TO THE NEW YEAR!

Wishing everyone a happy weekend! I hope you all have fabulous plans for New Year's Eve, just remember to be safe. Below is a festive party outfit I came up with.

1. Resin and Wood Broach- 12.50
2. Dalmatian Faux Fur Cape- 60.00
3. Structured Sleeveless Skater Dress- 46.00
4. Premeum Color Spot Earings- 18.50
5. Sparkler Missy Handbag- on sale for $93.00
6. Lancome Le Vernis Devine- $15.00
7. Curling Ribbon Ring- $78.00
8. Coach Poppy Eau de Parfum- $65.00
9. Rouge Dior Lipcolor- $32.00
10. Sultry High Platform Courts- 65.00

BACK TO THE GRINDSTONE

I just got home from a busy trip to Connecticut and I have an endless stack of "to-dos" along with a house full of suitcases and boxes. My house is a disaster zone, including my home office and it reminded me of when I first moved in. We looked at around 30 rental properties before we found the house we are in now and the biggest thing on my list was office/studio space. Before we found our house in Underwood Hills, we were close to signing a lease on a small house with a big yard in Cabbagetown. No office space inside meant I needed to get creative outside. Should I rent a studio space down the road or build one on site? Turns out, after a bit of research if found all kinds of amazing options for backyard shed/studios. Today is the kind of day I wish I could hid out in a backyard office and cram out some work without life distracting me! Check out some of the cool studio spaces I discovered a couple years back and some new upgraded offices I just found (while searching for the motivation to get back to reality).

If you have a minute, check out the full article on this Busy Box Studio on Design Sponge. This shed turned studio gave me my first burst of inspiration! I was on eBay and Craigslist daily, trying to find a used shipping container or trailer that I could transform into a workspace. 

via design sponge

bolb vb3

Here are a few pre-fab structures by a company called kitHAUS. They come in a variety of sizes and they can be used for an office, art studio, sitting room, cabana, ect. Below the pictures of kitHAUS is an English company that builds eco-friendly garden rooms; they would make a beautiful and professional office but sadly I don't think they can transport the factory build structures from Sussex to Atlanta.

apartment therapy

kitHAUS

eden garden rooms

airstream via mocoloco.com

I just found this funky pod on If It's Hip, It's Here. Tetra Shed is from the UK and will be available to us in America January 2012.

via if it's hip, it's here

Here are a few more creative spaces from Pintrest. 

pintrest

pintrest

pintrest

I hope you all are adjusting well to work after this Christmas, here's to New Years!

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Well it has been a long and busy week and I am excite to be spending Christmas with my family in Connecticut! I am looking forward to the festivities to come this weekend and if I owned this thing I would be prying it open at 4:49 on the dot! 

urbancase emergency cocktail station

Happy Holidays to everyone, have a safe and fabulous weekend!

DEAR SANTA,

I've had so much fun Christmas shopping and working on my Holiday Gift Guides that I thought I would put together a dream Christmas list for myself. If you have Santa's email address, please send him a link!

1. Plex Led Cuckoo Clock- Occa-Home for $200.00
I first saw this clock on Fab. but I missed the sale :( I love the cheeky and simple design and the vibrant colors it comes in.


2. Squares Blanket- Ferm Living for $149.95
This throw blanket was made for my sofa.


3. DIY Charm Necklace- Anthropologie (prices vary)
I've always loved the concept of charm bracelets and necklaces but I usually find the charms to be a little cheesey. Juicy Couture carries a cute line but even they seem a little bubbly for my taste. This new collection from Anthropologie is right up my ally, with tiny trinkets and oddities as charms.


4. Dark Nostaligia- Amazon for $45.00
This design book by Eva Hagberg is beautiful and unique. I had a chance to check out this book  briefly and I haven't stopped thinking about it. There are so many great hotel, restaurant, and bar designs in it! It would be a perfect source for inspiration.


5. Holga iPhone Lens- Photojojo Store for $30.00
Downloading the free app. Instagram has change my life. I take photos on my iPhone for work all the time, mostly of furniture while I'm shopping or project progress. With Instagram I can edit them to look like something off an actual camera. This Holga Lens would add another level to the editing I can do on my iPhone!


6. Sihouette Cameo for $299.99
If you are a crafty person, you need to check this thing out! It works like a home printer but instead of printing images, it cuts intricate designs into paper, vinyl, fabric and more. You can use your own design or work with the templates from the online store. I am dying to play with one.


