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| Ada and Darcy, Dransfield and Ross, Kate Spade New York |
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Color Block Thursdays - Pink and Yellow and Orange! Oh My!
Lately I just can't get enough of these bright, cheerful popsicle colors! (See my recent Kate Spade purchase here). This morning I looked down at myself in the metro and realized that I was wearing red, pink, orange and yellow all in the same outfit. A style faux pas? Perhaps. But, what a pick-me-up when it's 33 degrees out!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
My Perfect Souvenir - Old Green Books
I wanted to share with all of you something I brought back from Italy and what I consider to be the absolute perfect souvenir. It combines my old love, science, with my new love, traveling, and my enduring loves, decorating and the color green.
Walking back to our hotel from Vatican City one afternoon in Rome, we happened across an old, dusty used bookstore along the side of the road. Now I've been looking for a set of green antique books to put on my desk in my bedroom for a while, but I don't like the idea of just picking out any old books - I like them to have meaning and a purpose.
Well the purpose of these books is most definitely not to be read by me, since I don't speak Italian. But I can glean enough meaning from the titles and pictures on the covers to understand that this is a set of books on different scientific subjects. Perfect! They are in the theme of my old college major AND serve as a memento of the time I took a trip with my sister just before she got married. :)
These books actually came in all different colors, each one on a different theme. The blue ones were on history and, since I love history and thought a little blue looked outstanding with the green, I made an allowance for a couple of those as well. What do you think? Best souvenir EVER? I'm one step closer to my desk makeover being finished! (Note the picture frames, still naked...)
Apologies to my sister, who thinks that her handmade ballet flats are the best souvenir ever. Close... :)
Walking back to our hotel from Vatican City one afternoon in Rome, we happened across an old, dusty used bookstore along the side of the road. Now I've been looking for a set of green antique books to put on my desk in my bedroom for a while, but I don't like the idea of just picking out any old books - I like them to have meaning and a purpose.
Well the purpose of these books is most definitely not to be read by me, since I don't speak Italian. But I can glean enough meaning from the titles and pictures on the covers to understand that this is a set of books on different scientific subjects. Perfect! They are in the theme of my old college major AND serve as a memento of the time I took a trip with my sister just before she got married. :)
These books actually came in all different colors, each one on a different theme. The blue ones were on history and, since I love history and thought a little blue looked outstanding with the green, I made an allowance for a couple of those as well. What do you think? Best souvenir EVER? I'm one step closer to my desk makeover being finished! (Note the picture frames, still naked...)
Apologies to my sister, who thinks that her handmade ballet flats are the best souvenir ever. Close... :)
Monday, March 28, 2011
Monday's Bold Statement - Fun Yellow Stairs
Getting back into blogging and back to the work week with a fun, cheerful bold statement. Don't you love these creative yellow stairs? My mom and I agreed that these might be difficult to fit into most houses, but wouldn't they be a cute statement in a little shop?? I'm filing that away in my mental file for when I open my FIRST furniture and home decor store :)
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Sunday, March 27, 2011
Retail Therapy
Thank you all so much for your words of support while I try to figure out my next move in life. I talked with my sister about my blog dilemma and I think she had the right idea. I'm going to keep up with my blog through this spring and then take a little hiatus while I design some furniture over the summer. Then I'll come back in the fall hopefully with a whole lot of things to show off!
In the meantime, since I was feeling kind of grumpy this weekend I decided to do a little retail therapy and got the following items:
One of these items cost me $5 at the Jr. League of Washington Tossed and Found event. The other one cost me waaayyy more than I can afford. But if you average the two together.....I still spent more than I should have. However, you know how every once in a while you see something that you absolutely just have to have? This is what happened with this purse. I am a HUGE fan of Kate Spade and the colors of this particular purse are just SO ME. In fact, this is the basic color scheme I'm using for my room makeover which has been in progress for about a year now.
So thank you to all of you and, of course, to the wonderful Kate Spade and the Jr. League for giving me a little boost this weekend! I'll keep on going for now! :)
In the meantime, since I was feeling kind of grumpy this weekend I decided to do a little retail therapy and got the following items:
One of these items cost me $5 at the Jr. League of Washington Tossed and Found event. The other one cost me waaayyy more than I can afford. But if you average the two together.....I still spent more than I should have. However, you know how every once in a while you see something that you absolutely just have to have? This is what happened with this purse. I am a HUGE fan of Kate Spade and the colors of this particular purse are just SO ME. In fact, this is the basic color scheme I'm using for my room makeover which has been in progress for about a year now.
So thank you to all of you and, of course, to the wonderful Kate Spade and the Jr. League for giving me a little boost this weekend! I'll keep on going for now! :)
Thursday, March 24, 2011
My Quarter-Life Crisis
I am having a slightly premature (assuming I live to exactly 100) quarter-life crisis centered around my career, blog, and ability to have a social life. I originally started this blog because I want more than almost anything to own my own furniture design business. Sometimes I will have some furniture or decor idea bubbling in my head but, since I spend most of that time at my job, where I am definitely NOT encouraged to design furniture, I have to sit glassy-eyed in front of my computer bouncing my legs impatiently. I also may have more than a few sticky notes with hastily-drawn pieces of furniture hidden cleverly around my workspace.
