Friday Photo Finish

Late again on this one. After last week’s lay offs, I’m now working with a mostly new team, and there is so much to teach them and so much for them to teach us that it just leaves me drained and exhausted at the end of the day. Things will get better soon, but until then I may be little late posting here and there and end up playing catch up on the weekends.

As I was walking to work this week, I noticed a few blooms and a lot of buds on the cherry trees in the park I cross. It reminded me of these photos that I took last year in March. I guess the unusually warm and dry weather we’ve been having is causing Spring to arrive sooner this year.

images by me

Domino’s Goodbye

Domino’s latest issue for February 2009, which will be their 2nd to last issue.

For those who haven’t yet heard the news, Conde Nast announced today (see here)that they have decided to shutter Domino. The March issue will be its last. It’s so unfortunate! This is one of the few home magazines that spoke directly to real people with normal homes and apartments. Let’s be honest Elle Decor presents some very beautifully done mansions and chateaux which are nice to dream about, but how many of us actually live in either?

from Amanda Peet’s house tour

I could hardly get through a page in Domino that didn’t send me to the internet to look up a new store, or designer, or piece of furniture, etc. It takes me about a month to get through the entire magazine because every page sends me running to the web. Where else can you get so much information about the latest home designs and products in the U.S? There are some really good foreign magazines that offer this of which Living, Etc., Skona Hem, Ideal Home are just a few. However Domino was the only U.S. based magazine that was an equal to those magazines.

from Jenna Lyon’s house tour

I’m sorry, but Dwell does not speak to me the way that Domino does. I don’t dream of living in a completely open plan cement floored home with lots of giant windows that is shaped like a box or a rectangle or any other geometric shape. I want a warm cozy home with a mix of modern and classic pieces with some color or pattern splashed on the walls and mixed in the decor, and that’s where Domino came in. Domino was exactly what the U.S. magazine market needed. It was hole that Domino filled. Without Domino, who now will champion American designers, manufacturers, and even bloggers?

from a Liz Lange/Jonathan Adler apartment makeover

Here’s a thought, why don’t they just continue to produce online content? If we are all on the internet anyway, and the internet is what is causing newspaper and magazines to die, why don’t they just channel their resources into being an online only magazine? I wouldn’t be above paying for a subscription for an online magazine like Domino. I get so much out of it, and I’m sure that I’m not the only one. It’s so silly to shutter a good magazine completely when there are other options and clearly so many people who love it. The real reason publishers are going under is because they lack the ability to think outside of the box, or in this case the paper on which their product is printed on.

all images via Domino

And this too…

Folksy Heart Onesie by Dutch Door Press on Etsy.

Heart this…

Cross-stitched Heart Frame Purse from Emedemarta’s shop on Etsy.

West Elm New Spring ‘09

A few new things I’m loving from West Elm…

Ceramic Solstice Hurricanes $34 for the wide & $49 for the tall.

Patterned-dome Pendant $129… three of these lined up over a table or counter top would be nice.

Scoop Back Chairs in bright colors. $99 each. I’d love to see these in multiple colors around a white or dark wood dining table.

all via West Elm

Valentine’s Day Part I

I’ve been good this year and got an early start on card making. I’ve already finished two Valentine’s Day cards and V-day is still three weeks away. I made cards last year as a way to channel some of my creative energy and really enjoyed it. There’s just something about all the pink and red decorations out there that really get me itching to make something pretty myself.

So for those of you who have been too busy to even start thinking about Valentine’s Day, I have been gathering up cards and gift sources just for you. Today I’ll start off with just a taste… a little bit of inspiration for those of you who maybe want to make your own handmade Valentines.

All the excitement in the blogosphere over Yulia Brodskaya’s incredibly detailed and beautiful quilled artwork (shown above), reminded me of an article on quilling in a February issue of Martha Stewart magazine several years back. I was so enamored with the craft that I held on to those pages from that issue for that some day when I’d have time to try it out. Fortunately, through the magic of the internet, you can try making your own quilled cards yourself, as Martha was nice enough to put the instructions up on her website here.

