Campaign beds

image: Restoration Hardware

A 19th century campaign-style bed has long been a dream of mine.

When I was a little girl, I was often compared to the princess

in the fairy tale "The Princess and the Pea."

image: charles p. rogers

Having a confortable and beautiful bed is very important to me.

image: charles p. rogers

Campaign beds have a certain element of fantasy about them.




Image: quintessenceblog

When dressed with voile or organza curtains,

the bed seems as light as air,

the perfect place to launch a dreamer on her way to slumberland.

image: patricia gray inc.

The style of the canopy varies somewhat, but most of them

are bell-shaped, which ups the romance quotient.

image: anthroploogie

They are simple in nature and honest in form.

Campaign beds were designed to provide European military officers

some measure of comfort while out fighting their campaigns

for world domination.

image: patricia gray inc.

Mine will be associated with a much gentler purpose--

restoration of mind and body, along with a little indulgence in fantasy.

image: LA design concepts

As you can see, headboard styles vary somewhat, from a panel

to a simple bar stretching across the head and foot of the bed.

image: marie claire maison

They stand as the focal point in any room they inhabit.

image: restoration hardware

Last night, I ordered this one from Restoration Hardware.

It is an early holiday gift my partner and I are giving one another.

He had wanted to buy me jewelry, but I would rather have a bed.

There is nothing more romantic to me than a curvacious bed,

a place to spend our precious nights together.

I am so excited!

Last night I dreamed about beds all during my slumbers.

Hoping there is sweetness and the realization of long-held

dreams in your life.

Until next time...

Anne

Reflections on a frosty morning

Our first real frost occurred last night.

I awoke early, despite having a day off.

The sun was beginning its ascent into the eastern sky,

as I peeked through the open window to see that the hand

of winter had waved over the grasses and trees while I slept.

The thick frost was spread over the farm fields to the north...

And westward toward the road, where the cypress trees

are holding fast to the last of their leaves.

And out across the back yard to the northeast, where a stand

of pines in the distance marks the edge of the arboretum.

The leaf cover to the southwest is almost gone now.

Sculptural branches and trunks reach skyward.

I welcome the coming of winter this year,

looking forward to days spent inside with endless cups

of Constant Comment (an old standard), squashes roasting

in the oven, art supplies scattered upon my desktop.

Winter affords the luxury of staying in, of time spent in

reflection, of down comforters and nubby sweaters.

Let the snows fly, let the winds howl, let the cold set in....

Until next time...

Anne

Homage to books

Rainy days and grey skies make me want to

leave the outside world behind and retreat

to a space over-flowing with books.

I love books-- the feel of the heavy paper as it slides

through my fingers, the heft of the binding,

the texture of the cover, the march of words

across the page.

Electronic readers just do not afford the same luxury

to me as picking up a book and getting lost in its pages.

Wishing you warm, cozy and magical days this fall.

Until next time...

Anne

image1: Restoration Hardware; Image 2: Coastal Living; Image 3: Country Home

The Charm City

Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind.

~ Seneca

I just got home from a visit to Baltimore,

where I spent 3 days walking around the inner harbor,

taking a multitude of photos.

There is an extensive paved walkway all along the harbor.

It winds around shopping areas, restaurants, hotels, condos,

and, ultimately, into the very old neighborhoods.

Fells Point, seen above, was established in the mid-1700's.

It is full of charming, cobblestone streets and brick buildings.



This statue stands erect in front of the grandest city hall

I have ever seen.

This is street scene from the historical Mt. Vernon area.

A monument to George Washington presides over a square

in Mt. Vernon.




This gothic church impressed me with its incredible detail

in the stone and brick work.

Statues of revolutionary war heroes abound in the Mt. Vernon area.

A view of the harbor from an industrial pier across the way.

The top of the condominium building at the left is crowned

with a lighthouse.

Luxury living is abundant along the harbor.

Federal Hill, where this photo was taken, was once a civil war lookout.

It still stands guard over the inner harbor.

A mosaic egg seems to have fallen from the nest at the American

Museum of Visionary Art, where I spent a good part of an afternoon

wandering and getting inspired.

The inside of a weathered, wooden tower in the museum

garden poses nicely for me.

The entrance to the museum, where all that glitters is not

just gold.

More harbor views from my hours spent wandering...

Upscale living accommodations are seen along the right,

overlooking the harbor.

A sailboat drifted past as I walked.

A closer view of the beautiful boat.

The Fells Point area has more of a Bohemian feel than the

other parts of the city I had seen;

it is full of art galleries, taverns, and eclectic shops.

This is the entrance to the old pier, a building whose fate is

uncertain and controversial, as it is on prime waterfront

real estate, and many opposing interests are vying for it.

A pretty, private courtyard overlooking the bay.

A water pumping station and former public works

museum...

I fell in love with this building and photographed

it a dozen times, from all different angles.

This is from across the harbor, looking toward our hotel.

Dusk is gathering at Pier 5.

The USS Constellation, a ship docked permanently,

is part of the Maritime Museum.

Behind the USS Constellation is the World Trade Center.

An old lighthouse was moved to Pier 5 where it now presides.

Wandering through this city helped me to stay present in my experience

and rejuvenate my spirit. Traveling enables us to see the subtlety and

nuances we often miss in the course of our hectic lives.

It allows us to slow down and to breathe.

May your travels be safe and happy as this busy

season nears. May you also be re-invigorated and restored.

Until next time...

Anne

Fall in my neck of the woods

Fall is at its peak this week.

The sweet gum trees are ablaze with coral,

and the dogwoods sport their crimson coats.

I have been marking the season's progress

in my own backyard and in the surrounding area.

A dogwood flares in the woods behind my house.

Grasses wave at the windmill presiding on the hillside

of a 125 acre private garden a little ways from my house.

Emerald green arborvitae contrasts with the yellowing

foliage of a bald cypress (the same trees that populate

swamps in the deep south. They are also native to this region).

My backyard glows on a bright morning.

A path is lined with boxwood at the aforementioned

private garden in the woods.

Classic southern Illinois views, looking out over the

Shawnee Hills.

Another dogwood on our property....

And another. The holly in the foreground seems so sharp

by comparison.




Oranges and yellows stand out amid the brush of greenery

still on the ground.

Moss lines the path deep in the woods.

Bittersweet vines from the woods make their way indoors.

I hope you are enjoying the many graces of this

season of evanesence.

Now is the time to take to the woods...

Winter will be here much too soon.

Until next time...

Anne