I took my daughter to North Carolina last week to go mining for gems. I had envisioned a relaxing week of camping, hiking, mining, and basically unplugging from our hectic world. With the mountains and forest as our backdrop, and the glitter of freshly unearthed gems as our focus, I felt sure I would hit upon a mother load of inspiration that I could later draw from.
While the trip didn't exactly turn out as planned (temps in the 100's and heat exhaustion), we did find lots of gems... While the garnets and emeralds were expected, I think it was the UN-expected that brought me the most joy. The time spent truly getting to know the exceptional young woman that my daughter is growing into most of all.
As for what inspired me this week and where it lead me to...
First and foremost, I DO NOT CAMP. I'm a huge fan of walls, electricity, and A/C. I'm generally an indoor person, hence Interior Design. So my first inspiration is drawn not only from the colors of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the textures of its riches, but also from one of the things I missed most on my trip... a bed!
As for our gem hunting, we did quite well. We found quartz and amethyst, sapphire and emerald, mica and moonstone, but again, I was most impressed with what I found that I hadn't expected. Old native American pottery shards.
The oldest is a small piece, about the size of a nickel, and as thick as 5 or 6 quarters stacked up. While the inside is worn completely smooth, you can still see the linear design on what would have been the outside. 
Both in their conservative use of line and of the natural environment, our ancient Native American neighbors inspire in me a 'green' space, full of textures and the elements of nature, with the clean lines of modernism.
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