Salvation Art - part three

There is nothing exciting going on in my life this days except for the exams. I had my French exam last Monday. I know you're tired of me saying that I didn't do well and then having an excellent note, but this time I really wasn't great. For the first part, I didn't have enough time to complete the last document, I only started to write it. I've lost lots of time with my first because I couldn't concentrate at all in the beginning. I wrote the second one stressed knowing that I'm not going to be able to complete the last document. And then in the second part, I was shocked by the kind of text they presented us with - nothing to do with the domain - but I tried to do my best. Anyway, this time I'll be very pleased only to pass the exam...

Back to the art! I continue to present the pieces of my "Salvation Art" collection. Click on the link to learn more if you hadn't read my first post about it. Today's print was one of the first pieces I found in Quebec approximately ten years ago.

Sorry for the picture quality and the reflection - the light was not so great. I loved this print immediately: colors of the fire of creation; organic, almost living, interweaving lines...and then their resemblance to the symbol for eternity and infinity. This print hangs in my dining room along with two others.

The signature reads: "F. W. Reiter" and on the back there is a label with the following text : "No. Reiter New Abstract, Montreal, Canada". Underneath the damaged paper cover on the back is a text written by hand: "Show VXK4". I don't remember how much I paid for it but it must have been a couple of bucks only. I wasn't able to find anything about this artist or painting on the Internet but I certainly enjoy it.

Salvation Art - part three

Is Blue Your Favorite Color?

Blue may be the favorite color for the majority of the population but I have to admit: I have a problem with it. I know, this is very strange, I don't understand it myself. I might even be afraid of this color and I really don't know why. This feeling goes way back to my childhood. Being a little red-haired girl with freckles I remember vividly shopping for clothes with my mother (it was in Trieste, Italy, sigh!). The nice lady wanted me to try out a blue sweater and I refused saying that I didn't like blue! She was very surprised and said to me: "If I had your hair and your skin I would wear only blue!" I went trough many color phases in my life but I never had a "blue phase". I've been trying lately to incorporate more blue in my wardrobe and I ended having some nice pieces. Mind you, people who know me noticed it and gave me compliments - I guess it was so obvious that I never wore blue! But I still have nothing blue as decorating element in my house with the exception of my sons's room where he could choose for himself. You can find here a nice explication of the meaning of blue color, and other colors as well. Here are some pictures from my decorating file named "Blue Goes": 

Is Blue Your Favorite Color?

Ideas For Decorating With Leftover Wallpaper

After my last visit to the Home Depot I came home with two beautiful wallpaper samples. Actually I wasn't even looking for wallpaper, I'm not really a fan, I'm way to lazy to put it on and I would be even lazier to eventually remove it. But as I was looking for new paint for my second bathroom, I spotted some beautiful wallpaper rolls in the corner of my eye. There were so many new and beautiful  designs to choose from. Finally I decided to ask a salesperson for a sample from some of them. It should be enough for a little decorating project, I thought of a lamp shade for the base I already have. I also did some research on the Internet for other ways to use wallpaper samples or leftovers. So many intelligent, surprising and beautiful ideas crossed my way that I decided to share them with you. Here are some of them:

Isn't it obvious why I chose the pictures above with loads of pink? No? Look at the calendar...

For more new, lovely, surprising, inexpensive and DIY-doable ideas please continue looking after the jump (click on 'Read more'):

Ideas For Decorating With Leftover Wallpaper

Mirror, Mirror On The Wall

Maybe I never thought about it in this way before, but one thing struck me today: there are two kinds of objects that I have in literally every room of my house. I carefully verified and it's true. I have at least one mirror and one clock in every room. It may sound strange but I'm not vain at all, I don't need to look myself in the mirror often – on the contrary, as time and life start to show in my face I'd rather skip the mirror -  no surprise there.

I try to understand why I need a mirror of some kind in any room. Is it for decorative purposes? Is it to reflect the light? In Feng Shui mirrors should have the effect to double in real life what reflects in them: food, money, flowers...so one should choose very carefully the place to hang a mirror. I'm not really following that advice but I do mind what reflects in a mirror.

What I know for sure is that I love to check briefly several times in the mirror as I prepare for work in the morning. This starts right in the bedroom: what do I look like today? Restful? Tired? Do I have to work hard to make myself presentable? It continues in the bathroom where I put my day cream and my make up. Then when I dress I also check for flaws, on me or on the clothes. And just before I get out of the house, one last check...you never know. And I said I'm not vain? Hm, got to think about this...

And what's with the clocks? Even in the bathroom? I simply need them to reassure me in the morning as I am navigating trough the house and preparing for work. I have my little routine and clock checking is part of it. Yeah, but why am I checking the clock even on weekends? I guess I always need some “time orientation” even if it's not for work.

The worst of all, and I'm going to be very embarrassed now, I put a clock on the wall on the exterior of my house in the summer, on the patio to be more precise. What should you think of that? But that's not all. Guess what hangs on the same wall over the clock? Little round ornate decorative mirror! Go ahead, shoot me...What's with you? Do you have some must-have objects in every room of your apartment / house? Mind to share?

