Renting Can Be...

Colorful/Artful/Efficient

Just Because....

Not small but I love the styles of these rooms!

Because I don't spend enough time online...

I have discovered some really fabulous blogs. I know my productivity has decreased a bit since I took up blogging, but c'est la vie. Don't worry, I have to go back to work in three weeks! In the meantime, I will be browsing through these beautiful blogs.

Gypsy Purple:

http://gypsypurple.blogspot.com/

Faye and Greer:

http://fayeandgreer.blogspot.com/

Aquarian Thoughts:

http://aquarianthoughts.blogspot.com/

Designers Block:

http://designersblock.blogspot.com/

Mary McDonald Design:

http://www.marymcdonaldinc.com/home.html

Cupcake Couture

I was recently on a cupcake kick (I even made some chocolate cuppies with Magnolia Bakery butter cream frosting) and stumbled across Kylie Lambert's beautiful creations. I think her bakery, Le Cupcake is based out of Australia, so if Meredith and Allen ever move there, we'll have to get some when Fabian and I visit. They are almost too beautiful to eat. Almost.

See more: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lecupcake/

This Week's Quote

Part of the reason I dislike living in the suburbs is the fact that the monotony of it all can be so stifling. All of the houses look the same, the stores and restaurants look the same, and the people are all so alike. My suburb is a very homogeneous one, but beyond the suburb thing, I think most people tend to fall into a comfortable rut after a while. I know I certainly have this summer, so this quote will be my inspiration to shake things up!

Happy Fluffy Sunday : )

Interesting Bathrooms

Its so cool to see all the new and interesting things they have come up with for bathrooms. Why sinks alone have changed a lot. Seems to me every room in your house is worth a second thought, and that's fantastic! Have a wonderful weekend everyone!! Talk to you again on Monday!

Neutrals

One look I never seem to tire of is creamy whites mixed with warm wood tones. The 2 tones go together very well and I think that's why you see it used a lot. The picture with the desk is of my teenage daughters room. I redid it a few years back and she was not happy with the lack of color. But now that she's older she really likes it and her friends do too. Very calming colors for the bedroom. I have color in my home too, but I do love the feel that warm whites bring to a room.

The Secret World of Haute Couture

Haute couture is a phrase that many toss around carelessly. Some of my students foolishly think that a denim mini skirt from Abercrombie can be considered haute couture so long as they think it's cute. However, "in fashion parlance, haute couture is something very specific: A garment that is completely custom-made, from impeccable lining to hand-stitched hem. Not only is the dress bespoke, the fabrics and embellishments are of the highest quality, and the tailors, seamstresses, embroiderers, lace makers and other craftspeople who spend hundreds of hours assembling these pieces are the most skilled in the world." These beautiful works of art can cost up to $100,000, though you shouldn't expect the design houses to give you prices.



Last night, PBS aired a documentary called The Secret World of Couture in which a British journalist tries to infiltrate the very elite world of haute couture. She travels to Paris, New York, and Los Angeles in hopes of finding one of the 200 members of a very exclusive club of haute couture lovers, from both old and new money . The club is more of a secret society with its very hush, hush nature. The designers featured in the documentary, Karl Lagerfeld of Chanel, John Galliano of Christian Dior, Valentino, and Christian Lacroix refused to disclose any details about their wealthy clients, adhering to a type of doctor-patient confidentiality.


One of the club members who agreed to be interviewed is fellow Houstonian, Becca Cason Thrash, wife of multi-millionaire doctor and oil fortune heir, John Thrash. She is known for her posh parties and amazing couture collection. If you must ask, no, we don't run in the same circle. Becca guides the journalist through the arduous process of becoming a member of the haute couture club. According to Becca and the other women in the documentary, once you go haute, you never go back. The ladies all feel that their love for the art form is a bona fide addiction. Each season, they absolutely must flock to Paris to add more designer creations to their collections. It's an impossible habit to break, though they aren't trying.

Personally, I love flipping through the pages of Vogue admiring the beautiful creations, but that is probably as close as I will get to the exclusive world of haute couture-wearing women.

Blogging is the New Black

I decided to start blogging out of boredom. I'm a teacher, so I'm off for the summer and thought "Why not give it a try?". Slowly, but surely, this has become my newest addiction. Writing my blog entries is theraputic in a sense, as I get to share my experiences and opinions. I can only hope that you might enjoy reading my blog as much as I enjoy writing it. I don't know why it took me as long as it did, but I've recently discovered some great blogs. I am able to read about food, architecture, design, fashion, travel, photography...the list goes on. Check out http://www.delightfulblogs.com/ for a great collection of blogs categorized by topic. It's like a virtual yellow pages for blogs.

Linda's House

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Here is another one of my internet friend's home. I will have to do a "part 2" for her as well. These pictures just scratch the surface of her lovely Florida home. Her guest house is better then most homes! I will need to do a part III on the outside alone! Linda you have great style and I LOVE your house!

Interior design JOKES : )

Dude, where's my car?

I had a doctor's appointment this morning and was pleasantly surprised when I was in and out of my doctor's office in thirty minutes. That almost never happens! I usually spend about forty-five minutes in the waiting room, but not today. I checked in at 10:05 and was on my merry way by 10:35... or so I thought.

