My Mother's Room

 "This was a woman's room, graceful, fragile,
the room of someone who had chosen every 
particle of furniture with great care, so that
each chair, each vase, each small infinitesimal
thing should be in harmony with one another,
and with her own personality." 
                     --'Rebecca' by Daphne DuMaurier 

  Since I was small my Mother always took me shopping with her. She has a love of beauty that she has passed on to me. Our most favourite pastime is when we're together scouring the antique shops for treasures. People have known this about us for a very long time but I don't think they really understood. That's why I wanted to display these vignettes from our home. Everything was gathered with love and comes with memories of us sharing the anticipation and excitement of the hunt. These photographs are of my Mother's bedroom. I hope you enjoy them!

Drawing by Jennelise

BHLDN

   On Valentines Day this month Anthropologie, one of my most favourite shops, opened an online bridal store called BHLDN - a name inspired by the Dutch word meaning "to keep". It is absolutely stunning and well worth a visit even if you are not a bride to be. They carry beautiful gowns and formal dresses as well as shoes, accessories and gorgeous jewelry. Everything has a very romantic and often vintage look that is  feminine and elegant. Make sure you click the EXPLORE link and watch their slideshows which are completely lovely from start to finish! Here are a few pictures of things that I loved from the site.

Behold, BHLDN

       

White

"This was in the white of the year,
      That was in the green,
Drifts were as difficult then to think
      As daisies now to be seen."
                             --Emily Dickinson

  It has been freezing cold this weekend and snowing. I am one of those people who loves snow at Christmas and then spends the next four or five months longing for spring and green things. Guess I live in the wrong country! Here are some pictures I took to remind me that white is pretty! The first is one of my drawings. Enjoy!

My Quiet Place

"Here, where the world is quiet;
     Here, where all trouble seems
Dead winds and spent waves riot
     In doubtful dreams of dreams..."
                   --A. Charles Swinburne
                    'The Garden of Proserpine'

  When I was little my room was typically girly - pink walls, pink bedspread, dolls and teddies. As I grew up some things changed and some stayed the same. The walls stayed pink but became so pale as to almost seem white. The pink comforter evolved over the years and knick knacks came and went. Today, my room is still unabashedly girly but has come to reflect my love of older elegant styles. The furniture is all antique - some stripped and painted white by a lady in town whose beautiful store is sadly closed now.  Everything is special - weaned down to the very precious and unique. This is the place I retreat to when I want a 'quiet world'. I hope you enjoy the photographs!

Journal

Put the thought
In words
And the words in ink
In a page in a book
In a very private place
Like under a mattress
   --Carol Lynn Pearson
     (Poem titled 'Journal')

    Blogging is the opposite of the little diary with the lock and key that you slip under your pillow or mattress to keep away from nosy siblings. I did think that blogging was silly when I first began to hear the word and was surprised when only a couple years later I found myself addicted to my daily ritual of skimming through other people's thoughts and perusing all of the beautiful pictures so readily available to me. It was inevitable that I would want to try it for myself!

    Here then is my clever list of things that I will include in the online journal of my life and loves:

I hope you will join me!