Adios 2010

This year has been one of introspection and quiet days.  After a few years of intense personal drama, I needed a year of peace.  In retrospect, I see how fitting it was that I tore a muscle and a ligament in my knee early this year.  It forced me to be still.

And it was good.  I rested. Took inventory of my life.  Recuperated from the roller coaster ride that was my life for a good 3 years. 

But now that is done.  I am ready for full on adventure and activity, minus drama. 

2011: Bring. It. On. 

I am not much of a champagne drinker, but when I do - it's Veuve Clicquot Rose.  Wine & Spirits described it best: "This has the bright savor of a strawberry dipped in sea salt." Love. 

There are two ways to drink champagne: the slow sip or the fast drink.  Tonight we drink fast.

Bienvenido, 2011 !!

Week of Joy - Days Four and Five

The holidays and work (f-ing work!) interfered with my blog posts.  I want to quickly wrap up the posts I had planned last week for my Week of Joy, before the last post of 2010.




The cure for anything is salt water - sweat, tears or the sea.  - Isak Dinesen

I love the ocean.  I love that feeling when you walk into the ocean and the water wraps around your legs.   I credit the sea for healing many of my own heart aches.

{Images from my vacation in New Zealand}

I love the way the ocean changes color depending on the sun.  I could happily live the rest of my life by the sea.

A couple of bedrooms with an oceanic color palette.  The one below is very soothing with shades of gray and white.

I love the sparkle and green tones in this room:

{Images via Elle Decor}

Another thing that brings me great joy is travel.  I love to visit new places and I especially love the challenge of visiting places where I don't know the spoken language. The ironic thing in my life is that I used to travel a lot more when I had less money.  Now that I have a nice salary, I work too much and don't have as much free time to travel.  I think some adjustments for 2011 are in order.

A place I hold dear to my heart is a little town in central Mexico called San Miguel de Allende.
 I spent a few months here before moving to New Orleans for law school.  I was in search of guidance and healing.  I found it in this little town of cobblestone streets and colonial architecture. 

 This is the church that flanks the main courtyard in town.  It is a lovely soft pink color.  It kinda looks like a teenage girl's birthday cake and I love it for that reason.

I would spend hours strolling the streets and stepping into unexpected shops and art galleries.  San Miguel de Allende is a big artist's community and has many expats from all over the world. It give this little town a cosmopolitan edge.

I rented a little apartment with a rooftop terrace and this was the view.

For years, I would dream about San Miguel de Allende. I would dream (in that way where dreams don't follow logic or reason) that the town would search for me and ask me to return.  After a while those dreams stopped. 

I think a return trip is in order for 2011. 

Week of Joy - Day Three

Today is all about wine.  Wine is one of life's greatest pleasures.  I enjoy cocktails and cognac from time to time, but I could easily forgo those things for the rest of my life.  Wine, however, is sacred to me.  I love the smell, the taste, the complexity of wine.  I love the history of wine. I love the geography of wine.  I love the process of making wine.   I would happily plan my vacations around the wine regions around the world.

Simply put: wine brings me joy.


For today's post, I will focus on a budget friendly zinfandel: Bogle Old Vine Zinfandel

This is a full-bodied wine with rich black raspberry notes. It also has a pleasant spiciness - like black peppercorns and a toasty oakiness.  This is not a fruity wine, but it is flavorful.  This particular wine always reminds me of my friend T.  In the past, T and I have often go through many (many) glasses of this zinfandel over dinner and conversation.

The best part - it retails (outside of NYC) for around $10 or $11 a bottle.

Food Pair:  this wine is best enjoyed with food.  I think it goes perfectly with bread, crackers and cheese.  Or a juicy, greasy burger - yum!  I once enjoyed this at Thanksgiving dinner and it was amazing.


Nifty Tip: this type of wine is called Zinfandel in the U.S. and Primitivo in Italy.

Week of Joy - Day Two

Friendship.  There are two quotes I read recently about friendship that I have been mulling over:

"My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me."
- Henry Ford 

 As I get older and as my friendships deepen with certain people and fade with others, I am struck by the truth of that quote.   

 Nothing like a cozy nook with deep armchairs & an ottoman to inspire conversation (and gossip!) among friends. 

This next quote is not only funny - but rings true to me in its humor. Although I think you need a certain level of self-awareness to appreciate that sentiment. ;-)


"A true friend stabs you in the front."
- Oscar Wilde 

 To me, a true friend is someone who can celebrate with you in good times and can kindly call your attention when you need a swift kick in the ass.

