untitled:

in a perfect world my passion for photography would have found its way into my etsy shop long ago. but between mommy duties, work duties and everything else duties plus feeling groggy from a lingering, forever-lasting cold, there really wasn't time. this weekend however, i decided to put the outside world on mute and dig into my pictures. just looking thru them gave me a new burst of energy. its time to make them come alive, so i am finally able to introduce a sneak peek. hope you enjoy them...back to work.

old world charm:

my daughter has been bugging me for a pink bedroom. is it a surprise that we fell in love with this cute, whimsical dream of a little girls room?





there has been nothing but rest on my mind lately, as we have all been under the weather for weeks now. so as i am dreaming about eclectic bedrooms with old world charm i wish you all a marvellously relaxing weekend.

[photo credit: 1,2,,4]

a flicker of a moment:

A lot of my ideas come from notes and sketches I made during my travels to England, Greece and Spain. I have lived in Europe half of my life and have known these places but every time I visit, I seem to re-discover them. Sometimes my ideas come from things people say, a half-lit church or from something as simple as a dandelion. My daughter's imagination and spirit continues to inspire me. So does a flicker of a moment, a dusty memory or the texture and taste of a foreign place.


But there is one special place in my heart - a Spanish island, called Lanzarote. My parents took my sister and I to visit the island when we were little. I recently returned with my husband but this time we were fortunate enough to take our daughter along to discover the artistic gardens, cactus plantations and colorful groves. Along the coastline one can see the naked, black, dry, sunburned sand and hear the volcanoes breathing. One evening we strolled past a striking old façade that enveloped a picturesque courtyard. There were Natives singing, enjoying meals and drinking wine. All these foreign faces were smiling at us while shuffling to squeeze us in. We sat down on a long wooden bench amongst these strangers and let their tender hearts grab hold of us. Barefoot kids were playing and giggling everywhere. We danced, sang and dined on Papas ( 'wrinkly' potatoes boiled in sea water) and Puchero (Vegetable Stews). There was a lot of laughter. We couldn’t understand a word anyone was saying, yet the air was filled with promise and harmony. Our daughter had the best time with her new little friends and before she fell asleep on my lap that evening, she whispered: “Mommy, this moon is so much bigger than ours”. This experience was like a love-letter. And ever since receiving it, I have been trying to write back.

After we had returned home to Santa Monica, we took a stroll again and this time my daughter said, “Mom, can you make a wish upon a big moon?” Sometimes I wish I could hold on to those moments forever. “Where do wishes go”? One wonders.

What inspires you?

[photo credit: Gret@Lorenz, jeroen020's ,Doblonaut]

one of a kind

meet artist özlem haluk. she started her delirious love affair with literature and acting at the age of ten and finds herself persistently seduced by a vast array of subjects and has an ardent passion for art, photography, gender studies, psychology, philosophy, music, dance fashion, traveling and is a lover of words. her work also graces the debut issue cover of ANTLER, an inspirational new online magazine. A feast for the eye.

"One cannot live well, love well or sleep well unless one has dined well." Virginia Woolf

Enjoy your weekend!
[photocredit: rachel saldana still life]

her latest flame:

Today, I had to remind myself again how precious and fragile life is. The news of Natasha Richardson's tragic death floored me. So I made a pact with myself (and every time something tragic happens I do this): Not to sweat the small stuff anymore. Don't forget to laugh - out loud! Life is too short. No more stressing over the fact that my daughter doesn't eat vegetables or fruit. (and, yes I have tried cutting the cucumber into funny faces. At some point i have even glued a carrot to my nose and pretended i was pinocchio). The truth is we can always find something to smile about.

Most memorable events in life begin without cognizance of their significance. We are so consumed and rushed everyday that it's easy to forget what really matters to us. When i found this photograph of my little girl holding hands with her cousin Liam at the northern see in Hamburg/Germany (two years ago) i couldn't believe that it had found its way into the bottom of my closet shelf.

From now on, instead of tossing things where they don't belong, i will make an effort of saying "Look at the way the waves from that small rock run all the way to the shore".

(are you smiling yet?)

