What I Was Doing This Time Last Year

Another year has come and gone! My how time flies when you are having fun, or in this case when you are getting older.

This time last year I was in Egypt!! I am so thankful that we had the experience of visiting this amazing destination, because now, a visit there would be impossible due to what is going on in our world at this time.

Here is the post that I wrote a year ago today............

As some of you know I have been on a three week vacation to Rome and on a Mediterranean cruise.

 Hubby and I went with two other couples that are long time family friends. While we were on this trip I celebrated my 60th Birthday. Here are just a few pictures of what I did on my 60th.

It all started the night before where Hubby surprised me with a Birthday dinner in the beautiful Murano restaurant on board ship. The dinner was amazing and the company was the best!

I am the Birthday girl sitting at the table with the love of my life.

A special Birthday cake. Yum chocolate, my favorite!!

The waiters singing Happy Birthday with all kinds of accents and notes!!!

The next day off to Egypt to see the pyramids!! My son wrote this Happy Birthday note to me……..

I wanted to wish Mom a Happy Birthday! Not sure I'm comfortable with the symmetry of being born on Friday the 13th and visiting the Pyramids, a place renowned for ancient curses and all other manner of spooky stuff on the same day, but to each his...her own. ;) Hope you enjoyed your day and I'll see you guys when you get back. Love you!

That is right I was born on Friday the 13th 60 years ago!!! Love his sense of humor.

It was a bit windy but warm and lots of dust in the air. The little numbers on our shirt are our bus numbers. Trust me there were a LOT of buses there!!!

This picture not only shows the line-up of buses but the two largest pyramids and the Sphinx. It was truly amazing to be there in person.

A close-up of the largest pyramid. Our tour guide told us the pyramid weighs over 11,000 tons. Amazing!

This is a great shot of the individual stones and how they stair step upward.

Full length of the Sphinx.

I had to take a picture of this image.  Yes, even in Egypt they have one of these……….

Then we sailed off into the sunset……….

………Tired and full of awe. This is a Birthday that this girl will never forget!!

Kathysue

My Backyard Blues

When it comes to the combination of blue and white you can count me,”IN!” I find it to be a classic look that will stand the test of time.

I chose this combination for my backyard to give it a cool feeling for the hot summer days we can experience here in California.

I also painted the back of my home a different color than the front!! Yes!! you heard right. The front of my home is yellow which is a warm and welcoming color, but I needed a cool look for the back so I chose a soft sage green for the back. You can not see the back of the house from any angle other than when you are back there so that is how I can get away with a two-toned house.

I took these pictures just when the sun was going down. The candles were lit and ready for dinner on the patio……….

The two black lanterns hold candles. You can’t see the light until it is totally dark. I purchased these years ago specifically to hang on my cobalt blue shutters.

The white monogrammed pillow is from Ballard designs. You know me, I have to have a touch of black and white and a letter,”P.” in just about every room in my home.

This is where we eat breakfast and also have dinner on the nights that are still warm.

This is the very first table that hubby and I ever purchased in 1970. It use to be white and it was our kitchen dinette table for years.

Even as a nineteen year old I knew it would be a good investment piece. Once it was no longer our kitchen table we could use it on our patio.

One thing I did not realize back then was…… Out of site out of mind. It set in my garage for 30 some-odd years, and just this year got it’s new coat of paint.

It was so fun sitting together at this table for the first time in years. I told hubby,”This is where it all began!! 41 years ago.

You can see our chimnea in this picture. We put a log in it when it is completely dark. My kiddos love to sit out here and make smores in the summer months.

Sometimes even when it is a bit cold we will snuggle up in blankets here. The small wrought iron piece at the bottom is an antique fire screen. I bought it years ago and it just snuggled in perfectly with the chimnea.

In our area of California the summer months can get quite hot so a pool almost becomes a necessity. We had this pool installed over thirty years ago and I have never regretted it.

My boys and their friends spent a lot of fun times out here. Now our grand kids enjoy slipping down the slide when they visit in the summer months.

