30.11.10

Analyse me ~ style!

Are you loving beautiful images of gorgeous homes in decoration magazines both printed and online?
Are you perhaps amazed by the talent some people have in putting together 
stylish spaces, independently of their approach to decoration?
Whether modern, minimal, romantic, elegant, eclectic mix, industrial, country, colourful, luxurious, natural or different mixtures of them together, we often wonder how these spaces are put together and wish that we achieve a similar outcome. 
Let me see if I can give  a helping hand with that, other than directly cooperating with you into designing or redesigning your home spaces.



The first key is that to be able to compose, we must also be able to decompose.
In simpler words, to be able to put together (compose) beautiful spaces, we should also be able to analyse a space.
These two go hand in hand.

So, today I want to do a little Style analysis with you and for this purpose I chose some of my very favorite pictures from 
{Have you by any chance read my recent post about how to create labels in six easy steps, while using the simplest of recycled and repurposed  materials? You can do so by hoping here @ the inspiring blog of Ikea Family Live}

To start our style & space analysis, above is Isis kitchen, in a fabulous combination of:
 black & white, modern simplicity and a little dosis of elegant romance added with the Ikea Bekvam stool, which she brilliantly painted pink and the vintage jug in milky white.
What is it that "makes" the whole image for me, apart from the blackboard and the pink, wooden stool? This little piece of detail which brings everything together and takes it high into the sky?
The gorgeous patterned reusable bag in white & black, (from Ikea of course, which I rushed to buy when I was in Greece) and the gigantic kitchen spatula, which adds just the right amount of warmth and detail, binding beautifully together, black, white & pink, modern, simple, minimal, practical & elegant together.

Except from having an extreme talent in putting together fabulous spaces,
Isis also owns a darling on line shop and keeps a gorgeous, stylish blog, which she writes together with her sister Nimue.  The whole project of their dancing tea or simply
The Dansant,  is a collaboration between those lovely sisters.
What a brilliant idea!
I love everything about this girl does! Perhaps I should arrange a more detailed presentation here in the future, as I aslo like her kind and quiet ways a lot. For the time being, just trust me and do hop over at her pages to simply delight your eyes and soul with all you'll see!

Now, what do we have here?


One of my ever favorite homes belonging to
Ana who lives in London's Notting Hill.
Her home is adorable to bits!

Adorable like this detail of heart made from little branches above her couch.

A wonderful example of how a white basis can bring out the best out of colours, like the books on the shelves. Superb, crispy white walls, wooden floors, and pastel, tones here and there, all creating a feeling of peacefullness, cozyness, while at the same time being pratical and elegant.
There are a lot more of gorgeous pictures of Ana's home, particularly her amazing dining table decorations and her daugther's super lovely room right  here.

And let's go on to another super pretty space, situated in Amsterdam, belonging to Desiree, the author of Vosges Paris, who is also a lovely customer of our gift shop. She usually places her custom orders directly to us, instead of via Etsy and made a lovely relative post this weekend if you 'd like to read.



To my opinion, Desire is a trend setter, she makes style herself and she does it so well and naturally.
She loves industrial design, yet she has this magical way of making it look so comforting, inviting and cozy. Grey concrete is her soft point and I so adore it, too!

Above in her home office space, I love how she is adding warmth by throwing a grey shipskin on her chair and using one of these multipurposed wooven baskets to organise the small things on the desk's office.
Can you notice that there are quite a few details, still the space looks very airy and light?
This is what happens when we use a white canvas and calm tones.
How about a look in her bedroom?


Simplicity and elegance in all their grandiocity, don't you find?
Using these low squared shelves is a great alternative to a nightstand. Perfect both for some organisation and display of some beautiful and unique objects.
 By leaving the walls "naked" above her headboard , she is free to be making endless mixing and matching with her bed linens, creating each time a very personal and intersting outcome.
I simply adore spaces which are fully decorated, without actually being much decorated.
Desire's home is such a perfect example.

Style analysis is over for today....let my ask, have you been following the points made?
Do you also "see" things that way?
Have you noticed something else in the spaces above?
Does the process of decomposing/ analysing a space help you gain insight into how beautiful, balanced spaces are put together?

