Bestest Blog of the Day: 11/28/2006

My Marrakesh
...a review by Mimi Lenox from Mimi Writes

Where can one find belly dancers, exotic cuisine and Rapunzel-like towers all in one blog? Welcome to Maryam's place. At the beginning of a strange and magical odyssey she writes......"Once upon a time....in a kingdom far, far away (not kidding about the kingdom part) an American couple with two children decided to eschew any plans that they might have had for house with a white picket fence (do people still have those?) and move to a city that was not their own. This blog is their tale to make that city their home, to make it their Marrakesh."
And so they did.

You can find the heartwarming saga in beautiful detail on Maryam's enchanting blog called "My Marrakesh." Why Morocco?
Maryam, the writer, explains by quoting Winston Churchill, learns how to deal with House Insomnia and persuades her architect husband to take up residence in the middle of an olive grove.
Intrigued? I was.

Although Maryam's site started out as a House/Decorating Blog, it has become much more. A visual artist in her own right and with a penchant for pink Moroccan poufs, you'll also find sumptuous displays of traditional cuisine beautifully displayed with recipes galore. Her site is not only well-written and witty, it's a decorator's dream.

But it isn't all flowing palm trees, charming bungalows and peacock feathers. Maryam knows how to tell a tale of peeling paint disaster too. Did I mention she's funny? Poignant? Down-to-earth? All of those things. And mindfully conscious of life's most precious gifts right in front of her. Read this touching post dedicated to her sweetheart (that would be husband Chris) who designed the fairytale tower she plans to work from. They both love the unique landscape of their countryside. Fig trees, olive trees, homeless critters, mountains. According to Maryam, ..."the view out my office window was better than a double scoop of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream."
And how many of us can say we have a flock of sheep grazing in the backyard?


But Maryam's vision didn't stop there. One night, after entertaining guests in their Moroccan hideaway, inspiration struck. They decided to design and build a guest house in Morocco.
With a little Barakah - which is Arabic for "luck" - the journey continues and Maryam's dream is fast becoming a reality. And as all good plotlines go, she explains that bitterness, doubt and angst are part of her story too. Her blog is a chapter-by-chapter account of what happens when an artist and an architect decide to follow their passion.
It is a lovely tale.

Good things always happen to those who have a noble vision and purpose. Her family's hospitable spirit was the catalyst for meeting award-winning artist Maria Noma Bliss, whose painting you see here - a portrait she did of one American family in Morocco - Maryam's family.

This "bemused tale" of life in a faraway place is warmly penned and recaptured by this charming Egyptian-born woman. In a land of natural wonders and beauty, surrounded by exquisite things, Maryam spins a tale of one magical boy and a little girl named Grace.
As I said, she knows what's important.

And what about her dream house? Take a look. This exquisite rendition of their enchanting Moroccan home is well on the way to becoming a finished reality.
The real treasure, according to Maryam, is what's inside.

I just love a happy ending.

Don't forget to tell her that Mimi and Bestest Blog of All-Time sent you to her warm abode.