SimplyStyling Musings, the beginning...

3-18-14

Hand made bags and baskets

Shopping in Javea

This is the first entry of my new blog, SimplyStyling Musings. The purpose is to explore the whole concept of design and lifestyle, elements in building a closer relationship with design, how lifestyle and design go hand and hand and finally looking for great design in the smallest of details. SimplyStyling is my Interior Design company and I have been working in design for close to thirty years. I would call myself more of a Life Stylist than simply an Interior Designer. The difference is that I look at the whole life of my clients and work from that vantage point. It is through this philosophy that I can support my clients to make the best possible decisions in transforming not only their physical spaces, but also the way they live and work. 

The beach at Javea

My husband, Jonathan and our twelve year old daughter, Bella, and I are in Spain for six months starting in January of 2014. This had been a dream of Jonathan's to pack up our family and take a sabbatical in Spain. We settled in Valencia, a beautiful coastal city, on the Mediterranean, about 3 hours south of Barcelona. It has been an awakening for all of us in so many ways. For Jonathan, taking his Spanish language skills to another level has been a wonderful focus. I am joining him everyday for 2 hours studying Spanish. For Bella, her experience at the American School of Valencia has been life changing. She is getting to see a completely different life than the one we have in Santa Barbara, Ca. and we are grateful that she has this opportunity to view the world with more curiosity. My time in Spain has been multi-faceted. In the beginning, getting us settled into an apartment in the city center of Valencia, learning to navigate where I'm going, finding something to cook everyday and adjusting to the language and cultural differences that have definitely been present. As the weeks have progressed, the logistical issues have been replaced with looking at this city as an incredible oyster containing the most beautiful of pearls. I have truly enjoyed discovering beautiful architecture, creative and enticing shops filled with wonderful International and local products, food that is so fresh and yummy and people that have been so very helpful in getting us used to our temporary home.

We went to Javea for the weekend, a classic beach town south of Valencia, on the Mediterranean. It is quiet at this time of year and our hotel was situated right across from the beach where the surf could be approaching loud at times. I looked at that beach full of craggy rocks and knew that there was Sea Glass. I have had a love of Sea Glass for many years and have a small collection back home. Sea Glass is glass shards that have tumbled in the ocean and become completely smooth to the touch. When I began to look, I realized that this was going to be the Mother load of Sea Glass discovery. It was everywhere! Is that because there is more glass dumped into the sea or that people vacationing in Spain don't care about collecting it? I was able to collect quite a bit of beautiful Sea Glass and bring it back to Valencia! The shades are watery greens and blues, just the colors you would paint a small cottage located on the beach at Javea, Spain. 

There was a wonderful moment when I found a piece of Sea Glass that wasn't quite smooth yet. This small little piece of glass was the perfect metaphor for my life; it is not yet smooth and complete yet! My time in Spain is a sort of "smoothing out time", a time of discovery, of learning new things and broadening my horizons, both physically and emotionally. This blog is a way to share the treasures I am unearthing everyday. I look forward to our time together.