Inspired at a going away party :) and :(

So this weekend I had the privledge of joining a group of wonderful people all with the purpose of sending a friend and her husband off to Germany with well wishes and blessings. This going away gala was held at the Olguin's home in Costa Mesa, CA. The only way I can describe their home is by saying that it is absolutely darling!

Welcome.

The living area. I tried capturing the warmth of the room as it was lit by mostly candle light. Yes, that is a window pane hoisted from the ceiling...love it!

At a loss for words...just love it!

Dining room. I was at this table most of the evening :)

This is where the magic happens!

I am officially in love with pears.

I didn't want to leave...Pretty soon finding the perfect home in the East Side of Costa Mesa is going to become like apartment hunting in NYC...Coveted. You'll have to start checking the weekly obituaries to find one. Simply charming.

Eye Candy

I just discovered Interior Designer Sarah Richardson of Canada. I fell in love immediately with her style! The way she pairs many different patterns and textures together is nothing short of perfection. The rooms she creates are exciting to the eye, but also exude comfort and livability.

The color palette is delicious! Chartreuse, navy, and cream with a touch of gold is rich without feeling stuffy. A ceramic white garden stool off to the side allows for extra functionality; to place a cup of tea or even to sit on. The tea table with bamboo style legs is a great piece for this sitting area, another creative detail is the lonesome glass pear...so cute ;-)

This bedroom is just stunning! Olive pillows complement the neutral palatte making a very calming atmoshere

 to sleep in.

 

My favorite thing about this dining room are the three pears chilling on the mantle.

Unique ball pendents above the island tie in the navy from the sitting area. Just admire all the detail! For more visit: http://www.sarahrichardsondesign.com/

Colorstrology

I just stumbled on an interesting concept called colorstrology. Philosophy: Color is a reflection of the suns light in all of its glory, you are a shimmering facet in that light, just as being born on a certain day offers insight into your personality, there is also a personal color that corresponds to the real you...let's see what mine is!

Your mind is sharp and your intellect is keen and witty (this is right so far). You can use words with amazing grace and people find your ideas and points of view stimulating and intriguing. (I'd like to think so) Many people born on this day have a gift for prose and other creative arts. (YES!) Trying to find a balance between being in a relationship and remaining independent can be one of your challenges. (Not quite) Your personal color helps you share your world with others without sacrificing your individuality. Wearing, meditating, or surrounding yourself with the color Baked Clay reminds you to integrate your leadership abilities with spontaneity and enthusiasm. (I do like the color!)
Visit: http://www.colorstrology.com/ or http://www.pantone.com/

Well designed events: Fall 2009 - Thanksgiving

Instead of going home to Texas this Thanksgiving, I was fortunate to spend the day with my second family who live just down the street. Amy and John are wonderful people who love to open their home to anyone and touch them with a little hospitality. They are blessed to live in an amazing home that is perfect to gather in. (The house recently underwent a major renovation and was completed earlier in the year...see "the projects"). Amy put alot of thought into creating a unique and meaningful thanksgiving dinner and I was lucky to be apart of it.

I'm thankful!

I love the pear place setting! (Alternating the brown and green pears was my idea)

Photos of every guest were suspended from a decorative vine that hung from the ceiling, it made everyone feel special.

Yes, that is me below...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Well designed events: Fall 2009

My dear friend Keli is expecting her first child in the spring and her baby shower was amazing! Shocking for me to refer to a shower as amazing because I generally have negative feelings towards them. A gathering solely focused on the alien looking human being inside a friend is less than entertaining.. especially when there is no wine involved! This shower however, set a standard that has forever changed my opinon about them. I think it was the thoughtfulness of design that earned my appreciation for this type of event. Friends, take note...!

Our friend Liz was the mastermind and host of the shower. She opened up her home in Long Beach, CA and transformed her patio into a place out of a fairytale; butterflies and flowers will forever be a girls dream. Our inner child was really joyful :)

The pink chairs were rented from Baker party rentals in Costa Mesa and a portion of the cost was donated to the Susan G. Koman breast cancer society!

Lovely!

This is one of my favorite things...the candy table! Such a fun way to utilize something so inexpensive to create a stunning presentation.

Tea and cookies anyone? Yes, please!

I wanted us all to have the chance to create something special for Keli and baby Kenzie so I put together these little takeout boxes filled with fabric and paint to design onesies!

To: Baby Kenzie


Liz, Amira, Keli, and Shannon

A surprise 80th!

This weekend was a friend's mom's surprise 80th birthday party. I had been helping her plan it for months in advance...and it turned out beautifully! I willingly volunteered to take creative control to turn the atmosphere into something magical! So Friday after work I popped into Conroy's in Costa Mesa which offers 50% off all flowers (Friday's only). I literally cleaned out the shop! Gladiola's, Lillies, and Iris for around $1 per stem are you kidding me?? I made out like a bandit...and when I returned home my little place began to look like a flower shop itself!

I was slightly overwhelmed at first as I had never really created floral arrangements before! And there were so many flowers! They were going to be used as centerpieces... which is the main focal point of each table! So I couldn't have them looking unprofessional! After a couple of tries of undoing/rearranging I was pleased with how they turned out!

The BEST part was that her mom was shocked and it was a total surprise! Friends and family flew in from all over to be a part of this celebration...everyone was just delightful! Such a magical party :)

A very surprised birthday girl!

The clubhouse was spanish style with dark wood floors and golden toned walls. I wanted to lighten the space up a bit and complement the existing decor, so I chose celadon table cloths with creme colored linens along with the silver-leafed Chivari chairs...my favorite!

The centerpeices I wanted to be representative of The birthday girl; fun and free spirited! Her birthday gift to herself is sky diving!...At 80?!? Isn't that illegal! Anyways, I combined oranges/yellows with purple and creme to really button things up.

The Projects

Okay, so aside from all of the vacation time, my mind has been at work! Who am I kidding...it never really stops. So I painted the rest of my apartment...finally! I swear I am so non-committal when it comes to choosing decor and style for my own place! It's difficult because there are so many things I would like to do, but lacking in the funds and space to actually see it through. So I just pulled the trigger! Although I feel personally life is mostly black and white...my apartment reflects shades of gray.

Night stand purchased at a garage sale for $5 along with the lamp $1

Drawer pull from Anthropologie

Bookends from Urbanism

Floppy hat - Target

I love my metalic silver drum from TJMaxx Homegoods $50

Deco Pillow - Target $20

This is just a sneak peek of what my pad looks like...finishing touches to come.