happy Pink Saturday! Please go to How Sweet the Sound (to your right) and see other pink themed blogs today. Today I am featuring La Chambre Rose blog:

http://lachambrerose.blogspot.com/

I've shown you the tassel from Marie Antoinette's bed chamber at Versailles and here is my pink and green tassel from my pink and green family room. Whoa--talk about difference in size and design. Even thought my family room/kitchen is tiny I do love it. It is very garden like and the girls ( Simone-Marie and Sydney-Marie) love to lay on their doggie poufs and hang out with me.

I used mainly Waverly fabric in there and it is all discontinued now. So when I redecorate in a few years I guess I may have to start all over in terms of sofa fabric.

Have a PINK day!

I had a pink door once...

This living pink is not a new thing for me I have done it all my life. I am all about the pretty(especially pink pretty) and I guess I always will be.

Our first home was in an older neighborhood and it was a traditional brick Cape Cod style house. It had ivy growing up it and wisteria and cute pineapple wrought iron work. It was small but well built and about 40 years old then.

One of the first things I did when we moved in was paint that front door about this shade of pink! No one else in the entire town and maybe not in entire NE of Ohio had a pink front door!

People found my house in the dark no problem. Trick or Tr eaters found me and all my new neighbors were curious about who would paint their front door pink. I loved that little house and the neighborhood was charming about one block from Lake Erie.

To this day many of my friend mention that pink door. I hope when it opened for them they felt welcomed and loved in my home. That is what living pink is all about!

Have a PINK day!

Pink Living and Linen water !!

It doesn't take much to make me happy!! I found linen water in wonderful scents at my local Homegoods store. Do you have one nearby? Some are bigger and better than others and they all get a different mix of things but most I would think stock the linen water. It is usually so expensive that I have even made my own in the past to save money.

The entire linen water concept is so key to my idea of Pink Living-- something that isn"t even that expensive can make life so much nicer. I had the pleasure to work, for many years, for a fine French linen company and I have a rather extensive collection of bed linens. I care for them and treasure them and ironing them using linen water just adds that extra "something" that makes life nice.

I use linen water on my sheets of course, spray it in my lingerie drawers, spray it on hankies too and sometimes even on my blouses if I am not wearing any scent that day. I always spray it on my nice guest towels in the powder room before a party.

Sometimes half way through the week when I feel my bed is a little tired looking I will respray the pillow cases to freshen it up.

Do you have a favorite scent? I bought all my favorites: rose petal, sweet pea, lilac, pink jasmine!! I am not crazy about lavender they had that too. I have shown you the labels but there does not seem to be a real company name on the labels. Try it I am sure you will love it.

Have a PINK day!

Love the birds, feed the birds

Birds are an important part of life around here. Not only do we have indoor pink Bourke's parakeets but we have a garden full of birds all year. The garden is a certified Audubon Habitat --meaning that it offers food, shelter, water, plants that birds need and a natural environment for them.

We have humming birds zooming around so much sometimes they almost hit me. All year long we see cardinals, and chickadees and titmouse's and bluebirds and blue jays the list goes on and on.

I never tire of watching them and it is such a delight for me to have time to truly look at them. I make the hummingbird food myself. The packaged kind you buy that is red is not good. The red dye is not good for them. The food must be changed if it is not used quickly as mold can develop and hurt the birds. Years ago a hummer flew into my shop and stunned itself by hitting a glass window. Debbie and I got to hold it and watch it revive before letting it go again. It sure was hard to let it go . It barely weighed anything in my hand! A real miracle of avian engineering !

Pink Boy bought this feeder for me in France and we put it up near our front entryway . We want all the birds to find us and enjoy some food.

Have a PINK day!

I keep finding images of English cottages!!

Am I subconsciously looking for them or are they just out there in abundance and I stumble across them? Ever since I decided I want to explore the Cotswolds next year I keep finding these cute, cozy cottages.

Do you have a Cotswold's story or tips that you would like to share with me? I am always eager to hear travel tales and tips. I love London but long for the cozy English village. Maybe Miss Marple or Hercule Poiret will be hiding behind a hedgerow?

Isn't this a cute little place you'd like to pop right on in for a cuppa?

Have a PINK day!

More fans that I adore

I really think we should revive the folding fan sort of like Karl Lagerfeld did a few years ago. If you think about it a bit it is the "green" way to keep cool!

The fan above is another one from Viven (see yesterday's post) and so lovely. I just love all the fans in the Marie Antoinette movie and love this scene where they are so much a part of the action shall we say!

Have a PINK day!

More china relating to MArie Antoinette!

A fellow blogger and designer Vivien at Quaintrelle Life sent me this picture of a plate with my monogram on it. She is going to make me a folding fan with the monogram in flowers like this. Here is the web site http://www.quaintrellelife.com/royal_teas.html I saw these fans on her site. What fun it will be to have my own monogram and in PINK !!

