The World According to Isa

Goodbye 2011

2011-12-31T23:33:00.000-08:00

As I stand on the proverbial threshold with 2011 at my back and 2012 in front of me, I have to say that this has been the strangest year. I wanted to immediately say it was the fastest year I have experienced - but that would be incorrect. Fast doesn't describe it. It is more surreal -- a time warp. All of a sudden I am at the end of it.

When I was well, I measured the year in what all I accomplished, and I would feel so proud of all the projects completed, the beauty created in the gardens, my home, my work.... this year, I fell down on most of that if you use those terms. I certainly didn't blog as much as I wanted -- but please know that I wanted to, and I think of all the people that have touched my life through blogland.... all the beauty that was shared with me, all the inspiration that affected me
... and I thank you.

This year, my measurement for the year is that I lived to see it. I am tougher than the cancer that is trying to take over my body. I am more than that. I am not defined by that. It is a whole new way of seeing things and I am still adjusting to my new reality.

I look so forward to a new year, and to be able to spend it with you. Thank you - each and every one of you for what you added to my world. I am eternally grateful and wish you all the best that life has to offer in this upcoming year - and always.

Happy, happy new year.
xo isa

---~*~---
CREDITS
Swan photo - source unknown.

Holiday Magic - a GIVEAWAY

2011-12-15T12:25:00.000-08:00

I would like to spread some Holiday Cheer your way --

Happy Holidays from Greyfreth!
I would like us to put this bottle of mine under your tree ...as a gift...from me.

My shop,Greyfreth has teamed up with Karen Albert of Art by Karena, who is hosting an incredible 12 days of Christmas Giveaway event.

I am going to be remaking one of my earlier pieces - this stunning cross bottle of antique crystal and mercury glass (shown above) for the one lucky person who wins the giveaway, which starts this Thursday, December 15 and ends on December 23. (We are the 12th day of the 12 day event!)http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

WHAT TO DO TO ENTER:

1. Become a Follower of GREYFRETH if you aren't already.

2. LIKE our brand new Greyfreth Facebook Page .

3. Head over to Karen's blog ART BY KARENA the hostess of the 12 days of Christmas Giveaways,
****Leave a comment on her blog to enter. Be sure to follow her fabulous blog, too for an additional entry!

***You cannot enter the giveaway here! - It is being hosted at Art by Karena ***
so make sure to go over to Karen's wonderful blog to get in on all the holiday cheer and to enter this, and all of the other fabulous giveaways Karen is hosting!

Good luck and Happy Holidays!

Ho, ho, ho!
xo isa

Take Flight...

2011-11-05T23:00:00.000-07:00

It has definitely been one of those weeks. Because I marked my calendar incorrectly, I missed participating in Marsha's lovely International writing party. There is no such thing as being fashionably late when it comes to something like that. I am so disappointed that I missed it, and in myself for doing so. I truly apologize.

The theme was What we have always wanted to do, but have never done... I was excited to write about it, and it has been on my mind so heavily, so I want to share, in short version, what my heart has always longed for... don't laugh.

I wish that I could fly.

My only recurring dream, and one I have had since I can remember, is that I can fly. It is always the same. It begins over the ocean, it is in slow motion.... I soar lazily over the sea, along the face of a beautiful cliff and over treetops and up towards the sun. There is nothing but the gorgeous scenery in my dream, and the feeling of total freedom and total bliss. I love that dream.

I found this amazing video of starlings in flight at dusk (with the London Symphony Orchestra as background) -- it's very different from my dream, but it is something to behold.

Enjoy.

Happy weekend, my friends. See you Monday.
xo isa

Testaments to Autumn Today, Paint Colors ... later.

2011-10-23T10:25:00.000-07:00

I know I was supposed to focus on paint colors this week, but my muse had other plans for me, and into the studio I went. The past few days have been the epitome of Autumn here at the beach, and I wanted to capture that elusive magic in some of my artwork.

Autumn is summer's last breath before Winter - it's earthy and magical. There is an energy to it that no other season possesses - On the surface, it is energizing, partially because of the crisp air, but deeper, there is a stunning transformation taking place - a natural breaking down and fading - creating a beauty all of its own.

It can be seen in the rust that slowly enshrouds metal surfaces in the damp Autumn air...

It's the magical beauty seen within the decaying leaves and petals of the vibrant summer blooms. What was once pristine and saturated is now skeletal and ethereal -- a quiet and lovely sort of beauty.

Autumn's magic. How could I resist that sort of temptation? Why would I want to? Paint will wait... but my muse? I have to go where and when she leads. I found some incredible 19th C. bottles that scream the magic of Autumn in their warm hues of Amber and sage green - their tattered labels and the breathtaking patina on others. The stunning leaded crystals are akin to the dew laden silvery cobwebs that twinkle under the low-hanging full moon of Fall. ... Dreamy.

These keepsakes of Autumn will be going into the shop later today, so I have to tie myself to the computer and upload photos and I'll share the paint choices with you next week!

xo Isa

________

Credits & Sources

Photo 1: photography and cross bottles by Isabeau C. Grey for Greyfreth. Photo 2: Cheryl1101. Photo 3: Jules Hunter. Photo 4: Daniel Benderwald via Pinterest. Photo 5: photography and cross bottles by Isabeau C. Grey for Greyfreth.

The heart wants what the heart wants...

2011-10-15T15:25:00.000-07:00

and it whispers it to your soul...

when you happen upon beauty that reaches you on such a deep level.

Your heart races...

It is the same feeling

of being in love.

Do you ever wonder why you respond to certain things this way?

What are the beauties that make your knees buckle?

Whatever it is for you, I hope that you are surrounded in its beauty all weekend long. I am picking out paint colors. The magic begins anew in our little McMini by the Sea...
See you Monday.

xo isa

________

Sources & Credits

Photo 1 - Photography by Eugène Atget. (French, 1857-1927) Museum of Modern Art - Abbott-Levy Collection. Partial gift of Shirley C. Burden. MOMA.org/collection Photo 2 - Tumblr HERE Photo 4 - Driftwood Baroque Chandelier by Mark Sage. Photo 5 - Interior Design of ID & Artist Elise Valdorcia Photo 6 - Bella Notte Linens -- Photo 7 - via PlumSiena. photography source and publication unknown other than it is connected to Axel Vervoordt. If anyone knows the credits, please let me know as I would love to list them. Photo 3 - Photography by Irene Suchocki, available for purchase

Bound For the Heart...

2011-10-09T18:55:00.000-07:00

You can't get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me. -- C.S. Lewis

We are avid readers here in Museville. Nothing quiets the world like a weighty book in hand, a big, soft chair and a hot cup of tea. The hustle and bustle of life fades as the lovely departure commences into distant lands, others hearts, dreams and lives. Their love stories, history and adventure unfold as you lose yourself within the pages.

I have books stacked in every room of my house. On the shelves, the tables, under the tables... One of my guilty pleasures is collecting breathtakingly beautiful books -- everything is art, isn't it? Your soul begs to be surrounded in beauty. Life is just better inundated in beauty.

Well, how lucky am I when the book doubles up with the absolute obsession I have with ancient reliquaries and antique religious art...

Wait until you see these.
You might want to sit down.

SPANGENBERG, JOHANNES. Postilla. 1794 (Silver binding). The information was written in olde German, but translate loosely to: Interpretation of the Epistles and gospels, on all Sundays and most distinguished celebrations by the Gantz year, written in pieces for Christians. Luneburg, Ster niche Buchdruckerey, 1794.

Manuscript painting and bookbinding: Dionysius the Areopagite, Works 14th Century
Constantinople between 1403-1405. Binding: Paris, circa 1360 and end of the 14th, rebuilt in the 17th century. Offered by the Emperor Manuel II Palaeologus to the abbey of Saint-Denis

Gospel of Saint Aure
9th century school of Reims. Binding of ivory and silver.

Coptic Binding, 7th or 8th Century. Detached from: The Gospels, in Coptic.
Illuminated manuscript on vellum
Egypt: Monastery of Holy Mary Mother of God, Perkethoout near Hamuli, the Fayum, 7th or 8th century. Goatskin over papyrus boards; decorated with onlaid panels of red leather tracery sewn to a gilded leather ground, with plain edges
MS M.569. Purchased by J. Pierpont Morgan, 1911

BIBLE: PSALMS, WITH PETRUS LOMBARDUS: THE GREAT GLOSS

Binding: Paris, France, c. 1200, massive wooden boards with metal fittings, sewn on 5 thongs, with a 15th c. painting 21x13 cm of the Flight into Egypt by the Master of the Osservanza, deriving loosely from Fra Angelico’s panel in the Museo di San Marco, Firenze. It is held in place by 4 strips of copper gilt, Romanesque Mosan work with repeated stamped impressions of a palmette within an arch, struck from stamps used in the workshop of Nicholas of Verdun and his circle in Köln (ca. 1181-1230). 4 metal gilt beaded-edged frames divided into rectangular compartments enclosing purple velvet, lower cover with red velvet. The original central enamel or ivory plaque was replaced by the present Master of the Osservanza panel in 1724.

Treasures of the heart. There just aren't words. So I'll just leave it at that.

Have a beautiful weekend.
xo isa

________

CREDITS
photo1: Bromer Booksellers, photo 2-4: RMN Grandpalais, photo 5: stmaterne, photo 6: RMN Grandpalais, Photo 7: Schoyen Collection. Information compiled by Yamo Bato.

October Beauty

2011-10-02T10:58:00.000-07:00

...but not the kind you might have been expecting.

I love the women of Leonardo da Vinci. I have replicas of these drawings framed and hung in Museville. There is a benevolent beauty and a quiet grace to the women in his work. His technique is soft, his shading and creation and interplay of light in his drawings are genius. The light seemingly comes from within.

Woman's Head, Study Leonardo da Vinci c. 1470-1476

There is a reverence to these works that elicits an emotional response and brings calmness to me.

La Scapigliata - Head of a Young Woman Leonardo da Vinci c. 1490 - 1508

The entire day was enveloped in that feeling. October arrived with a subtle entrance. In usual circumstances, that is how things generally go around coastal southern California... but it's been a strange year. Today, however was picture perfect. Mild. Gentle. Beautiful. It was welcomed with open arms.

I did not get the news I had hoped for from my first look appointment. It seems my battle isn't over. Yet. I go into October with renewed resolve to simplify, do my best in everything and focus on the things that bring me true joy. Being a perfectionist, it isn't easy, but I vow to really know that my best, while far from perfect now, is good enough. Feels pretty freeing.

Happy October, happy everything.
xo isa

September Shades of Grey...

2011-09-26T05:50:00.000-07:00

The air is cool and you can make out the sultry, slightly briny perfume of the ocean as the breezes waft onto the shore here in our little village by the sea. The September sky is enshrouded in a fine veil of mist and the sounds are somewhat muffled by the marine layer. It's grey. It's quiet. It's decaying and tarnishing, but in the most spectacular ways.

It's the
beauty
of
Autumn.

Emulating that loveliness is the work of Rebecca Plotnick. Her photos celebrate the passing of time and the beauty created along the way.

The gates of Versailles now donned in layers of rust and tarnish -- a tapestry of texture and tones, making them, to me, even more beautiful as time passes.

Stone in faded hues of grey make up this Parisian street, sidewalk and simple, but elegant buildings. A row of lanterns hang on wood from artisan scrolls of weathered iron, and everything is under the spell of Autumn -- soft and lovely under the skies of grey.

Once vibrant, now more muted, the same tones are present within the 4 century old hall of mirrors - within the marble panels, the beautifully fading natural paints on plaster and the gilding -- all showing the magic woven slowly over time. The fire within the chandelier crystal stay true and add more and more gorgeous contrast as the other natural elements slowly fade.

The cool Autumn air dances through the striking colors and stunning texture of the mane and coat of this noble steed. My favorite hues on my favorite creature - it's a beauty that the heart can hardly withstand.

© Gorana Bumber

I hope that your weekend is filled with the beauty of Autumn and your heart, content.
xo isa

_______
CREDITS:
PHOTOS 1 - 3 BY REBECCA PLOTNICK -- used here with her written permission. Please do not pin, copy, or use without her permission which can be gained by writing her here: rebeccaplotnick@hotmail.com
All of Rebecca's work can be purchased at her shop HERE.
PHOTO 4 BY GORANA BUMBER.

Simply Beautiful...

2011-09-21T19:42:00.000-07:00

Texture and lighting are two of my greatest loves, so this stunning photo is singing a love song straight to my heart. Add the element of ancient, and my knees go weak. Simply beautiful, but far from simple.

xo isa

_______
CREDITS:
PHOTO - original source unknown. Found on Tumblr with no credits.
If you know the photographer, please let me know so I am able credit them properly.

