Well, I am hitting the malls on this cold and gray Saturday. I know it is a daring feat, and one that may prove to be very stressful. That is why I am dressed in pink, with hearts and a ribbon in my hair. If anyone tries to ruin my holiday spirit, they will regret it! Be warned!
I am always impressed with the various styling techniques found in hotels. One of my all time favorites is the small boutique hotel, XV Beacon, in Boston’s Beacon Hill. I love this hotel for many reasons. One being that it completely captures the beauty of contemporary design and modern luxury with a timeless classic feel.
Rich, dark wood mixed with clear, beautiful white. I just love the stark yet welcoming quality of this look. I love being inspired by design, even if it is not my own personal style, there is always something you can learn from a great design.
I also love this hotel because it is where I got engaged.
I love this idea! I pulled it from The Unicorn Diaries (via Decor8) and I think it is such a whimsical and beautiful (and also helpful!) way to make a Christmas (or any kind of gift) list! Then you can keep it for years and look back at what style was inspiring you at a given time. Beautiful, absolutely beautiful.
I have been seeing these posters pop up on a lot of design blogs and I have found them to be really adorable. But I did not know the back story behind these inspiring messages. Apparently, during WWII when the UK was being bombed daily the government posted these all over the country in an effort to lift spirits. I love the sentiment! And I learned about this on Rachel Ashwell’s new blog! Yes, the creator of Shabby Chic is now blogging! Check her out here.
I am absolutely loving the country charm of these coasters! They can be found here.
Old-fashioned graphic designs make these dairy-fresh coasters charming. Pair them with a bottle of milk and a plate of homemade cookies for a gift in true good taste. – Country Home Magazine.
As I wrote earlier, the countdown to Christmas (Hanukkah, Kwanza, etc) has officially begun and I am all about giving gifts that will be the perfect addition to people’s homes. These are great throw pillows that can be tailor made to each specific recipient.
These pillows are delightful keepsakes for remembering your hometown, or perhaps to commemorate your honeymoon, or some wonderful vacation spot. Great for gift giving, and as you can imagine, these pillows are unusual conversational pieces, whether displayed in a home, office, or anyplace you can imagine. When you examine your pillow up close and see all the details that have been skillfully stitched, not to mention all the color changes of thread involved, you’ll realize what an exceptional value it is.
These ENTIRELY HAND STITCHED pillows have been on all the “must have lists”…featured on the Today Show as well as many magazines. They are found in the best shoppers and boutiques in the country and will not disappoint. I found them in Flat of the Hill on Beacon Hill in Boston.
Well, Thanksgiving is over and if you’re at all like me, you are feeling an overwhelming wave of, “Is that all?” On one hand, Thanksgiving is a great holiday if you love to eat, watch tv, lay around on the couch for what feels like days and then eat leftovers. However, if you are like me, your mind can not stop questioning your actions (or lack thereof). I have a difficult time not doing anything. I need to be doing something productive or else I feel like my time has been wasted. I need to be cleaning, organizing, working, talking, eating (so there are a few circumstances when I do not feel like the holiday is a complete bust because I certainly am able to fit in enough chatter and food). But overall, I am at a loss. I am the type of person who can’t even watch a movie on TV if it there is still day light hours to burn. I can commit myself to a half hour program (one hour if it’s a reality tv show) and that’s about it. So when everyone was curling up on the couch to watch a movie the day after Thanksgiving, I cleaned the kitchen, took a shower and did a load of laundry.
What I did not do, however, was the one thing I should have been doing; working on my novel. The novel that I promised myself I would have at least 50,000 words completed by Monday, December 1st. I have about 5,000 words. I know, I know. Weak. But at least I didn’t do what I was convinced I would do, and almost did. I didn’t abandon my project. I am still working on it and have declared that I will finish it. Even if another story idea pops into my head and it looks all pretty and fancy and has a new bright bow on it and is dying for me to start writing it (right now!), I won’t do it. I’m sticking to my original one because I’m sick of having hundreds of one page stories on my computer. I’m tired of starting a great new story idea only to abandon it the very next day. This is what I am going to be working on for the entire month of December. So even though November is National Novel Writing Month, for me, I am giving myself the entire month of December as well.
