My Grammar of Ornament

October 6, 2011

Of the Moment: Succulents

For a few weeks now, I've been craving the color green. Not to wear or paint my walls in, but something green and living. Maybe it's the awfully yellow/brown drought that we're in, or perhaps it's that I'm trying to breath new life into our home. Whatever it may be, I've got succulents on my mind. Specifically for a little nook of a spot on a side table in our living room; just one, in a tiny little pot...I think it would be perfect.

Poketo via Culture Club

For Me For You - this print is for sale for a good cause too!

October 5, 2011

Eats: Simply Cook

As I'm in the process of creating a so-called "mindful home" and re-evaluating some of my daily routines and habits, I've found I've been able to translate some of Karen Maezen Miller's Mindful Home tips into other areas of my home life as well. Her tip about doing the laundry without resentment, well, I don't have that problem, as N usually does most all of the laundry. So in my mind, I changed her tip to read like this:

"Empty the Refrigerator and the Pantry: Do the cooking without resentment or commentary and have an intimate encounter with the very flavors of life."

Don't misunderstand me, I do love to cook, but mostly on weekends when I have all the time I want to leisurely get a meal together. On any given weekday, after 8 hours of work, I tend to resent the fact that I have to cook a meal when I get home. N may do laundry, but he doesn't cook, at least not very often. In shifting my viewpoint towards our home, I've also shifted my view on cooking meals. If we're simplifying our life by simplifying our home, why shouldn't I also simplify cooking by simplifying the meals I'm making? Good food doesn't have to be complicated, neither does putting a meal on the table each night. A bit of inspiration and a good mindset is all that's needed.

Christopher Baker via Real Simple Magazine

Having a 7 hour flight delay last weekend sure did help me discover some great cooking inspiration, like October's issue of Real Simple Magazine featuring A Month of Easy Dinners. For me, meal ideas are what I'm lacking; once I've got an idea, I can adapt the recipe by changing out ingredients or the preparation to our liking. Shrimp tacos? Why yes, I believe we'll have those on Monday night with fresh Mexican crema and the last of the summer corn. Pasta with sausage and tomatoes? Why, I don't mind if I do, but let's make it with fresh angel hair pasta and San Marzano tomatoes instead.

Christopher Bake via Real Simple Magazine

The key is to simply cook and by cooking, enjoy all the flavors life offers us.

October 4, 2011

Inspiration: A Mindful Home

“…’to live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not, rich…”

—	— an excerpt from William Henry Channing’s symphony (via operation simplicity)

Lately, I've been on a home "mixing things up" kick. You can think of it as home improvement, without all the saw dust, tools and physical labor, but still encompassing the idea of improving the environment we live in by better utilizing our space, changing some decorative aspects and organizing. I've realized how much the state of our home affects my mindset and my outlook on life; the home truly is a reflection of your state of mind and mine has needed some major improvements over the past few months. Nothing drastic of course, but pushing myself to make the extra effort to put my bowl in the dishwasher instead of leaving it out or making our bed each and every morning, I realized I come home feeling better about things in general. Aesthetically speaking, I've needed to change things up too, but in small, subtle and inexpensive ways: new art on the walls, new pillows on the couch, etc; small aspects that can make a big impact in a room. I've been supremely inspired by Joslyn and her two blogs, Operation Simplicity and Simple Lovely, in her quest for living a simple, well curated life. I found this gem through her blog and have these tips written up in my home as a gentle reminder to take the time and make the effort to create a mindful home.

Karen Maezen Miller's via Simple Lovely

October 1, 2011

New York: Big Lights Will Inspire You

There's nothing like a trip to the big city to bring new inspiration to your life. Time away from home is always good; it clears your mind and enlightens a new perspective. I actually began snapping photos again - something I haven't done in months. Even though they were taken with my phone, I think they turned out really well. Here are some of my favorites:

Chocolate Sorbet, The Chocolate Room, Brooklyn

The High Line

Meatpacking District

Hudson River

Windows, Former Nabisco Factory

Chelsea Piers

Manhattan Sunset

Char No. 4, Brooklyn

911 Memorial

Brooklyn Farmacy & Soda Fountain, Brooklyn

August 3, 2011

Inspiration: Janice Wong Studio

Wednesday, July 27, 2011 Sweet Spot

Janice Wong is a visual artist living in Vancouver. I discovered her work and her spark project through Tumblr and instantly fell in inspiration. She describes her project like this:

"One thing leads to another...you never know when you'll see something that makes you stop and wonder. Spark is where I am posting my wondering.
The premise is simple. Make a photograph as a record of something that piques my curiosity, something that defines my day."

Wong's photos, to me, are so aesthetically interesting, full of visual depth, pops of bright color and a variety of textures. There is an unexpectedness and an intimacy to her photos that I love too; the way compositions are cropped and the play of light and dark. Here are some of my favorites: