Snap Post!

Doing a snap post today since Mr. Shaking Head (aka my best half) has been unwell over the weekend :(

My favorite store Good Earth recently sent me a sneak preview of their upcoming collection... sharing selected goodies with you!

There are photographers..

And then, there is Janne Peters,

whose photography,

makes you hold your breath

while your heart skips a beat or two

glimpses of the orient

simple flower arrangement - and so beautifully photographed

The pink painting against the rough wall, wood and ceramic against the stone wall...absolutely adore these images..

I can feel the quiet of this chateaux, and can almost hear the drip of the water from this tap..

Pink, Mauve and White - eternal combination

Waiter - There are white flowers in my jelly!

Need I say anything...anything at all?

These images will speak to you...

[All images from Janne]

A Reprieve for Vandervoorts?

Now that Centene Corporation has announced that they will build their new 750,000 S.F. headquarters Downtown at Ballpark Village, what will become of Forsyth & Hanley? Opened on September 21st, 1951, The building known most recently as Library Limited (the bookstore I miss terribly) by Harris Armstrong was built as the first suburban branch of Scruggs Vandervoort Barney Department Store. Photo above from the Mercantile Library Collection.

"Since the automobile has become such a powerful source toward decentralization throughout the country, we feel that the beginning of Vandervoort's suburban store, as part of our modernization and expansion program, is a particularly appropriate feature of our centennial year, which begins a new century for us." These were the words of Frank M. Mayfield, president of Scruggs Vandervoort Barney, Inc. about their new store in Clayton.

Ironically sales at the Clayton branch were so strong that it sucked the life out of their Downtown store that was housed in the Century and Syndicate Trust Buildings. The resulting losses eventually led to the closure of both the Downtown and Clayton stores in 1967.
Before the announcement Sunday of Centene's move Downtown, this sign foretold the buildings doom. Just over 56 years from the day of its opening, the building that was built out of the idea of moving to the suburbs may have been saved (for the moment) by a reversal of the very trend from which it was built.
Reduced to "Bldg. B". The original canopy extending out to Forsyth was removed years ago by a former owner. Architecturally though, most of the building's features are intact, including the cantilevered sun screen below and the tightly strung awnings that stretch from the parking garage to the rear entrance doors.
The only problem is that Centene overpaid for the building to the tune of $12 million on the assumption that this cost would be absorbed into the total development cost of the site. Now either Centene has to take a loss on the building, or someone will pay that much for the site with the same thought that the cost will be justified by the redevelopment of the site. Time will tell if someone has the creativity to develop something on the parking garage portion of the site and preserve Harris Armstrong's Forsyth legacy. With Mehlman's proposed development just east, the building (and Forsyth in between) could be poised once again to become a great retail destination.

Country roads, Take me home...

..Hmmm...maybe not!

Rather,

Country boats, take me to Srilanka, ..

To the place

I think I can belong

Illuketia,

boutique resort!

[John Denver purists - no hard feelings, eh?!]

Almost ancient garden

The 'green' of the pool

Fancy a lemonade in the veranda?


Or, would you rather catch a quick nap?


I can 'feel' walking barefoot on this floor

Srilanka is south of south of India! No wonder, architectural traditions are similar!

Inner pond

Look inside over the pink!

Look outside over the pink!!

And all I have to do, is dream...

... dream dream dream..

Orange corner for morning cuppa

Brass door lock (there is a word for this but for the life of me, I can not remember it right now!)

Dosai, a little marmalade and some flowers complete my experience!

Another gem from Srilanka - Apa Villea Illuketia

Hand that Block!

So that I can handblock!

Hand carved teak blocks, painted in different colors, have been used to create these pretty pretty fabrics

[From Anokhi, another one of my regular haunts]

NAR: A GOOD DAY FOR HOUSING… September 18, 2007

Along with “the FED” cutting the discount rate by half a percentage point, the House of Representatives passed the Expanding American Homeownership Act of 2007, HR 1852, offering homeowners a safer alternative to risky mortgage products, helping homeowners who may be facing foreclosure, increasing loan limits and eliminating the statutory 3% minimum cash down payment. Mortgage modifications will allow borrowers to change mortgage terms so they can afford to stay in their home. “Partial Claim” programs will cure a loan default with the FHA lending the borrower money with a no-interest loan due when the property is sold or paid off. The National Association of Realtors (NAR), America’s largest trade association, represents 1.3MM+ members involved in all aspects of residential and commercial real estate and is known as “The Voice for Real Estate.”

Paper Art

Leave me unattended in a paper shop

And I can browse for hours

Feeling the texture

Smelling the unique fragrance of handmade paper

Fingering the delicately embedded bougainvillea flower or a tree leaf

Lingering over the translucent sheets

Trying to decide what not to pick, what to leave behind

And walking out with arm loads of delicious paper

Promising to be back soon!

Showcasing Art made of

Organic hand made paper

Simple and elegant

something that we can create ourselves

when at home on a rainy day!

[These beautiful posters are from Auroville]