REALITY CHECK

The souk of  Marrakesh

has been on my 
 L O N G 

bucket list    
                                                                  f o r e v e r...

but then again so have the pyramids - 

the Great Wall of China

Macchu Pichu

PHOTOGRAPH-HUFFINGTON POST

The Sidney Opera House

The  museum in Bilboa, Spain

by

Frank Gehry

and 

The Copacaba Beach

Rio de Janeiro

well maybe not so much

to name just a few...

BUT  
(no pun intended)
                                                like most of the world I  have to work
                                ( also an explanation for why I have gone dark since the end of March )

                           so I can only hope to get to these places at some point in my lifetime.

I am lucky to have visited many great places over the years.
Documenting my journeys with photos helps me re-live special experiences and share inspirations

The many images that have appeared in my journal makes it seem that all I do is travel... 

                                               AHHHH.... if only that were so

                                 but never underestimate inspirations close to home

They are everywhere if you are observant

The Art of Seeing 

           

The local spice vendor in Napa 

has a fantastic selection of fresh spices

 weighed out and measured for each individual order. 

Fabric selections inspired by spice market colors

 left to right 

Jasper- Henry Calvin- Scalamandre

Looking at  antique stores and flea markets can score

great finds 

Add a touch of the unique and exotic to personal interiors

Chinese garden stools at a local vendor

try one as a bench in a shower

Beware that you are not paying for an "antique"

unless you are really sure it is.

PHOTO-APARTMENT THERAPY

RELA GLEASON DESIGN

 OUT OF AFRICA 

assortment at the flea market

NOT old but lots of character

A view into my shopping cart on a recent flea market excursion

Nowhere is NO-where

and

everywhere is somewhere

so wherever you may live

LOOK AROUND 

&

APPRECIATE 

I have a friend from a  small town in Iowa

positioned on the Mississippi River it's where she grew up 

and then left 

but many people actually make it a destination

GUTTENBERG, IOWA

The German community must have been named after the inventor of moveable type though the name has an extra T

JOHANNES GUTENBERG

1395-1468

Gutenberg introduced printing to Europe with his invention of moveable type, widely considered the most important event of modern time. 

"It played a key role in the Rennaissance... 

and the Age of Enlightenment...and the spread of learning to the masses"

HMMMMMM- could be the masses should try reading again

The Kindle can't replace gorgeous books that can transport and enlighten

Introducing their first coffee table book

ARTFUL DECORATION

Andrew Fisher & Jeffry Weisman

with

Margaret Russell

Editor-in-Chief

ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST

I still love tucking in with a good book

A RUDIN CHAISE 2732

and what a chic way to do that...

and check out these little "sofa spuds"

way too delicious to be mere couch potatoes

From the comfort of home you can 

"travel" anywhere in the world

RELA GLEASON DESIGN

Christina Sofas by Rela Gleason

The client request was for  a his-and-hers set-up for TV viewing

Sofas with single seat cushions and down filled throws 

 perfect for horizontal lounging

Skirtless styling keeps everything light and open in a small space

No point to hiding the TV,  

set into the stone of the chimney

It is what it is 

Today's new super thin profiles are sleek and sexy

Distant times and places  are a remote control away

The cast of

DOWNTON ABBEY

I watch it not just for the story but the authentic sets

The series is filmed in the real interiors of

HIGHCLERE CASTLE

The country seat of the Earl of Carnarvon since 1679

HIGHCLERE CASTLE 

as seen today

was rebuilt and remodelled by the Third Earl of Carnarvon

between 1839-1842

on the foundations of the original medi-evil structure

Architect- Sir Charles Barry

Barry was an enthusiastic proponent of 

The Rennaissance Revival Style

also seen on 

THE HOUSE OF PARLIAMENT-LONDON

which he designed in 1835

I enjoyed reading this New York Times Best Seller

about the real occupants of "DOWNTON ABBEY"

Lord and Lady Carnarvon 

Lady Almina was the daughter of a Rothchild. 

SO CONVENIENT !!!

Her marriage to the fifth Earl of Carnarvon funded his passion for archeology 

and the financing of Howard Carter's digs in the 

Valley of the Kings 

1907-1922

Carter and Carnarvon discovered 

The Tomb of King Tut

A recreation of one of the rooms in the tomb exactly as they found it

full of artifacts and furnishings

The Ultimate Chaise Lounge

Ancient Egyptian furnishings from the Tomb of Helepheres

are inspirational in their design elegance and modern simplicity

"Simplicity is the ultimate luxury"

LEONARDO DA VINCI

Everyone has their own definition of simple

I promise you this truly SIMPLE RECIPE will be 

SIMPLY DELICIOUS

and gives you a reason to go to your local spice vendor

TINA'S SIMPLE WHITE CHILE

(The same Tina as of the Christina Sofa)

1 Rotisseried chicken - I love Cosco's chicken and I buy several and freeze them

                                          The smell driving home can make you crazy so put them as far

                                           back as you can and resist picking if possible

1 large can of chicken broth  

You can use it straight from the can but I like a richer stock so I use it as the base for my    

SIMPLE STOCK  ( and GLOP )

Remove all the meat- chop and set aside for the chile

Put all bones and skin into a large pot with the can of broth with

1 large unpeeled yellow onion

2 peeled carrots

2 stalks celery

a small bunch of parsley (optional)

Bring to a boil- reduce the heat and simmer covered for one hour

Cool and strain.  You will be amazed how much meat falls off the bones in cooking.  

