this summer night's whisper...

a sneak preview
from last night's session
with the girls and the new omondieu! shirts.
my thanks go out to wolfgang.
for taking the photos. and putting up with us

and our beautiful silliness.
and thank you to the girls,
for putting up with me.

i'm tired tonight.

and sitting back quietly after a long week.

diana krall is singing a song or two,

and i have a glass of rosé beside me.

with a bouquet of the most beautiful lavender on the table too.

candles are lit and softly dancing

with the breeze thru an open window.

and that's what i think i'm going to do.


sit outside

listen to this summer night's whisper

as she says...

star light, star bright

first star i see tonight...

wish i may, wish i might

have this wish I wish tonight.

to let it go. to let it go...

"To live in this world, you must be able to do three things:

to love what is mortal;

to hold it against your bones knowing your own life depends on it;

and, when the time comes to let it go, to let it go."

- Mary Oliver -

(photo from a day in paris. once. a while ago.)

just a small reminder to the self.

that there's strength in weakness.

and weakness in strength.


and the rest of my words,

i write on my heart.

i touch with the tip of my tongue.

speaking a silent language.

to let it go. to let it go...

only the deepest secrets...

"O no, she said,
you can't say just anything to the wind.
Only the deepest secrets will do
and also you must not use the letter i."

from the wonderful
brian andreas and his story people.

as long as i can remember over years,

brian andreas has been a constant companion of smiles,

precious thoughts and inspirations.

it's the simple and yet playful way he sees and translates life

it's the words that are written between the lines

that can say so much more in their innocence and silence.

and sometimes they are just so brutally beautifully honest.

whenever i go home for a visit,

i search and look for little bits and pieces of story people to bring back.

i have his cards that i keep for myself.

i have his cards that i know need and want to be shared.

and every now and then,

when i need a simple reminder of life and little moments,

i pull out a book from my shelf

and open a random page to read.

and usually the words that fall onto my lap

are just the words i need to feel.

and today.

these were the story people words that found me.

ps. while i was in frankfurt at the decorate life: fair,

i had the pleasure of meeting yogi.

who's part of the team bringing story people and brian's magic to europe.

it was a wonderful conversation and encounter.

and we mulled over ideas,

shared our own little story people stories.

yes. let the magic begin.

there's a lion in my heart...

from the anna's zoo collection

and "die kleine firma"...

thank you gabi!

there's a lion in my heart... and on my heart...

and at times. he roars. he roars.

ever so quietly. ever so silently.

he's simply there...


it's been a long while again. hasn't it...

there are so many times that i mean to write

and i speak the words in little conversations

or i simply write them down, in my mind

and yes, in my heart too.

it's just so rare that they find their way here

in the black on white of written words.

and i need to write so many friends too.

gaylene. i can't tell you how i think of you

and how awful i feel that i hadn't written

and that i missed you again.

i feel as though i have so much to explain.

and for your constant patience, i thank you.

cori. i just found your messages.

and i promise to write soon too.

it's our twenty years that is coming up.

and i'm wondering if i can make it.

but also, doubting if i can make it too.

chris. i promise i'll call soon.

i think we need to talk.

and it'll do the heart good to talk.

you know what? i really miss him these days.

and sometimes i just want to hear his voice.

that's what aches most at times,

is just knowing its his voice i'll never hear again

and its that smile i'll never see again.

but i still like to think he's here at times.

and even with that cheeky grin on his face.

kerstin. have you found your way to germany yet?

and instead of asking... i should be picking up the phone.

calling. and saying hello.

susan. i know you're on your way. soon.

and i can't wait to be sitting down

sharing a cup of coffee and a glass of wine too.

tam. i miss you.

and at times, i think that's all i can say.

i miss you.

susanna. how do you feel about simply coming over?

i'll pour us a glass of wine. and we'll mull over thoughts and words.

