Leafy Sea Dragons

Sea dragons are some of my favourite creatures on this planet!
They are actually fish and siblings to another weakness of mine~seahorses
(I won't be able to resist a separate post about them)!

These magical creatures are found along the southern and western coasts of Australia. Their leafy protrusions are not used for propolsion at all - they serve as camouflage only - sea dragons are trying to pretend they are seaweed...

Female sea dragons lay 250 bright pink eggs - through a long tube, they deposit them on a male sea dragon's tail and he cares for them until they hatch...then, the male shakes his tail gently, including against rocks and weeds, to help the little ones leave their eggs....

Despite the fact that they eat tiny fish and shrimp, they do not have teeth!

Hello, Beautiful! You can come and live in my bathtub any time!

Photo credits: MikeJonesPhoto(2), KentSmith9, Matt Tworkowski, William Bullimore (all Flickr)

Saturday Haiku~

What is beauty?
Spring garden in bloom
Poenies bow their heads

Photo credit: AJ

Sally's Sea Shore Home

Who can forget the-one-and-only Meg in "When Harry Met Sally"??
~and here is she, some years later, still looking fabulous-darling and..
here is her fabulous sea shore home in Martha's Vineyard, the product of her work with Marsha Russell of Satinwood Ltd., an interior-design firm in Bedford, New York.

Who can be unhappy waking up to a view like this?

When Sally, I mean Meg, found this barn-like home, it did not look like the operatic aria she was able to achieve through sheer work and vision  - parts of it had collapsed and the cedar-shingled roof was in need of desperate repair....Sally to the rescue!
She said of her find: "..the post-and-beam design is about seeing the skeleton of the house. I needed walls - I had to come in and add the skin."

Meg very skillfully maintained the open and airy aspect which can only come with homes of this height and structure..stunning!

...ahh, to dream in a tub like this....I am afraid I would never leave....

Photo credits: elledecor.com

A Part of Me

Gardening completes me..it's very much a part of me...it's a creative process in which I have a partner ~ Mother Nature ~ she guides me and I surprise her from time to time, with cheeky ideas, colour combinations and notions....

 

I cannot draw or paint but my garden is my canvas. My symbiosis with all things green and growing is part of the reason I dislike the winter so intensly....

..so now you can see a little into ME!

All photos: AJ

Design Friday*

Ahhh, the weekend is here!~enjoy, Darlinks!~

Literally thousands of Ontarians will be hitting the roads in several hours, heading for their cottages ~ some of them even in my neighbourhood (Kevin and I live in "cottage country" but in a real, grown-up house).

Many of these cottages are as modern as the incredible examples in these photos - lots of wood, glass and natural stone....an eclectic mix of rustic and modern..

 

 

Loove the overall fluidity of this design....the chairs off set the rigid, geometric edges of the rug, furniture and windows.

A stunning combination of wood and stone...the hues are warm, inviting and straight from Mother Nature...It's ok to mix wood types and finishes....I give you permission
(and so does the designer above, wink)

Now, I could really spend the weekend on this serene patio but wait, I have my own serene patio and photos of it are coming sooooooon!
Have a splish-splashy weekend, All (heatwave still here!)
ox

Photos: HouseandHome.com

Heatwave

We are in the middle of one - HURRAY! and it's only the end of May - HURRAY again!
It's so hot, our cats are feeling around for zippers to take off their furry coats!
It's so hot, I had ice-cream for breakfast this morning!
It's so hot, we slept in our birthday suits last night! (wink)..
xoxoxox

Photo credit: Majdy (Flickr)

Hooked on the North

My latest obsession are blogs from the North - Norway, Sweden, Denmark....I am preparing a longer post about them as, in my view, they are a genre all their own but in the meantime...on one of them, I learned about Tine K Home and fell in love...

AND Happy Birthday, Queen Victoria! (being celebrated in Canada today with a day off work, to play and read and garden, yaaay!)

Photos: TineKHome.com

Tickle your Senses

An inspiring image, don't you agree? I want to reach out and touch it....
See more here...

credit: h.koppdelaney(flickr)

Magic by Karim Rashid

                                                                         Kurve Restaurant in NYC

Truly magical designs by Karim Rashid.
I love everything about them...the fluidity, the colour, the George Jetson-ness...

                                                                                                                      Prizeotel

                                                        
                                                        The Semiramis - Athens

                                  Jean-Georges Market Restaurant - Atlanta

                                                                                    Majik Restaurant

                                                                Silk Road Restaurant in Las Vegas

                                                                                 The Master Himself

 
Photos: courtesy of karimrashid.com

Maldoror Low Couture

Poland's Fashion Week just ended in Lodz (it's where I was born, by the way).
The shows were divided into two sets of presentations: Off Shows and Designers' Alley.
The Off Shows included Maldoror: - an up-and-coming design shop presenting their Asphyxiation line (F/W 2010). Vaguely reminiscent of Mr. McQueen's prowess, this design house includes the following statement in their manifesto:
(translated by me): "Real beauty lies in the unattainable".

Definitely raw and visceral, these creations betray a spirit of rebellion and non-conformism. They are not what I would chose to wear but I do appreciate them, and very much so, for their depth of vision, their form and play on texture.

 The Asphyxiation line was presented in an old factory, further emphasising the organic, raw quality of its components.

Just a tiny sample of Poland's vibrant and talented design pool.

Photos: Maldoror.pl, google (Lodz Fashion Week)

Provence

Some facts about Provence:

1. The rustic and incredibly beautilful scenery of this region of France inspired Paul Cezanne to produce some of his best works.
2. The inhabitants of Provence still speak its traditional language: Provencal, which is similar to Catalan or Spanish. Many street and landmarks are named  both in Provencal and French.

3.  Originally a Roman province of Gallia Narbonensis, this area of France was close enough to Rome to be referred to, over time, as "provincia", hence its current name.

4. The Roman influence remains visible even today, particularly in the region's architecture.

 

 

5. Provence is known for its memorable cuisine, with fish at its centre. Many dishes also feature the liberal use of herbs (including thyme, rosemary, oregano and basil), with local vegetables, all cooked in olive oil.

 

 

6. Provence is not uniform in terms of its landscape and themes. Here, you will find medieval, cobbled streets and Roman inspired arenas but also the almost-cosmopolitan bustle of cities like Cannes and the commercial business of ports like Marseille and even Menton.

7. Provence is well known for its vivid, purple lavender fields and the lavender industry is an important component of Provence's economy. I have resisted including photos of such fields because you have seen them before and I wanted to show you other, less known faces of this incredible region.

7. Whether you are looking for vibrant nighlife, quiet serenity, or incredible wines and cuisine, Provence will please. I have very, very fond memories of all my visits to Provence, whether spent travelling all over the region or settled in on a sailboat in Menton.

And now, I am nurturing my own little Provence, in my garden....My darling lavender plants whose still tender leaves are reaching up to the sun and gathering energy to grace my garden with purple deliciousness...

Photo credits:
(Flickr) Feuillu, CatChanel, duncansapien, Vince Arno, matzR, La Route
Collage: AJ