7. One of a Kind World Globe- Etsy
I love globes and this one is so unusual. It's from the 1940's and over time the paper was removed or came off. The effect is this mix between modern and vintage, that Restoration Hardware should be all over. Sadly, this crazy cool globe has been sold, I want!!

1. Meadow Collection- Glassbaby for $440.00

While I would never expect Santa to spend this much on glass votive holders, I had to share. I found this company on the show 'Home By Novogratz'. The married design team works out of New York and the cameras follow them to a lot of cool local boutiques on the show. Glassbaby makes beautiful handblown glass votive holders and "drinkers"that are sold individually or in sets like this one.

2. Laguiole Letter Opener for $42.30

Laguiole is a classic knife and corkscrew company known for it high quality products. I like this because it's neon!

3. 'Untitled' by Dorthe Alstrup- 20x200 from $20.00 - $2,000.00

I would put about 90% of the artwork sold on 20x200 in my home. They carry limited edition prints for great prices and the artists involved are awesome. I'm always looking for art for my home, but lately I've been trying to fill a photography void. I love this print because it has such a playful story hidden inside and the colors are beautiful. 

4. Jessica Simpson Bede2 Pump- Belk for $79.00

I came across these at Belk last week and wanted to eat them up! Color blocking is real big right now and I love wearing bright shoes because I wear a lot of dark neutral clothes.

5. Stereoluxe AM/FM Radio and MP3 Dock- Urban Outfitters for $199.00

Design meets function- this is a beautiful way to accessories your home and listen to music. This MP3 player has a home in my living room.

6. Wildwood: The Wildwood Chronicles- Amazon for $17.99

Colin Meloy, the lead singer for The Decemberists, and his wife / illustrator collaborated on this book and I've been dying to read it. It looks amazing!

MONDAY PRESENT...FOR THE PREPPY GIRL

1. Holiday Sock Three Pack- J. Crew for $25.00
Who says socks are a bad Christmas gift!? I love giving and getting socks for Christmas and this three pack is a perfect little packaged gift.


2. Sudsy Glass Strand- Anthropologie for $78.00
This glass strand necklace is like an abstract version of a pearl necklace. Every preppy girls owns pearls and this necklace would be a nice alternative. Also, the fact that it's glass means it would match any outfit!


3. Birchbox for $10.00 a month
Birchbox is a great gift for any woman! It's a monthly box of four to five beauty product samples by well loved companies like; Stella, Nars, Benefit and Philosophy. You can gift 3, 6 or 12 months.


4. Monogram Note Cards- Kate Spade for $26.00
Every preppy girl loves monograms and every preppy girl needs stationary (for sending thank you cards and love notes). These note cards have a simple foil stamp on the front and bold black and white stripes on the back.


5. Hunter Regent Boots- Zappos.com for $195.00
Hunter is a very classic boot company that's been around since before WW1. Over the last few years they've become a popular fashion trend because they've added more styles and funky colors. I love the Regent Carlyle because it's a dressy version of the original and they kind of look like riding boots.


6. Forget Me Not Earrings- UncommonGoods from $100.-$300.00
I love these simple little earrings designed, by Kiel Mead, to resemble a knot around your finger as reminder. They would make a charming reminder of how much you love someone this Holiday Season!


7. On The Spot Gloves- Anthropologie for $28.00
Just a sweet pair of gloves, prefect for the stocking.

TACKY, TACKY, TACKY

Hello! Sorry I disappeared last week, lots of work trying to get ready for the Holidays, finishing up some exciting work projects and preparing for a party. Over the weekend I hosted a Tacky Christmas Party, with a grand prize for the most ridiculous outfit and a White Elephant Gift Swap. It was a great time with friends and family with plenty of delicious food and wine, as well as  a few batches of Grasshopper Mint Shooters being passed around. The Sweater Contest got rather competitive and the White Elephant Exchange had fun gifts ranging from home goods, gag gifts, wine and liquor, gourmet snacks and the most popular, an "adult goody bag". We were lucky to have freakishly warm weather and could continue the party outside by the fire pit!

 I know most of my guest had some luck putting together their outfits at thrift stores and Walmart  but I thought I would share some "fancy" tacky sweaters I've seen this season. 

kate spade

urban outfitters

topshop

abercrombie & fitch

abercrombie & fitch men's

urban outfitters

urban outfitters

Hope you had a great weekend too! 

MONDAY PRESENT...FOR THE CONNOISSEUR

1. Horn Handle Corkscrew- Laguiole for $189.00
I know there are lots of fancy, high-tech ways to open wine these days, but any true connoisseur (including any restaurant sommelier) prefers a traditional corkscrew. Laguiole is an iconic knife and corkscrew company from France that's been around since 1829. Their products are well designed and made in lots of exotic materials, like this one with a horn handle.