This one might be a challenge for beginners…

but this one above and…

this one should be manageable. Happy Valentine’s making!

top image from Yulia Brodskaya; bottom three images from Martha Stewart

Friday Photo Finish

Finally able to post these photos that I took during our mini heat wave a couple of weeks ago. I took these photos with my zoom lens from the beach at Pescadero State Beach. Enjoy!

all images by me

Inauguration Fashion

I have to admit that I did not love First Lady Michelle Obama’s outfit for the inauguration ceremony. I felt it was too stiff and the color read a little green instead of yellow on the TV and in photos that I’ve seen. In fact, I would not have known it was yellow had I not been told otherwise. She is tall and has an athletic body. I would have liked to have seen her in a jacket with a more nipped in waist with softer fabric that would have given her some curves. I do think they made an excellent choice with her ball gown. She looked stunning.

I did however absolutely love little Sasha’s outfit from J. Crew’s Crewcuts. It was so pretty and perfect. The color combination was so bright and cheerful and seemed to fit with her bubbly personality. I love the combination of the coral, fuschia, pale pink and orange. In honor of her outfit, I’ve pulled together some photos of interiors that incorporate those colors.

via Elle Decor
Paired with blues, grays, and black, the colors add a nice pop to a sophisticated living room.

via Domino

via Ideal Home
The colors bring a touch of warmth to the rooms above when paired with neutral walls and flooring.

via Domino
Painting the wall above the fireplace a bright poppy color creates a focal point in a small room, and creates a visual break in the pale pink walls to keep the room from feeling boxed in.

via Elle Decor
Fuchsia painted walls makes a bold statement when paired with a subtle orange patterned chair and, again, a neutral rug.

Inauguration photo via the Boston Globe credited to Chuck Kennedy, AP Photographer

Hello Lovelies!

Really wishing I this was me right now...

I just wanted to let you all know that I haven't forgotten about you. It's just been such an emotionally draining week at work that I haven't had the energy to sit down and post. It also didn't help that I ran out of space on my computer on Wednesday either, but that little problem fortunately has been solved by my lovely boyfriend.

I'll be posting yesterday's and today's posts tomorrow once I've had a good night's sleep, and some time away from work to process all that has happened this week.

image by Thomas Dhellemmes

Color Me Happy

It’s been one of those mind numbing data entry days at work that just sucks the life right out of you… ah but this rug by Angela Adams brings me right back to life. I love it so. The colors are the perfect not too bright shades of my favorite color palette. If only I had the space in my little studio apartment for this small piece of Angela Adams work. Oh and did I mention it’s also on sale? So I guess one of you lucky readers will have to snatch it up instead. ;)

Pooky Rainbow 2’x3’ sale price $54

images via Angela Adams

Feeling Angelic

How sweet is this Alada Winged salt & pepper set and this cup & saucer set from Horne? I think this salt & pepper set tops the “Hug” set for cuteness any day.

images via Horne

And so it begins…

At about this moment, all these seats are filled and millions of people are watching a new president being sworn in, and history will be made.

image credited to Declan McCullagh

Toast Trelech Blanket

I just discovered that the lovely throw blanket shown lounging on one of my favorite chairs from my post here is from Toast and it's on sale! Just an fyi for those of you who are lucky enough to be living in the UK....

F. Schumacher & Trina Turk Collaboration

Trina Turk has collaborated with F. Schumacher & Co. to design a line of Indoor/Outdoor fabrics that reflect her Palm Springs aesthetic of bold patterns and colors. The line corresponds with her new Spring and Summer ‘09 collections.

Arches

Zebra

Santorini

Sunglasses

Trellis

To view more of the collection go here or here.

images via: 1. F. Schumacher & Co., 2. Trina Turk, 3. F. Schumacher, 4. Trina Turk, 5. F. Schumacher, 6. F. Schumacher, 7. F. Schumacher, 8. Trina Turk, 9. F. Schumacher, 10. Trina Turk, 11. F. Schumacher.

Happy Birthday Seanie!

to my brother...

may your hopes and dreams carry you up, up, and away...

image via ClusterBalloon.org

Friday Photo Finish

I took this photo with my new zoom lens while up by Coit Tower the day after Christmas. This Airship Ventures blimp was on a tour of the bay. I like how the bushes in front of me created this forced perspective.

image by me

Beautifully Styled

Loving these images styled for Marie-Claire Idees by stylist Camille Soulayrol.

There's something about that wall that is just so cool.

I love that headboard.

I would never go this girly in my own home, but how cute are those pots on the wall?

This one has such perfect symmetry between the frames and the worn chair and wall behind.

all images via Camille Soulayrol