Desire To Inspire

After moving into a new apartment last year, I got an urge to look up designs for my bedroom. Of course HGTV topped the list, but then Flash held me back. Determined not to give up, I went digging, elsewhere. Believe it or not, there is an elsewhere - it's called Desire To Inspire. And so came my introduction to the blogosphere.

Desire To Inspire digs up amazing pictures and design ideas from portfolios of your favourite, stylish and even lesser known designers. I think I can safely say that they compile the best design ideas all in one place. They say they are aiming to inspire readers one room at at time but in reality their two daily servings are more than enough to make you plump with inspiration and arouse just all your creative urges. The occasional reports (and pics) makeovers by the blog operators keep things real and equally inspiring, and show that the ideas that fuel dreams can come into your own home. Chances are, all you have to do is run to a hardware, get some paint, supplies and a handy boyfriend (the latter is not found in all hardwares). Run by Kim in Canada and Jo in Australia, Desire To Inspire is inspiring both to a blogger and a design fanatic. And so, I just had to reach out and ask these few questions. Here are the unedited responses. Enjoy! And take a trip over to Desire To Inspire.

S.S.: Kim, you live in Canada, Jo lives in Australia - two hotspots that have been abuzz with creativity and are getting increased artistic attention in recent times. Would you call your Canada-Australia liaison a coincidence or sheer genius? (why?)

DTI: Our Canada-Australia liaison was a coincidence at first and proved to be a stroke of genius not long after we began the blog. We met on Flickr, a photo-sharing site, and became fast friends with interior design as a mutual passion. We got the idea for the blog and ran with it and it became successful almost instantly. And we've never looked back. I think it's awesome that we come from similar countries, where both are very well known for their super-friendly inhabitants!

S.S.: Monday - Friday, fans have come to expect your treat of 2 posts (at least and except for those very exciting days). Without divulging too much of your blogging techniques, how do you keep yourselves inspired to inspire us each day?

DTI: To keep all our readers constantly inspired, we spend ALOT of time gathering names of stylists, photographers and interior designers to feature. Google has become our best friend. We both spend much of our free time researching for new blog content.

S.S: Jo's in the morning then Kim's in the afternoon, do you have a get-ready-to-blog routine?

DTI: Our routine is fairly straightforward. We both do most of our reseach on the weekends, and then Jo gets her posts ready in the mornings before she heads off to work (and schedules them in Blogger to publish first thing that day). I get my posts ready in the evenings when I get home from work and then the next morning I schedule them to publish that afternoon.

S.S.: You both present so many novel and inspiring finds on the daily and at times I feel like I would give anything to have them all. Honestly, how would you describe your signature style and how do you preserve it?

DTI: Jo and I have no signature style, both in our homes or on the blog. We post just about any style (except I draw the line at country), just like our homes are a miss-mash of all sorts of styles. I'd like to call us eclectic. You can interpret that any way you like. But we both have a serious addiction to thrift stores and flea markets. I love bringing items into my home that are fun and original and have a history. I rarely buy new. If I do it's because the good vintage furniture is really hard to come by in Ottawa.

S.S.: Any goals,anything big on the horizon for Kim, Jo and Desire to Inspire?

DTI: Hmmmm. I have a couple bathrooms in my home that desperately need complete redos. I need to pay off my kitchen first though. And tons of little projects to go tide me over until then. Jo is on the hunt for a house to purchase as she currently rents, but real estate in Australia is SO PRICEY so she's had to be patient in the hopes of finding the perfect fixer-upper. As for the blog, we are moving off Blogger within the next few weeks and are also planning a redesign of the blog so lots of work in the respect ahead of us.

Thanks so much Kim, Jo and Desire To Inspire.

A Haiku for You

Just about a year ago, Kezumie Weekly introduced me to a new word: haiku. Yes, my limited vocabulary is oh so shameful, but lucky for me I'm still young and refining ;-)) It was a nice sounding word that turned out to be a description of a Japanese-type poetry. Further research has led me to conclude that a haiku seems an ideal powerhouse : short but very compact, combustible even, need I also mention - economical.

At the same time, they are like such pretty little flowers you give to someone special, notes of specialness. As more persons go on to discover the haiku, it seems they are becoming popular gifts for those special occassions and just because whims. Working on a few myself.

Dare I say it? One more threat to the greeting card? Come on now, personal personal was always on everybody's wishlist.

Have a great weekend!

Pear Time

My sweetheart at home says he's never seen a pear, much more to have ever had one. Sounds funny to some extent, but yet again we live in Jamaica where our idea of a pear equates with some varieties of what's called an avocado. Here, pear, the fruit from temperate places is called American Pear. This is what he claims to have never tasted.

So I decided to make him less provincial and introduce him to one or two of the varieties - Anjou and Boss - available locally. Into the light and with excitement.

And since I'm at it, this is how we here in JA have our own pear. Since summer salads aren't so very filling, I like to hit it up against some nice, soft bulla and call it supper. Believe me, beside sweethearts and a good book, it's the next best thing to come home to. Be sure to ask for it on your next trip down. I love pear season!!

You're So Special

(Via Etsy)

Yes, you are - gold brass Memoirs Swallow Locket by Glitzer available here on their Etsy store.

It doesn't exactly fit the profile of a statement necklace, but for me a locket is the ultimate expression of cherish, history and intimacy. A locket seems very much like a promise, so very personal, private and esteemed. The gold brass finish on this piece is a rich sentimental blend which makes it so special.

I'm a lover of sentimental jewellery not for the sake of owning a possession but simply for what it connotes. I quite think Glitzer hit the mark on this one. Don't you think?

Facing up: Soulmate Fantasy vs the Reality of Incompatability

Yesterday's posting of the loft got me to thinking further of issues of love, dreams, wishlists, reality and incompatability.

Ever had your heart set on ... It seems to me this picture has the ideal structure I am looking for in a loft, seen it in my dreams even. My mock up (scratchings) mirrors it somewhat and the simple, clean lines seem to be a natural attraction beckoning me to move in. So why not?

Because its barren sterility leaves me feeling empty, cold and void of the eclectic warmth that courses through my soul. It would indeed be sad to give up on the beauty that is this space on this basis, especially if you own it. Surely, with the additions of decor and personal style, the space could easily evolve into ideal.

But mature backbones do not play 'hung up', adults ought to lead the life they dream.

Willing-up Some Inspiration

I am at that place
where laughter feels foreign, a bloodshot of guilt
The prospect of joy - strange and dim.
I'm sitting in times grave with the ambivalence of silence.
where the sentiment of dreams have gone deflated;
and my whole being has never been this shattered.

(Via Desire to Inspire)

So, I'm trying to will me up some inspiration.

Ideally, I'd love to own a loft. Just not one this sterile. But I must say I like the openness of this one with its clean, modern lines and that statement light pendant is a must have.

Here this minute, Gone in 15

Just another day, another not so ordinary day, up and ready to go. Who would have guessed, to meet the transient nature of life.

Angella Garwood (1961-2009)