Country Living Inspiration

"Home, the spot of earth supremely blest, a dearer, sweeter spot than all the rest"...
Robert Montgomery

{Photo credit: Country Living Magazine}

New Color Inspiration: Pink

When my older sister, then 55, started decorating her living room pink, she was met with big frowns from her grown-up kids- dismayed with her new taste for the sweet color. Fast approaching that age, I now find myself developing a love for the palest pinks, which at one time I can only associate with little girls' (princess!) and nursery rooms.

My taste for colors have always been dominated by the greens and browns- the color of nature, rustic and country. And being an admirer of Rachel Ashwell and her shabby chic design did not make me brave enough to use pink in decorating my home. But gradually, the pinks have imbued new meaning and freshness to my taste- calmness, serenity with delight, joy with laughter, and heart-warming pleasure like a romantic movie.

And here are some of the reasons why we, as middle-aged women with a new taste for pink, can decorate with this color...

{A friend once asked me why would anyone want a pink kitchen. Martha Stewart shows us why}

{Did I mention that I also have started to love the colors aqua and robin's egg blue?}

{Photo credits to Country Living and Martha Stewart/Living}

Welcome Spring

The most beautiful time of the year is here once more and it never fails to inspire me. Flowers in bloom, birds chirping louder, and bluer skies are just a few of the things urging me to return to blogland.

Yes, I have been gone for many months, seemingly suffering from artist's block. Instead, I got busy connecting with family and friends on, where else, Facebook! It also became a home for a lot of my photos on decorating until I needed more room for creative expression.

{Sometimes I wonder if Shakespeare ever had a writer's block.}

So, home sweet home, I'm back to blogging...just in time to embrace spring!

The 2009 Christmas Album

We welcomed the holiday with a garland turned wreath. Although I struggled to keep it in perfect round shape, it was all worth the effort- I didn't need to buy a new one.

The mantle was at its simplest display this year.

Faux pears with real rowan berries filled the wooden bowl and was the centerpiece for the dining table.

Christmas tree, oh, Christmas tree...

I love Christmas decorating and although I was creatively dormant during last year's season, I still think I did a pretty good job that was well appreciated by my family.

~Liberty~

This simple display on the sidewalk of Main Street in Old Town Temecula easily caught my eye- and I guess any sign that has the words antique, vintage, and cottage, for that matter.

Stepping into the small but lovely vintage shop, I was met by a wonderful lady, Laura, who owns the newly opened shop- Liberty. The very inspiring vignettes of old treasures just displays her creativity. Shown in the background is an antique board-holder for seed packets which now can be used as photo holder. And who is not enchanted with an old typewriter?

The wire basket, which can be used for just about anything, is always a charmer to me.

Laura has added shells to the glass dome display. I should have gone home with it! But I knew I was going to visit often. This place holds a lot of vintage inspirations for me. But more than that, it holds my dream of having a shop of my own.

~Summer is DEL MAR~

Del Mar is a coastal city in northern San Diego that we just love to visit in the summer. Its sandy beaches, mix of older cottages and modern homes, friendly atmosphere, and small-town cafes give the place a very cozy ambiance. This is where our family often went swimming when the kids were younger and will remain a favorite spot for our grandchildren.

Vintage-truck on the street-why will I not love this place!

My cottage dream house with white picket fences.

We spotted a beautiful wedding ceremony as we rested on the grass.
What a breath-taking scene!