What do you think about three o'clock?

When I am at home in the late winter, I love sitting in my kitchen

at three o'clock.

It is cold outside, but the sun pours in through the windows,

making the kitchen bright and extra warm.

Perfect time for a cup of tea.

It makes me happy even imagining it.

I never seem to be home any more.

Still looking for balance.

I saw this plaque embedded in a sidewalk in Washington DC

last fall. It made me smile.

Hibernation is ending.

This is how I begin

when a designer asks me to quote material requirements for a memento board.

I know there is some sort of math equation that I could use,

but I am much more visual.

Another February "off the needles" project.

Neck warmer shipped up north

to keep my little girl warm as she walks around campus.

It arrived just in time for Valentine's Day

I didn't post earlier - didn't want to spoil the surprise.

Delicious cashmere

with a beautiful summer hue and soft, warm texture

i♥u

mmm

still got some stash...

enough for a few more neck warmers

I emerged from hibernation briefly last week,

working a three night power work session to finish a big order

that is going to Florida.

Finished in the nick of time.

Now back to knitting.

My fellow knit wit, Kris, found this fun and practical knitting bag on etsy.

Love the new take on the popular WWII poster from London:

from Keep Calm and Carry On to Keep Calm and Carry Yarn.

More projects "off the needles"

I carried my yarn to my home territory near Boston and was able to finish this blanket.

Two and one-half years in the making. Slow and steady wins the race - right?

My Father and I made a trip to see the college student so that I could hand deliver this treasure just in time for another snow storm.

Great picture of Grampa and Miss Is

on a cold and bright winter day.

Still have quite a stash of yarn and projects.

More off the needles later this week.

The momentum is great.

I may even finish putting together a sweater that I started more than 6 years ago!

Knitting is a wonderful way to pass the time during cold winter evenings.

Very relaxing too.

And I have so much more time to knit during my hibernation period.

Do you recognize the lamp shade fabric?

It is my friend Jennifer's design -

Jennifer of Sis Boom fame.

Featured in the Adore Home, British edition

You might remember my Autumn 2010 line.

Jennifer's fabrics always find their way on to my frames

see the below

Sis Boom collection called Poodle

this design is called Marnie

(just like me)

see my blog post about this here

Just last week I saw this rug in Connecticut Cottages and Gardens

February issue

(the blue and green design below)

and to my delight I discovered it was a Sis Boom design

This is a whole new direction for Jennifer.

Love it

Way to Go Jennifer

An interesting variation on the memento board

This clever "window" opening between the bedrooms of two sisters.

as seen in Connecticut Cottages and Gardens.

It reminds me of the dutch doors that were popular decades ago. The photo below is of Barbara Garfield, a designer of "in scale" properties ... more on this interesting lady next week.

i ♥ u

Did anyone follow Stylebeat's contest last year?

Marisa Marcantonio is a former style editor for House Beautiful and O at Home.

Marisa challenged her blog readers to ''submit an example of how you or someone stylish you know turned a page into reality with an idea brought to life from the book’s pages."

Winners received one of five terrific new design books - click here for full details.

I could not resist and submitted two entries:

My Inspiration came from Charlotte Moss's books,

A Passion For Detail, and Creating A Room,

which were both illustrated by the talented James Steinmeyer

whose watercolor illustrations were infinitely more interesting

than photographs.

I loved Steinmeyer's illustrations so much

that I bought the series, printed on card stock,

from Charlotte Moss's first store.

Years later I discovered a stash of artwork by a grand aunt.

I wasn't wild about my grand aunt's pen and ink drawings,

but I loved the frames.

I found five more frames to match,

then framed the James Steinmeyer illustrations,

and hung them in a group

in my living room

to mimic window panes.

Voila

A Room With a View

In fact,

a room with many views

of other interiors;

mini views where the viewer looks in instead of out.

My series of views,

grand rooms, famous in the annals of interior decoration history,

are a fun curiosity in my quirky, antique, Connecticut cottage.

A list of the illustrated rooms

Diana Vreeland's living room, Coco Chanel's living room, Bedroom of Mark Twain, Dining area of Thomas Jefferson, Ogden Codman's sitting room at the Grange, Cecil Beaton's drawing room at Beaton House, Elsie de Wolfe's bathroom; Winston Churchill's drawing room at Chartwell, Duchess of Windor's dressing room and Vita Sackville's writing room at Sissinghurst.

How am I doing with my new year's resolutions or goals?

1) Less procrastination: improving, but still a long way to go

2) Finish one knitting project per month: look what came off the needles in January

one week ago below and then presto

a cozy neck warmer making it up north for my little miss is

the blanket that I started in September of 2008

all that's left is to seam it together.

February's off the needles feature

3) Get through my stacks of old magazines: not yet

4) Read one book per month: slow, not enough time

5) Work on more happiness every day: yes, I read the happiness project daily

6) And last but not least, develop more MRR Design business: I am still in hibernation mode, but I had a wonderful meeting with two creative friends - we are collaborating on ideas and projects - exciting, inspiring, fun,

~~~

Remember to be grateful.

Trust in my faith.

Trust in myself.

Monograms are still "in"

see monogrammed tray, table, bag

photo of Lamshop

at the NYIGF

as seen on Stylebeat

Love this booth design too- very creative - painted canvas walls

monogram trend

bodes well for my little frames

thoughts inspired by

olimpia zagnoli's

wallpaper for an art project -

click here

stream of consciousness as I look at this image:

LOOK AND SEE

SEE AND DO

LOOK UP

LOOK AROUND

life has ebbed and flowed. these days my mood is a tad noir but then I pop back to my happy self when I see a see something or hear something or read something that sparks my interest.

It doesn't take much - the ah ha effect is wonderful.

soon i will be cranking out the spring 2011 line.

that always makes me happy.

i have a big show planned for april/may in richmond, virginia:

daisy days at st catherine's school.

road trips are fun.

new places, new people and my frames will be new to them so i hope they fly off the table.

i love having my display loaded with frames and photographs of my family. customers love looking at the photos in my display too. sometimes they recognize a place or even a person.

today it is freezing; i need a little more zest in my life. i think i will make a lemon confection tonight. that ought to cheer me up. sweets are wonderful for chasing the blues away. just gotta watch the lbs. writing and reading are good ways to chase the blues away too. probably a healthier way and even bike riding could do the trick, if there weren't so much snow on the ground.

look at the little speck of pink in the corner. that spells hope and love.

New shapes for memento and inspiration boards

Sunny Goode's fun new memento board above

Makes you want to forget the ho-hum square or rectangle

Why not get out your jigsaw and cut out a wonderful shape

like the mirror above?

Photo via Stylebeat - Mr Brown's booth at NYIGF

More fun new shapes

check out Sunny Goode's blog for the how-to

Ideas are percolating in my head

with all the info from the NYIGF scouts

like Marisa at Stylebeat

and my friend Robin from Seabeans Studio

Old man winter is at it again!

Photo from NYSD