Just a Few Suggestions .....

... for a lovely Saturday - enjoy!

I Love

I woke up this morning and found this German Crystal Chandelier in my inbox. Looking at it made me so happy I just had to share. I didn't even freak at the $450 price tag. I thought to myself "It's doable" because who can really put a price on waking up happy?...Happy Shopping Everyone!

Mixing and Matching

Summer is almost here and I know most of us will be entertaining seven days a week. So here is a great video from Editor at Large about mixing and matching your dinnerware so you can keep it fresh without breaking the piggy bank....Happy Entertaining Everyone!

9 By Design

So I finally got a chance to see a couple of episodes of 9bydesign on BRAVO. There is only one word to describe this show…”Chaos”. There is no way I’m running around New York with six kids in tow and a baby in my arms demolishing multimillion dollar homes while living in a two bedroom rental. Yet the couple on this show makes it look so easy. At the end of each episode I ask myself the same question “how do they do it”? I keep coming back just for this answer. Maybe by the end of the season I will find their trick to managing chaos…Happy Organizing Everyone!

Fabulous Room Friday 04.30.10

I am loving this bedroom from Nuevo Estilo. Maybe it’s the fact that I have a million things on my to-do list and I would love nothing more than to lounge in a room like this all day. The soft grey tones of the beautiful headboard, drapes, and exposed beams, paired with the gorgeous peacock blue hue of the sofa and the bright colors in the rug is perfection. It looks like an ideal place to rest and recharge one’s batteries or spend a leisurely day reading a stack of magazines and books. Despite all of the furniture, the room still feels rather spacious. Wouldn’t it be lovely to have a terrace like this off one’s bedroom? It would be even lovelier if said terrace was in Spain just like this!

Thank you all so much for your support and well wishes on my new gig as Houston Contributor on PinkMemo. It means so much! I am signing off for today. Fabian’s birthday is on Sunday and I still have a million things to do for it. Have a wonderful weekend!

Weekly Search ~ Circus Inspiration

without a link :)
Happy Friday to all

Beautiful Baths, Creative Storage

Almost every one needs more storage in their bathroom. Perhaps we all need to get a bit more organized, but if you are clutter challenged like me, I wanted to show you some wonderful baths by designer, Molly Frey. You may remember a previous post on a fabulous coastal house by Molly here.

I love the bath above. Let's take a look at some of the elements that make this bath fantastic. First, the overall design with the sink sitting upon an open turquoise glass tiled cabinet - a perfect spot for storing extra towels. The wall mirror is framed out with sconces adding the perfect lighting.

A capiz shell chandelier adds a bit of whimsy to the space. I imagine the french doors lead you outdoors to a secluded hot tub - wishful thinking? I also love symmetry and this bath is a great example.

Of course Molly's marble baths are what generally catch my eye. Here is lovely example that was published in Traditional Home Magazine. The middle cabinet is open - again a nice spot for baskets or extra towel storage. Notice that the cabinets have "feet" to give the sink base the illusion of free standing furniture. I also love the sconce in this bath.

The tub is tucked under the eaves of the home in front of a gorgeous window and next to it we see another area for storage.

Here is a more streamlined, contemporary feeling bath. Two small boxes topped with limestone add the additional storage here. By not putting small doors on these, the look stays very open and contemporary - Interesting!

A more traditional design also shows you some ways to increase storage. Here the cabinets flanking the pedestal sinks sit directly on the counters. Unlike a kitchen, counter space in the bath can be more narrow to support your toiletries. The small ledge behind the sinks also add a space for lotions and creams.
Here we see a shallow medicine cabinet with mirrored doors built into the design. Not only is this cabinet functional, it becomes a wonderful focal point. This bath also has "feet" on the cabinet base.
The final bath has this cute little cabinet on the left side. A great spot for a razor and shaving cream - or perhaps it hides electric outlets and a blow dryer.

Above are several ideas to add a bit storage to your bath. To check out more of Molly Frey's work click here to her website or here to her blog!

(all photos property of Molly Frey)

Much 'to do' in the month of May...

This time of year on the farm is exciting. It is a time of expectation, a time of waiting and a time for a whole lot of doing. Expectation, because the olives are about to flower and that is the first indicator of the strength of the year's crop. Waiting, because the garden is about to bloom; the buttons and buds are full of promise and quietly biding their time before opening. Doing, because there just seems like so much 'to do' before the summer months. I have this mental deadline that makes me crazy about now and it means that I obsess on all the things I want to accomplish outside before June. June, because once the calendar flips from the 31st to the 1st the olives and their management take precedence over everything else in the garden.


I have a habit of leaving everything to the last minute and at the same time I am cursed with a perfectionist nature so that means that my month of May is a mad scramble. Suddenly I notice that the outdoor furniture needs a lick of paint, the pool beds need new cushions or at the very least a good scrub, the pot plants on the terrace need refreshing and some of the garden beds would look better with an addition or two. I don't exactly know why I have to have everything just so for summer as they are the laziest months of the year - I suppose it is the time when we slow down and actually manage to enjoy the beauty of the farm, bask in the sun and relax into the French lifestyle. 


Not to mention my 'to do' list inside. I want to re-arrange the furniture in most rooms (I can't help myself with that one and so often it ends up back in the same place...but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do), create new vignettes with my bits and pieces, hang some junky little paintings I have found in the brocantes over the winter months and upholster the sofa in the sitting room. And then there is the cleaning out, the throwing out and the re-arrangement of all the cupboards...


'To do' is doing my head in. I would much rather stare at the rose buds and wait for them to bloom, xv.

image of the roses at mas de bérard last year - carla

In the Pink

Pink and white is such a pretty, fresh colour combination - just gorgeous!

Love .... Delphiniums

Images - Flickr

Did you get the memo?

The PinkMemo that is! I am thrilled and honored to have been asked to be the Houston Contributor for PinkMemo, a fabulous online fashion magazine “dedicated to reporting international fashion, style, and luxury and lifestyle news, yet also offers detail-oriented, city-based micro sites for both New York and Dallas. Trend reports, runway reviews, fashion news, shopping scoop, event coverage and exclusive interviews with emerging and leading fashion designers make PinkMemo an essential destination for all fashion, shopping and style devotees.”

PinkMemo is launching microsites in Los Angeles and London this year with several cities to follow in 2011. The magazine is led by founder and glamorous British expat, Maxine Trowbridge formerly of Ocean Drive Magazine and Editor-in-Chief, Katrina Szish who has worked at publications such as Vogue, InStyle, GQ, and Us Weekly. I couldn’t be more excited to work alongside such talented women.

I just started contributing to PinkMemo last week, but you can read my article from last week here and today’s article on Tiny Boxwoods here. My official bio should be up soon, so be sure to visit often!

 

P.S. You can sign up to have PinkMemo delivered to your inbox. Membership is free and comes with perks like shopping discounts and invitations to exclusive events. Plus, registered members have the ability to make themselves heard by leaving comments on all features and blog posts!

Small Space, Small Budget

Small Space, Small Budget: Learning from The Upward Bound House

Becky over at Houzz.com is showing some small space love to the Upward Bound House project. Using the rooms from the project she shows you how to decorate a small space on a small budget. I'm loving all the tips and the amazing slideshow she put together...Thanks for the small space love Becky!

Pattern Mix

LINK