I'm the girl who's gonna win the special prize at the end...

Poor little Violet Beauregarde should have bit her tongue... if only she had known what she was in for.

June 7th's color is Violet Ice (Pantone 15-2706)
Seductive
Musical
Inspiring

Surrounding yourself with Violet Ice helps you maintain balance as you share your life with others.

While not the shade of our poor friend from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Violet Ice lives up to it's name... it is a soft, dusky, grayish purple that is romantic and seductive.

Looks a little better!

This lovely light shade is almost a neutral it is so soft- it works beautifully with gray and beige or even my favorite vague neutral...greige

I adore this homemade eurosham the soft violet and the shimmer would make for a very sexy touch to a guest bedroom

Violet Ice is not the violet of your childhood bedroom, it is more sophisticated and modern and fits in beautifully to a contemporary setting

And if you happen to be a brown eyed girl like myself... don't shy away...

violet eyeshadow makes brown eyes pop!

or cover them up in style...ala Prada!

And if you need another reason to jump on the violet bandwagon...

Violet is by far Ben's best accessory! 

To win, you've got to put the ball in the macramé...

I have a pretty good life...I am keenly aware of this because of one of my most irrational fears...what happens if I end up with someone who has an unhealthy sports obsession...ala Fever Pitch level obsession. Well low and behold... I couldn't possibly have found a nice guy who is a fan of the Memphis Grizzlies with their lovely blue on blue color scheme or even the Celtics- I could easily work pink in with the green and white and have a very preppy decor...Oh no- I fall for The Laker Fan...purple and gold-Oh my!

Seriously purple and gold! how do you work with that???

my worst nightmare!!!

Well turns out love not only conquers all but it can inspire too. I have made peace with the purple and gold so should I end up having to live in an homage to the Lakers I think I can pull it off without compromising my own principles of style...

and yes- I do count non-laker shades of purple as working!

Even if I do need to stick with the true team colors...I think I could be OK with it...

It has me so inspired that I even think I can show his team spirit on my dining table...

Even Planet Hollywood has embraced the champions with the Laker theme in one of their suites

So yes...I have a good life that these are the things I worry about and that might make me shallow but let it remind you that you can find inspiration anywhere...and that loving someone means loving all of them...even if it is purple and gold!

Plus- tip for Brown Eyed Girls...guess what color makes your eyes look best??? PURPLE!

Photos: Elle Decor, House Beautiful, Real Simple, House and Home, Gossip Girl, Lux Design, PaulaGraceDesign, Planet Hollywood, Simply Stunning, Almay

Fog is rolling in...

I was up early again this morning...well not as early as I hoped so instead of making the drive south in the early morning darkness I got the pleasure of driving through eerie but beautiful fog for the majority of my 4 hour drive down to High Point. Let me just go ahead and put it out there that this whirl wind trip to market was a mission...I was desperate to find some lighting fixtures for a client so I didn't get to do a real "scout the trends" of the furniture showrooms. The vast majority of my day was spend wondering up and down the halls and stairs of the accessory showrooms. 

The funny thing was as I got to market the sun came out and it ended up being a beautiful day however as soon as I entered the main building the fog seemed to have rolled back in and taken over all the showrooms! Every direction I looked I found fog tones with muted greens, browns and purples. From ethereal flowing textures like the pendant shown here that was made of silk blossoms, to rugged white and grey washed woods the muted tones were everywhere. 

And combined with these gorgeous "greige" tones (yes I made that word up but I think it works!) was the most beautiful array of purples! From very light subtle purples that almost look grey to deep rich purples- they were everywhere! I loved the selection of lamps that Arteriors had in the purple tones!

When I got to the second floor of Oly's showroom I literally stopped in my tracks because they had created the foggy bedroom of my dreams...and frankly by that point I was ready to jump in that bed for a nap! The picture (very bottom) really doesn't capture the subtle purple used but trust me it is there!

        I will admit I have not always been the biggest fan of the color purple ( the actual color not the play) but today I became a believer! Purple has so much depth and variety to it! All in the same showroom I witnessed purple to add whimsy while on the opposite wall it was sexy and mysterious.  And while I doubt you will catch me buying purple paint any time soon you can be sure I am going to be be snatching up some purple accessories or linens!