Gone fishing....

Well, that's not quite true, since I never fished anything in my life, except for treasures of a different nature, but tomorrow we will depart in our vacation: Mama, Papa, kids, dog, guinea pig and all...
We have been excited for weeks, since we haven't had family vacation last year, so it is wonderful to pack the bathing suits and sunscreen, the travel guide and all the books to read, we've gotten in the mood after the rainy weeks here and we are so ready to explore our destination!



A couple of month ago hubby and I were thinking as were to go, close enough to home, so he could keep an eye on business if need be, far enough to feel a new environment, new enough, so we could find places to go and things to discover.
It did not take us long to find the place!




A cute little red house by the beach all for ourselves for one whole month! Cap Ann, Massachusetts!



I have a list on my desk and here is what we will do:

- have time for each other,
- sit by the beach, swim, sunbathe and read,
- look for shells,




- have wonderful lobster meals and eat well,
- see Boston
- and Concord, Lexington, Cambridge and Salem,



- find the first salt water taffy maker



- go see whales,
- and make memories
- and find lots and lots of inspirations for my posts come August!




So, to all my new friends from blog land and old friends in the world, take care, be safe and have a wonderful summer!
I'll see you all back mid August!

XX
Victoria


Pictures via Cap Ann website and the internet!

Picture perfect Sunday morning

I rarely dedicate a post to an entire magazine, let alone two....but this morning was such sheer delight, so I bend all my rules and show you some beautiful pictures and share the fun!



As if to let us forget the lasts weeks of rain, this morning rose sunny and delightful and a breakfast on our deck beckoned...
And after pancakes, bagels and toast had been devoured, I made myself most comfortable and sunk into my magazines which I had saved for a quiet reading hour or two this weekend.

So, find yourself a nice spot, grab a drink and let's go! (Well, as good as it gets in front of your screen...)
PS: You can enlarge every picture by clicking on the image!

Opening the first pages of VERANDA, I felt I had died and went to designer heaven.



I saw Jeff and Kellie Hepper's Houston garden, designed by Danny McNair with the interiors by Pamela Pierce.



A dream in French design, build with a strong European flair. Aged and classic. I was thinking of my blogger friend Joni from Cote de Texas She loves French design and creates the most delightful spaces. Living down there, she might know the place...




Turning the page, thinking to myself 'If this has been the only good thing in the magazine it was worth buying' see my delight upon reading 'Botanical Hues', a Newport Beach,CA home created by the design team Hallberg - Wiseley. Just recently I had posted on glass cabinets and right there was the perfect example, botanical prints, colors picked right from nature, a restraint palette of greens, sandy creams, dark woods and metals. Plenty of natural design elements, combined with crystal and mirrors.





I adore these colors and loveliness of it all.
Could it get any better?
Well, moving on I came across a very artistic home design, which has become very familiar to me, since I have admired his visions and I laid eyes on his designs more then 15 years ago: Vicente Wolf.






This time it's his own Manhattan home and after starting to look I needed a serious break...I felt overwhelmed by all the beautiful pictures I had seen within 30 minutes and had to stop! I needed time to think, felt a mix of admiration, delight and almost despair...
Do you know that feeling? Upon seeing something absolut fantastic, but totally and
ridiculously out of reach? It's not envy, it is passion and bottled up desire...




To shake myself up, I took a tour of my garden and house, reassured myself that I was perfectly fine and returned to my garden seat and the next page...
Conversations with Carolyne Roehm, table scapes and her incredible sense of style.



More beach homes, recipes by chef Patrick O'Connell!



And yet, I was only half way through with my reading and ELLE DECOR was sitting on the table, waiting for me.
Well, an orange juice and some more coffee gave me strength and I opened the first pages...



It began fabulous, Miles Redd's 12 things he can't live without, Kathryn Lynch's beautiful artwork. She'll participate in a group show at Manhattan's Sears Peyton Gallery July2 - August14. I am sure to go and see it after we return from our summer vacation.



And then a great and in-depth article and pictures about Kansas City, which had become a familiar place through another blogger: Mrs.Blandings...I am so ready to go and visit the Midwest!



Followed by an extensive portrait of Aerin Lauder and her homes in Manhattan and the Hampton's. Delightful to say the least.




And then turning the pages to find Williams-Sonoma's vice president of design Monelle Totah's gathered treasures in her San Francisco apartment. I love the dining room and it's airy and elegant feel to it!



Was is possible to find all the rooms of my dreams collected in two magazines between about 200 pages???

Wait, I am not through yet and now my fingers twitch and I am so hyped, that my coffee is cold and the juice got warmed by the sun...


Well, Scott Currie's weekend home keeps all the promise of the perfect beach house: nautical, relaxed, laid back beauty by the sea.



And after feasting my eyes on the summer blooms displayed on page 84 - 87, I arrived finally at a design right out of the African dream, designer Martyn Lawrence-Bullard had the golden touch for a Malibu real estate broker.


How beautiful!

I am nearing the point of exhaustion, but my curiosity is spiked and now I want to see it all:

The Long Island vacation home designed by Kathleen Clements, gorgeous, gorgeous!



And another Hampton's retreat: some sleek backdrop for a cutting edge art collection....



So now, devoted reader, I've come to the end, my nerves are raw and I am exited about all that what lies between these pages I have just rejuvenated myself and will re-read those pages and cherish them for a little while longer, until...



Well, you've guess it: The next magazine on the shelves!

Love - Victoria



Most pictures taken from the incredible pages of VERANDA and ELLE DECOR magazine July/August 2009, table scapes and pictures from the window ledge by V.Zlotkowski

After the rain

Today another day of thunder storms, but I loved the light today, so much green and some dramatic blue gray sky, sunshine and clouds...



The birds sing after the last drops came down, now sparkling in the leafs.



Have a wonderful weekend!
XX Victoria





All pictures by V.Zlotkowski

A felled tree

The large, magnificent maple tree had shaded the house for the last 40 years. It had been planted about 1948 and give or take 15 -20 years for maturity, stud in all its glory on the curb, right on our driveway. Over the last 9 years we had come to regard the tree as 'ours', fallen in love with his shape and size and felt its presence. It obscured the view across the street, gave us privacy and on hot summer days my son opened lemonade stands in its shadow.


No more!
Last week the town inspector decided upon diagnosing a large fungus and carpenter ant infestation to take the tree down. After some horrific accident involving a street tree in our neighborhood the town is unwilling to take any risks and cuts down every tree remotely in danger of falling. Many trees along our 60 year old neighborhood roads have been cut under that policy.







We pleaded and argued, but there was no hope! We have had time to say good bye, watching the tree come down over the last three days and with tears in our eyes, saw today the last stump part cut. In the next few days the roots will be removed, the hole filled with dirt and there will be no more sign of the tree...











The town is willing to replace and finance the planting of a young tree in the next couple of month. One has to apply for it and given the radical move to cut down the tree I am a little surprised, that a replacement is something we have to explicitly ask for to get it done!



This morning, over our first summer vacation breakfast the children and us watched, how fast and efficient the town workers removed the last traces of 'our' so beautiful tree.


Our house stands now somewhat naked in the yard, good bye to an old friend,
I am so sad!


All pictures taken by V.Zlotkowski