Barbie Malibu Dream House

Barbie Malibu Dream House

Designer Jonathan Adler really did it with this one. I mean what girl doesn't want to grow up and live in Barbie's Malibu Dream House? As my grandmother would say "Nail, Head" followed by a clap. This room is just spectacular. The combinations of colors and textures just takes my breath away. Key in on the pink poodle against the orange wall in the background. Pure genius I tell you. A lot of people are apprehensive about placing nic-nac's in a space that don't really have a functioning purpose. Some things are just made to be admired, and he has a talent for making beautiful things. I love the sophisticated feel the black and white bring to the room. Most people choose to use one pop color, where as here he uses a variety of colors and it just works really well. How creative is that mirror made of barbie dolls over the fireplace. I wonder if he designed that himself, so over the top and creative all at the same time. Oh Mr. Alder how I love thee let me count the ways. 

Who Says Dreams Can't Come True..... Design Bloggers Conference.

Design Bloggers Conference

I am psyched about this up coming conference geared towards Interior Design Blogger. Hosted by Design Sherpa, this conference will cover all the ins and outs of the business. Topics range from trends in 2011 to how to build a better business using your blog and advertising tool. This is one of the biggest steps thus for in my career and I'm anxious to learn all the tips and tricks. My father always told me " If an older person take the out time to talk to you, you should take the time out to listen". The speakers at this conference are what I would consider Vets in the industry and I am more than willing to take the time and money for that matter out to listen. So if y'all see me walking around with a paper sac lunch just know I'm investing in my own future. 

Work Hard, Play Harder...

Delta

Jumped on a plane this morning headed to Atlanta for a quick apartment makeover, and plenty of fun with one of my best friends in the world. Have a Wonderful weekend everyone.

Don't be afraid to Fall....

Why are people so afraid to Fall in Love? In Love with themselves, in Love with others, in Love with the thought of being in Love. Way back when, being 2004 I fell in love with Interior design. I would sit in my apartment for hours on end watching TLC's Trading Spaces and slowly my wheels started to turn. I realized one day that I really had a knack for space planning. I had only rearranged my one bedroom apartment twenty different ways. I started going to different local furniture store just to see layout of the showrooms, how certain pieces worked together. And one day it hit me like a ton of bricks. No really I ran into a brick wall because I could not take my eyes off one of the chairs in the display window. "I Love Interior Design". I love to walk into a room and the decor is overwhelmingly beautiful. The only problem was I worked a regular 9 to 5 job so am I willing to chase this new found Love of mine. Why yes I was. My Love for great design soon became a passion, it made me feel good when I thought about it. I had no other choice but to follow my passion and love for design. Here I am today falling more and more in love with each hard working day. Older people always say don't give up on love, in my case I'm fighting everyday to prove my Love. Take a chance and Fall in Love this year with something new.

It's the First Lady's Birthday..... Happy Birthday Michelle Obama.

I am sending warm birthday wishes to My First Lady Mrs. Michelle Obama. I can't even put into words how much I admire and adore this woman. She is Black, Beautiful, and Intelligent, she is what I strive to be. Let's not even mention that she has the hottest dude in the game right now. Ha! Loves me some Barack. She has brought sooooo much style to the white house, and I don't think they were ready for it. I mean when was the last time you saw a First Lady rock the one shoulder look? And rock it Well. I can go on all day with the compliments I have for this woman. She seems so down to earth, like one of those aunt that you can go to for just about any thing. Let's ask auntie Michelle she'll have the answer. Still takes my breath away sometimes that our First Family looks a lot like mine. Happy Happy Birthday Mrs. Obama!!!!!!!!


Images courtesy of : First Lady of Style, Sunrainey, The Swamp, Fashion Bomb Daily,Celeb tv

Happy King Day.....

" A man who won't die for somthing is not fit to live." MKL

 Today we say Thank You, and Celebrate and the life, and ledgacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Happy King Day all. 

Sidebar: Am I thee only one digging Coretta's Wallpaper????

Image courtesy of: Life

The Color Of Passion....

Does the color Red make you want to Shag Baby? Okay maybe it's just me! For those out there that are fans of the show "Sex in the City" I'm pulling inspiration from the episode where Big moves back to the city and paints one accent wall in his bedroom a Bold shade of Red. Deep down I think Carrie wanted to shag as soon as she saw the infamous Red Wall. The color red is known as a color of passion, love, and anger. In the Chinese culture is symbolizes prosperity and good fortune. If you want a bedroom that evokes a sense of sexiness using bold splashes of red is an easy way to achieve this. Try a few red accents around the room, some red artwork, or just be courageous and paint an entire wall Red for the full effect. I do have to warn those who have a hard time sleeping that this color is known to stimulate a faster heartbeat, and adrenaline. So use caution when decorating with it, always remember less is more. Seeing that red is a primary color its easily mixed and matched with other shades to make a dramatic statement. Feel free to express yourself, be bold, be sexy, be passionate with Red tones.

Lusting for WallPaper....

I've tried to push the thought of wallpapering a wall in my home to the back of my head for the longest time now. It just seems to keep bringing itself to the forefront of my brain. I love the feel of elegance it brings to a room. There are so many options out there, wallpaper has come such a long way from the old drab wallpaper my great-grandmother had on her walls. I love that there are so many creative ways to use wallpaper. I want to start out with framed wallpaper panels, just to get my feet wet. Ive never worked with wallpaper before so I'm going to start out with an inexpensive one. Wallpaper can range in prices so I'm off to do my research on prices and installation.



Imagaes courtesy of:Paper Jewels, Ink+Wit, Pics Decor,Modern Furniture,Flickr,

The Gentleman's Club.... Something for the Fella's.....

