Lovely Aged & Shabby Guest Post By Joanna of Design Shuffle

Hi Everyone,  I'm so excited about this post.  Joanna, a writer for Design Shuffle, an online portal for interior designers to show their portfolios, is here to show us a post she created, Lovely Aged and Shabby based on my personal design style.  So, grab a cup of your favorite beverage, find a comfortable chair and sit back and enjoy the show!

Hi! I'm Joanna, a writer for Design Shuffle, an online portal for interior designers to show their portfolios and for design enthusiasts to view. I love my work! I get to spend my days online searching for the most beautiful decorating images and ideas. I get to share them with blog readers like you. Today, I bring you some of the loveliest spaces with aged and shabby dÈcor. I hope you enjoy and get some interior design inspiration of your rooms.

By far one of my favorite aged decors, this space is so quaint and serene. In particular, I love the charming chandelier.
 The patinaed walls and herringbone floors of this European living room give character to the space. The lighting fixtures are stunning!
The aged stone floors and rough hewn wood accents of this passageway imbue it with a sense of history.
 
Shabby chic furnishings are quite at home in this lovely eat-in kitchen. Wouldn't it be such as charming place to sit for a cup of tea?
 A beautiful and elegant dining room has its own touches of aged decoróthe iron garden table and chairs and various architectural elements. Does this space inspire any decorating ideas for you?
This sleeping porch is so very inviting with its aged architecture and sumptuous textiles. Can you just imagine taking an afternoon siesta here?
 A French country space is inviting with its rustic chairs and harvest table. The bare windows bring nature indoors.
 One of the smallest kitchen designs I've seen is tucked away behind folding doors. A tiny kitchen in this Italian apartment is adorable and a bit rustic. The weathered paint and stone wall add to its aged appearance. I love it! Images 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 Which inspiration is your favorite? Be sure to check out Design Shuffle where you'll find a great assortment of design inspiration here!

Please feel free to include your favorite inspiration in your comments :)

Thank you so much Joanna!

Simone of Fleaning France, one of my favorite blogs, is having a wonderful giveaway to celebrate the opening of her new online shop on June 20, 2012.  Her giveaway is fantastic and you won't want to miss it.  You can enter her giveaway   (HERE).  You won't want to miss this!



Now, for a bit of Eye Candy....Enjoy!

Images from left to right via the following:  Inspirationlane.tumbir.com, zsazsabelagio.blogspot.com, 1dropofjupitor, inspirationlane.tumbir.com via ~ 53.amazonaws.com,zsazsabellagio.blogspot.com,coffee-island.tumbir.com, inspirationlane.tumbir.com, zsazsabellagio.blogspot.com, inspirationlane.tumbir.com ~ pinterest

Stay tuned...for a guest post by Design Shuffle, an interior design social media website who is going to create a post based on my favorite design styles of French and Farmhouse Chic. She calls it Lovely Aged and Shabby.  Should be interesting!

The Plight Of The Poor

image via google ~revnadinedraytonkeen.wordpress.com

I try not to mention the word "politics" anymore, it seems to invoke a firestorm depending on party views.  But, it's been on my mind lately and I wanted to express my opinion on the fact that in this country, the wealthiest nation on earth, there are literally millions of people who are desperately poor and struggling daily to survive.  When I think about the number of people who have lost their jobs, homes and savings, who have lived by all the rules, paid their taxes, saved for retirement, helped the needy and suddenly find themselves in a position of a needed "hand up" only to be told they aren't "poor enough" or they aren't "trying hard enough," I am so saddened that our national discourse has become so polarized that no meaningful assistance is forthcoming.

It seems to me that collectively we have lost our perspective and insight on what is important.  I don't begrudge anyone who has worked hard and has "made it to the top," on the contrary, I am very happy for them.  But, when I see the people who have been blessed turn a blind eye and refuse to share in their good fortune with people who, through no fault of their own are less fortunate, I become upset. Overall, it appears that national sentiment is currently focused on reducing governmental assistance to the poor.  Corporations and the wealthiest among us feel that they are currently paying too much so where will the needed help come from?

