..the most efficient form of transportation for getting quickly around the souks…

..where purple silk hangs to dry….

…and rusted hinges pile up and just BEG for you to grab a handful (tempted!)…

…red thongs sit on a “factory” line…

…and random pots form a perfect still life.

On the edge of the Medina, the gardens at La Mamounia invite you to take a casual stroll…

…where stately palms cast shadows on a building halfway down the path.

Perhaps you’d prefer some quiet reflection at the Medersa…

…or a morning walk in the Koutoubia gardens under the watchful eye of the mosque tower.

How about browsing for Fortuny inspired, henna-decorated goatskin chandeliers? It was hard to resist purchasing one of these, so I got two!

You might enjoy a quiet game of chess in a historic hotel in Essaouira… 

…or an afternoon enjoying the cactus gardens at the Jardin Majorelle?

If you think a “virtual” trip is for the birds and are considering a REAL LIVE trip to Marrakech in the future, I am compiling an “interest list” for a 4th Peacock Painting trip in the next year or so. Drop me a line if you are interested…..

Currently on show: textile and object. Shown here: handpainted Michoacan platters and Kantha pillows from India

In textile , each hand-selected piece tells a story and evokes a sense of place. Show here: Kuba cloth from the Congo (my fav!) and hadenga cushions, made by Zimbabwean refugees.

Items in object  balance traditional techniques with a modern sensibility. Shown here: Bolivian aguayos and Turkish filligree pendant lamps

“The collections reflect the belief that the things we surround ourselves with should possess a soul, a history, and a purpose beyond mere decoration: they should help us connect to the world.” I’m feeling very connected right now…..

I love the fact that the company now provided fair trade employment for over 50 families in India…

I also love (and covet) their amazing flip book. It is beautifully arranged and designed and puts all the patterns and products into a very cozy context.

PS I just discovered a very “readable” new blog. You may want to check it out. Thank You For Asking: A woman starring in her own movie that no one is watching. Be sure to start with the beginning post. I think I’m hooked on this “novel” novel!

Our local customer, Kim Longo, recently shared this Concrete Carpet project that she did in her own home. Kim took a “Wild Workshop” from Colormaker Floors and then proceeded to transform here living room floor with a concrete overlay.

I love the bold use of color and the distressed look she got by using solvent-based dyes through the Modello Concrete Carpet and Royal Design Studio stencil. Her house was built in 200 but she has set about making it look lived in and timeless. The perfect compliment to her efforts came from someone visiting who asked her husband, “Didn’t this house used to be new?” I love that! She’s now looking for great ideas for the ceiling. Any ideas??

As outlined on their website, ” Our philosophy centers on the celebration and preservation of uniquely American traditions while building a sustainable business mode. We strive to source materials locally when possible and to reuse, or ‘upcycle’ at every turn. We do not live as though there is no tomorrow; rather, we live as though we know there will be. ” Not only do I find this idea uplifting, I find their products and photography to be incredibly artisticly inspiring. Particularly, and not surprisingly, their use of stencils in the process of creating gorgeous fabrics, clothing and home accessories.

I love this particularly soft and cozy take on classic Moroccan geometric tile patterns in a soft color palette.

Their finished products are a bit pricy, but they also offer Alabama Studio Style Workshops on how to produce their look with hand sewing techniques (how fun!!) and through the Alabama Stitch Book ,which I picked up last year at ABC Carpet and Home. I have to say I think that their style has become much more developed and refined since the book’s publishing and I’m looking forward to keeping up with what they introduce in the future!!

Assorted adorable plushies from various Etsy shops.

These are the two bathroom doors off our main “Gallery” hallway, the one where the painted ceilings are. We painted them in colors to match, and, not only do the individual doors look great but they really tie this space together! I’ve never been into the painted quotes on a wall so much, but am very excited about playing with and creating more interesting typography applications for interiors. Sigh. So many ideas, so little time……

Jerome (Ladie’s Man), Jim (Miss Jim), Theresa (Saucy Piratess), Maniac Maynard (Santa’s Bad Brother. Very Bad), Me (Just another bad hair day. OK, Bride of Frankenstein), Michelle (Wednesday), Eric (Nascar Mechanic), Natalie (Anonymous Ipod Dancer), and Tony (1970′s Vulcan DJ)

She has a blog here. Good point about American Apparel. Their ads are seriously creepy! Bleeech!

Suzani-inspired ceilings

Painted desks

Wonderful woven patterns inspired by camel-bone furniture inlays

and some other VERY cool things that I CAN’T share because they are special patterns that are secrets that will be used on equally special secret surfaces at Peacock Pavilions for a super secret project that I’ve been sworn to secrecy about. BUT if you pull the decoder ring out of your Lucky Charms cereal box and put on your special 3D glasses you MIGHT be able to figure it out. If not, I’m sorry, you must wait along with the rest of the world.