Mirror, Mirror On The Wall

Decorating With Pink

What comes first to your mind when you think of decorating with pink? Try this: girly, old-fashioned, country, shabby chic, romance, glamour...I bet you are  already preparing to run in the opposite direction! But hints of pink can be very modern and set  warm and soothing points of interest in your environment. The most important thing is to find a balance and to mix it with other colors such as grey, cream, brown, even white or black. Pink can look good in all rooms - even kitchens and bathrooms - if you don't overdo it. Here are some pictures from my inspiration file:

Decorating With Pink

Salvation Art - part two

Today I would like to present the second piece of my "Salvation Art" collection. Click on the link to learn more if you hadn't read my first post about it. This is an original print that I especially love. It hangs in a perfect place, in my bedroom over the bed.

I love everything about it: contrast of black and white, almost dancing movement of two bodies, so close yet so different, the yin and yang feel to it, energic lines, simple frame...

Sorry for the reflection in the picture, I use my old 5 Mpg digital camera since I lost my new one in the unusual way. I guess I'll have to wait with the purchase of another one till I find a new job - but this is a different story. This is a 3/8 print, signed by what appears to be "N. Jager" but I'm not so sure because I haven't found anything on the Internet about an artist with this name.  The best: I paid the incredible price of only 2 $ for it!!! Less than a cup of coffee.

Salvation Art - part two

Taking Pictures Inside Stores

First thing first: I did it only once and I felt awful during and after. As if I was a thief... It happened spontaneously, I didn't plan it, I was just looking for some color inspiration for my second bathroom. There were some lovely combinations and since I take my digital camera everywhere with me, I decided to take some pictures instead of writing down  the ideas. Just the fact that I looked around to see if anyone is watching me can  tell you for sure that I knew I wasn't supposed to do it. And, I didn't use flash on my camera either to avoid capturing attention of the sales people. Sneaky little...blogger!  Did you already do it? Do you find it awkward taking pictures inside stores? Tell me about your experience or tell me what you think about it. Anyway, here are some of the pics I took that day:

Taking Pictures Inside Stores

Yellow My Love !

I always loved yellow, since I was a little kid. This color cheers me up and makes me happy instantly no matter where I see it. Yellow brings sun and light in your life and home but it also attracts regards wherever you put it. Warning: this color isn't for the Faint of Heart, you must be a very special person to love it and use it. There you go blue-lovers !

For more inspiration in yellow you can visit my album 'Yellow My Love'

Yellow My Love !

Salvation Art

I had an opportunity, completely involuntarily and independently of my will, to build and rebuild what is going to be my home three times in my life. And when I'm talking about building a home, I'm not talking about building a fancy house with an architect and a designer on my side. I'm talking about building a feeling of home after having lost it once for historical reasons and another time for political reasons. I promise I'll explain it all to you one day when I'm ready.
My first home was a very humble rental, I can remember exactly how it was furnished and decorated, but at that time it didn't matter at all. What did matter was that I was madly in love with my husband and so over happy to live with him under one roof after four years of being together. Then we had our first child and two years later our second. I still remember how impatient I was to fill that fourth chair around our little table.
Our happiness was brutally interrupted by an (now) historical event in 1992 and we were forced to leave our home with nothing but our lives - yes, we were lucky.
Then we were installed in Germany for six and a half years, working hard to build from scratch a sense of home for children, to protect them and to give them them a happy life. Tragically, for the political reasons this time, in 1998 we were not allowed to stay in Germany any longer  and we were forced to search for a new country to call home.
Since 1998, we have been living in Canada. It wasn't easy at all, starting a new life from scratch again, learning a new language, a new culture, having to acclimate to the new weather conditions. But from the first day on, I continued to dream about building a home for my little family, I wanted my children to be able to play in their own yard. We started by learning a language first (French, imagine!) then finding a job and saving every penny in order to realize our dream. It took us six years, many sleepless nights and lots of tears to get there. I didn't know we could be so strong...
A hell of an introduction for what I was going to show you today! I can't change it, it's my life...
I thought often about things that make me, make us feel home. Each time when I was confronted with an empty space, aside from getting the basic furniture, I went and bought large plants and art for our walls. This two elements gave me instantly the feeling that I was already there for a long time.
Arriving in Quebec, Canada, I discovered the Salvation Army shops and, to my surprise, I was able to find many original paintings and prints for a couple of dollars only! And so I started my Salvation Art collection that didn't stop to grow since.

This was my first one. It's an original print named "Flammes" ('Flames' in English), 4/5 prints signed by an artist named Marc Martel in 1972. I really liked it so I readily payed 19$ for it even if the glass was broken.

I still like it very much. It hangs in my dining room with two other pieces. I'll continue to present you the rest of my Salvation Art originals collection. Many of the pieces that I found are made by renowned artists and are worth much, much more than I payed for them.

Salvation Art

Color Escape Neutral

Decorating with the Color Neutral?  I'm the first to tell you not to live in a beige painted house!  Strictly taken, there is no neutral color. Colors called neutral such as beige, ivory, taupe, black, gray and white appear to be without color. But don't be fooled, not only they reflect back the colors around them and enhance bold contrasts, they also have a color hue for them selfs. Neutral colors from taupe, ivory, bone, vanilla, through khaki and mushroom, to sepia and espresso can be used to wonderful effect. If you're not very confident with color, then using beige as the background interior design color for your room is safe. Then you can experiment with smaller items with accent colors which can be changed whenever you want. That's exactly what I'm going to do with my bedroom very soon.

Color Escape Neutral