Monday Musings - Tantalizing Turquoise

This beautiful colour derives its name from the opaque, blueish green gemstone that has been prized as an ornamental stone for thousands of years owing to its unique hue.

The word turquoise, which dates to the 16th century, is derived from an Old French word for "Turkish", because the mineral was first brought to Europe from Turkey.

In holistic medicine, the color turquoise purportedly has a calming effect on patients, and is particularly used to treat patients prone to panic attacks.

 Psychiatric hospitals apparently often use turquoise and other light tones of blue and green to calm patients by painting the walls in these colors....

... and nurses often wear turquoise colored clothing because of its calming nature.

Proponents of energy healing believe that turquoise dispels negative energy and can be worn to protect against outside influences or pollutants in the atmosphere.

 They believe turquoise balances and aligns all the chakras, stabilising mood swings and instilling inner calm. (Me - mood swings - never!) (Although a little turquoise box like the one below could swing my mood!)

It is also supposed to be excellent for depression and exhaustion, and has the power to prevent anxiety.

In addition, turquoise is meant to promote self-realisation and assist creative problem solving. (Yes, please - I'll have some of that.)

Finally, it is supposed to be a symbol of friendship, and stimulates romantic love.

Regardless of  whether we believe any of this or not, we could probably all do with a bit of turquoise in our lives.

And if you are born in December, you are lucky enough to have turquoise as your birthstone.

"If cold December gave you birth, 

The month of snow and ice and mirth,

Place on your hand a turquoise blue; 

Success will bless whate'er you do"

Gregorian Birthstone Poem

Till next time

Sharon x

Image source: 1.Classic Casual Home,  2. Tumblr. 3. House and Leisure Mag 4. Meg adams Interiors Design, 5. Dying of Cute 6. Simply Pix 7. Tumblr 8. Tumblr 9. Etsy 10. Dying of Cute 11. TG Interiors  12.  TG Interiors 13. Tumblr 14. Tumblr 15. Tumblr 16. Providence Ltd  17. Tumblr  18. Whimsical Home  19. Tumblr  20. Pinterest   21. Tumblr 22. Campagne Decoration 23. Bees like Homey 24. Casa Decorada  25. Eclectic Revisited 26. Interiors Styles and Designs 27. Love French Bulldogs 28. Belgian Pearls 29. Casa Decorada 30. Whimsical Homes 31. Crush cul de Sac 32. Interiors Styles and design 33. Crush cul de Sac 34. Crush Cul de Sac 35. La La Bonne Vie 36. Tiny White Daisies 37. Simply Pix 38. Simply Pix 39. My Paradissi 40. Crush cul de Sac

Monday Musings - Captivating Kitchens

Did you know that I collect kitchens? I used to keep scrapbooks of pictures of kitchens which I still look at  from time to time and it's quite interesting to see how kitchens have changed over the years. 

Apparently the biggest change in kitchens arose because of a change in our perceptions of cooking. When cooking started being seen as a creative, and sometimes social act instead of work, there was a trend towards integrating kitchens with living areas. Families welcomed the trend towards open kitchens, as it made it easier for the parents to supervise the children while cooking. For people who love entertaining, the open kitchen has the advantage that they can be with their guests while cooking, and for the "creative cooks" it might even become a stage for their cooking performance. 

There is also a huge trend towards very sleek, modern kitchens, with completely empty surfaces, integrated appliances and state of the art equipment. You know the kind I mean - they look like no actual cooking ever happens in them. But, don't worry, you won't find pictures of them on the pages of this blog.

I like kitchens that look like people cook in them, families live in them, the appliances are used, the cutting boards are weathered and worn, the surfaces might be a bit battle-scarred and they are warm and inviting. 

But, having said all of that, I don't like kitchens that are too cluttered, and that are so functional that no thought has been spared on aesthetics. I think you need to pay as much attention to your kitchen decor as you do on any other room in the house. 

These are some kitchens that I have in my collection that are my current favourites. No more commentary ... just pictures. 

What appeals to you in a kitchen? Did any of these push your buttons? I would love to hear.

Till next time

Sharon x

Images: 1. Pinterest  2. David Michael Miller  3. Kevin Harris Architects  4. Mary Evelyn Interiors  5, 6, 7, 8. Tumblr 9. Coastal Living 10. Decorare 11. Crush cul de Sac 12. Elegant Interiors 13. Georgiana Design 14. Mike Hammersmith  15. Indulge Decor Blog 16. Pinterest - Brooke Gianetti  17. Inspiring Interiors

Monday Musings - Collecting and Collections

Collecting is possibly one of the world's most popular pastimes and I'm sure that most of the readers of this blog are collectors of some sort. 

Many people start collections as children. My children have all had collections of some sort. Model ships, gemstones, wooden elephants,  sports memorabilia and so it goes on. They often outgrow them and move onto different things.

As adults, we can also change the things we collect. As we grow older and wiser, our tastes often change and we might move on from collecting certain things and start new collections.

I think the joy of collecting is in the hunt, stumbling across things to add to our collections in unexpected places, sometimes waiting years to find the item that is just right for our collections.

Sometimes collections can be hidden away and taken out every now and then to enjoy.

But, on the whole, we tend to display our collections, so that we can enjoy looking at them everyday.

Displaying collections in a way that is visually pleasing is is quite an art. Smaller objects can be placed in containers to great effect.

I think, in general, it is best to display your collections together, rather than distribute them all over your home. Massed objects create greater impact than those same objects dotted here and there.

If your collection is vast, you don't need to display it all at once, rather pack some of it away and rotate the pieces every now and then. You want to avoid your home starting to look like a shop.

Collecting things found in nature is especially rewarding and the best part is that it costs nothing. 

Flea markets, car boot sales and second hand shops are usually a treasure trove for collectors.

One of the fun things about collections is remembering the provenance of the pieces. I have collected Christmas decorations from different parts of the world and when we decorate the tree, it always brings back memories of wonderful travels.

It is often more fun collecting things that are old and have a history than new things. I quite enjoy speculating about the path a certain object might have travelled before landing in my hands. 

Having said all of this, I think probably the most important thing about collecting, is knowing when to stop!

I would love to hear about some of your collections.

Till next time

Sharon x

Images:  1. House of Mine 2. Tumblr 3. Pinterest 4. Pinterest 5. The Little Corner 6 Style for Living 7 Tumblr 8. Style for Living 9. Tumblr 10. The Vintiquarian 11. Country Living 12. Real Simple 13. Pure Style Home 14. Real Simple 15. Tumblr 16. The Bella Cottage 17. Atlanta Bartlett 18. Brown Dress with white dots 19. Country Living 20. Art And Decoration 21. House and Leisure 22. Tumblr 23. Tumblr 24 Tumblr 25. Unknown 26 Estilio Rustico