The Season is Changing and So Am I...

2011-09-20T10:15:00.000-07:00

Well, it's all blown wide open and laying at our feet. The culmination of 2 years worth of new projects started. Very few finished. With the hint of Autumn and her cool morning air revving our internal engines here in Museville, we are ready to start cleaning up all the mess we made when we pulled that proverbial sweater string which unraveled everything around here.
And I
do
mean
everything.

After eight very long and grueling months, I suffered my last chemo treatment this past week, and I just had my "first look" appointment yesterday. I hold my breath as I wait for good news, and look forward to my energy returning along with the coming of Fall. Even without all the King's horses and all the King's men, Museville, Greyfreth, {and my sanity} will have a better outcome than poor Humpty Dumpty did.

I know that the cost of all the time I have taken to work on the incoming new beauty has been that I lost traffic here on my blog, but I know you all understand the juggling of life and trying to always find the elusive balance, no matter what life throws at you.

My greatest hope is that the fewer visits by you, my bloggy friends and acquaintances, are temporary and have been driven by my absence. I hope that you will come back to visit as you see the light in the window more often and more consistently - I do so enjoy your input, your inspiration, your company,
and
I
miss you.

xo isa

CREDIT: photo 1 - photography by Eugenio Recuenco

Summer's End...

2011-09-03T14:35:00.000-07:00

"Now as the nights grow longer and the season shifts
I look to my sorrowful wife
Who is quietly tending her flowers..." -- Nick Cave

In the last throes of summer.

As friends lament over the long days of summer coming to an end, I feel a quiet joy. Truth be told, that short breath between summer's end and Autumn's full arrival is my favorite time of year. Melancholic, but lovely as subtle replaces energetic --the crowds thin out along the 101, the beaches are slowly emptying, and as the sun rises on these upcoming days, my morning walks will soon be solitary and peaceful. The quiet nuances by the sea, which have been drowned out by summer's gaiety, will be audible once again, and oh so lovely. The golden grasses sway in the soft sea air, reflective and beautiful.
There is something magical in the air during this shift of season.

Soon, the hydrangeas will begin to slowly fade to a quiet sort of beauty,
the air will begin to cool, and the soul quiets...
as we say our long
goodbyes within our hearts
to another
summer
now
passing
into
memory.

xo isa

photo source: unknown

The Week Ahead...

2011-08-22T17:46:00.000-07:00

I have had a really uplifting weekend - filled with the most amazing finds, visitors to museville and good advice to me from a very wise and beautifully souled woman up in Santa Monica."Listen to the little voice inside you. It's the truth."

Finds... I have some that are "real" and going into the shop this week, and one that is just a dream -- a dream that I wish were mine! Look at this stunning ethereal gown -

If I had that gown, I'd frame it and put it in my hallway by my office with soft lights focused on it. It would be my summer firefly twinkling softly in the last light of day... at summer's end.

Now...these treasures - they are tangible. Crowding the studio, albeit beautifully crowding it! I am going to do my best to get some of these up in the Maison section over at Greyfreth this week. Peek in over there this weekend and see what made it in.

I hope you are off to a great week and enjoying the last, long days of summer.

xo isa

Credits: Photo 1: Vintageopulence on Flickr Photo 2: Me and my phone camera... I know, I know... poor quality - but with how crazy it's been lately, we do what we can :)

The Grey within...

2011-08-01T16:51:00.000-07:00

I love the things that speak to the grey in me - that quiet, contemplative, moody and a little sad part of my soul that is an integral facet of who I am.

Gorgeous, soft, variegated shades of grey... my heart longs for this sort of beauty - from the dreamy rooftops of Paris to the quiet morning at the sea... France once again calls out to me...

The sea at a sunless dawn -- the first light - defused by clouds and enshrouded in a gentle, ethereal mist begins its dance along the crest of the silvery sea spray... The whinny of the noble and hauntingly beautiful horses of the Camargue join the lonesome call of the gulls
in the
cool,
grey sky.

The beauty is magnificent in its simplicity and pulls at all of my heartstrings... singing quiet love songs straight to that melancholic soul of mine.

Like waves before the wind, the quiet of the dawn fades, giving way to the strength of the day as it begins - as if they were one, hooves begin thundering like the crashing waves on the incoming tide.

Untamed, part of surroundings that are beautiful beyond measure, soft yet strong, wild and free -- it's everything that I want around me and everything that I love.

May all of our hearts beat so wild and free... if only for the day.

xo Isa

Credits: All photos are the work of Irene Suchocki

Beautifully Trapped Again...

2011-07-16T12:32:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows me, knows my profound love for the dreamy world of Michael Trapp.

So, imagine my joy when I received an email from Photographer Bruce Barone, entitled simply, "Thought you might enjoy these" with a link to a treasure trove of his photos that captured the gardens of Michael Trapp in stunning sepia...

... Bruce was so right, I loved them - and so will you.

The world of Michael Trapp, through the talented lens of Bruce Barone:

The simple yet elegant, classical, textured, timeworn, lovely world that it is.

Beauty that doesn't have to try too hard,
but yet
has been masterfully thought out
and
brought to life.

Living poetry that speaks straight to the soul.

Beauty which brings a sense of calm

One that lives and breathes grace.

It's definitely a world that I wish
to
live
in.

The textures and play of light, which move me, are perfectly captured in these photos...

Definitely a love affair between beauty and the soul.

"Bruce Barone specializes in portrait, nature, and documentary photography.

He is also a published writer, art consultant
and gourmet cook. He loves family get-togethers,
and cats and dogs. And red wine."

That blurb makes me want to invite Bruce over to my next dinner party!
Thank you for introducing yourself and your beautiful photography to me, Bruce. I'm now your newest fan and follower.
You can find Bruce's beauty at his website and his blog.

Enjoy the day
xo Isa

Credits: All Photos in this post © Bruce Barone

The Power of Spring...

2011-06-03T09:35:00.000-07:00

The last few days here in Coastal Southern California have been absolute perfection. The benevolent sun of Spring hangs high in a perfect azure sky - not a cloud in sight. The sea breeze is gentle and cool, and the day - deliciously mild.

The only way it could be any better, is if I were here:

And I'm not really sure that would be better today ... that really shows how gorgeous it is around here this week! The beauty of France can't even lure me away right now.

Hoping that glorious Spring is waxing poetic and weaving her magic where you are, too.

xo Isa

The Siren Song of Spring

2011-05-23T10:59:00.000-07:00

Breakfast, lunch, dinner... it matters not.

Everything is sublime under the intoxicating spell of Spring.

Here's to a wonderful week.
xo Isa

Narrowing the Focus...

2011-05-21T15:51:00.000-07:00

"There is a world of magnificence hidden in simplicity" Truer words were never spoken. I read a profound piece recently, it really was a catalyst in putting things back into perspective for me. I've been over-thinking lately - what to do with the house, the gardens, the shop, and get stuck in those "do loops" ... you know the ones - where you want to do this.. but in order for that to happen, you have to do this first.. and so on and so forth. So I'm simplifying and following my heart. I've known what I want to do here, all along. It's everything I love. Simple, right?

Faded beauty ... time-worn elegance... simple yet refined - enshrouded in the sea air of my wonderful sleepy little village by the sea.

I am cleaning out the clutter around here - figuratively and literally. I pulled a few photos from my mountain known as inspiration pile, and sent the rest into the void.

I love these images -

I am always drawn to the faded, but moody... simple yet elegant ... rustic bejeweled in crystalline splendor...

and texture... it sends me to the moon.

A common theme that runs through my own artwork...

and the overall feel to my shop and studio...

So many things are coming together at once. I finally will have an overflow of things to share again. Are you still out there? I hope so, because I'm back.

xo Isa

Persephone's Magic...

2011-05-13T17:26:00.000-07:00

The relentless rain and strange weather had us inside more than usual through the winter and Spring has been flirting with us, and then flitting away - only to return again... so like her.

Today, albeit with clouds looming, I can feel Persephone ready to exhale a beautiful breath of her magic...

The birds are singing from the oleanders, the wisteria has exploded and the sultry scent of jasmine and roses wafts through my window on the slightly cool sea air.

Oh Spring... How I love you. I have taken you for granted with the usually mild year-long weather we are usually blessed with here. Today, the windows are thrown open, the curtains gently billow - an open invitation. Persephone, please do come in.

The urge to get the interior of Museville in high gear is strong - and the call for outdoor dinners under the stars, alight with the soft glow of candles is pulling at my heart.

Spring couldn't get here soon enough, and now Summer is already in the wings...

The newest Museville residents

2011-04-02T19:22:00.001-07:00

Because of the crazy weather here in what used to be constant sunny southern California, I have moved my work inside over at the studio for the time being. On nice days, which used to be most days of the year, I work under the pergola off the back of the studio, but with how unpredictable it's been, inside seemed better for now.

While inside, I keep the doors and windows open for ventilation because soldering isn't the healthiest of things - and sometimes I forget to to close the french door that leads to the pergola area out back, and it sometimes stays open all night... (I know, I know....)

So, the other day, I go into the studio and hear this low, very scary growling coming from under the sofa, or at least that general vicinity... followed by some faint, what seemed to be, mewing... I stopped in my tracks. My heart raced and I quickly backed up, and immediately exited stage left. WHY did I leave that door open?! Heaven knows what snuck in during the night! I went into auto-pilot and went to the house for some back up, a broom and some boots. (I had no idea what was going to jump out from under there and attack my leg!) I get brave in these situations that force you to act before thinking... when I have time to think, I am the world's biggest chicken!!

Poor Tired Husband and I quietly crept back into the studio, thinking we're going to be facing off with a raccoon - or worse... and then we see a pair of pointed ears in the far corner peeking out from behind a stack of wicker baskets.... moving in a little closer, we catch a glimpse of a beautiful face --that of a small, very young, mostly white calico cat - that sweet moment soon passed. what was touching for a fleeting moment, returned to what initially made the hair on the back of my neck stand up - that horrifying snarling and low, loud, threatening growling - the ears when back - the hair went up... and we stood there, frozen- hoping it was all the tricks of a puffer fish, and that she really wasn't going to attack us... she wouldn't ... would she?

Thankfully, the hissing, spitting, fur puffing, snarling and growling was, indeed all posturing. PTH lead the forward motion (I wanted to flee, but wasn't about to relinquish my studio to a 5 lb wild thing! We inched our way towards the feral acting feline. The poor thing was rail thin and scared. More inching and peeking revealed what she was guarding -- A pile of brand new kittens... Oh, boy. PTH, being a deprived cat person, and me, a total dog person, and never wanting cats had polar opposite reactions. He just found treasure, while I knew who was going to be the one that everything would fall on to take care of... and it wasn't the cat lover.

Momma cat let us closer and we tentatively reached out and surprisingly she let us pet her. (whew) I say we... but I was really a spectator. So, not feral - but perhaps a stray. A very beautiful, young, and painfully thin stray - with six... yes six... kittens.

What to do... well, first things first, we have to get them out of that crammed corner, give them safe housing, some food and clean water and then figure this out. I might not be a cat fan, but I am certainly not devoid of compassion.

PTH is put on house building duties while I run for emergency supplies. So at the end of Thursday, Momma and babies are in a clean box with soft flannel baby sheets - mom has much needed food and water and a house call from our neighbor the vet who came over to check her out. Diagnosis - surprisingly good health, but way too thin and dehydrated. We're on the case.

My two Huskies - Thing 1 and Thing 2 are very curious, and thankfully have no access to the studio unless we leave the yard gate of the main house and one of the doors of the studio open over there - I padlocked the gate so there will be no chance of an accidental meeting - leaving nothing to chance.

Here are a few shots of our new residents and latest distraction...

If it's not one thing... it's your mother. ... or a mother cat, in this case.

The story will continue.

xo Isa

Weekend Plans

2011-03-04T19:25:00.000-08:00

should include some some lounging with coffee and some magazines in this heavenly spot...

My plans include filling up the online shelves over at Greyfreth, including the shelves in the brand new jewelry division! I am so pleased to announce the maiden voyage line -- extremely special pieces made with soulful, beautiful remnants, reliquary and natural treasures.

People say I work too much, but it isn't work to me when I am constantly surrounded by such beauty in the studio, in the show room or in my mind... and nothing can ever top the satisfaction of seeing a dream become reality. It is not work at all. It's a true pleasure.

Enjoy the weekend!
xo Isa

Ring around the Rosey....

2011-03-03T08:27:00.000-08:00

I have put a poll up on the side bar to the right and would love your input for decisions regarding the creation of new treasures for the upcoming Jewelry line over at Greyfreth --

What size ring(s) do you wear?

