Fashion Friday: How I’d Dress the Stars for the Oscars.

in fashion, Fashion Fridays 72 comments

I always like to review red carpet styles after major awards shows, but this year I wanted to challenge myself and play stylist to the stars for the upcoming Academy Awards! This was really hard, but really fun.  I tried to mostly select looks from the Pre-Fall 2015 runways on Style.com, but there are some looks from Spring Couture 2015 and Spring Ready-to-Wear 2015 too.  Let me know what you think!

Reese Witherspoon in Elie Saab.  I love this grey gown with it’s deep V, cap sleeves and feathery skirt.  I think she could totally rock this.

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Amanda Talley Giveaway from Citizen Atelier!

in art, giveaways 707 comments

If you’ve picked up my book you’ve seen that I have used several of Amanda Talley’s paintings in my projects.  Something about her style just works so well with both traditional and modern decor and clients always seem to adore the pieces (most often commissions) that she creates.  And she’s certainly made quite the name for herself in the design world, and I’ve seen the values on her work continue to skyrocket to this day.  A few of the spaces I’ve designed with her work:

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Two “Traditional” Spaces That Caught My Eye

in design crush 16 comments

I’ve been totally impressed with Traditional Home magazine as of late. It’s one of the few shelter magazines that I feel really has upped it’s game instead of losing my interest. And I think the word “traditional” in decor is no longer a dirty word for “hip” designers.  I predicted a while ago that traditional decor is going to have a big comeback in 2015 and these spaces are proof that we can take spaces and furniture of traditional design and mix them with more modern items to create a very interesting and layered look.

This month’s TH magazine has great examples of this look, especially this house designed by Summer Thornton. I LOVE the rustic modern vibe of it, and all the details that feel collected over time, not all bought in one swift shopping trip. And there is a cute story behind it too- the man who bought the home and was renovating it with Summer ended up falling in love with the previous owner’s daughter and they ended up getting married! Quite the meet-cute. :)

Those windows! The log holder opening (doubles as art!) SIGH.

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Hot Fabric: African Mud Cloth

in design tips, fabrics 27 comments

I’ve noticed that this year’s hot textile trend seems to be African mud cloth. I saw it here and there last year on Etsy as pillows and didn’t know much about it. Now I’ve seen it quite a bit more and really love the natural meets geometric sensibility it has. Real mud cloth is handmade in Africa using thick woven cotton fabric with the patterns painted on using mud, clay and tea dyes. Each symbol means something different and tells a story of the maker or a specific village. No piece of mud cloth is the same if it’s authentic.

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