I think that’s fair.
So onward we go, full steam ahead to Christmas! Because Christmas is a holiday that I really can get excited about.
My parents have always been antique collectors, so I grew up knowing a lot about what is collectible and how to treat them, but I also had a bit of a fear of antiques. First of all, I feared breaking them. Then I disliked how different they were from the brand, sparkly new things I could buy at Macy’s or Pottery Barn. Antiques were dusty, smelly, used and abused. I found absolutely zero interest in antique stores and collecting in general. But as I have gotten older and seen my own possessions turn into antiques (I’m only 29, but still, times they are a changin’), I am beginning to have a stronger appreciation for the history of antiques. However, what I am learning through many design and collectors blogs, especially Eddie Ross, is that what’s old can be made new again. Here is a quote from Eddie’s site:
As a collector, one thing I’ve learned over the years is to be fearless. Just because something’??s antique doesn’??t mean it’s precious. Don’t be afraid to alter a piece to make it your own. Strip it. Sand it. Recover it in fabric you adore. Like I said, all wood is not created equal. If a chair’s lines are good but you’re not in love with the finish, paint it another color and you’??ll probably be much happier with the result. I know I am.
I love this message and I love the example he used. This secretary was bought at a flea market and refurbished to completely fit in with his decorating style.
Thanksgiving is one of the best times to really put your decorating skills to task. The table design can’t be too cluttered because it has to accompany the enormous spread of traditional dishes, but it has to be pleasing to the eye and let your guests know that it is not your typical dinner setting.
I have just fallen in love with a fellow blogger and designer. His name is Eddie Ross and he is a senior style editor for the holy grail, Martha Stewart Living. He is a Top Design contestant, a designer, and a blogger. His blog is so addictive that I have lost hours scrolling through his gorgeous images of flea market finds paired with Target buys. This man is amazing!
Here is one of his ideas for a simple table setting.
This is a very rustic setting and gives a nod to the historical beginnings of our Thanksgiving traditions. What’s so wonderful about this particular setting is that Eddie has paired antique utensils, this is a monogrammed Cristophle spoon with…TARGET napkins!
This was actually a table setting for a simple, Fall dinner for Eddie and family. But I think it can certainly make for a perfect Rustic Thanksgiving setting.
I am so excited for Thanksgiving that I am already color-coordinating my Thanksgiving tablescape and bargain-hunting for Pottery Barn-style table decorations.
Design Mom is offering a fantastic giveaway! I had to spread the word (even if it lessens my chance of being selected).
There is something so wonderful about looking at baby pictures of yourself. Why is that? Does it remind you of your innocence? The person you were meant to be all along?
I love DesignMom‘s idea for sorting Halloween candy. How pretty does this look?
“But sometimes when I was starting a new story and I could not get it going, I would sit in front of the fire and squeeze the peel of the little oranges into the edge of the flame and watch the sputter of blue that they made. I would stand and look out over the roofs of Paris and think ‘Do not worry. You have always written before and you will write now. All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know.’ So finally I would write on true sentence, and then go on from there. It was easy then because there was always one true sentence that I knew or had seen or had heard someone say…I was trying to do this all the time I was writing, and it was good and severe discipline.”
—A Moveable Feast, Ernest Hemingway
Your fingertips across my skin
The palm trees swaying in the wind
Images
You sang me Spanish lullabies
The sweetest sadness in your eyes
Clever trick
Well, I never want to see you unhappy
I thought you’d want the same for me
Goodbye, my almost lover
Goodbye, my hopeless dream
I’m trying not to think about you
Can’t you just let me be?
So long, my luckless romance
My back is turned on you
Should’ve known you’d bring me heartache
Almost lovers always do
We walked along a crowded street
You took my hand and danced with me
Images
And when you left, you kissed my lips
You told me you would never, never forget
These images
No
Well, I’d never want to see you unhappy
I thought you’d want the same for me
Goodbye, my almost lover
Goodbye, my hopeless dream
I’m trying not to think about you
Can’t you just let me be?
