09 - A DIY Summer Fiesta

I want to wake up and get a face lift... for my apartment that is. Fresh Home Magazine's latest issue (Summer 2010; #6), presents 73 news projects in their Do-It-Yourself Summer special. I would be lying if I did not take one look at the hammock in the center of the cover and think it would be an unbelievable idea for my project. Then I realized it wouldn't easily fit into my other design ideas, and I would rather have it outside underneath the trio of cherry trees that will be outside my new apartment after I move.

Page 17 presented me with an interesting idea: The Power Door. As I am unable to change the color of my door (which will soon be a royal blue instead of teal), I am curious to know what I could do to dress it up. I do not need a door knocker, I cannot change the door hard wear, and I have a placard provided by the school indicating my apartment designation and my name. A vinyl decal could be a fun and refreshing way to dress up the door without making any permanent changes. Also, it will encourage students to read the bulletin board outside of my door... hopefully. Perhaps, I can find something unique and fun on Etsy.

The "Summer Shades" article boasts electrifying yellows and pink and cooling blues. Does it make me selfish that I love both. Flipping between the photos of the rooms, I find myself wanting to make lots of pillow cases, and invest in removable items to help change the color setting of the room as I see fit (such as decals, fake flowers, coverings for just about everything, art and posters). One of the best things about this section is the paint number information, for easy matching. I hate walking into a store and attempt to poorly describe the color I am looking for.

In "Feel That Summer Ease", I wanted two of the listed items right off the bat. The Light Bulb Solar Lights would be awesome to hang outside my apartment. It would give me one more reason to get some fresh air, and enjoy life outside of the dormitory. Especially on nights when I am off, and I want to take a break from being an "indoor cat", I could see myself sitting under these with an iced tea and a good book. Second, to fit into my dream bathroom, I would love the 3-Piece Lotus Candleholder. I would love to have this on the shelf above my toilet, or on my night stand. The price is quite reasonable, so it may be picked up soon.

The decorating ideas in "Snuggle Into Summer" make me want to have a large wrap around porch or a shanty by the beach. I love the 'Catnapper's Delight', especially the feather bed topped hammock. I would be curious to see how much space it would take up using a floor stand and how to handle it near a wall. I have not been in a hammock in years, so I do not have a good idea of how much space it would take up. Also I doubt it would met my entertaining needs at the moment. Conversely, 'The Overnighter' would be a fantastic investment. I do not have many overnight guests as most of my local friends in New York are my colleagues, so they all have their own place within stone's throw of my own (and boys are not allowed to sleep over). Only recently, did I start to ponder how I could have my gal pals stay over comfortably. I love the stylish sleep sack idea, especially with a colorful throw. I wonder if it would be simple enough to make for a beginner. I won't even attempt to describe the outdoor 'Suite Dreams', but I would instantly fall for any man who took that sort of initiative for a camp out. It like blanket fort for adults. I love it!

The DIY Lifestyle's "Street Eats" is a perfect summer section! The recipes they collect are soon to become kitchen experiments, but I hope I can recreate the tastes they described. When I think of street food, images of carts and Mom & Pop shops flood my mind. They are the places that you have "to know someone who knows a place", but are so worth the journey. The recipes seem simple enough, but we'll see how successful I end up in the end. Perhaps, I can have a trial run with some of my friends.

08 - Flea Market Fabulouso!

The third glossy to come home with me was Country Decorating Ideas' Flea Market Style (#111; 2010). Edited by flea market mavens and 'junk professionals' Ki and Matthew. After a quick flick through, I realized that many of projects presented in this one would probably require power tools and a well ventilated workshop (neither of which I have at my disposal currently). I need to keep positive because this could eventually mean I could work my way up to that fantastic Original Pink (or Lime Green) Toolbox I am drooling over.

