gary’s peonies

Plucked straight from my brother Gary’s garden, these ethereal white peonies commanded my attention this morning…a perfect muse for a summer day!

Wishing you a lovely weekend!

photography by danielle boudrot for a thoughtful eye

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follow the grain

On the heels of Thursday’s post (no pun intended!), I thought you might enjoy an intimate look at Christian Louboutin’s home in the French countryside, Chateau de Champgillon…the 13th-century manor is surrounded by lush gardens providing Louboutin with endless organic inspiration for his designs…also on the grand property is an oak barn filled with 8,000 pairs of his magnificent heeled creations…the shelving in the archive is decorated with pressed flowers from his garden…what a thoughtful nod to mother nature! Enjoy!

“My father, who was a cabinetmaker, told me, ‘Wood has a grain and if you go into the grain, you have beauty. If you go against it, you have splinters-it breaks,’ and I took that as my view of life. You have to follow the grain-to be sensitive to the direction of life. I never had the dream to be a great designer. My focus was just to do beautiful things.” ~ Christian Louboutin

“The garden allowed me to see colors, blends of colors and materials, juxtapositions of gloss and matte surfaces-it was highly instructive…still today, if I close my eyes, I don’t see satin combined with velvet; I see the thickness of a pansy, which is deep purple bordered with white, set against the texture of another plant, and this combination gives me my colors.” ~ Christian Louboutin

below ~ the oak barn housing the archive

photography by Alexandre Bailhache for The Wall Street Journal

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soft pink petals

Wishing you a blissful summer weekend awash with aromatic gardens, dappled sunlight and soulful breezes!

photography by danielle boudrot for a thoughtful eye

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holiday flowers

above and below, Southern Accents

From a single orchid to a mantel overflowing with greenery, today’s post is filled with festive floral ideas for your home. My favorite is the mantel above from Southern Accents ~ miniature cedar trees inside a collection of silver goblets with fresh moss and green lady apples ~ elegant and simple! Enjoy!

below, Wedding Aces

below, Glenna Morton, About Interior Decorating

below, Lucie’s Events

below, Home Life

below, Lisa Luby Ryan

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