all things were glad and flourishing…

Wishing you a lovely summer weekend filled with lush trees and soft green grass…

Field in Asturias ~ Joaquin Sorolla, 1903

“Spring flew swiftly by, and summer came; and if the village had been beautiful at first, it was now in the full glow and luxuriance of its richness. The great trees, which had looked shrunken and bare in the earlier months, had now burst into strong life and health; and stretching forth their green arms over the thirsty ground, converted open and naked spots into choice nooks, where was a deep and pleasant shade from which to look upon the wide prospect, steeped in sunshine, which lay stretched out beyond. The earth had donned her mantle of brightest green; and shed her richest perfumes abroad. It was the prime and vigour of the year; all things were glad and flourishing.” ~ Charles Dickens, Oliver Twist

Daubigny’s Garden ~ Vincent van Gogh, 1890

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indigo

I can’t seem to get enough of this indigo sky…just after the sun goes down, these poetic layers of blue provide me with great comfort and peace…as if preparing me for the quiet evening ahead…it has always been, and will continue to be, my favorite time of day…

Sunset over Busa Farm, Lexington, MA ~ Danielle Boudrot

Elsie in a Blue Chair ~ Mary Cassatt, 1880

Chinstrap Penguins, Antarctic waters ~ Ralph Lee Hopkins

Blue Nude ~ Henri Matisse, 1952

Root Glacier, Alaska ~ Rich Reid

The Blue Bush ~ Konstantin Yuon, 1908

Elephant Ceramics

Blue-footed booby, Galapagos Islands ~ Tim Laman

Blue 2 ~ Georgia O’Keeffe

A veiled Nepali woman ~ Steve McCurry

The Big Blue Naked ~ Pierre Bonnard, 1924

Snowy Grand Canyon ~ Michael Nichols

Elephant Ceramics

Blue Bonnets at Twilight ~ Robert Julian Onderdonk, 1922

Underwater Sea Ice, Arctic Beaufort Sea ~ Paul Nicklen

Blue Trees ~ Paul Gauguin, 1888

Arctic Igloo ~ Norbert Rosing

Blue Village ~ Marc Chagall, 1975

Indigo Glass ~ Carsten Bennerstal

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vermeer inspired

Detail from The Geographer by Johannes Vermeer, 1668-69, oil on canvas

I am transfixed by the beauty of this lofty room designed by Tracery Interiors (photo below)…the size of the window panes and the side light they create remind me of Vermeer’s studio…how wonderful to see a modern interpretation of such a classic space…I don’t know if that was their intent, but I’d like to think they were sublimely happy with the result!

Overlooking the Birmingham Country Club golf course in Mountain Brook, Alabama, the interiors of this 1929 Tudor Revival home were elegantly re-imagined by the creative team at Tracery Interiors…the challenge ~ exquisite details on the exterior did not translate to the interior spaces…the solution ~ design new paneling, cabinetry and ironwork to fit the style and period of the home! The brilliant new shell feels altogether old world and refreshingly new at the same time! What a harmonious setting for the homeowner’s collection of fine art, antiques and all things beautiful…enjoy!

photos from Tracery Interiors

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at the lake ~ tracery interiors

Kick back, relax and enjoy this luscious summer home designed by Tracery Interiors! Situated on a prominent point at Lake Martin, Alabama, it features dramatic water views and wide open spaces…French antiques mingle with raw wood and galvanized metal creating an aesthetic that’s both effortless and unexpected…my favorite room is the main living space adorned with reclaimed timbers and windows, windows, windows! Perfect for an intimate evening or for entertaining large crowds, it is truly the heart of the home

Check out the July/August issue of Veranda to see a beach house designed by Tracery Interiors…boasting pieces from Verellen and Oly, it is a breath of fresh air!

photos from Tracery Interiors

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house guests

Last week, I discovered some unexpected house guests living under our front porch ~ a mother wood hen and her babies! I was so fortunate to capture this lovely moment in time…couldn’t wait to share it with you…

photography by danielle boudrot for a thoughtful eye

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summer sky

Wishing you a lovely summer weekend filled with expressive skies and soft breezes…

To see the Summer Sky

Is Poetry, though never in a Book it lie –

True Poems flee.