2. Colonel Monocle in Whiskey Tortoise- Warby Parker for $50.00
Warby Parker is a really cool and affordable eye-ware company. You can check out their inventory online and sign up to get a box of your favorite 5 pairs sent to your home to try on for free. For the more adventurous and sophisticated person on your list, why not go Monocle?


3. Bacon Moon Pie- Uncrate $33.00 for 4
"Bacon Moon Pies are expertly produced savory treats made using high-quality bacon sourced from CA to create a traditional Scottish shortbread with rice flour, bacon fat and bacon cracklin. In between is a marshmallow made from Vermont maple syrup and high-quality bourbon, along with a bacon fat and cracklin caramel, all of which gets encased in 72% dark chocolate." Umm yummy.


4. NUB Cigars- Uncrate for $5.00-$8.00
Don't know much about cigars but I thought these were note-worthy because they're short so you don't have to commit to a big expensive cigar in one sitting.


5. Whiskey Stones and Gift Set- Uncommongoods from $19.50-$58.00
I personally enjoy a couple ice cubes in my whiskey or tequilla because I like a little water melted in the drink. If you like a pure chilled drink, put Whiskey Stones in your freezer and add a few into your glass to keep things cold without the pesky melting factor. They are made out of soapstone so they wont scratch your glassware.


6. 'Talk Jerky to Me' Tasting Box- Foodzie for $29.95
Foodzie is a really great site for unique food related gifts. I think this Jerky Tasting is a fun and manly gift, it would pair well with a bottle of red wine or glass of whiskey. 


7. 2009 Velvet Glove Shiraz- Mollydooker for $185.00
"...intense warm blackberry, choco-mint, smoked bacon and marmite-toast aromas with nuaces of coffee, roasted nuts and vanilla." -Lisa Perrotti Brown
Obviously a pricey wine, but if there is a person on your list that you need to impress, this is the wine for them. The beautiful bottle comes in a black velvet bag and is uniquely shaped. It's an award winning design and an award winning wine. This is the kind of wine you will never forget drinking.

WINDOW SHOPPING

Earliery this week I went to Lenox Mall to do a little Christmas shopping. Because I am offering holiday decorating services this year, I was very inthralled by some of the festive retail displays. It was interesting to see which stores were able to express "holiday" while staying true to a retail brand and this seasons trends.  Some of the biggest trends represented in the windows were color pallets (warm metallics and bold/neon colors), and geometry in materials and patterns. GAP and JCrew also used a trendy material, MT washi tape. Have a look at some displays that caught my eye.

Anthropologie was probably my favorite because they used the most original materials and colors. The second image below is of "snowballs" made out of plastic spoons, silver tape and a foam spear. Definitely a "why didn't I think of that" moment!

Diesel had a very shinny window display full of disco balls and diamond shaped ornaments. They were one of many retailers using warm metallic shades like copper, gold, champagne and gunmetal as a color pallet. Below Diesel are two more example of this color trend from Burberry and Express.

Lately I've been very impressed with GAP, I feel like their current textiles and patterns have hugely improved from what they've been selling over the last 10 years. The window display they have this season is a clear representation of how on trend they are this year. JOY written in neon yarn creates a geometric pattern, they used MT washi tape across on the walls, and I love the lit up bike and Polaroid-ish trees. All together it says super hipster to me.

The new Free People Store did a great job of staying within their brand identity: soft, vintage and feminine.

The 'Live Colorfully' concept at Kate Spade was clearly expressed in their holiday decor. Streamers, confetti and super-saturated wrapped boxes make for a very festive party season!

Happy window shopping!

BLIK, I'M STUCK ON YOU

I have been lovin' on blik products for a long time, trying to find a home for their self-adheasive decals. They have some really cool artists coming up with designs for  their wallpapers and decals; Rex Ray, Keith Haring, Blaine Fontana, Namco and Atari. I finally found an opportunity to pitch the Astroids Collection to an client at Strongbox West and I must say, it was a good call! One pack of Asteroids Re-Stick cost $45.00 and if filled a 17'W x 9'H wall, adding a lot of personality to their co-op kitchen / break-room. They also complement the adjacent "talk nerdy to me" chalk wall by KFD Designs.

Here are a few more collections by blik that make me happy.

photo credit

The newest line by blik is The Muppets Collection, just in time for their new movie!