rooms for wee wonders...

source

source

in the midst of completely transforming our yard and hillside into a wonderful space for our wee ones to play, explore, embark on adventures and just be free...i am also looking to alter their living/sleeping space. i need to make one room work and be spacious enough for two children to share, one of whom is younger, goes to sleep earlier and one who loves to read at night and have her own unique area not to be touched by the other...hmmmm, so i am scouring for inspiration and ideas and here are a few of my favorites so far.

Backyard ponderings...

over here at my country pad not far from the sea, we are embarking on a rather large backyard project, of which I am quite excited to say the least...and so, I have been poking around looking and storing ideas for plants, pavers, steps, oh any and everything outdoorsy...here are some cool ones...will be posting pics of our before, during and afters you can be sure...

Purple fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’)


no surprise...succulents succulents succulents will be abundant in my garden...

Hen and chickens (Sempervivium tectorum). Rosettes of fleshy bronze leaves hug the ground beside smaller (Sedum spurium) ‘Dragon’s Blood’

Love these wood planters and the agave desmettiana, with its glorious leaves and easy care ways!

All pictures above courtesy of sunsetmagazine
Smoke tree (Cotinus coggyrgia) ‘Royal Purple’.
Never hurts to tie in color and such a rich, vibrant, fall color!

southwestern astronauts and such...

have you ever wondered what it would be like to see the solar system from a desert dwellers perspective?...'well' you may say...'no, not really ever'...i am placing myself in space, envisioning what the mix of santa fe and the solar system would blend like...colors, schemes, plantlife, life...well, everything...should be a good one.

go gently in space and free in the desert

long road to bliss...

sometimes, the road to bliss is a long one...and for our poor lukers (luke) it is particularly long, he has hated any moving vehicle since a wee lad of 8 weeks when we brought him home and he threw up the contents of his little stomach on our lovely 6 year old daughter, who, for some reason chose that action to love him more, she still recalls the story in all it's grim and not so glory...but loves him so, as does our wee son...a few shots from our trip up north, before we got to the real beauty of so. cal terrain and the ocean blue...

love in the air...

recently a friend announced that she was getting married in a very small, intimate, quiet and surprise wedding on the beach...sounded so dreamy and i could just imagine what kind of flowers she would be holding...so i was honored when she allowed me to put together something for her special day...

fleeting immersion...

so so looking forward to being a part of this awesome event...more details to follow on fleeting immersion...

seeing the light...

just a few days ago, i opened our wee mailbox to find a happy sight...the monthly arrival of one of my fav mags Dwell, which came at a most timely of times as we are making some decisions about a pretty big remodel to our home in the country not far from the sea. and because i am a lover of light (who isn't really?), this edition jumped right out (they all do for one reason or another) and i had to share some pics for those of you who might have missed it...if i close my eyes this would be a dream room where we would live, entertain, study, read, chic chat, oh the list is unending...check this house out;

the wall is joined at the corners as a window! i now have a new outlook on our decking windows...ahh dreamy.

glass is my new fav design element in a wall...love the mix of wood and glass...

when the desert calls...i pick up.

heading out on a wee(kend) adventure...will return monday avec pics and bliss to share....in the meantime, have a delightful weekend you kind, sweet folks...

design available in the shop

Design on wheels...

We recently purchased a vacation home on wheels. We are most excited about planning upcoming family getaway trips and all the fun we are going to have traveling together, and seeing new sights. Of course, even though we did not buy an Airstream (seen below), I am thinking of ways to customize and design the inside into a space that reflects our taste and clean, mid century style with a twist of some vintage as well...I found these lovely ideas and now my creative is flowing...check these out:

The dark walls and such are a little too deep for my taste, but such a cool look and the pops of color make me smile.

Love love the flooring...

A little color whimsy above is fresh and summery.

This is a teardrop trailer, which is small enough to be pulled by a mini cooper...a little too small for my taste, but how cute is this and check out the kitchen in the rear....!

All pics from sunset.

bon anniversaire pour moi...

because there is always a place in my heart for stylish italian boots with embroidery and softly worn leather...oh and it's my birthday and we all should take note to order deliciously lovely leather boots from Italy on our special day...here's to the day we were born! found these in a sweet little shop here

Solo Exhibit...

I am so so honored and excited about this Solo Exhibit and interview which Violet and Beatrice over at Etsy Stalker have done on my work, you can check it out here.

Still Lily Designs Shop Update...

