Whining

Yesterday was one of those days.  The kitchen flooded because the ice maker broke.  Then it healed itself and came back on but instead of making ice it was water flowing out.  This occurred while my mister was outside and I was studying philosphy (asleep in the chair).  We got that cleaned up with every towel we own and a shop vacuum.  Then the sink started leaking.  Then the mister got the sink fixed.  I started on laundry yesterday afternoon, it's 4:32 am and I am still drying clothes (that would include every towel we have).  My dryer isn't getting hot enough but I don't want the clothes to sour.  I have acquired a good arm for making little pieces of ice that rivals Sonic's ice!   I also know the dryer will be fixed when the mister has time this week to look at it.  See what I did there, I am practicing being grateful!

Meanwhile I have some shots from around the lake.. and the kitchen!


One solo goose, I don't know why it's alone today.


Crape myrtle blooms.


Let's jump in, it's too hot out here!


A hot hazy day at the lake with one Mimosa bloom.


Closeup of rain drops left on elephant ear.



And a few I took in the kitchen a while back that I didn't share.  I am still trying to figure out which way I want to go with the cabinets.  Indecision has a hold on me!


I still like my cabinets but don't care for the yellow look.  Can anybody tell me if I change the lighting out would that take the yellow away that I see?  We have the fluorescent lighting in there and I am really curious if that is the culprit.



It's all ash wood cabinets and am considering painting.  I am not sure I can get my mister on board.





The mantel in the living room is ash wood as well.








Jan

Edgewood

As August has rolled in, I feel the sticky, steamy summer we have down here deep in Mississippi. As I ride through my small town I am reminded of the Edgewood mansion.  An old Southern mansion in disrepair.  Once a glorious home that was cherished by locals is seeking a new owner.  This home was included in many weddings, receptions and parties over the years.  I was able to tour it one year on our annual Tour of Homes.

It was a breathtaking tour!  The home was in need of repair at the time of the tour and only certain parts were open for viewing but I have never seen anything so grand.  When it was at it's prime it could and did rival any mansion, I am sure.

 

 

 Charles Spencer Butterfield built the home for his second wife, Vivienne Emma Horn Butterfield, around 1910 for a cost of $75,000. Butterfield was the son of John S. Butterfield, who along with Fred W. Norwood, built the sawmill at Norfield (Norwood-Butterfield). Charles sold his interests in the sawmill and was into some other business interests in Brookhaven. When he was close to his 60th birthday, he sold his mansion for $14,000, in addition to all of his other business holdings. He and Vivienne moved off to Florida, where they both died and are buried.


The Hannon family lived in this home for several years. Dr. Hannon who invented Hannon rub.  Dr. Hannon believed in natural remedies for his patients and Hannon Rub was an ointment he had created. It was quite popular back in the day, as locally told.










For some interior shots and interesting details of the story, please go here.


Jan

A Time For Bounty

August is here.  It's a time of harvest with vegetables and flowers.  A time to rejoice in your summer's toil.  A time to see the fruits of your labor, whether they were from one season or many more.

Simplicity does not equate dullness.  Zinnias from the garden, bell peppers and corn from the grocery store, I am glad for the freshness.  A melody of colors and textures are a feast for the eyes.  Knowing this bounty brings joy, so do other bounties though they may be tinged with sadness.

Area schools start very soon and mothers will be seeing their young off to begin a new season in their lives.

Both enter a new season and it will continue on for the duration of their lives.

A dance of giving for many years and then to receive the gift of seeing them soar.

A time of bounty.



Jan

Carolina Irving

You don't have to be in the decorating world to have seen and admired Carolina Irving's work.  Her work has been published in magazines and is everywhere online from Pinterest to blogs.  Born from a Venezuelan family in Miami, then raised in Paris where she studied  art history and archaeology at the Ecole du Louvre.  She specialized in 17th Century Italian art and began her never-ending fascination with design and antique textile documents.

She is an art historian, was an editor at Elle Décor, House & Garden and Vogue Living, has a successful fabric line – Carolina Irving Textiles, and is the creative director for Oscar de la Renta Home. A busy traveler, Carolina has sources in France, England, Sweden, India and the Middle East for inspiration.



Carolina, center with her sisters. More here.


Carolina's Paris apartment in Cabana Magazine, photographed by Miguel Flores Vianna.


Elegant textiles from Carolina Irving's Paris home as well as her friend's, Penny Morrison Interiors. Cabana Magazine.


Architect Daniel Romualdez combined three rooms to create the Irving library/livingroom.



Layers upon layers in her home.  "Surround yourself with objects and colors that speak to you and make you dream, and don't be afraid to mix patterns." - Carolina Irving.

Her favorite pattern is stripes.  “I particularly like fabrics that are easy to live with, look handmade, slightly old and colors that are not jarring, but never beige…I’m not a beige person!”








Carolina Irving Textiles here.





Stripes!  Carolina's Manhattan apartment circa 1993.  Seen here.


Carolina and former husband Ian, 55, purchased their home in 1998.  Ian lives in their former home with present wife Emilie, 32.   You can see the influence from Carolina is still quite strong.


For more go here.



Jan

Curtains Table

This is what I call my "Curtains Table" because the tablecloth is made out of leftover fabric from the curtains hanging in my living room.

Different colors of roses scattered on the table. Vintage plates paired with vintage glasses holding a sweet drink.


You remember the curtains, right?  And the runner?

When I fall in love with a fabric, I fall hard.  Then it gets used liberally.

Coffee cups and saucers repeat the roses theme.
























Jan