CITIZENS OF THE WORLD

I took the photo above while on a whirlwind visit to Paris last November. It was early morning, wet and biting cold as we sat aloft a hop on / hop off bus circling around the city. We had arrived just the evening before for what was my second trip and decided to jump on the bus just to get our bearings. I can tell you that even all these months later, it's easy to remember the pure joy and exhilaration I felt finally getting a good look in the daylight at this majestic place I loved so very much. As we wound through the route, I was anxious for the perspective I finally snapped with my camera when the bus momentarily stopped behind the Trocadero. I remember I turned to my husband and remarked that we had been given an extraordinary gift in that fleeting moment, a sunlit pause in the downpour that allowed us to get a clear glimpse of the Old Lady.

There were of course many extraordinary gifts encountered during our time in Paris, a trip we worked hard and fought for over many preceding months. These are scenes and moments I still carry with me every day. I can tell you that walking that great city only reaffirmed to me that I am a citizen of the world. 

I typically focus on other topics here on the blog, but in that spirit, I felt compelled to pause and reflect on the unfathomable events that unfolded last week in France. I will choose not to discuss politics, freedom of the press or religion here - though arguably, it all does matter. But I simply won't because I've realized in the days that followed, whats at stake is really about something entirely bigger and inclusive of us all- regardless of where we are born and what we are born into. At its finest point, it's humanity that is being victimized again and again. Its all I can think about when I turn on the nightly news to see the headlines of the day, something I feel like doing so less and less. Its appalling what we as the human race do to our own beyond any justification.  I'm not insensitive to the arguments related to marginalization and socio-economic disparities that we also have a hand in creating and do exist in this world of ours.  Life is not an equal playing field - it just isn't and you know what, it's not fair. We all need a closer look at our world and collectively, we absolutely must do better. But there is nothing that rationalizes what took place in France, Syria, Nigeria or the US last week - nothing.

What are we doing to ourselves? It just hurts to the depths of my soul. It keeps me awake at a night when I realize just how complicated it has become to go to work, to go to the market or take a jog down the street, to remember that we are all one in the same - even if we are not. 5,000 miles away, I am affected by the terror and violence that took place in Paris - not just because I realize it can just as easily happen here or because it happened there, but frankly because it happened at all. 

Similarly, I am just as moved by the millions that took to the streets of Paris on Sunday, a show of humanity in its finest hour. I actually set an alarm and woke up early on a weekend morning to witness it, even if just as evidence that there is still good among us. I know there are many that may disagree, but that is what #jesuischarlie is to me at its heart - beyond the magazine, beyond freedom of the press, beyond France. It's a way of supporting, recommitting and binding us back together in the modern age, beyond race, religion or border.  What a cost though for such a reminder. May it not be in vain.

Honestly, I have more questions than answers and so much still to learn. But in the midst of such a profound sadness and alarm, I just could not pretend I'm going about my business with recipes, renovations and pretty pictures and not say something about what is happening. 

Taking Notes // Bedroom Table Styling

I've been busy on making over our master bedroom for the One Room Challenge and one of the areas I've been particularly focused on is the eventual styling of our dresser and bedside tables. While so much focus on designing a polished bedroom goes into layering linens, my eye always gravitates to the layered personal effects that to me, really breathe life into this private space. 

While my goal is a completely polished and finished room, I'm wary about over styling. It's a slippery slope to design a photographable room without oversimplifying or cluttering up with needless artifacts. So often, I look at a room in a magazine and say to myself: yeah, but it looks like nobody lives there or none of that even belongs in a bedroom. In the end, I want the final ORC outcome to convey the space we will be living in everyday. While I may not leave my socks on the floor or the aspirin on my bedside table when I photograph our master makeover, it's important to me to style our bedroom in a realistic manner.  Most of all - I want it to feel finished. So I'm taking notes from the pros by browsing through some of my favorite bedroom table vignettes.

So much of the furnishings, art and textiles will read masculine. I'm a bit intrigued about the idea of displaying some traditionally feminine artifacts like perfume on the dresser. I've always tucked them away in the bathroom or in a cabinet (one less thing to dust!). But I may just pull out some of my pretty bottles and display them. Maybe doing so will even encourage me to wear my favorite fragrances more often.

I'm also a bit leery about clutter. But meaningful displays - personal collections, photographs and artifacts that will serve as a reminder of good memories my husband and I shared together are something I'm considering in our final design. 

Most of all, I plan to use table top displays as an opportunity to bring color and life into our room. We're in week 4 now and still very much in the 'laying the groundwork' stage. But by next week, I should be well into adding in some of the layers that will add color, texture and dimension to our master makeover.

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Changing Tides

I've felt the swell building for quite sometime now. What has long felt like just a distant rumbling or uncertainty underfoot, seems finally to be taking on some sort of shape. I'm still not exactly sure how big the change I'm sensing might be, but I am certain for once that something is indeed well.. happening.

Perhaps its part restlessness. I always feel a bit of verve and tenacity to make things happen in these early days of Fall, though the weather has not quite changed here at home (though trust me, I'm looking for any sign). Perhaps change is in the air as a natural end result to some activity or action. We are coming off of a very lazy summer spent by the pool and while it would be at the top of my list to charge off and complete a million house projects before the holidays, we've actually already accomplished most of our bigger to-dos as far as the renovation go (though there will be some to look forward to).  Perhaps its more of an internal change I'm feeling - some of the more personal things I want to accomplish in my own life that are nagging at me - a sign of age, of growth or at least a willingness to grow. 

I've also been working really hard to listen to what my body needs over these past few quiet months and have been trying to be good to myself. In the end, its maybe that just standing still for a minute or two has finally let some of the more internal stuff bubble to the surface. I'm still waiting patiently to see what it all means. 

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For now, I've settled back into blogging after almost a three month hiatus. In addition to a full week's worth of posts, you may have noticed I've also tended to some housekeeping around here and spruced things up a bit. Be sure to click on the categories in the left sidebar  - they are now linked to previous posts for each!  Did you also notice that I've committed to participating once again in the One Room Challenge Linking Event that Linda hosts twice a year? You can find my past project reveal right here. I'll announce plans next Thursday for the latest room I'm overhauling.

'Til next week friends, enjoy the weekend.

xo