Opportunity Knocks for the New Year

(photo courtesy: Caitlin Goebel)

I hope the New Year will bring prosperity, love, and happiness for all. May all the opportunities you wish for in your life come knocking at your door.  Happy New Year!!! 

Snapshots

{photo courtesy: manga via mary ruffle}

Today is the last day of the year and I'm planning to go shopping for a new camera.  It's really quite remarkable that with my love of travel and design that I don't have a camera.  I had a great little one that my friends bought me several years ago but the battery doesn't work and I would like one that I can perhaps do a bit more with.  So, about a block away from my townhouse is one of the best photography supply stores in town.  I love how my sister and her daughter were able to get such amazing shots last summer in Paris so I would like to look at a camera similar to what they have.  I'm excited to embark in a new hobby.  

Snow in Portland

Finally we had our first snow in Portland.  A blanket of white covered the city and while it was terrible for those who had to drive in it, it was wonderful for long walks.  This photo is one I took with my i-phone last year in the snow.  The photo below is also on my phone but last night at midnight.  I need a camera!

Notting Hill

Photo Courtesy: flickr

I have always wondered why I love to travel so much.  At times it can be difficult (especially airports these days!) but even with the hardships that come with it, I have to say it is something I love.  I look forward to every detail of a trip - packing the suitcase, watching people in airports, seeing a new place for the very first time.  And it's usually when I am traveling that I find the most inspiration for looking at how I live at home.  The way people dress, the display windows at stores, and of course museums filled with art are all inspirations to keep my way of living fresh and alive.  But it is usually the smaller aspects of a country that I gain the most from.  Conversations with strangers, a smile on the street, and best of all - being mistaken for a native. 

This summer, while in London with my daughter, I was especially inspired by the neighborhood we stayed in. We were in a home in Notting Hill.  I instantly fell in love with this section of London.  To begin with, we found amazing restaurants, including one called deslesford organics where we ended up eating most of our meals at.  We also found a Mexican restaurant with excellent food.  And we are quite particular about our Mexican food since we lived in Mexico City for four years. We stayed in a beautiful home close to Portabello Road and the owner was so good at mixing old antiques with modern touches.  She would have beautiful pieces of old furniture and then use modern accessories such as acrylic tables and chairs.  I couldn't wait to get home and make a few changes in my own home.  Below are a few photographs to share with you.  Enjoy!

Dreaming of Paris

This summer I was fortunate enough to travel Paris with my daughter, sister, and niece.  What I adored about traveling with the three of them was that all of us love the little things that make Paris so amazing.  My sister and her daughter were such good photographers and were able to capture what I consider the essence of the city.  It was the beauty of small things that make Paris a place I continue to return to.  This little girl in the photo above captures what I am talking about.  In addition, in the markets there were displays that took my breath away.  Spices, bowls for sale at the flea market, and waiters dressed in crisp white shirts.  That's what make Paris special to me. 

{photos courtesy: Patricia & Claire Giffen} 

The New Year

Since I still have one more week of vacation I'm planning to work on my home and try to get it organized for the New Year.  I am hoping to get my study painted brown and I want to do my annual closet clean-up.  I live in a brick townhouse in Portland, Oregon. I love the high ceilings and open format of my home.  I hope I can get in tip-top shape before heading back to work in January.

Photo Courtesy of : flickr

Welcome

Welcome to Global Atelier.  I'm excited to join the world of blogging and share my ideas about my two favorite topics: design and travel.  All of my life these have been two of my greatest passions and I look forward to sharing my ideas and inspirations with you.

{photo: courtesy Homes & Gardens}