The white piece in the center is a fountain. I love to look at it, it reminds me of Disney land when it is turned up on high! I am a big kid at heart!

I have to mention the great wall , that is what we call our fence, because it is pretty big.

My middle son built this for us two summer’s ago. We did not have the last two panels finished until this year. He helped me with the design and built all of it but the last two panels. He helped make a dream come true for me.

He also installed the large black lanterns which he said reminded him of, “The Pirates of the Caribbean!” at Disneyland. He is right, when it is dark it is just a lantern glow. He and hubby rewired them for low voltage lights in order to get a candle glow effect. I love ambient lighting.

The sun is starting to go down and the candle light begins to show up more. This is looking at my yard from the very back side.

As you walk back you turn the corner and we have another small patio where hubby barbecues/grills and we can sit back there and visit. The men usually go back there and talk about , you guessed it, SPORTS!

It is getting a bit dark now so I had to use a No-No, Flash!!! This is another favorite area of mine. That is little Jimmy holding a rock over looking a water feature. It is a small bubbler sitting among the ferns. It is a sweet little surprise making a wonderful bubbling sound, very peaceful. Above this area is my window box……..

It is getting dark so it is time to sit down and enjoy the candle light!!

So now you know where Kathysue’s family and friends sit and visit!! I hope you have enjoyed your stroll through out my backyard……

“Enjoy the Process!” Of:

Making special areas in your home to sit and relax!

Kathysue

En Masse

I tend to be a less is more, big is better kind of gal. In fact I use to tell my clients when in doubt use the mantra: Less is more, big is better.

With that in mind it came as a surprise to me when I was  shopping in Carmel with my bloggy buddies how many times I was attracted to large groupings of the same item, or element in a composition or vignette. The elements or objects were En Masse.

Upon looking up the definition it became more clear to me why I was attracted to a composition of so many of the same elements.

En Masse:

Define En masse

noun in a mass; all together; as a group:

in a group; as a whole; all together

Now that makes perfect sense to me!! When a group of elements of the same family are all grouped together, en masse, they will read as one. So it will be a big is better less is more concept!! Aaaah Hah!! Now I get it.

I felt confused about liking a composition of a lot of, “stuff,” since I am a less is more gal, but when grouped en masse it is as if I am looking at one big piece.

I collected some images on my Pinterest board that will be a good example of what I am talking about……….

There are a total of 32 botanical prints in this composition! That is a lot of, “stuff,” by anyone’s standards. Yet, because it is en masse it tends to read as one large piece!

Shall we look at some more compositions?……….

By having the same type of element, as in this grouping of milkglass the composition becomes a statement piece. The milk glass is viewed as a whole unit.



In this grouping we have two compositions, the mirrors, and the Hermes signature orange boxes.



Each of these pottery pieces are a bit different, but when placed en masse they become on large piece of art, so to speak.


The items you choose to put together en masse don’t necessarily have to be exotic, or even a special antique collection. In this grouping the homeowner chose to use every day objects en masse. I love the statement this composition is making in this vintage kitchen.



Every day hats become a sculptural looking vignette when grouped together en masse.

I am not sure how many pieces are needed to be called en masse, but I think when it is more than a pair of something it can be an effective grouping such as in the above image. The demijohns become much more of a statement when placed as a cohesive grouping.

Even simple metal pie plates can make a statement.




This is when more is more!! En Masse done in a gorgeous manner.



A grouping of inexpensive dollar store candles placed en masse makes a beautiful glowing statement.




Last but not least even nature knows how to present us with a beautiful display, En Masse!!

I don’t know about you all, but I am going to start looking around my own  home to see how many like-items I might have so I can make a vignette, En Masse!


Do you have some items that you can think of that would make a wonderful vignette En Masse!?

“Enjoy the Process!” Of:

Discovering new and interesting ways to display your favorite collections.

Kathysue

Quote for the day:

Always scale up, not down. Everyone is terrified of making things too big - if in doubt make it bigger, not smaller.

          - Roger Banks-Pye, Colefax and Fowler Interior Inspirations

 

All the above images are from my Pinterest board titled: You guessed it, En Masse!