This living room is designed for conversation.  There is no television, no other distraction - just seating for your friends.  How awesome is that baby picture above the mantel?

I am very grateful for the friendships in my life and intend to do my best to show them my love and appreciation this upcoming year.   Now if I were to design a room for my friend and loyal blog reader Penguin, to me this living room just feels like her.  The soft colored walls, the paneling contrasted with the graphic curtains and modern light fixture =  it all seems very sweet but with a flirty edge.

Except I would replace the coffee table & throw rug above with this:

 {All images above and below via Lonny Magazine}

 
For my friend A, I would design a guest room or informal living room in her house like this:

Perfect for when your girlfriend wants to dish about the new man in her life.  She can lounge on the daybed and tell the story to her girlfriends sitting nearby. How awesome is the gold on the ceiling?  And those lamps?!  This room feels eclectic and like a place you want to linger, which I think is very much like my friend A.  It's a place where you can tell someone your life story ;).

I love you girls. xoxoxo  Am I totally off base on the rooms I think are you?

Week of Joy

I heard some sad news regarding an incident in my apartment building on Saturday.  I won't go into details, this is not the time or place and it is not my story to tell.  Sometimes people can be overwhelmed with pain and grief to the point that it casts an impossibly dark shadow over everything.

This week, I want to focus on the things in life that are good and joyful. This is my (very) small part in spreading some light.  In the process, I want to remind myself of the things in my own life that are beautiful and joyful & for which I am grateful. 

My dog.

Look at that face!  My dog is a source of constant entertainment.  She is a clown, a soap opera actress and and a snuggle monster all rolled into one. I never feel alone when she is with me - everywhere I go with her, people stop to talk to her.


She helps me overcome my natural inclination to be reserved.  She loves to say hello to anyone and everyone that crosses her path. There is not one shy bone in her body.  She makes my life sunny and bright and sooo much fun.

If I had to design a bedroom to match my dog's personality, I think this would be it:

{Image via Lonny Magazine}

Zebra printed walls (b/c she is a little punk rock), polka dots on her duvet (b/c she is a little wacky) and an outrageous, tufted, tall white uphostered headboard (b/c she is a drama queen).  Call me crazy - but this room is all her and I love it for that reason.

In the Mood

I spent this morning browsing images of rooms that inspire a particular mood or feeling.


This room feels very masculine to me.  I love the large windows surrounding the room and the leather seats by the window.  I see this room and it makes me want to drink scotch.

This room is very sexy.  Dark and moody, but a bit eclectic too.  It feels very sophisticated.  I think its a combination of the dark walls, the lacquered beams on the ceiling and the velvet upholstery.  I see this and it makes me want to drink a glass of red wine.

This room is very calm.  I love the pale colors - they are very soothing.   The sofas are velvet and look very comfy.  I like the touch of green in the corner.  I see this and want to drink a mug of hot tea (with a nip of bourbon).

I adore this room.  It makes me feel like dancing. I love the bright white walls and the large windows.  The green sofa ties in with the lush green foliage outside. I love the cocktail tables - they add a nice touch of bling to the room.  This room makes me want to drink a caipirinha.

This room feels relaxed and cozy.  I loved the muted neutral colors, the artwork and the pops of orange here and there.  I also love the seagrass rugs paired with patterned throw rugs.   I see this room and it makes me want to drink a glass of sauvignon blanc.

{Images via House Beautiful}

What mood do you want your living room to inspire?

Sugar and Spice

I got the happy news today that my cousin is expecting a baby girl!  I am so excited I get to spoil a little girl rotten.  The news inspired me to look at nurseries and children's rooms with a decidedly girly theme. 

From Lonny Magazine:

So elegant and soft; I love the white mirror and the window treatment. Also love that there is a pink toy car next to the crib!  When do babies start driving - at 8 months or 9?

I absolutely love this room.  How awesome is that green rocking chair?  And the teeny tiny baby clothes hanging off the shelf?  Adorable.

This little girls' room is so fun.  Love the orange headboards and the pillows.  Not to mention the rockstar photographs above each bed. 

I love the framed artwork in this nursery.  For the artsy baby.

From House Beautiful:

Another double bed room, but totally different look.  I LOVE the canopies over each bed & the black graphic throw pillows = swoon!!

From Elle Decor:

This room is just perfect.  Soft and super elegant; there is a timeless quality to it.

