I’m finally feeling rested and have caught back up with work. Starting Sunday night I had the pleasure of attending the Design Bloggers Conference in downtown Los Angeles. This was the second year of the event which brings together around 200 or so design bloggers who may or may not be actually in the design business. To say that I left inspired would be an understatement!
{martyn lawrence-bullard}
Sunday night there was a cocktail party at the hotel where the event would take place. It was a great chance to catch up with fellow design bloggers that I had met the previous year and when I attended Blogfest in NYC last May. Then Monday morning the event kick started into full gear with the keynote address by designer Martyn Lawrence-Bullard, which you may know from Bravo’s show Million Dollar Decorators. I sort of fell in love with Martyn after watching the show and was thrilled to hear him tell his crazy tales about working with celebrity clients. That mans’ life doesn’t even seem real it’s so outrageous and extraordinary!
{ronda carman, tobi fairley, and cassandra lavalle}
The morning continued with talks which included the writer of All The Best blog, Ronda Carman, and Cassandra LaValle of Coco + Kelley, as well as designer Tobi Fairley ……who is definitely in my list of favorite designers!
{some designer friends…Julia from Material Girls, Mally Skok, and designer Katie Rosenfeld who writes the blog, Bogle Street}
That evening the bloggers were treated to a fun cocktail party put on by Wayfair and Joss and Main. Both amazing resources to find great things for your home!
{bunny williams}
But my personal favorite moment of the whole conference was hearing one of my design idols, Bunny Williams speak on the second day. I never realized how SIMILAR her design philosophies are to my own! She believes that:
1. Add comfort and character
2. Make spaces that are relaxed and timeless
3. Reflect the client and suit the location
4. Make it comfortable for families and pets
5. Try not to be too repetitive when decorating
And bottom line, which I truly believe when working with clients is, ” It’s their house, NOT your house!”. True Bunny Williams, very true! I had wanted to get a picture with her after her talk, but she was surrounded by people for quite a while. BUT THEN….later in the morning I happened to run into her in an empty hall and had a really nice chat with her. What a nice lady! If only I could go work for her in New York for a while. I’m sure I would learn a thing or two!
The whole event was wrapped up with a fabulous party hosted by Traditional Home at Harbinger in West Hollywood for designer Bunny Williams. And if by chance you don’t know what Harbinger is… it is the chic retail showroom of designers Joe Lucas and Parrish Chilcoat.
{with one of my favs Annie Selke, designer and owner of Dash and Albert rugs and Pinecone Hill}
It’s not like I go to many of these shindigs….AT ALL! So, it was pretty unbelievable to be in the same room with SOOO many talented interior designers! Let’s face it, most of the time if I’m not working, I’m usually pleading with our four year old to eat her dinner or vacuuming up dog/cat hair for the fourth time that week. SO glamorous!
{whitney from between the boxwoods, emily ruddo of armonia decors and me!}
It was a super, fun night with great eats by Lulu Powers. She totally had me with the silver platters filled with bacon. Ummmm bacon!!! And I am counting down the days until I fly to New York City for the next design blog event, Blogfest.
A big shout out to those girls I haven’t mentioned and for some stupid reason I did not get a picture of…. Designer and blogger Amy Meier, House of Turquoise writer (and one of the sweetest girls ever) Erin Olson, Jennifer Powell from Kravet, the fabulous and talented, Meredith Heron who won Best New Design Blog for Sashay, Boston designer Leslie Fine, Studio Ten 25 designer Abbe Fenimore, and Kyle of the popular blog Knight Moves.
Until next year…..
As the hubs and I continue to creep out of our 30s and well into middle age, we are constantly shaking our heads at how Hollywood CANNOT for the life of themselves do something new! I guess the magazines are no exception. Now I get that the magazine I’m thinking of was probably trying to be artistic and edgy, but I’m just sick of people, movies, music…etc, etc…trying to be something or someone that has already happened.
Case in point….
Is it because Halloween is around the corner and this is her costume? I know, I know…she has a movie coming out where she plays Marilyn. I get it. But I guess this is a deeper discussion. Michelle Williams….as….as MARILYN MONROE!? Fo reals?
Super cute but Marilyn?
Are you feeling me?
While we’re on the subject….
COME ON! Do we really need another trio of wanna be Angels?
The real deal is so much better!
Ok, that’s all for my daily rant.
I’m blaming it on the Nyquil I took at 11:30pm last night that I think is still in my system.
Apparently I’m totally new. Since becoming quite addicted to this little thing called Twitter I have become COMPLETELY engrossed into the world of design. I know, as if I were not already. But then I stumbled onto the Twitter profile of Jenny Andrews from My Favorite and My Best and I was SUCKED IN! I spent a good part of last night and then again this morning pouring over her blog and reading post after post. This girl cracks. me. up.
