new chapter

Maybe we will come back and post here one day. But until then you can find kelley here, and erin here. Thanks for stopping by! We hope to hear from you at our new homes soon.

Wallpaper Love

About a month and a half ago, when I got this new computer, I randomly looked for an image to be the new desktop wallpaper.  Not sure what I entered into GoogleImages, but somehow found this peach.  It's been my desktop both at work and at home since then - it is the perfect background.  Not too much going on, neutral palette, AWESOME image... And I'm sure it doesn't translate too well on blogger, but the resolution is really high in my version, so it still looks great on my laptop or my cinema display at work.  Love it.  Can't change it.  Let me know if you want the high-res version :)

I'm back! (again)

I know I've been completely M.I.A. now for about a month - sorry to kick-off 2009 on such a poor habit! The good news : I still have a job!

Even though our current lease isn't up for another 9 months (and I love living here!) I'm starting to think that with a new place could come a couple new additions / modifications to me / my style. I would LOVE a new bedroom set, but considering that I'm a perfect example of champagne taste on a beer budget, I might have to D.I.Y.-it to get what I want. Here are my thoughts... thoughts?


I'm also thinking that my living room scheme could use some tweeking... stay tuned for that :)

ps: e - I think we need something new for the blog... a new banner at the top? new color scheme? lets brainstorm :)

2009 Immediate Favorites

With a new year, I've re-organized my blog bookmarks... out with the ones I don't ever read, and in with the new favorites! Although the list is probably 100+ long, here are the ones I check (at least) once a day:

1) Daily Dose : domino
I subscribe to the magazine, and the blog seems to be the perfect digital companion to that - very much in tune with my budget, style, etc... very laid-back. (Kind of love Nick Olsen and his personality on here..)


2) Design*Sponge
(duhhh...) Classic - probably one of the more thorough design blogs I check... there's a little bit of everything and a lot of style on here. Plus it gets updated more than any blog I've ever come-across.


3) Dwell Blog
This is kind of like a more serious / masculine version of design*sponge for me... instead of covering paper-crafts and floral prints it covers architecture and engines.


4) Making it Lovely
I just recently found this one, but spent one night reading through every post ever posted on this blog - at least a couple years... I've decided if there's one house I want to mimic, this is it. I love - LOVE - her style.


5) Sad Guys on Trading Floors
Nothing to do with design, but hilarious. Plus, with the economy in such great shape, what's left to do but laugh a little bit?


6) Style Me Pretty's Little Black Book Blog
I know, I know - I'm pretty far away from a wedding... but there are so many great photographs, ideas, crafts, and trends involved in that industry - how can I resist a blog that covers all of that??


7) How About Orange
Another one of those.. a little about everything - with a strong orange influence :) Love her style, etc. Worth checking on a regular basis!

And a Happy New Year!

Wow we have been pretty M.I.A. over the holidays, hmm?  Not sure about erin, but I've been somewhat lost in all the strange weather Cleveland winters have to offer... that said, Christmas in Ohio treated all of us extremely well - I'll brag more later :)

Best present = spending some QT with the family... including Jane :)

tis the season :)

Who DOESN'T love holiday icons?? And what's more Christmas (especially this year) than White Elephant :)

ugly betty!

The day I thought would never come is finally here :) Today I replaced my old computer - a sad little powerbook g4 named Big Mama - with a brand spankin' new MacBook (named Ugly Betty). Don't ask me how these names come about... but we all know seeing "Big Mama" or "Ugly Betty" is more fun than "Macintosh HD"... same goes for seeing "Fat Elvis" instead of "LaCie 320" - either way, she's a lovely addition to my home :)

happy birthday, ekd :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ERIN!

iconic panels

Wall paneling is kind of like glass block - once upon at time it was awesome... then it lost it's charm... and now its coming back - kind of. These definitely aren't the 'wood' panels covering your grandma's basement.

I love so many of these, but here are a couple favorites!

new coat!

I finally found a coat - the price was right (only $40 after the sale!) and the color goes with anything!

christmas...already?

Since I'm starting my Thanksgiving today by driving home this afternoon, I figured it was okay to touch-base on Christmas just a bit. I'm curious - what's everyone asking for this year?? I started a list (besides peace on earth and a stable economy)... a few things might a little out-of-reach, but it's worth a shot, right?

1 : the (prior-mentioned) watch to replace the p.o.s. *someone* gave me :)
2 : love - LOVE - this print!
3 : is this ugly? because i kind of love it..
4 : same question - and i kind of love it, too..
5 : the casio elixim... i'm ready for a small, girly camera.
6 : to go next to my red 'keep calm and carry on' poster?
7 : kinda love these scarves a la target
8 : i really want a browns tshirt... especially a throw-back like this one!
9 : i need to get it together and start prepping for the LEED exam... aka, I need this reference guide. not so fun, but... eh..

