Exciting Announcement!!!

I have an exciting announcement, dear readers. Two of my photographs will be shown in the second annual Festivus celebration at Wall Eye Gallery. I am so excited that my work will be featured with 52 other local artists. The opening reception is tonight, December 17 from 6:00 - 11:00 pm. Additional hours are Saturday, December 18 from 12:00 - 6:00 pm. Art makes a great gift and this is a great opportunity to purchase affordable art, as well as support the local art scene. Hope to see you there!

My Long Wish List

Dear readers - does this ever happen to you? I am feeling dissatisfied with my apartment and wishing I had money to completely start over. It always seems like I have a long list of things I want. Sometimes it makes my head spin. I wonder if I am shallow, or greedy. There are so many more important things in the world. I wish I could be satisfied with what I have. I actually have quite a lot of pretty things. What I am searching for? Perfection? Happiness? Are we ever satisfied? The Internet feeds my obsession and I wonder if I should take a break from blogging.

Still, humans are such creative beings. The skill of artisans never ceases to amaze me. And looking at how people dress their homes is a constant source of fascination for me. Here's a few things I am dreaming about.

1. A new sofa. I'd like to have a sectional. I love the use of a sectional in a room on its own. There is no need for chairs and you can pile it high with lots of pillows. I don't have an image, because I have not encountered the one I want yet. But I am sure it is either white or pink.

2. White floors. I dream of a simple, modern, clean, open loft space. Image via Purple Area.

3. This chrome shelf. I think my pottery collection would look great on it. I want something simple that will not complete with the pottery. Image by Peggy.

4. A pink Sophie Cook vase. So perfect.

5. The Parsons Desk. In my opinion this is one of the best designs of all time. It is geometric perfection. I would actually like to have a couple of these. Image via West Elm.

6. A pendant lamp. This dream may actually come true. The Eden Pendant Lamp from CB2 is the most reasonably priced pendant lamp I've encountered. I prefer a drum shade, but this design has a fabric diffuser. Fascinating. I love soft lighting. Maybe I will order this. I feel pangs of guilt even thinking of buying something for myself when I should be thinking of Christmas presents.

7. An acrylic coffee table. I love acrylic! I adore how an acrylic table provides function but takes up no visual weight in a room. Perfect if you have a fab rug that you don't want to hide. Image via Kat's Salvage Style via Apartment Therapy.

8. This painting by Jen Ramos. Isn't it fabulous? You already know I adore large paintings anchoring a space and I love the simplicity of this one. The dots look like lipstick swirls - her words. But I was thinking that exact thing, honest! Great job, Jen!

What about you dear readers? Do you have a million things on your wish list? Do you sometimes wish your home were "done"? Perhaps this is a good time for me to participate in an experiment in simple living.

My Apartment

Here's a quick preview of my apartment with my current thoughts on color. Don't look too closely, it's a little messy - but I'm sure you get the idea. I've been a little low on energy lately.

I don't feel very pleased with it today. But I do adore my new lamp. The painting is part of a series I am working on.

My Color Lab

I want to show you how my apartment currently looks, but first I realized I didn't show my moods for November. Since I don't have a lot of money to spend, I love to experiment with accessories, and love moving them around. Much like changing an outfit.

My mood for November was largely influenced by these Jetson looking Christmas ornaments. I don't usually decorate for Christmas, but I really loved the sparkle, color and shape of these pieces. They were a deal at $.50 each at Pat Catan's.

Since they looked like heavenly bodies to me, I paired them with my moon lamp.

I felt like an orange punch. I went shopping in my closet and found this fab orange vase. I love orange and blue together. My Dee Adams painting is still my favorite.

Hmm. Indecision plagues me. Maybe I should put the blue glass on the table instead.

By the end of the month, it was a different look altogether. I love the white lamp, but the scale of the shade bothers me. I do love the color, but I'd like a larger more cylindrical shaped lamp shade.

More Yellow Pops and a Trip to HomeGoods

Dear readers, I can't tell you how excited I was to find a HomeGoods store in the Akron area. I've been wanting to shop there ever since I saw David Bromstad shop there on his show. Needless to say, my sister-in-law and I could not wait to go there. It was so fun - like a giant TJ Maxx. Say what you will about TJ Maxx, but I'm all for the democratizing of design. Every one needs a beautiful home, even those with very little money. As you know, I've been craving a pop of yellow. This picture was my inspiration for the shopping trip.

