3/31/10

Go outside & play!

It's warm outside & in about an hour my house will be crawling with kids. This is a good thing!

Thank goodness we live next to one of the most amazing parks in Lexington, Kentucky. 

This is where they will eventually head off to. Frisbee golf is a favorite, course below, along with baseball, volleyball, kite flying, and soaking up the sun!

At the end of the day, they will return, hot, dirty, happy and hungry! A sure sign of time well-spent outside.
So since I need to scoot, I thought I would leave you with something light & airy to enjoy and I wish you lot's of sunshine. Now go outside & play!

 The incredible art of Guido Cozzi.
Born in Florence in 1962, Guido Cozzi started taking photographs as a child and has worked as a professional photographer since 1987. He is also one of the co-founders of the Atlantide Phototravel agency, a small group of journalists who share an interest in the extraordinary adventure of daily life!

3/28/10

Plotting & Planning

 By the time the ground begins to thaw, I have already spent hours plotting & planning for my favorite time of year.  Spring has finally arrived in the Bluegrass and I am ready!
photo courtesy of Country Gardens
The real workhorse of my garden is my potting bench. A place where I study my garden & my life.
photo courtesy of Roland Bello
Ask my family, they will tell you, this is my garden alter. A place to find balance.
photo courtesy of Roland Bello
 Having it well-stocked saves valuable time & energy.
Here are a few staples that I can't get through the season without!
protection from the sun
lined leather gloves
wellies
a gift for a gardener friend
Gracie & Lisa Porter
a good listener
photo courtesy of Garden Style
 record of where I planted what
seed spacing tools
brushes for keeping things tidy...right
natural coir pots that can be planted right into the ground
barometer & thermometer for tracking changes in the weather
willow cloche for protecting young plants
willow basket for collecting
photo courtesy of Traditional Home
more plans...
natural twine & twine & more twine
a good plan of attack
and a trap or two
 dependable old friends
small & sturdy ones too!
willow surround to keep things naturally organized
good lighting for when you just don't want the day to end
and always something waiting for tomorrow...
photo courtesy of Why Soil Matters
Are you ready?
all photos courtesy of Petersham Nurseries unless noted

3/20/10

Beachcombing & Shoptalk with Tim Clarke

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Santa Monica interior designer Tim Clarke is well known for creating sophisticated, unique spaces inspired by modern classicism.  His signature coastal-influenced aesthetic is highly sought-after by clients who want a new interpretation of a modern beach home.
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Coastal Modern is the very essence of the perfect beach house: Beautiful, inviting spaces that encourage warmth, community, and ease.
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Though Tim borrows from the clean lines and well thought out simplicity of modern design, it is softened by organic shapes and textures.
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He includes vintage pieces, locally sourced materials, and objects and mixes them into a soothing, muted color palette inspired by the colors of the beach and the sea.
dining coastal modern living room
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Named for the lifeguard station located just down the block, Tower 20 is Tim Clarke's popular retail store in Santa Monica, California. His eponymous retail location was opened in response to a demand by other interior designers and clients who wanted to purchase the unusual and eclectic furnishings and objects for which he is so well known. 
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Tim has a very simple goal: to infuse inspiration drawn from the coastal lifestyle and the essence of the "perfect beach house" into any space, regardless of size or location.
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From recycled teak tables and hand-blown glass hurricanes by impossible-to-find Belgian designers hand-made wooden furniture created by Italian skateboarders in Wyoming. 
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Gathering together a highly edited selection of art, objects, books, sophisticated textiles, and custom furnishings made to order, Tim Clarke Interiors and his Tower 20 offer products and inspiration unavailable anywhere else.
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"The contrast of this smooth, wide-plank table pared with tactile wicker chairs exemplifies the sensory experience of furnishings often found in a beach house, but this look works everywhere!"
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"The juxtaposition of sleek organic, Asian zen with classic French,...creates a calm but stimulating mood. The beach always comes out in my work, whether or not the project is on the water, because let's face it: Relaxed chic works anywhere." Tim Clarke
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Speaking of the beach, just across the street from the big blue Pacific ocean is another one of Tim's business ventures, the Blue Plate Oysterette.
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He and owner Jenny Morton have created a restaurant with good old fashioned seaside charm!
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A striped awning defines the sidewalk terrace outside with 3 covet-able, at least on a balmy night, wooden picnic tables.
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And inside everyone is having a great time as a couple, friends, mothers and sons, fathers and daughters commandeer a table or space at the bar.
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Stop by Balustrade & Bitters Online Magazine to read more & take a video tour with Tim as your host!
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Tim Clarke Interiors, Tower 20 and now Blue Plate Oysterette all share Tim's common goal: to infuse inspiration drawn from the coastal lifestyle and bring the essence of California beach life into any space, regardless of size or location.
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Photos & graphics courtesy, Tim Clarke Interior Design, Tower 20, Blue Plate Oysterette, Balustrade & Bitters
visit Tim Clarke Interior Design Inc.
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click to visit Tower 20
visit Balustrade & Bitters Online Magazine