100% Linen

In our ongoing obsession with linen, we have become particularly entranced with these latest variations from Matteo...

The Tat Linen detail (above), invokes a feeling of  Vintage French Laundry and sensibility.  It's a sort of masculine ruffled look, if there is such a thing.  The Tat Linen also newly comes in the (baby) Bambino bedding.

The Hammock detail (above) mixes the amazing Matteo garment washed linen, with a cotton crochet trim.  This bohemian detail is applied to shams, duvets, and Bambino (baby) bed linens.

 The clean, crisp simplicity of Matteo's Vintage Washed Linen is a classic example of how sometimes, less is more...  Perfect for your cool, summer bed.

The magic of this collection is in the details.  Slim, tailored hemlines and the highest quality 100% linen sheeting, make this an heirloom quality set that will last for years and years.

One of the wonderful qualities of 100% linen, is that it gets softer and softer, every time it's washed.  

Accessorize...

If you've been into Blue Springs Home lately, you have probably notices the baskets and bins filled with the Dash & Albert woven cotton rugs...

We like to always have a fresh collection of their striped rugs in all sorts fun color combos.  They're great accessories that liven up a dull kitchen floor of entry and are super durable.  You can just throw em' in the washing machine and hang dry.

Dash & Albert recently started using their woven cotton yardage to make carry-all totes that are super cute and really functional. These bags are great for going to your local Trader Joe's. Save that paper bag!

The pillows are the latest application of their rug fabric collection, and work really well for outdoor pillows. Very well priced, you'll want lots of these pillows!

100% Linen

100% Linen...  There is really nothing that compares to linen.  Most people don't know that true linen comes from the flax plant and not actually made of cotton.  It is the most durable of all bed linen fabrics because of the loosely woven nature of it's construction.

  Linen textiles are some of the oldest in the world and can be traced back to 8000 B.C.  It was actually used as currency in Ancient Egypt.  The Egyptian Mummies were wrapped in it because it was seen as a symbol of light and purity and as a display of wealth.    
It breaths beautifully and keeps  you much cooler on those warm summer nights.   Like a crisp linen shirt or a pair of white linen PJ's, there is feeling that you get from being wrapped up in real linen, that is almost inexplicable.
Once June rolls around, I throw on my 100% linen Whisper Linen  bedding from Bella Notte and know that summer is definitely here...

Bright Idea...

Now here's is a bright idea...  And I mean bright.  Pine Cone Hill has been producing beautiful quilts and other bedding pieces for a lot of years, but this Gigi Bed Collection is about the cutest I've seen.

It's perfect for that little teenie bopper's room who wants a bright and fresh statement that give the room a spring felling, all year long.  The Gigi Collection has a whimsical, handmade quality that we love.

This fun bed skirt by Pine Cone Hill reminds me of fashion icon Carmen Miranda.  

 

Mr. Robshaw goes to Newport...

A couple of months ago, we brought in this amazing new line of bedding, pillows, quilts and throws, called John Robshaw.  This man from New York has created a whole new category of style, using traditional printing, dying and weaving techniques from around the world.

We all think the third world, eclectic feeling of his prints, translates perfectly to our Boho- Beachy Interiors and adds a soulfulness that really works...

John Robshaw has only had his line put together for a few years, but has really made a huge impact on home fashion.  I just noticed last week that Ralph Lauren launched his line that looks very similar.  Hmm...quite obviously inspired by Mr. Robshaw, I'm sure...

The other nice thing about John's line is that it is amazingly affordable.

And there he is...  We were really excited to get a call from John Robshaw himself last week, saying that he wanted to come to Blue Springs Home and pay us a personal visit.  The Blue Springs Girls were a bit smitten by this handsome guy who couldn't have been sweeter.

Thanks to you John for your incredible designs...  Keep up the good work.

Get Ready....

Costa Mesa's own Amy Parris has taken the helm of this fabulous new So Cal publication...

Sushi a' la Mode Magazine, The Unconventional Guide to Food, Fashion and Beauty, is do out on news stands any day and we can't wait!  

Creative Director, Parris has assembled an amazingly talented team of artists, chefs, writers and authorities in the California lifestyle.

Style conscious women, now have a guide to entertaining that is hip, young and edgy.  The magazine hopes to inspire and empower it's readers to live and look their best and have fun doing it.

