a room with all the things a girl loves

framed photos, books, fresh flowers, orchid, sparkling chandelier, daybed, a hermes blanket, touches of hot pink, natural light... what's not to L O V E?

a love story ends

I have to share a touching story.  On Tuesday, Granddaddy passed
away, somewhat unexpectedly. And after she was told by her best friend that
her husband had died, Granny took her last breath passing away just hours
after Granddaddy.  They were both ill, in separate specialized facilities.  

Granny had brutally battled cancer for six years and within the last year,
Granddaddy swiftly declined in health from Alzheimer's. Granny loved
Granddaddy so much that she just couldn't leave him.   Now may they live

happily ever after together in heaven.

Teacher Appreciation flowers

Thank you for helping us Bloom

What About WAI in Cruce Magazine?

WAI has been featured in Cruce Magazine

Contemporary socio-cultural critique magazine Cruce, has featured an interview realized by Luis Ponce to WAI co-founder Cruz Garcia. The Politics and Society section of the Puerto Rican magazine discusses art, politics, literature and WAI’s critical mission. The interview has been divided in three parts.

The first part of the interview can be read here.

For the remaining two parts stay tuned to WAI. 

more, more, more...

This fortune has been on my desk for years.  I made it pretty to share with all of you.

our Pool is complete (before, during and after)

Our dream for a pool has finally come true and I can't tell you how much we are looking forward to our first summer with it.  Condensed below is three months of construction in pictures.  I hope you enjoy!

our back yard before:

the criteria:

a pool for my hubby, a jumping spot for my little boy and a hot tub for me

the challenge: a major sloping lot that will require lots of steps and a partially above-ground pool

the plan:

My kindergarten-ish marker sketch (thanks to hours on houzz.com for ideas)

And the pool builder's rendering.  I have to say, I was impressed that he turned that little ole sketch into this:

We chose a raised spa for our son to jump from into a 7 1/2 foot deep pool.  We also asked for stone flower gardens around the pool instead of railings since our pool was out of the ground.

Permits received and contract signed.  Let the build begin!

Day 1:

the dig begins:

Feeling the nerves as I watched from the kitchen window.

Making progress after 10 hour days of jack hammering the Central Texas bedrock.

1 week in, the dig is complete.  We loved this excavation crew!

time for rebar and then plumbing:

Day 10, gunite:

Now it slows down.  2 months of extensive masonry work begins, the pool coping and spa waterfall is installed.

The new steps are formed just before the concrete is poured.  We have quite a slope to our lot.

Concrete decking is poured!  Now it cures for several days. And, eventually, we go from concrete steps (above) to nice, white stone steps (below):

 Plaster prep:

 Pebble Sheen day (by far, the most exciting day of the build):

 And, at long last, water!!

 still filling:

22 hours total to fill.  I didn't sleep much that night, but was thrilled to wake up to a full pool:

now, the details:

We chose PebbleSheen instead of plaster in "Seafoam Green" which is a medium turquoise blue.

And 1 inch glass waterline and spa tile: Ice

 Comparing Pebble Sheen samples in an "Aqua Blue" pool.  Left is "Seafoam Green"  and right is "Turtle Bay".  Choosing your Pebble Tec color is quite possibly the toughest choice to make during a pool build.  And probably the biggest impact as far as look goes. We loved seafoam and prism blue.

 Here I am at a "Seafoam Green" Pebble Sheen pool we viewed to compare our tile with it.  I think we have our choices made!

 We chose a grout that (when wet) blends in and matches the base color of the Pebble Sheen.  Are you with me here?  For a disappearing waterline tile look, the tile should be the color of the water that your Pebble finish will provide.  The grout (when wet) should match the base color of the Pebble Tec plaster. The shimmer of the tiles blends in with the sparkling water.

We chose a salted concrete deck (with a bit of integrated creme color).  Here is my little boy's handprint = my favorite detail of all : )

 We selected white stone to match the front of our home.

And I love to use silver sagey, seafoam greens throughout my home.  Go with what you love!

I like the juxtaposition of the shimmering tiles against the rough stone.

A total tiled spa.    L O V E!

 the mess went from this:

to this:

 We chose a white stucco cabana to match our pup, just kidding.  To match the house.

 the best day of the project: landscaping!!!!

like icing on the cake.

Now that I have built my first pool, what I would do if I could do it again:

First, build in the winter.  Next, get renderings and quotes from many pool builders.  See as many pools as you can for ideas. 

White stone and white cushions (ugh -why do I love white!?)  stain and require constant bleaching. 

If you have children, be sure to have an "action", like a slide, or like we chose, a raised spa at the deep end for jumping.  No one wants to police children by the pool so give them something fun to do.

Separate splash zones from the sitting areas. 

I would pass on LED lighting.  It's very un-natural and I wish I had a regular old yellow-ish bulb instead.  Get as many step lights as you can because the light from these fixtures is minuscule.  Again, go with low voltage and not LED.

Skip the auto filler as the plumbing fixture can freeze and it adds another ugly lid on your pool deck.

And while elevation changes are dramatic and beautiful, avoid deck steps for safety. 

Be particular about the water feature as it becomes the focal point of the entire backyard.

Last but not least, I suggest hiring a separate landscaping company for a fresh eye to address grading and landscape challenges.  Budget double what you thought for plantings, irrigation and new sod.

What we got right:

The low chemical ionizer system is simple to maintain.... and like swimming in bottled water.

Put the pool pump as far away from the pool as you can. No matter what they say, it's loud.

Get a large heater for the pool because it costs almost nothing to heat the spa and pool in winter.

Put locks on your gates for peace of mind.

Pay the extra $500 for "shimmering sea", which adds sparkling seashells to your Pebble Tec finish.

Sunbrella fabrics are worth it!

Choose what you love for finishes and be content with your choices.

Last but not least, let the build headaches go and make the pool your peaceful, worry-free place  : )

If you are hesitant and you live in Texas, just do it!  We are so glad we finally did. 

Our Cabana (re-furnished and rearranged)

I've been having fun rearranging the furniture in my cabana and getting it ready for lots of lazy days by the pool.

I had to exchange my Restoration Hardware outdoor Provence wicker pieces.  Here's the before:

The sofa blocked the fireplace from the spa (picky husband) and the low backs on the Provence collection made the chairs uncomfortable.  I kept the dining pieces from the Restoration Hardware Provence outdoor collection, but the rest had to go back.  sigh....

Did you know that outdoor wicker smells like plastic when the pieces are under the sun (even in winter)?  Unpleasant side effect for such pretty pieces.  Especially since Austin, Texas is known for 300+ days of sunshine.

I am very pleased with the new bronze furniture from Ballard.  The shutter cabinets and umbrellas are from Restoration Hardware and the garden stools are from One Kings Lane.  Still dreaming of a rug and outdoor drapery.  One day...

amplify chandelier

paper chandelier design by yves behar and fuse project for swarovski

a handsome Hollywood garden

the garden and sunroom of the creator of Will and Grace from this month's Elle Decor