Real Simple Weddings 2010
There is one thing I think that we can sometimes misplace during the course of a lifetime. Of course we can get it back again, but it's good to try not to lose it in the first place. It's our sense of curiosity. Not really for things we're naturally interested in, but for those in which we are not.
Children tend to explore a lot more than adults, when we age we start to fall into comfort zones and ruts and forget that once in them we can always crawl out and allow ourselves to become curious explorers once again. That is why I frequently reference things that are not always associated closely to decorating, but that I think can help us all to stay out of comfort zones and ruts because I believe they can be comfortable little traps, we become like birds in cages and forget how flying really felt.
So when you are out and about, look for things that you would not normally find yourself trying to find. In a bookstore, go to a section that you never visit. In a store, hit a food aisle with things that you normally do not buy, and buy them -- I like to experiment in the international foods section and in the organic areas because if I had my way I think I would eat the same food every single day.
And this brings me to the point of this blog post: Real Simple Weddings. Huh? You say? Well I believe that a creative person can find inspiration from random places, not always in your favorite design showroom or boutique. In my case, I find lots of inspiration in Bridal magazines, not so much the white flowing gowns but all of the little embellishments and flowers and just the sheer delightful details of it all -- and I often think of ways to interpret what I see into the home. For instance, in the 2010 issue of Weddings by Real Simple there are many gorgeous images to enjoy that show several combination's of colors and patterns that perhaps you'd not thought to combine before. You can interpret them into your wardrobe, home, even your makeup palette. I sat here this morning flipping through it after breakfast and felt inspired to share some of my favorite pages with you.
And yes, I am a columnist on RealSimple.com (for two years already!) but they are not paying me to say any of this and trust me, I get zero brownie points for this post. This is merely a sincere observation that I had concerning how so much can inspire us that we often fail to notice. If you happen to pick up this issue, it's a special edition so it costs around $14, turn to pages 72-75. These are my absolute favorite parts -- two pages show color palettes that I think can be amazingly helpful in many ways -- you can cut them out, clip into small sizes, and laminate -- keeping them in your wallet or purse for quick reference when you are shopping. Having a palette on you can be extra helpful when you are looking for gift wrap + accessories, clothing, even flowers and of course, home accessories.
Sometimes I stand in the middle of a flower shop feeling overwhelmed by the color choices that having a quick cheat sheet, a palette reference, would certainly help me. Then I could focus and quickly select colors that I may not naturally put together, or even pair certain ribbons or vases with my flowers that I may not have thought of before. Then the palette suggestions in the magazine are followed by two pages of flowers, illustrations of some of our favorite blooms with text that lists the flower name, season, color, along with important facts like the Anemone, "The blooms' back centers add a striking graphic quality to bouquets". I found that a simple yet helpful thought. So in the home, they would do the same in a vase on the coffee table.
If you happen to grab a copy of this issue, let me know if it inspired you or not and whether or not you found the color palette and flower tips to be helpful.
(images: holly becker for decor8)