So Sylvie

A Valley in Italy

January 16, 2009

I'm loving this book! Lisa St Aubin de Terán is my soul sister! A Valley in Italy is a memoir of a renovation in the Umbrian hills after "searching for a dilapidated Italian villa for three years". With a vision in mind, "I had a mental picture of my ideal house which I had been carrying around with me like a piece of luggage since my schooldays", and with a sensitive and sensible mind, "I wanted a house so huge that I could move from room to empty room without disturbing anyone", Lisa describes the journey with humor and affection. She's got me fantasizing about my dream home.

Sometimes that vision is mutable and changes with your needs at a given time in your life. But there can be an inner knowing of the underlying feeling of the place that remains a constant. Lisa says, "The design of the house was as fickle as most young loves, and changed in shape and layout all the time. The only constant features in my dream image were a pillared loggia, a stone arch, a terracotta balustrade and a line of sentinel cypresses."

I'm just beginning the book but I can tell that I am going to enjoy it all the way through. I love it when I gravitate to just the right book at just the right moment, as this one is for me. St Aubin de Terán throws herself headfirst — or maybe heartfirst is more accurate — into her dream with a combination of great self confidence and faith in the unknown. How often in our adult lives do we get to experience that sense of pure estrangement, of being in an unfamiliar realm. Defamiliarization. Not having a routine, or even a clear plan. Of not having the basics, like a phone, electricity, or a car. Not knowing what's around the next bend. How divine.

a road in Tuscany

Part of the dream for me is the luxury of starting from scratch. A blank canvas. Having empty rooms to grace with treasures. And new flea markets to haunt for those treasures. How enchanting.

a room in Florence

a flea market in Italy

And then of course I can dream about the garden for hours. What about you? Where is your dream house and what does it look like?

Campania, Italy

above and below: Chianti, Italy
San Francisco (Re)Acquired

January 14, 2009

There's a fun vintage online shop out of San Francisco I found via Craig's List.
It's called (Re)Acquired: objects found + dignified.
Here's a sampling of the items on offer:

silver deer, $35

cream colored table, $55

vintage tapewriter, $15

for me I like the little stag head, $15

Who is this mystery person selling these fun objets? Let me know if you've bought something from them before. Who knows. Maybe on my next trip to the city…
Run Lara Run

January 8, 2009

Lara Cameron is a multi-talented graphic and textile designer out of Melbourne, Australia. She's such a prolific artist and dynamic force, I see her as a sort of Kali figure with ten arms!

When we first "met" two years ago she hadn't yet begun her textile exploits, but was more focused on illustration and web design. She did the Blossom Home site for me, with an incredible, almost telepathic, talent for translating my ideas onto the "page". If you've ever tried to collaborate on something like that, long-distance, then you know how valuable her sort of talent can be.

The following week she walked into a screen printing studio just around the corner from her house and decided to take the plunge, transferring her original patterns onto fabric. It was a happy day that came after much soul searching and deliberation over which direction her art should take her. She dabbled with Etsy and her unique jewelry design for a time under the name Kirin & Co. She experimented with a tiny Gocco printer for paper and fabric. But all the while trying to find a way to apply her lovely patterns on a grander scale. Less than a year later she launched Lara Cameron, offering design services for web and identity, as well as her limited edition textiles and stationary.

The momentum built as she found collaborative forces in two other very talented textile designers, Bianca Van Meeuwen (originally from the Netherlands) and Tegan Rose. Last summer they secured studio space in a fabulous old brick building on the outskirts of Melbourne and together they founded Ink & Spindle, a yardage screening business.

"How many skilled women does it take to turn out great yardage?" "Three. It takes two to screen the patterns and one to make the coffee. Then rotate."

"There's really nothing more exciting than screen printing one's own design onto fabric. By hand. In our own studio." ~ Lara

It really sounds like a dream Lara. Best wishes to the three of you. May you print long and prosper 🙂
Elle Decoration SA has good taste!

January 2, 2009

Merci beaucoup to Elle Decoration SA for referencing So Sylvie today:

And thanks to Ingrid for letting me know 🙂
Happy Hibernating………….and …… Blooming in the New Year!

