trees! friends! tree friends!

a little late this year, but here's my tree. i used a new set of ornaments this year - indulged myself in my love of neon and sparkle.

if you want to get the look, you can click here for the staircase garland

here and here for these here ornaments

and walgreens carries an amazing silver tinsel with teeny hot pink and chartreuse ornaments.

as a christmas bonus, here are a few dorky photos of me and my best friends getting into the holiday spirit!

we found santa!

and a bit of christmas cheer in a glass (none for me, thanks)!

followed by spa day in hmb and some help picking a tree - thanks s.p. and v.b.!

"it's christmassssss... all oooover... again.

decorations are all hung by the fire.

everybody's singin'...

all the bells are ringin' out...

and it's christmassssss... all oooover... again.

yeah, again!"

oh, you fancy, huh? (an easy how-to for custom pillows)

my most recent "creations"

pillows are a great way to punch up a space with color, pattern, texture (and shine - OOH, SHINY!). they are also super easy, even if you don't know how to sew.

grab someone who has a machine and ask them (nicely - don't be so bossy, fancy!) to set it up and show you how to sew a straight line and you'll have a new pillow in no time!

here's what you need:

- a sewing machine
- fabric. 1 yard will do for most of you. throw pillows at 16x16 are pretty standard.
- thread to match your fabric
- pins
- pillow insert (i like west elm's feather/ down versions, but any poly version would work well too)

and here's your how-to...

1. measure your pillow. in this example, mine is 16"x16".

2. cut your fabric with a width equal to the shorter pillow dimension (in this case it does not matter since width and length are the same). cut the length to 2x the length of your pillow + 4 inches.

in my case, the fabric i need is 16"x36".
3. with the backside of the fabric facing up, fold over one inch on each edge of the fabric's length. pin and sew. your fabric will now be 2 inches shorter in length.
4. now, with the backside of the fabric still facing out, fold your fabric into a little envelope.

the length should be 1 inch smaller than the length of your pillow - in this case 15".

the width will remain the same as those sides remain "unfinished".

pin the unfinished sides and sew 1/2-inch in from each. this will give you a finished size 1 inch smaller than your pillow in each measured dimension.
5. turn your pillow cover finished side out and insert your pillow form. your pillow should be nice and full because the cover is just a tad tight.

now sit back and enjoy your handiwork!

maybe you even have time to make some festive pillows for the holidays. throw 'em on the sofa for a refresher before the family arrives, toss a couple on the guest bed for an update, or make one for your room to FANCY it up!

i'm on a boat!

okay, i'm not (but who doesn't love an excuse to watch this video), but I AM on brooklyn limestone!
the lovely stefanie, keeper of one of my most favorite-ist blogs, allowed me to guest post today while she's on vacation. it's still a thrill to see my rooms on her massively popular blog (the times even named her one of their top 50 design blogs)!

jump on over and leave a comment so she'll have me back soon!

you gotta fight!

for your right! to parrrrrrr-tay!
whenever i have a party, i find that people end up congregating in the family room. it is one of the smallest rooms in the house, but i think it turned out to be a pretty cozy and hip little space.

i've teased you with some previews along the way, but here it finally is!

this is what i started with:
those of you who have been following our progress here in fog city know that the house interior was covered from head to toe in the most hideous yellow paint. in these photos, from the open house, it almost looks... nice! i assure you, though, it was terrifying. especially all of the inexplicable wall stains created by 4 college-aged boys with no supervision. *la dee da* putting those pictures right out of my head...

we had the floors stripped down to the originals (YAY) and then we painted, painted, painted and painted some more. the door to the downstairs bath got a coat or two of chalkboard paint as a part of my project doorway.
it has become one of my favorite things in the house because it is covered in love letters from family and friends.

i also painted the cast iron hearth and corbel on the fireplace in high-gloss black for more contrast.
and then it was time for the fun stuff!