"Her latest flame"

My sister drags her boyfriends home to meet us
Subjects them all to family scrutiny
They disappear for hours up in her bedroom
Then disappear for ever after tea

Where love's concerned, Ella is like a Mountie
Fierce and direct, she always gets her boy
Dad says that she's a 'shamless little hussy',
Dumping each suitor like a broken toy

Ella can't see what we all find so funny
Boys are like fish to her, there's plenty more
Love is a game to girls like Ella
Perhaps it's because she's only four

Lindsay Macrae

[From "Poetry to make you smile",found at Anthropologie]

i fell in love:

Yesterday i fell in love. I have been in love before. But this time it was with a photograph. When i saw it a peaceful beat of wings turned into gentle flutter. And life snapped into harmony. I am wordless.

The artist Irene Suchocki calls herself "the purveyor of little poems for the eye". To me she is just that. Her work has appeared on numerous book covers and recently she has donated some of her prints to EXTREME MAKEOVER: Home Edition (2008 AND 2009). You can find her inspirational blog here ENJOY! and if you feel like shopping for breathtaking, poetic images, stop by her Etsy shop.

crickets buzzing:

Today i found myself shopping for images of youth and crickets buzzing. I want to know, like everyone else, how to give my life more length, how to hold on to reason and regimens making my skin glow abnormally warm. I want to know, how to plant a seed in my child that will not just grow but blossom with dignity and impressive grace....What are you shopping for today?
[photo credit: Catherine Gratwicke ]

a simple walk:

Hmmm, what should we do today?
Take a walk, do homework, read "Little Nutbrown Hare" or just play dress-up?
To be honest, after last week I wish I could spend the day just dreaming . So we did just that.


But first, Sienna and I took a simple walk to the thrift shop just around the corner from our house. We took a pledge to leave the car in the garage today! Let's see what we will find. It didn't take us long, a vintage chair screamed at us. Begging to be taken home. It was cute, just a tad too grubby. Not that we needed one - we have waaay too many. (We love chairs!) Sienna decided it needed a make-over. And off we went. What color should we paint it? PINK, of course! You may need to sit down for this. It feels like a warm hug from your mom, when you take something old and make it look...splendid!

Now it's time to relax. Wait. Not without a reward: We made yummy muffins. They tasted like peanut butter with a sprinkle of quirky fun on top.

stumbled upon:

We love living outdoors and the future yard i am still searching for needs to take me to two places. A quiet retreat and a whimsical room. I stumbled upon these gorgeous outdoor "spaces" on country living. Now I know just what i want. Something to be treasured. Simple. Sumptuous.

serene adventures-giveaway:

I'm giving away a print of "your choice" at the charming site, WishingWillow. To enter the drawing, just leave a comment on their site by midnight Thursday, March 13th. Good Luck!

daylight savings:

It's daylight savings this weekend which means spring (then summer!) is approaching...these images from Country Home smelled just like summer...can't wait! Have a great weekend!

where do wishes go?

It was a beautiful evening. I took a stroll with my daughter to catch some air, admire the stars and discover the moon. We sang "twinkle twinkle.." when she suddenly stopped and said:''Mommy, can you make a wish upon a big moon"?

...and my next piece "Where do wishes go" was born.

Can you make a wish upon a big moon? Or do you have to wait for a star to make a wish? Where do wishes go? One wonders.

I am extremely honored to be a guest on one of my favorite blogs today... I do hope you'll take the journey with me over to Wishing Willow!
- G.

a place to relax:

It's good to be home. After much time in Europe we are back in Santa Monica. Ahhh,the Lake Shrine. Our favorite place to relax when we don't work, paint, grocery shop, cook or play tennis. My print "Believe" was born right after a trip to Lake Shrine a few weekends ago.

eye candy:

Cortney Novogratz and her husband, are the owners of SIXX DESIGN, a development and design firm with properties throughout Manhattan. They are also the parents of "sixx" young children (and another one on the way). One of their projects is Novocasa Trancoso a brazilian home design. See more ... I want to know: How do they do it?

when the meadows laugh:

A trip to the zoo produced my latest painting. "When the meadows laugh"
Ever wondered what it's like to take a risk and stick your neck out for something worthwhile? Being able to reach the leaves at the top of the trees? The giraffe can probably tell you.