Your input is greatly appreciated!
The poll ends on the 10th.

xo Isa

Photography by Michael Macor

In My Perfect World...

2011-02-28T13:30:00.000-08:00

As soon as I opened the door

I would have a view that
whispered
a love song of beauty
to me...

The down would be abundant, the loft - so high... mesmerizing scroll work - a testament to exceptional artisans of the past --

The pages ruffled, the gilding - timeworn and beautifully faded - A benevolent face, her serene beauty forever captured in strokes of ink and charcoal.

Crystal overflowing - hanging deliciously over rustic floors and furniture which grow more lovely as time goes by...

Seraphim in stone to watch over me...

and wild, beautiful grounds...

that offer ongoing gifts of visual bliss and perfumes - intoxicating all of your senses...

and my heart quietly answers.

My kind of perfect, indeed.
xo Isa

Rain, Rain, Go Away....

2011-02-26T08:43:00.001-08:00

Enough already! Another storm is upon us here at the beach - rain...rain...and more soggy rain... Hopefully the downpours will subside soon because I am longing to get out in my yards and make some visions become realities this Spring -- and none of them include rain!

Enjoy your weekend
xo Isa

Faded Grandeur

2011-02-23T10:49:00.001-08:00

Our Museville "fun" projects seem to get pushed further and further back as we continue to put out fires around here due to the insane weather we have been experiencing in Coastal Southern California. I have never seen such rain as we have had these past months. Thunder, lightning, and this past week - hail. Yes, hail at the beach. Yellow sky backlit by lightning, and my little cottage near the sea rocked to where windows were rattling from the booming thunder. Things that never happen here are becoming commonplace.
Interesting times we are living in.

Living in a 1920s beach bungalow, in an older neighborhood, with older storm drains... well, it's been interesting, alright. Tree limbs, debris that were carried in the floods into the drains are causing huge flooding issues in our little world. If it's not one thing, it's another, isn't it?

So, while we are drying out here, my mind wanders to where my heart always long to be... renovating something more like this...

Or this...

I spend countless hours dreaming of what this would all look like finished...

Dinner here at 8 - on a balmy evening, with gentle sea breezes sometime in 2012 or so...
Shall I set a place for you?

One day this all will be out of my dream and into reality.
Yep, one fine day....

xo Isa

Heartsong

2011-02-14T10:00:00.000-08:00

Love is the whole... and more than all. --ee cummings

Much love to all on this beautiful Valentine's Day.

xo Isa

photo by Kari Herer

Dusting off the cobwebs...

2011-01-12T07:36:00.001-08:00

Underneath the crystalline shroud of winter, (albeit a southern California winter) life is moving slowly in Museville. The twelve days of Christmas ended last week, our friends from Sweden bid us farewell and flew into their bright shiny new year back home. The pace here is relaxed - the great exhale after the hustle and bustle of the holidays and year's end still lingers in the air.

The last of the holiday decor has been boxed, wrapped and swept from the house and into memory. The shortest day of the year behind us, a slow charge is starting to creep into the Museville residents. Classes started for PTH - he's off to fill minds with creative thoughts again. Royal Sonshine returns from his European venture tomorrow. For me, it's time to regroup, prioritize and get focused. Lots to do around here. Stay tuned as we finally get somewhere with all of these unfinished projects around the place and have some results to share.

The New Year is looking good and feeling fine. Onward we go.
xo Isa

Shiny and Bright...

2011-01-03T14:44:00.001-08:00

...and then deliciously tarnished.

and then photographed in the dark... I've learned to grab what time I can in order to be more present in blogland. (yes, that sounds dangerously close to a New Year's resolution!)

An antique iron urn from France that was left to the magic of the elements and time and is now donned in a rusty crusty patina that is beyond beautiful.... a plethora of antique mercury glass apothecaries from Britain... and a stunning mirrored and tarnished silver French plateau ... just dreamy.

You'll see more of these later at the shop...

All of these recent treasures are actually slated for Greyfreth in some form or another... for sale as is, or as part of something created in the studio - or as a prop in the photo shoots because I can't bear to part with it. Oy. That's the rub, isn't it? Trying to put a new house together and not hijack the cool finds destined for the shop.

Resistance to keeping them for the house may be futile on these beauties that I stumbled upon (and snatched right up) ...

Shopping is so fun - and this little hideaway turned out to be quite the treasure trove.

I really did buy these for the shop... they just haven't made it over yet... and the mirror somehow ended up on my living room wall and the rusty crusty urn and mirrored plateau underneath it ended up on the chest of drawers below the new Italian mirror... yes... in my living room. (gulp) You can see them better in these day time photos in the shop where I found them.

Will they make it to my shop? I suppose we shall see!

I did, however, manage to let go of a couple treasures and made a few stunning cross bottles out of a pair the antique mercury apothecary bottles I picked up ... they really are magical if I do say so myself. This is the favorite of my creations - so far.

Back to work I go -- I really am going to make more time to be here this year. months between blogging is just awful, and I'm sorry. I am still trying to find that elusive balance. It's my goal for 2011. That's as close to a resolution as I dare go.

Is your new year off to a good start?

xo Isa

Happy New Year

2010-12-31T18:24:00.000-08:00

As the sun begins its descent into the horizon for the last time in 2010, I find myself in disbelief that the year is at an end. It has been a whirlwind, to say the least, filled with gifts -- some which brought elation, some that were bittersweet. Some magical, some out of hard work -
All necessary.

With 2011 knocking at the door, I am grateful for being able to walk through that threshold with everything I have learned and with the company - the excellent company - which I keep. I am so grateful for you, my bloggy friends, and in the coming year I will be carving out much more time for myself and to spend here with you.

I look forward to sleeping in tomorrow - lingering in bed with coffee and some of the beautiful books I received at Christmas - and just reading and doing .... nothing ... and loving it. It's been a long time since I have done that.

I hope that the Holidays have filled your hearts with joy and that the New Year finds all of us surrounded and abundant in inspiration, the love of family and friends, and time to just be.

Happy New Year!
xo Isa

Sail on...

2010-09-03T05:45:00.000-07:00

I love this hauntingly beautiful vignette --
for me, it captures the fading of summer
perfectly -

The dreamy cloudy mirror, the whimsical wire of the ship reminds me of beautiful skeletal leaves that will be prevalent soon enough, the faded sails that still look full of salty wind -- an empty nest perfectly placed and looking cool and casual... so in line with the feelings of the last lazy days of summer.

I truly love this photo. I wish I could remember where I found it...

Happy weekend!
xo Isa

photo credit: unknown -- if you know the source, please let me know and I'll happily credit it.

The Whisperings of Autumn

2010-09-02T12:29:00.001-07:00

It's barely there on the edge of the horizon - but unmistakably there. The air is a little crisper, the evenings are a little cooler - there is a faint smell of the fires being burned at night -- more than just the bonfires on the beach.

I love full blown Autumn. Soups, apples, homemade bread... sweaters, boots, leather, velvet, mohair, scarves, throws, paisley, tapestry... when the world is cloaked in the cover of night earlier, we retreat into our homes sooner and before long the evening walks will be illuminated not by the setting sun but by the lights warmly glowing from windows in the houses lining the street.

However, before Autumn arrives in all of her splendor, there are those weeks proceeding - where Summer fades into a pale palette of muted gold and greys - when the hustle and bustle of tourist season ends and the beaches are once again quiet and peaceful. The world exhales and things slow down. That is beginning to happen now.

Contemplative.

Quiet.

Lovely.

xo Isa

Obsession...

2010-08-26T17:44:00.001-07:00

I'm completely ga-ga over this straw dress artwork by Todd Murphy.

First I saw it here at (dreamy) Bobo intriguing objects...

and I fell head over heels in love with it.

I saw it again at Restoration Hardware and left without it - as difficult as that was.

After a few days it faded to where I only thought of it a few times a day (LOL), and then it danced back into my heart when I saw it again, here with Brooke's beautiful post over at Velvet and Linen...

Now I see it constantly in my mind's eye, even in my dreams! The painted burlap, tulle and straw... It's so wonderfully ethereal and otherworldly.
I can't get it
off
of
my
mind.

Have you ever obsessed over a piece of art, or an object of beauty - a heart's desire that way?

Perhaps the next time I'll see it ...will be in my own living room!

Hope you are having a good week - we're busy behind the scenes, but will pull you into Museville soon. So much to do, so little time.

xo Isa

Photo credits: 1 & 3. Restoration Hardware 2. Velvet & Linen

The Golden Hour

2010-08-24T15:58:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite times of the day is those magical minutes in the late afternoon when the sun begins its slow descent towards the horizon and makes way for dusk --

when the sunlight filters through the low boughs of the olive and pepper trees, causing the lacy canopies of elegant grey green leaves to almost shimmer while the gentle sea breeze causes them them to whisper quietly to one another --

Like a cat, I languidly follow that light as it draws everything into its rich golden arms, I want to be embraced by its warmth and am always mesmerized by how it beautifully gilds all in its wake.

Everything looks enchanting and at its best in the golden hour --

I wish it would linger just a bit longer...
ah, well... there's always tomorrow afternoon.

I hope you are having a lovely week
xo Isa

Photo credit: All photos from John Saladino's VILLA

Beautiful Trappings...

2010-08-13T07:32:00.001-07:00

I've posted about the magic of Michael Trapp before and Artie's Vingette Friday party was a perfect opportunity to swoon over his beautiful rooms and stunning vingettes again...

The whole new kitchen as a living room is nothing compared to a bathroom that serves as a regular room.... I could lounge in that tub all day long with a good book, cool water and the warm summer breeze wafting through the gauzy window dressings...

Or how about curled up in the garden shed on this dreamy daybead surrounded by all of this perfectly placed treasures.

I could live in this one room and be truly happy.

The faded, quiet beauty sings a love song to my soul.

Calm, soothing ....

rustic yet refined...

Yes, indeed. Michael Trapp's magic calls to me like a Siren's song...

and my soul quietly answers.

There is a lot more beauty to be found today - make sure to pop in on
Vignette Fridays with Artie at Color Outside the Lines

You'll be oh so glad that you did.

Treasure Hunting

2010-06-17T15:48:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things to do on the planet - coming across that certain something - you know the things I mean - those treasures whose value is intrinsic and for some reason make your heart pound - the "I have to have that!" sort of treasure.... They come in all shapes and sizes from houses to furniture, to those little"something-somethings". I found quite a few fun little something-somethings recently that all possess a common theme - small - old, fabulously textured and have a story... a history.

Like this wonderful embossed Victorian collar box of navy leather with two of the original collars inside -- I love this box - I have no idea what I'm going to do with it yet, but I just had to have it.

...and this dreamy blue mason jars from the middle of last century with the most amazing wavy glass - a perfect holder for my hydrangea blooms from last summer. I have plans for some of them at Greyfreth, too!

I found a stack of tiny green leather books - Dante's Inferno, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - timeworn and faded...

An art deco brass finial caught my eye in the antique shop in the village - it now lives on my desk. For now.

And then there are those buried at sea sorts of treasures - so full of mystery and intrigue to me! This Newel post was part of sunken ship interior - now any and all of its secrets are buried beneath a thick layer of sea salt and barnacles - I think it's gorgeous as it is now. ... I also snatched up a door, 2 windows and 4 huge corbels all hundreds of years old - one of the corbels is keeping the Newel post company in this photo and another has befriended the man in the moon finial above - everyone needs friends.

Speaking of friends... I may not have any around Museville if I start playing this little brass baby I found... The neighbors love hearing music of the cello, the violin or even the guitar wafting on the sea breeze from our courtyard - but I'm not so sure what they will think of brass...

Sure is pretty, though. Still a little shiny under its patina of age.
Yes, indeed.
It's been a good hunt for the little treasures.

xo Isa
photo credit: 1. Elizabeth of Two Art Directors, photos 2 - 6 are by me.

Enchanted....

2010-06-16T06:29:00.000-07:00

We have been focused on the nuts and bolts of things in Museville and Greyfreth for the past several months and while the foundation work isn't very exciting and certainly not blog-worthy, and I apologize for being so absent ... but the results of what we have been consumed with will be worth the wait. I will have much to show you (say it with me now...) SOON.

As the world spins faster and faster and I continue to try and find time for myself, I have turned to the outdoors for solace. The state of the yard is sad and neglected due to our focus being on the floors, the electric and plumbing, and other things not fun but important... but it won't take much to get it back on track.

We did manage to find time to string rice lights in the pepper tree -- its trunk now beautifully enshrouded in a climbing rambler rose - lanterns hang from the lower boughs above the outdoor dining table and there is a spot in the limbs waiting for one of Mark Sage's chandeliers... it may be waiting for quite a while. Trenches are dug for the wiring to the tree - and the dogs are loving that and get into the digging, themselves. Dimmers stand at the ready to make the illuminated tree the source of the backyard enchantment.

