Hello dear friends, how are you today? Would you like to begin the week by seeing a lovely interior "trend" that I'm (and so many of you) are really into right now? Oh good. But first, and wow oh my goodness just wow, I'm so glad to be back on the other side of the glass wall again, in the land of the living! I've been buried so deep inside of my book project and had to turn so much off to accomplish everything by deadline. I turned nearly everything in last week and sat back with a glass of wine and just felt accomplished and good. My soul felt full. After taking the weekend to process it all, I'm suddenly eager to move into the final weeks of the year with a renewed energy, to be on the other side of the glass able to see friends again, go dancing, host a few parties, blog more, travel and just surface for air. I also can't wait for the Christmas markets to begin on Wednesday throughout Germany because I love bringing my little boy and watching his eyes glow as he takes in all of the sights, sounds and smells.

For book number 4, I ended up at the last minute becoming a co-photographer and so it was a challenging last few months for me to say the least. I have a high end Canon camera with some gorgeous lenses but that doesn't make me a qualified-for-books photographer. I see some invest in expensive cameras and have no clue what they are doing, don't really care to learn, yet call themselves professionals because of owning professional equipment. I'm not being negative about them, they can do as they wish, but I didn't want that "type" to end up being me. It's like claiming you're an athlete because you own the best workout clothes and shoes. I really want to get the most from what I own though it was hard for me because I have such little patience with myself when it comes to technology. So little. I want everything to just work with little explanation or practice. I often wonder if this is characteristic of my generation - wanting everything fast, now, sooner, better, bigger... Harder, better, faster, stronger... Isn't that how the song goes?

Yet, despite the fight I had with the tech side of my brain, I forced myself to learn more about photography as I took photos for this project... I continually referenced books and asked friends, I talked a lot to my husband, I shot more, I bought a different lens, I kept asking questions, I kept trying more more more... Sometimes a single photo took a few hours to compose and shoot because of low light levels and my inability to capture light and turn the photo into something lovely. Yet I tried and just kept at it. I learned Lightroom really well too and improved my Photoshop skills like I never thought possible. And now, I can proudly say that over 120 of my photos will be in book 4 (title is a surprise) which will release in September 2016 in English and German simultaneously. I'm not super pro or anything, god no, but I'm proud of the skills I'm developing as I go and super pumped to learn more by broadening my education so I can continue to supplement stories on decor8, and even future books, with my own photos. I've hired a professional photographer from The Netherlands to spend a few days with me next month for one-on-one training. She shoots for clients and her work frequently appears on the wedding blog, Style Me Pretty. I'm taking my photo studies very seriously and I'm willing to invest to get the results I want for the new year. It's my resolution in fact. I'm not going to title myself professional photographer, most likely never, but I will gladly shoot for projects and do so with passion and joy because I've realized what a great asset it is to be able to write, style and shoot in some instances. Not in all, because I believe collaborative projects often result in far better work, but for blog posts and client work, it definitely will help tremendously.

So yes, I'm on the other side of the glass now, no more book writing for another year, and now I'm ready to share things that have been on my radar, particularly trends, styles and products that I've been seeing like crazy in Europe and parts of North America and are inspiring me a lot. Let's get going now with this lovely, light handmade look that feels very global. This look that I love currently has some pieces in the curated product selection, Passage of Light, over at ABC Carpet + Home in New York City. (I also adore the New Neutrals round up.) ABC is the hub of destination for interiors in New York, that's for sure. Look at this rug below and tell me it doesn't make your eyes roll out? Delightful, right?

Whenever I'm home, I make it a point to go to ABC. I find their trends directly inspired and influenced by what's happening in Europe; I often wonder if their buyers are over here more than over there because what I see so closely resembles what's hot at fairs and the best design sources on my side of the world. For instance, all of these things below are so European to me yet, combined, have a very American sensibility too.

This look that I see as trending includes peachy pinks and pink in general, very watercolor-y painterly motifs on fabrics, glass and wall coverings, chalky matte surfaces on plates and candle holders, cement, chunky wool anything that is handmade, copper copper copper (still!), handmade & fine ceramics (Astier de Villatte is gaining more popularity again lately) and beautiful blown glass vases, rugs from Turkey, Morocco... But in fresh-picked colorways, this is a definite trend just as was the case last year. I like seeing it leaning even more this year into the world of handmade and organic shapes - things that are less perfect looking in form.

As for a product trend, I'm crazy about the French perfumer Mad et Len, and encourage you to check them out too. Hot hot hot. They are making (surprise!) potpourri (of all things!) which is quite good. In fact, I predict potpourri will make a comeback but in new and interesting ways and forms (in the shape of rocks, crystals, etc. more cool). You say I'm crazy but I don't think so... Check out their products here and see for yourself. On the ABC website they brag about this brand and explain a bit of their process, "Each scent is hand-formulated in a small village near Grasse, France by a chemist using undiluted flowers, wood, spices, and house-aged essential oils: Moss, mushroom, violet, soil, oak, eucalyptus, cypress, and mint are just some of the notes present and accounted for in these intense, fragrant blends. These vegetable wax blends are then hand-poured into blackened iron vessels forged by hand by the town’s local blacksmiths (might we note they’re just as beautiful and functional with or without wax)." How nice.

I'll share some more trends this week that are worth checking out too in lighting, food and another style that has its origins on the west coast (USA) and is creeping slowly but surely into Europe in countries like Germany and Denmark.

See you tomorrow!

(images: abc carpet + home)