So long, my luckless romance
My back is turned on you
Should’ve known you’d bring me heartache
Almost lovers always do
I cannot go to the ocean
I cannot drive the streets at night
I cannot wake up in the morning
Without you on my mind
So you’re gone and I’m haunted
And I bet you are just fine
Did I make it that
Easy to walk right in and out
Of my life?
Goodbye, my almost lover
Goodbye, my hopeless dream
I’m trying not to think about you
Can’t you just let me be?
So long, my luckless romance
My back is turned on you
Should have known you’d bring me heartache
Almost lovers always do
———
These are the lyrics from the song Almost Lover by A Fine Frenzy. Great, great song. Very sad, but the lyrics read like poetry. Can’t ask for more than that.
I realized something today. I have been trying to mold this blog into something interesting, useful, profitable, etc. But what I ended up doing was turning it into something I didn’t even recognize. What I had always intended for it to be was a place for me to record my thoughts, feelings, fears and hopes. A place to just vent my frustrations or wish for luck. My own little spot on this frighteningly large and overwhelming web of words. No matter what you do, there is always going to be someone with a better, faster, stronger site. So I’m going back to what it was, just a place for me. Because sometimes you look around and realize that you have been spending so much time trying to keep up with everyone else, listening, helping, supporting, that you forgot to be true to the one thing that really matters, your own heart. This is my heart and I am laying it out here for no one else but me.
Even during these difficult financial times, when we continue to hear it is a buyer’s market, Britney Spears has decided to put her home on the market.
Listing Price: $7,900,000
Exquisite gated Italian Renaissance inspired Villa w/in the exclusive guard-gated Summit. This magnificent Estate offers approximately 7,500 square feet of luxury, 6 BD, 6 BA, gated motor court, wet bar, maid s quarters, library, smoking room/den, sophisticated formal dining room, & a grand entrance foyer. Artisan quality finishes are highlighted by dramatic high ceilings, providing a sense of unmatched scale & volume. Old world craftsmanship and designer details including carved millwork, stone & mosaic tile floors, & elegant iron accents are found throughout. A brilliant state-of-the-art chef s kitchen with Viking appliances, walk-in pantry, & large breakfast nook open to the spacious family room. The breathtaking Master suite offers his and hers baths, fireplace, & romantic loggia. Manicured rear grounds afford a pool, spa, elegant arbor, and lush landscaping ideal for year round entertaining. This grand estate is offered with select furnishings, accessories, and art work.
Positive news on the real estate front?
According to USAToday, pending sales of existing homes unexpectedly jumped in August to the highest level in more than a year. The National Association of Realtors Pending Home Sales Index, based on contracts signed in June, rose 7.4% in August to 93.4 from an updwardly revised index of 87.0 in July.
A major unknown is how the worldwide financial crisis and economic slump will affect the housing market.
Despite numerous efforts by the Federal Reserve to encourage banks to lend more, lenders have kept tight reins on mortgage lending, and average rates on 30-year mortgages have remained over 6% for most of the year.
The latest effort by the central bank came Wednesday, when the Fed and six other major central banks around the world slashed interest rates Wednesday in an attempt to prevent a mushrooming financial crisis from becoming a global economic meltdown.
There’s no guarantee, though, that mortgage rates will match the Fed’s cut.
That’s because long-term interest rates, which influence 30-year mortgages, don’t always move in sync with the Fed’s action, which lowered the interest rate banks charge each other on overnight loans.
However, the Fed action will reduce borrowing costs almost immediately for U.S. bank customers whose home equity and other floating-rate loans are tied to the prime interest rate. Bank of America, Wells Fargo and other banks cut their prime rate by half a point to 4.5% after the Fed announcement.
It appears that Boston’s biggest property owner is going green. According to this recent Boston Globe article, Equity Office Properties Trust, which owns 20 Boston buildings, is “outfitting its buildings with features ranging from energy-saving heating and cooling units to new bike racks as part of a multimillion-dollar effort to stamp its buildings with the green label.”
