Just got back from the evening walk with the husband. We stopped at our favorite tree, as we do each evening, to look at the amazing flowers. The tree is called the silk tree or, more commonly, Mimosa (aka Albizia julibrissin, if you’re into binomial nomenclature) and has gorgeous paired dark green leaves and the most delicate feathery pink and white flowers.
Here’s a great image of one from Duke U:
The beautiful silk tree in bloom
So, why am I rambling on about trees, when this is a design blog? Because I am always looking for inspiration, and nature always delivers! The delicate colors of the flowers contrast so beautifully with the rich deep green of the leaves, and the soft, filmy texture of the flowers next to the robust texture of the leaves and bark makes this a great example of textural interest as well.
The great physicist Richard Feynman stated once that “Nature’s imagination is so much greater than man’s that she’s never going to let us relax,” and I think he is correct. Whenever we need to see things in a fresh perspective, or want new insights into beauty, we can look into the forest or the sea or the meadows or the stars and see endless opportunity to be inspired by such beauty.
I hope you have time this weekend to get outside and take look around for inspiration in your life, too!
Just got back from a Rehoboth Beach – Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce “Green Force” meeting where I heard about this year’s DE Renewable Energy Fair! It’s going to happen Sat August 7 at the RB Convention Hall from 11 am – 3 pm. I’ll be greeting people at the RB Chamber of Commerce table that day – hope you can come by and say hi!
Filed under: Living
Is this job ever finished?? I don’t think so. As I write this, several bags of items are sitting on my porch ready to be donated to a local charity, doing my part to both clear out my closets and help local charities do their work.
We residents of the US have unprecedented levels of material accumulation. Yet happiness levels nationally are the lowest since they started following that statistic in the fifties. It’s apparent that our possessions are not making us happy.
So, as we enter summer, this uplifting season of activity, this is a great time to choose to pass on some of your less-wanted items. Instead of boxing up that sweater – you know, the one you kind of like but not really – to see if maybe next winter you will actually wear it, why not put it into a bag for donation instead? Perhaps you have moved recently and some of the items you loved in your previous home are not working in your new home. Now is the time to see if your children or grandchildren can use those pieces of furniture or artwork, or if your local charity or reseller can use them. Extra material possessions can be a burden. Turning them into a resource for others just might add to your own happiness!
Filed under: Living
Here at the beach, Memorial Day weekend marks the beginning of the busy summer season! Time to get outside and enjoy the sunshine!
It’s easy to get swept up in red, white, and blue barbecue fever and forget why we celebrate this day – so I want to take a moment and say a heartfelt “Thank you” to all our veterans, without whom our country would be a very different place. This includes my grandfather, who served in Naval Aviation in WWI, and my beloved Dad who was in Navy boot camp when WWII ended.
This weekend also marks the beginning of the Lewes Farmers’ Market, so you know I will be out there Saturday morning getting fresh eggs and herbs and whatever else I can’t resist. Enjoy!
Normally these days I find the word “authentic” to be overused and watered down, but when talking about using hand thrown pottery in the dining room, authentic still says it best. Serving dishes, dinnerware, platters, plates, and drinking vessels take on a new importance when made of pottery crafted by a local artisan.
No piece will be exactly like the next piece, giving your dining table a uniqueness impossible to find anywhere else. Hand thrown pieces have a different feel under the fingers; the texture is rich and inviting. The echoes of the hands of the artisan who created the piece is still palpable in the hands of the recipient, creating that intriguing bond between artisan and user.
Here are some pieces done by my friend Elona Shaffert, local artisan. She makes great pieces and also teaches at her store, Creatable Crafts, here in Rehoboth Beach. I have enjoyed giving pieces by her as gifts, especially knowing that no matter who I was giving them to, that they weren’t going to get these items from anywhere else!
Look at these great ocean colors - perfect for seaside dining
I can see loaves of homemade bread, all thick and texturey and slathered with herbed butter, looking just right served on this dinnerware. The bread would rightly be joined by hearty soul-warming soup and a salad of fresh tossed spring greens with chunky croutons in those graceful bowls. These blues and greens and sand colors are cool, yet rich and full bodied. This series makes me want to redo my personal house in these great ocean hues. You could easily pick a set of pieces like this and use them as inspiration for redecorating your dining room or kitchen. And who would want to store these tucked away on a cupboard somewhere? With handmade pottery, you can store the pieces on open shelves in full view, or hang them on the wall, and enjoy them as artwork when they weren’t being used for their intended purpose. Two for one!
Here’s another piece – this one’s done with horse hair! Crazy! But look how amazing the result is:
The vase would do well as an objet d’art in the living room -but let’s not forget the kitchen! Handmade pottery creates a special feel in the kitchen, too. Hot French Onion soup out of the oven takes on a whole new level of deliciousness when the smooth melted provolone is dripping over the hearty texture of a handmade crock. Yum!
Go find a local artisan and give yourself the tactile and visual pleasure you have been yearning for!
Filed under: Living
Happy New Year from Aerie Home!
May your New Year be filled with comfortable chairs, steaming cups of your favorite hot beverage, and good friends with whom to share both of those simple joys!
