greetings from evacuation station

Hi, gang - I am in Birmingham, Alabama waiting out Isaac. So far the situation is not as bad as Katrina (thank goodness), but there is lots of rain and flooding and power out. I can't get back into the city until Sunday so I just wanted to stop in and say hi. Working on my sister's house over here and will post pics tomorrow of the living room results.
Today, my friend Lisl at Inspired By This is posting on my Sweet and Sour Nursery - so even if you have seen it a million times before, do me a solid and stop over there to see it and leave a comment. Miss you all!
E

slowly but surely

To everyone out there who thinks design takes place in one weekend like HGTV would suggest, think again. Most people can only afford to do one or two things a month, and there is nothing wrong with that. I love seeing a project develop slowly over time, and the excitement a homeowner feels when they are able to get something new.
My Glam Fam just got their chairs for one side of the living area. Next step, a tufted ottoman in front of the fire in a family friendly vinyl that the young kids can jump all over...We are hoping to fill the other side with upholstery before Christmas!
E

We started with two matching empty rooms that were YELLOW

Painted a soft gray, used existing chandeliers, added in mirrors, drapes, and rugs

Then window seats, side table, and chairs!

new york shots

Images from new york...I tend to just take close ups of individual items I love. Still trying to get back into the swing of things. I need a vacay from my vacay...
E

View from my hotel rooftop bar - Ink 48

My sweet mama

hi ho hi ho

It's off to work I go... Not really. Off to New York this weekend to 1. attend the NYIGF (market), and 2. celebrate my bday with my mom, whose bday is two days after mine.
With all the mags out to peruse in the airport, I have to say Martha Stewart Living is worth the purchase just for the pics of Alexis Stewart's apartment. A little too sterile and cold, maybe, but the vintage vanity, bed, and brass stool in the bedroom are stunning.  I would also live happily ever after in that pale soft living room. The closet is to die for, too. I loved this apartment! :) Happy weekend...
E

i flirt but i don't cheat

I love to look at every style of interior and to work in different styles for my clients to keep my creativity stretched and my job interesting. I really enjoy the glamorous coziness and layers of Celerie Kemble and Kelly Wearstler, the exotic materials and over the top luxe of Daniel Romualdez and Delphine Krakoff, and one of my very favorite looks is boho chic, something Barrie Benson and Angie Hranowsky excell at. But when the day is done my absolute fave is clean, warm minimalism like these photos that have been all over the web lately. Flirting with the other styles just re-energizes my committed relationship... :)
E

life of pi

I read Life of Pi when it came out and now I am so excited to see the movie....such an uplifting story that makes you think about your life (so does Whale Watcher if you want a tearjerker of a movie!). My favorite part of the trailer below is when the whale jumps out of the phosphorescent water. When I first moved to Mexico when I was 19, a boy took me scuba diving at night when the water was phosphorescent just like this. I could write my name in the water like you do with sparklers! It was one of the most magical experiences of my life and I will never forget it. If you get a chance to read this book before you see the movie, do it! It is truly wonderful...
E

i want you so bad

Zara studded shopper

E

life changes

I will be 36 in a week. I am excited about this past year, but I am feeling lost and scared about the future. 35 was honestly the best year of my life. I feel like I was happier and more comfortable in my skin than I ever have been. I had more clients and better jobs than ever. I was inspired and creative and some really wonderful things happened in my personal life, as well.

But now, on the edge of 36, I feel trapped. I have always felt like a shark, in the way that if I am not doing something major (getting a degree, a new apartment, a new relationship, losing weight, traveling, a huge job, i.e. moving FORWARD) then I am dying. I don't feel like there is anything major for me in New Orleans anymore. I am constantly getting new work and I love this city. But I don't feel adventure/magic/sparkly here anymore. It's the thrill that I only get from the unknown. I need a new city, new people, new POSSIBILITIES. I found when I wrote my New Year's resolutions on this blog last year that I made them come true. When I wrote about what I wanted in my 35th year I made it happen. So I do believe that you have to write it down. Scary as it is, here it is: I want to move in one year. I don't know if it will be another city, state, or country. But I will be spending my 37th birthday in my new place; my new life.

I am terrified like I have never been before. When I moved to Mexico at 19 I was running away from all my mistakes and had the courage of a stupid kid. When I moved here from Mexico I was only 26 with no possessions or debt or fear and I was leaving a bad marriage. When I moved to NYC after Hurricane Katrina I had nothing to lose; it was all gone anyway. The common denominator was that my situation was always more uncomfortable than the unknown. I was confident that the new place would be better than the one I was in. Now I have been in the same steady job for almost seven years and I am spoiled by the consistency and the steady paycheck. I am comfortable and so this time moving feels like stepping off a cliff.
But I know I can't just keep floating along in comfort. Content is not enough. I have to have adventures or it isn't a life worth living. Right?

Are you going to step off a cliff this year? Tell me about it!
E

Dining room to butterfly dream

I know everyone in the world loved Ashley Stark's dining room...

But when I see it I cannot help thinking that it is waaaaay too feminine for a family in a real world situation - I cannot see any Southern man I know being comfy in this room. So I want to re-imagine it as a girl's nursery or bedroom...and throw in my current butterfly obsession...

Farfalle wallpaper

plus urchin chandelier in brass

Gray bed or crib instead of dining table

Turquoise accents

Patched cowhide rug

Petrified wood stump by chair

Navy lacquered bedsides

with white chinoiserie mirrors over them

What do you think? I think this room could go all the way from nursery up to the teen years - glamorous and modern and perfect for a girl....
E

spidey chairs

So in yesterday's post I admitted my obsession with Kourtney Kardashian's dining chairs. They are Victorian Spiderback chairs. I have found several reproduction places online (for around $200 bucks), and I think these look absolutely amazing lacquered black the way she has them. What do you think?
E

 

as seen on tv

I haven't been around here much lately, but I have been watching a lot of reality television. I am obsessed with the modern houses on Million Dollar Listing, Selling LA, and Selling London. I am also obsessed with several items in Kourtney Kardashian's house, and you can't find pictures online! Her living room drapes are my number one thing, if anyone knows what zig zag fabric that is - looks like a Robert Allen. The only reason to "keep up with the Kardashians" is for her house and clothing...

So here are my screen grabs - I actually get down on the floor in front of the tv and pause the screen and take pics with my phone. Sad, but I love it!
E

Malibu house on Keeping Up With the Kardashians

Malibu bedroom - looks very Vicente Wolf

Black penny tile shower on Million Dollar Listing

Million Dollar Listing exterior

Million Dollar Listing interior with walls of glass

Kourtney's dining room chairs - used to be wood now lacquered - Baker?