images of inspiration

l.o.v.e.d these images.

they have been blogging my way
this morning.

have a wonderful day everyone!
{ photo 1+2+3+4+ 5+6+7 }

with love and pita:

i had kitchens on the brain lately. i love nothing more than eating, (drinking wine!) cooking and hanging with friends on the weekends.

or any time really.

one of our dear friends happens to be a chef and since i am always hungry, every time we are at their place for dinner - it feels like Christmas to me.

finally, though it can be intimidating to cook for a "chef", i found the courage to whip up a greek meal for them. i figured even a chef probably wants to be fed sometimes.

i had way too many people over for my small space but we all huddled around my tiny dining table and had a (meat) ball - with tzatziki, pita bread and greek salad.

oh, and really good wine.

the only thing that can beat it is being in Greece!

i am still searching for my dream kitchen and until then i figure it’s the process of cooking with friends that will give my kitchen (no matter what it looks like) some soul, not an expensive stove.

Have a great weekend everyone!

aren't these kitchens amazing? i found them here.

even if i had a pantry like that - i can guarantee it wouldn't look this perfect.

{living more beautifully}

During my everlasting quest for finding the perfect storage solution i found these images in Schöner Wohnen (“living more beautifully”) it's a popular German house and garden magazine. i couldn't help myself smiling when i saw the lamp in the second image. (you may have to click on the image to get a better look). i discovered that it's my lamp! i bought the exact lamp a few weeks ago at a garage sale in Santa Monica for Sienna's room (bottom image)... i am sure i will get over it at some point today but for now i still can't stop smiling. :-)))

OK, time to go and make ratatouille..(yum).

the spirit of love:

we know what we are, but know not what we may be.


-Hamlet, ACT IV, Scene 5


{image ONE + TWO + THREE + FOUR + FIVE + SIX - found here}

the playroom: mcvillage

the images are from a children’s play area designed by uxus design for a mcdonald’s near amsterdam.

uxus’ goal was to create an environment where children could learn about food from the farm to the market to the table.

i found this at Grace Bonney's blog (my favorite): the wonderful designsponge {thank you Grace}

it's been a while

morning!
we spend mother's day like any other day. our little girl woke me up by telling me everything she did yesterday and everything she was going to do today. then she insisted it was time for me to get up. NOW! i found flowers in the bathroom. simple beautiful white flowers. my husband and my daughter picked them outside. so sweet. ah, i remembered now: it's mother's day. then after a quick, tired glance in the mirror i joined the gang for a cozy breakfast they had made for me. pancakes, fruit, eggs - the works. and there were more flowers. roses, this time. but i learned there was even more. my lovelies had planned a picnic.... my day hadn't even begun and it was already perfect. how was your mother's day?
image 1+2+3+4 -

happy mother's day:

When I grow up, i want to be a lady like you...

indigorain

“Sometimes the beauty is easy. Sometimes you don't have to try at all. Sometimes you can hear the wind blow in a handshake. Sometimes there's poetry written right on the bathroom wall.”
Ani Difranco

{ found here}

sleepwalking in daylight:

Morning, everyone! another Tuesday, it's 9:00am and i feel like i am sleepwalking in daylight. there are too many projects to tackle and its way too hot already. so i decided to take a walk and just breathe. i have been sleep deprived for about three years and after dropping off my girl at pre-school, i went. looking for things that talk to me and wake me up.

i found beauty and sadness right next to each other. One of my customers who owns "LaPartie", a charming Santa Monica stationery boutique is closing her doors. there you could find greeting cards, personalized invitations, letterhead and specialty papers as well as unique gifts. even though i have recently sold my handmade specialty card company "vivavoxstudio" and am now concentrating on my prints and canvas art (soon available in my etsy store:-) i feel a wave of nostalgia and as much as i enjoyed selling my cards at Whole Foods and Kates Paperie etc., i really cherished the small specialty stores. the ones you visit when buying a card means your heart is in it.

i kept walking to make room for colors of summer that inspire the imagination. and there they were, hidden amongst worn-out shelves and rustic pantries holding fabrics with natural fiber and faded floral designs, at the "Shabby Chic" store, a few steps from LaPartie. you probably know, Shabby is closing its doors for good as well (so sad!). another reminder of the uncertainty that's filling the air all around us. two left over chandeliers where lighting up the room when i walked in. but it is always hard to grasp the finality of major changes in one's life and the shattered dreams that used to belong to someone.