Her site is wonderful full of pink and cute clothes and fans and information on la Reine.

If anyone knows this china pattern please let me know I would love a few plates!!

Things just keep getting pinker around here. I will show you when I get the fan.

Have a PINK day!

Pink Saturday and remembering 9/11

My pink Haviland tea cup is in the "Marie" pattern-- so perfect for me don't you think?

The fallen rose petals symbolize the men and women who died in the 9/ 11 attack. I think we all still grieve for them and their families.

To see other Pink Saturday posts please click here for the list:

http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/

I am featuring the wonderful Marydon of The Blushing Rose at:

http://blushingrosetoo.blogspot.com/

Have a PINK day!

Atlanta Historical Society Swan House

I love visiting the Swan House on the grounds of the Atlanta Historical Society in Buckhead. The house is so lovely and well proportioned. It has been used in movies and is such a gracious example of the homes of Buckhead and that earlier era.

It has swan motifs in most of the rooms and the owner's wife loved swans (as do I) so I often find cute swan items in the gift shop on the grounds there.

Still a bit under the weather so no trip there today. I am reading and resting.

Have a PINK day!

I'm back!

Bonjour dear blog readers! I have returned sort of... computer is not ill any more but now I am!! So a short post for today while I rest in my very pink bedroom. Perhaps I can watch a DVD or read some more about Marie Antoinette's time.

How I would love to go to Longwood Gardens in the spring and walk thru this arbor of pinkness!! I think this may be what heaven is like??!!

Have a PINK day!

Is there an English village in my future?

Oh to visit England in the summer when the roses are in bloom!! I love it. I am planning ( in my head anyway) a summer trip to the Cotswolds. I love to walk in the small villages and see those thatched roofs and roses rambling all over.

I have a picture I cut out from a travel magazine that I look at often --a small street in a Cotswold town. I also enjoy looking at my old Victoria magazine issues that feature England. I love London but really enjoy getting beyond that into the countryside.

This photo caught my eye too and has been added to my mental filing cabinet of dream trips. Driving in the Cotswolds poses a problem. Pink Boy hates driving in the United Kingdom. So I guess a driver is a must. I am so independent I hate to have a driver but if this trip happens I think we must.

For me so much of the enjoyment of travel is the planning, the learning about the area and then the actual trip is easy and I am free to enjoy the places and people as we encounter them.

Have a PINK day!

AAAhhhh- a soothing space.

This is perfection is it not? On days when I am laid low by a migraine that doesn't respond to the medication, I could sit or rest in this room And who knows it may even banish the migraine!

This could be done with any color really. I do love green best after pink. I love one color rooms for bedrooms. It has a Charlotte Moss feel but I do not think she designed this room.

I love the overlay of white on the table skirt. Details-- God is in the details! I really believe that on many levels. Notice the wall reading lamps- another detail well thought out. With all that toile pattern on walls and fabrics the white coverlet and the lack of art work makes it so soothing and calming.

Have a PINK day!

Technical issues- sorry no photos

How I love blogging and reading blogs yet still hate my computer!Does anyone else feel this way? I miss the computer when I have to take it to be fixed--like right now it is at the computer lady's shop waiting its turn to have her fix the virus--again. What do people get out of creating these virus--I don't get it.

This is my second virus/spam. I must not have the right programs to thwart these evil virus.I will talk to the computer lady and she what she says I should get.

So unless it get the computer back before Sunday 5th there will be the first ever break in my daily blog posts!! Boo I was hoping to do a full year of posting daily. My laptop has all the photos in it.

So have a safe and fun Labor Day and I will be back as soon as the laptop comes home.

Have a PINK day!

Pink chinoiserie for the bath

Beth over at Chinoiserie Chic saw this garden stool at Overstock.com and posted it on her blog. I bought one right away and I am glad I jumped on it --they sold out quickly. Here is Beth's link

http://chinoiseriechic.blogspot.com/

It is not only pink it is also pagoda shaped another one of my obsessions just adore that shape and the chinoiserie scene on it is wonderful. Overstock .com is a great resource and their shipping is so low.

It now lives in my master bathroom near my big tub a nice spot to rest a glass of wine or towels . My little Maltese Simone noticed it right away and sort of got her head stuck in one of the openings-- she is so curious perhaps she is part cat?

Have a PINK day!

Fall is coming feel winds of change

I love fall -- to me it is a fresh start. I love fall clothing and how busy we are in fall. We usually go to the N Georgia mountains to view leaves and sometimes to New York city for a fall weekend. To me fall has energy.

Even though this model is in PINK you can sense a change and see the breeze blowing she knows fall is coming!

I look forward to a productive and very PINK fall season.

Have a PINK day!