Looking for a Fun Holiday Gift?

Today's Agenda:  Meeting new people and catching up with old friends! Appropriate for the holiday season :)

Speaking of the holiday season...what are you doing for holiday gifts this year?  I think we are going to focus on fun stocking stuffers and saving up for a great trip for next year.  I do love presents that fit in stockings and sometimes smaller ones are just as fun!  And, diamonds fit in stockings.  Probably not this year but I'm just saying, lots of treasures can fit in stockings so you just never know! :) 

Another fun gift idea (that likely won't fit in a stocking...) is buying art for your home.  The Corcoran College of Art + Design in Washington, DC has an "Off the Walls" sale each year that features fine art, jewelry and ceramics handcrafted by Corcoran students, alumni, faculty, and staff.  

It's a great way to get your holiday shopping done and benefit local artists.  And you don't have to go the mall and you get away from your computer and enjoy DC decorated for the holidays! 

And, it's happening this week! 

Head down to the Atrium at The Corcoran Gallery of Art, 510 17th Street Northwest

Thursday, December 8, 5–9 p.m.
Friday, December 9, 10 a.m.–3 p.m.
Saturday, December 10, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. 

For more information contact (202) 639-1801 or email studentaffairs@corcoran.org. 

Then walk around the monuments and grab a drink at The Willard and check out their holiday decorations -- I guarantee it will get you into the holiday spirit!

 

 

Fall.Flea.Market.GO!

Today's Agenda:  Trying not to wash away with the flash floods...apparently there is a warning till 3:45pm today...it.just.keeps.raining.

If I did get washed away, I would hope that I could show up in Chicago in a couple of weeks for this.  At Jayson Home and Garden.

Website, one day; Facebook page, for now

So, I've been working on designing my own website.  I know I can hire someone to do it but I really enjoy figuring this out and I'm pretty close.  I've culled my photos, narrowed down the look and feel of it and now just need to spend the time and link everything up. 

For now, though I've launched a Facebook page to show some of the work I have done so far. 

Come check it out here -- like it, comment, post, etc.  So far, I really like using it to post little tidbits I see throughout the day online, in newspaper, in stores.  I will try to balance being annoying and informative with my posts -- I promise! 

Mid-Century Modern

Today's Agenda:  Finishing up a couple of concept boards for a fun nursery + playroom! 

One of the best things about DC is the many, many house tours that go on in the area.  I am a total sucker for these!  A chance to see how other people have decorated their home?  I'm there.  So when I heard about the Hollin Hills house tour I was even more intriqued because all of the homes are mid-century modern homes (on the outside, not necessarily on the inside) and were build post-WWII just south of Old Town Alexandria.  I had no idea this neighborhood even existed!  My other favorite part about DC is the National Building Museum (best gift shop which is like a design library and interesting exhibits) which had a lecture on the Hollin Hills development.  Yep, I was there and even joined the museum.  A total sucker.  But it was for a good cause :). 

There were about 12 homes on the tour and some you could take photos of and others you couldn't.  Here are some photos that I was able to take (with my Iphone) of the exteriors and interiors. 

Most notable features of these homes:
- The original homes were small in size at about 1400 -1600 sq ft (I sort of think that is a perfect size where you use all of your space every day and not more to clean!); many have added additions that blend seemlessly and the houses still don't seem to be on top of each other
- The exterior of each home was mostly glass (and most of the homes we saw do not have window coverings -- even at night!)
- The plumbing was installed in the center of each home, again to pull everything away from the exterior to allow for the glass walls -- seems efficient.
- The original bathrooms we saw were so stylish and well kept -- gray tile on the floors and walls, white cabinets, skylights.  Like someone designed it now.  Really amazing that they restrained themselves from using hideous pink or green tile.

What I liked most about the homes?
- The sense that the owners were not wasteful.  They chose furniture and finishings they liked with the goal of being timeless and used what they had until it wore out.  Some of the furnishings were definitely worn well but they still looked great and didn't take away from the home.  It was just interesting to see especially as you compare that to what is in the magazines, blogs, etc. 
- The bathroom below.  I would love to have just a shower and have it all tiled. 