Since it is a work in progress, I thought I'd share some enchantment that is much more worthy at the moment -- Enjoy these gorgeous, whimsical and hauntingly beautiful photos by the oh-so-talented Tim Walker.

xo Isa

Simply put...

2010-05-09T11:33:00.000-07:00

I received this card today and laughed so hard that I cried. I have no idea why -
it happened hit me just right - something silly.
Finally.
It's been a long road of all work and no play. A long time of it.
It felt great to laugh like that.

Joy. Simple, perfect joy.

The best present I could ever receive on Mother's Day -- or any day for that matter.

Much joy and love to all the Mother's out there.
...Peace and cute shoes, too.
xo Isa

A Riot of Color...

2010-05-06T13:04:00.000-07:00

Just south of the lagoon and east of the sea,

is the most stunning array of color...

the yearly explosion of ranunculus is once again blanketing the hills

- and will be gracing my home in vase after vase....

Just as soon as I get them home.
Hope you are having a great week.
xo Isa

Making Strides...

2010-05-03T07:47:00.000-07:00

I have been singing the "I'm so far behind" tune since moving into Museville. It's been one big project after another - and when I got sick, I was panicked - all I could think about was, "how am I ever going to catch up now?!"

Well, I've finally embraced what I have been trying to convince myself of all this time - I really do get it. It's not a race. Throw perfection out - your best... well, that has to be good enough.
I'm good with that, and I'm actually getting more done with a calmer heart and clearer head.

I spent the weekend in the studio making these lovelies for the shop -

I just love sea fans -- there is such an ethereal, mysterious quality to them - a dark beauty imbued with such grace. One of those heartsong things again...

I also made a plethora of classics - some on bottles, some on silver - all equally lovely.

This barnacle cutie may have to stay with me - while washing it, and seeing the water staying in the little barnacle cups, an idea came to me. I went outside and clipped a few sprigs of lavender and popped them into one of the barnacle "vases".... this little baby may need to stay home with me - it's my latest addition to my desk.

Off I go into the week. Hopefully more things will get ticked off that overwhelming list of mine! First up -- washing all the antique demijohns that I picked up last week...

Take a peek over at Greyfreth if you have time to see all the new and beautiful sea life, including all the lovelies shown above.
xo Isa

Oz is closer than you think...

2010-04-29T11:19:00.001-07:00

Tourist season is creeping in... When it kicks into full gear, it gets insanely busy along the narrow coastal roads of our neighborhood -- and for those overcrowded months, the beach is off limits to the dogs.

So, as May 1st creeps closer and closer, Thing 1, Thing 2 and I begin to set our sights away from the beach and towards the east-- on the less crowded and hauntingly beautiful eucalyptus forest behind us for our daily runs.

It's magical.
Lovely.
Quiet.

The trees whisper arcane secrets to one another -- heard by us as a faint stirring -- a rustling of foliage that comes and goes as the sea air dances languidly amid their long, graceful grey- green leaves. The path is worn and winding, and the further in you go, the more enchanting it becomes.

There is something about old trees that speak straight to the deepest, most special part of my heart. ...and this time of year they are donned in a spectacular display of Spring at her loveliest...

Today we were especially lucky - Boywonder came along to shoot some pictures for his photo class - good company and a snapshot in time of our beautiful afternoon run.

While they aren't the poppies in the Wizard of Oz, they remind me of them - beautiful nasturtium, blanketing the floor of the Eucalyptus forest... magical indeed.
Edible, too! We plucked a few to top our salad for dinner.

Dorothy is right -- There's no place like home.

xo Isa

Photo credit: 1. unknown, photos 2 - 5 shot by my beautiful son.

Enjoy Your Easter

2010-04-03T18:38:00.001-07:00

xo Isa

Dreamy

2010-03-31T17:30:00.000-07:00

Dream a little dream...

That fabulous Shawn over at Country French Antiques sure knows how to get my heart thumping...

I'll take one of each, please.

she's (always!) singing my heartsong.... is she singing yours, too?

Happy Wednesday - we're on the home stretch now to the weekend!
xo Isa
all photos from Country French Antiques

Pick Your Poison

2010-03-26T06:52:00.001-07:00

Poison to the left of me, poison to the right... Now that the song has been firmly planted into minds of everyone coming to the blog this week and we're all humming along - what's up with this poison, anyway?

Chemist and poison bottles on my work table

Bottles are an important ingredient of the treasures in my shop and I search high and low for the perfect ones and those with an interesting story are all the better -

Some of the most beautiful bottles, ever, are poison bottles. These antiques came into existence in the mid 1800s. Many people at that time were illiterate, so accidental poisonings, unfortunately, were common. According to history, Hospitals were mixing up the bottles as well and killing patients - after an attendant in Missouri gave carbolic acid to a patient by mistake (and he died), hospitals ordered sleigh bells chained to the necks of bottles containing poisons.

While sleigh bells were certainly attention getting, chaining them to each and every poison bottle was not a practical solution. So it was the poison manufacturers themselves who took direct action to save customers who, for instance, were fumbling for medicine by candlelight and grabbing bedbug poison by mistake. What they did not only reduced the number of accidental deaths, but it also created a stunning and an almost irresistible collectible.

To distinguish them from non-lethal products, poison bottles were made unique and dramatic in color, texture and shape. Colors like cobalt blue, honey amber, black, and emerald and several other shades of green were used to ensure they stood out from the other bottles on the shelf. They also were designed with unique textures: latticework, raised ridges, dots, diamonds, horizontal or vertical ribbing, or hobnails. And for an added warning, for those that could read, they were embossed lettering warned, "DEATH," "POISON," "POISONOUS," or "NOT TO BE TAKEN INTERNALLY."

A few of my gorgeous poison bottles that I've collected recently.

Over the past few months, I have found an absolute treasure trove of poison bottles from last century which are nothing short of spectcular...

And here is a little preview of what I am doing with some of them -- recycled and repurposed.

Newly made cross bottles at Greyfreth

One of the things that has been keeping me so busy, but at least I am surrounded in what I love while I work - old, beautiful, relics and some interesting history - so it doesn't seem like work at all.

Have a lovely weekend
xo Isa

Poison to the left of me...

2010-03-21T08:33:00.000-07:00

Curiouser and curiouser....
stay tuned!

Mirror, Mirror....

2010-03-13T09:02:00.001-08:00

On the wall...
against the wall,
under the pergola,
on the fence in the backyard...
above the fireplace ...
against the armoire...

Is it narcissistic to have mirrors in all rooms of your house ... as well as outside?? I have them everywhere - and want more - like every single one of these beauties...

Besides being gorgeous, and having all the elements which I love .... old... rustic and refined at the same time ... texture to die for ...

It bounces light all over my tiny cottage by the sea - makes the rooms look larger...

... and just plain look delicious. ... although there is nothing plain about them.
Try as I might --

Resistance is futile.
Welcome to Museville, mirrors-o-mine.
Happy weekend
xo Isa

Photo source: Restoration Hardware

Oh, GIve Me a Home....

2010-03-11T07:12:00.000-08:00

Okay, so not really a home, but a garden shed. I have longed for a little garden shed in the backyard that served as a magical dining spot, an office, or even just a little getaway to read a book or daydream and extra spot for overnight guests, maybe.

Ralph Lauren's garden shed via Elle Decor Mar 08

I bounced the idea around in my head last summer, did several posts on it, but there were too many projects ahead of it and so it never came to be. Now, with Spring and her envoy of crisp mornings that warm into perfect afternoons luring me, like a siren's song, into the backyard more often and for longer stays, I'm looking at my shed again. Try as I might to resist ... I feel yet another project coming on. I put it off and pushed it to the side, but after seeing these photos at Hvitur Lakkris (which I found through Tracey at French Larkspur) of this shed.

Doesn't look like much on first glance,
but it holds a beautiful secret.
this shed has quite the surprise waiting inside -

a dreamy, ethereal, magical place -

Once you walk through the door, you are transported to another world

An escape in your own backyard -

Your cares and worries disappear.

Calm, serene, simple beauty...

mixed with ethereal and some antiques... my mind is racing now - I'd love to see my dining room table, bench and chairs in here...

The soft light of candles and the stars that shine through the glass ceiling above...

Perfect in any weather. The perfect getaway...

In your own backyard.

Looks like heaven to me!
Perhaps this will be the summer Museville sees its shed transformed.
We shall see...
xo Isa

Heartsong Finds....

2010-03-08T09:27:00.001-08:00

I was happy to see some catalogs in my mailbox this weekend -- they have been few and far between since the economy began tanking. I have missed perusing them in the hammock -- I find myself loving the staging items and the locations many times more than the actual products for sale -- (isn't that terrible to admit??) and restoration hardware's latest catalog has me longing for summer....

And wishing that this was my yard.

Now, many elements, I do already have -- like these lightning rod finials -- I don't have the ones they offer, but I have mine and do love them.... although I may have to spring for the really tall one here, it would make a great addition, and create a set of three! My favorite number of things...

I love these pavers, and of course all of the stone and dripping greens. I just want a green and white backyard - with a tiny bit of purple thrown in by way of the rosemary blooms and the wisteria that is taking over the pergola outside my bedroom. If my cedars looked this great and my creeping fig was all filled in and trimmed as neatly as these photos, I'd be so happy I wouldn't know what to do with myself!

I started pining away for a house in France... again.

While I can't buy a house in France at the moment, I can still shop for French lovelies -- which I did. Some of these beauties I was fast enough to sweep up for myself...

others I wasn't fast enough, and am still pining away over them,

like a lost love...

But my heart raced with the treasures I did take away...

And you will see, and hear more of these later...

Happy Monday!
xo Isa

Photo credits: 1 - 3 Restoration Hardware, 4 - 8 photography by Corey Amaro

It's starting to look a lot like...

2010-03-02T15:03:00.000-08:00

...dare I say it?
Progress.

Yes, yes indeed. *Work* *Play* *Home* -- they are all happily merging into one big good time with some seriously amazing results. I have climbed over the hump and am now beginning to exhale. It can't possibly be true.

Well, let's start today with playing show and tell with work -- Greyfreth.

What do you get when you combine ...
Amazing textures in corals with stunning natural color...

in rough backed shells with refined inner beauty

The textures and classic elegance of antique silver...

...the magic of antique chandelier crystals

The wonder of natural sculptures such as the paper nautilus

The quintessential classics of sand, shell, and bottles washed up on the shore...

Oh, you are going to have to wait a few more days to see! Later this week, peek in on the sea life section of Greyfreth to see the beautiful results as they come in.

Another week of getting the new collections out, then it's on to my living room! You didn't think I've forgotten about Museville, did you? So much to do, so much fun to be had.

I hope you are getting things ticked off your lists, too!

xo Isa

Blog Love Awards

2010-03-01T09:48:00.000-08:00

~*~From~*~
The Paris Apartment
French Essence
& The Antiques Diva

Thank you
Claudia!
Vicki! xo
and Toma!

~*~

From Michael Lee West

Thank you Gollum!

~*~

From Vicki Archer @ French Essence.

Thank you <3

Thank you xo

~*~

From Jain at Once in a Blue Moon

Thank you, garden soulmate!

~*~

From the illustrator, Pussman in Belguim

Thank you!

~*~

From Vicki Archer

I'm so flattered. Thank you.

~*~

From Cyndee Greene

Thank you!

~*~

From Linda at Lime in the coconut

Many thanks!

Tick Tock...

2010-02-24T09:26:00.000-08:00

Time continues to fly in Museville at an alarming speed --
This is the pace at our house these days. ... well, okay, so it's a shot from Royal Sonshine's photo class project, but I thought it quite accurately portrayed the state of things around here.

Poor Thing1 is caught up in the swirl, too! Le Vroom!

I don't have much to show you because being the "oooo look, something shiny!" sort of person that I am, I haven't finished a single project - just continued to begin new ones - so now I have 654335677856984783 things in the works. A huge pile to dig through. I've lost my mind, truly. I need to hire some help, and I need someone to come and organize my madness. I just keep telling myself that it all is going to come together basically at once - BAM BAM BAM! ... and it will be spectacular!

With time on my mind, and speaking of spectacular - here's another love of mine... gorgeous clock faces, and these are some real beauties.

and like the white rabbit, "I'm late, I'm late!" Back into the trenches I go.
Enjoy your day!
xo Isa

Matters of the Heart...

2010-02-13T15:43:00.000-08:00

Unlike the law of the material ...
where the more one gives away -
the less one has...

