Jul 23, 2009

Creative People: Rayman Boozer


I DVR alot of shows, and among them is HGTV's Small Space Big Style. One episode featured the home of Rayman Boozer, and I fell in love with his "rustic approach to modern design," all on a small budget. I did a Google search, and to much to my consternation I found out that his home was also featured in 2006 by a design magazine I actually don't own, Elle Decor. But all is not lost, as he also runs an interior design services/ shop called Apartment 48. You can peruse his portfolio on his website.

Photos of his home :


Boozer mentioned on the show that he doesn't actually work on this desk,
but check out that tablescape!



Talk about infusing lots of personality into an otherwise bland rental! I love the colors, and these days I'm a fan of using shelves as headboard.



Align Center
melamine bowls, $10
nesting bowls, $65 for set
striped bunny, $24


I read that his brick-and-mortar shop is set up like an apartment, with merchandise placed in their respective "rooms."



read more...

Jul 22, 2009

Leading Ladies

Holly of decor8 asked her readers to post or share the leading ladies of our lives, i.e. women who have directly or indirectly inspired us to lead the best life possible.


image via decor8

On my list:

1. My grandmother
She is in her early 80s, battling some health conditions like diabetes. But to this day she continues to be a strong, godly woman, with a a genuine desire to serve those around her. She lives in another continent, so I don't see her often. My grandmother enjoys receiving snail mail from me, and despite her debilitating arthritis she does her best to write back. I hope that I'll be able to see her soon.

2. Holly Becker
Perhaps I will meet this wonderful blogger in person one day, but virtually and digitally speaking Holly has been encouraging and kind. I think that in some ways her story mirrors my own, in that she is spendthrift and hardworking so she can accomplish those bigger goals. She recently fulfilled her dream of living in Europe! Holly is helping me to stay on track so I, too, can see my wish list become a reality.

3. My friend Charm
Charm and I used to work for the same company. When I first saw her I admit that I was somewhat intimidated by her beauty and amazing sense of style. Who knew that we would become great friends? God works in mysterious ways! :) Not only is Charm charming (yes indeed!) and beautiful on the outside, but so is her character. We're both fans of Paris, modern design, good food, and anything tea- related. Amazingly enough we don't see each other that often, even though we reside in the same city. I think it's time to change that!

4. My friend Nicole
It's hard to believe that there's an eight- year age disparity between myself and Nicole, but I consider her to be one of my good friends. We're bibliophiles (especially books by Jane Austen), tea drinkers, and enjoy baking. Sadly (or should I say fortunately, at least for her!) Nicole moved to the Pacific Northwest last month in response to a divine appointment. I miss seeing her on a weekly basis.

5. My friend Sabina
Sabina is another local friend I don't get to see often, so when I do it's always a treat! I don't know if it's a European trait or not, but my Norway- born friend has a zest for life that I dont' see very often (sad, right?). I know that I can be guilty of being discouraged by the pressures of life, and missing the bigger point of what it means to truly live. Sabina reminds me that each day is precious.

6. My friend Tammi
I first met Tammi in middle school. She was affectionately known as "Doogie," as in Doogie Howser, M.D. because of her scholastic smarts and achievements. I'm so blessed and grateful to call this fellow Snoopy fan my dear friend, many years later!

7. "Virtual" leading ladies:
Joy
Grace
Danni
Cassandra
Victoria
Ez
Abby
Jennifer
Pam
Summer
Clotilde

These women write some of the most amazing and succesful blogs! I look forward to their daily creative inspiration.

Who are the leading ladies in your life?
read more...

Jul 14, 2009

Vive La Revolution!



How did you celebrate le jour de la Bastille? Last year I was in Portland, OR enjoying the cuisine at Fenouil. Today, I did not participate in any of the festivities. Wah!

~Image Source~
sooishi
read more...

Jul 13, 2009

No Painting Allowed!

It has been so busy around here! My husband and I are looking to move out of our 2- bedroom apartment and downsize into a 1- bedroom rental in an effort to aggressively save for a down payment for our own piece of real estate. I would prefer to leave expensive San Diego and move to Portland, OR or a European city, but my hubby loves it here so may God help me! We have yet to find our next home (we've looked at 20 rentals at least!), but in the meantime I'm creating a file of images for decorating inspiration.

One of the things I will miss about our current pad are the wall colors. We were fortunate that the landlord painted the place in colors we love (read: not white!). Since 99% of the rentals here don't allow tenants to paint, one solution would be to use plenty of textures, from the window treatments to the furnishings to the flooring.





Making It Lovely


Nate Berkus' home is probably not small, but this photo captures the use of various textures to
add visual interest


Another solution for counteracting plain white walls is to use fabrics. You could hang panels of fabric (I know IKEA has some) on one wall, or take some some plywood panels, place some batting, and staple fabric onto them. I don't suggest doing this for every wall in your rental, unless you want an enclosed cave-like effect!




If there was any reason to be thankful that you live in the 21st century, it's this:

Removable wallpapers! The EasyChange wallpaper line from Sherwin-Williams can be removed easily; no tools needed!

If you can't beat them, join them! Rather than fighting the white walls, decorate around them with a black-and-white palette.



How awesome is that turquoise "headboard" as an element of surprise?




from Domino magazine

The decor is feminine yet bold, but how lucky to have those fabulous architectural details! So far all the apartments we've seen were boxy with zero character. *sigh*


read more...

Jul 7, 2009

Good Mail Days

My husband doesn't get excited at the prospect of getting mail. "Stupid bills," he says. I, on the other hand, look forward to opening the mail box everyday. Not for the stupid bills of course, but for the surprise "old-fashioned" hand-written letters and notes from family and friends.


Photo by perfectbound

I recently had an awesome mail day! I paired up recently with fellow scrapper and Blogging Your Way classmate, Nancy, for an international magazine swap. I saw via Kindred that she was looking to swap for Somerset publications, since they are not widely available in Australia. I have been dying for a copy of Australia's arguably most popular home magazine, Real Living, for over a year since learning about it from other blogs, so I jumped at the chance to swap with Nancy.



Photo by la petite maison

I got everything I requested, and I have a few more on the way! We only charged each other for actual shipping costs, not for the cost of the magazines. I paid once the magazines arrived. The whole process was painless, and Nancy was so wonderful to deal with. I also have to thank Holly Becker for spearheading the forum for the magazine swap on Kindred. You can read more about it here.

Thank you Nancy, for the visual treats! :)

P.S. Real Living is everything I thought it would be, and then some!
read more...