Inspiration comes in all forms...

Inspiration comes in all shapes and sizes and comes when you least expect it and usually from the strangest places. This year for Lent (yes I am mildly religious) I had a hard time figuring out what to give up so I gave up worrying about my future- until Easter I am going to just focus on the day at hand and find joy and inspiration in the present... that being said, I treated myself to a prize to help remind me- because even after Lent is over it is something I should do more of... So I had the lovely Erin McDermott make me a necklace to wear as an everyday reminder to: "Be Inspired"...those of you not familiar should check her out...her lovely wares can be found here her jewelry is simple and elegant and she is totally amenable to custom work- plus she is just an all around nice person!

So while I am working on finding inspiration in the everyday things I can't help but wonder if the owner of this home was a bit inspired by ABC's hit show LOST or perhaps Disney's Madagascar....

Oh yes that's a Boeing 727 that owner bought for a reported $2,000! Probably couldn't have afforded much more after buying the land with those killer views!

a day of silence and not because I'm lazy...

I'm in love...

I found this awesome NY Loft on this blog I follow and fell in love with it- I mean what's not to love?

Pretty sweet building- right on the river...

AMAZING View- had me right there! but it gets better...

to die for amazing stair case...not to mention the 4 story high ceiling in this great room!

It's the freaking clock tower! how sweet is that? You would always know what time it is (dyslexia would be a plus here) No real need for art or dramatic furnishings when these are your walls! 

So Santa...are you watching- I am being so good even when Christmas is so far away- please move this to the top of my list!

bet you thought I'd write about green today...

So yeah- it's St. Patrick's day and it would seem only natural to go for Irish themed interiors (not sure what that would be- potatoes and leprechauns are pretty much what my mind goes to) or at the very least play off the green- either the color or the concept. But as my parents will attest- I was never really one to do what was expected. Instead today I draw inspiration on an old friend who just visited. When I met Ashby- with his guitar case in tow- I instantly thought he was some lame nerd who was trying and woo my sister with a cheesy John Mayer act- but turns out he actually was pretty damn talented. So when he came east this week for a visit I had to hear at least one song. And it got me thinking...when you have a talent and passion like that you can't just leave it in a box or propped up in the corner...

Give it a home (and yes I know that is not a guitar) 

Hang your collection on the wall like art- some guitars are a work of art

display them and show them off like any other collection

but keep it handy for when inspiration strikes!

OK- so above the bed is a bit too John Mayer for me!

The gorgeous wood blends right in with this floating wall- it would also rock in a room with a classic Eames chair!

Cole and Son's Quartet Wallpaper has been a favorite for a long time but only really works for a talented music lover

And no, not a guitar but I love these drums re-purposed as tables- I can just imagine the husband that wouldn't let his drums go and then never touched them once he won the battle to keep them!

So no matter what your passion find a way to let it shine and make it part of your home and everyday life!

trying to make a gray day pretty...

So I am helping my sister with her baby, who bless his adorable little self  still isn't sleeping through the night...so she picked a plan and we are going for it...and it all starts with breaking bad habits during the day- Oh lucky me! the author refers to doing things in three days steps where the first day is the darkest- then the gray day then the bright day where the bad habits are going away and it isn't so bad. Well today is the gray day of no pacifier outside the crib and well surprisingly it isn't as bad a yesterday and it got me thinking about just how lovely gray is...and how very many shades of grey there are!

Gray is often omitted early on by people because it is considered cold and boring but I disagree- I love gray and think it is a great neutral- way  better than builder beige! Pearl gray is soft and romantic and can make a room feel quite bright. and then you get deeper into the charcoals and brownish grays (yes gray works really well with brown leather!) and you get a rich, warm masculine feel- Guys-dark gray is so much more sophisticated than black- trust me! Dark grays make a great option for major upholstery pieces(- especially if you have a black dog) it is forgiving and will go with nearly anything you want to mix with it.

Grey is also making appearances on the floor with grey-washed wood being extremely popular right now. It gives a more rustic feel and more unexpected than traditional white washing

Grey is also a great color scheme for wall paper patterns- there are so many shades of grey that you can have pattern and still be monochromatic.

and while I love grey and yellow...

I also love Purple and Grey...

But mostly I love Pink and Grey!

So don't be afraid of the many shades of gray...make your gray day pretty!

and yes Grey and Gray are the same thing- us Americans tend to spell Gray however the color is more typically spelled GREY

Rain Rain Go Away...

I tumbled across this image this morning, this grey cold rainy gross morning. Some of you reading may know, but I studied in Paris when I was in college- it seems like a thousand years ago but still yesterday in so many ways... at the ripe age of 21 it was the biggest adventure of my life, it was before 9-11 so I still lived in my rather naive bubble of life, it was before wireless internet was everywhere and you had to go to internet cafes, it was before international calling plans and cell phones that worked abroad so it meant buying phone cards and actually remembering people's phone numbers, it was before my parents used email so it called for actual letter writing (although I probably didn't), it was before digital cameras so I had to wait till I got home and got my film developed to see my memories, it was before Facebook so I actually had to show my friends my pictures. And on this rather blah and boring morning seeing this picture reminded me of what a freeing time it was in my life but it also reminded me of how romantic the city is, while I didn't fall in love with some chic Parisian hunk I did fall in love with the city, it is magical and is somewhere everyone should get lost at some point in their lives. This image is my happy place Pink Paris Springtime!
Pink is most often associated with not only baby girls but love and romance but pale pink also has a very calming effect. Sometimes called, Drunk-Tank Pink, it is used in prisons to help calm the inmates, it is used in sports facilities in the visiting team locker room to subliminally lull the opposing team into a passive and less energetic mood.
Yes- I am biased, pink has been my favorite color since I can remember, it has wavered among the different hues but always pink! And just like House Beautiful just blazed across their cover it is the perfect color!

Pale Pink is the perfect neutral compliment for a calming, soft, romantic spaces. It works wonderfully with whites and creams but yet at the same time it helps browns, natural linens and gorgeous wood tones shine creating a contrast that is not jarring or harsh. 

Aghh... all I can do on this dreary day is hope that all this rain will result in an amazing pink blast with the dogwoods burst open here!