Shelter Loves

Here is this week's round up. We are in need of some serious pretty and color up in here!! The snow, don't get me started on the snow!! The 100+" (no joke) of white stuff we have around here is starting to get to everyone. I've been trying to keep a very positive attitude this winter. In fact, I've been beginning my day with a few daily affirmations. They actually seem to be helping. With that said, I could STILL use a little color and warmth in my life right about now! How about you??

1. Loving Tory's latest spring bag collection. Look at all that color!! These would pair well add the perfect pop of color with a neutral outfit..
2. This yellow trench from J. Crew is adorable! Yellow is a hot color this Spring. You'll be seeing lots of it.
3. PEACE - we all need a bit more of it...
4. I am going to a fund raising gala next Saturday night and am going to wear my hair up. I want to incorporate a braid into the look. I feel younger in braids. :)
5. Kelly Klien's Palm Beach house is gorgeous and yes peaceful.
6. My skin can't get enough moisture this winter. I wash my face and moisturize every night...I thought I'd give this Dior cream a try! I tweak my routine every six months or so. It has great reviews!!
7. How about this watch? The tortoise is pretty cool!!

Is there beauty in imperfection?

I find beauty in imperfection and impermanence.  It's all over my art. 

 The petal that is captured as it starts to decay, 

the rusted objects found in debris, the peeling layers of wallpaper in old homes, 

  and objects no longer needed for their original function, the list is endless.

Accepting  transience and  imperfection (flawed beauty) can also  relate directly to your living space.  The Japanese world view/aesthetic of wabi sabi   acknowledges three simple realities: nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect.

Wabi Sabi  reveres authenticity. When you look for authentic furniture and objects for your home you will rarely find them  in big box stores.  Natural materials predominate in wabi sabi homes: paper, aged wood, linens, cottons, etc. Look for anything that celebrates the  marks of time , weather, and  the effects of loving use.

This graphic is a good summary of the characteristics of wabi sabi. 

 

Characteristics of wabi-sabi include: asymmetry, asperity (roughness, irregularity), simplicity, economy, austerity,  and appreciation of the integrity of natural objects and processes.  Look for: natural flawed beauty, patina, handmade, irregularity, bareness. How refreshing!

 

 This aged cabinet maintains the marks of its history.  No effort could make it perfect.  The vignette on top is simple, asymmetrical  and references the beauty and temporality found in nature. While there is austerity in the products, there is also tranquility.

Many  examples of wabi sabi contain little or no colour, but I feel  colour is not exclusive of this aesthetic.  Here's a good example that has all the characteristics noted above. The marks of time are evident, even more so on colour.

The delicacy of pink blossoms against all the weathered wood pits naturalness against roughness. 

Not every space that has  wabi sabi characteristics looks exactly the same.  All of these spaces have some wabi sabi elements.  

 

 The wood console table is a hint of wabi sabi against the glass.  The space is simple and tranquil.

  I love the imprefection of this countertop against the modern, pristine cabinets.  Am I the only person who craves warmth in countertops?  Imagine the difference if this island were finished in granite.

 Lots of natural materials, simplicity and economy is line and adornment, and a focus on the handmade.

If you want a little wabi sabi in your home here are suggestions for a start: 

If you want to find out more about this aesthetic ....

And remember ...

And a lesson we can all learn from Wabi Sabi....you can also interpret it in a much looser fashion to accept what you have as beautiful and to live with only what you need.

All links to images and many more examples  on my Pinterest board Wabi Sabi 

Beauty Buzz

Hello, Hello!  Ugh, Do you all feel as yuck as I do this time of year?  I've had a cold for what feels like forever now and my work out schedule has been almost non-existent. I need to get back on track. It's high time for a bit of pampering this week to help beat the winter blues. Here's the run down on the shared shots.

1. I have a little museum date with a boy on Saturday afternoon and am also meeting up with various friends over the weekend. I want to buy a new gloss with a hint of pink to fluff up my lips before then. I may try this plumping Buxom in peach sorbet. I'm loving the look of that model's lips. Lucky lady.
2. I also have a trim and a highlight tomorrow. I'm showing the stylist Sienna's layered locks and color.
3. Ahh, got to love the top knot, both messy and chic versions work for me. My assistant whipped my hair up in about two seconds last week.. Now I need to figure out how to perfect it like she did. I always prefer my hair when someone else style's it.
4. What I wouldn't do for a spot like these to primp and prime in the a.m. On my wish list? A vanity with a gorgeous over sized mirror above it.