December 31, 2008

Life is short and we haven't much time
for gladdening the hearts of those
who are traveling the dark way with us.
Oh, be swift to love! Make haste to be kind!

henri-frederic amiel – 1885
Refuge from a Wild Life

December 29, 2008

We made an impromptu stop yesterday at the San Francisco Bay Wildlife Refuge. It was a soulful deviation from the hustle and bustle. I can handle hustle, but then you throw in the bustle and I'm overloaded. Must be in fresh open air now.
Pull over.

This refuge is the first urban National Wildlife Refuge established in the United States. It's located on the Pacific Flyway and encompasses 30,000 acres of mudflats, marshland, salt ponds, open bay, and vernal pool habitats.

The Refuge continues to acquire sensitive habitats for migratory birds and hosts over 280 species each year. Millions of shorebirds and waterfowl stop here on their spring and fall migrations. I'm more than a little confused though by the allowance of open hunting of waterfowl here. What's up with that? In fact a motor boat sped by us at one point, crashing into the silence and calm. It's a wild, wild life. You have to grab your silences inbetween. Have mercy.

Despite those criticisms, it's definitely worth a visit to this unique open space, with some otherworldly landscapes, and some very dedicated and sweet volunteers.
Here’s to Longer Lighter Days

December 25, 2008

Happiest, warmest solstice wishes to everyone. We went on a family hike after Thanksgiving and brought back this friendly tree branch. We had to drive home with it sticking out of the car window, being mindful of pedestrians and bicyclists along the way.

We decorated it with moon lights I've had since my Jesse was a baby (he's 24 now), birds, acorns, and skiers.

For Thanksgiving we had organic Cornish game hens, root vegies, and beaucoup pies. For Christmas dinner we decided to deviate and make Kung Pao Chicken!

Hope you all had a beautiful day. Loads of love to you!
Let Them Eat Caviar!

December 20, 2008

Customs agents in Milan seized 88 pounds of beluga caviar from smugglers; estimated value $550,000.
What did the Italian authorities decide to do with the confiscated delicacy? It is "to be given to canteens, hospices and shelters for the poor". Bravo! "Would you care for some confiscated wine with that?" Who needs Santa? I'm sending my wish list to the Director of Customs in Milan, ha.
If Josephine Baker had a chandelier…

December 15, 2008

You too can have a chandelier like this. It's made out of recycled banana boxes (instructions here) as seen on Anke Jakobs' site on this page here. Also check out her site for some interesting background and links.

While we're on the subject, I discovered a fun banana museum in Auburn, Washington. An interesting fact from the museum's web site, "Immigrants arriving at Ellis Island in the early years (1892-1920s) were given bananas to eat. Many had never seen them and didn't know how to eat them – some ate the whole thing, peel and all."
They have a great collection of banana memorabilia, including some vintage banana boxes:

And ephemera:

If you're in the Auburn, Washington area over the holiday this would make for a fun family outing. Say hi to Anna Banana, the curator, and tell her you heard about the museum on So Sylvie.

Also, I'd love to know if anyone creates a cardboard chandelier, or any other sculptural lighting. Have fun!
San Francisco Design Project

December 11, 2008

Here's a sneak peek at a fun job I'm doing at a San Francisco family home. What follows are "before" and "during" photos.

The client (head bowed in photo, I will reveal her name in the "after" post) desired what we came to call "The Queen's Green" for the living room walls. We chose Ben Moore's Georgian Green. We used Ben Moore's Cloud White for the woodwork throughout the home.

What was once a pink dining room is now Mellow Ivory, also Benjamin Moore. Which by the way looks absolutely nothing like it did on the swatch and it's the one color that we didn't sample on the wall first, but we were quite pleased with the outcome.

Your wild grandma's bathroom!
We loved all of the paint samples combined. Trouble is, we didn't like any of them individually. I considered broad stripes using the blue one with one of the lighter green ones. You'll have to wait for the "after" post to see what was finally decided.

Previously pink hallway. I had the Benjamin Moore shop copy Farrow & Ball's Elephant's Breath (a savings of $50 per gallon!). It's my new favorite grey.

Stay tuned for more…

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