Last Saturday my husband took the kids out for lunch. They were seated on the patio, enjoying the gorgeous weather. My son, who will turn 10 in a couple of months, excused himself and went inside for a drink refill. A woman came out a few minutes later and asked my husband if, "that boy was his son." Now this is the moment where you always hold your breath before answering. "Well, I just wanted to tell you that he was the perfect little gentleman," she said. Whew! I'm not sure what he did to garner such high praise, but that was certainly nice of a stranger to take the time to pay him a compliment. It's also nice to know that all those years of trying to teach him the basics didn't fall on deaf ears.

If you enjoy history, then check out the World Digital Library at www.wdl.org. An international digital library operated by the American Library of Congress and UNESCO, it features historical maps (such as the one below of Florida in 1584), an engraved portrait of Thomas Jefferson from the early 19^th century, a photograph of Abraham Lincoln taken during the Civil War, and the first novel (a Japanese work titled The Tale of Genji). 

The items have been scanned in their original language, but a brief explanation of the content and significance of each item is available in seven different languages. It’s amazing to look at the unique items that represent the different countries around the world. The World Digital Library hopes to promote understanding of other cultures with its 1,200 documents, rare books, music, and films, all with historical or cultural importance from cultures around the world, and the library will continue to add more items to its database.

All images from the World Digital Library

 

After teasing us a few times, I think Mother Nature has finally settled into spring here in Birmingham. I'm dying to hose the pollen off my deck and do some outdoor entertaining. How fun would it be to have a tented affair? Not  for "an occasion," but just to celebrate the season. I love the way floral designer Tom Mathieu tucked orchids into the tie backs in the photo above. Pairing fuchsia blooms with red stripes is a combo I wouldn't have thought of, but I think it works.

Decorator Jennifer Garrigues gave this vignette an exotic flair with a collection of global accessories. I can imagine whiling away an afternoon on the Indonesian daybed, drink in hand. The tent itself is a simpler structure, but the detailed accessories give it presence. 

Love, love, love the chandelier Lars Bolander hung from this domed tent. It might be over the top for my backyard, but there are a few ideas to steal. A bench piled with comfy pillows, large potted plants to set the scene, pillows tossed on the grass–all doable.

Tents from Authentic Provence . Photos by Lisa Hubbard.

Grey Gardens, 2009. Image Courtesy of HBO Films.

Grey Gardens was all anyone was talking about around the water cooler Monday. And after watching it on Saturday (and again on Sunday), I admit that I was mesmerized by the strange story of Edith Bouvier Beale and daughter Edie falling from high society into a sort of joyful squalor.

Image courtesy of Southern Accents.

In the film, Grey Gardens was depicted as an interior dream of plush antiques, oddities, and color…in its heyday, of course. My favorite room was Big Edie’s bedroom (top picture), from the deep-buttoned headboard to the citron yellow chinoiserie wall coverings and coordinating window treatments. If you haven’t seen the movie, then you’ll have to imagine the pre-peeled, pre-faded version.

Just sharing a few photos from a favorite house that ran many years ago--located in Pass Christian, Mississippi. It was badly damaged if not destroyed by Hurrican Katrina. But I still love the photos that capture a sense of place and calmness and peace. I also just re-read the story, written by the owners' daughter Margaret McMullan , a novelist and professor, which is lovely. So I share the photos with you--the house ran in our March-April 1997 issue. If you still have your back issues, re-visit the story and be inspired again.

Here you're always coming and going from one porch to another. Open the French doors, slide out the built-in screens, and spend a whole afternoon having tea and waiting for a storm to roll in. Photography by Dominique Vorillon.

A honey-hued Louis XVI dining table contrasts with the French farm table in the kitchen. Design by Patrick Dunne.

In a bedroom, a convent washstand makes a convenient washstand.

Last week I was in Charleston, perhaps my favorite destination in spring. Wisteria, azaleas, old-fashioned roses----everything was in bloom, and the church bells chimed and charmed in honor of Easter. 

It's generally assumed (rightly) that the color navy blue got its name from the color of the uniforms worn by Navy sailors. But have you ever wondered why the Navy chose this dark blue in the first place? The answer hit me last week, when I was vacationing in Puerto Rico, with plenty of time to gaze out onto the ocean and wonder about such things. 

On a catamaran trip to the island of Culebra, I was mesmerized by the dark color of the water and thought that this had to be what prompted sailors as far back as the 1700s to adopt this as their signature color. 

 

Navy is often combined with red and white in fashion and nautical decor. While you can find all shades of blue used in this combination, I'm partial to a dark, almost black, navy. Suzanne Kasler created my favorite interpretation of nautical style in our 2004 beachside showhouse. With stripes, warm woods, propeller fans, lacquered red cabinets, and a porthole-like mirror, she evokes the feeling of being on a ship without making you feel like you've stepped into a July Fourth parade. 

  

 

If you're in the Birmingham area Thursday evening, please drop by Mary Evelyn McKee's fabulous shop to meet Bunny Williams and preview her beautiful new furniture collection, BeeLine Home.  And if you can't make it, photos to come later this week!