TIME for change.

So, the watch that I got for Christmas almost two years ago finally quit. It was a silver-faced Fossil that told me the date...the time...provided a little bit of control, etc. Anyways, after a brief melt-down I started looking for a new one - no luck. Before that watch, I had the exact same model with a purple face... so I've basically had the same watch since Valentine's Day of freshman year in college - when I bought myself a 'girly' watch. Times are a'changin...

So, I've turned to the www to help :) My favs so far:
1) Lacoste ($195)
2) Burberry ($325)
3) Kenneth Cole ($85)
4) Kenneth Cole ($95) - my favorite! (for an everyday watch)
5) Lacoste ($165)
6) Citizen ($170)

mendhi

taken from aditi's facebook

Aditi Amalean, a girl we know from I.arc just posted pictures from a wedding she was involved in - isn't this picture gorgeous???

Little Black Dress.

that's me in the red, whitney in the darker red, and everyone else in black and white - i missed the memo. i want the black version of the hot pink dress (shown on elizabeth - lovely :)


the closest i've found - i think jessica mcclintock, jcrew, and bluefly.

This weekend was Whitney's engagement party (wedding to follow in January), and we headed up to Raleigh to mingle with her friends and family. It was so, so nice to see the girls, especially Whitney (and Luke).

It was cocktail attire - I ended up wearing Sara's red dress because I wasn't thrilled with anything I have / found. With an office Christmas dinner coming up, as well as the wedding in January, I've got my sights set on something really specific - I want a strapless, black taffeta dress. See the pink dress in the picture? I want that, but in black. Similar to the red one I've got on, and really similar to the examples I've found... however, I don't want it to cost me $200, and I want it to fit correctly.

Has anyone ever made something like that? Any advice? I think it might be my newest project.

flickr by color

Just saw this site on How About Orange - you can sort through images on Flickr based on a color, or several. As she said, not sure what this is actually useful for, but I think it's pretty sweet none the less. Say...if you were going for a scarlet and gray scheme? (go bucks!)

DesignForObama

This website, designforobama.org, has hundreds of posters and prints by designers from a pretty big variety of backgrounds, all showing their (nicely creative) support for Obama. I have a few favorites shown above, but this, seriously, isn't even a small fraction of those on the site. Check it out.

ps: "graphic designers for obama > you had me at the logo." -- LOVE.

winter coats!

1: via christa taylor

2: via jcrew
3: via anthropologie

Looking at Blair's yellow coat got me wanting a new one. I have a black pea-coat that I got last year for christmas, but having lost about 40 lbs since that point, and with it being shorter, it definitely isn't as flattering.

And I want something longer. Like Blair.

I like these, but I'm not sold on them - and I can't afford something brand-new for the look I want. I'd love a bold color (kelly green, PLEASE?) and a preppy-all american-classic-vintage look. Maybe it should be a new project and I should scour Charlotte's thrift stores? Erin, do you know of any other places I could look for something like that?

PS: I think I'm going to make some pumpkin seeds this weekend :) Pumpkins will probably be on clearance after Friday... and I've got some time... mmmmmmm!

Gossip Girl

Well, I don't watch the show - I've seen some episodes, and I've caught pieces of others enough to know the idea behind each personality. So your post, erin, made me curious. I started looking through photos of the girls throughout the seasons, and I'm pretty content in saying that I think I identify with Blair's style the best. It's preppy, she throws in bold colors, and embellishes each outfit with a headband or some pearls. It's a little over-the-top for what I can afford to pull-off from day to day, but looking at everyone, she's definitely my favorite.

Keep it Simple...

brown craft paper + twine = this year's strategy.initial idea for a christmas tag... too much?

Last year, I tried to simplify gift-wrap and keep it simple. Of course, that still got out of hand as I started collecting ornaments to attach, and red velvet ribbon, and then "simple" gift-tags that I still ended up buying... it just turned-out to be too much.

This year, I'm serious. After Joslyn's post about some really, really, gorgeous gift-wrap, I've decided not to fall for it and to stick with brown craft paper and twine. I'm making my own gift tags, and refuse to stray from the plan!

...Maybe I should start with the gifts?

Staying Neutral.

image from design*sponge, of course :)

There are a few color combinations that I can't get enough of - what I wear, at work, etc... all seems to circle-back to a gray + terra cotta / rust + yellow? + turquoise? + white.