Reynolds Still

Elle Decor

Material Girls

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Java Bali

Homindes

House Beautiful

OK fellas, how SICK are these Bachelor pads. I mean really, what man would not want to bring his special someone home if it looked like this? Let's face it not all bachelor's have a great sense of style. That's not to discredit those that do, but the majority of you all need a little more help in the style department then you would like to admit. Your home is a representation of you as a person and your own personal style. If your bachelor pad consist of a few pieces of mismatched furniture that ooze testosterone please keep reading and I will give you a few tips on how to bring a sense of balance and comfort to your man cave. First and foremost stay true to your own style, you have to live there company comes and goes. Don't be afraid to use color. Neutral colors are trending in 2011, if you are not big on bright colors. Function is also a top priority, don't fill the space with things you think are cool if they have no functioning purpose. Keep the hobby overflow to a minimum. Do you really need a pool table, pinball machine and the gym equipment all in one space? Lastly keep it clean. As in neat yes, but keep in mind less is more. You want to appear confident, mature, sophisticated, and even a bit sexy your home is a great place to start. 

Oh How I Love A Good Bottle of Wine.....

             

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Gear Patrol

Modern Wine Rack

Load Shopper

 Best Creative Designs

It's crazy what child birth does to a woman's body. Before I gave birth to my son I really could drink with the best of them. Happy hour and taco Tuesdays were the best parts of the week for me. Now, not so much. Hard liquor puts a fear in my heart like no other for a number of reasons. I am now considering myself a bonafide Wino, or Wine lover which ever sounds better to you. My father was a wine lover as well, he had his own makeshift wine cellar in our garage. Funny thing is he wasn't much of a drinker at all. Guess he just loved the thought of having his own cellar. If you are like my father or me for that matter there are a few things to keep in mind if you are becoming a collector or just want to keep a few bottles on hand for special occasions. First you need a fabulous wine rack for storage, be sure to choose one that reflects your personal style. You should always store corked wine bottles on their side label facing up. This helps to keep the air out, if the bottle is stored upright for to long it will cause air to get in and dry the cork out which can also spoil the wine. Label up just because it makes it easier to find what you are looking for. Keep your bottles away from any direct sunlight or fluorescent lights. To much light speeds up the aging process. If at all possible try to keep the temperature consistent. Normally wine should not be stored in temperatures over 74 degrees, at about 75 degrees the wine starts to oxidize. Lastly White wines should be served chilled and Reds at room temperature. Oh cant forget the most important tip: Please remember to drink responsibly for your safety and the safety of others. Drink up!

Crafting My Ass Off......

Can you say SCORE!!!!!!!! I got this book for Christmas and my heart just skipped a beat. " You know me so well" was all I could say before my eye's started to water. Not "THE BIG-ASS BOOK OF CRAFTS", what! I'm am so excited. Today I have a little down time so I am going to take a minute and sit down with my book and my posted notes. This book is written by TV host, designer, author, and artist Mark Montano, who is a fabulous designer in my opinion. This book literally has over 150 crafts in it, and I can't wait to dig in. Just the cover alone let's you know that this is not your average old school grandma craft book. The crafts in this book are new, refreshing, and definitely home worthy. I'm checking out of the blogosphere and checking into the crafting world. Let you know what I find.  

Color Trends for 2011

Pantone happens to be one of the top leading companies when it comes to knowing what's hot and predicting the color trends to come. This year they have chosen Honeysuckle as one of the trending colors for 2011. Here's a quick look at some of the great products you can find in 2011's color of the year "Honeysuckle".

Even in my Sleep I see Color......

My friends and I have an inside joke where we give ourselves "The Pat-Pat", which is a pat on the back  for doing an awesome job. I wont give you the back story on the pat-pat but this is one project where I will gladly give myself a pat-pat ;-). The inspiration for My bedroom came from an article I read in Better Homes and Gardens Do it Yourself magazine featuring Angel Roberts who is a designer based in South Carolina. I loved the vibrant  color scheme so much I decided to make it my own. I am such a DIYer that I challenged myself to try and hand make or redo as many pieces in the space as I could. So lets go down the list. I wanted a new head board for my bed and it seemed simple enough to make, and I'll be damned if it didn't take me all of four hours total to do so. Just a few pieces of plywood, some foam, batting, velvet fabric, and a little elbow grease and I had myself a new head board. My mother and I band together to make the pillows. Is there nothing in this world that woman can't do, and do it well. I found a small bench and the computer chair at my local Goodwill store for less than $15.00 for both, I was ecstatic. These pieces were in pretty good condition, not much work there. A little sanding, painting, and reupholstering and they were like new. The wall art is a fun craft that I found over at Styrofoam Brand Foam, they have tons of cool projects for home decor over there. My coat rack is made from recycled dresser drawers, I love them so much at times I don't even want to hang my coats on them. Window covering can be very intimidating, if you are a DIYer don't let them scare you. They are as easy as pie which I found out once I sat down to make my own. This room is definitely a reflection of me and my style, I sleep well at night knowing my personality and hard work flow from wall to wall in my new space.

Images courtesy of: Tj Lacy

Atlanta Apartment....

In about two weeks time I will be flying out to Atlanta, GA to help one of my dearest friends help decorate her new apartment. There's nothing in this world that I would not do for this chic and I think she knows it. I'm trying to prepare myself as much as possible for this wild weekend make-over that's about to go down. Here's a sneak peak for you all, this is my vision for the living room space. Hope she dig's it as much as I do. 

Layout courtesy of: Olioboard