Posts Tagged Irene Turner at Home
Sand Mandalas as Art-via Santa Rosa Interior Design
Posted by Irene Turner in Art on September 3, 2010
In keeping with the SLOW trend I recently saw a facebook post on Joe Mangrum, a New York artist and alumnus of the Art Institute of Chicago. He has created a Kick Start program to raise money to bring his temporary street installations of sand mandalas (a slow and patient art form ) to a wider audience through large scale photography. Since his mandala installations are large, this seems only logical to me. With his kickstart program he hopes to raise $8,450 to purchase a wide angle lens and printer that will allow him to blow his images up in fine detail to the size of a bill board! I say, go Joe. His sand art is stunningly beautiful and while I appreciate the “impermanence” reference to life in sand art, I would love to be able to study these intricate, colorful and simply beautiful shapes over a period of time. Being able to take photographs of his work would allow this to happen.
Because of my yoga background and meditation practice I have always had a fascination with mandalas, and the sand mandalas often found at the entry of sacred places around the world, in particular. The word “mandala” is from the classical Indian language of Sanskrit. Loosely translated to mean “circle,” a mandala is far more than a simple shape. It represents wholeness, and can be seen as a model for the organizational structure of life itself–a cosmic diagram that reminds us of our relation to the infinite, the world that extends both beyond and within our bodies and minds.
The mandala pattern is used in many religious traditions. Hildegard von Bingen, a Christian nun in the 12th century, created many beautiful mandalas to express her visions and beliefs. In the Americas, Indians have created medicine wheels and sand mandalas. Tibetan Monks often create mandalas that are highly intricate illustrations of religious significance, and that are used for meditation. Both Navajo Indians and Tibetan monks create sand mandalas to demonstrate the impermanence of life.
In ancient Tibet, as part of a spiritual practice, monks created their mandalas with colored sand made of crushed semiprecious stones. The tradition continues to this day as the monks travel to different cultures around the world to create sand mandalas and educate people about the culture of Tibet.
The creation of a sand mandala requires many hours and days to complete. Each mandala contains many symbols that must be perfectly reproduced each time the mandala is created. When finished, the monks gather in a colorful ceremony, chanting in deep tones as they sweep their mandala into a jar and empty it into a nearby body of water as a blessing. This action also symbolizes the cycle of life. Joe’s sand art mandalas are both spiritual and psychedelic at the same time. I invite you to take a look at a speed film of just one of his installations. The patience, time and artistry that goes into each and every one is mind blowing. They are definitely Little Bits of Beauty™
…check out his kickstarter program and perhaps help him to bring his art to a new form!
The video below is short and definitely worth the watch…go Joe!
Preserving Napa Valley’s Barns-via Santa Rosa Interior Design
Posted by Irene Turner in Architecture on August 31, 2010
The Beauty of Wood in the state of pleasing decay is one of Natures special masterpieces. Often a plain board from a barn is so remarkable in it’s composition-grains and knots and shades of weathered gray–That it could be framed and hung just as any modern painting is. And the old barn, growing moss and lichens, crumbling into decay, can be more a work of art than a new building. It is all in ones manner of thinking. Eric Sloane, An Age of Barns
What a fabulous week end we had here in Northern California’s wine country…and as an extra special event the Preservation Napa Valley Organization held their yearly Barn tour to raise money to help preserve these beautiful barns. It was a great way to spend a slow Sunday relaxing. The sun was out, the sky was blue, the food was delicious, the people were enjoying themselves and the barns were fabulous! Thanks to Napa Valley Life Magazine for informing me of this great event.
The Barns on the tour
- Raven Barn at Adastra Vineyards is a beautiful steel grey-blue, and is surrounded by gardens, an old water tank house, a farmhouse, a granary and a variety of other neat, old farm buildings. This barn was the hub of the event highlighting music by the Cobb Stompers, fabulous Slow Food, and info tables. Adastra is known for its outstanding small production, organic wine.
- Henry Ranch, a very special place, was long ago a fully functioning dairy ranch, replete with roaming pigs, calves, working horses, stacked loose hay, chickens and more. It is also the long time home of Herbie Henry, the last family member of the Henrys who originally purchased this property in 1850. The ranch was purchased by V. Sattui Winery in 1993 and is now their vineyard management base.
- Peters Barn at Vine Village is but one part of Napa’s best kept secret: Vine Village. In 1972 George and Grace Kerson purchased this property to create a non-profit organization who’s goal is to ‘provide people with special needs the same quality of life through innovative vocational, residential and creative arts opportunities. It is a happy, beautiful and inspiring place to visit!
- Sciligo Barn is the largest barn in the Carneros region. The Sciligo Barn was once home to a dairy farm housing a large herd of milk cows. The property was once part of Salvador Vallejo’s 3000 acre Rancho de Napa (one of 10+ Mexican land grants in Napa) before Italian Antone Joseph Sciligo bought it. The 1880 Napa census lists Sciligo’s profession as “dairyman.” A sturdy redwood barn and the fire-scorched, stone remnants of two 135 year old house foundations are the remainders of the pioneers who first settled this property in northern Carneros.
All in all it was a great day. And…part of my program to take beauty breaks and slow down long enough to enjoy them!
What do you do to slow down and enjoy the beauty around you? I invite you to share your secrets in the comment section below!
It’s definitely a Little Bit of Beauty™, both that a community would come together to preserve these barns, and the barns themselves…enjoy the tour!