I personally enjoyed the "Confessions of  Vintage Style Blogger" section as it embraces the electronic revolution and also provides novice vintage hunters several port to start their voyages from. I would love to develop a vintage style for my apartment, but without the tools (and patience) necessary, I doubt I'll be market maven any time soon. If this blog were to eventually make it anywhere (even just a mention on another blog or design community), I think I would be tickled pink. I think I need to make a greater effort to discover more electronic places to do my research, but at the moment, I have my hands full with the heaps of information at Team Sugar (Casa, Fit, & Geek Sugars are phenoms!) and Apartment Therapy alone! Recently, I have also started following the Home Made Simple and Every Small Space is a Living Space on Facebook, but I may just go to the main sites as I have a bazillion wall posts already. 

From "Born in a Barn" (page 40), the ole "Make an Inspiration Board" has shown up again. I keep meaning to throw one of these together, but I am so nit picky that I do not want my organized chaos to be on display for all to see. This is one reason I opt for blogging and maintaining an "inspiration book" (not "inspirational book", but I may need one of those eventually, too). Whenever I see IBs presented in magazines or online, they are so painstakingly organized that it looks like an art collage, not scraps of nifty things. Personally, I would prefer not poking a thousand holes into all my photos and magazine clippings, but I was wondering if I should put one of my metal doors (hall closet, bedroom door, or bathroom door) in my apartment to good use. Currently, I use the back of my apartment door for my work related notes and calendar.

I found this magazine to be informative, but not patronizing for the less seasoned flea market shopper. All the do it yourself (DIY) projects were concise and easy to understand (though I have not been able to apply anything I have learned yet). Details of the proper way to handle flea market excursions and where to find them have me chomping at the bit to go check one out. When I think of flea markets, Florida's Swap Shop always comes to mind. I grew up visiting the Swap Shop with my family and relatives, but it was never for the vintage items. Often, we would find things that were junk, but never did I find someone's trash to be potential treasure. I think I might have been missing out. One thing I realized is that to be fruitful in 'the hunt', one needs a theme or an intended design palette. Otherwise, you have no idea what you are looking for (or maybe that's just me). The magazine reads like a flea market mentoring guide, which is quite neat.

If I ever have a child, they will get a play house outside in the yard. After reading "Where Little Girls Dream", I felt completely envious of the little slice of paradise that Linda MacDonald created for her daughter, Sophie. First off, allow my to state that I never had a deprived childhood. I may not have had a tree house, but my sister and I had full run of the basement when we were kids, which was more than enough to dream and scheme. Followed quickly by "Bring Home The Sea", an adult take on a shed hideaway. Naturally, the beach theme and seaside palette was beautiful. It reminded me of a club house for adults. I really dug some of the ideas they had. It reminded me of the tree house Peter Colt's father had in Wimbledon. Though I would not have a TV with rabbit ears, I would love to have WiFi or at least an electrical outlet.

Being the height of summer, the alfresco ambiance displayed by "Afternoon Delight" makes me want to throw an evening soiree under the cherry trees as soon as I get back to New York! Heather Bullard put together some gorgeous ideas that make me crave a table laden with sweet treats and all my girl friends over for giggles and gossip! The craft tips and thoughtful touches presented in the article are rather insightful and simple enough for those lacking in the domestic goddess department (like yours truly). Her Flickr photostream is purely inspirational!

I refuse to look at the "Stand & Deliver" article without a full stomach. The beautiful way the delectable cupcakes are creatively displayed makes me hungry. As I love throwing cupcake parties for my students, I would love some new and exciting ways to make the girls come over (besides whafting bake smells down the hallway from my kitchen). I would love some of the other cupcake recipes (as I am not a chocoholic-- yes, blasphemy, I know).

I just discovered the Flea Market Style blog (see the link at the top), and I just became a follower! I am so excited to get more advice and tips from them!

07 - 'Best Use of Space'

To follow up my review of House Beautiful's small spaces issue, I shall dive into the next magazine in my rapidly growing collection: Country Alamanc's Small Room Decorating Double Issue (#132 Fall 2010)! With 325 designer solutions to choose from, I better get down to business and quick! Not just quick, but licketey split, two shakes of a lamb's tail quick!

