New Anthropologie Windows

I stopped into Anthropologie tonight to see if they had anything fun on sale. I didn't really find anything I needed. I was able to take some shots of their new windows and inside the store a fun fauna like display. Anthropologie should publish a book on decorating. I am sure it would be amazing and be filled with so many creative diy projects using household materials. I love the new displays that use simply paper cups, paper mache, and fabric for the umbrellas.

Old Postcard

We found this postcard of the house in an old baseball card shop over the weekend. We assume the postcard is from around the early 1900's. I love the fence around the side of the house and the shutters on all the windows. The original door is shown in this photo. We learned that a drunk driver hit the house in the 80's and completely took out the corner of the house. Total bummer because the windows above the door look like old bull's eye windows.

Ethnic Embroidered Ribbons

One last post before I head off to the store for baking supplies. I saw these embroidered ribbons yesterday and was reminded of the post I wrote about embroidered curtains. What about one of these ribbons sewn onto a white sheer? So fun and colorful! I found one of the styles available for purchase on M&J's website: mjtrim.com. Have a nice 4th!

Inspiration: Embroidered Curtains

I just spotted these beautiful embroidered curtains on dominomag.com. I would love to use some my ribbon I bought last week at Daytona to copy this look. Super easy! Just sew strips of ribbon onto a sheer white curtain. You can pick up inexpensive white sheers like these at Ikea.

Waterworks

The closing is thankfully going smoothly. Looks like we will have the house by July 11. I am so excited. I can't wait to get started on all my fun projects.

I headed over to Waterworks showroom in Greenwich today to help me get a little bathroom inspiration. Waterworks is great store to check out if your going for a traditional looking bathroom. I totally fell for these open washstands and the 2" hexagon shape tiles. The hexagon shape is so classic but the larger shape tile in an unexpected twist. I think I might pair it with a subway tile on the walls or covering the inside of bathroom stall. I can't remember the name of the tile shown in the hex shape but I told is was pretty pricy. They suggested using carrera marble which is a cooler looking stone and a more reasonable price point. Check out more: waterworks.com.

Strawberry Banke

I was up Portsmouth, New Hampshire over the weekend getting inspiration at Strawberry Banke. I was there checking out 18th century architecture similar to my potential new house. Strawberry Banke has a walking museum tour that allows you to tour restored homes dating back to 1740. I was surprised how much colorful wallpaper appeared in all of the historic homes. The wallpapers are reproductions of French and English papers that were typical during the time period. To check out more of the tour click on any image to view my flickr photostream page. Enjoy!

Sewing Classes

I just signed up for two new sewing classes at Make in New York. I am super excited to sharpen my sewing skills! I don't think I've really touched a machine since I stopped making scrunchies back in '92. I thought I would always figure it out again on my own but taking a class sounds like a lot more fun and way more motivating! Feeling creative? Check out the class schedule here: makeworkshop.com.

Card Catalog Generator

I made this little love note for my boyfriend via the card catalog generator. Make your own here: blyberg.net/card-generator/.

Agate from Hungary

I found this site via another rock site from Domino. All of the rocks are agates from Hungary. The patterns and colors on each slab are so amazing and beautiful. Browse four galleries filled with hundreds of examples for purchase. Any of the pieces would be beautiful displayed or used as a bookend. Check out site by, clicking here.

Blue is the new "it" color

Check out of our favorite new "it" color: blue. Blue is one of the easiest color to live with and also happens to be the only color both my boyfriend and I can agree on. Blue is great because it can be soothing and more vibrant and funky. Check out Domino's jammed packed slideshow full of inspiring ways to incorporate a little blue into your life, click here.

Juno Movie & Soundtrack

I had to share my new favorite movie. If you haven't seen Juno, go! If you haven't bought the soundtrack, buy it! I really fell for this movie. It made me want to fall in love all over again and have babies. My favorite line in the movie is when her dad says, "Find a person that loves you for exactly who you are."

Anyway...check out the trailer above. Check out Ellen and Michael singing, "Anyone Else But You" by The Moldy Peaches. This movie is full of one liners that you'll be using at parties for months.
Parents:
Dad "Did you see that coming"?
Step-Mom "I was hoping she was expelled or into hard drugs".
Dad "Or DWI..anything but this."

Green Roof Art Building

This building is amazing. I found this amazing building via my favorite green blog, inhabit.com. I remember first learning about green roofs back in my House & Garden days. They are so freakin amazing. I would love to have a garden on my roof. "Honey it's your turn to mow the lawn!" Check out inhabitat's post with more info and pics here.

Images From the Train

Last night I came home late from the city. The train was so quite and peaceful. I took a few shots as the train speed through various towns up to Connecticut. The light captured gets spread across the large black space creating bursts of marks in the sky. The images to me are really beautiful and simple.

Lobby Inspiration-Carlton Hotel

I wanted to share a little afternoon inspiration. A mix of eclectic antiques and modern shapes gives this room a exotic world traveler feeling.