  

I'm obsessed with  journals. I'm always buying a new one, even though I haven't begun to fill the last one. I've started bringing them to work to jot notes in. I find that it keeps me more organized than my old sticky note and scraps of paper method. Plus if I want to go back to something I jotted down a year ago, I know exactly which journal it's in. I also like the idea of giving handmade journals as gifts. Unfortunately I don't have the talent to make them myself, and they can be quite pricey. I found these on Etsy. No two are alike, and they are all reasonably priced. I think it would be a fun gift for a high school senior, someone about to take a great vacation, or for a hostess to set out as guest books at a party. There are hundreds of choices on Etsy, just search for hand-bound books.

Perfect for a man, this one from MyHandboundBooks is $29.75



This teeny tiny one from NewPrehistory ($22) keeps thoughts close to the heart. 

 

I’m battling with a serious case of wanderlust. I think it has something to do with a little vacation envy that’s triggered when colleagues return to the office with a fresh-from-the-beach glow or neighbors whose newspapers pile up after a weeklong getaway.

I’ve decided to plan my own weekend escape and two hotels on my short list happen to be NEW properties that have a fabulous design pedigree: The Viceroy Miami designed by Kelly Wearstler and the Lorien Hotel & Spa designed by Vicente Wolf.

When I was younger, cross stitch was one of my favorite pastimes. But now many of the patterns are too old-fashioned and kitschy for my taste. Wanting to take it up again (and wanting to get some use out of the rainbow of colored thread I still have), I set out to find some examples more suited to my style. It took some searching, but I found a few to inspire me. (I'm still searching for a great web site or book of designs to recommend, so stay tuned for that in a future post.)

Martha Stewart came through with a salmon-colored botanical design for a linen chair slipcover, a silhouette and a bird-on-a-branch stitched onto burlap tote bags, and the idea of stitching the date onto the spine of a cloth-covered photo album. 

There are a lot of video game-related designs, most of which I don't care for, but this "retro-fabulous" guitar strap inspired me to make something similar for my husband.

You can even make your own patterns by hand or by using pixelating software, like this blogger did from a picture of a chandelier. 

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Minipop sample photo (top): www.flickr.com/photos/rubykhan    (Unfortunately, rubykhan's minipop designs aren't for sale.)

Women today have incredibly busy lives, with kids, family, work, and friends all vying for our attention. Fashion designer Vivienne Tam teamed up with HP to make it a little easier, and more fashionable, to stay on schedule and keep in touch with the first ever digital clutch, and its design is perfect for spring!

Photograph: Becky Luigart-Stayner

On two occasions recently two different people related stories to me that I found quite interesting. Each involved a different host or hostess who offered a drink then proceeded to detail the lineage of the crystal glass in which it was served with an admonishment to "be careful." What?! In an age where it's not unusual for a host to ban red wine or ask guests to remove their shoes (neither of which I agree with, by the way), has it really come to this? Had I been the guest, I think I would have choked on my lemonade. I'm a firm believer in using and enjoying pieces that are meant to be used. If a piece of crystal or china is too fine for guests, then I say, lock it away or donate it to a museum. Your guests should feel special, not be afraid.

 
Lavendar roses, iron cross begonia, and artichokes photographed by Monica Buck for Southern Accents January-February 2009.

My older sister got married on Saturday and I’m still reveling in and recovering from the high-energy, live music reception. My favorite design element, aside from her lace gown, was definitely the tall, lush table arrangements filled with hydrangea, roses, peonies, and bunches of green grapes and granny smith apples. As the dining room and dance floor emptied, I couldn’t resist popping a grape into my mouth.

I think that fruits and vegetables make for organic an unexpected twist in an arrangement or as the centerpieces themselves. It’s a different take on the garden to table concept. Here are some of my favorite examples of floral arrangements that incorporate or are fresh-picked from the garden or the farmer's market.

A few weeks ago, I went over to a friend's house for tea. There were only a few women, and the occasion was to get together with Atlanta and Highlands landscape architect Mary Palmer Dargan who was speaking that evening at the Botanical Gardens here in Birmingham. I really enjoyed myself, and I've been trying to sort out why (aside from the lovely, interesting company). In looking back, I appreciate the specificity of the get together. It was not precious. But our host brought out her lovely fine tea accoutrements and cookies.  We talked about gardens and other natural things, inspired of course by the guest of honor. And we kept it short. Childcare, business meetings, and other things meant that we could only spend about an hour and a half together. What often happens to me when I see people I particularly like is that the conversation is so enthralling we graduate from tea to wine and then end up cobbling together some sort of dinner for the kids. For this occasion, we all had commitments in different directions, so we came together, got a jolt of good vibes and gracious company, and then moved on our merry way. It felt very civilized but not forced or superficial in any way. The most gracious, geniune of afternoon get togethers. So I'm all intent on continuing  the practice of taking tea every so often with good friends. Of keeping our topics focused and our time well managed.

From our March/April 2009 issue. Photograph by Erica Dines. Silver Tea set from Beverly Bremer Silver Shop in Atlanta. Wallcovering by de Gournay ,  through Ainsworth-Noah in Atlanta.

William Yeoward, known for his elegant crystal, linens, china, and accessories, shared this during a phone conversation about his new book last fall:

"White damask tablecloths and starched napkins—rarely is there an easier way to display luxury. They signal a house where everything is properly run and there's a great attention to detail."