Thursday 31 March 2011

Cubical storage from IKEA

Some years ago, we used to stock at the shop these storage cubes.



They were made of heavy plywood and you could mistake them for solid wood if it weren't for the cross section on the rim.
They were basically meant to be used as shelving in kids' rooms.
They were very practical as one could stash them and move them around or add to them as a child grew.
Though we do not stock them any more, I found a similar product that could be used in a similar context

  

recently spotted  the PRÄNT storage untits by IKEA. They are originally made to hold magazines and other sofa-side parafernalia, but look at this interpretation I found.
The  PRÄNT range consists of four different box shapes which makes it easy to build up
an irregular storage compound, one of the strong shelving trends right now.

Our range came ready painted, but as is the case with many IKEA products, the  PRÄNT cubes come unfinished, which is a goos thing if you are willing to get a little paint in your nails, as you may customise them to suit your room's palette.


 In these pictures you can see that the inside of the crates is painted in soft pastel shades.

In order to bring stability to the units, you can attach the boxes both
horizontally and vertically with simple stationary black metal clamps.


In the US they retail at $6.99 which makes them worth a try!

{All images via Livet Hemma}



love, Irene

Where am I?

Hello my dear readers,
Popping in to say "hi"
HI
:-)
And since I am here, I might as well give you some clues as to where I've been.
It was work, but also an escape, be it a short one, from Greece's dire realities.

First of all, lovely buildings.

And poetic skies.

and young people enjoying life.

Blooming gardens,


 where people stroll, caring about flamingos and all kinds of beautiful animals.


Lively tropical ponds,

and lovely goodies

and stylish kids' clothes.

Yummy food.
You only get to know a country if you get to taste its food.


Travelling light and "green",


where trains come in orange and fuchsia.



Any idea where these
 images come from? 


love, Irene

Saturday 19 March 2011

A trip's in the air

Hello, hello!
I hope you are all rising and shining this morning-not from radiation, hopefully, but thanks to a bright and sunny day. It's pretty cloudy over here, but not too cold or too rainy.


I love planting bulbs.
 They are easier than seeds
and produce some nearly instant surprise
and contentment.
Spring bulbs via Saidos da Concha
I have two posts waiting to be reviewed and published (I strongly dislike spelling mistakes), and I just posted one from March 10, the one about my i-phone. And yes, it does not work again, now of all days, now that I am going on a trip and I want to take pictures on the go, and keep in touch and all.

Ooops! My secret is out with you! We are going on a trip next week. It's strictly speaking business, training, etc. and quite tight in that respect, but we are taking the kids with us, so we can make it like a family outing as much as we can. The kids have Friday 25th off school, since it is our national holiday, so they are not going to miss that much.


Art makes life worthwhile and more humane
Marnie Gilder via Brown Button
 I've read this post today by one of my favorite writers and people, Jennifer Louden. Given my i-phone issues (blah) and the out of the blue trip and all, I think she has a point. Life has a point, when it tells you to go her direction instead of pushing and pulling towards what you think you want/you need/you must.

So, let me just say, I am going to stop clenching my teeth, try not to try to relax and enjoy this, and just be here right now, and there, only then, and back here again when we come back.

Sending you smiles and flowers,



love, Irene

When my i-phone (almost) died

Written: March 10:

1) My i-phone went dead, just as I was about to go home for lunch break.
2)Little one couldn't help talking about the games we'd lose and all the special items we got for farms, restaurants and islands over Christmas and the Valentine's.
3) Took Little One to English class, Eldest Daughter to Spanish class and DH and I drove to the shop where we got my i-phone.
4)Man at shop looked in desbelief. "What did you do to it? Did you crack any codes?" Interesting. So I do look like like someone who can crack codes? A teenager who can crack codes, perhaps?
5)Man said i-phone would have to be sent to hq and that will take a month to fix. A month?
6)As DH was searching for the receipt I went back to man. I said something along the lines of "Please fix it! I'm gonna cry!" I knew I sounded like a fourty-something overweight Barbie, with dark circles and uncoiffed home coloured hair. But there, I gathered all my courage and said it. Because that is how I felt.
7)DH got me a mocha and dropped me at the shop.
8)Card /reading thingy didn't work. All right. Blame it on the Sun bursting like mad recently.
9)Only yesterda DH, myself and advertiser friend were discussing the possibility of power being cut and us featuring in a MadMax sequel.
10)I had to swear. Absolutely had. I swear. Otherwise I'd cry. Over an i-phone. Pathetic. But true.
11)DH just called from my i-phone. Shop man connected it to i-tunes and fixed it.
12)Apple inc. people, you must thank your good luck. Otherwise I'd sue!
P.S. Now, now...blowing kisses your way!

N.B. I am now waiting for DH to bring me my i-phone. He is currently being soccer dad!
Once I have my gadget back, I am gonna post my favorite aps. So you know where to find me when I am not blogging. Or working. Or selling stuff. Or cooking. Or folding laundry. You know!../

Update : March 13: My i-phone stopped working again. There is a thingy going round and round on the screen, does not open or close:(( And DH just came in and you know, it cannot be fixed:((
It is covered by its guarantee but it has to go to Athens and it will take about a month to fix. Silly i-phone makers!


love, Irene

Wednesday 16 March 2011

A nos amours

 Memories, feelings, times...So funny, they are all present, if only they are recalled.
A perfume, a song, and hop, they are here. What a wonderful PC we are!





