Well, here we are, in the last day on 2007. It was a very big year for me: starting this blog, quitting my full time job to pursue my own design career, buying a new home, getting a puppy...I'm tired just thinking about it all.
Looking towards 2008 I have many goals, but one on the tippity top of my list is getting organized. People are usually shocked to find out that I am a bit messy. I guess I come off as the anally neat type. I leave that to my hubby. But I do want my life, and my house, to be more streamlined in 2008. No more piles of shoes at the bottom of the closet. No more papers in piles all over my office. I want a method to my madness- and it must be a very stylish method. So I look to the wonderfully fantastic Container Store to help me with this.
My closet would so benefit from one of these two Elfa systems (which are on sale right now, 30 percent off!). The closet is shallow and wide, so this would work well. Installing it might be a bit less elegant though. I can forsee some yelling and pouting on my part. I wish my budget allowed for California Closets (my friend Julie works for them, so if you CAN afford that, drop me an e-mail to get in touch with her!)

My office in a whole other ballgame. This closet system below, from Elfa as well, is so what I dream it would look like in there! But for now, while on a budget, I think I may get some of these hanging shelves from West Elm and use them to store all my samples! I already have a rod in there, and this could create a whole new dimension of storage for me for a lot less money.
I also need tons of bins to fill my IKEA cube bookcase. Each with it's own designated purpose and not a mish mash of iPod cords, fabric samples,stationery and pencils like they are now! I LOVE these woodgrain ones from Container Store. West Elm also has fantastic patterns for bins, magazine holders and the like as well!

And look at what the Elfa geniuses came up with for those who want a home office but have no room. If you have a spare closet, you can create a great looking space to work at which you can easily hide by just closing the door! Just be sure to paint the interior of the closet a bright color (or wallpaper with a really bold paper) so that you are happy when sitting there! I am just CRAZY about this idea!!! I'd put a great little modern chair, like this giraffe print one from West Elm in there too!

Good thing there is a Container Store right next to my gym. Which is where I'm headed now, and I can see myself running in the treadmill starting at the store while plotting my fabulously organized year ahead!

Thank you to everyone who has made this blog such a highlight of 2007 for me. I so appreciate your interest in what I do and will raise a glass of champagne to you tonight! CHEERS!

Sundays are typically reserved for non-blogging activities like shopping, house cleaning, dog cuddling and....movies! Andrew and I just returned from seeing Juno and I am SO enamored with the movie that I had to post about it!!! GO SEE IT. It bears repeating, GO SEE IT. Although at the get-go we were a tad put off by the big-word and sarcasm overload, this film seriously made us laugh and made us feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Michael Cena has so corned the market on the "nerdy teenage boy" role he perfected on Arrested Development and Ellen Page is the perfect recipe of witty/jaded/sweet.
ENJOY!

Things you loved in 80's have now resurfaced on the racks of Saks Fifth Avenue. Lucite bangles. Leggings. Puffy sleeves. And here I am doing a post about, of all brands, Pendelton. I remember them as the makers of itchy wool sweaters that I was made to wear on Christmas. Or those iconic native american pattern blankets. Well, I went on the site this morning and lo and behold, these patterns completely engaged me once again! Ethnic decor is all the rage right now, and these blankets and pillows have the charm of far off lands as well as a clean, contemporary feel. I'd love one on the back of my couch or the foot of the guest bed. Will I be carrying a Vaurnet duffle bag next? Who knows.

I hope everyone out there had fantastic holidays! We returned yesterday from a nice trip to North Carolina and Connecticut but are happy to get back into the swing of things back home in JP! Lots of good loot from Santa this year, including a new digital SLR camera for me to document my projects and the like! WOO HOO. Am a bit snap happy right now, I find myself taking pictures of things like half eaten christmas cookies and porch furniture.

I am going to be pouring through all the fantastic design books I received, especially these two by Vogue and Elle Decor. I'll scan some of my favorite images and see if I can;t recreate them on a budget!

As much as I liked our festive decor, I cannot WAIT to get it out of here now and reduce the clutter! But Santa did bring us a fabulous modern fireplace screen that matches the stone surrounding PERFECTLY!

Also arriving on Santa's sleigh- a turned leg bench for our foyer. Love it! Also, we stopped in West Elm yesterday and got these throw pillows for $20 each! They are having an amazing sale, so be sure to check it out!!


OK, I need to go de-stress and de-clutter.

I woke up to more snowflakes. Really? More? I am craving the idea of sitting on a warm beach with drink in hand and a good book on my lap. So as I sign off for the holiday season, I wanted to leave you all with some sunny images of two unique island spots.

A place that I soon hope to visit is tiny Harbour Island. I've heard it referred to as the Bermuda or Nantucket of the Bahamas- sounds right up my alley as Bermuda and Nantucket are two of my favorites. The Landing was designed by India Hicks, home fashions guru and daughter of one of my idols, British design king David Hicks. It's simplicity is so appealing, it looks like someones private beach home. Rates are very reasonable- probably because flights are SO
pricey! Take a peek...



I was going through old Shutterfly albums and came upon my pictures from our Gates family trip to St.Kitts last year. We stayed at The Golden Lemon, an old inn that was run and designed by a former editor of House and Garden Magazine. It was such a unique place with some fabulous design touches. Each room was decorated differently, with tons of bright colors and patterns. This palm tree picture is making my physically ache for sun...