I save it all along with the cooked vegetables for  Finley.  

Finley loves GLOP

CHILE

Olive oil

1 yellow onion diced

4 cloves fresh garlic finely minced

2 teaspoons crushed oregano

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

2-  4 oz cans diced green chiles

2-  15 oz cans white beans

1.5 pints stock

Heat about 2 Tablespoons oil in a large pot and saute onions and garlic until golden

Add the spices and chiles- mix well

Add beans- stock and chicken 

Simmer for half an hour.  

Season with salt and pepper to taste   

Serve in bowls with a fresh baguette or cornbread

Chile is  supposed to be a bit soupy

GARNISH

1 bunch fresh cilantro

Fresh limes

Finely diced red onion

Sour cream

Shredded Pepper Jack Cheese

Diced avocado

Now that's reality

Enjoy,

Rela

Crossing to the dark side

Could it be by coincidence that each year the 

"major" holidays fall just a few days apart ???

...just few enough in fact,
   to make those of us who are "equal opportunity" celebrants 
   scurry from one  feast to the next.

The Gods Must Be Crazy

This year hopping  from Matzoh Balls

to Chocolate Chics 

was enough to lead me to the dark side

 for Passover Dinner dessert

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

KARA'S CUPCAKES

Sinfully delicious, 

Kara has managed a  

a small Passover miracle 

 I  am now a full convert-

THE GODS MUST BE CRAZY

1980

...and if you have never seen this 

South African comedy

RUN ... don't walk

I  roared with laughter...

at the unexpected dropping of a Coke bottle on a tribal society that has never encountered the "civilized" world , and it's effects on members of the tribe as many cross over to the dark side of human nature

 Interior Design has also been moving to the dark side 

 Easter egg pastels have given way 

to greys and blacks even in the nursery

ELLE DECOR

The Dining Room /Library of fashion designers Bagley-Mishka

Grey is the new neutral

...a mixture of black and white that can be tinted

towards  warm or cool palettes 

Cedar planks on ceilings have taken on the warmth of a grey 

toned with the natural red of the wood

Grey linen hangs from iron rods 

mounted to the ceiling

LUSH - ENVELOPING - CHIC

creating a beautiful sense of romance

Fifty Shades of Grey

Pillows at Hudson-Grace-San Francisco

Click and see what color they have selected

as the neutral for their chic web site

Grey

reminiscent of stone 

weathered wood

storm clouds

GREY remains a classic basic in the well dressed man's wardrobe.

GREGORY PECK

THE MAN IN THE GREY FLANNEL SUIT

1955

The iconic story of conformity in the executive suite

The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit

HUGO BOSS- 2013

The grey of northern european climates has 

influenced the color sense of Flemish and Belgian designers

whose clean, spare look and pallette has become a major influence in

interior design in the 21st Century

Axel Vervoordt is a master of crossing over to the dark side in interior design

I visited the Vervoordt warehouses outside of Antwerp

on a typical cold grey day in December

Despite the weather bicycles are the preferred 

mode of transportation 

through the narrow streets of the old city

Massive Paprika Red doors break the grey concrete walls

of the entry at Kanaal, 

the Vervoordt warehouses and studios

Modern steel and glass partitions 

define interior spaces 

Project color palettes  are grounded 

in the naturals and neutrals

including GREY Belgian Blue Stone

Walls of storerooms are painted in deep Van Eyck brown

VAN EYCK 

Brutally honest concrete steps lead to upper floors

Arched steel windows overlook the canal

allowing northern light to penetrate the enormous spaces

Axel Vervoordt grew up in Atwerp surrounded by museums

 full of The Old Masters

 connect the dots- 

VERMEER

Axel doesn't rely on natural light alone to spotlight his treasures

A beam of light is  precisely directed to highlight the texture of twigs, 

the snowy whiteness of the sofa 

and the brooding charcoal of the linen pillow,

all warmed by the caramel tones of an antique trunk and wooden floors

Take note of the Charcoal grey walls

The warehouses are inviting enough  to move right in

but Axel and May Vervoordt call The Castle home

A Belgian draft horse stands guard 

Sun broke through the clouds as we approached the entry gates

of

Gravenwezel

A massive lock  holds shut the large wooden carriage doors 

of 

The entry tower 

a cobbled stone drive leads into the magic world

In the entry hall an Italian settee 

The simple fruit blossoms

 speak of Axel's love and understanding of

Asian principles and philosophy

taking advantage of the winter light

Highlighting exotic blooms

and warming a lounge filled with cushions

Still lifes  assembled to take full advantage of the light

A silver bowl gleams against the reflective surface 

of an antique marble top

At night everything will glow in the flicker of candle flames

You can rest assured that flourescent bulbs are not anywhere to be found

In the kitchen fresh organic fruits and vegetables

are waiting for the resident artist- the chef

VINCENT VAN GOGH

I brought May a bottle of Gleason Extra Virgin Olive Oil

She gave me a personally signed copy of her book

So is it also a coincidence that the cover of the book is grey ?

and are there really only FIFTY SHADES OF GREY ????

Warm regards from the dark side,

Rela