i anchored the room with my sofa - it's HUGE and comfy and far too expensive to throw away. the lines are curvy and victorian, but the fabric is modern and neutral so it works. i also kept my antique mahogany coffee table, heat stains and all. it's been with me forever and i love the color - especially in this room because it picks up the darker hues in our floors.

then i trotted off to ikea to buy out the store - picking up the trollsta sideboard to use as a tv stand and a great b/w rug, the stockholm rand.
and then to pier one for a couple of great oversize faux bamboo chairs. the room, with the addition of the chairs is very full but, because it's such a small space, i decided to embrace it and to try to make it feel as homey and intimate as possible.
the topper is this fantastic chandelier i robbed from lamps plus (originally $1350 and i got it for $186!). most folks think it's original to the house (which was built in the late 1800s) - it just seems to fit. and it is GORGEOUS at night.
and assorted tchotchkes i have collected at all of the fun antiques markets up north. (i'm sure you've guessed by now that i am of the "more is more" school of thought when it comes to decorating.)

red carnations and a hand thrown clay taxi cab from cuba.

a vintage "go" lamp from a streetlight and a big, lighted "C" for evening

vintage kit cat clock with rhinestones

add some colorful (and SHINY) pillows and voilà! CLICK ON THE PHOTO FOR A CLOSE-UP.

please excuse the puzzle effect here - it's my bargain substitute for a wide-angle lens.

now i've just got to get some art up behind the sofa and we'll be all done (for now)!

hope you've enjoyed this little peek into my favorite party room!

what?!

omg! i just realized yesterday that i haven't written a thing on the completed family room!

you all saw this preview (well, maybe not all of my lovely new readers!)...


but i'll try to get some photos of it this week (if we aren't drowned in rain and grey clouds again) and show you how it turned out.

stay tuned!

color me beautiful.

okay, friends, i'm not even the teeniest bit ashamed to admit it: i heart bridget jones.

bridget reading one of my favorites, house & garden magazine

the first time i read the first book i laughed so hard i cried. there are so many reasons to love her, not the least of which is her relationship with her mother.

when i started on my latest mini project, picking pillows for the sofa, i couldn't help but think of this gem:

"I'm taking you to have your colors done! And don't keep saying, 'what,' please, darling. Color Me Beautiful. I'm sick to death of you wandering round in all these dingy slurries and fogs. You look like something out of Chairman Mao." (click here to determine your "season".)

sometimes (a lot of the time, actually) mother really does know best. rather than a house full of dull colors and boring pieces, i want a house full of COLOR and HAPPY.

so, when i was packing up ye ole christmas decorations (in february - that's right, people, i said february), i realized that i had stumbled upon the perfect palate for my living room accessories. i mean JUST LOOK at this picture. don't the colors make you smile from the inside out? (if you said no, you might be dead inside. get help!)


here's a closer look at the decorations (please ignore the rest of the mess - the dining room is currently my project room).


so cute and cheerful!

i've started to collect and make pillows that approximate this color scheme. there are a couple left to make or acquire, but i like where this is headed!


from left to right:

* fuschia velvet pillow from pier one
* chartreuse beaded pillow from pier one
* homemade (yes - i MADE it) bolster pillow. it's a pretty cream wool herringbone with sparkly gold threads. gussied up with black velvet ribbon and antique lace.
* tube top, yup - TUBE TOP, from forever 21 in an amazing iridescent purple-y blue sequin. popped it over a down insert from west elm et VOILA!
* chinese silk pillowcase procured in chinatown many, many moons ago (2004, i think)

MY adorable mom bought me this amazing purple silk embroidered with butterflies - that'll be the next one.
and i'm still on the lookout for a great peacock blue fabric to balance it all out. any suggestions?

how do i love thee? (a poster to swoon over.)

valentine's day is fast approaching and it really does seem that love is in the air. i just attended the (spectacular) wedding of two wonderful friends, john and sandra, and *so many* other friends seem to be in love and getting married this year.