Fabian and I dropped my Pathfinder off at the Nissan dealership this morning because it has been making a squeaking noise, so I took him to work and drove his Acura all day. My doctor's office is in the new professional building at the hospital and I had to park in the new seven-level parking garage. This seemed easy enough until I had to find the car after my appointment. I literally walked up and down six flights of stairs (I didn't check the roof) eight times looking for the car!

I tried hitting the panic button so that I would hear the car's alarm. That didn't work. I would later find out that you have to hold the button down for a couple of seconds. Locking the doors didn't work either. On my Nissan, the horn toots pretty loudly when I lock the doors from my key fob, but not on the Acura. The TL makes a low, unobtrusive noise. Didn't the people at Acura foresee moments like these?!

Finally, after about twenty minutes of searching, I paged security from the emergency box with the flashing, blue light. I let them know that I couldn't find my car and the operator assured me that a security guard would come get me and take me through the parking garage in his golf cart to find my car. Fifteen minutes passed and I never made the acquaintance of this so-called golf cart driving security guard. Frustrated with my ridiculous situation and the fact that I had been baking in the 97 degree heat for 40 minutes, I decided to give it one more try. I climbed the stairs two more times going up and down and checking every level until it dawned on me to go right at the top of the stairs instead of taking a left. I hit the panic button and there it was! After nearly an hour of searching, I had found the car. Next time you want to mix up your work out routine, just have me hide your car in a parking garage.

Colorful Tile

I know I tout white a lot here, and I will always love a white bathroom with colorful accents but I'm seeing some of the most beautiful blue and green tile work for baths. Such aqua and greens are so inspiring for a bath, reminds one of water and the outdoors. I'm loving so many colorful tiles that next time I redo a bathroom, it'll be very hard to pick a color!!

New Blog Alert: Rearranged Design

A new blog has come to my attention called "Rearranged Design." Ana has just started out so give her blog a look see, its a very nice read and well done! Good luck Ana!! (you can just click title above to get to her blog)

Quote of the Week

I've always enjoyed collecting quotes, so I am going to start posting a "Quote of the Week". We'll see how this works out. I may post them more frequently.

STYLE FILE: Modern Country

I think one of my favorite styles is what is now described as modern country. I don't love lacey frilly country and I'm not a fan of cold fluff less modern, but when you mesh the 2 styles together...it can be magic. I love my farmhouse table mixed with my black mod chairs. Mixing can be tricky, but the fun is in getting there!

Gucci gone bad!

When I opened my favorite website of GUCCI today, expecting to be in love with the Fall/Winter collection, after the not so good summer collection, I didn't expect to see this!!!

click the photo to enlarge

My favorite design house gone from Wow to Ewwww!!!! Where is your identity and your attention to details??? Where are your top designers and beautiful materials?? What did you do??? AND WHY DID YOU DO IT????????? I'm shocked

Back to work :)

After a great holiday I came back to my beautiful office that I've missed so much...Happy to be back, but since I am still awake from yesterday, I'm feeling a bit dizzy. Laking a good sleep since I started studding Interior Design. It demands a lot of work, but I am very happy to do it.

So, every thing just fine >>> SO FAR ;)

Love,

Diva

You Can't Stop the Beat!

Fabian and I saw Hairspray on Friday night and both loved it. It was such a fun movie! I was pretty sure I would like it because I've seen the original, but I felt bad making Fabian see it because he absolutely hates musicals. Much to my surprise, he laughed the entire time and said that he really liked it. This was a remake that actually worked!

John Travolta and Michelle Pfeiffer are great in their roles. The rest of the cast does a wonderful job as well, but the true star is newcomer Nikki Blonsky, who plays Tracy Turnblad. She was phenomenal in the role. Much to my surprise, I found out that this is actually her first professional acting job. Before landing the lead in this movie, she was serving up ice cream at Coldstone Creamery. I hope the future holds great things for Nikki.

Urban Beauty

This past week, I took a course at Rice University and was able to drive through my favorite area in Houston on a daily basis. Two of my favorite neighborhoods, Southampton and Boulevard Oaks are located here. To most people, these neighborhoods are seemingly one in the same, as they don’t have huge stone signs flanked by waterfalls at their entrances like the neighborhoods in my two syllable suburb do.

I am completely enamored by the fairy tale streets lined with majestic Live Oak trees. I love the image of stately homes from the 1920's - 1940's cohabitating peacefully with modern mansions. This jewel box of an area is a true oasis. Peaceful, beautiful, and dignified, yet urban in every sense of the word. Its residents post signs saying things like "War is not the answer" or "Poets for Peace" in their lawns. To me, it seems as though every house has its own story. If the walls could really talk, I would sit and listen intently for hours.

The Live Oaks, which I mentioned earlier, are what makes the area so special. Their canopies shade the streets from the blistering Houston heat. They add a sense of romanticism as their branches contort gracefully down the esplanades on North and South Boulevards and throughout the rest of Boulevard Oaks. A writer from The New York Times once wrote:

"To stand at the foot of South Boulevard in Houston is to look down what
is perhaps the most magnificent residential street in America. Staged rows
of soaring live oaks form the vaulted arches of a great Gothic cathedral over
a grassy esplanade, lined with imposing yet graceful mansions from the 1920s by
such eminent architects of their day as John F. Staub and Birdsall P.Briscoe."

Yesterday, Fabian and I spent a couple of hours strolling the the area and took a few photographs.