Tracy Porter Blog… be inspired!

xoxo,
Tracy

* Chocolate and Zucchini by Clotilde Dusoulier…… A young and lovely Parisian foodie that will charm your pants off – and make you want to hop the next plane. Great recipes… gorgeous photos… small enough to toss into your bag for a plane ride… Mouthwatering, inspiring, and simply lovely!

* The Goddess Guide by Gisele Scanlon…… My take? A unique & luscious little gem that will make you want to nestle in with a big cup of tea and a notebook… frivolous, profound… stylish… Start dreaming, this one will make you wild!

* Luxe City Guides…… Stylish, brutally frank… and top to bottom fabulous. Even if you don’t plan on traveling, these are just too insanely fabulous to miss. Twelve outstanding mini fold out guides that come in a sexy keeper’s box will take you from Hong Kong to Dubai, New York to Madrid. You feel like you’ve joined a secret club that’s really in the know! I received this set as a gift… My mission now? Get to every one of these destinations!!

* The Art of Being a Woman by Veronique Vienne…… In her words (and don’t you love her for it?!): “It takes a great woman to spot greatness in another woman!” This is a magnificent little jewel to give to a girlfriend or to keep for yourself… Release your insecurities, count your blessings… and get this book!

* Country Houses of England by Barbara Stoeltie…… Warm, inviting homes that feel truly lived-in (my favorite kind). Nothing overly “decorated”… more collected-over-time feeling… imperfection in its finest hour. Be prepared to go antiquing after this read!

* Sing REALLY LOUD, but only in the car? (BTW, I recently ran across a great CD called Happenstance by Rachel Yamagata… We’ve got this one on repeat right now!)

* Keep a standing date night with your hubby? John & I do this almost every week… We literally plan it right into our schedules. It brings us calm & balance amidst all the lovely chaos… (Mind you, it’s also a great reason to get glammed up during the week!!)

* Tuck a hand-made card into his suitcase for him to find when he’s traveling? Or leave love notes strewn about his favorite haunts, before you leave on a long trip??

* Hang a sumptuous mirror in your favorite room… and then stare at its reflection, imagining how grand it would be if the room layout were reversed – or doubled in scale – for a day?? (I’ve honestly done this… a bit Alice in Wonderland of me, I know……)

* Tell your parents (or children) that you love them? Every day?

* Squish your toes into cool, wet sand? (Pretty much doing anything without socks is fabulous in my book!)

* Eat grocery store birthday cake & ice cream – even when it’s not your birthday?

* Plan a weekend brunch with your grandparents?

* TiVo Oprah so you can watch her early in the morning?

* Send your mom or sister a little goodie “just because”? (It’s always nice to be remembered throughout the year… not just holidays & birthdays!)

* Keep framed photos of your loved ones at work? Even unframed will do, to keep them close to your heart! If your desk is rather petite, try a small ribbon memo board instead. These are great so you can add & subtract new photos and other bits of inspiration on a whim… Of course, as you know, we’re big on the galvanized steel and magnets gig here at the studio!!

* Encourage your kids to catch fireflies in mason jars? (Ahhh… summer can’t get here fast enough!!)

* Get lost in a local bookstore?

* Plan your April Fool’s gags weeks in advance? (Maybe it’s just us.)

* Have an impromptu picnic lunch for two in the middle of the week?

* Wear cocktail rings to type? You’ll often catch me raiding the jewelry bin here at the studio if I forget to wear one to work… No lie!!

* Find a beautiful frame, old or new, and have a piece of mirror glass dropped in… For a few dollars more, you can have them bevel the edges for a more classic feel!

* Embellish an existing mirror with old costume jewels, millinery flowers, seashells, mosaic tiles, or lengths of ribbon for a more hand-touched look.

* Rather than a grouping of wall art, try a gallery of mirrors in different shapes, sizes, and finishes to create the illusion of a larger space.

* Dress up any mirror with touches of hand-painting (or a beautifully stenciled pattern) on the wall around it… What a wonderfully inexpensive way to add scale and drama!

* Line the back of a hutch or bookshelf with mirrored glass… Or lean several smaller mirrors behind a stack of books for more casual, unexpected sparkle.

* Consider putting a mirror where you normally wouldn’t… in a kitchen, on a door… even on your table! Sprinkle with tea light votives, and voila… Instant centerpiece!

xoxo,
Tracy

p.s. A side note about our walls… Mind you, they can get a little “Beautiful Mind” every now and again… but it just means exciting new things are headed your way!! We just needed more and more space to put up all of our new artwork, fabric swatches, tearsheets, etc… If it’s out of sight, it’s out of mind, and we simply cannot forget about anything new and juicy! Not to mention we were tired of bloodying our fingertips, cramming pushpins into wood and drywall…Just not efficient! So, we covered many of our walls in galvanized sheet metal. (You can get this from any heating & cooling supplier… just have them cut the steel to size and fold over the edges… then screw it into place. Voila!) I’m so in love with this solution that we’ve even covered several walls in our pantry, craft room, and kids playroom at home… We found a really great resource for super strong magnets – I literally cannot imagine how we functioned without them before!

So, these bookshelves! Rough hewn cedar, gobs of old books (John collects the works of Elbert Hubbard, one of the influential architects of the arts & crafts movement… I love them here in the mix), and other little tchotchkes tossed in here and there… I love that they’re all a little haphazard and disheveled looking… heart-warming and inspiring… Such a perfect way to dress up a hallway or a mudroom… and gain added storage space to boot! I am so enamored with this look… I definitely need to find a few more nooks that I can transform in my home!