Really, is this the look

October 24, 2012

you’re going for?  Thanksgiving will be here before you know it and you will be entertaining family and friends with 2 bare wires sticking out of your dining room ceiling… still. Pretty. Why is making this decision so hard when there is a simple solution…a  George Nelson Bubble Lamp. Classic, simplequietmodern (since it’s introduction in 1947) …and available in enough shapes and sizes to be the perfect lighting selection for a dining room of any size or style direction. Get the scale right and the quiet statement will be deafening. So there you have it, decision made.

http://hivemodern.com/pages/product951/modernica-nelson-bubble-xl-bell

It’s not too early

October 15, 2012

to get those holiday plans committed to paper. Lists for invitations, cards to be sent, ingredients to be purchased or projects around the house to complete…it’s all easier to accomplish once you have committed it to paper. That makes it real, do-able…and you have a punch list to strike off as each task is complete. By the time December 1st comes you’ll be so far ahead of the game you can easily roll with the punches of a changed plan, or relax with a smart cocktail as you await the magic.

Summer, looking back

September 21, 2012

OK, now it’s official…the solstice is upon us and we are moving into Fall. I tried to stretch this summer out as long as I could , so that I could enjoy  more simple pleasures and not forget some special simple moments. As I look back I am grateful for each juicy bite, each bright ray, each conversation, each quiet walk, each project…each gentle nudge and nuzzle. I will welcome Fall differently now…more simply, more quietly. Let’s see what it brings.

WTC

September 11, 2012

The ultimate in simplequietmodern. I loved these two towers. The simplicity, the pairing, the scale. Even as a kid I knew that their presence would shape my design sensibility…and they did. Today in their footprint are the memorial fountains…a different simplequietmodern.  Who could ever have known? I remember that morning as if it was yesterday…sunny, clear, crisp. Now, I will never forget all of those lives lost…in NY, PA and DC. Take a moment today to remember them… and this place.

Not So Fast

September 1, 2012

Here in the northern mid-west we wait patiently for Summer through every type of brutal Winter force. Yet, once it’s here, people are ready to slip into Fall way ahead of schedule. The Autumn solstice does not occur until September 21…which means, quite simply, that there are three more weeks of Summer still to enjoy. Sure, the days are getting shorter, nights are getting cooler and afternoon shadows are longer. But, hey, Summer is Summer. You can plan ahead to Fall all you’d like but don’t miss the opportunity to enjoy the last days of Summer while they’re here. Three more weeks…that’s a lot of Summer fun left to be had. Now…how bout a picnic?

Naturally,

August 6, 2012

I wasn’t at  my local hardware store looking for inspiration, but  indeed, inspiration struck. Who knew that a $2 ball of gardening twine could become  a handsome vase “wrap”? Softer than I had imagined, the resulting fabric presented the great color of jute linen and the simple garter stitch…a beautiful  textural contrast to a simple glass cylinder. Secured with an additional length of the jute itself ( or maybe some tan leather lacing for fall ) you have a great seasonal receptacle for a bound hand full of blown garden roses or even an assortment of grasses and foliage. I’m thinking this could be a simplequietmodern answer to your next event or holiday centerpiece. Did someone say they were getting hitched?

Three Day Weekend

July 23, 2012

That’s what I need, a three-day weekend. At this cabin. Perfect. I’m not a fan of a steeply pitched roof, but somehow it works here, the simple comforting and welcoming shape of a Monopoly board game piece. A simple little summer house…with a surround of simple terraced decks and gravel paving. And, the genius touch of the storm shutters securing the doors and windows. Brilliant. I could grab a quilt and my pillow, throw  Buddy in the car and hit the road…well, soon. Gladly it’s still only July. There are many summer weekends left.

http://www.youaretheriver.com/search/label/design?updated-max=2012-03-29T09:34:00-07:00&max-results=20&start=20&by-date=false

Skipping Stones

July 17, 2012

Up North…Up State…The Shore. Where ever you find yourself week-ending this summer you are bound to come back to the house with a pocket full of beach finds. You can take those smooth beach pebbles or wave sanded bits of glass…add a bit of Habu Silk wrapped stainless and black linen…knit them all together while relaxing with a tall cool beverage on the porch listening to the softly lapping waves. In less than an hour you have created ” Skipping Stones”, a great summer necklace that you will wear well into the fall. Beats the gimp lanyard of your youth, doesn’t it?

http://www.ravelry.com/projects/gp4953/skipping-stones

to come up with a new spin on an icon of American design history…the log cabin. In my earliest recollections I have had on my wish list an”inspired” log cabin retreat…rustic yet with a modern turn. I never let my imagination run to this…simplequietmodern at it’s best. The fact that the “whole” has been broken into 2 living sections and that those are lined in one of my favorite materials, plywood, makes it even more perfect. It’s as if someone has been reading my mind.I can’t think of a better place to knock back some Champagne and take a deep relaxing breath.

http://www.busyboo.com/2009/09/24/prefab-house-flake/ 

 

 

 

 

 

Land of the free…

July 4, 2012

and the home of the classic 4th of July cook-out. I’m not a hot dog or sausage fan, but after having a “dog” at the Simply Good Kitchen in Birmingham, MI …made with one of their homemade fresh Polish Keilbasa…well, I had to change my mind. Presented in a beautifully browned poppy-seed bun with sauerkraut and their special horseradish mustard (or Chicago style)…well, I was hooked. If you happen to be in the Detroit area you’d do well to stop in and pick some up, knock out a bowl of potato salad and chill the watermelon. It’s that simple. And, as long as your fire is stoked, a giant toasted marshmallow  and some sparklers would be the perfect finishing touch to your 4th of July celebration.

 http://www.simplygoodkitchen.com/

https://simplequietmodern.wordpress.com/2012/03/10/you-say-potato/