So here is how my day usually goes: Wake up at 6:30...work from 8:30-5:30, setting aside some time to contemplate furniture....5:30-6:15 commute home.....6:15-7:45 cook and eat dinner because I am ravenously hungry when I get from work but cannot afford to buy food from restaurants....7:15-8:30 stalk design bloggers and tweeters whom I admire and want desperately to notice me, despite the fact that I am not actually saying or producing anything....8:30-9:30 write blog entry (sometimes this takes longer if, for instance, the Bachelor is on).....9:30-10:30 grocery shopping, taxes, bridal shower planning, Junior League meeting, cleaning, returning emails, whatever the extra things are that day etc. It's always something....10:30 sleep. I wish I were kidding about how early I go to bed, but I literally cannot function on less than 8 hours of sleep. I get sick and fall asleep in meetings. Also not encouraged at work.
Here is what I never do:
1. Design furniture
2. Have a social life
So now I'm trying to decide...should I drop the idea of having my own blog and just concentrate on following other bloggers who are much better at time management?? Then maybe I can spend some time actually designing and producing furniture and THEN, once I actually have something to show the world, get back into social media?? I just really hate the idea of giving up on anything but maybe, if I can convince myself that it will actually enable me to own my own business faster, I can be ok with it and vastly improve the next three quarters of my life...
So here is how my day usually goes: Wake up at 6:30...work from 8:30-5:30, setting aside some time to contemplate furniture....5:30-6:15 commute home.....6:15-7:45 cook and eat dinner because I am ravenously hungry when I get from work but cannot afford to buy food from restaurants....7:15-8:30 stalk design bloggers and tweeters whom I admire and want desperately to notice me, despite the fact that I am not actually saying or producing anything....8:30-9:30 write blog entry (sometimes this takes longer if, for instance, the Bachelor is on).....9:30-10:30 grocery shopping, taxes, bridal shower planning, Junior League meeting, cleaning, returning emails, whatever the extra things are that day etc. It's always something....10:30 sleep. I wish I were kidding about how early I go to bed, but I literally cannot function on less than 8 hours of sleep. I get sick and fall asleep in meetings. Also not encouraged at work.
Here is what I never do:
1. Design furniture
2. Have a social life
So now I'm trying to decide...should I drop the idea of having my own blog and just concentrate on following other bloggers who are much better at time management?? Then maybe I can spend some time actually designing and producing furniture and THEN, once I actually have something to show the world, get back into social media?? I just really hate the idea of giving up on anything but maybe, if I can convince myself that it will actually enable me to own my own business faster, I can be ok with it and vastly improve the next three quarters of my life...
Monday, March 21, 2011
Monday's Bold Statement - Bright Italian Colors!
Alright, this week's Monday's Bold Statement is a little bit of a stretch since it really doesn't have anything to do with decorating. But I am so excited about my bright, colorful pictures from Italy that I just couldn't wait to share them! And I DO think they would look excellent framed in a kitchen....
And the best for last......
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| Getting started off with the Italian flag on a cobblestone street in Rome |
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| Some fruits and dried peppers at Campo de Fiori |
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| Someone painted this beautiful wall nearly 2000 years ago in the city of Pompei |
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| Oranges and an artistic lightbulb in a Sorrento citrus grove. Credit to my sister for going to ridiculous lengths to obtain this photo :) |
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| Fruit baskets outside a trattoria |
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| Some delicious confections! |
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| The Sorrrento citrus grove again (maybe the only pretty thing in Sorrento, but it was darn pretty!) |
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| A beautiful cobblestone street on a rainy night in Rome |
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| Hanging onions at Campo de Fiori |
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| Vegetables outside a trattoria in Rome |
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| Beautiful flowers at Campo de Fiori |
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| Chestnuts roasting on an open fire.....not all they're "cracked" up to be...;) |
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| I loved the beautiful color on this building near the Trevi Fountain |
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| Some gelato, of course! |
And the best for last......
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| A pretty, pretty gladiator at the Colosseum |
Monday, March 14, 2011
Monday's Bold Statement (from Italia!!) - Chartreuse Textured Wallpaper
Chartreuse textured wallpaper? I have to say, I'm not sure what midlife crisis or lost bet inspired this choice of wall covering in an otherwise fairly neutral room, but, for some reason I personally think it works. This is one risky moved that turned out to be a winner!
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| the Decorista |
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Color Block Thursdays - Black (Doors)
Putting a shiny black door on a room is like putting it in a little black dress. Fab.
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| Apartment Therapy |
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| Jonathan Adler via Apartment Therapy |
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| Veranda |
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Wednesday, March 9, 2011
An Office I Would Love
Just came across this photo in a new blog I found, Design Darling. I love the mixture of modern desk, traditional bookcase and Louis XV chair - this kind of eclectic decor is exactly my style. I also love the creative way oh-so popular zebra was brought into the room: in the cute little zebra bookends on the shelf. How I would love to own those bookends!!
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Color Block Thursdays - Red
A little pop of red can really spice up a room and hardly ever clashes, despite its intense presence. Especially in a smaller house, a common thread of a strong color like red, can tie everything together and make for a very cozy feeling.
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| Lonny |
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| House Beautiful |
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| The Decorista |
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| India Hicks via Habitually Chic |
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
I have a follow button!
I just finally put up a follow button yesterday! Please feel free to join the few intrepid followers to the left. Otherwise they may die of loneliness... :)
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