This is the home of realtor Jennifer Hibbard and I adore it! I love her use of turquoise with pops of yellow. This image is from her flickr set, here. I've written about her home before (see previous post here). The easiest and least expensive way to change a room is to change its accessories. I adore lamps, vases and pillows - they are the jewelry of the room. Don't you get excited when you see a beautiful room and recognize the accessories? I do. Lame, I know, but true. Let's dissect this room shall we?

I was hoping to find this yellow lamp at HomeGoods. I've seen it before at TJ Maxx and should have snatched it. It reminds me of a Robert Abbey lamp, but it's glass not ceramic. I really dig it.

Of course, if I found this lamp, then I would need the blue cloud vases from Z Gallerie. I've been coveting these for a long time. They're reasonably priced and would make a great gift.


I already have a couple of mercury glass globes in my collection.

I couldn't find the yellow lamp. Here's what I bought. Really cute turquoise lamp - love the shape. And cute yellow ginger jar. I have a thing for lidded jars, and this will provide the yellow pop I've been craving. These items were reasonably priced. The lamp was $29.99 and the jar was $9.99. You know what new items means. Time to rearrange! I just need to do a new painting for over the sofa, and I need a yellow pillow..... Stay tuned for the reveal.

A pop of yellow, II

Yellow is such a happy color. A little goes a long way. It looks especially great as an accent color in all white rooms. But you don't need to stop there, yellow also looks great with pink, purple, gray, silver, black and turquoise, to name just a few. A pop of yellow can easily be added to any room with a vase, pillow, rug or throw. Here are some pictures from my inspiration file. Hope you enjoy!

Eichler house with yellow door. Swoon. Image via Apartment Therapy. Makes you want to peak inside doesn't it?

I love the yellow flowers in this black and white dining room. Image via Desire to Inspire.
Yellow looks great with pink! I love the way Jessie of My Mod Style grouped these three vases.

Beautiful room by Jacquelyn Clark at lark & linen. I love pops of yellow in mostly white interiors. The yellow pillows and flowers really pop.

Check this awesome minimal space! This place may be small in space - only 125 square feet - but it's large on style. I love all the white. Love the feminine touch provided by the white chandelier. Love the rug, and of course the punch of the yellow throw. Silver looks great with yellow, so the bust is also a great punch. A marvelous achievement in restraint. Kristen's Minimalist Studio in Seattle via Apartment Therapy.

I think I need this Baldelli vase. Love yellow combined with gray. Available at mascarajones.

How cute is this painting by Jessica Swift? The yellow dress and the nest of bird's eggs on her head make me think of Spring. I have a thing for faceless paintings, I find them so romantic and mysterious (see previous post here).

Yellow punches look great with turquoise in this gorgeous room. And here again silver punches are provided by the mannequin and the round dresser. Love the headboard. Sacha & Johan's High Risk/High Reward Home via Apartment Therapy.

Totally awesome yellow Panton S chair looks great with turquoise rug. Yellow looks great with purple. I've been wanting a purple velvet sofa for a long time, love the modern lines of this one. And check the cute Asian vase on the low-scale coffee table. I adore modern combined with Asian. Image source unknown. Please contact me if you know the source of this image.

Jamie Drake via House of Turquoise. Jamie Drake is one of my favorite designers (see previous post here).

David Jimenez. This room looks so sunny and warm. Think I'll move to Florida.

A pop of yellow

I've been craving a pop of yellow in my apartment. Maybe I'm trying to make my apartment more sunny since it's freezing outside!

I've been wanting these cups from CB2 for a long time. This is a good time to order. They're a bargain at $2.95 each.

This is a coffee station in Anna from Door Sixteen's house. Isn't it fab? And look she has those cups! Yep. I need to order.

Pottery Jones

Dear readers, as you know, I'm always obsessing about white pottery. Especially matte white, porcelain. Here are some beauties.


mascarajones. I adore West German and Danish pottery.

Though the above two are not flat white, I still love them. I love simple white forms. Top image from Chiasso, bottom from Z Gallerie.

Aren't those lace vases beautiful? Amazing collection of vintage white vases. I love the shape of vintage white vases, but they tend to be off white. I prefer true white. But the sculptural beauty of these can't be denied. Images 100 Layer Cake, Marketplace.

Posterize

Have you ever used Picnik? It's fun! I'm hooked on the posterize effect. This is a posterize of my previous bedroom. Of course I love all the pink.

More Pink!

Just in case you're still feeling blue - here are some more happy pink images. Sometimes I think I should have started a blog devoted entirely to pink. Enjoy!

Taxi nerd
Mily'sCupcakes

Studiobaker.