A Beautiful Bodega Bay Beach Break!-via Santa Rosa Design
Posted by Irene Turner in Inspiration, Nature, Personal Style & Well being on August 26, 2010
Running, running, running. It’s what I’ve been doing lately. So Monday, when I was out in Bodega Bay for a couple of meetings I found myself thinking…I need a break. Sitting in my car I thought, go home and write, or seize the moment and take that break. Break it was.
We finally got our summer on the Sonoma coastline…it was 80 degrees, the sun was out, the water was blue, as was the sky. It was one of those miraculous days. I drove slowly along the coast, stopping at some of my favorite haunts and simply sitting or walking along for a bit. There were birds everywhere. It’s no accident that Hitchcock filmed the movie “The Birds” here. The sea lions were basking in the sun on their favorite rock, their incessant barking sounding like a group of harpy women at a coffee clutch. And best of all, the whales came close to shore to dance and play with us mere mortals! There were at least 10 of them. Two of which looked like babies, swimming and cavorting up and back again. Birds and Sea Lions and Whales…Oh My!
I was in 7th heaven. I moved here to slow down and get off that fast pace treadmill. Sometimes I forget and get caught up in the speed of daily life. But living where I do, I am quickly reminded that I can choose to stop…and smell the roses. Beauty does that for me. I need my Beauty Breaks!
Taking the time to savor the simple beauty within our own environment, the nature around us…beauty that we often no longer see in the repetitiveness of everyday life is refreshing, uplifting and helps us to slow down and savor simple pleasures. It is a well-known fact that beauty uplifts people. If we surround ourselves with beauty…Nature, good food, good wine, friends and family, gratitude, music, and other various expressions of the sweetness of life, we ennoble ourselves as well as our environment.
What do you do to slow down? What beauty is around you that can uplift your day and your spirit? Leave a comment and let me know.
In the meantime, come take a walk with me along our beautiful coastline, here in Bodega Bay.
Anusara Yoga-a movie review
Posted by Irene Turner in Inspiration, Personal Style & Well being on August 23, 2010
Anusara (a-nu-sar-a), means “flowing with Grace,” “flowing with Nature,” “following your heart.”
I recently experienced a movie at the Sausalito Film Festival. I say experienced because that’s what it was for me…A true experience. It began with a jam packed 1 1/2 hour Anusara Yoga class lead by the divine Ms. Laura Christensen who brought an additional excitement and awareness to the event with a practical application first. Then…the launch of the film which brought in even more people. All this was held in the magnificent setting of the BEAUTIFUL Mission Bay Church at Fort Baker and Cavallo Point and was filled with so many wonderful people and great energy that it was truly a wonderful and complete experience.
Written, directed and produced by Saraswati Clere, Anusara Yoga, the Heart of Transformation is an uplifting look at real transformation…that which happens in the heart. Ms. Clere knows what she speaks of…she is a life long yoga student and the owner of YogaKula, a studio in Berkeley and San Francisco. I call it a studio as it is much more then what we traditionally think of as yoga class. Yogakula is dedicated to helping people live healthier and more fulfilling lives. Believing in an integrated approach to overall well being, YogaKula offers yoga, pilates, holistic health treatments and workshops. And, of course they offer classes and trainings in the Anusara Yoga style. YogaKula is definitely a holistic approach to health and exercise, appealing to the mind, body and spirit all at once.
Anusara Yoga was founded by John Friend in 1997. While only 13 years old it is one of the most highly respected and fastest growing schools of hatha yoga in North America with an expanding presence in the UK, Europe, Japan, and Australia. It has three basic tenents:
- Tantric Vision-with it’s philosophy of auspiciousness and goodness…a yogic approach to daily life in the world
- Universal Principles of Alignment-a guide to channeling our energy to be more life enhancing and life affirming
- Community-with the feeling of family and support that extends way beyond the mat
I’ve been practicing yoga since 1989, and while I and my body know that I thrive when my practice is strong I could never tell you why. Anusara Yoga, the Heart of Transformation, was not only a visually beautiful movie, but incredibly informative as to the benefits of yoga on all levels, and…inspiring to all of us who saw it, even those who do not currently practice yoga. I’ve had the great good fortune to have taken Anusara yoga classes taught by John Friend and can personally tell you, that for me it:
- helps me to slow down
- strengthens my body
- focuses my mind
- makes me more flexible
- more balanced
- increases my feeling of inner peace
- expands my understanding of a yogic approach to life
- and it’s beautiful
Personally, yoga is the core of my exercise program, and also my meditative practice. It is what carries me through life. It is what helps me to be in harmony and slow down. In fact, I’d say it teaches me how to be comfortable with slowness. Yoga retrains my body and mind and helps me shift into a lower gear. It cultivates an inner calm that I take with me into the more hectic moments of the day . One of the key benefits of decelerating is that it gives me the time and tranquility to look inside myself, to listen to my heart, and to get in touch with my soul.
For those of you who want to know more about yoga, whether you practice or not…or want to find a way to explain to your friends and family why you love it so…I highly recommend this movie! You can purchase it through the YogaKula website.
Since the release of this moving film, Ms. Clere is working on another movie, one that talks about women from all walks of life and their experience of transformation through or with yoga. I can’t wait to see it…Kudos and cheers to Ms. Clere and her dedication to helping people transform!
It’s definitely a Little Bit of Beauty™!