----------

damn. there's so much i want to say.

i could talk about all the things that have happe ned.

over days and weeks and months.

there's been a coming and a going of friends visiting.

there's been quiet moments.

there's been the fears and doubts.

and then there's all the hopes and dreams.

there's been the moments that smiles upon me

and i find myself asking if i really do know

how gracious and precious it really all is.

what it is that i've done to deserve these moments

a generousity of friends. and of their love.

their patience. their understanding.

there are the moments that are simply alone.

and at times with a yearning.

and i find the heart asking a thousand and one questions

all in the same breath.

----------

i'm drinking a glass of rosé.

i'm looking at a pair of new shoes i bought today.

red shoes.

and i like to think they are daring. they are bold.

or maybe its just me discovering the daring. and the bold.

there's a faux strawberry laid on the table beside me

waiting to become something playful and fun.

and i believe it's a necklace draped around me for what she'll be.

red. that seems to be a colour that shines around me these days.

red shoes. a red dress. and strawberries too.

i just got back from frankfurt and the decorate life: tendence fair the other day.

it was a grueling few days. but a good few days.

i was honoured to be asked to hold lectures and speeches at the fair.

and i have to admit that when i was first asked,

a little voice inside of me was saying no...

and then i realised that an oppurtunity and chance as that doesn't come twice.

there was, simply knocking on my door.

so that little voice inside decided to say yes.

i held two lectures on friday. and another on monday.

i chose my themes as decorate life: the emotion and essence of style.

i have to admit. there were shaky knees walking onto stage.

but suddenly the moment takes over.

and you step into your element. your passion of life.

beatrice from glanz und gloria

held the following lecture and speech after me on monday.

and she's long been one of my favourite designers

with a secret vow to the self, that one day i'll wear one of her rings

with exactly that. the splendor and the glory.

she caught me off guard as she approached to me after my presentation

and asking if i'd like to be a part of her presentation as well.

that we simply create a podium discussion. evoking and provoking.

and setting our visions alive.

again. it was a moment of feeling overwhelmed and honoured

and with that small voice inside me, shedding her doubt

until that voice realised, it simply about saying yes.

and that's what we did.

with our own style of emotion and essence.

and a good glass of champagne.

and these days i'm heading towards the race against time

as the deadline for the next catalogue draws closer. and closer.

there are times, it keeps me awake at night.

same procedure each and every time.

but i like to think it's because of the "herzblut"

the passion of what we do.

it's personal. and the signature of the self.

it's about the want to succeed. and to dream with open eyes.

herzblut.

and what else have the past weeks and days been all about?

its been about silently loving on a one way street.

its been about learning to play in gardens.

the weeding. the sowing. the planting.

and the waiting too.

i like to think its a magical garden in bloom.

a garden of lavenders and roses.

it's been about friends visiting. and visiting friends.

it's been about omondieu! slowly coming back to life.

its been a picnic in italy.

and coming back home with the most beautiful white oleander.

its been long walks along the seas of ireland.

whispering spells and manifesting dreams.

alone. or with the girls.

it's been about closing chapters

and holding onto the hope of tomorrow.

its been about a dining room tables filled with life

friends as family. family as friends.

it's been about gazing under stars and making a wish or two.

it's been about surrendering to what it is to be a woman that feels and yearns.

it's been about wearing a red dress for the first time.

(and red shoes too.)

it's about feeling so small and scared and unsure of all before us.

and it's been about feeling the power and the faith of all within us.

it's been about inspiration.

and seeing clearly. feeling passionately.

it's been about generousity of friends.

new. old.

it's been about flea market treasures.

of old leather purses and lace pillow cases.

and mother mary medallions worn gently close to the heart.

it's been about challenging the self

like holding speeches and saying "yes i can."

it's been about my brother visiting.

and a year. yet another year passing by.

and i think what i want to say...

is simply thank you.

for each and every day.

there's a lion in my heart...

and at times. he roars. he roars.

ever so quietly. ever so silently.

he's simply there...

that's just the way it is...