From the category archives:

decorating

Among the many blogs I read, there are quite a few interior decorating blogs. And the one I find myself popping by most often is without a doubt From The Right Bank. I had the pleasure of meeting and hanging out with Ally when she came to Zurich with her husband recently, and I was happy to find that she is just as genuine and fun as she sounds on her blog. She is really creative, and her eclectic taste shows off in her blog and functions as inspiration for all her readers.

A recent addition to all the cool things you can find on Ally’s blog, is the third edition of her “What’s your Style In One Picture” Challenge, where she asks participants to post one picture and one only that summarizes their decòr style.

I am still in the process of decorating and furnishing our new apartment, so my mind is full of ideas – overflowing with them, really. And yet today none of the lovely interiors I looked at spoke to me. Then I ran across this picture, and I knew this was it.

Picture credit: Veranda

A long table, with comfortable chairs and plenty of space for lots of friends and lots of delicious food, in a simple but gorgeous space outside, to enjoy the fresh air and the lovely summer weather. What’s better than eating al fresco, laughing and chatting and sharing simple pleasures with friends and family? I grew up doing just that, and I loved it, and I miss it. Indoor dinner parties make me neurotic and anxious, but there’s something about eating outside that just makes me happy, and relaxed, and just ready to take it all in and enjoy.

And the fact that when I look out the window right now I see a grey, cloudy sky and lots of rain pouring down… it all makes this picture seem like sheer perfection.

How about you? What’s your style in one picture?

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Yes, another Alice in Wonderland post. It’s an obsession, I’m telling you. And it has only just begun. Just you wait until I have finished reading the book to the girls, and seen the new movie. But I must first school my disciples.

So today my daughters and I finally watched Alice in Wonderland (the cartoon) together. And now I can’t get the Un-Birthday song out of my head. And I’m thinking how lovely it would be to have a tea party. Invite moms with little girls, get all dressed up, set the table with a pretty tablecloth and flowers, and serve finger sandwiches and cupcakes, and drink out of gorgeous teacups.

Never mind the fact that I am totally neurotic and I am a nervous wreck every time I have guests, making it very difficult to enjoy myself in my efforts to be a gracious, efficient and just all-around perfect hostess. Never mind I don’t know that many moms with daughters here, and I don’t own the kind of lovely vintage clothes that would be perfect for the occasion, nor do I own a beautiful classic tea set (but coffee mugs in all the colors of the rainbow? Check.)

Still, it’s kind of nice to imagine it.

Me and the girls dressed in pretty, kind of old-fashioned outfits. Like a dress-up game, but with real stuff. Cute, over-the-top girly stuff.

A table set with a cheerful tablecloth, a beautiful tea set, and a miniature tea set for the youngest guests.

Platters of miniature tartes, finger sandwiches and cupcakes.

The girls playing on the grass afterwards, in their pretty dresses.

And hey, if I ever decided to stop being a chicken and just do it, it’s not like I didn’t find a gazillion books on the subject when I searched on Amazon.

There may be snow on the ground, but I have something more to look forward to, when spring comes. Or the possibility, at least. That’s already something.

Photo credits: 1. Betsey Johnson, 2. Neiman Marcus, 3. Martha Stewart Living, 4. & 5. Country Living, 6. Exodus Photography.

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Copyright Elisa Bieg, 2008-2009.