From Trends: "Pros Clear the Clutter", numbers three and eleven immediately jumped out at me. #3: The hidden home office designed by Sarah Barnard sounds like exactly how I intend to approach the assembly of my next home office. Finding interesting knick-knacks to accentuate the storage system while leaving space for the monitor should not be too much trouble. I am debating on making either a dust cover for my soon-to-be-purchased monitor or simply leaving it available to display photos (and easily access mood music). By discretely integrating my office into my dining room, I want to make sure that my business can be readily accessible when need be, but also easily managed when it comes time to play.

This tangos into #11: built-in banquettes for cozy diner-style dining. Designed by Robin Riddle of Fox + Riddle, if you check out their portfolio, the image I am describing is Dining Room #3/3. I may not be able to build anything into my apartment, but I can adapt this concept (with possible Ikea Hacking). In addition to being my office work space and my dining space, I will also use it when cooking items requiring more than two feet of  counter space or entertaining my students.  I love the design they've selected with a combination of white and natural wood. Most of the color in the setting comes from the glassware, service wear, and the table decor which are variables of color I can control and coordinate (with practice).

In "Designer Genius", Susan Fredman displays her beautiful collection of Chinese calligraphy brushes both in her bedroom and in her home office. The Chinese furniture and other Asian accents blend in beautifully with the other furnishings. Though I do not have the makings of a calligraphy studio, it was quite refreshing to see the brushes on display. Judging by their pristine appearance, they are working brushing, purely ornamental ones. I would to have some of those, but I remember my calligraphy teacher, Shiho, quoting prices of the higher end calligraphy brushes (and my almost falling out of my chair).

One of my absolute favorite articles in this issue was the "Budget Loft" Boston Bachelor Pad decoration by  Michael Ferzoco. It was transformed from a mint green monstrosity to a sleek mixture of neutrals with splashes of color. Again, the color comes primarily from the furniture and room accents, so I find his design concepts to be easily translated for my situation. His tips for selecting the right amount color to avoid aging the space was quite useful as well. The advice regarding investing in pieces that are not only essential but durable, reassures men that investing additional money into items such as my sofa, bed, and dining set are worthwhile.

The studio designed by Karen Topjian in "One Space, Four Rooms" was incredibly well planned out. I am a huge fan of functional and multipurpose spaces, but the creativity necessary to produce such a versatile space like this one blows my mind. I would have loved to have read this article when I was living in a small single room in Japan. I could have truly maximized my living quarters. Compared to the 470 square foot studio in the article, I have a separate bedroom to work with, so I don't need to be as creative. I will definitely employ the making flexible floor plans concept once I have fully measured my apartment (and the current pieces of furniture in my possession). I hope Ms. Topjian eventually includes this miniature marvel in her online design portfolio as it truly is a work of art.

Many of the items presented were fantastically smart or surprisingly witty. I had many enlightened moments reading this issue. Did I count all 325 of the amazing designer solutions? No. Did I read all of them? Absolutely! I am sure there are plenty of items I omitted, but I think this is all I can handle at the moment!

06 – Compact is Key with House Beautiful

While on a recent excursion at the supermarket, I made my way over to the magazine section. I begged for magazines while shopping with mom as a teen, so now I have a tendency to gravitate to the periodicals when I should be purchasing actual edibles from the market. I picked up not one, but three issues on this particular outing with an additional one a couple days later. With a distinct lack of house, House Beautiful would be a glossy I would tend to overlook. However, the current issues (July/August 2010) focuses on small space living.

An eye-popping, Grimace purple room with a fantastic red chair on the cover caught my attention, but question it posed drew me in. “Is Small the NEW Big?” With an editorial focusing on single bedrooms, cottages, guesthouses, studios, and even the summer appropriate beach house, I couldn't put it down. During my living in Japan, I developed the terrible habit of “tachi-mi” (standing around reading magazines/books in stores/booksellers). As it is common place in Japan, I often forget it is unacceptable here in the US. Also, taking out my camera and photographing or even scribbling memos could warrant being thrown out of a shop these days, so I didn't want to risk anything.