I love the window treatments below (though not the rug - ew) and that the crib is right next to a window so that baby gets lots of vitamin D.

This one is my favorite.  Just look at it.  Enough said.

The Holiday

Big shout out to my loyal readers Penguin and A today!!

I found two posts about the interior design used in the houses from The Holiday.

Cameron Diaz's House at Hooked on Houses

And also at Hooked on Houses is Kate Winslet's English cottage:

I highly recommend clicking on the links and viewing the still shots.  Who knows, it may inspire you to name your apartment?  ;-)

Alternative Headboards

A friend's interior decor project sparked me to research alternative and cheap ways to create a headboard. 

1.  Camila over at Effortless Style has an easy to follow tutorial on how to create a 3 panel headboard like this one:

2. I found this awesome graphic decal that can substitute for a headboard at blik. It comes in a variety of colors but this hot pink one is awesome.

3.   Better Homes and Gardens has a feature on cheap & chic headboards.  Including this cute canopy:

and this adorable headboard made from a salvaged chain link fence:

4.  Over at Budget Wise Home I found this - curtains used as an alternative headboard:

So many creative ideas! So many ways to stretch your budget & still make your home a special place!

Living Room Update

When my mom asked me for advice on how to decorate her living room, it took me all of one hour to plot something out.  Taking into account her tastes are very different from mine, I gave her a new layout scheme, a list of accessories and ideas for window treatments.  And yet decorating my own spaces takes me weeks!! Why?  There are so many pretty things I like and I change my mind with every pretty picture I see. 

But yesterday I read something that hit home for me:  "Style is knowing who you are and what works for you." - Frank Muytjens.  He is the head of JCrew Men's Design.

So while I love and can appreciate printed upholstery, I know that I like to constantly change accessories and play with different color schemes.  Case in point: I love the printed slipcovers on the chairs below, but I bought them in a slipcover because I know that I will want to change the look soon. By sticking to neutral pieces, I can constantly play with different pillows, throws, lamps, artwork and window treatments.

These are current pictures of my living room in Texas:

It looks very bare without accessories. huh? I have decided to stop flip flopping and just choose a design scheme already.   After revisiting my favorite living room ever for inspiration:

Here is what I have decided on:

It's a very neutral palette that I intend to play up with accessories.  I already ordered that wingback chair during an awesome sale at WS Home.  I got a 30% discount and free shipping!  Those slipper chairs are the same ones I currently have with a different cover.  And those rattan chairs are very affordable chairs from Crate and Barrel.  The dark wood side chairs currently in my living room will be moved to my patio.

Now I can focus on my accessories scheme.  I want to play with orange, grey, white and blue accessories!

Catalog Saturdays

It's the season for holiday parties and hostess gifts.  So I am curling up with a cappuccino, my catalogs and drafting today's post with the goal of making my definitive list of hostess gifts for the holiday season.  I really should have made this list in November, but never too late.

1.  First up, and this one is really selfish as I have been on the hunt for one, is the perfect Christmas tree topper from Ballard Designs,  a sunburst mirror. It's a little steep at $75, but oh so lovely.

2. Next, some pretty stationary.  These little cards are from Kate Spade.  The set comes with eight cards, two of each color and each color has a cute little idiom.  Each box of eight notecards is $30.

A close up of the sayings, (click on any image to view larger):

3.  Next are some adorable salt and pepper shakers from West Elm.  Who wouldn't love these?  The best part - they are $6.00 and ship for free!

4.  From Williams Sonoma is some of the best hot chocolate I have had (outside of some hot chocolate I had at Angelina's in Paris that still haunts me).  It is $19.50.

5.  When I saw the price on this set, I was shocked.  It is a BARGAIN.  From CB2 is a 12-piece white square appetizer gift set WITH forks.  The price is $11.65!!  

6. For the wine lover is this nifty tool that preserves an unfinished bottle of wine - Metrokane Houdini Wine Preserver. It prevents an open bottle of wine from oxidizing.   It retails for a very reasonable  $11.50.

7.  I love these chic pencils from iomi.  A set of fourteen pencils is $15 and they come in lots of chic colors.

8.   This looks like a chic dress, but is actually an apron!! Perfect for the hostess that loves to cook and entertain. From Anthropologie is the "A Kiss Under the Mistletoe Apron" for $32.

Hope you enjoy my little list and if you have any suggestions, please post them in the comments.  Happy Saturday!!