Happy Weekend!

Image via: Yoo Il.

I started my weekend a little early by having a very fun dinner with a few local bloggers. Paloma, Courtney and I are old buddies by now; but I also met Paige and Lauren for the first time. We did a lot of girl talk, and had to be practically kicked out of the restaurant! I'm loving our "Blog Meetings"!
I hope all of you have a wonderful weekend too.

Charming Blog

I am infatuated with this Finnish blog, called Livian Talossa. I have no idea what any of it says, but I sure do like the pretty pictures:) Its just like kindergarten.

Not Ready To Go Home.

I've been having so much fun with my virtual world travels, this week. I wish it didn't have to end. Before the week is over, I thought we could travel to Argentina; via El Beso.
This house inspires me, not just to visit; but to move in! Its bohemian goodness, is too much for me to resist.
Correction: When I first posted this article, I said the bedroom had a peg-board wall. A reader commented that the wall is not peg-board, but a small print wallpaper. Oops!
Too bad, I was loving the peg-board idea. Maybe that is how I will reinterpret it.

Well, I hope everyone had fun traveling with me. Time to unpack our black suitcases ;)
Have a Great Weekend!

Let's Take a Trip.

I just returned from a short weekend trip. The problem is that it really wet my appetite for travel. I would like to spend the rest of the week writing about wonderful places I would like to visit. Many of you are returning from a long weekend, just like I am; and may not be ready for Monday. Check out this amazing post from Pia Jane Bijkerk, and ease into the week. While sitting in a Parisian cafe, she recorded the sounds that accompanied this wonderful shot. I can feel a cool breeze and imagine the wonderful aromas that must have been part of this scene. I love this idea so much! There are several other "soundscape" posts that are just as dreamy, so don't miss them.

Very Charming!

What an adorable girl! These photos remind me of Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday. In fact she is a Spanish singer named Russian Red. I found these photos via a blog called, A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words. It is a new must read for me.

One More Bit of Inspiration.

Before, my "Creative Displays" week ends; I thought I would add the work of Riitta Paivalainen. She uses second-hand clothing to make these surreal installations. Found via Brocante.

Creativity Doesn't Have To Be Complicated.

Point Click Home.
Not all creative displays have to be intricate and busy. The trick to making a room interesting without getting too complicated is, by adding one large and dramatic piece. Instead of filling the walls with lots of tiny knick-knacks, these rooms use a minimal amount of very bold pieces. Personally, I think bigger is almost always better, (Is this because I'm from Texas?)

Via Desire to Inspire.

This picture is from Thom Filicia. I've been obsessed with those giant gears, since the first time I saw them. They really make this room truly memorable. I also love Thom's use of very large artwork in the picture below. Its a great springboard for the rest of the room.

Finally, the king of drama in simplicity...Vicente Wolf. I know I've mentioned this before, but I love everything this man does! His work proves that a beautiful object, even if it is a simple one; can "make" a room. BTW, for all of you who live in small spaces; this design trick will still work. A small room gains importance when large scaled items are brought in.

Brown Design Blog.

I just finished watching a new episode of Flipping Out. Did anyone see it? It is a CRAZY show! But I do love the amazing houses it features. A lot of the design is done by Ryan Brown of Brown Design. I've been a fan of their work for a while now, so I thought I would mention that they have a new blog. Its full of lots of eye candy and juicy photos of some the Flipping Out, houses. (Like this little gem).

My Dream Home This Week: A Home By The Bay.

Happy Monday, everybody! I know its the middle of the day, so everyone is well into their Monday.
Today's dream home may be familiar to many of you. It is the home of Victoria of SFgirlbybay. I chose it because, first: I love it so much and second: it fits into a theme for the rest of the week. Most of my posts this week will be about creative displays. I have been studying different methods of accessorizing in order to inspire my own displays at my furniture booth. Since I collected many interesting photos, I thought I would share them.

Victoria's bohemian home is filled with creative vignettes, in every corner! Art, books, found objects, all come together to make a truly inspiring abode. Again, I find myself drawn to a mostly white interior. It just seems so relaxing! I would love to take a nap on this cushy sofa.

I need to find a large scale chalkboard like this. I can imagine, both Liam and I would have lots of fun with it :) Victoria's home is also featured in Apartment Therapy's book, "Real Homes, Real People".
Its a very cool book, that I have mentioned before; here.

Stressing!

Hey everyone! I've been having a lot of technical difficulties w/ my internet, so I haven't posted all the things I wanted. I'm feeling a little frustrated. I would love to be here.