What do you do to help you slow down? I’d love to know…
Slow Home: a Conversation via Irene Turner at Home & Napa Valley Life Magazine
Posted by Irene Turner in Architecture, Home, Personal Style & Well being, Sustainability on August 17, 2010
Today I had a great time speaking with Kari Ruel, publisher of Napa Valley Life Magazine and Kellie Fuller from Kellie In The Morning at 99.3 The Vine and 1440 KVON, on their Sustainable Life segment. The subject…Slow Home! You can listen to the show (only about 10 minutes) down at the bottom of the blog…in the meantime, this post includes all the information…and more! I’d love your comments on what YOU do in your home to sustain and balance your life…Enjoy!
Sloooooowwwww Hooooommme…think about it.
Don’t you just want to stop a minute, close your eyes and breath? That’s the essence of a Slow Home.
Slow Home is about
- Simplifying
- Slowing down
- And Sustaining your life
What better place to do that then at home? As our lives continue to speed up… communication zipping around the world in a matter of seconds and an overload of information coming at us from all directions…we have lost track of a way of life that connects us to ourselves, each other, our community and our world at large. The speed at which we live is fact…it is not going away, if anything it will continue to increase.
A Slow Home (also an architecture firm in Calgary Canada who is studying housing plans to help define and design a well thought out home….they have defined this movement best to date)…it’s the opposite of our cultures fast pace mindset. It’s what we call a house that is simple to live in, light on the environment and of course…BEAUTIFUL. A Slow Home is designed to support and reflect the personal lives of all the people who live there. It is a landing pad, a place to unplug from the world at large, re-charge your batteries physically, mentally, emotionally…and surround yourself with beauty that uplifts your spirit…all in a way that’s personal to you!
This Slow Home movement is a springboard off of Slow Food, which arose as a reaction to the processed food industry. Whether it’s in food, travel, parenting or urban/residential design, slowing down is much needed to help maintain balance in our lives. Living in the Slow Food Capital of the USA, and being an interior designer, I’ve taken it on as a personal mission to find out and consolidate information on this cutting edge trend that is taking the design world by storm!
Slow Home is a reaction to the sprawl of cookie cutter housing that surrounds us, and like fast food is to fresh, organic and sustainable food…a standardized, homogenous house is to a simpler, sustainable and more intimate home.
The difference between our urban sprawl and a Slow Home is not defined by style, size, age, type or cost but by the quality and intent of the underlying design. It is not formulaic, but rather very personal. It’s about:
- The space as a whole, seamlessly supporting the daily lives of the people living in it
- How efficiently the space is organized and flows
- How effectively each individual room functions.
- The overall simplicity of beauty and design
- A sustainable and healthy environment
- Supporting community through the use of local materials and product wherever possible
The idea is to reduce, re-use, re-purpose and recycle. This isn’t a new concept; it’s just that in our new economy we’ve become more aware of this…again. People downsizing, rightsizing, and simplifying.
What can you do to begin to create a Slow Home right now, right where you are?
- Re-Purpose-donate, give away, have a garage sale for all the things you no longer use or need.
- Re-Cycle: declutter and get rid of all the old paperwork and broken objects , turning them into something productive.
- Re-Fresh: paint your home…color as paint is the least expensive way to re-fresh the look and feel of a space.
- Re-Energize: move your furniture around. Things that never move are stagnant and create stagnant energy. By simply moving things and cleaning out, energy will be able to move freely again.
- Re-Integrate: move into your space as if it was brand new. Look at it without putting traditional names to the space. Perhaps you could re-purpose a room. For example could the formal dining room you never use better serve you and your family as a library, office or craft room?
- Re-do: it is more sustainable to renovate your existing home, making it more user friendly for you and your family then to sell and buy new. Even in the current housing market there are certain trends that are emerging that will add value to your home plus beauty and emotional satisfaction to your everyday life!
What will you do to create your Slow Home?
You can listen to the show through the link below…Cheers!
SustainableLife081710IreneTurner
Is it Technology, Energy or our Mind?-via Energetics of Space™
Posted by Irene Turner in Inspiration, Product on August 12, 2010
I have always been fascinated by the unseen and the interaction between our mind, our body and our physical world. It’s why I’ve created a system I call Energetics of Space™ (or ESp), my theory that everything is interconnected and interacts through energy, even design.
Recently I read about two technological designs that seem to verify my thoughts…one is coming out soon, and the second one is currently on the market. These completely captivate me and seem to be further evidence of the interaction between all energy, whether physical or not.
The first one is a 3-D sensing device called the PrimeSensor™ which will be available this November via the X-box 360. I first read about this in Fast Company a couple of weeks ago…This technology will soon be found everywhere from hospitals to cars.
The PrimeSensor™ Reference Design is a box that is able to perceive the world in three dimensions and to translate these perceptions into commands that can control TV’s, computers, cars etc. The solution includes a sensor component, which observes the scene ( us users and our surroundings), and a perception component, or brain, which comprehends the user interaction within these surroundings. Imagine this scene, as described by Giovanni Calabro in his article for Fast Company Design entitled “Gesture-Sensing Tech Will Soon Change Our Everyday Lives”.
After a long day at work I walk out to my car; it recognizes me and opens without a key. After I sit in my car, my height and weight are registered and the airbags adjust accordingly for safe deployment. After driving a while I start to nod off. The movement of my head is registered and Michael McDonald’s “What a Fool Believes” plays full blast to wake me. When I arrive at home, I stand in front of my entertainment system and gesture to initiate interaction. It recognizes my face and pulls up my contacts rather than my wife’s. Using just my hands, I flip through my contacts, select one, and begin video conferencing with him.