Quand on partait de bon matin
Quand on partait sur les chemins
A bicyclette
Nous étions quelques bons copains
Y avait Fernand y avait Firmin
Y avait Francis et Sébastien
Et puis Paulette

On était tous amoureux d'elle
On se sentait pousser des ailes
A bicyclette
Sur les petits chemins de terre
On a souvent vécu l'enfer
Pour ne pas mettre pied à terre
Devant Paulette
Faut dire qu'elle y mettait du cœur
C'était la fille du facteur
A bicyclette
Et depuis qu'elle avait huit ans
Elle avait fait en le suivant
Tous les chemins environnants
A bicyclette

Quand on approchait la rivière
On déposait dans les fougères
Nos bicyclettes
Puis on se roulait dans les champs
Faisant naître un bouquet changeant
De sauterelles, de papillons
Et de rainettes
Quand le soleil à l'horizon
Profilait sur tous les buissons
Nos silhouettes
On revenait fourbus contents
Le cœur un peu vague pourtant
De n'être pas seul un instant
Avec Paulette

Prendre furtivement sa main
Oublier un peu les copains
La bicyclette
On se disait c'est pour demain
J'oserai, j'oserai demain
Quand on ira sur les chemins
A bicyclette

This is one of the songs included in a tape that my BF sent me some twenty-something years ago. I was my eldest's age. I had forgotten, more or less this song, but memories came rushing back. I hope you enjoy it. And if you do, you may want to watch a film, too. It's called Ensemble, c'est tout.


Eldest daughter and I watched it tonight on TV. Here is a trailer for you. La chanson de Paulette is in there, too. Lovely film. g'night.




love, Irene

Wednesday 9 March 2011

Parisian dreams

These days images of Paris pop up everywhere.
It looks as if French blogs, French style, French clothes, French interiors, French recipes are everywhere I turn my eyes!

Have I told you I love flowers? I thought I did!
 via Virginia Jones Photography (just stumbled upon her blog and it is great!)

It's quite funny because, having spent my formative years in England, I have over time adopted a rather informal English countryside style at home, with an ecclectic American loft touch, that makes everyone who happens to visit with us, call our house simply "different".

Have you visited Paris Breakfasts yet? You'll fall in love, I promise you!


That's a worrying thing, "different? in what way?" I am tempted to ask. And I did.
The other night we had our next door neighbors over for dinner, and the husband who is a well travelled University professor, answered my question like this: "Well, it's a completely different concept altogether". Hmm...All I can say is that we planned our home round things we already owned, had been handed down, brought over from different houses, my in-laws, our homes, College years stuff, you get the picture. Oh and some items from our shop. And some IKEA for good measure.


Gardens. I love gardens. This is a parisian one, too!
via Just Another American in Paris (newly found, too)

Anyhow. I am surprised to have fallen in love with one particular book that I am so not ordering, because I have quite a few in line to read. (And I did get one on the post yesterday, and I am going to take pictures and let you know about it, Scout's honour!)
There is this one particular photo of a French salon that made me stop right there and gasp.
Ah!



Oh-my-Goodness!  This is Perfection!

I am so not buying this book yet!

Do you like it too?
The book is called Romantic Style and it is written by Selina Lake with Sara Norman and photographed by Debi Treloar (yes, all usual suspects on my list!).

I hope you have the day of your dreams!

love, Irene

Tuesday 8 March 2011

Blues and stripes

When I was a child, Spring was heralded by a wardrobe switch for my mother.
The blacks and the greys were dry cleaned and stored away. Out came the blues. Blue skirts, straight or with a single pleat. Blue heels and matching French blue shoulder bags. Oh, and pristine white shirts.

Brown, which is to Italians what blue is to the French, never quite made it to my mom's wardrobe, it being considered too drab and old, though it has been featured predominantly in mine, before it gave way to pinks and greens after I turned 30.

Still, I do get a slight tickling when I see blues in the press.


These are stripes. I like stripes in upholstery. I am not fond of them in clothes.
BUT
If you look closely, you'll see these shoes

Those leather platforms by Prada cought the eye of both my eldest and myself. They are stylish enough and look comfortable enough to stroll around Paris, n'est-ce pas?

Photographed for Vima-Donna magazine (Greek)

I also like this ad. I like combining sporty and dressy 
I like the soft taylored jacket with jeans. The ankle baring, the loafers.
I know, quite preppy. 



Blue and white images of the stylish "simple life" by the sea.
It's never too early to think of Summer.





Open toe shoes sing Spring. These are blue and bejewelled, too!
via

It all boils down to shoes, doesn't it!

Never say no to a jewellery lift!

And flowers, I LOVE flowers!
 The best way to cheer up a room-or a day!



Never forget to surround your day with what cheers you up and sings your song!


"Promise me you'll always remember: You're
Braver than you Believe, and Stronger than you
Seem, and Smarter than you Think."
~Christopher Robin to Winnie the Pooh

Wishing you a spring in your step.

love, Irene

Saturday 5 March 2011

Pink for Spring

Powdery pink and lilac
Rocking Housse in Nabuck
 (baxter)



Fuchsias, reds and creams, stripes plains and duo colour florals
 (laura ashley)


Nina Ricci platforms
via 


Paris
via here

via 

And my first Polyvore collage



Enjoy the weekend!
love, Irene

Best buys