I <3 Johnathan Adler

If I was stranded on a deserted island and could choose only 10 people to join me, Johnathan Adler would easily make my top 5! I would ask him to join me on the island because I would need a religious leader. And on my island good design is my religion and a fabulous designer would be my prophet;) I love Johnathan Adler..love him love him love him. He is one of my favorite modern day designers for several reasons. First of all, he believed in himself! When he was in a college sculpting class his professor had the nerve to tell him he didn't have enough talent to amount to anything. Adler believed in himself and kept making his whimsical animal pieces...and hello now they are famous! Plus, he has his own home decor EMPIRE now. Another reason I adore Adler's work is because I love the way he is able to throw a touch of whimsy into modern design. I love modern design but I also love color and comfort...um and stuff:) Adler makes me feel like less of a traitor to Eames. It's like, "Ah! I can mix modern with traditional!" So, eventually one day maybe I will meet Johnathan. I just hope we won't be stuck on a deserted island cause just imagine all the shopping we'd miss out on;)

Not Your Average Nursery

So I have a confession to make. When I find out that I have a friend that is preggers I am more excited to hear how they are going to decorate the baby's room than I am to find out the sex or name. (Although finding out the sex is an important piece of info when planning the room) If I had more rooms and an everlasting uterus I'd keep having babies in order to have more rooms to decorate...I mean there are so many great products available. I'm a big fan of Dwell products and Apartment Therapy has really great ideas as well. I love baby rooms that reach out of the box. Kids love colors and cozy places. And organization is critical when planning a baby room. But other than that, express yourself! I have to say that my daughter's room was an expression of my delight and joy that I was finally having a little girl. I made sure to make it girly but strong (we are a family of feminists). So if you're pregnant or know someone who is expecting, encourage them to reach beyond the typical boring nursery ideas and make sure it's fun! I'm just waiting on my sister to start her family...we already have her baby room decor planned;)

I don't even sew but still...

Right now, right this second I am diggin Amy Butler! She has a gift for mixing beautiful florals and modern lines that make my heart go pitter patter. I'm not a sewer but I LOVE pretty fabric. I fold it and stack it in pretty rows in my closet just to look at it. I mean I do OWN a sewing machine but pillows are about as far I as I go. Truth be told you don't have to sew to use fabric! I've used it to collage or decoupage. Also, you can frame pretty pieces and hang it as art...cause really that's what it is. I had a friend who loved a print so much she just stapled yards of it to her wall...no one would guess it was fabric. It looked like wallpaper and it was beautiful! For a fee per yard you can have an acrylic backing applied to the fabric of your choice for easier and more efficient wall application. So maybe it's odd that I love to own pretty fabric and don't even sew. The way I see it, fabric is another form of art and the design possibilities are endless! Plus, it's PRETTY! And pretty things make me happy:)

Love this Room

Art in All Things

Look around you. What do you see? I recently made a resolution to take time to pause throughout my day to "take it all in." What I've realized is that there is that there is art in all things. I find myself inspired by the most unexpected. Last year I was in San Juan and I couldn't take my eyes off the cobblestone streets. The colors and symmetry are beautiful. The imperfections represent age and wear. I loved it! So take some time each day and try to find the art in simple things around you. Take in your surroundings and take a deep breath...we live in a beautiful world:)