Happiness is...

A smiley face cookie...

...and a bowl of matzo ball soup

Santa Came Early

Today I got a HUGE package from my favorite showrooms at the Merchandise Mart filled with the newest collections in fabric and wallcoverings.  I pulled my back out yesterday so I've been a dud but when I opened the package, it was an instant pain killer!

10 pounds of design bliss!  

I had to have the UPS guy place the box on my coffee table cause I'm so cripple at the moment.

Here are just SOME of the amazing wallpapers that came today!  If you want to see more, you are just going to have to call me and hire me!  

Um, these are unlike anything I've ever seen before!

Mirror-esque wallpaper!

Pixelated mirror wallpaper in silver and gold.  Amaze

For all you dog lovers, this is the perfect wallpaper.  So adorable!!! I'm obsessed.  I have a gold and black colorway in this pattern on the way to my apt via mail.  They forgot it and I was devastated but its coming asap.

Birds are so hot right now.  Seriously, I'm not kidding

 Pretty bird!

Purple/Grey, Beige/Blue, Silver/Black

Stunning

Just a few more...the rectangular wallpapers are made out of beads.

I know this is all so exciting to everyone!  Here is just a glimpse of the fabrics!

Plaid-unreal

Looks like folded sweaters! 

Here is what the full pattern looks like.  Phenomenal, right?

Stripey stripes!  Starting to REALLY love stripes!

This sample does NOT do this fabric justice.  But as you can see, its pretty dope and ultra chic.  I would DIE to cover a love chair in this.  This fabric is designed by legendary French fashion designer Christian Lacroix.

Pairing natural objects with decorative details is also very in right now. 

I DIE for this pattern.  What I would do to have a chair upholstered in this fabric.  As Rachel Zoe would say, "its bananas".  The scene framed with a unique border that repeats in the fabric is just sooo amazing!  

This fabric is so fun!  It feels delicious on the fingers and makes the eye have an orgasm.  Its also designed by Christian Lacroix.  Genius 

Here are some pairings I did with my new fabrics.  I was so excited.  This combination is probably one of my favs for the day.

I used to be an anti-pink person but now I am starting to LOVE pink, especially bright pink.  This combo is whimsical, flirty and fun.

A bit more traditional with some modern around the edges, I thought this scheme is quite brilliant.  More subtle but comfortable and exquisite!  

Want any of your furnishings to look as fab as what you see...?  Call me!!!  

Spring...Coming Soon to a City Near You

For all you Chicagoans, let keep our fingers crossed that we will have a Spring season this year.  Last year we had an amazing Spring and it was so delightful.  The year before that, we went straight from winter to summer.  Spring is one of my favorite seasons (I born on the first day of spring) because you get to see our surroundings come to life.  Throughout this Spring season (fingers crossed!!!) I will be capturing plants, trees, flowers and whatever it may be come back to life as the sun shines and the air gets warmer.  Here is just a few plants poking through the dirt outside my condo.  

Stay tuned for more spring....

Just a Little Side Project...

Whenever I am at my parents house in Highland Park, I always venture to our storage rooms in the basement.  It is so amazing what you can find in the two ginormous storage areas.  Literally there is a furniture store down there!  While sifting through the bulky furniture and boxes, I came across a special piece that is my moms.  It's her desk from when she grew up.  Its in pretty good condition-missing  a drawer and a handle for the hutch but I thought, oh well.  I WANT IT!

My Moms desk in this not-so-fitting pale purple

So my mom, being the giving mother she is, told me I could take it.  I shlepped this desk upstairs, into my car, back to the city, out of my car and back up the stairs again to my condo.  I was sweating but determined to make this piece amazing.  I knew that I wanted the piece to flow in my apartment so I figured that I would paint it a cool shade of green to compliment my other vintage piece in my living room.

Prob one of the greatest finds from an antique store in a while...

I found the PERFECT most amazing color from the Benjamin Moore Affinity collection, Agave.  Not only is the color stunning, but the paint I used contains an extremely low level of VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) which can greatly effect indoor air quality.

Its a DOUBLE GREEN WHAMMY!!!  I'm reusing an existing piece of furniture and using a "green" paint product to refinish it.

I am still working on accessorizing the desk but don't want to overcrowd or create a feeling of clutter.  There are just a few items that I found around my apartment.

 The garbage lid on the top of the desk is also another amazing find from an antique store.  

"Join the Mayors Clean-Up Campaign"

"City of Chicago"

Pretty awesome-its exactly what I am about!!!!

You like???

GREEN TIP OF THE WEEK: Spring Cleaning!!!

Have you ever stopped to think how much stuff you have? Do you even remember exactly what you own, down to the last mismatched sock in your drawer or screwdriver in your toolbox? A big cleanup around the home, shed and yard can lighten your environmental impact and save money.


You might come across items that can be recycled, allowing resources tied up in something  not being utilized to be reused. Perhaps you'll find things you can give away or sell; possibly stopping someone from having to buy that item new.

The other benefit of a big cleanup at home is to discover if your household has become a domestic toxic waste dump. Cans of paint, old glue, automotive chemicals; just about every suburban street has enough toxic waste stashed behind those picket fences to do some real damage to the environment. 


I LOVE Spring cleaning and organizing.  Sometimes I can get very carried away while doing this but it is always so rewarding when you are done!  Happy cleaning everyone!

Randomness

Here are just some random blurbs

Can you guess what this is...?  

...bark from firewood!  Playing around with camera settings.

There is a great story behind the Tiger.  My Grandpa is a collector of anything and everything-borderline hoarder.  When my mom was a little girl to when I was a little girl my Grandpa had a few stores in the city; first the chochkee store then later a lingerie store on Belmont for transgender women, overweight women and where my mom took my sister to get her first bra.  Sorry Ash, had to add that.  Anyway, this Tiger for some reason would not sell at the chochkee store and so Gramps brought it home (my mom was a teenager-thats how old it is!).  The Tiger has survived three kids, five dogs, and a few moves.  It is something that has such sentimental value to each of us in my family.

Grandpa is also a notorious flea market/garage sale maven.  He usually brings half of what he finds over to our house.  He brought over this gorgeous champaign fountain that he found at a garage sale.  These really good finds of his are very few and far between but we love hin anyways.

Champaign fountain gold detail.  Not bad Gramps, not bad!!!

This is Gramps showing us two prosthetic legs he found at a flea market (obvi) and was going to donate them to the hospital.   LOL, its the thought that counts.  Such a big heart!

Check out the BAMBOO utensil holders I found and hung them on the wall for my mom to store her beads.

GREEN beads in a "GREEN" display/storage holder...

Looks pretty rad...patting myself on my back right now.

Love this hand.  Love any figures of hands.  

My mom's yoga bench is handmade by Eddie Rachman, my next door neighbor's dad.  We love you Rachman's.  My mom had other things on it but I cleaned it up.  The bench itself is a work of art-don't overcrowd pieces that are beautiful themselves!  I like to keep surfaces clean and clutter-free.

Do I foresee a new collection coming?  I think so.  A great way to find and add uniqueness to your home/space is to collect one thing-ie hands-in different shapes, colors, and conditions.  Once you have a great collection-display it wisely and voila!!!!!  You've got yourself some art!