Red, White & Sale

Ok, so this isn't exactly the Sale-a-Ganza feature, but I tried to combine some things here to celebrate my FREE attendance of the 2008 US OPEN tomorrow morning! I'm totally pumped. In honor of the Open, I'm sharing some great red, white and blue sale, and my picks of US Open Merch... some, Ralph Lauren comissioned & created. (Boy, he's been busy with the Olympics and the Open back to back).
How could you go wrong? The ball's in your court now! Ok, so I'm not so great with the tennis jokes...

Clockwise from the top:
1. US Open Youth Girls Zip Up $74.00
2. Thomas Paul Gothic Dessert Plate Set $23.10
3. US Open Ralph Lauren Tote $75 - $115
4. US Open Rubber Tennis Duckie - $8
5. Ikea Lack Side Table - $6.99 (in store only)
6. Pottery Barn Kids Cortland Track Lighting - $59.99 - $99.99
7. CB2 Graffiti Pillow - $19.95
8. Crate & Barrel Henley Pillow - $16.95
9. CB2 Bauhaus Table Lamp - $39.95

And if I may also leave you with an around-the-house helpful tennis ball trick. Save yourself the time and money of dry-cleaning your down filled blankets and coats... wash and then throw in the dryer with a canister's worth of tennis balls. Viola! Fluffed to high heaven!

DIYeah!

Work has been a thorn in my side today.... so I didn't have much time wander over here.

One thing I HAVE resolved as of today, are setting my DIY projects into motion:

1. "HIS" & "HER" to hang over the double sinks in the b-room. I can't wait!
I'm thinking of using this "Marisco" type. Hopefully jz will like too.2. My patio furniture is looking pretty rag-tag as of late. It's a small cafe table, with worn pressed plywood and wire legs. I thinking something in the spirit of a nice turqiouse for the chairs & base of the table, and Mod Podging the top with a rattan print. I am super pumped at the prospect of this. And why wouldn't I be?

Btw, I have always loved the type on the mod podge label. And for some reason I have always referred to it as "modge podge" and will continue to do so.
3. Finally, my scariest one. DIY Upholster. I've never reupholstered before, so I'm slightly nervous about the whole thing. But I have heard, you should start with chairs. This one seems slightly complicated, having to replace springs. I bought it for $10 at a antique shop in Mississippi. It's crying out for help, and it's completely unusable, besides it's current job of collecting dirty laundry. So I'll just take a deep breath, have my patience on hand, and get out my staple gun. I will do swatch search tomorrow, but I'm thinking a nuetral tweed, or a super fun print. I know, opposite ends of the spectrum.


So that's it! I'm totally accountable, now that I've put it out there in the DIY universe.
Wish me luck!

Aloha

I don't know what made me think of it, but somehow, this evening my mind tangented over to my childhood and then trips I took with the family, just the five of us.

When I was very young, 6 or 7, my family made our second trip to Disney World (i don't remember the first) and we checked into the ever so groovy, warm and inviting Polynesian Resort.

When I think back, I recall being incredibly shocked that such a place could be so beautiful and exotic. My already cultivated love of the beach grew 3 fold staying in this foreign and gorgeous environment. It sealed my quest to find myself in Hawaii later in life (still workin on it), and also spurred endless afternoons of playing "Blue Lagoon" and "Swiss Family Robinson" in my backyard well into 6th grade...

I perused around, and was happy to find my first faux look into to the South Seas was still doing well and updated, rocking that mod, seventies, lo-fi, groovy look (with updated electronics and a flat rate to boot - $350 a night!!!!).

Anyway, I think I'll muse on about that inspiration for the next few days. And start my Hawaii fund too. Aloha.

A Pear of a Time

First, I'm la-la-loving "My Deco File" on Domino. I've saved a whole hoopla o' stuff so far.

Cruising around on Domino, I continued looking for inspiration in my quest for behind-the-couch art/vignette.

