Mid-Atlas Mountains

Sorry I haven't posted in almost a week! I've been on vacation and have about 1000 photos of Morocco, but I didn't have an internet connection. Here's a sneak peak at the mountains near Beni Mellal, Morocco. I'll be posting every day this week with different views of Morocco so be sure to check back daily.

The Grittier Side of the Medina

There are so many beautiful parts of the Medina, and I'm going to post about them, but here are a few of the grittier scenes. I like them, the medina is fascinating and functioning the way it did in the 9th century still!

Ceramics and Mosaics Continued...

And the ceramics were just as gorgeous as the mosaics. If only I could add them to my hypothetical shipping container!!!

Would that I had a shipping container!!!

We got to take a tour at a mosaic and ceramics "factory" in Fez. Wow. The artisans who chip away at tiles with tiny hammers to create the right shapes have a lot more patience than I do. You can see that hammering each shape in every mosaic by hand is unbelievably challenging.

Here are some of my favorite pictures from our tour. I would give my right arm to ship some of the tables and fountains back to the U.S.! I'll post ceramics images in my next entry...Enjoy the mosaic creative process :)

Riad Alya

We stayed in the most gorgeous riad in Fez. A riad is an older mansion that was built with a large interior courtyard rather than exterior windows, in the medinas (old cities) in Morocco.

Riad Alya was renovated a few years ago and we loved it. They served us tea and cookies when we arrived mid-day, an amazing new year's eve dinner, great breakfasts, etc. I could go on. Net net, we loved it. And I am obsessed with finding a riad to live in. Here's a few pictures to whet your appetite. More on Riad Alya when I'm back in the states and have more time on my hands!

Moroccan Shoes

Cute, huh? They are such soft leather and cost about $8. They feel like little cloud pillows on my feet.

Mosaics & Genuine Craftsmanship

I've been taking pictures of stunning examples of Moroccan craftmanship like a madwoman, but here are a few shots of tiles and other handiwork at a huge Mosque in Casablanca. I think it's the 5th biggest in the world?

All the work was done by hand, by Moroccans, and it's simply overwhelming in person. You can take tours where they tell you about the details of many design elements, but I was too jetlagged to sit through one. Regardless, enjoy the images! I wish I could tile my floors! Oh! And import some chandeliers!

I'm Getting Custom Bedding!!!

Today we went to the fabric district in Casablanca, which is apparently the biggest in Morocco. The selections are incredible and while I didn't love everything, I found some spectacular fabrics at prices that must be about 20% of what they would cost in the U.S. So, I'm getting some custom pillows and a coverlet! I'm so excited. You buy the fabric and the trimming, and then a tailor makes it all in just about two days. I can't wait! The stripes and flowers are what I got for my bedroom. I'm thinking of having curtains made out of the orange fabric for my living room. Oh, it was hard to stay calm today!

Traditional Moroccan Bakery

These were the best cookies ever of all time. Yum yum yum. And, beautiful tiles and an amazing door added to the pleasures of going to this bakery.

Maroc!

I arrived in Casablanca early Tuesday morning. It was a balmy 70 degrees and sunny. I love, love, love it here. My fiance and two of his sisters (shown above) picked me up from the airport and took me straight to an outdoor walled garden for a Moroccan breakfast. Isn't it lovely? The perfect welcome!

Art from my Childhood Bedroom

For some reason my bedroom is the only one that hasn't been renovated in over 20 years, since I was a kid! It had aqua green striped wallpaper and red accents and I loved it when I was little. The bird on top of the bookshelf was painted by my childhood best friend Stacy. It still looks great, I think, and of course, I still love art that features animals. Sometimes preferences are formed early on.

Snaps from my Mom's House

Although my mom's taste is much more traditional than my own, she has always inspired me in her love of interior decorating since I was a child. We lived in a very, very old house that always needed some kind of remodeling, of course :) She has beautiful, fresh colors and patterns throughout. Enjoy!