Rachel Ashwell is talking about her hardship on her blog and says that "Shabby still has a beating heart". I love that! and i have no doubt that she will be reinventing her beautiful original idea.

when i finally stopped looking, i found myself standing in front of anthropologie ( another one of my weaknesses). there i saw a lot of uniqueness as usual and suddenly i was reminded of what i needed to do. a beautiful but seat-less chair is asking for a makeover and waiting for me at home. my bed needs to be made and lunch is not cooking itself. oh! and it's time to pick up my girl.

on my way home i could smell the ocean and it just occured to me, we live so close to the beach, and we hardly ever go. maybe that's something i need to change. stop taking it for granted. and who knows, a new sun hat and summer sandals may take me from sleepwalking to daydreaming. i could live with that.

Thanks to all of you for stopping by! have a dreamy day!

wedges and tin cans:

we had a sick household now for months and with all the sneezing and coughing there hasn't been much time for blogging, let alone cleaning and organizing. so my house looks accordingly and i am trying to figure out how to put some structure back into my life. there is a medley of art, photography, pretty paper and journals everywhere scattered in my studio. and slowly working its way into my bedroom. then, voila! i found galvanized tins in various sizes holding coral pencils, brushes, and other craft supplies. i thought it's the perfect space saver to hang a bunch of containers above my work surface for easy access. that's just part of the solution. but its a start.

to kick it up a notch, i think i need a pair of new wedges. at least, if it gets too messy again, i can always walk away. i hope all of you are enjoying a weekend filled with inspiration and (finally) some sunshine...i'll be back soon.

[i found these here,here,here and here]

keep your windows open:

i am so very sorry for being neglectful here on "a bit of whimsy". truth is i have been so busy with friends and family, and of course work. besides watching my little girl eat way too many chocolate bunnies i have been out taking pretty pictures. i have a real passion for windows. they always seem to reflect something. whether i find myself looking out and wishing I was somewhere else or discovering that gazing out of one is unlocking a wellspring of creativity. i usually see an opportunity . especially when i see one that has been left open.

hope you enjoy my pictures. and i truly hope you had an amazing easter weekend!!

oh so sassy:

the subdued spirit of winter is slowly starting to fade away for i can now finally feel the energy and vitality of spring. It also means that color and light are beginning to hold each other. Dance together. Like old friends, sharing a secret. And with Easter just around the corner, i want to share a secret with all of you. At Oh So Sassy's spring sale you will find an array of delightful DIY dress design projects and sweet accessories. Perfect for your little one's Easter dress!

The creative brain behind these sassy designs says:
"I know one of your secrets. I know that looking around Etsy makes you want to dust off your sewing machine but you're intimidated by the thought of starting a project."

That is where Oh So Sassy comes in. We've chosen coordinating designer fabrics, cut out the pattern pieces, and provided a set of simple instructions for a dress no one will believe is homemade. It's our way of spreading the sass. And it's a great way for you to get creative! You can do this!

[photos:kara may]

true love:

I feel so proud and blessed to say that today marks my sixteen year wedding Anniversary (we met in a bakery!). And so far, i loved every. single. moment.

Even the not so glamorous ones.

When i saw him on a rainy afternoon we were just two strangers with nothing more in common than a craving for something sweet and two flimsy umbrellas.. today we share not only a love of bakeries but a love for each other. That maybe because i married a man who gives me the strength to stand tall every day, who puts up with my german cooking and overreacting, and when i burn the pancakes in the morning he doesn't tell me i burned the pancakes. And because he taught me to let go when it's time to let go. And when our daughter is acting like a typical 3 year old, he doesn't tell her. He is the kindest most even-tempered and tolerant dad i know. (despite the fact that he is quietly hoping our girl will make it to Wimbledon. Actually i think he is counting on it) And when I say that playing the stock market was juvenile and irresponsible and the stock i wouldn't let him buy went up 25 points, he doesn't hate me.

So today, i am using my quill pen, dip it in indigo ink and write him a card - with an array of layered hearts. I believe some things deserve the permanence of paper.

[photo credit: andersonovergaard]