Men and women of a "certain age" often become the target of cutbacks partially because they have become more expensive and, in today's economy with a surplus labor pool, much cheaper younger labor can be used to replace them. This causes older people to have to take early retirements with reduced benefits which normally does not include any health care, often forcing them to choose between food or medicine. The working poor, and more importantly perhaps, their children, are deprived of security, good nutrition, adequate shelter and educational opportunities. All of this weakens the social fabric and threatens the future of our country in many ways.

The free market advocates who currently dominate the public conversation and are influencing the course of government say people should pull themselves up by their bootstraps (even though a great majority of these folks were handed their fortunes by their ancestors) but it is impossible to do this when you don't have any boots!

When I go to bed and after I say my prayers, I often ask God what he must be thinking when he looks down upon us and sees the sadness and desperation in so many of the eyes of his children and I have to think that he struggles too in trying to understand how selfishness, greed and apathy have become the new reality on how we live our lives.

I was hungry and you gave me no meal,

I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,

I was homeless and you gave me no bed,

I was shivering and you gave me no clothes,

Sick and in prison, and you never visited.

~ quote from revnadinedraytonkeen.wordpress.com

Things That Make Me Want To Go Humm...

Image via http://naturespathphotography.com/Flowers/BlueSummer.html

I was just sitting here thinking about a few of the little things that I see that cause me to wonder why?  You know, those pesky little things that you see that can cause you to pause, reflect and wonder what is going on.

Like...when leaving a comment on a blog that has one of those codes that you are supposed to type in to prove you aren't a robot.  I must be the only person on the planet who has to try three times before I get it right.  I wondered who came up with the idea and for what purpose?

Or....While at the gym (using my peripheral vision) I see people getting on a treadmill right next to me, some with socks and no shoes on and some without any socks or shoes on proceed to  run or walk on it?  Whatever are they thinking?  Doesn't that hurt their feet? Aren't they afraid if they are running barefoot that they will fall or hurt the bottoms of their feet?

Or how about...the mystery sales ladies who appear when you first enter the store, ask if you are being helped, need help or are looking for anything special?   When you tell them you are just looking, they smile and tell you to let them know when you need something and when you finally figure out you can use some help, they mysteriously disappear and you can't find anyone around.(This happens all the time)

How about when you have an appointment, you arrive on time, sign in and look up to see people who arrived after you called as next in line after you have been sitting there 45 minutes later?

How about you...what quirky things make you go humm?

Collages and Pic Monkey

Yesterday, Libby of An Eye For Detail (HERE) wrote a wonderful post on how to make a collage via PicMonkey, a great website that you can make collages on and it's free! You can visit here (HERE)  Here is a sample of my first collage.  I have been wanting to make a collage of my favorite things for a long time now and didn't know how to go about it.  Thank you so much Libby!

Images via ~ inspirationlane.tumbir.com

Isn't this cool!  I'm so excited.  Just think of the beautiful collages you can create from Pinterest, Tumbir, or your own photos.  The list is endless!

Have you tried Pic Monkey and if you have how do you like it?

Inspiration

How about a little inspiration...to start the creative juices spinning.

Image via  inspirationlane.tumbir.com~ whiteandshabbychair.com/

Image via inspirationallane.tumbir.com ~ serendipitousromance.tumbir.com

Image via inspirationlane.tumbir.com ~ bellafayegarden.tumbir.com

image via inspirationlane.tumbir.com ~ shabbychicgirls.blogspot.com

image via inspirationlane.tumbir.com ~ zsazsabellagio.blogspot.com

image via ~ inspirationland.tumbir.com ~flickr.com

Image via inspirationlane.tumbir.com ~ atelierdesours.canalblog.com

Image via inspirationlane.timbir.com ~Etsy.com

Image via Pinterest ~ domythicbliss.blogspot.com

Image via inspirationlane.tumbir.com ~ musicforthemorningafter

I hope these images of inspiration bring you a bit of lovely to your creative mind. Where do you get your inspiration?

Memorial Day

While enjoying picnics with family and friends this Memorial Day weekend, let us all reflect and give thanks to all the men and women veterans, past and present, who have served our country valiantly and with honor.

Image via Pinterest ~ webhosting.web.com