Take a look!…
The second product which is currently on the market is called the mind lamp™, a new ambient LED lamp that looks a bit like a re-designed lava lamp and moves between deep hues of white, red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, purple, and magenta. Being a color addict you can imagine that this just gets my YaYa’s going! AND…perhaps the most interesting feature of the Mind Lamp™, is that several research bodies have found significant evidence that the human mind can have an organizing effect on random systems. In other words, evidence suggests that the Mind Lamp™ can be influenced by consciousness – our subjective thoughts, moods, and intention. The ultimate mood ring…YES [fist pump]!
Take a look at this…
So, what do you think? Like? Not Like? Do you believe that energy can interact this way? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below…
Slow Food Movement
Posted by Irene Turner in Sustainability, Taste on August 3, 2010
As our lives continue to speed up… communication zipping around the world in a matter of seconds and an overload of information coming at us from all directions…we have lost track of a way of life that connects us to each other and our communities. The Slow Movement is a global and cultural shift toward slowing down life’s pace at a personal and local level.
The Slow Movement began in Italy with Carlo Petrini’s protest against the opening of a McDonald’s restaurant in Piazza di Spagna, Rome that sparked the creation of Slow Food and the Slow Food organization. Over time, this developed into a subculture in other areas, such as Slow Money, Slow Travel, Slow Shopping, Slow Parenting and now Slow Home which is creating the Slow Movement. And it all began with…Slow Food.
Slow Food is an idea, a way of living and a way of eating. It is a global, grassroots movement with thousands of members around the world that links the pleasure of food with a commitment to community and the environment. It’s goal, to counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world. To do that, Slow Food brings together pleasure and responsibility, and makes them inseparable.
Technological advances have meant that the way we work and live is different from the way we used to. We often spend time isolated in our own world and are less involved with others, therefore less connected in general. Slow Food aims to address the issue of ‘time poverty’ through making connections with:
- our community
- our family
- our food
- our food source
- our selves
The video below is a great look into Slow Food from Southwest Florida
I am lucky enough to live in the Slow Food Capital of the US…San Francisco’s Bay area, thanks to Alice Waters, well know food activist, pioneer of California cuisine and owner of Chez Panisse restaurant in Berkeley (listed as one of the 50 best restaurants world wide)! The closest Slow Food chapter to me is Russian River …One of the best things about living here is the appreciation for, the recognition of and the abundance of fresh local produce. It is my pleasure to be able to go to our local farmers market on Sunday mornings…wander the stalls for yummy treats for our meals, run into friends and spend a leisurely morning slowing down. This Slow Movement is what keeps my life in balance, and is a nice break from my daily instant access to the world at large through my computer and the daily juggle of my to do list!
Catch a glimpse and enjoy the view of a slow Sunday spent enjoying the beautiful and delicious treats from my local community.
In what way do you slow down in your life? I’d love to know. Share it with me here by leaving a comment.
Cheers!
The Chapel at Sea Ranch-via Santa Rosa Interior Design
Posted by Irene Turner in Architecture on July 15, 2010
Have you ever been to a space that is truly spiritual in feel and nature? When I first moved to California in 2001, I did a lot of trekking along the coast to acclimate myself to my new home. Having always loved design I had heard of Sea Ranch, a planned community known for it’s distinctive architecture, and decided to visit. What I didn’t expect to find and was completely delighted with was the Sea Ranch Chapel.
Sea Ranch Chapel is a non-denominational sanctuary for prayer, meditation, and spiritual renewal. The Chapel was a gift from Robert and Betty Buffum, who envisioned this meditative spot and created it from inception through execution with the help of James T. Hubbell, the architect. It was their hope that all who enter will find a measure of peace in the blending of art and purpose amid surroundings of beauty and inspiration.
The roof gives a sense of a sweeping and lifting movement. Its structure is inspired by winged forms, yet can be read in a number of different ways. I’ve heard it describe as evocative of the oceans waves, a bird in flight, a mushroom, a ladies hat and a ladies sweeping skirt!
Panorama of the chapel interior courtesy of Ian Wright Photography
The materials used range from the cedar roof accented with copper and bronze, to teak doors and redwood throughout. Hubbell, who is from San Diego assembled a local team of craftsman, sculptors and landscapers to realize his vision…one that evokes a sense of harmony with its surroundings by echoing elements of the forest, meadow, and sky.
The Chapel is dedicated to the memory of Kirk Ditzler, a young artist, aviator, and zoologist who believed that art is the intermediary between the physical and the spiritual. Ditzler’s drawings influenced the design, and the soaring lines of the structure and are reminiscent of his art.
The Contractor, Bruce Johnson said that “the building is not intended for one community, but for whoever should find their way to the Chapel”. I found my way there in 2001…and, in 2005 I married my husband there, in the eyes of nature and 21 family members. For me, Progressive Architecture Magazine said it best…
“Inspired by drawings of winged forms, the Sea Ranch meditation chapel resembles a fluttering object that has alighted in the meadowland between the ocean and the coastal mountains, a UFO that was summoned here and may one day take off again. For now, it is cradled in a stonework base; a stone path surrounds it and merges with other stone formations that trail off into the earth.”
I invite you to visit the chapel and take a look at the fantastic details of the building itself, the stunning coast line drive to get up there, and a few pictures of the Sea Ranch Community in the video below.
For me it is a work of art and definitely a Little Bit of Beauty™!
What do you think it looks like? I invite you to leave your impressions in the comment section below.