Want more info?
Click here and here to see some that are/were for sale. 
And here for a Flickr album with more photos of Hollin Hills homes.
Here for an article on the house that I took a lot of photos of -- the bath, kitchen, office below.  (Note the art in the living room photo in the article -- definitely interesting!)

Oh, Mitchell and Bob

Today's Agenda:  Husband is out of town which means one thing -- time to rearrange furniture!!

It's not that I don't do this while he's here but it's just easier to have a few days to work in a project and not worry about someone tripping over your stack of furniture, books, clothes, dishes, shoes that are now ALL over the house!  And if you are blocking the front door for awhile, it doesn't really matter...

In the midst of the mess, um, I mean, redecorating/reorganizing, I'm appreciating some of my finds from my recent trip to North Carolina!  Namely my Mitchell Gold/Bob Williams' chairs!!

Get ready -- they were originally $760 for each chair but I bought each one for $99!  And the black and white one is still on their website.  The name is cute too -- "Too Sexy Sadie". 

I really did NEED them too.  For Thanksgiving dinner.  Clearly.  There was a ton of other items I WANTED but sadly didn't NEED...

It was my first trip to the Mitchell Gold/Bob Williams outlet in Hickory, NC.  My friend Natalie swears by it.  I had no idea what to expect.  And therefore kept my expectations low.  I had no idea what I was in for.  If I needed to redo our house -- this is where I would come.  A ton of quality items of all different styles, good prices, nice people (they had Oprah on and were gossiping with some furniture insider and were still really helpful), pretty store.  I can't wait to go back in December! {Note:  A site called Ruby LivingDesign has a lot of great pics/info re Mitchell Gold/Bob Williams products currently available.  And you can print out a nice tear sheet to keep in your design file.}

Here's a recap of our trip:

Approaching.

 

 Getting excited.

Pulling in.

At the front door!

We're in!

Their philosophy.

Here are some of the goods that I captured the prices on (where I remembered to take a picture of them and wasn't getting overexcited by the next find!).  Did you see the mirrored table for $99??!!

This chair has an interesting metallic finish.  It's gorgeous.  Especially if you have great light in your home and it would blend in well with a neutral palette to add some interesting texture.

Same finish, different style.  How fun to mix the two!  With a pretty wood floor, maybe in a bar area.

Or with this table in between the two chairs with some decanters on them with a tall, candlestick glass lamp with a black small drum shade and deep/royal navy rug underfoot?

 I am a sucker for this fabric.  And such a comfortable chair.  Look at those legs too!

 

This is where I found my friend Natalie...I couldn't tell if she had found the chair or if the chair had found her.

I think I exclaimed out loud how much I loved this white leather couch!  Maybe impractial...and the picture doesn't do it justice.  The look, the feel, though...love it!

I picked up these trays (sadly left the ottoman) -- they were trays and the perfect shade of lime green -- great for wine glasses for a party too.  I already used them for Thanksgiving and the night before set up the appetizers in these (napkins, plates, crackers) and all I had to do was grab the trays when I had cleared off the counter after cooking and met the needs of the hungry masses!

While they mostly had couches and upholstered chairs, they did have this kicka** (it was the only word to describe it!) bed frame.  The blue is this deep navy with the perfect brightness to it.  And velvet/suede feel.  Yes, I did think Elvis.  But in a good way.  If you have a large bedroom with too much space this would be an amazing anchor piece.  With lovely, fresh white linens and lots of pillows, light grey walls.  I'd have to put a TV and kitchenette in that room since I wouldn't want to leave it!

I loved these corner chairs.  Great for an odd space.

They have some good high-back chairs/sofa too...

And I wish I had a sunroom for this sofa...a pale, vintage green zebra patterned fabric.  Just lovely.

They even have furniture for kids!  Can't you imagine two cute little kids espousing theories about the latest toy over a sippy cup??

One of the best parts of the trip though was staying at the Best Hampton Inn EVER that had this...

...a built-in TV screen in the bathroom!  {And there was a Paper Source right next door to the hotel!}

Definitely a great trip.  Looking forward to another trip to NC soon!