I love Marimekko, but I've never really thought it was much of my aesthetic. But I adore the traditional green pears transferred to white & brown prints. Anyone know where I can find them? God? Are you there? It's me, Margaret.
Also happened upon this cute find on Anthro. I love when they mix their trademark whimsical, organic and rustic items with pieces that have a more Mod sensibility, like this Calandria Chair . Of course this thing is $1500, so it will have to serve as inspiration for the time being.

Sham a Lama

Good morning. A nice breezy, fall-esque day here in the West Village.

I'm totally diggin' these Euro Shams, and heck, the whole "Chocolate Plaza" bedding set from zgallerie.
$59.95 for the "Euro Pillow." I'm wondering if this means the whole Euro pillow and sham? It's not listed separately.

They also have the color palette in reverse, but I've always been a sucker for an all-white bed.

Zgallerie doesn't often do it for me, it sometimes feels like a more gaudy Bed, Bath and Beyond, but if you isolate each piece, there is great stuff hanging around. When they get it right, they get it right.

Sale A Ganza!

My second time posting my long overdue sale-a-ganza.
Great finds out there, cheap cheap cheap!

Clockwise from right
1.CB2 Ashton Wall Mirror $79.95
2.CB2 Rex Chair $29.95
3.CB2 Rumba Vase $1.95
4.cb2 Set of 3 Shesham Mirrors $39.95
5.Crate & Barrel Market Bowl Set $18.95
6. Crate & Barrel Taiga Pillow $24.95
7.Crate & Barrel Gabriel Sconces $149.00

Exhibit A

There's something so nice about having a few hours to oneself to use solely for the purpose of purging your email inbox. I feel like all balanced has been restored to office 406.

Now that my next work project doesn't start for another few days, I'm using this time to muse over what vignette I should arrange behind my couch. It's been a bleak, blank wall for the past 10 months, and my indecision cannot go on any longer.... Well, my shallow pockets ain't helping either.

I'm really feeling like some art exhibition posters may hit the spot. There's something I like about exhibition art, rock show posters, and prints in general. The mixture of type and graphic. I'm diggin the below, but I'm still feeling like I wanna get my hands on something with a 70's vibe....

Tauk to Me

So, every summer since i was introduced to it, I try to get my butt down to Montauk. At least twice, if not prefereably 8-9 times. It's ultimately my dream to have a little surf shack of my own here.

I adore a beach feel so much in interiors, and although I respect the old and classic aesthtic, I love to see new and innovative ways of bringing the beach in.

My favorite girls at Tauk are always bringing me inspiration and ideas when i visit their self described "funky best friend vibe" shop. So I was elated to learn they have a website!!! and even their own design firm in BK. A look at their portfolio sent me reeling. Such a delightful morning treat!

All the classic items like rattan and light, worn wood pieces are present, but always tempered with a personal sensibility and shots of color, like a super hyper yellow in the kitchen and a union jack upholstered chaise! Shells, recycled oil paintings, palm beach patterns and surf photos repeat themselves in different places in the house. And what has to be my favortie, a palm tree landscape wallpaper, that I've been dreaming of getting for years, but was way too chicken to. YAY TAUK!

huff puff

LOVE these drawings by Krisatomic.
My absolute fav. Nice to look at on a Tuesday morning.

I'm Back!!

Argh! Work has been killing me! Early mornings and late working nights, few blog posts make.

Anyhow. I finally got a subscription to ReadyMade Mag. That is my reward to myself for all my hard work these past 2 weeks. I may have a jaunt over to forever21, but don't tell.

Anyhow, I'm mulling over what kind of Thank You notes to give the fine folks who donated to my Half Marathon run for Autism. I'm thinking of making something myself, but not exactly sure yet. In my quest I've been searching on buyolympia.com

I think I may go the route of collaging something like this great notecard by Little Who. Heartwarming but hip.

Also came across this cut little card by Little Otsu - who makes great, tounge in cheek books and cards from recycled and alternative materials. "Green Girl". Love it!

Also stumbled along this amazing 70's art by Dream of Stars. Ridiculously awesome prints. My only issue I take with this is that I would love this as a print, but she sells them on raglan tee's. Sigh.
I'll let you know where I end up!