This I Believe...

If you read my blog regularly (that is when I write it regularly) you might recall a post from earlier in the summer that referenced a certain charming young man that gave me a book to read...a real legit, with pages book. Despite what my mother thinks, he is not the reason I haven't written much this summer, I've been busy cooking up some new ideas and inspirations ; but actually my mom might be a little right ( I find myself admitting and saying those words a lot more now that i'm in my 30's)... he has reminded me of the amazing power of good music and good books and I've been doing quite a bit of summer reading.

After finishing a tear jerker by Ian McEwan I was needing something a bit more uplifting, something happier... so he handed me "This I Believe". You may or may not have heard of this before, it was a segment in the 1950's on NPR with Edward R. Murrow. Today it is a book of essays, some taken straight from the 50's radio program others written by notable figures of today and still some written by average American citizens. They are written about all sorts of things, my particular favorites so far are " A Grown-up Barbie" and "Be Cool to the Pizza Dude"...I digress, while reading these essays, these brief snipits of a person's philosophy, it has got me thinking about what I believe in... brevity has never been my strength so writing a 350-500 word essay will be hard and sorry to say but I think my actual "This I Believe" will be a little more private than the world wide web but for now I an truly inspired by Temple Grandin and her essay, "Seeing in Beautiful, Precise Pictures" and thought that would be the perfect way to share some of my beliefs with you.
In absolutely no particular order, This I Believe:

I believe every house should have an animal print somewhere... small or large, just somewhere

I believe in America, living in DC has renewed that pride in me, especially after a gorgeous 9-11 anniversary and seeing how we can come together differences and politics aside.

I believe art is subjective and that you should surround yourself with it, from children's doodles to masterpieces.

I believe in books- I love them! and yes- they are one of my favorite accessories but reading them is even better!

I believe in butts- yes I do! and not just because i have one...I think it is important in this crazy celebrity obsessed world we live in that girls have healthy role models.

I believe in having cake...and eating it! For a long time I thought it was impossible to have your cake and eat it too, but recently I have found that if you stay true to yourself, adjust your perspective a bit and surround yourself with the right people you can have it all- it's all in what's important to you.

I believe in chivalry, despite posting on twitter a dozen or so instances of how it is dead- it's not. trust me ladies, they are still out there- so hold out for a gentleman, it's worth it.

I believe in classics

Classic furniture and fashion is just that and will never fade- it always has a place!

I believe in coffee- and I believe there is nothing wrong with drinking drinks that have stupid superfluous names (cocktails included)

I believe in comfort food, there are foods and smells that can take you right back to a memory or shift your mood so that you instantly perk up- might I recommend cheese and/or bacon if you do't believe me...

I believe there are few things cuter than puppies and babies and nothing better than a snuggle from either of them.

I believe you are never too old to play dress up and I believe you should do any and everything within your power to make your child feel special- even if it means dressing up and riding the subway in costume.

I believe old people have every right to be as eccentric as they like...this one might come back to bite me with my parents...

I believe fashion is art- don't believe me then go pick up a WWD or walk the streets of Paris during fashion week.

I believe in film and taking pictures. and while i recently made the jump and got a digital version of my "big girl camera" I still love film and the mystery of wondering exactly how the picture will turn out...and having to wait to find out!

I believe nothing last forever so it is important to enjoy and be present in the moment

I believe heroes come in many shapes and forms and that they are all around us...

I believe you are never too old to swing on a swing set.

I believe the kitchen is the heart of the home

I believe in love letters. In this day of emails and text, there are few things as romantic to me as seeing the words "I love you" hand written in ink.

I believe in mixing styles, after all, if opposites attract, you better find a way to blend those furnishing together!

I believe Mother Nature creates the best color palettes hands down- she is stunning!

I believe in pops of color, they help you from becoming too serious...

I believe in porches, maybe it is growing up in the south but I am a sucker for a porch (front or back I don't care)

I believe in quotes, I have quote books and journals full of them and scraps of paper with them on it.

I often find myself unable to come up with the right words, so I often turn to the words of others for inspiration and guidance.

I believe in reusing- I love giving something a second life and letting the past into today.

I believe in romance and love and all that drippy sappy stuff 

I believe if the shoe fits then buy it in every color!

I believe in being silly- you are never too old to be silly

I believe in wallpaper- there is a time and a place in every home for it- sometimes it isn't where you expect.

