Window Treatment of the Week

via BH&G

I've always loved this room, I've had this picture for ages and I always come back to it. It's a great example of how to treat windows differently in the same room while still maintaining balance and harmony in the design.

Thankful

I had planned to blog over the Thanksgiving holiday but then decided to take some much needed time off. But I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge how thankful I am for all the wonderful new people that I have met this year and for everyone who reads my blog and takes the time to leave comments. I really do appreciate your support and encouragement.

What are you thankful for this year?

Sears - You Suck

Tuesday evening as I was about to start planning my pie baking schedule for the following day I heard a very loud popping and snapping sound coming from my top oven. I glanced over it to see it looking something like this. Fire shooting out of the ventilation slits at the top and smoke pouring out of it. ( A definite electrical incident - not a grease fire or other cause)



Pretty soon I had a group of these guys over for a visit. They were very nice, said my house would not burn down but couldn't do anything to revive my ovens.




So I put in a call to these guys who made my super duper Kenmore double wall ovens.





I think I talked to this guy. He told me that my oven was no longer under warranty. I said " I know it's not under freaking warranty but don't you guys have some kind of guarantee that my oven won't blow a freaking gasket and catch on fire and burn my house down? He said, " No we don't". He also said, " I can send a technician out to look at it for $96.00 but I can't get one there until Friday". To this I said "What about my freaking turkey dinner?". He said" We are very busy, everyone is making turkey". I wondered, "Do they eat turkey in freaking India?". I hung up.

Thankfully we cooked our turkey dinner at my sisters house. I still have no oven and I am so pissed that I won't call Sears so they can come out and tell me what I already know. My oven is fried and I need to spend $2500 on a new one. There goes the face lift fund! Crap!

Happy Thanksgiving.

Alessandra Branca Live !!!!

Just got a peak at the all new www.branca.com, the newly revamped website from the awesomely talented designer Alessandra Branca.


The site shows new images of her gorgeous interiors as well as lots of products available through her store. Get on over there and check it out you must just find something to put on your list for Santa!

The Beautiful Art of Ingrid Dee Magidson

Ingrid Dee Magidson

During my usual morning browse of my favorite blogs I ran across something really amazing at the fabulous Things That Inspire. The post is about the Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Christmas House ( see her post here - those Atlanta girls have all the fun) and two paintings that the brilliant blogger recognized as being the work of artist Ingrid Dee Magidson that where used in a room designed by one of my favorite designers Suzanne Kasler.

Intrigued I went to the website of the artist and was blown away. I am in love! Her work is just fantastic. But don't take my word for it - judge for yourself.....









Now all I have to do is win the lottery to afford the five figure price tag! One can always dream............. Thanks, Things That Inspire for making my day.

Bergdorf Goodman's White Christmas

The holiday windows at Bergdorf Goodman were still not quite finished the other night when I went back to photograph them, hence the little man in the corner of the photo above, but even in their unfinished state, they are spectacular! Part of the reason they took so long was that David Hoey and his team went way over the top this year with their theme of all The Seasons entirely in white. When I met him this summer, he was just starting to think about the holiday windows and since then, they've spent many months crafting cakes out of styrofoam and bathroom caulk and other crazy things. What I love best is that even though there are a few coats and dresses in the windows, Bergdorf's isn't trying to sell anything but rather is giving away a magical experience for free. Something we can all definitely use these days!

Domino Holiday Issue

The Domino holiday issue is a present unto itself. Inside is their great gift guide and lots of fabulous interiors too! Happy Holidays!

Out of Australia

The Thanksgiving holiday brings not only turkey and football but blockbuster movies. The one I am most excited to see is Australia staring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman and directed by Baz Luhrmann. It looks a bit like Out of Africa but who cares. If you ask me, there aren't enough movies about aristocratic European ladies who travel with too many fancy suitcases to dusty foreign countries where they ride horses and drive cattle and fall in love with hunky men. Australia arrives in theatres November 26th. Happy Holidays!

It's Personal

pottery barn

Nothing makes a statement like a personal signature on your soft treatments. Monograms, flourishes, and symbols create a uniquely individual space. Now more than ever these elements are being used in fun and innovative ways by designers and homeowners who want to leave their mark.



Monogrammed draperies have been popping up lately and I love the look.

Here is a bed drapery treatment that is embellished with a flourish. It gives the look of a monogram but without the specific letter reference.

via la dolce vita

A monogrammed bed cover with an embroidered flying friend as a companion.

via cottage living

Hand printed monograms with elaborate borders are just as effective as the traditional embroidered style.

via pink wallpaper

Appliqued monograms allow the design to be beefed up for a very bold statement.

via cottage living

I love this treatment with the monogram on the back of the chair.

via cottage living

Here's another version numbering each chair - brilliantly different!!!


Even a small flourish or emblem can make a big impact.



Love this flourish at the back of this slipper chair.

via cozy cottage

The bold initial on the back of this parsons chair fits in well with the wide border and contrasting welt.

via better homes & gardens

Slipcovers are a perfect place to show off your family crest or monogram.


Headboards emblazoned with your moniker are becoming commonplace.


This bed corona shows a supersized intial as the focal point.

This fun bed is from JC Penney. I'd love to see it used in a bunk room lined up in rows with the kids names embroidered in different colors.
Another jumbo sized monogram serves as the focus of design on this upholstered bed.

I'm gonna get out my embroidery thread and go to work.