Loving MC Yogi-Inspiration from Santa Rosa Interior Design
Posted by Irene Turner in Inspiration on July 12, 2010
Bear with me as I use music’s influence as a Little Bit of Beauty one more time. Those of you who follow here, know I LOVE an inspiring story! My latest and greatest craze…MC YOGI…formerly known as Nicholas Giacomini.
MC Yogi grew up in the Bay area painting graffiti & listening to hip hop Inspired by artists like The Beastie Boys & Run DMC, he began writing raps and freestyling for friends at house parties. Spending most of high school in a group home for at-risk youth, hip hop culture provided both a soundtrack and a creative outlet. Then at age eighteen, he discovered yoga.
On a whim, he joined his father for a yoga and meditation intensive with a famous spiritual teacher from India. Deeply moved by this powerful experience, MC YOGI devoted himself to learning everything he could about the ancient discipline. He began studying the physical forms of yoga, as well as meditation, philosophy, and devotional chanting.
Today he is a rapper with a spiritual and political consciousness. He is the writer and singer of Grassroots Movements, used by Starbucks as their theme song promoting local volunteerism. He’s wrote a politically inspired song for the last presidential election, Vote For Hope. And recently he came out with a song for Universal Health Care.
Being a yogi and spiritual seeker myself I of course LOVE his Hip Hop Hinduism…where he combines sacred chants and storytelling in rap form. By combining his knowledge of yoga with his love for hip hop music, MC YOGI is creating an exciting new sound that brings the wisdom of yoga to a whole new generation of modern mystics and urban yogis.
My passion for one world music AND a one world, spirituality, hot new trends, and people who care enough to want to make a change, all draw me to MC YOGI. He is a young man who comes from his heart, uses his gift, and makes a difference. You have to admit, there is a whole lot of beauty in that!
I have so many favorites it was hard to edit…but I got it down to three…YEA!
The First is GIVE LOVE, all about giving love to get love
The second one is BE THE CHANGE, about Mahatma Gandhi’s life
the third is GANESH IS FRESH, the story of Lord Ganesh
My question to you is, what are you doing with your gifts to make a difference and to be a change agent?
Be the change that you want to see! Mahatma Gandhi
Namaste
My OWN TV Show Proposal
Posted by Irene Turner in Projects on June 28, 2010
As many of you know, Oprah announced that she was searching for the next TV star for her new network station OWN. I first heard about it on twitter about a month ago and immediately wanted to put my ideas together.
I’ve been thinking about my own TV show for sometime. I always said I wanted it on Oprah, and always thought of it as happening some time in the future. When Oprah announced that she was ending her career as a talk show host and starting her own channel…well…perfect I thought! That’s where my show will be. And then, I saw the announcement on twitter.
So I buckled down and started to make my vague ideas tangible. Of course, when did I start actually shooting the video to present my ideas? This past Thursday…the deadline was this past Saturday at midnight. Nothing like a little bit of pressure. I have never really worked much in front of the camera, and I definitely have never worked with imovie to help me edit and put together a video. But somehow I seemed to learn quickly under pressure.
And, I did it! The editing is a bit rough, but it is done. The concept is a good one and it was great to actually verbalize, visualize and present the whole idea.
I love when synchronicity plays through my life…I said my own TV show…I spoke Oprah’s name…she announced her own channel…and then announces to the world that she is looking for people who want their own show.
Now…will my show end up being the one on OWN? It’s possible. I’m not focused on how it will look, but rather love that this whole series of events caused me to actually take action on my passion. It caused me to crystalize my ideas, put them down on paper, speak them out loud and present it to the world. THAT is how things manifest in life.
Synchronicity is truly a Little Bit of Beauty™! Do you have a good synchronistic story from your life? Please share it with me here.
Living With Books:Part 2-An eye on Nate Berkus
Posted by Irene Turner in Home, Personal Style & Well being on June 13, 2010
Those of you who read my 8 Display Tips for Living with Books-Part 1 know that I LOVE Books. There are so many ways that books enrich my life…
- Design books inspire me and teach me tricks of the trade
- Fiction transports me to another’s world
- Biographies inform me of an inspiring life
- Historical books educate me and
- Spiritual Books center me
I think books say something about the person who lives with them…it say’s that they are thoughtful, intelligent and love the spoken word. A home filled with books is a place of endless adventure.
One of my favorite fellow designers who also likes AND lives with a lot of books is Nate Berkus. He is best known for his regular appearances on Oprah and his easy, budget conscious designs.
He will be premiering with his own show on September 13th and I look forward to following it! I had the pleasure of meeting him once when he was first getting started and I lived in Chicago. Quiet, unassuming and sincere, he is exactly as he appears. My favorite project of his is his own apartment located in Chicago, overlooking Lake Michigan as shown in Elle Decor in 2008. While the whole apartment is fab, his library is what draws me in.
He has said that a library is a room to nestle in with or with out a book! I’d say by the look of his apartment we would all be very comfortable nestling in his home on those cold winter days! Easy and effortless, his shelves in his library are like mine! Books randomly placed, horizontally and vertically! With his TV in the middle I’d say he would never have to leave this room to find entertainment.
Also, on a fabulous oversized yellow velvet ottoman he stacks even more books. I could spend hours and days simply sifting through all the books and reading whatever catches my fancy!
I think what defines a designer more then anything else is his own personal style…and I say that Nate has defined himself well by the casual ease and beauty of how he lives with books.
What’s your favorite way to display books?
