New Year Style

I wish you all a very Happy New Year in 2009! 

Some of my New Year resolutions…

Do something creative everyday.

Nurture relationships.

Explore.

Turn my bare apartment into a cozy home.

Stay organized.  

Relax a little more often.

And as always, create beautiful things.

 

Dish List

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! I am back in New York now and looking forward to the New Year. My Christmas gifts this year consisted of gift cards to Home Depot and Bed, Bath and Beyond and apartment necessities. My mom took me shopping for apartment things and we went to a consignment store that carried only home goods. I picked up a set of these 6 bowls for $10…

and 4 drinking glasses for $8…

Then we headed to Home Goods and as we began to leave with only a few bathroom hand towels we stumbled upon these adorable dishes…

I think I am always drawn to black and white for dishes because growing up we had a black and white (with accents of red) kitchen. My mom already had given me a set of simple large white plates with a silver rim, which sit nicely with my new dishes! Also, they had white square plate/bowls with silver trim to match. Here is my very first matching set of dishes:

I love that they all go together but they aren’t too matchy-matchy. The set is made up of vintage and new dishes, just the way I like it!

DIA: Jane Hammond

I am home for the holiday, and I didn’t think I would be posting anything new until next week. But today I went to the newly renovated DIA and saw Jane Hammond’s exhibit. It was a collection of her collage work, paintings and photographs. I find her art very relevant because she uses mixed medias. She takes parts of things and puts it back together to make a scene that only lived in her imagination. I found these pieces very inspirational and I hope you do too…

Black is Back

I have been adding many black items to my wardrobe through out the past few months… it must be New York. Black is the New York City uniform, you can never go wrong in head to toe black, you always look put together and chic. I have recently been brainstorming ideas for a dress to make for New Year’s and the ones that I like the most, are all black! Black is good for holidays too but it has to have a little glitz for a New Year’s dress. Shopbop had a good collection of black dresses casual, dressy, sophisticated and funky…

 

 

I will be traveling for the rest of the week, so have a wonderful holiday and I will be back on Monday!

PATTERN MANIA

While browsing through a few Etsy shops, I came across Pattern Mania! It is a great little shop that carries vintage patterns from all eras and seasons. I started collecting vintage patterns some time ago, they are good references for simple and basic silhouettes. The only downfall of this great Etsy shop is if you find a pattern you like, it may not be your size.  Here are a few that I would add to my collection…

Have a creative weekend!

Pieces for Apartment

I was cruising around on-line yesterday and I came across this wonderful website, Jayson Home and Garden.

These are the beautiful pieces that I would love to have but cannot afford…

But I could look for similar shapes and prints at a cheaper price!

The small accessories are within my budget, but I need to buy furniture before adding the small details…

 

  

Christmas Already?!

Christmas is about a week away and it still hasn’t hit me that it’s Christmas! Maybe it is the 65 degree weather we have been recently experiencing here in the Big Apple. Perhaps it is because of my lack of Christmas decorations at my apartment… they consist of one candy cane, a few ornaments hanging by various hooks and handles around the apartment, a postcard from Urban Outfitters with a funky lil’ x-mas tree on it and some egg nog in the fridge. I have Christmas lights up, but they are up all year round so it doesn’t really add to the Christmas spirit. But the real reason I think that my Christmas spirit has been low is because I have been preoccupied with furnishing my apartment. How can I decorate for Christmas when there is no furniture?! Here are some Christmas decorations that are easy to make and might brighten up your holiday! Thanks Martha!

The size of tree that would fit in my apartment and that I could afford…

Beautiful doily tins for my “home-made” cookies…

Martha sure knows how to make six packs look elegant!

Interior Inspiration

So I know it takes a long time to acquire the many things that make up a beautiful apartment, but I am anxious to have a finished space. I could just buy things to fill to place but I won’t. Yesterday I went to 4 different flea markets in search of more furniture and all I bought was a lamp! Here are some more inspiration images that keep me motivated to continue my search for amazing pieces for my apartment.

Photographer: Rony Shram

Photographer Rony Shram’s Images. Such a fairy-tale quality!

Enjoy your weekend!

 

Bejeweled Club Monaco

This holiday season Club Monaco has some great necklaces that can glam up any simple black dress or just plain jeans and a tee. Here are the wonderful pieces that I would love to add to my jewelry collection… they have a bit of a nostalgic costume jewelry feel, my favorite! The bracelets and necklaces also look like a fun DIY project that i may have to tackle before the holidays hit!

BOW BROOCH $69

ASSORTED NECKLACES $55-$99

 

NECKLACES: $89, $59, $89

BRACELET $59, NECKLACE $169, MESH BRACELET $59

Fab Furniture and Fashions

Someone at Elle must be redecorating their apartment as well… nothing better than high fashion and vintage furniture!

 

Unique Gifts from Etsy

If you don’t like giving gifts that anyone could pick up at the nearest department store, I suggest shopping Etsy.com. They have a wide array of items from hand knitted scarves to antique cookware. Some of the sellers even offer gift wrapping for no extra charge. This is a collection of some items I found that I would love to give and receive (all under $100!).

 Yokoo Scarf $70.00

Resurrecting Victoria Wristlet $22

 My Handbound Books $37.00

Lily Bay Cupcake Soap $4.50

JaneBox 3 Quail Egg Pure Beeswax Candles  $7.50

Bedroom Bliss

As I begin the big move from a tiny room to a large one I find myself inspired by color! I want to have a very creative space to create beautiful things! I have enough room for a full size bed and a large desk for pattern making and sewing. I am going to put shelves on one wall filled with inspirational books, tears and sewing notions. Here are some inspirational images for my bedroom…

All of these colorful images were found here.

Another lovely office space…

Interior Fashions

I have been dreaming about how to decorate my apartment for weeks now, and I have put all of my fashion projects on hold. I found this beautiful photo spread that incorporates beautiful fashions and extreme vintage furnishings. They are inspirational for both of my current obsessions! I will be taking the boat out to Ikea this weekend to get a few key pieces for my apartment. I will also be visiting the Brooklyn Flea in search of unique little treasures!  Have a wonderfully creative weekend!

Stylist: Donald Lawrence

I have been on Craigslist a lot lately, mainly looking for furniture… but I came across this classified ad yesterday:

“I am a working stylist & I need assistants/interns to assist me on photo shoots.

I need someone hardworking & enthusiastic, some experience would help but is not essential. No fashion divas please!

Please be aware that this job is largely unpaid, you would be working for experience only on editorial fashion shoots, though occasionally I may have a paid advertising gig for you.

My name is Donald Lawrence & you can see my work @ ronarepresents.com

Please tell me something about yourself & when you would be available. “
If only I had enough money to stop working and assist a talented stylist! Although I had never heard his name before reading this ad, I was curious to see his work…so I went to Rona Represents. The first page of his that I pull up features this photo shoot-I have had this exact spread hanging by my desk at work since last Christmas!! What are the chances?!

I continued to go through his portfolio and found these great shots as well…

 

Christian Lacroix Fall 09 Couture

The Fall 09 Couture shows consisted mostly of muted color palettes and monotone ensembles. This was not the case at Christian Lacroix’s show. From layered embellishments to bejeweled mohawks, this show was anything but mundane.