Dallas Trip Part 1...Meeting Joslyn.

Normally, I post a "Dream Home" on Monday, but I'm going to wait until tomorrow. It will be part of a theme for the week, that I will write about tomorrow.
Today, I wanted to write about my fun and CRAZY trip to Dallas. I had so much fun its going to take two posts to cover it all! On Saturday, I was very excited to meet with Joslyn of Simple Lovely. (If you haven't read her blog, you must check it out!) Joslyn and I have been emailing, and commenting recently. I love her blog so much, because her posts are so beautiful and I relate to her ideas and choices. She is also a mommy of two little girls.
When I was planning my trip, I invited her for coffee. I'm not sure if it was a little presumptuous of me, because we don't know each other that well. I figured it was worth a try, anyway. Thankfully, she said yes; so we met at Starbucks. The wonderful thing about meeting other bloggers, is that you already have so many things in common right from the beginning. We sat down and started talking like we were old friends. She didn't even mind when Liam tried to take her coffee away! (Its a mom thing). We only had one hour to talk so we covered as many subjects as we could. Joslyn related to me that despite living in a glitzy place like Dallas; she doesn't really abide by those standards. This was so funny to me, because that is how I have always felt and thought I was the only one. My chosen career of interior design, places me alongside people who can be very....ahh, "chi,chi". I understand that lifestyle, but it just isn't me. Also, I have to say, that Joslyn has one of the most interesting childhoods I have ever heard of! But, I will let her talk about it if is she wants.
You know, I can't believe we didn't talk about photography! I think that's another thing we have in common...too bad.

Joslyn's home is so cool, and has been featured on Cookie magazine blog, Sfgirlby bay, More Ways to Waste Time just to name a few. It is a very cool 70's gem. Ya'll know how much I love this type of house! Joslyn, I want to visit your house next time...okay?(Talk about being presumptuous!)

Motto For The Week.

I'm back from Dallas! I got too see a lot of new things, and meet some new people. I'm feeling refreshed and decided this illustration describes my mood for this week. Its by artist Andy J. Miller. Found via Fine Little Day.

Martin Showroom Lighting.

Today, I'm feeling inspire bythis amazing lighting from Martin Showroom. Found via Apartment Therapy.

Random Ideas.

I'm not sure if most of you know this, but I have a second blog. I call it Random Thoughts. Like the title says, I post random things that catch my eye. I decided to use it to it to indulge my love of art and striking images. This is probably a dumb idea, but hey; I think its fun. So check it out here...if you want. Please feel free to let me know what you think about it.

Smile.

I'm not a girlie girl, but I do LOVE flowers. These beauties from Housemartin, really brought a smile to my face. I thought I would share them with all of you.

Assemblage.

I've been obsessing over the work of Lizzy Waronker. Found via My Little Apartment.

I Love This Pillow!

I think this pillow is so dreamy. It is made by Lena Corwin. I found it on her blog >O<, but it should be on her shop soon...I can't wait.

New E-zine from Design for Mankind

I've been away from my computer, so I haven't read any blogs today. I'm sure I am not the only one with a post about Design For Mankind's new e-zine. I thought I would post my favorite pictures anyway. This month's theme is "Inspiration in the Unexpected". I love this theme and seeing what others find inspirational. I especially like these three photos, but my favorite is the ghost with the balloons. It is a bit disconcerting, but it also makes me chuckle. It was inspired by a recurring nightmare. The photographer recreated as an attempt to confront it, and because it was such an amazing image. Talk about facing your fears.

Sensual Color

Happy Friday, everyone! I am going to keep this post short, because I woke up with the world's worst migraine! As soon as I can look at the monitor a little longer, I will post pictures of a fun get-together I went to last night :)
I couldn't resist showing off these beautiful pictures. It is a British home that consists of my favorite color palette. I am drawn to the chocolate and red tones in the wood combined with creamy tones and varying shades of purple. I've always found these colors very sensual.

The bright settee gives the room a jolt of life. I also love the jewel tone, purple chair. The fabric looks like it might be velvet or mohair. I love either fabric, because the color becomes multi-dimensional. I found these images via Desire to Inspire.

Great Ebay Finds.

I really enjoy reading Joanna Goddard's blog, Cup of Jo. She always posts beautiful photos and interesting articles. I really enjoy her style. She is selling some of her personal items on Ebay, and true to her style...they are very cool. My favorite pieces are the postcards and charming dress. Ahh, to be an "Xtra Small".