Happy #nateday
The Summer of Color! a view from Santa Rosa Interior Design
Posted by Irene Turner in Color, Inspiration on June 10, 2010
Now here is an inspirational project and a colorful one at that. I read about this on the Let’s Colour blog, one of my favorites! It’s called the Summer of Color and is happening right now in Los Angeles, CA. By the end of September the LA County lifeguard towers will all be transformed into a collective work of art, a span that ranges from Zuma Beach to San Pedro.
Summer of Color is run by the organization Portraits of Hope which is the culmination of the efforts of nearly 6,000 children in schools, hospitals, and social service programs – and more than 2,500 adult volunteers – who have participated in the initiative’s program activities, which included the painting of the panels now installed on the walls and roof tops of the towers.
Portraits of Hope was founded by Ed Massey and Bernie Massey in 1995, and continued their utilization of art and poignant visual imagery for large-scale projects of social consequence.
Developed initially for seriously ill and physically disabled children, this program conceives and develops one-of-a-kind motivational art projects that merge the production of dynamic public art works with creative therapy for hospitalized children and civic education for students of all ages.
Today Portraits of Hope includes a core education program that focuses on social issues education, and projects that serve as creative therapy for children and adults coping with serious health and physical conditions. Portraits of Hope has provided children and adults facing cancer, burn trauma, spinal injuries, HIV/AIDS, head and brain injuries, and other serious medical issues with innovative, fun, and therapeutic activities that let them enjoy and take pride in themselves during the course of their medical care and/or rehabilitative treatments.
Some of their public projects to date are: a Garden in Transit that painted the NYC taxicabs and turned them into driving flower gardens; to painting Blimps, race cars, barges, New Orleans Schools and Buildings, and creating vibrant panels which were shipped to rape crisis centers, rehabilitative centers, hospitals, senior care facilities and other human service facilities.
FYI…want a pair of boardshorts as a personal style statement and to reflect these fabulous designs? Visit Shortomatic and buy one of their colorful patterns, or get creative and design your own! Then you can be a part of the Summer of Color for years to come.
Once again, color, art add a little beauty and uplift the world.
Can you support this colorful project by transforming your own space in the color of Hope?
Ron’s Home Office:Part 4-Interior Design Firms
Posted by Irene Turner in Home on June 1, 2010
Well, I was going to stop at Part 3, but it seems that showing just my office in the “Home Office Switch” saga is not enough. Many people have commented that they want to see Ron’s office as well. I think they are concerned that he might have the short end of the stick after seeing my new and BEAUTIFUL office! But I say, it is a win win for both of us!
We moved Ron’s recording equipment and guitars into my old office. We left him a smaller desk so he still has a place to check his email and do a bit of work if necessary from home. In this room he has shelving to display his many objects representing many of the things he loves, from cars, baseball, birds, trees, golf, the Free Masons and of course….his love of music!
And…he has his real estate office,which I also designed, in the one block of lovely downtown of Graton. There he has three desks, one for him and his two sons, plus a conference table where they all can work with clients. He is quite the mayor of that town as he is the sixth generation who is born and works in West County Sonoma! (our grand daughter is the eighth generation born and living here!) So he does get a lot of visitors who come in wanting to know the history of the town etc. Perfect for a realtor!
He is happy with both his rooms, I am happy with my office, so as I said at the beginning, it’s a win win for both of us. Check out his space in the video below! What can you do to shake up the energy and get it moving in your office?
Let’s Colour Project/Part 2-View from Santa Rosa
Posted by Irene Turner in Color on May 25, 2010
As the Let’s Colour Project continues its journey around the world with its initiative to transform grey spaces with vibrant colour, it’s finishing up in it’s first four communities located in Brazil, France, UK, and now India. In part one of my flagging this fun, fascinating and colorful project, I highlighted a film clip by Adam Berg, an award wining music video and advertising director, of a charming young girl in Brazil and a Grandmother as they witness and partake in transforming their grey neighborhood.
While I LOVE all of the short documentary films (I really can’t wait to see the documentary in it’s entirety) I wanted to share the film clip from India in this post. It’s from the fourth chapter of the Let’s Colour documentary and recaps their time there. This film delves into the deep relationship the people of India have with colour. The way they embrace it in every facet of their lives is inspiring, especially considering the neutral natural surroundings of Jodhpur.
I personally have a fascination with India. I’m a meditator and can’t WAIT to travel there and explore both the spiritual side and this thriving and re-emerging culture and country! It speaks to my heart, my soul and my love of the exotic…which I think is the essence of India anyway. I was particularly struck by this quote from the narrator of this film clip:
With colour life is full of joys…without the colour it looks so of the sorrow…there is no joyfulness, there is no throbbing vibration, there is no symbol of life…”
I think he perfectly captures my inner most feelings about color. I believe there definitely is a vibration to color and that we as humans feel better with color in our lives! To view the other documentaries you can see them on the Let’s Colour blog site.
What is your feeling about color? Could you live without it?
Home Office-Part 3, the Results:by Irene Turner Interior Design Firms
Posted by Irene Turner in Home on May 20, 2010
I’m thrilled to say I’m actually sitting in my new office as I write the third in the series of switching my home office posts. Three weeks from the start and I’m 98% done, and Ron, well, he’s about 80% done. I’m am one happy client!
As is wont to do, a couple of things changed along the way. First of all, I didn’t glaze my walls. I love the color as is. And, I didn’t end up angling my desk. I didn’t like sitting under a beam and there was a lot more floor space with the desk head on. It also hides a lot of the functional parts of my business, ie; printers, faxs, files etc. from my seating space.