Do let me know, would you? The comments section is always counting on your presence to get all warm and alive!
Thank you my dears :)

Ivy ~ xx

~ let it snow...

 Let it snow and....look whose there!


...on the bench covered in snow...a reindeer & a Christmas tree!
The cookie cutters which demanded that they get out in the snow and play...if only they knew that they would end up being covered with many centimeters of snow, maybe they'd have wished to stay in their drawer!


Good morning with a little winter story my dears...today there's time for blogging during the day, between being here and there and among the snow as well.  
I'll proceed with presenting you a couple of my favorite pictures from real homes as I promised here, but only after I share some current issues and pictures with you....after all this blog is  a diary where life is journaled as it occurs...hopefully a meaniglful and stylish one, one that inspires you to live a  creative life filled with love and abundance.
Sunday's post had to be postponed due to some technical difficulties (poured tea in computer area and all devices drying out for the day, luckily all managing to not...catch a cold!)
Mondays are quite often blog free days but yesterday I did enjoy some lovely flickring time.
The pictures below were posted in my account there, receiving quite a warm response.
(you can also see them on your left, from where you are directly connected to flickr)
If you are one of my flickr friends coming here, I hope I don't bore you with looking at the same ones!
I just couldn't leave the lines of my diary without having shared here this winter wonderland, too!
So, shall we ?...wearing a hat, scarf and gloves?
Boots, too?
It's wonderful but freezing cold!
Her's our wooden bench, covered in only one fifth of the snow that exists right now. 

...and the view from your living room window, one that makes me feel blessed for the fact that not only there is a roof above my head, but also a view of such lovely, roofs before me


Verna park, which is beautiful all year long, but seeing it dressed in white is my favorite I guess

and here's me playing along for the fun & creative  flickr group, bench Monday


I wonder, do you love a white winter as much as I do? Having been brought up in an Greek, Athenian suburb just across the sea, seeing snow, unless we travelled elsewere was a rarity.
and I so so much wished for a white Christmas each year!
...at least now I know that my prayers have been heard....I just had to be patient for a few years ; )

Wishing you all to be spending a fabulous last day of November!
I'l come later with more posts regarding shop updates and super beautiful, stylish, real homes.
Till then, stay warm, enjoy your days and enter a mostly heart warming discussion board on the comments section of  this post on the Essesnce of  Giving.
Exept from the pleasure that sharing our thoughts brings, you have the chance to win a Christmas special set from our gift shop, which is also available here.


love
Ivy  ~ xx

27.11.10

Domestic Stories with Ivy chez....Vosges Paris!


Have a nice Saturday evening you all....it has been so lovely here on Domestic Stories these last few days! Since yesterday it has been really heart warming....and moving...and touching, which is good cause these pre Christmas days are all about such feelings after all.
Thank you all very much for enterring the "make a wish" give away and sharing your ONE wish here on the discusion board of this blog. 
It's a precious contribution from your sides, as there is so much potential created when individuals share directly from their hearts!
I wish to you all who have enterred so far, your wishes to become true. It is wonderful reading them and finding out a little bit more about you!
I love connecting to people and blogging is the main reason I begun to do so...totally accindentally and unplanned on the first place, but it is moving on to a direction as time passes and as it evolves together with me.

To return to you supporting me, there's a special lady I'd like to thank tonight:
 Desiree, author of 

mostly stylish Vosges Paris blog. There unfolds a story in grey & zinc you are sure to fall in love with, unless you have....already done so, which is quite possible.


She has been so kind as to give a helping hand on spreading the word about Domestic Stories, my Etsy shop NewIvystyle and the give away that is taking place here.
The little story behind our online meeting?
Desire and I met via the Ikea Family Live flickr group, where we both contribute pictures of our Interiors. We are Ikea lovers as you may well imagine and share a common basis on home decoration & styling despite some obvious differences in our styles.
I adore her home and am in awe of her magical ability to compose incredibly beautiful, stylish, interesting, crisp & clean spaces, while keeping everything simple.
I'd gladly move in anytime!
To support my sayings, I'll come back tomorrow with a post about some of my favorite spaces and will be bringing pictures from Desire's home as well with me.
Till then, do hop here and get a taste of how seducing a story in grey and zinc can be!