~ Emily Dickinson

Summer ~ Aleksey Savrasov, (1830 – 1897)

Hot Summer Day ~ Fyodor Vasilyev, 1869

Summer Day ~ Johan Hendrik Weissenbruch, 1870 – 1903

A Summer Day ~ William Merritt Chase, 1895

Summer Day ~ Konstantin Makovsky, 1870

Cumulus ~ Fyodor Vasilyev, 1868-1871

View of Chalet de Chenes, Bellvue, Geneva ~ Camille Corot, 1857

Clouds above a calm sea ~ Ivan Aivazovsky, 1889

Shinnecock Hills ~ William Merritt Chase, 1895

Seascape with Large Sky ~ Eugene Boudin, 1860

Afternoon Sky, Harney Desert ~ Childe Hassam, 1908

The Summer, Poppy Field ~ Claude Monet, 1875

Wheatfield with Mountains in the Background ~ Vincent van Gogh, 1889

Summer landscape ~ Pablo Picasso, 1902

At the summer house in twilight ~ Issac Levitan, 1895

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made in the shade ~ outdoor rooms

Lots going on today! Rather than leave you high and dry, I’ve decided to re-post one of my favorites from last summer! Whether a simple country retreat, city roof deck or tropical paradise, these mouth watering outdoor rooms are sure to get you in the mood for summer!

photos from Elle Decor

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heat wave

It’s a steamy summer day here in the Northeast! To keep us cool and comfortable, I thought I’d post a global collection of refreshingly gorgeous infinity pools…let your imagination take you away!

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I couldn’t wait to come back…come back

“I think even as a child there was a freedom here…and that freedom still exists…to be whoever you want to be…and you can show your wild side here…as I say, I grew up in Hyde Park, NY which was a little tiny farming community…and I maybe only spent six weeks a year here, as a child…but this was always my source…I couldn’t wait to come back…come back” ~ Anne Packard on Provincetown, from a short film titled, Anne Packard, An American Painter

I find myself watching this film over and over…to see inside her world…her view, her studio, her paints, her canvases…for me, this film is a treasure…one that will continue to inspire me and I hope will inspire you…

click here to watch Anne Packard, An American Painter

Oil paintings by Anne Packard

1) Sand, Sea, & Sky

2) Cape Light

3) Seaside

4) Dunes

5) The Dunes

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egan’s corner

In celebration of Father’s Day, I’d like to share with you a letter written about my grandfather…I re-typed it from an old newspaper clipping my mom unearthed the other day while cleaning…its torn edges left some letters missing but remarkably its content is still intact…it is a moving tribute to an exceptional man remembered for his kindness, generosity and leadership…I only wish I could have known him…how wonderful it would have been to hear about Egan’s Corner from the one and only Bob Egan

Tribute to Bob Egan

In the morning mail comes this splendid tribute to the late Bob Egan of East Cambridge…It was signed by an East Cambridge resident who asked that we keep his identity secret…”Dear Rambler: Egan’s Corner in East Cambridge does not seem the same any more…The passing of Bob Egan left a void that probably will never be filled…In every organization or gathering of men there is always one who takes it on himself to start things…The average fellow will gladly do his share when he is called on but there always has to be one who will take it on himself to get things moving, regardless of the labor and the headaches involved…Such a one was Bob Egan…Many times the boys who frequented Egan’s Corner pitched in on a collection for flowers when some close relative of one of them passed away…Often times they got together and enrolled the deceased in some religious society or sponsored a military mass for the boys in the service…Always Bob was the driving spirit behind these movements…The mass for boys in the service was his idea and he had similar masses planned for other parishes when death overtook him…He was the one who made arrangements for the raising of a service flag over Egan’s drug store and it was his idea to decorate the window with pictures of the boys in the service…The servicemen’s plaque which will soon be on display in Egan’s window was designed and procured by Bob…Always when something for somebody else had to be started, Bob Egan was the one to start the ball rolling…And when he started it, you could always be sure that he would finish it-successfully…Bob was born and educated in East Cambridge…It is safe to say that he had a wider acquaintance with the younger generation than anyone else down here…worked at Thorndike Field for about three years and always kept his friendships with the boys, many of whom are now in the service…He wrote to many boys from Cambridge on the far-flung battlefields of the war and could give you up-to-the minute news of many of them…Likeable Bob Egan will be mourned for a longtime in East Cambridge!” ~ October, 1943

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