Hi friends! How are you today? I’m back to blogging regularly after taking August off and I’m glad to be back because I love connecting with all of you as we share inspiring things that fuel us. It really keeps me going and that is why I blog, it’s an affordable therapist. :) Whether it’s pretty homewares, inspiring colors or how we feel about our life and career – it’s so wonderful to have you to connect to daily via decor8 and I’m happy to be back despite how I’m still trying to navigate a few things in my personal life – but who isn’t?

I definitely learned during my month off that my blog FUELS my creative spirit. When I’m not writing regularly, I go inward a bit and over-think things. Analysis paralysis is a term I often refer to when I’m lecturing or teaching a class because it’s exactly what happens to me when I think too much. I think myself almost into a hole or a corner and become paralyzed.

Writing gets me back out again and for me, is such a huge creative release and exercise – it’s like working out – when you stop doing regular exercise you feel a huge dip in your overall feeling of well being. Same for me and my personal creativity – primarily tapped into through writing and photography. I never realized until I took a month away from blogging just how vital is was for my well being and how healing to my soul.

No matter what I go through in my personal life, blogging about design, creative things, art, our community, blog topics, crafts, travel… All of this sharing and processing of ideas helps me to concentrate on positive things that make me happy. This act of giving and receiving makes a difference in my life. In fact, taking a month off made me realize all of this – I have been thinking all weekend about why August was a hard month for me and it really came down to that – blogging is more than just posting “pretty things” or tossing up some pictures with a few sentences. It is my version of painting – and it digs me out of holes and keeps me feeling energized and refreshed.

Now, onto the subject of inspiring objects and beautiful things because when I did research on these quilts today I actually began to feel better because the research gave me the feeling like I had traveled – and now I know more about these quilts and want to share them with you if you’re not too familiar with these beauties.

First, they originate from India and Bangladesh. I like them because they’re reversible and lightweight but more than that, these cotton quilts are usually quite colorful with gorgeous patterns and patches. They are constructed by hand by sewing layers of cloth and often vintage saris together and then stitched using a traditional, delicate “Kantha” stitch. They have become more and more popular over the past several years in western interiors and you can find them online in these shops listed below in case you fancy owning one (or ten).

I want to own several and stack them on top of my white wooden cabinet in my sitting room – then they are available for warmth when snuggling on the sofa at night and by day, add color to the room and a jolt of personality.

Sources for Kantha quilts, both new and vintage, online include:

The Family Love Tree
Connected Goods
Fossik
Rajasthan Royals
Niki Jones

Are you a fan of Kantha quilts from India, too? Now I really want to go to India! :)

(images: from shops above.)

I’ve decided that I’m going to redecorate my bedroom. It really needs a facelift but also the energy in the space needs to change. One important element that I added a few weeks ago was a new Bose sound system which has made an amazing difference to the overall mood in the space because it sounds super amazing and is so compact. It went from feeling a bit empty to warm and cozy in the single click of a remote. I’m streaming my favorite tunes in from the various internet radio stations that I love and cranking up tunes from my playlist.

via Ignite Light

At night, I’m listening to old school R&B, jazz, and lots of relaxing chill out stuff. The result is that I’m sleeping better and waking up feeling ready for the day – the music is helping the spirit of the space in major ways. I needed the room to feel better. I don’t know, up until now it’s always felt a bit like a lonely room in the back of the house since our floor plan has all of the rooms with “life” – the kitchen, dining, my work rooms, balcony, living room, entry, etc. positioned in the front and the bedrooms are in the back where it’s not as sunny and as the result, the lack of light and life, really has affected how I feel in the space. My goal is to make my bedroom a sanctuary so that it matches the rest of the house. Then I’ll begin decorating my guest bedroom, another neglected space that definitely needs a little help.

via tages anzeiger

via white crystal castle

via tages anzeiger

via from Scandinavia with love

via tages anzeiger

via milk magazine

Once the bedroom is finished, I’ll post before and after photos. Give me a few months… :)

In the interim, here are some inspiring bedrooms that I’ve pinned.

What rooms are you currently considering for a little redecorating? Or room? Have you started on your project yet?

Optical illusions are fun! You’ll see why perception isn’t always reality when it comes to bedding in just a moment… But first, this weekend was super duper beautiful so I ventured over to the Saturday farmers’ market where I bumped into some friends and made a few more which is one thing I love about my city – that I almost always run into peeps that I know when I exit my front door. It’s a great feeling to be part of a community, especially for me as I was always in a car running errands before and now since giving up my car nearly three years ago an entirely new world has opened up which includes human contact outdoors again! Yippee! :)

Anyway, while at the market, I popped into a favorite interiors shop called ComingHome Interior and noticed that they now carry a Dutch bedding and cushion brand called Snurk. I had already heard of Snurk in bloggyland but hadn’t checked out their recent stuff until now and I like it – so fresh – especially these cushions shown directly below. The quality is great — it made a BIG difference seeing Snurk stuff in person. I of course love that what you think it is isn’t what it really is…

For instance, the sheets look like crochet but are only pretending to be the real thing as upon close inspection it’s obvious that it is just a print. Same goes for the granny squares bedding. I admire this about the Dutch, they are always turning the traditional bits upside down to spin them into completely new, fresh products. Twirre is a favorite pattern of mine that they carry, very understated yet the faux crochet cracks me up – I love a dose of humor in home decorating!

If you live in or around Hannover, you can visit ComingHome to see Snurk things… or call ComingHome and ask to speak to my friend Claudia to see if you can order on the phone (+49 5112158196). :)

(images: snurk)

I recently wrote about decorating and shared a beautiful image of a bedroom that I liked from the home of Kirsty and so many of you wrote in to ask about the sweet pillowcases so I have to do a little show & tell! Okay so I am showing….

Now I am telling… these beauties are from Salvation Jane, a homewares company in Melbourne, Australia that is owned by Jane Hall who is an actor with a design background. Other cutie cases with hearts and crosses are available too and are shown below. I love how modern and crisp they are.

If you like what you see, you can shop for them (and more nice things) here.

(images: kirsty and salvation jane photos by mike baker)

I have some brand new bedding for Autumn to share from Aura by Tracie Ellis, a Melbourne-based interiors brand that I have fallen in love with over the months due to their sumptuous bedding. I did a double take the moment I saw the Autumn “Ankita” bed linen collection, especially the chevron duvet shown below – I want, want, want that! Ankita is an ancient Sanskrit word that means ‘marked for prominence,’ but also Ankita is a rare, Indian-inspired beauty.

Their linens are inspired by faraway places and the colorways are meant to, “recall ancient cultures and quieter times,” making this collection feel so inviting – it’s meant to calm, transport, soothe and turn the bedroom into a sanctuary, “Ankita transports a bedroom into a past of spiritual ease.” Doesn’t that sound just lovely?

In addition to these photographs above, you can view the entire AURA by Tracie Ellis catalog online here in their flipbook where you will find more bedding in addition to table linens, cushions, fashion accessories and more.

Now to go to their website to check out that chevron patterned duvet… :)

(images: aura)