Ode to the Womb

**pic from Krislyn Design**





"The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new." ~Rajneesh

Mother's Day is quickly approaching and minds are racing to find that perfect gift. Some of us will take this time to remember mothers that have passed, and some of us will be grateful for the mothers we are blessed to have today.

The perfect gift must perform on several levels. Whenever possible, the gift should be specific to the recipient, utilitarian, timeless and unique, and something the person has always secretly wanted. (Many friends may come out of the woodwork and say, " Yeah..about that Christmas present...")

With these requirements the perfect gift may seem quite elusive. Whenever my friends say, "Oh, I wish I had...", I write it down in a notebook that I place in a very, very safe place, never to be found again :o). In 2009, though, the notebook has reappeared and now I have possible gifts to add/roll out for birthdays, Christmas, Mother's Day, Father's Day, etc.

Featured Mother's Day gift:

A friend of mine works at this FABULOUS floral shop. I was blown away by the whimsical arrangements, the stark yet opulent tree sculptures, and the overall juxtaposition of different textures, colors, and forms. The shop is named after its prolific, Los-Angeles based designer Krislyn Meyer-Komarov. If you live in the LA area, you MUST visit the store to experience the awesome splendor.

http://www.krislyndesign.com/index.html

Other possible gifts:



• 
  
  Flowers--They demonstrate the ever growing love and appreciation between a mother and child

• 
  
  Jewelry--Adorn your mother with jewels/crystals/beads that enhance her stunning personality

• 
  
  Books--We all need to read. This is a chance to share where your consciousness is at the moment.

• 
  
  Spa Treatments--Massages and facials can be expensive, but do not let the price tag dissuade you from pampering your loved one.

• 
  
  Pictures--Frame some of your favorite moments with your mom.

I'm Gonna Watch My Money Slip Down the Drain, but at Least My Sink Will Be Clean!

(Now hum the blog title to I'm Gonna Wash that Man Right out of My Hair!)

Those who know me, can attest to my love for Jo Malone. I love the natural, citrusy blends she creates and, when sprayed in layers, one's body becomes a true goddess temple ;o).

How can you create a similar sensory landscape in every part of your home? Before you take a bath in perfume and walk around your humble abode, take a look at Murchison-Hume cleaning products.

Their packaging is rather similar to Dr. Perricone and Khiels' skin-care lines. The design heralds back to antique medicine bottles, thereby making the product appear elegant, dependable, natural, and accessible or as I like to say, "It's just EDNA!"

http://www.murchison-hume.com/index.php

Mirror, Mirror in My Mirror

Today's find is a lovely mirror by Kartell, an internationally renowned design firm that melds modern and functional aesthetics for the home, office, and laboratory!

Company bio http://www.lifestylebazaar.com/designers/kartel/

The mirror I speak of is below. It reminds me of a picture my friend Nina once took while we were visiting Bruges, Belgium. Years ago, I would never embrace such sterile pieces, whose palette consisted of white and other primary colors. Mondrian, whose work I respect, but never loved, always came to mind. Now that Saturn is returning in my life and my taste buds are maturing to the point of me enjoying dark chocolate over milk, I can embrace the Mondrian-esque qualities.

It retails for £308.00. http://www.lifestylebazaar.com/shop/home_accessories/mirrors/francois_ghost_large

Birthday present anyone?

Great Source for Light Fixtures

I've decided, my lovely blog followers, to share little personal morsels with you each week. Today's find revolves around light fixtures. My apt., unfortunately, showcases several ceiling fixtures that offer little to no character. My quest for affordable, modern, sleek lights is an on-going process for several reasons. Either they are bland or too expensive, go figure.



I came across this chandelier today. It retails for $1085.00

On the surface, it looks like a challenging, yet doable DIY project.

Here is the link to Y Lighting, a site that sells several designer fixtures. They will get your imagination going and your mouth watering.

http://ylighting.com/index.html

I Want to Know....Where do you keep your "Keep Calm" Poster?

When I first bought this poster, I was naive enough to think I had stumbled upon something terribly unique and rare. Unique, yes, rare, not so much. But that is okay. People love this poster. So, I want to know

Where do you keep your "Keep Calm and Carry on" Poster! Send your pics to me and I will post them here.

This is where I keep mine. It's a great message to send to co-workers!

My Venture into Cube Interior Design

My Corner Home Away from Home:
If you’ve ever worked in an office, you’ll know that most cubes are either decorated with office materials or with haphazardly placed family photos. I work at a movie studio and it would be all too easy to fill my corner with tchotchke. Instead, I have chosen to create a peaceful and aesthetically pleasing area that portrays my personal design tastes. The way I see it, if I’m going to leave my beautiful apartment to spend 10 hours+ somewhere else, it better be stylish and comfortable.

The Entrance:
I fell in love with these Blik decals. They are perfect for personalizing a space without damaging the walls or cabinets. When walking past my corner, one is immediately taken by the flock of birds. Instead of offering junk food, I give my visitors a tasty treat, Clementines in a beautiful glass vase.

Detailed View of Front Facing Wall:

•Clementines in a tall glass vase
•“Keep Calm poster” is the best mantra to share with work colleagues.
•Blue birds from Blik
•Wooden framed mirrors, IKEA
•Stainless steel French press because drip coffee is no way to drink LAMill coffee
•Tiny pink roses in “inline box vases” from CB2 http://www.cb2.com/family.aspx?c=910&f=4815&viewall=1
•Snake plant in brown ceramic vase

The Computer Area:
Every time I came into work, I was welcomed by this bland cabinet door. It was in this corner that my cubinterior design began.

1. I upholstered square cork boards with cool, patterned vintage fabric. Then, I attached magnetic plaques labeled “Maps:Gym”, “Contact List”, “Calendar” and a famous quote from Cicero
“Tarditas et procastinatio odiosa est”, Delay and Procastination are hateful. It’s nicer to read in Latin.


2.The flock of birds begin their ascent from this corner


3.I tacked on two Spontan magnetic strips with t-shaped pins on the backsplash and placed 6 Grundtal magnetic canisters. The fish bowl images, which I added, bring the element of water into the space. I find it to be calming and clean.

4.In addition, I made a “Happy Hour” clock with the IKEA PS. If you open the front door, there are two liqueur glasses and a small bottle of St. Germaine Elderberry.

Detailed views of backsplash

•Canisters are filled with vitamins, fish oil pills and keys sitting in a canister of coffee beans
•Added the gold fish in fishbowl image to canister lids-notice the keys resting in the canister of coffee beans?

Detailed view of Corkboards

•The vintage fabric was wrapped and stapled to the corkboards. I then attached binder clips to the center of the boards, removed the front handle and secured them with t-pins to the cube walls.

Additional photos: