I’m hooked…
Came across this fun inspiration/statement piece the other day and thought, what kind of hooks would I use if I had an entryway like this at home? Absolutely love how eclectic this wall looks – especially the brass duck – such personality! Even the house number is quite perfect. I'm visualizing another wall, perhaps a colored one this time in another part of the home… How fun will it be to treat it as a three dimensional canvas? Using a variety of shapes and sizes to create a sculpture piece on the wall instead? Who says we actually need to use the hooks, right?! So I decided to do some virtual shopping myself and came up with my own "wall" selection. Perfect opportunity for mixing and matching. A little antique, a little woodsy…
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Tags: home accessories, interiors, objects, wall decorations
September 8, 2010The Design of Accomplishment
Design should not only be inspired, it should also be inspirational.
That is the message behind Triiit (pronounced "try-it"), a company that designs and produces jewelry and mementos to commemorate triathlons, marathons and other athletic accomplishments.
The company was started a few years ago by Cinda Carnevale, Pamela Lancaster and Lynn DiNanno. The three women came together to create a line of stylish mementos for both men and women. It turned out to be the perfect combination of design, merchandising, and the pride and inspiration that comes from athletic achievement.
People take on the challenge of an endurance event for a whole variety of reasons. Maybe it is to prove to oneself that they can actually do it. Maybe it is to raise money for a cause. Maybe it’s the sheer enjoyment of the training and participation in one of these huge events. A Triiit memento serves as a reminder of all that went into the accomplishment, and of the accomplishment itself.
Triiit’s most popular design is the charm bracelet. As an athlete completes different events more charms can be added. There is a similar key chain design. Ten percent of Triiit proceeds go to breast cancer research, giving even more significance to the design.
Visit the website to learn more.
Tags: designs, jewlery, marathons, mementos, triathlons, Triiit, try it
September 7, 2010Thinking Outside the Square
When Nancy sent in her amazing dining room photos of her new FLOR installation we couldn’t wait to share her pictures.
Here is Nancy’s letter to FLOR:
Just wanted to drop you a line to let you know how much we loved installing our new FLOR! Here are a few pics of our dining room FLOR. We used Feelin' Groovy in Black, Glitzy Silver and Titanium to achieve this look. I had never seen FLOR installed in a diagonal pattern but I think the result is pretty great and it makes the room feel larger!
Isn’t her design fantastic? The diagonal cuts that Nancy made around the wall and corners look professionally done. This is a great reminder of how easy FLOR is to install. All it takes is a little turn of a tile to build out a diamond argyle pattern that creates a unique look and brings a ton of personality to someone’s room/home. Terrific job Nancy - thanks for sending in your photos! Have you done anything unique with your FLOR?
*If you have a FLOR story that you would like to share with us, please send in your before & after photos to florstories@flor.com.
Tags: dining room, feelin groovy, FLOR, Inspiration, installation
September 7, 2010Why I’ll Never Hire a Housekeeper
Ever since I was a little girl, the epitome of success was whether or not your home had a hired housekeeper. I'm not sure where the conception began, as now, I can think of at least twenty better depictions of success that don't involve a dustpan and broom. And although one of my life rules is to "Never say never!", I have a feeling housekeeping is a service I'll forever forgo.
Here's why:
1. It may be the only exercise I get.
It's true; I'm the laziest gal you'll meet. Aside from my daily yoga, my idea of exercise is a trip to Target. In my car. But hey! I'm getting out! And walking aisles! That's got to burn calories, yes? No. But what does burn calories? Vacuuming. Dusting. Laundry, scrubbing floors and washing dishes.
2. The pre-cleaning phase amazes me.
I have many family members who employ regular housekeepers, and I find that the routine is always the same: they clean so their housekeeper can clean. Yes. It's true. They like to call it "pre-cleaning": the stage where you de-clutter, sort and fold so the housekeeper can get to the real work. To me, this seems insane. Why not take it one step further and throw a sponge on the counter since you're already focused on the task?
3. I love a challenge.
For me, life is about two things: doing what you love, and doing what you love to hate. Cleaning falls into the latter category for me, as there's nothing that I despise more than dusty, allergy-induced Saturday mornings when I'd rather be brunching. Yet I have to admit: I get the craziest rush from cleaning my home. Sure, I'm exhausted after a marathon cleaning session and never want to see a rubber glove again, but the feeling of accomplishment that follows is not unlike climbing Mount Everest for me. It's an adrenaline rush I'd miss if I simply handed over the mundane task to someone undoubtedly more capable.
So, what about you? Do you currently have a housekeeper? Would you ever hire one: why or why not?
Tags: cleaning, home, housekeeping, organizing
September 6, 2010Pulling a Screen: Kitty Defense
We have a kitty at our house and she loves nothing more than to curl up in a warm cozy place and sleep there for an eternity whilst shedding what often seems to be half her body weight in fur all over her current nap locale of choice. When we were expecting our son, I was concerned about our kitty deciding that our son's crib was the most awesome nap place of all time and taking up residence in there. Now that our son is a year old, I realize that our cat will never go anywhere near that annoying little human who's main purpose in life is to try and catch her…but I was a new parent, so I didn't know. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out how we would keep the kitty out of our son's crib until I remembered the solution my sister had gone with, which was to install a screen door into the nursery. Of course, at first mention of this idea to anyone they immediately assumed we had a big, white, metal, hulking screen door in mind…but take a look at these pretty, practical, wood screen door solutions: 
Tags: decor, nursery, parent, screen door, sleep
