Monday, June 18, 2012

Wabi Sabi


Past Perfect...


The spirit of Japan is not always easy for westerners to understand but staying in a traditional Riokan helps clarify the meaning of Wabi Sabi


Wabi suggests freshness-simplicity-quietness

as in fresh crisp bedding rolled out on tatami mats each evening

Sabi suggests a burnished beauty 


like the weathering of wood


the tarnish on brass-


the creeping of moss on stone

There is nothing Wabi Sabi about a Ferrari

Precise Perfection

"One picture is worth a thousand words"  


 Images that define the beauty and serenity of WABI SABI


an old grape stake fence

worn leather of well used books

a chair seat with all the scars of age


down cushions with permanent impressions 
of hours well spent

 ...freyed and faded silk

...peeling paint on ancient candlesticks

A blossom in decline speaks of fleeting beauty

Stunning interiors reflecting Wabi Sabi

INTERIOR-STEPHEN SILLS ASSOCIATES
INTERIOR DESIGN-STEPHEN SILLS ASSOCIATES

INTERIOR DESIGN -DARRYL CARTER

INTERIOR DESIGN-DARRYL CARTER

Fresh seemingly simple interiors that are never vulgur or overdecorated

So leave the Ferrari in the garage (if you can afford one)
Keep upholstery  simple, neutral,  and timeless 
ESPECIALLY if you are on a budget...
shop antique malls and flea markets for pieces PAST PERFECT.

Recognize the beauty of places ravaged by time 



siding battered by the elements

a tarnished faucet


a tangle of rusted fencing


...tendrils weaving through rafters

I love that Wabi Sabi spirit of Japan- an appreciation for the beauty of imperfection.
I always attempt to imbue my own design projects with that same spirit believing
there is much to be said for perfect imperfection ...

           But all things in good measure
                                                                                now I am off to have my car washed.

Cheers,

Rela

























Friday, June 1, 2012



PUPPY LOVE

CASHIE & LINDSEY

Unposed-Unrehearsed


Don't underestimate the depth of  innocent loyal attachments




Her first single
 released when she was 15 
"PUPPY LOVE"
Do you know who this mega star is ?
Paul Anka
 PUPPY LOVE
written for 
Annette Funicello



This is my Puppy Love
FINLEY





"A dog doesn't care if you are rich or poor
educated or illiterate
clever or dull.
Give him your heart and he will give you his."

John Grogan



GARDEN & GUN
Until I saw this cover of what is BTW a fantastic magazine
I didn't know the difference between an American Lab and English Lab
There is a difference !

A little on-line research and I found
I watched 
MARLY AND ME

and thought I was ready for anything

We adopted Finley from Greenstone  
when he was a year old -
I just didn't know what exactly "anything" was
until 
Finley took off with a 7 pound filet of beef one hour before 
our dinner guests arrived.

But look at that face...

For the Love of Dogs...

from dish towels...

to kitchen aprons

Dog Art personalizes the homes of dog lovers

GRACIE
Photography-Denise Amantea

MOXIE
by
the celebrated dog portraitist
COOL BREEZE
by
Christine Merrill


THE GREAT GATSBY
INTERIOR DESIGN-KERI ELMQUIST

Portraits are a good way of
 commemorating all things special

BLUE BUG
by
Sheila LeClaire

In her whimsical style Sheila creates little jewels in oil


TOP DOGS

FALA
The most famous of presidential pets
belonged to Franklin Delano Roosevelt
She was his constant companion and when she died
seven years after The President
she was buried next to her master

Creature Comforts







No one would mind being in the dog house if it was an Airstream
BUT....

You don't need to be a dog lover to LOVE

a poignant story told from a dog's point of view
I LOVED THIS BOOK
cried and cried

and yet another
"This book is a classic. A beautiful, uplifting...
exquisitely moving story."
IRIS RAINIER DART

It's become very clear to me that  Labs- American or English
have become the single most popular breed in America

That's Puppy Love

 Diane Keaton 
 stars in
DARLING COMPANION

Thumbs Down from me
It's overwritten, trite and generally stupid but never-the-less
Diane Keaton is always fun to watch and it is a shaggy dog story

Speaking of LOVE...  How much do you love the taste of summer ?

Fresh produce at Farmer's Markets in the Napa Valley attract
locals as well as visitors 

Aba and Anna Milo of Palm Beach 
at
The St Helena Farmers' Market
held every Friday morning , May to October


Find all kinds of treasures at our Farmers' Markets
from

Handmade pottery

to handmade pasta 
that's like no other pasta you have ever eaten

Just drizzle some wonderful Tuscan varietal olive oil on it and be transported
or how about some of that oil on vine ripened tomatoes with fresh basil

Do you remember your  FIRST CRUSH ????

Ours has developed into a full blown love affair

In 2002 we planted 175 olive saplings
on the hillside above 
Summer Hill Vineyards:
 Four Tuscan varieties in a specific proportionate combination.

Our first harvest was so small that we had to combine it with fruit 
from the ancient Mediterranean trees that grow between the grape vines.
The blend is pure serendipity. 
The yield is very small as our oil is FIRST CRUSH only

The flavor is full, fresh, spicey and unique to our terroire

To enjoy this exclusive and precious bounty
contact
EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

Here's to a summer of love !

Rela