The shot is from the lobby of the Carlton Hotel in San Francisco that I stayed at back in October. I keep thinking about this lobby. I really feel in love with the pair of green silk velvet sofas shimmering in the sun. The lobby's gray and white marble tiles made the room feel grand but the weathered area rug with hints of rusty reds grounded the room and stopped it from feeling to stuffy.

The mantel was gorgeous painted in a black gloss. To the right, is an antique Wedding Chest covered in a inlaid shell pattern. Often you will find these chests inlaid with camel bone. The inlaid pearl worked well with the luminous feeling of the sofas. I really like this room. Can I go on vacation again?

Suzanne Felsen

For those of you who know me well know: I can be pretty picky. I can "like" a lot of things but I probably won't love it for myself . Case in point: engagment rings. I want to pick out my own ring but I just can't decide. So I share with you some of my favorite designers that I have discovered on my search for the perfect "one".

I really do love Suzanne Felsen's rings. I've never really wanted to wear a diamond. I just don't care for them they way other girls do. My eyes light up when I see a beautiful colored stones. But with color comes a the decision of what color do I want to wear for the rest of my life? My boyfriend calls these the "clown rings". Jerk.

All the rings above and below are gorgeous. The are pretty big rings which kinda scares me for everyday. They are total cocktail rings. I've thought about using her rings as inspiration and having it scaled down to fit an everyday style. Check out Suzanne Felsen's site here.

Heatherwick Studio

I think about this building a lot. A shot of pulled from Elle Decoration was pinned up to my bulletin board at H&G for months. I am trying to think of what intially attracted me to the building. I was amazed by the organic shape resting along the beach's expansive horizontal. The building seem natural and weathered as if it was a piece of driftwood carved away by the plummeting onshore breezes.

What is it? Located in Littlehampton, a traditional seaside town on England's south coast, the building is used as a seaside cafe.

"The building is sliced diagonally into ribbons which wrap up and over the building, forming a layered protective shell, open to the sea in front. The opening is filled with glass doors and windows, protected at night by roller shutters concealed within the building's geometry, the 30-centimetre width of the ribbons being the dimension of a shutter mechanism."

If you fallen for Heatherwick's East Beach cafe then definitely don't miss the rest of their portfolio here.

Tiny McSmall Website

One last post...I had to share! I just found this great site, tinymcsmall.com, filled with all kinds of cute kids stuff. I really absolutely can't resist the personalized barrettes above. I might get them for my niece. $24 for 4, lead time two weeks. I grew up in a house where every outfit had a matching hair accessorie. Yes, my mother was a bit neurotic about it. Think of it more as being really committed to me looking as cute as possible.

Anyway...I love this site. The layout and photographs are really great! Pretty simple and conveys this feeling of handmade quality children's clothing. If I only had some kids...

Flight Of Conchords-Boom King

I'm not a big T.V. watcher but I do watch Flight Of The Conchords on HBO. The show is about a 2-guy New Zealand folk band that comes to NYC trying to get their big music break. Parts of the show can be a bit ridiculous but majority of the time it feels like the most real show about struggling artists/musicians in NYC. The two guys live in a tiny shit ass apartment sharing a bedroom with two twins beds. My favorite part of the show are the impromptu songs. Boom King has to be one of my favorites!

Update: it seems my video keeps getting shut down. Click here to watch the video directly on Youtube.

Blueprint

I picked up the final issue of Blueprint in Grand Central yesterday. The cover looks great. I was so sad that Jan/Feb issue would be their last. I like many others didn't really like Blueprint when it first came out. The mag felt unorganized and just seemed to lack a clear vision. But the mag grew and definitely found it's footing. It quickly became one of my favorites.

I really like that each month that had some kind of DIY projects that didn't feel like DIY. Each project was always clever and chic. Best of luck to the staff. I have heard a rumor that the staff will continue with their Bluelines blog. Great stuff and ideas...a definite bookmark! blogs1.marthastewart.com/blueprint/

But let's take one last look at the cover. I so dug that custom made dresser using clip art. I am thinking of buying two dressers and doing a horizontal art piece to join the two! So smart!

C. Bell Furnishings

I found this link via Design Sponge's guest blogger a few weeks ago. I fell for the two nightstand above. They are perfect. I like the lines and I love that they are white gloss. The problem is that they are a bit out of my budget right now, $2,100 for the pair. Oh well, I can dream for now. Check out some of my other favorites below and be sure to check our her site, cbellfurnishing.com. I am loving this site and totally keeping it bookmarked for future inspiration.

Glacier National Park Blankets

From left: Rainier National Park, $168. Glacier National Park, $140-$178.

Glacier National Park blankets are one of my favorite wool blankets. I love the stripes and primary colors. The blankets have been around since the 1900s and made by Pendleton Woolen Mills using 100% virgin wool. Each blanket is named for a specific U.S. national park. I have always been drawn to the Glacier National Park blanket. I am trying out these colors on a new stripe painting I am working on. I'll post some images once I get it a little closer to completion. For now check out Pendleton's website and explore the great outdoors.

