In the world of Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, etc etc, one can get overwhelmed with the availability of different resources. I am constantly discovering new sites, each with some bit of wisdom to share. That being said, when you find a source that is so spot on with your personal style and interests, it can be an invaluable match! If I had to choose one, my match in the digital world would probably be Remodelista. Remodelista is an amazing site which I visit for virtually every design need (defined very loosely, of course). To me, it really encapsulates all that is simple and modern and minimalistic. I have always thought that one’s environment should compliment the style and personality of the people who live in it, and this is reflected in everything that Remodelista does. I wanted to share this great video that reminds me to find beauty in even the normal and mundane and inspires me to incorporate sustainable practices when doing so.
Monthly Archives: March 2012
Stylish Sustainability
Filed under Design, Uncategorized
Welcome to the world of online shopping
Yesterday brought some exciting and long awaited news concerning one of my favorite brands…. Club Monaco finally entered the world of online shopping! Club Monaco falls somewhere along the lines of J. Crew / Madewell, but in my opinion it tends to incorporate more on trend shapes into their clothing. As I generally prefer online shopping, this was very welcome news. Until recently, Club Monaco and Zara were both holding out against offering online shopping, which was very irritating. However, Zara finally jumped on the bandwagon last year and now Club Monaco is doing the same! To make it even better, Club Monaco is collaborating with a few other brands to offer some of their items on the website, including Rachel Comey shoes, which I think need a new home in my closet .
Filed under Fashion
Furniture Giveaway
DCers: Check out Urban Turf, a great guide for DC real estate and be sure to like Urban Turf’s Facebook page for a chance to win $500 to your choice at either Room & Board (my choice!), Miss Pixies, Good Wood, or CB2. I am already thinking of what 500 babies could get me! Good luck…. and may the odds be ever in your favor!
Filed under DC, Design, Uncategorized
Best of: Children’s Books
As a child, I distinctly remember weekly trips to the bookstore. I was always so excited to pick out a new book to explore every week. Before my days as a Nancy Drew fanatic, some of the first books I fell in love with were Shel Silverstein’s A Light in the Attic and Where the Sidewalk Ends. I read the poems over and over. The simple sketches totally won me over. I had so much fun exploring those books and really credit them with fueling a life long passion of reading. A couple of my favorite books to share with kids (or adults) today would be Marcel the Shell with Shoes On and Wildwood. Wildwood is a fairy tale adventure featuring strikingly beautiful artwork and is probably tailored to the junior high level, while Marcel the Shell, which stars an adorably witty Marcel, is appropriate for younger children. Also, check out Maxwell’s (from Apartment Therapy) list of favorite children’s books. What were your favorite books to explore as a child?
Score local Craigslist gems!
Craigslist is a great marketplace to score local finds. However, just like any resale marketplace or thrift store, it takes time and patience to find the best stuff. This unfortunately means that busy people do not always get to take advantage of everything it can offer. Since I myself often do not have time to parse through all the crap to find the gems, I frequently refer to a few sources that do the searching for me! Apartment Therapy (one of my main go to sources for virtually everything) posts the Eastern Daily Scavenger which is a roundup of the best items posted on Craigslist. I try to check it out a few times a week for any good inventory. One of the best scores I have ever found is this amazing mid-century Danish chair. I had to have the frame reinforced, but it is still one of my favorite pieces. Another great resource is the DC specific blog called Listed District, created by a local graphic designer who highlights some of the best offerings throughout DC. Hunting sites like these are becoming more common, so no matter where you live, try to find resources that will take some of the leg work out of the search!
Filed under DC, Design, Uncategorized
Scents of Morocco
As previously mentioned, I recently returned from a wonderful vacation in Morocco. While in Marrakech, I stayed at the fabulous La Mamounia, which can only be described as heaven on earth. From the moment I entered the palace, I was consumed by a wonderfully intoxicating scent, which was exotic, seductive, refreshing and yet subtle all at the same time. Olivia Giacobetti, owner of the INUX boutique in Paris, one of the preeminent perfumeries, designed the signature scent for La Mamounia which showcases both dates and cedar wood, two quintessentially Moroccan elements. Luckily the hotel sold some of the custom candles (for a small fortune, of course!) thereby allowing me to bring this scent home. Whenever I burn the candle, it reminds of the fabulous time I had on that trip!
Art or not?
So I recently watched the film “Exit Through the Gift Shop.” Great film. Before watching it, the only thing I knew about street art and graffiti was the artist Banksy, the enigmatic and arguably most popular graffiti artist in the world, and how he used satire to voice his political and social commentary. The film offers a great glimpse into the world of graffiti art and the commercialization of certain artists. It follows the development of Thierry Guetta into Mr. Brainwash, a self-anointed protege of Banksy himself and features some of the only footage of Banksy ever captured on film. More interestingly, it highlights the arbitrariness with which culture judges and monetizes certain “talent” and how once something is declared a piece of art, mainstream culture jumps on the bandwagon whether there be any intrinsic value to the piece or not. I would definitely recommend it to anyone that is interested in art or learning more about the subculture of graffiti.
Spring Branches
Tulip and Magnolia Branches from Terrain
How can anyone just not love this time of year? OK – maybe if you have allergies – but still! In DC, it has been absolutely beautiful. The weather has been so warm and the cherry blossoms are out. Although the winter was not harsh, you can still feel everything waking up. I have been trying to bring some of that freshness into my apartment. One of my favorite spring floral arrangements is so simple. All you need is some seasonal branches and a clear vase. This also gives me the opportunity to mention one of my favorite home and garden stores – Terrain. Although a little pricey, I love this store. They carry some really gorgeous products and are always creating unique and simple arrangements. I love using their site for inspiration, which is how I created the seasonal branch arrangement that is now sitting on my dining table (see the photo below)!
Via Kinfolk
My Seasonal Branch Arrangement
It’s that time of the year (baby time)…
So for the expecting mothers, I came across the absolute cutest maternity line that I have to share. We all know that maternity clothes have traditionally been quite frumpy and not the most fashion forward. Well, this line from Hatch has the cutest drapey stream lined pieces for maternity wear. The spring/summer line is adorable! I would totally wear this stuff non-preggers.
Another great line for those expecting is Belabumbum. Check them out!
Filed under Fashion
Hello world!
Welcome to my new WordPress blog! I have started this blog to really be a collection of things I like or may find interesting and want to share with others. I anticipate that the scope will be quite broad – because I like a lot of things! Of course, I welcome all comments and criticisms. I consider this somewhat of an adventure and look forward to sharing it with you.
Filed under Uncategorized
collected and curated 