The re-cap:
- I have my light and airy space
- We only used what we had between the two of us, no new pieces
- The color feels warm, uplifting and is definitely stimulating
- I set my office up with feng shui principles ;emphasis on strong wealth, relationship and career corners, and all with strong visuals that are meaningful to me
- I have a great place to meditate, and space to invite friends over to meditate as well
- Plenty of shelving, filing and work space
- The lighting is great, both during the day and at night too. Even on a rainy day it’s light, and with sunlight, it actually glows
- And, I got rid of a lot of clutter and pared down, clean up and out with this move as well!
Check, and re-check…The energetics of space™ is great!
Ron’s office is coming along. I’ve done about as much as I can do to help. Now it’s a matter of him hooking up all his recording equipment, hanging his guitars and storing the small stuff. But it’s looking good, and the room definitely looks bigger then when I was in it with all my big furniture. It’s a win win.
In general, it’s done…for now. Of course I already have plans for the next stage. But that’s later, when we build Ron his real sound studio in the room above the garage that has yet to be built! Don’t tell Ron…I find it’s better to spring my plans just a bit at a time! You can see the details and all angles of my new office in the video below.
So the question is…are you happy with your office space?
Sculpture, Mosaic and Gardening-a view from Santa Rosa Interior Design
Posted by Irene Turner in Art, Inspiration, Nature on May 18, 2010
Photo by John Burgess, Santa Rosa Press Democrat
…you have to give life to the things you create…Peter Crompton
Sunday I went on a spring garden and house tour here in West County Sonoma. A fund raiser for a great local organization, Food for Thought, I was inspired and stimulated creatively by each and everyone of the fabulous gardens I visited. But by far, my favorite was the Sculpture Garden.
Peter and Robyn Spencer Crompton are the creators of these hidden treasures that rise out of and are part of mythical and magical gardens designed by Kamala Crompton.
Peter is a sculpture and freelance theatrical designer. His body of work includes Ballet, opera, musicals, contemporary and period drama, experimental works, and several world premieres. As one of the most sought after designers in the San Francisco Bay area, He works for many Bay area companies including, Festival Opera, Marin Theater Company, Revels, Napa Valley College Lamplighters, Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival, Opera San Jose and Willows.
Robyn is an internationally exhibited quilt maker and theatrical costume designer. Robyn has found mosaics to offer the physical manifestation of the mythological spirit that inspires her. Her garden sculpture is created to give voice to the “mysteries of life that have no other language”.
Together and independently they create these magnificent sculptures. Peter sculpts the forms and together Robyn and Peter create a concrete surface strengthened with polymer fibers and additives. Then it’s up to Robyn to clad the forms in mosaic materials utilizing glass and found objects. To her it is the part she likes best. “It’s where meaningful content and glistening surfaces join elegance of form creating something significant as well as beautiful.”
All I can tell you is that I felt transported by the beauty and the fantasy, and totally rejuvenated by the sanctuary of this garden. Thanks to Kamala, Peter and Robyn for a magical afternoon!
Photo by John Burgess, Santa Rosa Press Democrat
Come and take a walk through their own personal garden…the story starts 37 seconds in. Their art is also available for sale. Enjoy!
Iceland Volcano Eruption & Mother Nature-via Santa Rosa
Posted by Irene Turner in Nature on May 12, 2010
The devastating volcanic eruption(s) in Iceland which began last month and continue to this day are affecting the world at large. Because they are erupting underneath glaciers, they are not only sending smoke and ash into the air, but also melting the ice and causing flooding. All this brings new meaning to the phrase…”Don’t mess with Mother Nature”. And like a woman, she is beautiful in her wrath.
The word ‘volcano’ comes from the little island of Vulcano in the Mediterranean Sea off Sicily. Centuries ago, the people living in this area believed that Vulcano was the chimney of the forge of Vulcan – the blacksmith of the Roman gods. They thought that the hot lava fragments and clouds of dust erupting form Vulcano came from Vulcan’s forge as he beat out thunderbolts for Jupiter, king of the gods, and weapons for Mars, the god of war.
In Roman mythology, Vulcan, the god of fire, was said to have made tools and weapons for the other gods in his workshop at Olympus. Throughout history, volcanoes have frequently been identified with Vulcan and other mythological figures. Scientists now know that the “smoke” from volcanoes, once attributed by poets to be from Vulcan’s forge, is actually volcanic gas naturally released from both active and many inactive volcanoes.
From Vulcan, to Pele, to Llao and Skell, myths have abound about Mother Nature’s volcanos. Since the devastation in Iceland I received this series of pictures from a friend in Switzerland. While horrific in it’s effects, these photos are stunning in their depiction of the smoke and ash, and beautiful in capturing Mother Nature’s power and glory. Take a look…I particularly like the photos of the horse against the dark background with man.
For more interesting facts on volcanos see Live Science!
“Gutsy Gals Inspire Me!”-not just for girls…
Posted by Irene Turner in Inspiration on May 4, 2010
As a woman, did you have a female role model as a child?
I didn’t. I mean, other then my mother. I didn’t really grow up with other female relatives and I didn’t know a woman who inspired me and who I wanted to be when I grew up? No. Unfortunately, there weren’t many women I was exposed to, or historically that we were taught about in school.
I skipped the mother role myself and went straight to the grandmother role…yes, it can be done, marry someone with children of their own and become a grandmother! So, now that I have this beautiful grand daughter …I want her to grow up inspired by all the women in her life, and know that she can do and be anything she wants to be!