From left: Great Smoky National Park, $168. Crater Lake National Park, $168-$178.

Mairo

I was just cruising through my bookmarks for a little inspiration. I thought I would share my two favorite patterns from the Swedish company, Mairo. So pretty! I am in love with this fabric. The colors and pattern feel so juicy and organic.

Andirons

Gates and Douglas Andirons, Lyle and Umbach, To the Trade.

Andirons have often been called, "jewelry for the fireplace." Not only are they pretty, but they help prevent logs from rolling onto your floor.

I started this piece back in my H&G days. I feel in love with Lyle and Umbach's, Reese Andirons, unfortunately they were only sold to the trade. I started to search for other retail options and turned up pretty empty handed.

The problem is andirons were popular back in the day when people had class and actually used fireplaces. It's nearly impossible to find a reproduction that doesn't seem cookie cutter and just plain boring. To the trade always has the most druel-worthy stuff but it can be hard for a regular person to get a showroom to sell to them. So I would suggest hunting for the real thing. Try antique stores and great websites like 1stdibs.com. My round-up is meant to be pure inspiration. Let me know what you find antique or not?

Reese Andirons, Lyle and Umbach, To The Trade.

Tree Andirons, Lyle and Umbach, To The Trade.

Pewter Ball Top Andirons, North Line Express, $189.90 a pair.

Iron And Brass Andirons with Thistle Design, English, Heather & Company.

Pair of Restored Modernist Andirons, 1930s-40s, Paul Marra Design.

Leaf and Cone Forged Iron Andirons, Early 20th Century, France, Robert Altman.

Madeline Weinrib Rugs

Both of these rugs from Madeline Weinrib remind so much of the tiling in Mancini's Italian Palazzo. I so want one and then I can get a red velvet chair. But wait...I'm suppose to be painting. I can't buy anything till I made at least 5 paintings. Why is it that the things you really love to do can be so hard to start? Alright, no excuses. I have to leave the computer now and start my life.

Mancini Inspired

I have been sick with the flu since Monday. In my cold medicine induced coma I kept dreaming of these images. The photos are from H&G's Italy issue. The colors vibrate off each other creating a dynamic tension that is so juicy and inspiring. The image on the top is my favorite. The big block of red against the intricate patterning of the blue tile floor is outstanding. So today is the day, sick or not, I am stopping with the all the excuses and I will start painting.

Examples of Mancini's pottery punctuate nearly every room, and one spare room is overwhelmed by her terra-cotta work as it awaits glazing.

Ingrid Calame

g-kgg-kooo-kggkooo-kggkoo, 2003. Enamel on aluminum.

The good thing about cleaning out my studio is: I finally having the room to paint again and I am finding all kinds of great inspiration I have collected over the years. I found an announcement for Ingrid Calame's show at James Cohan Gallery from back in 2003. I had this announcement tacked up on my bulletin board forever. I have always enjoyed Ingrid's work and the story behind each of the painting makes the work even more enticing. Each of the paintings is a tracing of marks and spots she finds on the street. Watch a fascinating video of Ingrid explaining the process behind her work by clicking here.

Trace 1, 2006. Etching with chine colle

Bb-AAghch!, 2003. Enamel on aluminum.

Wide Awake Thinking About...Tufted

Urban Outfitters, Velvet Tufted Headboard

Ballard Designs, Camden Tufted Headboard

I was lying in bed last night thinking about tufted headboards. I found two premade headboards that had the same type of look but they just need seem right. I do like that the fabric is deeply tufted. So many I found where barely tufted at all; just plainly a button sewn onto the fabric.

As I thought about these two examples, I just didn't care for them. I liked the boxyness of the headboard from Domino. The height it not so exaggerated that I couldn't put a stellar piece of artwork above it. The curvy lines of these premade headboards seem very dramatic and don't allow for any other decoration without seeming way to girly.

So I guess I will need to find a upholster in Connecticut to help me with my project. Now I just need to think about fabric...

Tufted Headboards

August 2006, House & Garden

I have been thinking a lot about tufted headboards. Pretty, sophisticated, and timeless. I think tufted headboards will definitely have some staying power in my constantly changing design style. Check out a few of my favorites that I have been dreaming about.

December 2007, Domino. I would want the fabric to have a little reflection of purple and then it would be perfect.

April 2006, Domino. Crazy color is right up my alley. Problem is everything I own is a bright color. My bedroom will end looking like a disco not a sanctuary.

November 2007, House & Garden. I love the structure and shape of this bed. The rolling on the sides is quite appealing and different. The white is a bit blah but it's a color that will always work.

Carla Lane Interiors

Courtney from Style Court, did some fantastic guest blogging over at Design Sponge. I totally dug her interview with one of my favorite new designers, Carla Lane. I remember seeing this bedroom shot before and loving it; great mix of traditional with some funky ethnic textiles. I have been trying to find nightstands for like 2 months. This is giving me total inspiration. To read the full post click here.