girlfriend wants a cupcake.

is it wrong for me to wish that this would magically show up in my driveway?? it would totally change my day if it did....thanks design sponge, i'm offically drooling.
**maybe this is what we should convert my bro's airstream into?!!

i need a little pink....

i adore that pink door...it's so fun and spunky....something that is the exact opposite of me today. to quote my husband this AM, he said "you look like you got hit by a mac truck". nice. i guess he isn't really into dark circles under the eyes/ side pony tails/ mascara down the face kind of girls...i pulled an all nighter w/ my sick daughter last night and boy, was it fun. not exactly the same all nighters i pulled 10 yrs ago...however, i think i would rather have a sick baby sleeping w/ me vs. cramming to finish a term paper....i should probably shower so i don't scare people :)

Nathan Egan...

there is no denying that wayne nathan and carol egan can create a dynamic interior, just check out how wonderful the images above are...based in nyc, this design firm is also the home of top design winner, nathan thomas who served as a senior designer before leaving to be a contestant (wonder if he is still going to work there?). check out their portfolio...you can see that several have a "nathan" appearance....

gourmet kitchen.....

can you guess the manufacturer of this top of the line kitchen?? how would it look in your house...unfortunately, it's got a bit extreme price tag for our household. but boy, is it fancy!

nate berkus's manhattan pad...

here is a perfect example of how small spaces can have a huge impact. w/ one day to find the right space, nate decided on this 550 sq ft pre-war apartment in the west village. he started w/ painting everything white- floors, walls, trim, and ceiling- creating a perfect palette for his collection of vintage and new furnishings. i love his eclectic style. but i think my favorite part in his apartment, are the ink blue doors and accents (this is a color that i think we are going to be seeing a lot of)... so enjoy!

suzy hoodless

i spotted suzy in traditional homes with her wallpaper line for osborne and little and i knew she would have something fun to offer....boy, was i right. i think that this quote from image interiors sums her up nicely- 'Suzy Hoodless is creating some of the most exciting interiors around with her intriguing mix of daring design and colour with amazing pieces of furniture. None of them should work together, but somehow she manages to pull it off beautifully' .

i could just love it to "pieces"....

did you see it? the new cottage living is out and while i am not quite ready for christmas decorations, i was super happy to see lee kleinhelter's newly renovated home (as if her last one wasn't good enough)! does she do anything wrong? she's cute, has a fabulous house, and has a store that is just to die for....

bedding on a budget....

so as much as i wish i could make my bed up in leontine linens or matouk, its not really in my deck of cards right now. i was trying to think how i could get the look of these beautiful beds w/out the hefty price tag. to me, what really stands out in these beds are the beautiful monogram shams. so once again, you have to be creative and hunt to find them.

one of the best places to start is tuesday mornings, as erika let us in on. they carry a ton of high end name brand linens. the "hotel" style (white w/ a colored border) can be found at a lot of other discount stores too (tj maxx, marshalls) and mail order catalogs (restoration hardware, pottery barn). often you will find in the clearance section, shams marked way down. take the time and find two that you really love and then go to a local monogramming spot and add the creative part.

instead of doing a generic monogram, try doing one w/ a little more detail. print out the monogram page on leontine's website and see if your place can recreate the look (to even branch out more, try the monogram in an accent color). place the shams on your bed w/ a solid coverlet and add a pouch of color at the end of the bed w/ a blanket or duvet and you will have a custom look for a lot less....

getting the look for way less....

so during these times, we have to be smart on what we are spending our money on. and it's no news to me, that design might be taking a back seat. but i thought i could share w/ y'all some ways i try and beat the system....

thanks to my site meter (a site that lets me track where my readers are coming from), i was able to find my dream desk (well, part of it)!! i am so excited to show y'all my vintage chrome sawhorse legs...as i am sure y'all know, i have been longing for this desk forever. one day, i saw i was getting hits from craig's list and to my dismay these beauties were in the ad...but they were located in atlanta. so thankfully, my super sweet mother met up w/ the nice guy and the exchange happened making me the proud owner of my dream desk. i am now scouting out the local habitats for a glass top....but for $150, my desk is a lot easier to swallow than the 1st dibs price tag that i couldn't even begin to touch.

alternative ways to great design is definitely not a new concept but i think its fun to retouch on ways to be creative. in case y'all don't know or are just tuning in- i am a fanatic thrift store shopper/ habitat scourer/ yard sale junkie (as well as fellow bloggers like eddie and my design hero ruthie sommers). if you cringe going into these kinds of stores, this method is not for you...but if you are willing to get dirty, be patient, and look past really ugly fabric- you will be shocked at what you find. especially if you are a name dropper...hickory chair, baker, taylor king, dwell studio, circa lighting are just a few i have found in the past month. the only problem is, if you want it, you better buy it then. i am still sad about a camel back love seat i left last week...it had great lines and chippendale legs. i immediately envisioned the cover of the first domino (i adored that sofa). when i went back two days later to try and get it (thinking if it's there, it's meant to be), well it wasn't....

so don't get discourage when money is tight....you can get the "look"- whether's its craig's list, ebay, or thrift stores...it's out there- you just have to be willing to find it!

things that inspire me....

so i think in the tough times that we are facing and might continue to face in the future, a source of encouragement is much needed. as an interior designer, i think it is our job to be creative with how to address the future in design. high end/ luxury items that are offered in this business are a lot harder to swallow when the economy is like it is today. that is why i think we, as designers, have to be proactive to show how inspiration and good design can come in many forms.

by my nightstand, i have cottage living's sept issue. i am in love the the article on a 70's ranch redo by david and tyler colgan. instead of building their dream home from scratch, they recycled a rancher....not by bulldozing it but keeping the structure and adding a face lift. they did the labor themselves and recycled the materials from tear downs in their neighborhood (so green). the transformation totally speaks for itself. while you might long for a new home, why not think about how you can take what you already have and make it special?? or if you are house hunting, why not give those "not so beautiful" homes a second look and think outside the box on how it could be reborn? i know that the colgan's house has really inspired me....

i'm off....

to meet the girls that created the fantastic fabric line, of the young and the restless. charleston home magazine is sponsoring a trade show this weekend so if any of y'all are in town, you should pop by and see the amazing craftsmen and designers charleston has to offer....

**update: i'm back from the show (it was kind of small)...i was glad to finally meet courtney and pearce (after many emails back and forth) and see the fabulous fabrics first hand. they did not disappoint. i am in love w/ all of the patterns (and the fact that they are printed on a linen background) but my favs are thorny rose- honeymoon and birdhouse- colonial. fyi- they are now at travis and co. for any designers that go to ADAC!

PB & J + Thomas O' Brien...

Dear Mr. PB & J,

Hello, so we meet again...i just thought i would take this time to write and let you know that i am ok w/ eating you 365 days a year if i can buy things like the thomas o'brien vendome sconce and not have a guilty conscience. i am the first to admit that i have an addiction of thrift store shopping and buying "things" that i just cannot pass up even though i have no home for them. so i am making a deal w/ you...we will continue to meet everyday at 12:00 and i will eat you w/ a smile on my face...b/c after all, you allow me to feel better about myself (even though you have 16 grams of fat per serving and i go way overboard on my serving size) and you justify my need, no- i take that back, my longing desire to buy things that i just can't say no to.....

See you tomorrow (same time, same place)- pink