Martha's Vineyard

And lastly, to round-out my homage to the Vineyard, some of my favorite landscape shots. I know that I will come back to these images from time to time when the hustle and bustle of city living prove to be stressful, and I need a good dose of the MV feeling...

Oh, I almost forgot: the sweet yellow lab pup is named Munson! We met him on the dock in Menemsha. I seriously about melted...adorable.

(images by RowHouse)

Martha's Vineyard: salvage and antiques

While out on a run one morning I came across this neat salvage/antique shop called Above Board, located in Oak Bluffs... I came back later that afternoon, and was totally amazed at the neat treasures in this nice gentleman's shop. He explained to us the history behind the fish mounted to the wall ... we chatted about loving claw foot tubs (we have an original one in our rowhouse). And he was very kind to let me take some photos. If you are ever in that area, it's a must-see shop, filled with gems found all over the Vineyard.

I really like the Menemsha Fish Market sign (below the fish) - I didn't even realize that until looking at these photos. We had lobster bisque and seafood chowder there one day, so I'm smitten with that little harbor.

John really liked this old ticket booth. ...sigh... if only we had the space. Oh, right, and a way to get it home. The owner did say that they ship some of the smaller items. I need to check in with their website from time to time.

(images by RowHouse)

Martha's Vineyard: shops

Onto the fabulouso shops! This place is prime for good shopping. Some of these images are from Edgardtown, some from Oak Bluffs, and the last few are in Vineyard Haven. My favorite shop was in VH -- called Nochi. Seriously, have any of you been to this shop??? Or heard of it? It completely inspired me want to redo the look of my living room. Everything was white washed, with a great mix of vintage pieces, and fine luxury goods. I vowed to return to Nochi one day...

(images by RowHouse)

Martha's Vineyard: architecture

First of all, let me just say how much I was loving the architecture, details, and lush gardens of Martha's Vineyard. Most of the houses that we saw were built in the 1700-1800s! oooh... I was seriously in love. Where we stayed in Oak Bluffs, there was an entire "campground" of gingerbread-like Victorians, that were each unique in their own right, and beautifully maintained. And I couldn't get enough of the cedar shingles, and ornate moldings on the cottages and churches. I also loved the one-of-a-kind windows and doors. I felt, at times, like I was walking on a movie set. It was just unreal, the craftsmanship and beauty of it all.

Oh, and I can't forget about the hydrangea. Simply gorgeous... big, full-headed blooms, dripping out onto every sidewalk.

(images by RowHouse)

Boston, MA

So, as I mentioned earlier, we just got back from a trip to New England, stopping for one day/night in Boston, and then continuing on to Martha's Vineyard for a family reunion. All I can say is that I must have lived in NE in a previous life. I was in absolute heaven! Oh, and the weather was perfect - unseasonably warm for late September.

Okay, so on to some inspiration... John's cousin (whom we stayed with) took us on a tour of the downtown area, including the harbor. While walking past some of the old, grand rowhouses bordering Boston Common on Beacon Hill, he pointed out that some had the original window panes with the historic rose-colored glass. Neat, huh?

I was really drooling over these spectacular homes... I wonder which famous families or celebrities live in Beacon Hill now? Does anyone know???

And check out this beautiful garland of ivy... I looked at it pretty closely, and it appears somewhat simple to achieve, but I don't know..?

More inspirational shots of Boston...




I love the true, gritty history in this one below... what an amazing cemetery, right in the heart of downtown.

More images of MV / lots of shops to come .... hold tight!

(images by RowHouse)

Hello! I am back

Sorry, I've been MIA recently. We took a fun trip up to New England (Boston and Martha's Vineyard), and I have LOTS of photos and ideas to share.... so stay tuned! I will try to post as much as I can later today....

Pretty : Darn : Swell

Affordable artwork, as featured in Venus zine, Design*Sponge, Daily Candy, and Good Magazine.... pretty:darn:swell


"pretty:darn:swell was created by brother and sister duo Wade and Lynne Penhorwood. The two, though separated by more than a thousand miles, longed to one day put their heads together towards a common goal... bettering the world we live in. With one being an avid collector and the other an artist, an online gallery seemed a natural choice and thus began pretty:darn:swell!

Each print is a beautiful, open edition reproduction of the artist's original. All of our giclee prints are printed on 310gsm Hahnemuhle German etching paper using Epson archival inks. The quality is unbelievable and the prints have a lifespan of over 50 years!

Next to each work of art you'll notice a little paragraph about a charitable organization. That's because five dollars from the sale of each print goes to charity! There are so many wonderful organizations out there, we've decided to let the artists choose where the money should go! We are also giving five dollars from the sale of each print to the artists themselves hopefully allowing them to continue creating!"

I love it - charitable and affordable -- most prints I saw were only $20!

(images from pretty:darn:swell)
Thanks for the tip Wendy!