it's all so lovely and heart-warming! (sweet lord, is my little black heart swelling à la the grinch - my favorite cartoon hero/ villian?)

speaking of love, i have fallen head-over-heels for this lovely poster.

i found it at a small gallery here in san francisco, artzone 461, during their "six centuries of printmaking" exhibition. i walked in to the gallery and my eye was immediately drawn to this piece - it is so vibrant and quirky and fun!

while little is known about the piece (likely late 50s, early 60s, show produced in amsterdam) steven, the gallery's director, explained that the piece comes from his late uncle's collection - an eccentric with and exceptional eye and a love of purple.

i'm excited to get it framed and use it to anchor the art wall in my living room. any suggestions on framing? i think i know what i'd like to do but i'd love to hear some of your creative suggestions.

operation "trim der tree" complete.

okay, i must admit, there's no REAL point to this post other than to show off my AWESOME tree. it took hours to decorate (and i still have to trim, for real, the bottom a bit) but i LURVE him.

he's 11 feet of holiday glory and he makes me feel all tingly and happy inside when he's turned on.

do you have yours up yet? share your photos with me - i can't get enough of this stuff!

damn you, ikea! *shakes fist*

damn you, that is, for having such utterly charming things at such low prices that i think i can afford something like 2000 hours of labor to furnish my home!

in all seriousness, though, i believe that good design should be available at any price range. and along those lines, i also believe, that if with good vision or proper guidance, you can make a lovely home from places like ikea, target, cost plus and pier 1 (not to mention that almost my entire wardrobe is from forever 21).

so, while my dad was in town, off to ikea we went with my pre-printed shopping list. we bought about *5000 pounds* of furniture; here's a look at some of the pieces i chose.

next week i'll show you where it all went with some pretty amazing before and sort-of-after shots of the house.

a four-poster bed (edland)!

a couple of nice dressers, also edland line, 5-drawer and 2-drawer.
(these came with AWFUL pulls, so i swapped them out with some knobs that i picked up at anthropologie - appropriately labeled "diamond gal" - that i loved for their sparkle and organic feel)

a sideboard (trollsta) to use as a tv stand and a great b/w rug (stockholm rand)

and a fantastic stainless steel topped desk (vika) with a matching rug (alvine rand)

and 3 billy bookshelves waiting to be assembled *sigh*

this was an incredibly productive shopping spree - all for well under $2000.

aren't you curious how i put it all together...?

super dad to the rescue! (and a mini preview of the living room)

as i've mentioned, my dad was in town for 5 days to help with the house. and *bonus*, he brought bonnie as well - who, despite a pinched nerve in her shoulder, did a ton of work too (especially on an antique duncan phyfe i have been holding on to for 15 years - but more on that in another post!).

i took a week off of work for what i thought would be a vacation. it ended up being 12-hours days of manual labor *ugh* - but we got a lot done and had a ton of fun while we were at it.

some of the highlights: countless trips to home depot, 2 trips to ikea (totalling 5+ hours) and hauling about 1000 lbs of furniture, hours putting together said countless ikea products, installing new molding where it was mysteriously absent, installing new thresholds, cleaning and de-vining the exterior, re-finishing that duncan phyfe, fixing the washing machine...

the list goes on and on.














thank you both for the super-human effort (and for the fabulous celebratory dinner at absinthe - i'm still dreaming of that risotto and the '86 diamond creek!).

love you, dad!

project doorway

(l-r) benjamin moore "magenta" in the master bedroom closets, behr "sailboat blue" in the upstairs bath, and chalkboard paint in the guest bath


whether you're saying "auf wiedersehen" or "guten tag" in this house, i hope you'll enjoy it just the same.

one of my favorite projects i have christened "project doorway" (in honor of one of my very favorite tv shows).

my goal is to paint the inside of every door. i love a little (and unexpected) pop of color!

here are a few of the doors that i have been working on. i have MANY to go, but this is a good start!

"make it work!"