tabletop props {AL}

{photo & things via ladies & gentlemen}

the holidays are approaching, bringing along the dinner parties & festivities. time to find the perfect serving accessories to spruce up your tabletops. i personally love to mix traditional pieces with modern, quirky objects to keep it fresh & interesting. above & below are a few wonderful finds that will work for any occasion. throw on a seasonal floral or accent to top it off, perhaps some holly sprigs for christmas, fresh hydrangeas at easter, or confetti for a birthday and your table will be set!

{1. up-cycled cake stand – esther coombs 2. wood grain pitcher – terrain 3. bright yellow serving bowl – middle kingdom 4. beautiful serving platters – jayson home 5. claw candlesticks – jayson home 6. blades of france knife set – anthropologie 7. foglia (pewter leaf) – arte italica 8. EAT table linens – emerson made 9. superior servers – ladies & gentlemen}

{lovely little tea set from esther coombs‘ etsy shop}

color crush::burnt orange {LA}

i love all things autumn. the changing leaves, delicious pumpkin spice lattes topped with cinnamon, the over-whelming anticipation of my favorite foodie holiday – thanksgiving, cool crisp fall air, college football, & the warm color palette that comes with fall fashion. today’s {color crush} is inspired by my sister, katy.  she is crazy about orange AND it is her birthday today. {happy birthday dear sister of mine}!!!

starting top row L-R: {1}wreath by come&knock, {2} shorts by urban outfitters, {3} beautiful orange sunflower, {4} photo from the boss orange collection, {5} amazing orange pants, {6} perfect chair for a pop of color from horchow, {7} a sneak peek from our recent hot air balloon ride, {8} rustic romance nail polish by bb couture, {9} continental wallet by tori burch {10} my sister katy and her husband in their awesome getaway car, {11} tiger lily coat from lulus, {12} perfect vintage bike for those cool autumn days, {13} me in my orange hat at the clemson vs auburn game last weekend, {14} beautiful buttery leather gloves from martin+osa, {15} my idea of a perfect fall day, {16} taylor swift sporting a fun orange scarf as an accent piece.

love live work {AL}

{design to inspire}

{i love my dream job} i often dream of practicing design from the comfort of a home studio. a beautiful live-work space surrounded by inspiration. a setting that fosters creativity with a special place for all my tools. an environment not like an office, but a residential retreat and place for escape to dream of ideas and execute them into realities.

below are a handful of dreamy interiors from some of my favorite spots that are inspiring my thoughts of the ideal workspace~

{roland bello photography} 

{design to inspire} 

{design traveller}

{solid frog}

{brown dress with white dots}

{jessica helgerson interior design}

{laure joliet photography}

{abigail ahern‘s workspace via the selby}

{images above: kyoichi tsuzuki’s workspace via the selby}

hudson whiskey {LA}

“whiskey, whiskey my old friend . . .  i ‘ve come to talk with you again.” ~kris kristofferson

happy {1st} day of september!  while i am clutching onto the last weeks of summer with all my might, i find my thoughts drifting to the cool crisp days of autumn.  i love the colors, the smells, the fashion, the football, and of course cool weather cocktails. and what comes to mind? whiskey, of course!  currently loving {hudson whiskey}.

photos of the bottling process shared by {tuthill town spirits}  – the amazing company behind hudson whiskey.  i mean, don’t you just love the labels?!? even if you are not a big whiskey drinker, you really have to try this little concoction:

{the creole} – a favorite of my dear friend, burson.

• 2-3 oz bourbon whiskey
• 1 oz sweet vermouth
• splash of benedectine
• 1 maraschino cherry (optional)
• lemon peel

stir liquid in a mixing glass with ice, strain and serve topped with a twist of lemon peel. add maraschino cherry if you like (i say it’s a must) and enjoy!

sign obsession {LA}

i have always been fascinated with signage. whether old-school, modern, vintage, rusting, cracked, peeling or perfectly pristine.  i love a good sign.  and i truly love that each one seems to tell a unique story. a little strange, perhaps? but take a peak . . .

{beautiful beyond words from the amazing charleston, south carolina based design studio}

{eclectic thrift store sure to have some awesome vintage finds from awelltraveledwoman.tumblr.com}

{circus theme casino signage from  blog.stylesight.com}

{perfect patina that only comes with years of weather from browdresswithwhitedots.tumblr.com }

{wishing this was my rooftop – pinterest.com}

{store front turned into signage from behance.net} 

{simplicity at its finest. loving this sign found on pinterest.com}

{howdesign found this fun and funky window display} 

{check out ffffoud.com to find all sorts of amazing images} 

{absolutely love the juxtaposition here}

london aquatic center {AL}

{all photos via design boom}

i was excited to see photos of the recently completed {london aquatic center}, stage for the 2012 summer olympic water events.  very nautical & futuristic.  i think my favorite space of all is the training pool room.  love the detailed pattern in the concrete ceiling!

main event pool

diving platforms

training pool

concrete ceiling detail over training pool 

this little light {LA}

i have a major obsession with light bulbs. vintage, modern, exposed, in miniature ….all of the above. i love the many shapes, sizes, and colors. i love the soft glow of bulbs on a string cascading over an intimate tablescape, i love a prominently displayed single bulb hanging in solitary splendor, i love the twinkling white lights wrapped around trees letting us know the holidays are upon us. these photos were too beautiful NOT to share!

{ grammercy park hotel installation by design elements studio }

{ personal photo of a  lovely little light i found in ojai, california }

{ glowing inspiration from green wedding shoes }

{ personal photo from electricity exhibition at the huntington gardens in pasadena }

{ perfect dinner party captured by these amazing new york city photographers }

{ personal photo of  the lamp my man [r] and i made for a local competition }

{ ridiculously gorgeous wedding reception photographed by jimena roquero }

{  winter wonderland in the park – source unknown }

{ personal photo from electricity exhibition at the huntington gardens in pasadena }

deck of cars {AL}

ever get a little flustered when you pull into a parking deck? particularly when you’re short for time. lots of questions: what level am i on? where is the elevator? where is the building entry? i do, and that is why i especially appreciated these way-finding signs for the parking deck at emory in atlanta.  located at elevator lobbies on each floor are large color-coded super graphics with designated birds that relate to the letters for each level. these images can be seen from afar and help in remembering your level & locating the elevator which leads to the destination. if you happen to miss these, you got one last chance at the call buttons. easy breezy!

{all images are personal photos, if used please link back to our site}

 

worldly inspiration {AL}

lovin the new “global bazaar” launch from {west elm}.  i was whisked away by the eastern flair with rich colors and rustic, aged style.  makes me want to curl up in pile of soft, fluffy pillows with a handmade kantha throw or two and read a good book.

happy friday {AL & LA}

“Enthusiasm is the yeast that makes your hopes shine to the stars. Enthusiasm is the sparkle in your eyes, the swing in your gait. The grip of your hand, the irresistible surge of will and energy to execute your ideas” -Henry Ford