Archive for April, 2011
Remembering Princess Diana
Posted by Irene Turner in Inspiration on April 27, 2011
On the eve of the royal wedding, I can’t help but reflect on the last one that caught my fancy and found millions of people around the world tuned in to watch Lady Diana Spencer marry the Prince of Wales, Charles. While I find myself enjoying bits and pieces of news about Prince William and Kate’s on again off again courtship and their wedding, it doesn’t seem to have the same draw the last one did. At least for me.
What was it about Diana that caused the world to open their hearts to shy Di? Continue reading “Remembering Princess Diana” »
Virgin America Terminal-SFO
Posted by Irene Turner in Architecture, Sustainability on April 26, 2011
The Virgin America Terminal, T2, in San Francisco’s international airport is a great example of thoughtful design that is beautiful in it’s simplicity and sustainability. I had the opportunity to pick up a friend there last week and I am now a BIG fan!
Here are some Very Virgin America Reasons to Love SFO’s Terminal 2 via 7X7 SF .
- Working travelers can log on at lap top work tables, plug-in stations and elevated work counters and enjoy free wireless throughout the terminal.
- There’s a Pinkberry
- It’s the first airport dining program in the country to recruit Slow Food vendors.
- It’s slated to be the first LEED Gold Certified airport terminal in the U.S.
- Similar to Virgin America’s signature cabin music, moodlighting, seating, and design, T2′s “Recompose” zone will create a stress-reducing oasis for travelers post-security
“The new T2 demonstrates that sustainability is achievable on many levels – from reusing construction debris to rethinking water usage to public education,” says San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. “Renovating SFO’s T2 toward LEED Gold brought all of this together. It is an incredible achievement, and we are proud, once again, to be taking the lead on sustainable innovation.”
Uniquely “Virgin” features in the airline’s T2 space are: Continue reading “Virgin America Terminal-SFO” »
The Many Celebrations of Easter
Posted by Irene Turner in Holidays on April 21, 2011
Many Easter traditions originated long before the beginning of the Christian era. Like Christmas, Easter is connected in many ways with pagan rituals that accompanied the arrival of spring. It is possible that the name “Easter” stemmed from that of Eostre.
Ostara is a name derived from the Germanic Goddess of springtime. Ostara, or Eostre was her name, and Eastre was her festival. The rabbit was a symbol of this Goddess, and eggs symbolized fertility and rebirth. Pagan’s used this day to welcome the arrival of spring by blessing their seeds and celebrating the renewal of life.
Ostara Bringing in Spring-via Hillary Hunt.com
Because of their prolific nature, rabbits have long been associated with fertility and its goddess, Ishtar. Ancient Babylonians believed in a fable about an egg that fell into the Euphrates River from heaven and from which Queen Astarte (another name for Ishtar or Semiramis, Queen of Babylon) was “hatched.” Continue reading “The Many Celebrations of Easter” »
Gaudi is Personal to Me
Posted by Irene Turner in Architecture, Art, Nature on April 19, 2011
Gaudi is personal to me…Growing up in Barcelona from age 7 to almost 10, I was fortunate to see how his work influenced the face of architecture in Barcelona. To this day I distinctly remember walking past these fantastical buildings daily, or visiting these famous landmarks with my family.
That's my mom and two sisters...I'm the oldest one in the back with the blonde bangs
Antoni Gaudi (1852-1926), is one of the greatest architectural figures of the late 19th,early 20th Century and particularly so in the history of Spanish, and Catalan, architecture. Seen as the genius of the Modernist movement (Art Nouveau), his work was not only innovative, but also very radical. Continue reading “Gaudi is Personal to Me” »
#1 Ladies Detective Agency-colorful on every level
Posted by Irene Turner in Color, Inspiration, Travel on April 14, 2011
LOVE the caption for the show "Never underestimate a woman's intuition"
I’m writing this blog post because of a casual comment by Pat Zahn left on my blog post about tea, she said: “Also reminds me of the book series, #1 Ladies Detective Agency; I got into Red Bush tea because of that series – the ritual of the tea permeates the stories.” OMG, how could I have forgotten about these fabulous, fabulous, fabulous books and HBO TV series? (see…inspiration CAN come from everywhere!)
What does this have to do with Little Bit’s of Beauty ™ you ask? Well, in an era of violence, crudeness and utter banality on TV, this show is beautiful in it’s simplicity! I LOVE the cadence of the speech of all the characters. The slow simple lifestyle depicted is beautiful, the characters are funny, irreverent and downright human…plus the colors and patterns used in the show’s homes, dress, and artwork used for the intro to the show are all stunning and inspiring to me as a designer! Continue reading “#1 Ladies Detective Agency-colorful on every level” »
-
You are currently browsing the archives for April, 2011
THINKING OF UPDATING OR RENOVATING YOUR HOME? This FREE downloadable report reveals
The 5 KEYS
to hiring the perfect Interior Designer to help you!
We respect your privacy and will never share your information! Irene Turner
Connect with Irene
Stay up to date with us