Oh…. but just a little FYI… if you don’t like cussing (a lot actually) or a potty mouth, then her blog is definitely not for you. Both are a requirement to read it. You’ve been warned.
On another note..
I’ve been checking out the idea house over at Cottage Living and saw this bathroom…
The walls of the room feature the lyrics to Johnny Cash’s song “Flushed from the Bathroom of Your Heart.” Clever. But then I thought after reading loads of MFAMB..
Wouldn’t it be funnier to have these Johnny Cash lyrics on the walls instead:
“I fell into a burning ring of fire
I went down, down, down and the flames went higher
and it burns, burns, burns the ring of fire
the ring of fire.”
My husband would think so and a bunch of other males in my life too. Potty jokes. Oh the joys. The hubs and I are HUGE Johnny Cash fans btw. I think it’s a prerequisite for guys from Central California (where my hubby is from).
Anywho, I’m going to go back to this…
Awesome huh?
This can all be blamed from reading this post, which sent me into a tizzy of file organization. Oh and this was about an hour after I had spent all day organizing 2010 receipts and paperwork for taxes. I had just literally cleaned the room up and then… well you get the picture.
By the way, did you take a look at my office in ruins progress? We’re going on one year now. Still not done. Blame it on the economy or my husbands’ spending freeze. One of the two, but it’s still not done. Ugh. It is still just a mish mash of junk, chairs that are NOT office chairs, frames, and other various assorted things that should not be on an office floor. It is priority #1 this weekend, as is painting the front door finally.
Do you have any 2011 projects you will be working on this weekend? I feel like everyone is sprucing things up, organizing, trying to be a better person, cutting back, trimming down, etc. etc. Cue The Scorpions, Winds of Change…..
After weeks of my husband nagging me to “PLEASE SEND ME YOUR WISHLIST”, here it is. Recession friendly, not spending a lot this year…wish list. I think it’s pretty good considering I usually like ‘spency things.
Ahh, J. Crew, do they ever do anything wrong? This is just that little something a girl needs to amp up an outfit.
2. Butter Nailpolish in Macbeth
Tomato red polish. LOVE. I’ve been looking for the right color for a while and I think this may just be the ONE!
Jonathon Adler’s designs make me smile. And I have a small “thing” for elephants. These are just too adorable and would start a possible J.A. collection!
4. Chinese Laundry At Once Booties
I really, really need to break out of my shoe rut. Warm weather…I’m in sandals 95% of the time. Cold weather…I’m in boots. I hardly EVER wear heels anymore, but I love them. This shoe would be perfect for a dressier outfit and with jeans and a sweater to run errands with the little one. AND…bonus!…the price is GOOD!
Seriously, if you like to cook, you can NEVER have too many kinds of oils, vinegars, and spices. The hubby and I like garlic…A LOT…so this would get used quickly!
6. Erin Condren Jumbo 2011 Wall Calendar
I’ve had one of these calendars in our home for the past few years. I can’t say enough about how much I LOVE these. It’s bright, fun, plenty of space to write, cute stickers for special events throughout the year and a great babysitter/house sitter emergency page featuring all the important info for you and your family.
7. Styles: Compendium of Interior
I can always use more design books. This one features a nice breakdown of furniture styles and is great for referencing.
8. Superskinny Glitter Belt in Gold
I have no clue why I have not bought a sparkly belt yet. So perfect over cardigans. And an extra touch to a tomboyish jeans and t outfit.
I’m about kicking myself for getting rid of the faux fur vest I had a few years ago. I remember me asking my husband, “Seriously, do you really think this will come back in style? This is so not me huh?”. What an idiot, I regretted it as soon as I put it in the Goodwill donation bin. Darn! Well this one is 40% off with FREE SHIPPING right now!!! Oh wait…actually EVERYTHING IS 40% with FREE SHIPPING at The Loft right now. Run, don’t walk!
Browsing around on a lazy Saturday and stumbled upon some beautiful, inspiring pics…..
{doesn’t this just make you smile?}
{my kind of breakfast…simple}
{that mirror is fantastic. oh and that turquoise door. lovely.}
{i need to print this out and put it on my office bulletin board..i procrastinate and do a lot of shoulda coulda woulda}
{i long for a simple functional kitchen like this. lots of light, warm wood floors, big sink, and a nice industrial like stove/oven}
{what a perfectly perfect little napping place. i would like to curl up here right now. i’d probably smack my head getting up though.}
{i was a waitress for 8 years or so. this is true. and i know people who do this…you know who you are!}
**All images from here**
Hope you’re Saturday is filled with inspiring things!