Just a few new pieces to be found in the shop, these lovely ones will not ask much of you, just some indirect sunlight, a little drink when they are dry and a compliment here and there...now, don't you just love the low maintenance types?

I would very much like...

a room like this
a pouf like this
another room like this...
hmmm...seem to be a trend with hanging chairs
room pics from livingetc.
pouf from westelm

Something for Mum's...

Here is a wee glimpse into the shop and some Mother's Day love...any design can be embellished with any one of the fun Mother's Day salutations you see...and just for fun, take 10% off any order (before shipping)...life is grand and everyone should let their Mum know how much they love her!

comes time for a change...

sometimes we just realize it is time for a change, it feels right and we know it in our soul... & so, we are on the hunt for a new homestead to call our very own...not going far from where we are now...

just growing on with what life calls for...so here is to California and all it has to offer, never ceases to surprise me and I am so lucky to call it my own home in the country, not far from the sea...

wide open spaces...

There is nothing like bringing the outdoors in and making your surroundings blend with nature in a seamless way...I love the concept of an invisible line between my indoor & outdoorsy spaces...this really is what California style symbolizes to me.
Here are some great spaces which portray open and fresh living...

all pics from livingetc

Feel the breeze...

Since we are now moving into Spring and daylight savings is upon us here in So. Cal...I find myself dreaming of outdoor spaces and as the weather gets warmer and the days are longer we always end up enjoying our family dinnertime outside on the patio...here are some inspirational fresh air dining spaces I have come across...

These modern, simple lines above are so crisp and calming.

Love, love the concrete table top above in this Tuscan style outdoorsy space.

Great for a small patio area...love the feel of the colors with the textured/aged back wall...

Makes me want to chop some veggies, toss a salad and open a lovely bottle of Pinot Grigio then head out for a relaxing meal with family and friends.

all pictures from sunset

blending of loveliness

sometimes i tend to get caught up in my succulents and all their wonderfulness (see shop), however, i also get swept away by the beauty and simplicity of flowers...so why not combine the two? this is a pairing with shades of green/hints of silver/blue/purple found in these drought tolerant, easy to care for echeveria succulents with simple white, clean and crisp hydrangea's, who would not love to have this as a centerpiece at a dinner party, a wedding, outdoor dining...anywhere.

desert bound

Hello and first off, i must apologize for my lack of presence here at this blog space...so far 2010 has been a busy one...and this weekend i am off to the desert to be part of a lovely and most inspirational art show...not sure how this will go and how my work will be received, but you just don't know till you go, and i just love being around all those soulful gals and guys who are so grounded and real...so i head out on a wee road trip tomorrow..and my shop will be updated in the a.m. prior to departure.

I wish you all a very happy, heARTful, and loving Valentines, I don't really buy into all that hearty lovey dovey, chocolate laced, marketing for love stuff, but I do believe that everyone deserves their fair share of lovin' and attention, and if some folks need a day to do that, well then so be it, in my wee opinion, everyone should be filled to the brim each day, but who am i, well, i am me and that means alot.

so go gently, stay human and be happy.

kz

Love in Style

Who says love is not in style...Ok, I realize we are coming close to that lovey dovey holiday. Now, for the record, I have never bought into that whole hearts and kisses thing, chocolate and roses...yuck. However, I do remember when FZ and I had just met and our first few Valentines Days were rather fun, sort of a mystery surrounding what would pass and what might come to arrive in my wee hands as a gesture of affections. Now, time has passed and children fill our lives, somedays we just feel like loving ships passing in the hallway at 5:00 a.m.

It is all good, just different.

So, here is a stylish and lovely design to remind us that love is in the air...subtly of course...just added to the shop...

Happy love love

KZ

Just a wee design to ignite a giggle..

Here is a wee somethin' somethin' to inspire...enliven and light up your space...

New in the shop...stop by and have a gander.

KZ

Warm and Beachy

Here is a wee glimpse of some twenty ten inspiration...it may be chilly outside but hanging around any corner is the reminder of beachy days to come (or gone by)...warms the heart, doesn't it? This little bathing beauty is in the shop and there is so much more to come.

Stay warm.

KZ

Honored to be featured on Urban Gardens

I have just returned from a wee holiday and found I was featured on Urban Gardens blog. This is a great blog for all things earthly and wonderful & I am most honored my work has been featured there. Thank you for the lovely post and sharing my etsy shop!

Here's to a lovely New Year!

KZ