Gorgeous images from my favorite design blogs

Another installment of Favorite images from my favorite blogs

The below from the magical Designer's Block





These gems are from The Urban Hippie, a "professional newspaper writer who likes to take pictures"





Images from the very fun, "Young House Love," if you are a DIYer, you've got to check out this blog!

Morocco Series: Marrakesh by Day

We arrived in Marrakesh a bit frazzled after taking a 2:30 am train from Fes, and arrived at 11 Am. We arrived at our riad, decompressed a bit after some tea and consulting good map, and within the hour were back out to trek about the city. I'm splitting Marrakesh into a few posts, and will start with some of the sights we saw during daylight hours.

*please be patient during photo upload - I've specially uploaded higher-res images so you guys get extra detail! :)

I don't remember where this is - I believe the train station, which just goes to show how everything in Morocco was beautifully detailed!

Our bright pink riad was a welcoming hostel - geared towards youth.

A pretty ceiling in the riad.

Unlike Fes, Marrakesh has a large main sqaure in the Medina - Djemaa el-Fna. During the day it is full of tourists buying fresh squeezed orange juice, snake charmers, henna artists, and the like. It bothered me to see men with what I assume are Barbary apes, who for a fee will let you hold the animal and take a photo. I imagine they're captured from the wild. :(

By night the square really comes alive, and I'll share the photos with you in an upcoming post!



Below are images from the Koutoubia, the most famous monument - with it's 70m tall minaret, the calls to prayer echo across the whole city. It's a classic example of Moroccan-Andalucian architecture.


On the left you can see excavations of an earlier Almoravid mosque which was knocked down because it didn't align with Mecca.





The remaining photos are from Palais El-Badi. It's one of the most popular palaces (and now a ruin), and what "...you can see today is only a fraction of the whole as the private palaces and apartments of courtiers and family are now incorporated in the current royal palace....All that is left are the towering pis´e walls taken over by stork nests, and the staggering scale to give an impression of it's former splendour." - via Lonely Planet "Morocco," pub. 2007

The storks they mention

The massive courtyard taken from the top of the walls





What remains of the guest houses

Unfortunately the palace has been stripped bare by plundering, and all we're left with is a sense of the scale of this place.

Stay tuned for my post on the Marrakesh Medina and square my night, as well as another GORGEOUS Medersa!

*All photos taken by my boyfriend, Chris

** I am by no means an expert and after 7 days of running around Morocco please feel free to correct me if any information I give in the Morocco Series is incorrect!

Deer Resistant Landscapes and Deer Control

There is a growing concern over deer as homeowners are having their landscapes destroyed. In Chapel Hill, North Carolina, the issue of deer damage is appearing on town council agendas. Citizens are asking for the town's help to control the deer.

I don't live in the city limits of Chapel Hill, so I have no opinion on what the town should/should not do regarding the deer pressure for the residents. I don't have a vote there. Nonetheless, I do empathize as it is a sensitive and controversial topic on both sides of the deer fence.

My gardens (and house) began as acres of meadow and woodland. When we bought this property we knew deer would be a problem. They slept in the meadow every night before we built, and still sleep there every night since. I had to become an expert in deer resistant gardening and landscaping.

During our first year (2005), we counted twenty deer crossing our front meadow at the same time. Every year since, 3-5 fawns have been born here.

Last night as my husband and I were pulling into the neighborhood and had to wait for a few deer to cross the road, we remarked at how we recognize those deer! No, we haven't named them. We don't love them. We don't hate them. We had to learn to co-exist.


Now, imagine that you've lived in your neighborhood for many years without any deer damage to your landscape. You never had to worry about deer resistant shrubs and you could grow deer delicacies like hostas and roses.

As deer populations grew and as neighborhoods, businesses and roads took up more and more land, the deer moved into your previously deer-free yard in search of food. Your landscape is being picked clean by deer. The costs are huge and the emotional upset runs deep.

There isn't one solution for protecting existing landscapes. It may take a combination of methods that include fencing, herd culling, repellents and/or replacing shrubs and plants with deer resistant varieties. None of which are inexpensive.

The point that I've learned from this is - things change with the forces of nature. Wind, rain, drought, ice... and animals.

Words and photos by Freda Cameron, Defining Your Home, Garden and Travel.

Designer's Guild bedding on sale!

A dream come true - as Designer's Guild makes some of the most gorgeous wallpapers, upholstery fabrics, and bedding. Lucky for us Gilt is holding a big sale!

It'll sell out fast - here's your link for free membership (Gilt is a member's only site)


The set above is my fav


$1,190 rug now $375
Throws normally $195, now $68



here's your link for free membership

Garden Wish List: Eucomis

All gardeners have a wish list. There are many plants that I have admired, but haven't yet added to my garden.

Eucomis comosa 'Oakhurst' has been on my mind ever since I saw a great display of pineapple lilies growing at Juniper Level Botanic Garden in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Juniper Level Botanic Garden is the creation of Tony Avent, owner of Plant Delights Nursery. During a summer open house, I had a chance to stroll his beautiful display gardens.

In a full sun garden like mine, dark foliage is difficult to find. I'm always looking for plants that will add dark color and won't fade out or scorch.

An attribute listed for Eucomis 'Oakhurst' is "Full hot sun for best color."

Full sun. Got it.
Hot. Got it.

Is Eucomis deer resistant? Is it rabbit resistant? Those are the other challenges that I face. In my online research, I have found multiple references that indicate that this plant isn't likely to appeal to deer, rabbits or squirrels.

Assuming that the growing conditions are suitable for my garden, how do I want to use this in my garden design?

The foliage height is 24 inches and the flowering height is 32 inches. That's the right form to add dark purple foliage as well as wide, pointed foliage where I have a lot of thin, lacy, silver to light green foliage.

The dark purple foliage will provide a nice companion color for the pink, blue and purple flowers in my garden. The bloom color and shape will add further interest among the tubular-shaped flowers of agastache and salvia that I grow.

Silver to blue foliage of plants such as nepeta, stachys and echinops will look especially good next to the dark purple. I can see rearranging my pink muhly grass to use as a companion, too.

I can think of so many ways to use Eucomis, either in the deer resistant outer gardens or inside the cottage garden fence. Enough information has surfaced in my research on critter resistance for me to take a chance. I'm definitely moving Eucomis from my "wish list" to a "shopping cart" somewhere!

What's on your garden plant wish list?

Words and photos by Freda Cameron, Defining Your Home, Garden and Travel. Photos courtesy of Terra Nova Nurseries, Inc.

Happy Friday - Just some pretty eye candy for you!

I thought I'd keep it light and easy today in celebration of it being Friday. The forecast calls for rain but I'm hoping the my weather widget is broken!


I think this idea is so creative but I didn't label it and don't remember where I found it . If you know the source please comment!

Love the fern couch

I don't remember where these are from either - sorry!

via Atmosphere Interior Design

This treatment would look great in my mom's country house windows. Simple linen curtains, some of the bottles from her collection, and wildflowers from her garden. I actually did something like this in her kitchen window this summer...you can see it in the post Pretty and Delicious.

This Gothic window frame is so gorgeous as a wall hanging

Above three via Country Living

Marc Jacobs and Kate Spade 70% Off!

Going on at Gilt, which is members only - and as always I have your invitation link (it's free to join), right here! Happy closet decorating!

As always these sales sell out fast!!

Starting with Kate Spade:



Love this one

They also have some gorgeous pillows from Thomas Paul ranging about $28 to $40




And Marc Jacobs -






Again, use this link for fast/free membership: http://www.gilt.com/invite/ashley770