In matters of
the heart,

the more love one gives
the more love one has.

Happiest of Valentine's Day.
xo Isa
... the hopeless romantic.

Ticking things off the list

2010-02-03T11:50:00.001-08:00

The list, the list. My nemesis. The thing that was growing larger no matter how much I checked off of it... Well, the tides have turned. I had to make some sacrifices for the greater good, and that beast of a list is finally on a leash. ... and a diet! It's getting smaller.

unknown source - love, love, love that grey.

I'm back revisiting the perfect grey for my kitchen cabinets that still sit with half the doors on, half off - different hardware from many different ideas adorning different drawers. I'm sort of liking it that way. Not really. Sooooooo. I am just going to mix some of the many, (many many) cans of paint I have and make my own, paler shade of grey. It will be delicious.

So, speaking of paler shades of grey - I ran across these moody, broody, delicious photos from a very talented couple in Germany - Mark and Fabia - but I lost the link somewhere in my notes... I will leave you to enjoy these, while I go and do and tick off more things from this dreaded list that has been ruling my life lately, so I can have more time! Mmmmm time.
xo Isa

All Work and No Play...

2010-01-21T12:25:00.000-08:00

...gets a lot accomplished!

Is it really still only January? That makes my next statement really pathetic. My New Year's resolution is officially on its ear. It didn't even last a week. There just will be no slowing down. I tried. Really. It's not that I don't want to slow down, it's that my list of to do is so much bigger, wider, longer, overwhelming (SO much) than the total amount of time in my world, that sitting around trying to relax just made me a nervous wreck as that to do list grew and grew and seriously -how can you truly relax with that elephant in the living room? .... Oh, dear.

That being said - I like being busy - it's very productive. Besides, I am not always this busy (read - INSANELY busy) just since moving to Museville and opening Greyfreth. It will balance out eventually, and I will get my long leisurely Sundays back, and long, fun dinners with friends - but for now, the midnight oil continues to burn and the midnight oil isn't close to going anywhere - burn, baby, burn.

On the fun side - lots is getting accomplished and I will have lots to show you.

Soon.

The word that defines my world these days. SOOOOOOOOOON!
Stay warm and stay dry. We are under siege here in regards to storms! Insane.
xo Isa

Photo by Eugenio Recuenco

Green with Envy

2010-01-14T06:45:00.001-08:00

I never thought of myself as a 'green' person (in regards to color choices) - but as I look around Museville, it's a predominant colour around here ... albeit faded or hinted within another hue - but it's most assuredly there.

With greens like the ones below - how can you not love this colour? I have been pining away over these 16th century Italian tin-glazed wine jars - I need those architectural fragments in the back ground, too! (Don't you love how I've gone from want to need? eek.)
These beauties will have to remain in my dreams for now, but are they not just simply sublime?
Gorgeous.

Or how about this stunning little green shell on its antique stand atop lovely antique green books that FrenchBlue & Co found? That's some treasure pile. I wish it all was mine.

I love the moss and silver centerpiece in this gorgeous faded green tablescape - and the chairs, and the table, and the glassware... and the silverware. Definitely green with envy.

Yep, the greens are tugging on my heart - I could certainly find a spot for this gorgeous faded grey-green Chinese piece in the eclectic Museville...

And these antique french books - well, I'd love my desk to be covered in them... my shelves to be filled with them ...

And although there are these chalk green walls - it is not them I am after in this photo
... It's that door.

Yes, the door.
I want that for my studio.
The hunt is on.

xo Isa

photos found 1 Michael Trapp, 2. FrenchBlue & Co. 3. City Sage 4. zentner 5. FrenchBlue & co. 6. Unknown

2010-01-12T10:13:00.000-08:00

The winter comes; I walk alone.
I want no birds to sing.
For those who keep their heart their own,
The winter is the spring. --John Clare

I really, really wish I liked the cold, because the gifts of winter are so beautiful to me. If I could stand the frigid temperatures, I'd spend hours on end walking through the enchanted woods and along beaches sprinkled in snow. I love the barren tree branches and the delicate hues that were once Spring's most vibrant, now faded into a glorious time worn treasure.

The beaches of my East coast childhood closed down in winter - all the tourists went home and the chilly shores were left to locals and fishermen. It was lovely -- in theory, in aesthetics and in its loneliness. But in physical comfort - it was miserable. Try as I might - I just cannot make myself be anywhere near the cold.

So instead, I will forever enjoy the chill of winter and the beauty it brings from afar --

From my little piece of heaven that is sunny and mild in the dead winter - outside in my shorts, with my coffee, sitting at a table in the yard. From there I will enjoy the other side of winter and the icy beauty from the pages of books and postcards sent from cold friends and relatives.

There is always the possibility of a happy solution, and in some cases, you can have it all.

My Kind of Moody

2010-01-10T07:57:00.000-08:00

Melancholic and dreamy - stone, crystal, metal, wood - muted - time worn and faded - Rustic Luxe - seriously my kind of wonderful -- the only thing I would want differently would be more natural light streaming in.
A lot more.

There is that dreaminess showcased in more light. Ahhhh.
...and they say if wishes were horses than dreamers would ride -- where's my horse?

Once a bakery, now a work/live space with her shop downstairs, Monique Meij-Beekman's home is stunning on its own -- but the magical eye of photographer Jan Luijk is just that - pure magic.
The lighting and the way the textures are captured make my heart race.

Speaking of racing hearts -- I love this reproduction of Winged Victory and wish that she were living in Museville ...

and when the headless winged beauty does moves in, I hope she brings that mirror with her.
xo Isa

photos of artist and interior designer, Monique Meij-Beekman's home by Jan Luijk as seen featured in Elle Decoration UK.
Winged Victory (Nike of Samothrace), attributed to Pythokritos, marble, 8' h, c. 200-190 B.C.
( Louvre, Paris)

Dancing With the Light...

2010-01-08T10:34:00.000-08:00

While trying to stay true to my promise of slowing down this year, I was lazily putzing around Museville with coffee in hand as the morning sun peeked over the guest house roof and streamed into the dining room in the Main House - within minutes it traveled through a mountain of crystals and washed the walls in the most beautiful light show. I had to move quickly - I have a pile of things to photograph for the shop and I couldn't let this light go to waste ...

A few of the new antique bottles slated for Greyfreth Cross bottles and some yummy grain sacks.

Some Greyfreth goodies -- One of the grain sacks that just came in, an antique dough bowl and last season's hydrangeas from my garden, now dried.

As the sun elevated into the crisp cerulean sky, the light show inside increased dramatically.

I get so sidetracked from product shooting - the texture caught my full attention.

I am such a texture addict and this had my heart racing.

It was a very short window because the pepper tree would rain on this lovely parade with its enormous and very low canopy - blocking out much of this magical light. I sped through photo after photo, vignette after vignette, gorgeous item after gorgeous item -- all bathed in varying refractions from the prisms and the golden early morning light.

I love this shot - the cello is one of my most favorite possessions - and all the different light, texture and color that was in front of me... the beauty was overwhelming -- at least to me.

After uploading the photos, I decided to start playing with them (I told you I was easily distracted!)

Anyway - that was my morning fun - chasing the light and trying to cage it within the confines of my camera -- forever mine -- on film.

All of the Greyfreth goodies will be available online later this week.

Off into the day I go.
xo Isa

all photos taken by (me)

It's a beautiful thing.....

2010-01-03T14:01:00.000-08:00

The lingering glow of Christmas still softly illuminates Museville and the residents move slowly and happily back and forth from hammock to the outdoor dining room under a pergola donned in musk roses or to stretching out on the sun bleached velvet sofa like some sort of litter of well fed and lazy kittens.

and yet my mind is elsewhere - somewhere totally unplugged - a place where the only sounds are the heartbeat of the world - the wind in the trees, the birds, the soft lapping of the ocean on the shore ... that is where I want to spend these 12 days of Christmas next year with my little brood.

This the only time when our clan of 3 have any real time together -- after a year of helter skelter and reaching a point where none of us feels we can possibly do another bloody thing - the whirlwind begins to slow... PTH has three glorious weeks off and Royal Sonshine has the same time off from school - his part time job seems like a breeze to him now with no papers, classes, deadlines competing for his time ...

The beast II stays parked in the driveway much more during these gloriously slow weeks - the construction next door has temporarily stopped for the Christmas break - the weather is mild, the sun is weak, it's as if the entire world is in the perpetual state of twilight - and it seems as we have been granted the year long wish..
to just
... be.

and it's perfectly lovely.

Happy New Year

2009-12-31T07:44:00.000-08:00

The sun is about to set on another beautiful year - this one has been particularly rich in lessons presented to me, and I hope that I have learned them well.

I keep myself way too busy, and I realize that down time is more important than I give it credit for -- in this upcoming new year, I vow to give it the value it deserves and bask in it, and recharge through it, more often.
I learn the most about myself when I am still.

I hope that each of you have been enjoying this magical season and that your heart's desires are still bringing you butterflies when you think of them and hope that they are coming true.

I am so grateful for each of you that I have met through the blogosphere and want you to know how much joy your blogs of beauty, inspiration, dreams, and the sharing of your lives has brought to me this year and how much all of you meant to me.

I have missed you all. I haven't been able to be online as much as I would like to and have been woefully absent from blogging - but time and attention were desperately needed elsewhere for a bit and then my computer used up the last of its 9 lives and left me for good. Shopping for a new one has been intimidating, but the right one will show itself, and hopefully soon! In the meantime, I will continue to share PTHs.

Happy New Year, my bloggy friends, and thank you for inviting me into each of your worlds and for all of the amazing inspiration you bring. I'll be visiting more in this bright and lovely new year before us!
I Promise.
xo Isa

The Elusive

2009-12-13T00:01:00.000-08:00

Christmas is coming - the goose is getting fat -- says so right here:

That also means that Boywonder's birthday is just around the bend! I know all of this mentally, but I just don't feel it yet! I'm ready, willing - but apparently not able. Yet. Anyone else in the same boat? Let's try and get there together, shall we?

The Saints are feeling it -- one of them is donning a Santa hat .... this made me laugh outloud.

Feeling it, yet?

Holiday music, especially live, usually gets me right in the spirit... you?

And then there is that intoxicating, earthy fragrance of evergreens -- I need to get out and get my cedar garlands - simple garlands, faerie lights casting their warm gilded and soft light - maybe some antique sleigh bells ... and candles - lots and lots of candles ... and some antique german glass glitter ... in burnished gold... Okay I'm starting to feel it.

If you're not feeling it yet, maybe some traditional Christmas dancing of Olde?

But in all seriousness - one of the things I love most is to drive around at night this time of year and look at the lights - especially on the water. The sweet, simple lights -- it most definitely puts me right into the spirit of the holidays.

This is my kind of Christmas lighting - serene, ethereal ... magical. (and in France!) Not too much glitz and glitter, but just the right amount of sparkle. Perfection, really.

Now... to go find those lights of MINE and get them up. Museville needs some Holiday magic of its own! Mmmm hmmm.

A little Martha Stewart and Desire to Inspire Lovin'

2009-12-11T21:00:00.000-08:00

A big thank you to Jo and Kim over at Desire to Inspire, a huge YIPPEE SKIPPEE and a little plug for my shop, Greyfreth --

The sea life bottles over at Greyfreth are featured, thanks to Jo and Kim, on Martha Stewart's 2009 Christmas Gift Ideas!

And here are some of the new and fabulous bottles available -

there is still time to get them to the beach lovers in your life before Christmas!

I hope you love these as much as I do, and that you will come over to Greyfreth often to see what's new.

I just wanted to share that news - I was so excited. Thanks again Kim and Jo!

xo Isa

All is Merry and Bright

2009-12-10T17:19:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe how fast time is racing by. It's hard to believe that we are two weeks away from Christmas! Are you ready?

I've been running errands today in flip flops and shorts -- some people think that is is not always easy to get in the Holiday spirit when you live where it's always sunny and mild.

but you know us Californians...
we simply have our own way of doing things.

I am sorry that I have been so absent, but I'm back now. I hope you are deeply entrenched in the beauty of the season and surrounded by those you love!
xo Isa

The Sunday After...

2009-11-01T06:31:00.001-08:00

The candles burned down and then out, the cauldron which was overflowing with candy, now sits empty on the sideboard. Edgar stands in silent vigil by the front door underneath the grapevine garlands that so enchantingly illuminated him through their shroud of cobwebs with the magical and soft glow of twinkle lights that were carefully strung throughout their twisted vines. The eaves now drip in tattered veils of cobwebbing that twist slowly in the sea breeze -- and the magic seems to have faded along with the night. As I pull everything down to be packed away, the silvery ringing of children's laughter as they ran up the driveway with their candy buckets much more full than when they arrived brings a smile to my face.