We are off to North Carolina on Saturday and then Connecticut. I wish everyone a very happy, healthy holiday and I'll see you post Christmas!

Because I'm frantic with Christmas finishing touches and feeling under the weather, I'm a little "off" today as far as design blogging.
I am going to have to digress and comment on the creepy announcement that Jamie Lynn Spears, all 16 years of her, is pregnant. Now, I am all for vile amounts of celebrity gossip. It is my one true vice- not drugs, not booze- but shameless gossipy websites like Perez Hilton and D-Listed. But when I saw the news about the OTHER Miss Spears being knocked up, I was nauseated enough to SKIP watching Access Hollywood. What has become of our celebrity culture? The most depressing things are now being totally glamorized-rehab, jail, teen and unplanned pregnancy- and it makes me scared of having a daughter who may one day look up to these stars. What if it keeps getting worse? How COULD it get worse? What next? Track marks become the new "it" symbol instead of kabbalah bracelets? Look at Amy Winehouse, Lindsay Lohan, Britney, Paris, Nicole Richie, Lily Allen. What happened to the celebs and shows I idolized as a teen? The most shocking thing then was Donna Martin getting plastered at the prom. Teens these days would laugh at that.
Perhaps this is the cure for my own gossip addiction. It's not fun anymore, it's depressing.

I received a question about how to stylishly display collections from my freshman year college roommate, Laura, a while back and am just now getting around to posting about it. I love the holidays, after all my house looks like santa's workshop exploded in it, but the shopping, traffic, stress and SNOW drives me batty. Bah humbug, I know.

So finally I can dispense my two cents on the subject. Displaying a collection of items, be it photos, snow globes, plates, album covers- can be a challenge for the aesthetically minded folk. There are ways to show off your hard won treasures without looking like a kitsch museum, though. I know a lot of designers who would tell you to hide all the "frivolity" of personal affects in closets- even family photos- for the sake of the space's "ambiance". But this is real life, and your real home, not a photo shoot. You want to see these items, but not CRINGE when you see them. Collections displayed correctly serve as fantastic, individual works of art.

For items that are 2 dimensional, like the aforementioned photos, albums, ticket stubs or what have you, the easiest thing to do is frame all the items in matching simple gallery frames (these from west elm are my favorite right now). If the items are small enough, create a collage of them in shadow boxes like this. Hang all the frames and shadow boxes on the wall like in this photo below. Or buy matching picture ledges to attach to your wall and lean the frames on them (second picture below).

(image courtesy of living, etc. magazine)

I love this image of a collection of plates hung in a group on the wall. If only I had an actual plate collection! This looks fantastic on a bare kitchen wall and is so easy to do with the right hardware! Find plate hangers here.

(image courtesy of living, etc. magazine)

This designer collects vintage splints ( a bit strange, but I digress- we all have our oddities). I love that he put them all in matching deep shadow boxes and mounted them! You could do this with any smaller three-dimensional objects and lots of strong glue.

For items such as vases or figurines, display them on these incredible small ledges that you attach to your wall. I would love to these floor to ceiling (provided you are in a pet and infant free home) on a narrow tall wall space. It instantly makes any collection look dramatic and modern.

If you have a specific question about your personal collection, drop me an e-mail at [email protected].

Back to some last minute shopping and wrapping. Ho,ho,ho.

How I despise this icy, snowy weather. I spent yesterday trapped inside working, finally getting back into painting (canvases, not walls!) and OBSESSING over this site. Living, etc. is basically the UK's version of a Domino/Metropolitain Home/Elle Decor hybrid. It is pure inspiration to someone like me, and I am now considering paying the $150 for a 12 month US subscription- it is that good! The website is genius too- with galleries by room and topic. If you have some free time, it is well worth your while to check it out!

These are only a FEW of my favorite picture from the site.

The dark eggplant/espresso walls make the chartreuse sofa pop.

Using bold, graphic wallpaper on just one wall completely makes a room!

How much do I want this sunny, clean kitchen??

These stairs are pure genius. Although I think I would add a railing for safety's sake!

I love the hollywood glam factor of this entryway.

A soothing gray paint color is offset by pops of fuschia.

Again, wallpaper on just one section of a room. You won't even need any artwork!

A freestanding claw foot tub? Sign me up. Paired with a bold, graphic print on the walls makes for a fantastic traditional/modern juxtaposition.


(All images courtesy of living, etc. magazine, United Kingdom)

My little snow bunny- literally, he bounces like a bunny through the drifts. Quite cute. He's not sure what exactly is going on and what all this cold white stuff is- but he'll take it!
Happy Friday to All!

The nine inches of snow that has been heaved upon us in Boston is only one of the things that makes me wish I were headed to the sunny, deep fried south right about now! Another reason is this shop, South of Market, with locations in Atlanta and Charleston! My darling friend and super blog supporter Leigh, in South Carolina, e-mailed me the link the other day and I continue to pour through it. I love the rustic but elegant iron chandeliers and light fixtures as well as the simple but stunning furniture, pillows and home accessories. Another stop to add to my "Southern Design Pilgrimage" trip list! Thanks Leigh!!!!

Beautiful juxtaposition of rustic wood and modern steel in this coffee table.

A sunny, fabulous pillow

Gorgeous big bowl

I would love to of these at the ends of my dining table! The large nailheads are fantastic!

How happy are these chairs?



Iron lighting fixtures.