But mostly what I believe, (and is what my real essay is about) is the most fitting for today

I Believe in Family. So today, my big brother's birthday (he's old- but not that old! that's his daughter in the picture) I share the words we heard (what seemed like every night) at the dinner table: "At the end of the day it's family." No matter where you are in the world, what the state of the world is or how hard things may be, at the end of the day, you have your family and that is something worth being thankful for. It is easy to loose sight of it from time to time but no matter how big or small, "normal" or eccentric yours may be- they are yours!

and that is what I Believe.

Happy Birthday Billy 

and 

Thank You Dave

xoxo

Back to reality...

Time to check back in with the real world...not quite sure where summer went, but it was a good great one! I can't quite get used to seeing the school bus barrel down my street twice a day or the silence that now resonates through the neighborhood during the middle of the day. But alas, it is time to get back to it... back to school (well not for me- can't imagine anything worse!) back to work and back to getting inspired (and sharing with you).
First step in getting back in the groove is cleaning off my desk...a super scary pile of magazines is towering over my laptop threatening to topple over if I look at it hard enough and remnants of fabric are keeping the actual surface of my desk warm and cozy. So as I clean up and make room for my new sewing machine (very good motivator!) I thought I'd share some of my favorite desk tips.

don't be afraid to use bold color in your work space- go with makes you happy and inspired

make sure you have plenty of room- especially if you are like me and like to spread out!

use what you have- make space where you can- using a spare closet is great because you can shut the doors and hide it! Plus- channel your inner Julia Child and use peg board to get organized

make sure you have a comfy chair...if not add a pillow! 

Use art and flowers to make the space yours...and pretty! There is something to be said for having something living on your desk (moldy coffee cups don't count as living)

Light!!! natural light is always best so pick a spot that gets good natural light, and if you can't  get that then do invest in good lighting

find creative ways to get organized...ever dream of sweeping everything off your desk? 

tame your gadgets- hmmm. maybe I should take my own advice! with all the electronics that we have ruling our lives these days it is always challenging to find a chic way to control the cords- I love this ribbon box re-purposed as a charging station - now I finally have an excuse to buy a ribbon box! 

Seeing Red....

There is no doubt that famed show designer, Christian Louboutin is seeing red this week after a New York judge rejected his request to enjoin YSL from selling red soled shoes.The judge went on to to say that fashion designers cannot trademark a single color especially in this case where Louboutin's trademark does not specify the shade he uses (today it's actually Pantone 18-1663 Chinese Red but the first pair were painted red using nail polish back in 1992) so unlike protected color schemes such as the signature Burberry plaid and the Louis Vuitton monogram Louboutin has not only sparked an interesting conversation in the fashion world but he has learned an expensive lesson... when applying for a trademark, being overly broad is not a good thing.

Red is possibly the most emotionally intense color, so it is no wonder it has these fashion houses fighting over it. The color of blood and fire, red is associated with everything from passion and love to danger and power. Red stimulates people to make quick decisions, a good thing when these red soled beauties run anywhere from $450 to $4,000 a pair.

Red is also used as an indicator of courage, and you need courage when pulling off red on your lips, in your wardrobe and in your home. Red is hard, reds don't always play well with others. Various shades of red will often fight instead of blending harmoniously the way blues and greens do. That being said, pulling off red correctly can stop a person in their tracks...

While you might not be keen on throwing red on the walls...after all there was that great scene in Sex and The City with the red wall

Red does make a great accent color- I love it as an unexpected pop of color for a light fixture

it also makes a great statement as a piece of accent furniture

And if you have read my blog before, well, you know how I feel about white walls...

But I am loving this white hallway lined with black and white photos framed in red!

And while red can be bold and harsh in many instances, you really can't go wrong with red leather...

These red leather sofas are timeless and the red will wear beautifully, much like a great pair of jeans- they will just get better with age. And I can actually attest to this as I own a red leather sofa- I inherited it, it is older than me and has lived with almost every member of my family at some point...if only that thing could talk! probably best that it can't!

Why not deck out the bedroom in the color of passion??

and don't be afriad to set the tone early and use red on the outside of your house, it is a front door classic.

adore the matching red sconces! very fun for a bungalow, cottage or cabin!

And if your still on the fence about red, take some advice from Bill Blass: 

"Red is the ultimate cure of sadness."