Costumes packed, boxes filled with decor waiting to be whisked off to the shed and visions of Halloween sent into the land of memory until next year. Tomorrow my thoughts will drift towards Thanksgiving. ... but not today.

Between now and then, many soups will be made, many loaves of bread will bake, and many fires will burn...books will be read while nestled into the comfortable arm of the large sectional with a large cup of coffee within reach...

But for now - I'm going to lazily enjoy the rest of my Sunday - indulge myself in a full afternoon of no work, no errands, no cares nor worries ...without a shred of guilt nor regret.
Just be.

Ahhhh Sundays. They are one of my favorite things. Yours?
xo Isa

photos from Sarah Kaye

D - Lovely

2009-10-29T15:01:00.000-07:00

Down on D street is the gateway to another world. A gorgeous world - a world where all my troubles melt and I am surrounded in loveliness everything I go in there.
... Come see for yourself.
(You can click on the photos to enlarge them)

Dreamy, isn't it? I would be hard pressed to find something ... anything in this shop that I wouldn't take home with me - and right away. I even want the props... especially those behind the mirror! Since I want to that beauty home, I'll just have to go find some props of my own in order for that zinc mirror to look as good in my house as it does in this favorite shop of mine, don't you agree? (Say yes - although I can talk myself into anything, you saying yes will make it all the more fun)

As if this vignette needed anything to make it even more swoon worthy - but there it is - a Bobo bricklayer table.... I wish the little living room in Museville were big enough to hold it!

Christmas was being sprinkled throughout the shop by the talented shopkeeps as I wandered in bliss -- and for the first time all week my mind emptied and I was totally in the present - just taking in all the beauty - through sight, touch, and smell - the burning candles and oils intermingled in a graceful slow dance - speeding up and gaining intensity each time the door opened and the cool ocean air spun the perfume dancing off in another direction.

I watched as these beauties were put out on a table next to me and of course, they were singing my heart song -- old... worn... french... books...

Poetry, no less... could it get any better?

It could - and it did. Little surprises that could hold big secrets. Book boxes... the prettiest I have seen yet.

I truly do apologize to the people that never got to see them, because no sooner had they been put out, they were in my arms and bound for Museville.

...where they now reside in my house, next to my new baby globe that came in a care package from Artie - which is another post for another time, and so are the rest of the photos I took of this shop that takes my breath away. ...stay tuned.

Back to work I go - the projects aren't going to finish on their own.
xo Isa

All photos by me =)

Autumn in All Her Glory.

2009-10-28T07:51:00.000-07:00

As the days grow shorter and the darkness creeps in earlier and earlier, Nature's fiery Fall wardrobe of brilliant reds, warm oranges, saffron yellows begin to slowly fade towards magical golds and earthy browns as the season prepares to once again, turn.

There is stunning beauty all around you - from the autumnal gemstones brought to full glory in the last light of day...

To the faded grandeur exploding with its own type of beauty that only Autumn can offer...

I am in no hurry to see the Fall go, and will watch as it gracefully, and in it's own time turns towards and then succumbs completely to Winter. Until then, I plan on reveling completely and totally in its beauty.

While Christmas is coming early to many shops, I plan on celebrating the remaining treasures of Fall, and later this week, these Autumnal beauties will be making their way into Greyfreth...

Stunning metal botanicals to twist, bend, and arrange to your liking.

Candlelight held in fabulous gilded lotus blooms make the light even more beautiful

and mercury glass, once the substitute for sterling silver to the bourgeois, is now a beauty in its own right and serves as a glorious holder of candlelight...

telescoping magnifying glasses ... the better to see you with?

Jute rugs of Antique feedsack reproductions to keep the cold at bay as you walk along the cool wooden floors while winter knocks on a distant door...

Gorgeous leather and wicker baskets that remind us of the harvest...

and rustic wooden Neem balls that look fabulous any place, any season...

Many seasonal treasures are still coming in, and much is still to be discovered while Fall is here, no matter how hard Winter is trying to crash the party.

Slow down - enjoy the Season of the moment. I am.

Wander on over and see the new finds which will be on the shelves over at Greyfreth next week.

Search for the Great Pumpkin

2009-10-27T07:53:00.000-07:00

Late. It's my claim to fame since taking on Museville. So, 4 days before Halloween, I take on the task of digging through the shed - the shed that is the temporary dumping ground for things that have no permanent place yet - to find all of my Halloween goodies.
Meet Edgar.

Isn't he fabulous? He smells like candy, too. I bought him online year before last, and I kept him up through Christmas because I loved him so much -- everyone though I was nuts, but I just couldn't put him away nor stop smelling him. The woman who made him doused him in a spray of candy scented fragrance, and I cannot tell you how unbelievably good he smelled - like a childhood candy shop!

Well, he put me in the Halloween mood - so I grabbed the dogs and royal sonshine and we headed out to Valley Center. Destination - Bates Nut Farm.

I always forget just how beautiful it is out in Valley Center. It's amazing - you can drive 30 minutes in any direction from where I live (well, not west, because after a few blocks from Museville you'll end up in the Pacific Ocean) and be in a completely other world.

Bates Nut Farm used to be a walnut farm long ago, but now it's a really cute farm with a general store full of old fashioned goodness. It's a seasonal must visit - with the pumpkin patches, the Christmas tree acreage where you can cut down your own tree, hay rides, petting zoo, hay mazes - the works. We've been coming here for trees, garland, pumpkins and goodies since royal sonshine was a toddler. It's a great time for the little ones.

They cut the pumpkins from the vines for easy transport - all you have to do is pick out your favorite...

Or favorites! They have squash, and corn stalks - everything you would think a farm would have. I'm so glad I made the trek. I needed to get away and just settle into the simple things - a gorgeous day, a gorgeous drive - and the biggest decision was what pumpkin to pick up. A nice change for the chaos.
Very nice.

Now I just have to decide what exactly I'm going to do with these 12 pumpkins. Yes, I said 12. Big, small, orange, white and some in between.

SO what did you do (or if you are a procrastinator like me this year, "going to do") with your pumpkins this year?

Here are a few inspirations I ran across... I absolutely love this:

...and this

This is right up my alley - simple and beautiful. I have these urns, too ... somewhere.

Mums look awfully good in a pumpkin - maybe I'll have time to do this quick and pretty planter...

How cute is Max?

Do you have big plans?

Show and tell.
xo Isa

Help Me Light My Way...

2009-10-25T08:19:00.000-07:00

There is nothing more lovely, enchanting or mesmerizing as candlelight. It's soft and sultry glow permeate all of Museville...

and as lovely as this is...

...and this

as dreamy as this is ...

Image from Josephine Ryans's book "French Home, scanned by Trish of Trouvais

...and no matter how much this takes my breath away ...

It really is high time that I procured some lighting for the exterior of Museville -

that doesn't include candles...

Because as pretty as it is --

Since painting, there is something missing from my porches! Light fixtures ...

I don't have a more recent photo (I am SO far behind on catching you up!) since we finished painting, but this one will do for the purpose of showing that I need lighting at the garage-turned-guesthouse, at the front door over there, and as you can see above - for the front door of the main house.

Now - I can't seem to make a decision about exactly what lighting I want. I have wrestled over it for over a month, and the more I look, the more I can't decide. Please ... somebody help me.

The residents of Museville have picked out these various styles and I put them together in numbered collages so you can help me :)

Lanterns

Alabaster/craftsmanesque

and because we're by the beach, I liked the seafaring industrial sorts, too.

I'm leaning towards these two choices below --
the first being these gorgeous stone and alabaster light fixtures -- the one on the left would go by the front doors and the sconces on the right would go on each side of the garage door (nestled into the climbing rose that is now there) instead of a light above ... one resident of Museville thinks it's too modern looking.... what do you think?

These seafaring industrial sorts (and they won't be these exact lights, but just the style) with a big gooseneck over the garage door and the light on the right at the front doors ...

So, I'm having a difficult making a choice, can you help me? What do you think should light up the exterior of Museville, I really do want to know! It doesn't have to be limited to the choices above, feel free to offer your own choices, I'd love to hear what your choice would be because at the rate I am deciding, I won't have exterior lighting for another 6 months!

So much to do, so little time in the day!
xo Isa

Good Company

2009-10-22T20:22:00.000-07:00

I spent the day in LA yesterday - my first stop - The fabulous Framm & Company in Santa Monica to visit with Framm and her shop keeper, Lonnie, and to fill their shelves with my cross bottles. Everything about this shop makes my heart pound. Nestled underneath the canopy of a tree lined Main is the doorway to another world -
the beautiful world of Framm Phillips.

Framm's storefront.

"As the world speeds by us faster each day, it becomes harder to find that unusually brilliant object, that perfect surprise, that genuine article. Framm brings a lifetime of experience in clothing design involving vintage, antique, and modern fabrics to her latest venture. She has transformed her exquisite storefront studio on Main Street in Santa Monica, California. Now, walking into Framm and Company is like stepping through a portal into her imagination.

Immediately upon walking through the door, you know you are somewhere very special.

Antiques, Custom Furniture pieces, found objects, obscure art discoveries, collectibles, pillows that truly evoke the notion of dreaming, hand-made from her collection of old and new fabrics, these are the kinds of things you’ll find at Framm's.

Some of Framm's beautiful pieces.

Framm, herself, is a beautiful tapestry - rich in color and wonderfully unique - Born and raised in Eastern Connecticut, Framm studied Fine Art at the University of Connecticut. She then moved to NYC and attended the New York School of Design and the New York Sculpture Center. This while working in high fashion and advertising as a stylist for some of the most important photographers in the world. She moved to Los Angeles in 1978, continuing her studies with courses in color and design at UCLA.

The amazing crewel work on one of Framm's pillows.

Through those years, Framm developed a love for fine, collectible fabrics from the past. In 1980, incorporating her conception of Old Turned New, she created her first collection, and opened the sweetest little studio you ever saw, just around the corner from the 2667 Main Street space you’ll find Framm and Company today.

Totes by Framm - beautiful, isn't it?

Her clothing designs evoked impressions such as Opulence, Elegance, Whimsy, Ultra-Femininity, and always a hauntingly nostalgic beauty. One could always be assured of genuine one-of-a-kindness with a Framm original.

Through the looking glass. Brick walls, hardwood floors - so dreamy.

Framm’s work has appeared often in Movies and TV. Her dresses have made their way down the red carpet of many Award events, and major awards have been accepted by women wearing Framm designed gowns.

A fabulous antler and suede stool.

Her work has appeared in publications such as Vogue, Women’s Wear Daily, and People. Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman, Henri Bendel’s, and other major stores have carried Framm originals."

I would LOVE to have this in my house!

There are so many originals in her shop that I wanted to carry home with me - The tiny shop is filled with treasure upon treasure - I could spend hours perusing it all... well, that is precisely what I did yesterday.

Antique wooden hat forms -- I put one of these on my list to Santa.

Piece after beautiful piece revealed itself - begging to be brought home. It was hard not to oblige... to ALL of it! Put a bed in the shop and I'll just move in. It is truly that special.

Antique shoe forms on iron stands.

It is almost like a living faerie tale within those vintage brick walls -- you can just see the cobbler making exquisite shoes... Can you tell this place is heaven on earth to me?

A sweet antique iron crib.

I have my eye on this beauty above for a prop in Greyfreth - wouldn't the crib be lovely stuffed with vintage grainsack pillows? ...another goody on my ever-growing list.

My new treasure.

I just couldn't leave empty handed, so this gorgeous working clock of found objects (of my favorite kinds) is the newest resident of Museville. It was just too difficult to resist!

So the next time you are up in Santa Monica, be sure to stop by Framm's. You will be oh, so glad that you did ... tell her Isa sent you!

Quoted material and photos courtesy of Framm's website.

Snorkling... in the backyard?

2009-10-19T19:29:00.001-07:00

Isn't this dreamy?
No, it's really not the shallow waters of some beautiful white-sanded beach destination!
Believe it
or not
... it's an above-ground bed of succulents in the Sunset test gardens in Northern California.

Crazy!

Okay, back to digging through the huge landscape file on my computer - I saved photos of outdoor light fixtures somewhere and can't remember what I named it. Le grrrr. I ran across this one and just had to share it =)
I'll be back tomorrow with some light fixture choices I want you to help me make for the outside of my (finally) fully painted Museville!
xo Isa

12th Century Perfection

2009-10-16T07:40:00.000-07:00

Tucked beautifully in a valley of Provence, famed for its lavender fields, lies the stunning Cistercian Abbey of Senanque. When I saw this, it literally took my breath away - and selfishly, the first thought in my mind was, "I would love to turn this into a house! ... MY house!"