From a friends post on Face Book, I heard about Gutsy Gals Inspire Me. It is an inspirational media company that honors women of the past and showcases women of the present to provide positive, female role models to children and adults. They collaborate with industry veterans, as well as up-and-coming talent. Their vision is one where women of all ages, no matter what their situation or circumstance, feel confident to live their own lives through examples of possibility.
“I believe in the word ‘possibility.’ With possibility … can’t becomes can. Complicated becomes simple. Challenge becomes opportunity. I believe in driving your destiny, realizing your dream, and if the rules don’t work—challenge them.” Deborah Hutchinson, Founder of Gutsy Gals
Deborah is teaming up with a cadre of leading media professionals and she plans to inspire people of all ages—with a special emphasis on girls and women—to follow their calling and promote positive female role models for all! Now this is an idea I can get behind!
My grand daughter has three Grand Mothers, three Great Grandmothers, an aunt, and of course her mother, all with in 20 minutes of her. She will be surrounded by female love and role modeling. I want her to be inspired by us all…and, to be introduced to Women Role models across the world…other then Disney princesses. Gutsy Gals Inspire Me provides valuable media tools with their untold legacies of women in history and of today who impact our lives, and tells their stories in a way that educates, inspires and entertains! They do this through:Animated Films, Middle Grade Novels, Collectible Biographies, Children’s Picture Books, Teaching Guides and Games.
It’s a beautiful thing to mentor or role model for a young child, in my case, my grand daughter. And, when I have grand sons…I want to do the same for them, so they will feel comfortable with, and choose Gutsy Gals for themselves!
Do you have a young person you could introduce to Gutsy Gals…besides yourself?
Home Office-Part 1
Posted by Irene Turner in Home, Work space on April 29, 2010
Do you work out of an office in your home? I do…
This all began when I asked my husband if he would trade home offices. We’ve been in our home 6 years…he has the renovated double car garage as a office and sound studio…I have the smallest and darkest room in the house. Hmmmmmmm… Recently my husband opened an office out of our home. It’s bright, cheerful, good sized…AND he still has the 2nd largest room in the house as his part time home office. Somehow, this real estate equation isn’t working any more.
I truly believe that “space matters”…it affects your mood and productivity. AND…
He agreed! He gets that my productivity will shift and increase as his has, when I increase the size of the room I sit in most of the day! The new room is lighter and has…vaulted ceilings…a large french door to the outside…an expanded view….and of course moving means fresh paint and a whole energy shift. If you really listen to the words, you get it.
The result of all this…I get to contemplate exactly what I want to create. How do I want to feel? What do I want to produce? In essence…I am my own client, and get to go through the design process. As I’m really into creating the best space possible to move forward in, I begin with research…reading and researching some of my favorite web sites and blogs as further contemplation, inspiration, and a reminder of what I want to include.
One of my favorite blogs and a good source of information is Elizabeth Chamberlain’s Space Lift. She is a feng shui and green consultant. Recently, I received her weekly newsletter (I signed up for them on her site) regarding the set up of your desk according to Feng Shui principles…perfect! She states that the most important areas to pay attention to with Feng Shui are the places where you spend most of your time. For me that is my office! Her tips will help not only to kick-start the energy cycle in my surrounding area, but it will help re-enforce my goals as well.
And, from another of my favorites, Marie Burgos blog post on Feng Shui for the perfect Home Office Design…with her list of what to think about and do. Such as:
- Defining your goals
- Get Rid of Clutter
- Display Inspirational Visuals
- Locate your desk
- Keep up to date with all equipment and tools
- Good light
So, I’m ready to start planning…It’s good to re-inforce and re-fresh my knowledge base from other experts in my business, inspire my creativity with beautiful visuals and uplifting thoughts, AND to remember what it’s like to be the client! I will definitely keep you posted as to the state of my new office…In the meantime, here are a few visuals that have inspired me!
part 2…will be the plan!
If Sound had a Color
Posted by Irene Turner in Color on April 27, 2010
I’ve always had a fantasy of being able to see music. I once was involved with stage set design for a program that included music. I wanted to assign a color to each note and then actually see what the music would look like on a big screen. I guess it comes from being a visual aficionado. Recently this thought cropped up again and I started perusing the internet to see what was out there.
I found everything from esoteric sites that talked about HARMONY as the state recognized by great philosophers as the immediate prerequisite of beauty. (You gotta know I love this one!) To the use of Color and Sound as healing frequencies. There are even people who do actually experience sound as color…they have a rare neurological condition called synesthesia. Stimulation of one sense produces the sensation of another. A number of famous composers appear to have been synesthetes. They include Franz Liszt, Alexander Scriabin, and Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov. Doesn’t that make sense? I mean, music is emotional, and so is color…it would make sense to me that a person with a creative gift would link two forms together.
Color and Sound, two of the most important aspects of our life, and yet rarely do we stop to really think about them, and realize that in fact, they are directly related to one another. Both are frequencies or vibration, only manifested in different form. I think this has great potential in the world of interiors…both for entertainment, and as mobil art forms. Envision a flat screen TV…music piped through your apple TV from your computer…with a software program that allows your favorite music to dance across the screen in living color! I’m on the hunt for that software program…I’ll keep you all posted when I find it!
In the meantime, I came upon this video on youtube from Olafur Arnalds…an example of what is possible, and I recommend watching it full size on your screen. It’s worth checking out on your next beauty break.
Couldn’t you just see some of your favorite songs in color? Enjoy!
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