Finally, may I add how flaterred I am to have customers like Desiree enterring my shop?
Very :)
She chose the wedding present for a friend of hers a couple of weeks ago, making me feel so very special....to find out how she...married Ikea & handmade by order from my shop, you may read her post here. 

I'll leave you with a picture in winterish mood I made today...that is when there was a card in the camera....cause I also spent some fabulous times photographing the snow in the morning, without a card inside....oh well....what to say?...it was enjoyable anyway...but I think my organism needs a couple of extra dosis of zinc & ginseng ;)




See U tomorrow :)
Ivy ~ xx

26.11.10

~ a "make a wish" give away & the essence of giving


So, Christmas is coming....and we are all getting in shopping moods...some of us are also getting perhaps a little frustrated about what to shop for whom. Some others might be having a little bit of a hard time managing economically...and Christmas can make this so much more intense...
But let's go a little bit behind in time, before overcommercialism took over our lives....then when people were looking forward to holiday season, mostly for the mere fact that they'd be able to spend  time together with their families and loved ones.
Then, when present giving was more clearly a gesture of showing our love, appreciation and care to someone. 


So if you stress about what to offer this Christmas, here are a few reminders:
~ Remember that offering a present is mostly about how you offer something. Taking time to create a package which is personal will as an act of its own, bring pleasure and feelings of warmth to the receiver. Investing time & effort in preparing a package is actually how we show we care for someone. In this way, even the most humble gift can become the most precious present!
~ If you cannot afford at all purchasing something, how about offering some of  your most delicious home made cookies, or a cake?
~ How about donating a book in a good condition that you no longer want, which you know belongs to the wish list of a friend of yours?
~ How about simply creating a gift on your own? Do you perhaps draw?...sew or knit?...make ceramics? Whatever it is you make with your hands will certainly be a wonderful present  to people who are close to you, so long as you also take into consideration their own personal taste when deciding what to make for them.
~ Finally how about simply offering some of your time in helping someone those days? If they are children spend this extra time with them, being really there, doing things together and being part of their world. If they are old people, how about helping them in doing some things that they have trouble doing on their own? Helping them clean & organise their spaces or simply being with them while listening to their stories?


....have these suggestions perhaps been helpful? I'm certain that if not all, most of you being part of this blog and reading these lines wrtitten here, have already made all the above considerations and even more!
You are invited and I'd love you to share your opinions in the comments section! Tell us what you think, write your experiences!  As for yesterday's discussion board, need I say how delighted I was to be reading your replies about what makes you fall in love?
Dearest Elisabeth, Angela, Madhu, Judy, Christian, Sylvie & artist behind Tropical Garden, thank you so much for taking the time to come and write here, sharing parts of your life, opening your hearts. Thank you for warming this place and my heart with your presence.


Now my turn to do something for you. I've specially prepared for all those who know me here in this online neighbourhood (newcomers are also welcome of course!) a Christmas present from my gift shop:


A set of four fine art photography prints in 5x5 size, belonging to the "Love games" collection.



How to enter the Give Away:

Just leave a comment saying which wish you'd make if you only got to make ONE.
Come on, make a wish....Christmas is all about spirits opening and hearts warming up!
Winners are all who will enter, but as sadly I'm not really Santa Claus - despite me wishing very, very much that I could be - only one will be randomly chosen to receive the present. You may be entering until 10.12.10. Remember to leave your email address when commenting, so that the elves can contact you!
And here's how your little parcel will look like when you receive it, but please keep in mind that  I usually surrender to my instant inspirations ; )



From our little shop corner @ home,which is slowly getting in Christmas mood, while remaining simple, wishing you all a happy day. I'll see you all later tonight here.




Love and keep warm :)...got to go make more of those cards among a few other jobs!


Ivy ~ xx

25.11.10

~ do you ever feel like...?