Founded in 1148, The austere and harmonious church, built in the Romanesque style, was consecrated in 1178.

Standing in silent vigil over the lavender and wheat fields, just as it did when it was built -- almost 1000 years ago. (Did you just hear my heart pound?!) That is truly almost unimaginable to me -- and so normal there -- to live among things so beautiful, so ancient, laden with such history... I long for that to be my every day world so badly that my heart literally aches.

Here you see the South facade of the abbey, the main facade of the abbey church is unusual in having no main portal, but it perfectly reflects the Cistercian ideal of modesty and simplicity.

View of the abbey church (built c.1150-1200) from an elevated road along the east side. It's amazing, isn't it?

Two of my favorites -- Poppies and lavender sway in the gentle breezes -- perfuming the air and filling the senses.

Most definitely my idea of heaven on earth.

Mason's marks on the east (ecclesiastical south) arcade of the abbey church, built after 1180 -- It really says, future home of Isa... really.

Oh to dream...

Happy Weekend.
xo Isa

The Madness of Museville

2009-10-13T11:31:00.001-07:00

Inside and Out, Museville is still torn up.

The Inside Scoop:

I have been shopping for antique globes - big ones, small ones, and everything in between for the shop, but they don't seem to make it out of my house... I know.. I'm so bad - but they are so beautiful. I even have Artie shopping for them for me in NY! My top addiction at the moment.

I even found them in pieces of jewelry - isn't this so cute? I found it at Trace Ellements.

Poor Tired Husband and I are going back and forth on the dental moulding I want - he thinks that it's too overwhelming, but I think it's fabulous. Here is the photo on my wish list bulletin board - it's my original inspiration - ancient sandstone dental moulding in Jordan! Gorgeous, isn't it?

For now, all the old, boring moulding has been pulled down and we're on "hold" while I convince PTH that he will love the moulding I have in mind ... la la la.

Still sorting through pots, urns, olive pots - what is staying inside and what is going outside - what's in the main house and what goes to the guest house - anything for greyfreth? - and I've changed my mind a zillion times... and will do many more times, I'm sure.

My dining room table top hasn't been seen in months because it has been covered in cross bottles from the greyfreth inventory overflow (albeit beautiful overflow) so the shed has now been designated as the new cross bottle overflow storage... for now - so I have THAT to do, too. Clear out, paint, re-shelf - and then stock. But, I see an empty tabletop in my future!

Greyfreth Cross bottles featured in a DMD ad as seen in Coast Magazine Oct03

The Outside Scoop:

I am putting in my winter garden and only have the plans - but hey, you have to start somewhere, right? Kale, Cauliflower, broccoli, snap peas, garlic chives, leeks, mustard greens, edible flowers, lettuces and endive.... In theory it sounds fabulous - let's see if I have time to make it a reality this year.

The circular walkway that leads from the driveway (by the guest house and by the main house) to the Main House front door is being jack hammered out and replaced with pea gravel to meander through the newly planted (and soon to be planted) lovelies (pictures soon!) The olive trees finally made it out of the pots and into the ground - much to their utter delight.

And then there is the little retaining wall around the flower beds at the front of the house that need to be torn down and rebuilt to look like this one:

And there is still the outdoor dining room, the living room painting ... the list goes on and on! Who knew that a move would cause THIS much chaos for this LONG? It's okay. I'll organize the projects and start posting as we move through each one of them. They are fun ones and will make a big difference on how things look around here.
Stay tuned!

The Magical World of Ann Wood

2009-10-10T09:48:00.000-07:00

Ship of Dreams, Winkin' Blinkin' and Nod - sailing the night skies to Never Neverland -- these are the magical, mystical places of my childhood that sailed immediately back to life the moment I discovered Ann Wood and her enchanting floating ships--

Her own place looks like what I imagine Wendy's room in the land of the lost boys to look something like -

Her workspace - a place where childhood fantasies are being spun into a beautiful reality-

Floating through the air above are dreams in the making -

A tapestry of vibrant hues which will become the sails that help take you there.

Once attached to the fragile vessel of paper mache

you will be able to sail away to places limited only by your imagination...

Through the skies, through time ...

Or perhaps you would like your new found treasure to be earth bound ...

part of a stunning vignette

...like this beauty that Ann Wood named "shipwrecked".

I want to live in a world where something that spectacular is what a shipwreck looks like. Scoot over a little Ann, is there room for me? I want to live in your lovely, lovely world of dreams.

Photos from Ann Wood's site

Movin' on up to the dot com SALE! Wooot!

2009-10-07T13:18:00.000-07:00

It's a good old fashioned moving sale!

Today through Friday at Midnight
take a full 1/3 off of your entire purchase of Cross Bottles over at Greyfreth.

That's right - whether it's 1 bottle or 10 - now is the time to grab that bottle or bottles that you have been longing for and get it for 67% of the retail price.

How to get your discount --

1. Go the blog shop and look through the Ambers, the blues, the whites, the greens, the Novelty and the Seashell collections --
2. write down the item number of all the bottles you want to order

3. Email greyfreth@gmail.com with the item numbers and your shipping address

Easy!

You will then receive an invoice by return email with your discount(s) applied, and you can pay immediately online through paypal.
Don't wait - because as you know, each Cross Bottle is a one of a kind original --and when it's gone -- it's gone.

Don't let someone else beat you to the bottle you've been waiting to purchase! Bottles are considered up for grabs until they have been paid for.

Why are we celebrating?

We're going to be leaving the blog that has been temporarily housing Greyfreth's online inventory and moving in to our Greyfreth.com site over the weekend! (cross your fingers for no glitches nor delays!) I felt like a celebration was in order - and it helps me because the more you buy, the less I have to move over! It's a win/win for us all!

The GreyfrethBlog will still be active, but the store will move to greyfreth.com. It will have much easier shopping navigation, a separate, password protected wholesale area, and many new and fabulous features. Look for lots of new and beautiful things to shop at that point, too!!

Happy Wednesday and Happy Shopping!

Supersize it, Please.

2009-10-06T05:54:00.001-07:00

There has been a lot of talk lately of 'what's your style?' in bloggyland - the tests you can take, the beautiful book reviews, the invitation that went around to put up one room that sums up your happy place, design-wise - I haven't been able to put a label on my crazy world - but I do like breaking rules, and that includes the rules of scale. I love big things, and don't care if the space is small, or if the big piece is out of scale with the rest of the room -- you'd see that in Museville if you came over to my little house and saw my 10 x 10 sun washed green velvet sectional or my crazy huge floor mirror, or the fishbowl sized coffee cups I drink my go-juice out of each morning.

So, in addition to all of the wonderful reasons that have been mentioned on the fabulous blogs of Joni Webb and Brooke Giannetti regarding Restoration Hardware's latest and delicious unveiling, I love what's going on over there with the big big pieces and have torn out pages from their catalog and pinned them on my office wall so that I can see them all day - and I let out little happy sighs whenever I look at these rooms...

Just look at the size of that dreamy mirror - and Mark Sage's chandelier... LOVE them. Singing my song, I say.

I would take everything in this room right down to the books and fishing weights on the table. I love that enormous light and that map of Paris? (Dies) It blows mine right out of the water. As much as I love 'big' I don't think I have a wall large enough (literally) to house that here in my McMini. So, as much as it blows my Paris map out of the water, I can at least hang mine on one of my walls. (It somehow doesn't make me feel better - I'm still pining away over this one!)

I'm in love with this baluster table - I've been working on one for an outdoor dining room table which I admit that I copied from the one I saw on Michael Trapp's property on his website.

Those eyeglass frame molds are fantastic, and I love all those different frames that house the beautiful sketches - more mismatched loveliness that is another defining characteristic of my style, I suppose.

Out of all the Resto rooms, this one is most definitely my favorite. The little vintage toolbox chest side tables, Mark Sage's bricklayer table, the huge capital, those fabulous Royal seamaster lights ... but the coupe de grace is that oh-so-dreamy mirror! I am seriously, seriously, seriously in love with it. (I just heard my credit card whimper) I have never flipped through a catalog before and loved entire rooms - until now.

Reclaimed, handcarved ... more of my favorite love song...

And saddled up next to this sleek, shiny, oh so fabulously huge sealight?! My heart can hardly take it. A danger of super sizing, I hear...

The light is sending out morse code for "come buy me!" Must resist...

Okay, so there actually is one thing that is driving me crazy with this room - the perfectionist in me would never allow two of these toolbox chests to flank my sofa because they aren't mirror imaged... I am so bad (PTH groaned when I pointed this out to him) - see how the latches are on the left side of both of them in the photo above? That detail drives me crazy. The latches, in Museville, would have to be to the outside or the inside, but not one of each! If they were mine, I would seriously take one of them to a machinist and have him take the legs off, turn it upside down and put the legs back on so that the hinges were both on the outside and the latch was on the inside, towards the sofa - perfectly matched.

Design Neurosis at its finest. I know, I know ... it's an issue. One that Poor Tired Husband has to constantly live with... but it's how I roll. Do things like that drive you crazy, too?

But I digress - this was about bigger is better and with so many great Artisans on board now, they're sure doing it big over at Restoration Hardware, and I'm lovin' it!

Happy New Week!

All images from Restoration Hardware dot com

*********

In shop news over at Greyfreth - we just received a shipment of new and beautiful bottles from Claire - including a brand new style - come see!

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall...

2009-09-28T05:18:00.001-07:00

Next to my chippy shutters, my next big love is old mirrors - the big heavy and hand carved frames and the mercury splatters on the other side of the glass.... dreamy.

My son says I sound like an old lady now when I sigh... run my fingers along the carvings and lament that they just don't make things like they used to...

...but they don't.

I'm in love with this Antique Italian mirror and it looks just like the moulding going up in my little muse shack...

Isn't it gorgeous?

The detailing on this silver hand mirror is so sweet...

What a lucky mirror to live within a tapestry of weathered and timeworn beauty...

I've been on the hunt for the perfect mirrors for project 36654433 here in Museville, but it's slow going...

but half the fun is in the hunt for just the right ones ...

Angels Among Us...

2009-09-26T08:15:00.001-07:00

An angel, like a butterfly, knows it is a great privilege to fly

...even if only for a moment. -- unknown

I have a deep and profound love for certain ancient statues -- some I have seen with my own eyes, some through the eyes and lens of others.

The ones that speak to me are those forever frozen within a moment of grace and benevolence.

Such beauty with a hint of sadness - held to the earth by the weight of concrete - like fireflies trapped in a jar --

I always thought that many were just too beautiful to have come from imagination and as a child always wondered if there was indeed a gorgeous creature imprisoned within ... but knew that something of that amount of grace could never be held by anything of this earth - and so I romanticized that they would in their own time take to the heavens - leaving behind mementos of their time here.

via Greyfreth

Shedding their earthly costume - leaving behind treasures for those lucky enough to find them.

as seen in pottery barn

I was lucky enough to find them. You can be, too.

Color My World

2009-09-22T07:38:00.000-07:00

I love the Fall. The crisp mornings that melt into warm afternoons -- but most of all, I love the colors. My favorite colors all come together then. The grey green leaves of my olive trees against the red crescent moon last night - the burnt cinnabar and saffron of the neighbor's Japanese maple which is starting to turn .... the rich and beautiful color of my favorite spices...

I am so very glad that I changed my mind about neutralizing the walls that I so painstakingly colorwashed in saffron earlier in Museville. because I find myself, at this time of year, longing for the weight of saturated colors - those which have been sun washed and somewhat faded. My walls feel like a gentle embrace each morning. As I walk down the hall, the morning sun dances slowly across the heavy texture and the subtle color differences of the paints... it's rich, warm, and lovely.

It looks wonderful as a backdrop for all my chippy and ancient treasures -

...as you can see here is the dining room of Museville in its 'during' state as we were loading things in just after painting... (I especially like the one candle... heh.) you will see this photo again later between the before and the after... stay tuned.

I used to feel that I was afraid of color, but that is not the case. Afraid isn't the right word, it's that I don't like bright colors in my home - they have way too much energy and make me feel chaotic. Too much white and grey make me feel somewhat empty and cold. No, I definitely prefer the smokey spiced hues of saffron, paprika, curry (after they have sat out in the sun for a month or so...) -- the grey greens of tarragon and the greys of fennel seeds.... the warm sun ripe hues of honey ... it seems it's always about food lately...

Being such a tactile sort, texture is big in my book - I'm always running my fingers against things as I walk by - tattered book pages, the deep grooves of rough hewn wood, the rough surface of rusted iron -- all parts of the symphony which makes my heart sing.

