Message from my garden

I am sitting in a cove of sorts, behind me the wall of the house and in a semi- circle around me dark red walls of blooming lilacs and azaleas. 

It's a magical spot, fill with sweet scents and bird song. The large bumble bees move drunken from flower to flower and all I can do is sit and listen, look and take deep breaths... 

These moments are incredibly peaceful and I always try to take them in full of awareness. Aware of these moments passing, the time moving along and not standing still for a second. Look at this beautiful Dahlia given to me by a good friend, she sits in the soil now, facing the sun! She is aptly named Karma Choc! Hmmmm....

I am thanking life for being good to me and I am grateful! 

I wish you all days filled with peace and good things!

xx

Victoria

Hot design in a cool climate

Looking through Traditional Home: TRADhome online (launched last week) I found beautiful and wonderfully updated traditional interiors. Not all speak to me, but there were many I liked.

Particularly this home in Minneapolis got my attention. 

California transplants Dana And Steve Alpeter found brilliant ways to warm up the new shores they found themselves at and used vibrant hues to raise the temperatures.

The Alpeter home in Minneapolis

Lot's of California flair.

I love the floor in the indoor/outdoor sitting room.

Light filled rooms with great and unexpected color combinations.

A show stopping settee!

I love the two tone curtains and the use of these light fixtures. 

The gray sisal rug grounds the space beautifully!

The light green has been used as a back splash and throughout the house.

A great way to unify spaces.

The result:

A wonderful traditionally designed home, filled with

great fabrics, amazing colors, and comfortable furniture! I feel, the categories of home decorating are fluid and what once felt more like old school traditional home design has moved on to a new and livable style, geared towards young and vibrant traditionally based families with modern ideas about their homes.

The pages of Traditional Home reflect this!

xx

Victoria

Design:
Interior designer: Debra Martinson, DM Interiors, 3020 St. Albans Mill Rd., Minnetonka, MN 55305; 952/545-5351.
Co-designer: Dana Alpeter, Dana Alpeter Interiors, 4405 Browndale Ave., Edina, MN 55424; 952/928-3749.
Architect/Design-Build: Leffert Tigelaar, Choice Wood Co., 3300 Gorham Ave. S., Saint Louis Park, MN 55426; 952/924-0043.
Landscape design: Bob Palmer, Landscape Renovation, 12515 40th St. S., Afton, MN 55001; 651/248-4020.

Photographs by Susan Gilmore

Click on the name link above to read the full story.

All images via Traditional Home magazine.

Happy Mother's Day!

What does it mean to be a mother? 

To give them roots and wings.
To shelter them from harm.
To make them a priority from the first day you know they are on their way.
To be there for them most of the time. Mentally anyway.

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To love them, no matter what.
To think about their needs before your own.
To give birth to them.
To dry their tears and talk away their fears.
To wake up at all times to feed them, drive them, comfort them.
To teach them right from wrong.
To take care of them.

Mary Cassat

To want them near you, although you know they must go away....
To support their plans, confidence, progress or the lack of it.
To make them self sufficient.
To go through the horrors of loosing them. Through sickness or violence.

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To get them ready to leave the nest.
To do it all with an open heart, mind and wallet.
To bask in their approval.
To help when they need it.

T,Schaivonetti 

And to stay away when they want it.
To see their pains even when they not talk.
To kiss them.
To feel their hair and skin.
To kiss little faces and feet.
To listen to them!
To enjoy it all!

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It is wonderful to be a mother, to be at the mother to my children, who all four in their own ways bring me endless joy and make my life what it is: Filled with love for them!  And meaning and hope for their futures and their well being. Forever yours! I love you more then I can put it into words...


And being a daughter, I send my MOTHER kisses and wishes for a wonderful day, I can't think my life without you! Can't wait to have you here soon!
And to my mother-in-law, who is the sweetest and most darling MOM I could have wished for!
I LOVE YOU BOTH!

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This is to all you, fellow mothers, motherly friends and mother's to be! 
Let's celebrate us! 




xx
Victoria




Images as indicated, tree picture my own.

Sunny Friday and the mood of adventure

It's Friday, the sun is shining and what's not to love? We have been doing a lot around the house and I have pretty much neglected any other good design elsewhere...
But it hasn't gotten unnoticed by me either! Yesterday I had time to browse some of my favorite shelter magazines and I found so many things I love, that I had a hard time looking through one. Do you get this feeling sometimes? You see so many wonderful things that you go into an excited overdrive? I can not explain it any better! It is so stimulating, that I have to stop for a while, because I needed to think!


Want to follow me along?


First I checked Livingetc, a magazine I regularly read. The happy colors, bohemian mixture and of course this knotty lamp drew me in!

I love all the colors of India, the patterns and combinations, LOVE!

Another fun lamp.Oversized and humorous!And I love the pillow too! Lot's of ideas to steal!

Then I was amused as within five pages of the same magazine two stylings appeared, which are pretty much identical: Small stool piled high with books? OK! It would not fly in my house. Someone would clearly knock it over or ruin the carefully stocked pile....
But the kitchen is fantastic...

And these articles were not related...

I love this happy vibe! Great sofa, all white surrounds get me every time! It's so summery! The large window almost feels like an artwork!

The homeowners clearly loves green! Me too! And the red wall! It's perfect!

I'd  like a big sky behind my couch!

Isn't this bed just so inviting? Fluffy white sheets, Bamboo frame, wood paneling, amazing chandelier and those riding boot! Love the entire ambiance!

On to the next: House &Garden, there were again a lot of beautiful pages to digest!

More elegance to be sure, but French classic design is always a hit with me!

So pretty and such beautiful finishes, colors and artwork! 

I do love this careful selection!

I adore this breakfast room. After my own heart! The striped rug, the contrasting quilted table cloth, the layering, the blue and white chinoiserie, the paintings.... Oh, the Southern charm!

Look at the loveliness of this bedroom! A wonderful antique Kelim anchors the room, setting the color scheme and mood!

I think I have to leave it at that! And I haven't even began to tell you about the amazing spread on Iris Apfel in the new AD magazine, or the lovely pages I turned admiring India Hick's island home. It has been endlessly good and entertaining. So may this post serve you as an inspiration!

Do take some time out this weekend and get inspired like I did and contemplate some changes which reflect your mood of adventure!

Have a happy weekend!

xx

Victoria

PS: Sorry I still have some sizing issues with the images!

All images via Livingetc and House & Garden!

The reveal: Project walkway before and after

Drum roll please!!!
The day has finally arrived: The project walkway  is done and the result looks better then I could have imagined!
Remember the old path?

And the former front door and shutters?

I planned ahead and made sketches: I designed the layout, the columns, the colors, hardware and landscape. As you can imagine a lot of work went into details! Surprisingly there was little what had to be adjusted as we worked along.

And here is what it looks now!

The grass will be sprouting in a few days and with tender loving care grow strong and beautiful!

It looks so fresh! Gardens in May are so splendid!
The mail box will be hung Friday and so will the house number!

Earlier yesterday the landscaping crew re- did our lawn and 

planted some greenery we had selected previously.

These two bushes survived the demolition and were successfully transplanted.

One more shot at night:

Before:

After:

We are very happy with it all! Hurrah for a new house front and walkway!

This morning it's raining and I have never welcomed rain more then today: The grass seeds need water!!!

A big thank you to the crews who worked hard to make it so beautiful: The stone masons, the painters, other contractors and the landscape guys.

xx

Victoria

All images by V.Zlotkowski

Do not use any images without permission. Copyright 2011.