Paris appartement

Welcome to Paris lovelies! 

I'd like to invite you to another amazing apartment this year, the one of textile/knit designer Eve Donon. When i think of Paris these days, i think of it as a city, where i'd love to be and work for a while, paint, write, sit in cafés, walking the streets, breathing in impressions and breathing out art! 

Eve Donon is an amazing artist who has worked with the famous names of fashion, like Lacroix, Gaultier, Kenzo, Rykiel and more. Check out some of her beautiful work here  

This post is linked to the France link party, hosted by Anita from Castles, Crowns and Cottages.

Be sure to visit her and embark on a journey of dreams - french dreams of course! 

Images:  Marie Claire Maison May 2008

DIY lemon boat - i'm sailing away ...

to take a trip with little lemon boat - to see, where the lemons grow - to Italy!

And so lovelies, i'll be taking a little break from blogging until ... we all go to France together soon. More about that at the end of this post.

Have been very busy making little boat  - along with other things - for a new project of our magazine KidsLife, called "GreenKidsLife", which is meant to encourage a greener, sustainable lifestyle in kids and families. But these would also make a very cute table decoration for a kids party - or even an adult party, why not?

 I've used cocktail stickers and a bit of paper to make the sail. And that is basically all you need, except for lemons you cut in half lengthwise. Give it a try. You can also write names on the sails, if you like. 

We'll have a family celebration in Rome next week, where my brother and his family are living. and i so hope to catch some sun there! As i get back, my friend Anita, from Castles, Crowns and Cottages will be hosting this:

which will be surely great fun. Check out more by clicking on the picture 

 Let's make the most of may, such a gorgeous month! I'm in love with all the crisp, bright green around and am sending you greetings from our garden. Hope you'll all have a splendid time - see you back soon!

New lemon painting

If life gives you lemons ...

make gin & tonic!

OR make a painting! Hubby and i start each day with a dose of lemon in our tea. And, since he always says he can't live without lemons and gets really cranky if we don't have them in the house, i thought it might be a good idea to paint him some for his birthday.  Besides that i like painting them anyway. Have combined the yellow with caribbean kind of blues, some collaged in specks of gold and added a black background for a male accent in the picture - do you like it?

In the second photo, i've put the painting in a setting from Oyoy, so you can see how big it is in reality.

Hope your week get's off to a super start. Will come round and visit you all this evening!

Painting: Martina Voigt-Schmid

Pink Chandelier Paintings

I believe in manicures. I believe in overdressing. I believe in primping at leisure and wearing lipstick. I believe in pink. I believe happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day, and... I believe in miracles.

Audrey Hepburn

 

Some new paintings i'm currently working on - just waiting for the right time and energy to get them finished. They are kind of like a mix of various elements that could be this and that - little collections lit up by ornamental chandeliers. Something is still missing for my taste, but i do love the color scheme. Pink and yellow has something, that makes me happy. What do you think?

It finally starts looking like spring here, it's warmer and yesterday we ate a meal outside - in the evening sunshine, which is still hard to believe for me. Hope the sunshine is with you too and am sending you lots of love!

Paintings: Martina Voigt-Schmid

Decorating with books

A good book on your shelf is a friend that turns its back on you and remains a friend. 

I don't know about you, but i always have piles of books around me. and sometimes even play with them or use them for little vignettes and stillifes around the house. Especially when i want to take photos of little things. So i loved this collection of beautifully styled photos i found at LONNY mag.

They really do get me going somehow ... My son recently said: "The graet thing about books is, that they never look bad, even if they just lie around somewhere!"

Have a sweet midweek - keep cozy and beat these April colds – with books!

Snowflakes in spring

April can be unpredictable and a little crazy ...

Snowflakes in spring? When i did this painting, i was actually thinking of flower petals, raining down from our cherry tree in April. But this year, looking at it again, it reminds me of actual snow, that's supposed to be falling here again this weekend - oh no! Please April, warm up, the trees and i are so longing o get out our flowery dresses!

Let the sunshine in!

Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine! 

Anthony J. D'Angelo, 

Dishes, art? When i saw these pictures of some amazing pieces from the mod collective i got a boost of inspiration, maybe also because the photos are so beautifully done. It's an unusual and yet harmonic and stimulating color palette that evoces the feeling of summer. Of sitting in a cool place enjoying something nice, while the sun shines warm and splendid - something i LOVE tp phantasize about, while this April starts out like another month of winter here in germany. 

What to do? Following the advice in quote above will make everyday brighter!

Happy easter!

While we celebrate Easter here in Europe and in America, in India they celebrate Holi, the festival of colors, which sounds wonderful to me! Tried to combine them both in this photo – to send you happy easter wishes and blessings from my studio!

The music of spring

Do you hear the music of spring?

It is cold still and the colors have not yet appeared. 

Maybe there is snow still, but the light has changed somehow 

and blackbirds are singing in the morning.

I want to bend and stretch and shed my winter skin.

I want to dance to that little tune

in a ray of sunlight amidst the bare trees.

A little poem that just came to me over morning tea and while looking at these gorgeous photos of our lovely friend Juli. She is such a talented photographer and does unique photo-sessions that show the things, a person might not talk about in a very artists way. Often, she also does special costumes to create a mood . Have a look at her site for more. And also, have the most sweet and special day!

Photos: Juli Gaston

Something to think about ...

On the night of Pesach: 

'Withdraw into yourself and look; and if you do not find yourself beautiful as yet, do as the sculptor of a statue....

Cut away all that is excessive, straighten all that is crooked, bring light to all that is shadowed...

Do not cease until there shall shine out on you the Godlike Splendour of Beauty; until you see temoerance surely established in the stainless shrine.

Plotinus

Happy week of easter dear friends!

Image: Statue "Psyche" by Auguste Rodin