I'm in love with so much of this John Saladino living room - there are those delicious sun drenched and time worn colors again... I am putting that same dental moulding (after it has been beat up and tea-stained) throughout Museville. Sure it's out of scale and it's very grand for my little beach shack, but that's part of the fun. Besides, it adds some architectural interest of sort to a boring and boxy interior. I love it, and that's ... well, that's that.

Fall's food. I have been so looking forward to this -- when the evening is so crisp - the air so chilled ... there is nothing like a hearty soup and homemade breads. The scent of fresh bread baking in a warm kitchen on a cool Autumn afternoon is heaven.

Yep, trends may come and go, and the latest is planted firmly in much of what I already and always loved - the ancient, the time worn, the faded ... the rich textures of leather, wood, velvet, burlap and rusted iron .... antiques and industrial in organic glory

With just the right amount and perfect juxtaposition of bling thrown in the mix...

The element of surprise in the mix - opulent mixed with rough - the unexpected ... the ordinary made extraordinary. All things that sing beautifully together in perfect harmony to me.

I hope Fall is adding its magic and beauty to your world, too.

photo credits: photo 1 unknown, photos 2 - 6 my photos of my dining room & home, photo 7 unknown source of a living room designed by John Saladino, photo 8 flickr, photo 9 unknown, photo 10 via Joni Webb's Cote de Texas photo 11 unknown.

Moody Blues....

2009-09-09T06:01:00.001-07:00

Into the blue, out of the blue, singing the blues...

Blue moon, blue Monday, true blue...

Blue Bayou, blue ribbon, blue blood...

Bluestocking, bluebook, blueberriers...

Beautiful, cool, and calming

Some of my favorite things are blue, so I thought I'd sing a few.
Singing the blues on this Wednesday morning,
yes indeed.

...blue yonder.... blue ice... blue bonnet...

photo1 -4 unknown sources - sorry, forever buried in the files photo 5: James Merrell, photo 6 Taschen NY style

Time to Get Away...

2009-09-04T00:01:00.000-07:00

It is *hot* and all the little residents of Museville have been working so hard - I think we're going to pack up some basics, throw the surfboards on top and the dogs in the jeep and head to Mexico for the weekend.

A little R&R is in order -- and so are margaritas, fish caught and grilled, sleeping in ... ahhhh. Yep - that's the plan.

Happy weekend!

Photography by J Canosa

What Can Brown Do For You?

2009-09-03T15:10:00.000-07:00

I love my UPS man - Squeaky shocks and the low growl of the engine bounding down my street, herald the arrival of his brown truck of goodies, and I feel like it's Christmas.

So to the question their commercials ask, "What can Brown do for you?"

Well, he can bring you the blues that you have been asking for -

Beautiful antique blues and simple glass cabochons that love to play with the light...

Delicious, hypnotic moody blues - and rich sultry ambers...

Whites with a perfect patina, a few surprises

and unusual finds...

You guessed it - a new and gorgeous shipment of Vintage Cross Bottles for you to peruse.

You can shop the new blue bottles here. and the ambers and whites are being added as we speak... type ...

but don't wait too long, they, like summer.

will be gone before you know it.

Monday in Museville

2009-08-31T09:32:00.000-07:00

While PTH does the finishing touches on the exterior trim on the Guest House, I'm assessing the gardens and the yards and making mental lists of what I want to do ... walking the property, taking note where the sun's path is this time of year, and make some decisions about the fences and walls ... It's in sad shape and is next on the list for my full attention in Museville....

On the Greyfreth front... today I'm working on getting the online shop current, and still working on the future, official, grown-up website. In much more fun news regarding the shop -- new stock of delicious items are arriving - something along the lines of the old Wedding poem ...

Something old... something new...

...something borrowed... something blue...

Speaking of blue ... Claire and I have unearthed some gorgeous antique blue bottles - including many cobalt blues for those of you that have been asking for them -- and Claire's been very busy in her shop bejeweling them with her magic and creating stunning new cross bottles for the shop.
Look to the Vintage Cross Bottle area of Greyfreth in the next day or so ... or maybe even this afternoon if the UPS man happens to come knocking on my door today!

Onward we go into the new week.
Happy Monday.
xo

Inspiration Right Under My Nose...

2009-08-29T16:39:00.001-07:00

I used to surf almost every morning - that little ritual along with many others, as you know, have gone the way of the dodo bird while we've been working on Museville - but for the last week, once again, I've been heading back down the road, lured by the soft morning song of the sea. You can only ignore it for so long, unless, of course, you are a landlubber

-- which I clearly am not.

I am so lucky to be able to see this on a daily basis, and the early mornings with the lingering sheer bank of clouds and fine mists of sea spray are my favorite. That perfect touch of grey that is washed over everything, giving it that time-worn and slightly ethereal feel that I love more than anything.

This is my favorite beach sort of morning. You can keep the bright and intense - I'll take the soft, serene and muted over that, anytime.

So, I've been really having a difficult time making up my mind in regards to the bathroom and kitchen in the Main House. You should see my file. It's exploding, and has no direction, because I just can't make up my mind. Indecision. My nemesis. So I wait until it comes to me - and come to find out, it's been with me all along.

I love elements of this bathroom - the soft natural light - the rawness of the hardwood floors - and the soft, beautiful colors of my beloved sea.

And then, there is is gorgeous kitchen Joni shared on her blog a while back - it's perfect. Organic, old mixed with new - soft muted earthy colors, and those counter tops... to die for.

Sometimes when you can't make up your mind, you just need to slow down and stop trying so hard. It will come to you, because the answer has really been there
all
along.

And what a gorgeous answer it is.

With the kitchen and bathroom visions now at least there in broad brush strokes -- everything in Museville now has direction. It's just a matter of making it happen. PTH and I have to dig deep and go in for another big push.

Updates soon.

photos 1, 2 and in collages by yours truly. Photos 3 & 4 unknown source found in my files. Photo 5 from Joni Webb's Cote de Texas.

Sugar, Spice and All Things Nice...

2009-08-28T03:57:00.000-07:00

I'm going to fantasize that the weekend ahead will be this beautiful and relaxing...

Not a paint brush, power tool, nor project in sight...

Surrounded not by the chaos of construction, but rather by good friends, good food, and laughter.

The biggest decision of the day --

Where to nap after lunch...

Decisions, decisions...

ahh.. a girl can dream, can she not?

Soon... soon Museville will be finished and this will be reality.

Enjoy your weekend, wherever you end up.

photography of Tim Evan Cook

Golden Days of Summer

2009-08-23T09:02:00.003-07:00

The special beauty of the fading summer is being painted by mother nature around here -- the long, hot days are starting to be bookended by a faint crispness in the air at dawn and dusk - Fall is on the horizon, and to those that pay close attention can hear her calling.

The beach grasses have thrown seed to the wind and dance in their best gilded gown in the morning sun of summer's end. The tourists will be going home soon.

While tourist season has been in full bloom, we have taken to the earliest and latest hours of the day to visit the beach - avoiding the crowds - and we are able to enjoy the most spectacular gilded shows of living art without distraction or crowds.

With coffee in hand, I appreciate the solitude-- the only hustle and bustle around here are the hungry sandpipers chasing the fleeting waves for their breakfast and the occasional jogger. It's so nice and peaceful. I am ready for tourist season to come to an end.

I easily lose myself within the sounds of the gentle crashing of the morning waves -- the heartbeat of the world -- I clear my mind and enjoy the cool sand between my toes - the sultry, slightly briny air - the occasional cry of the gulls - and the rhythmatic lapping of the waves at the shore .. the beginning of the end of summer ...

here in the land of endless summer...

Do you hear Fall whispering to you, yet?

I am Utterly Smitten

2009-08-21T13:21:00.000-07:00

... with this raw and romantic faerie tale loft that I saw over at Apartment Therapy. I love everything about it - The fact that this home is a converted 1936 factory warehouse makes it even more delicious -- and that they left the spaces raw -- concrete floors, original columns, exposed duct work, "ready for creative expression".

And express she did. It's just gorgeous.

"The space is soaring, with clerestory windows up to 28 feet, and a wall of original factory windows running 24 feet across the back elevation. Entering my place, to me, is like entering a fairytale, with 16-foot taffeta silk curtains puddled on the concrete floor, salvage finds from old European churches, military bases and schools, along with the latest Italian design."

"The best way I can think to describe my place is like an ongoing sculptural installation, with ever-changing expression, depending on my mood and inspiration."

Speaks right to my little Artistic heart and everything that i love -- well, all but two things. 1. It's in Georgia, and not California, and 2. It's not mine. hee.

Happy Weekend lovely ones!
xo Isa

photos and quotes - Apartment Therapy and owner Caryn Grossman

Stranger in the Mirror.

2009-08-19T09:07:00.001-07:00

This morning, I was out running an errand to the hardware store for yet more things needed for the rebuilding of Museville. While at a stop sign, I happened to look across the street. There, between the hedges and through a simple openwork iron gate stood a beautiful white stucco house with a luscious and serene yard. Within my snapshot view, I saw, sitting in the soft grass -- a very happy looking golden lab, and mindlessly petting that sweet dog was a woman lounging in her weathered Adirondack chair, perusing the morning paper. Not a care in the world. Everything about her, her yard, and her dog oozed a good and together, stress free existence. Her morning coffee cup was sharing the small table top next to her with a plethora of fresh cut flowers sitting within a simple vase. You could hear the classical music wafting through the air from inside the opened front door.

I was overcome with sadness. I felt so jealous. I actually ached because in that moment, I realized just how far away from that life I have ventured. I cannot wait until I have all my fires put out, all my projects at this fixer-upper of mine - under control, and have that sort of time and relaxation once again in my world. I glanced in the rear view mirror as I left the stop sign, and didn't recognize the very tired looking pair of eyes, which were welling up with tears, looking back at me.

I was once that well balanced person in the yard-- and not so very long ago... Poor Tired Husband and I regularly had morning coffee in our own gorgeous yard, listening to beautiful music and deliciously and oh-so-leisurely flipped through the paper ...what has happened to me? Is this the price for moving to Museville? The lack of these moments that once were normal and now seem a luxury?

Okay, enough of this. Time to dig deep, chug the rest of my starbucks drive through coffee, stop whining, put my big girl panties on and get to work on the McMini. There is quite a bit that has gotten done around here - I'll fill you in later in the week and update the slide show.

In the meantime, over at the shop - the garden section of Greyfreth is up and running, and most of the accessories are accessible. haha. Many, many of the Cross Bottles have sold, and I have a new shipment coming in any day, so look for new beautiful bottles this week on the site as well! Busy, busy, busy.

See you soon.

My Personal Pied Piper...

2009-08-15T00:01:00.000-07:00

plays the most intoxicating tune ... it lures me like no other. While California is dreamy, and I do love living here - France pulls on my heart like an old lost love - and yet I've never been there. The same visions tug at me and

always include

cedar-lined

drives.

I can just smell the sun - hear the gravel crunch underfoot, and the wind as it gently blows through the silvery green leaves of the Olive trees as I make my way up the driveway -

Destination -

this house

dreams.

My favorite landscaping - elegant in its simplicity - creeping fig wandering up the ancient stone walls of the faded yellow house... a heavy and enormous arched wooden door.

Urns, Olive pots, simple and tidy hedges - gorgeous against the faded beauty of the house... my house!

A yard with a simple pool and my favourite green and white, dappled with stone pieces here and there...

With just enough order and balance - not too much --
and views that go on for days.

And then there are the heart-stopping rangy gardens, with just enough color for me -- kept just tidy enough -- that flank a windy gravel path which leads, of course, to the perfect book reading destination - some beautiful bench to sit and take in all of the loveliness -
oh
to
dream.

Yes, it's a love song quietly and continually played by my personal pied piper. It's haunting melody carries on the breeze, across the miles...

... and my soul quietly answers.

Happy Weekend.

xo Isa

Treasure Seekers Rejoice!

2009-08-13T20:57:00.000-07:00

Peek in over at Greyfreth sometime on Sunday (maybe earlier!) -- The shelves, nooks and crannies are going to be filling up as we load in all the new finds all weekend long --

*
Here's a little sneak peek for the curious --

You can click on the photo to enlarge it.

It's coming along! Yes, indeedy.

Garden in a Tea Cup

2009-08-12T09:03:00.000-07:00

I love this photo. Pure happiness, isn't it? I have no idea where I got it, but as I clean off my desktop, I wanted to save it somewhere.

Now you can enjoy it, too.

Back to the salt mines .... SO much to do, so little time. How does this always happen? Once Museville is put (mostly) together and Greyfreth is further along, I really need to reassess how little time I have allotted for myself. I think it's a plight many of us face!

Must carve out more ME time.

Enjoy this glorious summer day!

xo Isa