So here I am again...I think that too many totally peaceful and lonely hours creating, also call for some extroversion and communication in order to be finding this so much wished for "Golden Balance"...
So let me please ask you...do you ever feel like...you are falling in love with.....
what you do?
Cause being involved in producing these cards in all ways possible makes me fell this way.
~ from taking the pictures
~ to processing them
~ to finding suppliers for the best recycled paper cards & envelopes sets
~ to caring about the printer's inks and papers
~ to printing them
~ to cutting them one by one in the right size
~ to adjusting them on the cards (now in a new way which allows easier detachment )
~ to creating sets, in order to suggest to you which match nicely with one another
~ to cutting the stripes to tie them in (new) sets of threes
~ to stamping each one with " home made"
~ to creating the paper labels
~ to handwriting on them
~ to finally making their pictures in order for them to listed on an online shop
...have you really ever imagined the detail, care and hours of work that lies behind making such a simple thing as a couple of wishing cards, in an as professional as possible manner, still all done at home, handmade all the way?
Well, before I begun this, I had not ever imagined....

This is what I mean by
"I support handmade"...not only do I buy (among other mass production products) handmade as often as I can, but by also throwing into the market my own 100% handmade products.
It's definetely time and energy consuming (and at the beginning costly!) but I simply adore the process and somehow I have a feeling that these cards will be finding many, happy, new owners and/or will be offered as presents to many others.
I'd so much love to know, what makes you fall in love?....other than your beloved others of course...in terms of doing things, from your own work, to your hobbies, to a simple past time, which process is it that makes you feel so grateful for being alive only to have the pleasure of being part of it and enjoying it?
I'll be looking forward to reading your replies, so please do not let me return to an empty comment section tonight!
Before I go, I 'd like to share with you that my most beloved handmade creation ever, my "Love of wire" was hosted at Etsy's Front Page yesterday, thank's to the wonderful treasury curated by the  artist & designer behind Tropical Garden
Here is a White Chrsitmas for you to be inspired. Hop here to see it live!

...and goodbying you with los of love, like the one that I feel when I engage in creating processes and wishing you to be finding all those things you adore to do and engage in them!


Ivy ~ xx

~ crafting sessions...



...hot tea and chocolate cookies are a great companion for crafting hours
...this where I am today...among a sea of tealights and cards
....have almost completed the making process and therefore friends' orders who are picking them up next week are ready.
So looking forward to opening the doors of my little shop corner in our home to them!
Now, to proceed with photographing them,
process the pictures and list them in the online shop for your availability
as well...till then

Wishing you to be spending beautiful days,
enjoying the preparations for Christmas!


Ivy ~ xx

24.11.10

~ about Ikea & Etsy treasuries


Hi there!...wishing you all a happy Wednesday!....I know that we are all quite busy these days, so if you don't have time to spend online and particularly to read these pages, I 'll understand and  not keep any hard feelings on you... ;-)
...just kidding around a little!

I'm really busy like a bee these days and eventhough there are so many things I'd like to share here, there's not the time. Soon my days will be having more time for blogging and then we'll be keeping each other good company. I love it when it happens :)

So, for today I'll forward you to the fabulous world of Ikea Family Live, where  among other fantastic and inspiring posts, you can also read mine, about how to create  Lovely labels for jars in six steps, which went on air just a little while ago.


It's always such a pleasure and honour to be preaparing something for the company that I personally love so much! Great to be there on your pages again today lovely people of the Ikea Family Live team!

Thank you  & a big smile for you : )

Now since this post must be coming to an end soon but I would indeed love to stay longer, how about sharing another link with you to visit?

You do know that besides Ikea, I also love Etsy and supporting handmade, therefore I'm an Etsy seller myself . And as I adore anything stylish and combining things together, making  treasuries (you can see the ones curated by me here) is a way of suggesting to you things I love, while combining them together.

So, would you like to have a look at the last one I curated this Monday?
Here it is! By clicking on "here" you'll be taken there to see it live, so as to enjoy the products one by one and be linked to each one of the sellers. 
It was also featured on Etsy's Front page yesterday evening and it was really an exciting feeling! 
It was the first time I was featured there as a curator and the seventh time alltogether of having been there since the shop reopened this middle summer. I hope for many more to come!


I love all the items so much!
And I do have a soft spot for one...can you guess?
~ Her shop has been feartured here as part of the Chosen three series 
~ It's also one of your ever favorite reads
~ Thanks to the gorgeous treasuries she is creating, my shop has seen the Front page three times as a participant,
~  and I just can't help returning to her shop all the time both for window and actual shopping
Have you guessed right?...whatever the answer is, just remember to:




Have a wonderful afternoon! Till next time,

Love always,

Ivy ~ xx