Oh, fyi... Blue Springs Home is has supported this new effort by becoming one of their advertisers.  Keep a look out...

Art @ Blue Springs

We are big fans of artist Susan Elizabeth Ashurst (formerly Sue Mckibben), here at Blue Springs Home.  

Artists Bio-Susan Elizabeth Ashurst (SEA)

The British-Born artist began drawing with grandfather on a small farm outside of Leamington Spa, England.  Inspired by summers spent in the South of France, Kauai and Mexico she learned to depict the naturalism of her subjects using painterly strokes and a resonant palette.  She further defined her artistic talents under the influence of renown artist John Paul Jones, while receiving her bachelor's degree in studio art from the University of California, Irvine.  Her works are in organic pigment watercolor, oil and acrylic.  Surfaces include canvas, recycled wood and japanese cloth wallpaper.  Susan divides her time between North san Diego county and Playa Los Cocos in Nayarit, Mexico.

We'll be showcasing her latest collection of beach-scapes in the coming weeks and will be announcing a special art show and installation here at Blue Springs Home that will feature her Orange County landscapes. We are so excited!

Blue Springs Baby...

As the tag line of this blog says, we are obsessed with bed linens here at Blue Springs Home.  That obsession has definitely translated to bedding for babies as well.  

The Bella Notte Bebe Collection, certainly feeds that obsession. Their mix of velvets, quilted bumpers, adorable ruffles and trim treatments with luxurious linen and poplin fabrics, are the height of baby fashion and comfort.

The colors that are garment dyed into each textile, give it that deep vintage quality and offer a "hand" that is just what the doctor ordered for our little Blue Springs Babies....

And everything is machine washable.

Sustainablly Blue...

There's not a day that goes by when I don't think of how lucky I am to be living in this amazing place we call home.  Raising my children , so close to the beautiful beaches and wetlands has been a dream come true for me.

I do have to say that in recent years, that dream has gotten a little fogged by the huge increase in the polluting of these spectacular resources.  When I take long walks on the beach, I can't help but be sickened by the trash that careless people simply leave or the nasty globs of oil that dot the waterline.

As a true environmentalist, I'm always thinking about how I (with a capital I) can make a difference.  Today I feel like I really have...

Blue Springs Home  just became a friend of Defend The Bay.  This is a non-profit dedicated to the preservation of our, already impaired Upper Newport/Back Bay.  The group successfully fought the dumping of toxic waste waters into the bay by The Irvine Ranch Water District.

They have a great track record in the on-going battle against the polluting of this beautiful coastal wetland and I'm thrilled and proud to be apart of that effort.

www.defendthebay.org has all sorts of programs for those who want to help, from a simple donation to group trash clean up events.  I highly encourage you to take part and help make a difference.

Art @ Blue Springs

Although I consider all the products that we carry at Blue Springs Home as art, there are several local artists that do the most amazing Vintage Inspired Paintings.  Susan Brown is one such artist.  Her subject matter is generally flowers...  Big cabbage roses, peonies and the like.  Everything has that shabby-esque feeling and certainly brightens up the room. People love to coordinate Susan Brown paintings with their bedding to help create the perfect bedroom. 

Her paintings also work well in the living room or wherever!

It's a Man's World, Sometimes...

Let's face it, bed linens are a woman's world...  I will say, that a little masculinity on the bed is really nice to see every now and again.  This new Madras Plaid Collection by Matteo is a perfect example.

They've mixed these bold madras prints with their Vintage Washed Linen and it took the entire feeling to a whole new level.  The plaids come in greens, blues, oranges and the red (shown above).

We really love the interpretation of the Madras Plaid Collection in their bambino bedding.

Obviously this is very "Boy", but we think it works great for that little Blue Springs "Tom Boy"or Girl, as well...

Quilted

 

Growing up a Southern Girl, I've always had a fascination with quilts and quilting...  The time and dedication that it takes to make each one, has just always amazed me.  

I have my own collection of Americana and French quilts that I treasure, but this new collection from John Robshaw Textiles takes the traditional quilting techniques in a totally different direction.

Each one is quilted every few inches, on the finest Indian Voile.  He uses 100% cotton batting and stone washes them to create a quilt that is wonderfully soft and warm.

Now we always keep a selection of John's quilts at the store in a variety of prints and sizes.