Blogs New to Me April 2010

Dear everyone:

I wanted to share some blogs I have
recently come across.

The first is the blog of Dominique
Browning. Dominique is the former
editor of the shelter magazine
"House and Garden". I used to look
forward to her editorial page every
issue.

House and Garden was shut down
abruptly in 2007 and Dominque
lost her job. She entered a deep
depression and barely climbed
out of her pajamas, Work had been
her anchor. Fortunately
she recovered and has a new book
and a blog to show for it.
The book is titled Slow Love
and is due for release in May.
The blog is Slow Love Life.
(http://www.slowlovelife.com/).

She writes of her job loss
and recovery, personal notes,
and gardening. I check her
blog daily.

The second blog is by
Australian interior designer
Anna Spiro. It is titled
"AbsolutelyBeautifulThings.
blogspot.com". She has a bit
of a different sensibility and was
featured in the May issue of
Canadian House and Home.

Lastly, a terrific blog
featuring loads of interiors
is "delightbydesign.blogspot.com".
The author has a good eye and
I might revisit the site over and
over to gaze at the photos.

Have a day browsing-blogs.


Helen.

Blogs new to me 2010

Dear Everyone:

A dear friend has been discussing blogs with me.

Here are 3 blogs new to me that she forwarded.

The first is by a writer and photographer
named Elisabeth Aarhus Hudson based
in Norway. She works for interior decorating
magazines and has published much of her work
on her blog - titled-

inspirationalspaces.blogspot.com.

The main thing that struck me was how spartan
the Norwegian decor is for the most part.
Very contemporary. Very understated. White walls.
Blacks and browns. Mimimal furniture and objects.
Sort of refreshing. Definitely worth a look.

The second blog forwarded by my friend is
a fashion blog by a photographer based in
Manhattan. He shoots mainly men's fashion on the street
in such cities as Manhattan, Paris and Milan.
He also covers top designers and stores.

The title is:

thesartorialist.blogspot.com

Lastly, an author and cook from
Seattle, writes the blog-

orangette.blogspot.com

She mixes personal reverie in
high style with recipes. She has
also authored a book:
The Homemade Life: Stories and
Recipes from my Kitchen Table
and opened a Seattle-based pizza restaurant-
named Delancey.

What struck me about all 3 sites is
the personal passion of the bloggers.

Enjoy.

Have a browse-a-blog-site-
kind-0f-day.

Helen.

Artistic blogs and web-sites post-script

I seem to have forgotten a few favourite blogs and
web-sites yesterday. So they are listed below.

For interior designer, Vicente Wolf his web-site is
worth looking at to further view some of his work.
The address is vicentewolf.com. I mentionned his blog yesterday-
vicentewolfblog.com.

My mentions Vicente and Kelly Wearstler were both selected
by shelter magazine Traditional Home for inclusion
of their list of 20 design icons. See this month's issue.

Kelly has a prior book documenting her style named
"Modern Glamour:The Art of Unexpected Style".
As I mentionned yesterday she has a new book coming
out this fall named "Hue" that will track her use of
colour in her projects. Noone's work quite
looks like Kelly's. It is dubbed Hollywood Regency.
She has also done some fabulous fabric design for Lee Joffa
and I especially love one of her fabrics featuring mountains in
a plum and lavender colourway.

I have been a big fan, as well, of British
fabric and furniture designer, artist
Carolyn Quartermaine. I have read and re-read
her book "Carolyn Quartermaine Revealed".
Carolyn has a distinct style reminiscent
of a romantic modern take on a French chateau.
She has a stunning use of colour and her
interiors look like stage sets. In fact she
also does art direction for clients at times.
See her work at her web-site:
www.carolynquartermaine.com.

Rachel Ashwell of Shabby Chic fame
is bringing out a new book this fall
called '"Shabby Chic Interiors". I have her 1996
book "Shabby Chic". Think white slipcovered
furniture, chandeliers, faded rose fabrics,
mirrors and white painted furniture.
It is sort of a casual cottage look amped
up by romantic taste.

For further interior design reviews and commentary
I neglected to mention yesterday a great blog by interior
designer Katie Denham. Her site is
katie-d-i-d.blogspot.com.

For more photography locally
I also visit the anderson gallery
of Lunenburg. Owned and run
by photographer Mariette Roodenburg
it features a rotating roster of photographers
doing contemporary work including the work of Mariette.
I just recently viewed an exhibit by well-known
New Brunswick photographer Andre
Gallant at the gallery. See the portfolios
of this years talented photographers
at the web-site: www.andersonmontague.com.
For photography, garden, and architecture
books to die for see the on-site bookstore
on the lower level of the gallery.

For recent reading I have been avidly
reading interior design books. My most recent
purchase was a book by Irish interior designer
Clodagh called "Your Home:Your Sanctuary".
Her style is very organic and sensual. Think
muddy colours, stone and wood. Homes and spas.

As well , I have been reading graphic design books.
My favourite so far is a volume named "An Illustrated Life"
by Danny Gregory. This book documents the
the contents of personal sketchbooks of illustrators,
artists, and graphic designers and is quite an interesting
read. Full of pictures it profiles many talented contributors.

For books on floral photography try "Flower' by
New York photographer Christopher Beane. In my opinion
he may be the most talented floral photographer
in the world. See intense close-ups and arrangements
featuring wilting blooms, flowering tress (think magnolia),
peonies, poppies, and ranunculus, and orchids against
colourful back-drops. In an interesting twist
Chrisopher worked at the flower market in New York
for several years and used to bring home subjects
daily to photograph in his small at-home studio.

For more on the artwork of painter Flora Doehler
and metalsmith Larry Knox see their art blog
at greenwillowstudio.wordpress.com.
Their work can aslo be purchased at art gallery
Flight of Fancy in Bear River. The village of Bear River
is husband Larry and Floras new adopted home
and they are renovating a home there.

Well that about sums it up.
Have fun pursuing some of these leads.

Wishing you a creative-kind-of-day.

Helen.