Immediately, I pictured my apartment as an stark canvas, but one where I would have to be particularly creative when it came to accentuating the room with color. As my employer maintains my apartment, I am limited in my ability to paint surfaces, install wall décor, and flooring. My desire to decorate needs to be contained, portable, and simple to patch up if relocation becomes necessary. After reading the magazine cover to cover, my color choices may need to be primarily reflected in the accents I select for my rooms: cushions, seat covers, table cloths, throw blankets, picture frames, lamp shades.

In “Instant Room: Lucas Studio” (page 32), I got a visual layout of my own living/dining combination (minus the vaulted ceiling). The rooms are designated as separate spaces, but they blend seamlessly into one another. Though I would love to use partitions in my room, for fire safety purposes, I am not permitted to do so. Also, I have twenty-something girls to supervise and occasionally, I would like them to visit my apartment for girl talk. I may not be able to buy a carpet that covers the entire area, but I could find coordinating area rugs that compliment one another. I love the blue/green/natural palette the designers selected for space, but I have to keep in mind that I have a lot of standard cream and gray to work with. Carrying patterns and colors from one piece of furniture to another looks simple enough, but I am certain that is only after years of practice.

The “Makeover: Part 6” by Annie Selke was another article I enjoyed. I loved the neutral sofas paired with bright colored pillows, and she picked almost several of the colors I would love to use in my design scheme. I doubt my apartment could handle a large sectional, but a single standard sofa could do the trick (bonus if there is a sleeper sofa). I love the bold art choices she made in her living room/study combination. I wish I could figure out which artist's work would best suit my tastes. Her private linens line, Pine Cone Hill, are beautiful, but selecting just one seems nearly impossible!

Joe Nye's “Tablescape” (page 60) was fantastic. Cobalt blue glass and flatware with the Chinese inspired service wear beckoned me. It seems the more I try and avoid making my apartment “too Oriental”, the more the Asian cultures jump out at me. His recently published work of table eye candy, Flair, would be a fabulous addition to my library. Maybe by the time I am 40 I can handle the challenge of fine dining and hostessing. Yet, every time I hear the word 'flair', I think of Office Space.

In the editorial “Is Small the New Big”, the two spaces that jumped out at me the most are Ellen O'Neill's Gramery Park Studio and David Kaihoi's One Bedroom. Though I loved the cottage, guesthouse, and the beach house, I currently lack the real estate necessary to truly appreciate those sections. Part of my dreams of having one of the tiny, old cottages near the University of Florida campus, with just enough space for myself, a spouse, and perhaps a puppy or a kid (eventually).

The utilitarian nature of Ms. O'Neill's flat completely floors me. I love how her day bed begs to be lounged on or slept in. I adore how her office workspace doubles as her dining room table. I envy all her built-in bookcases and the gorgeous veranda that the reader only gets a peek at. She makes monochromatic look so effortless, but I am certain this was no small undertaking on her part. I wonder where she buys all of her beautiful flowers (and if they are all real) because I can't seem to find anything that pretty when I venture into NYC.

I praise Mr. Kaihai for embracing the color of purple (I have no ideas about his thoughts on the film: The Color Purple), and making it the dramatic selection of his family's entertaining space. I will definitely be utilizing the banquette concept for my dining room. I adore the vintage Chinese wallpaper, but I am sure it does not come on sale that often. The tulip red closet organizer is amazing. I wonder if I could achieve that effect by simply painting the pieces that go inside it a uniformed color.

In “The One-Day Bedroom Makeover”, Amanda Nisbet adds a desk to the space. Personally, I am trying to avoid this as much as possible, as I do not want my work stress to invade my bedroom. At most, I could see keeping my personal laptop and using my vanity space as an additional writing space. This may prove beneficial and prevent me from continued lapses into couch gravity and extended couch potato-ing. That being said, I also need to ensure that my makeup and toiletries do not consume that area as well.

From Krista Ewart's beach house, I want to pull the bold use of colors, especially that pink. My fear is that I will go overboard with the pink, instantly emasculating any guy who steps foot within my apartment. I want to be classy, not homewrecker Barbie. I love how she uses so many different, fun wallpapers, but that is one luxury I must go without. Though, my gal pal, Allyson, sent me this nifty link for making nifty peel-off fabric wallpaper, so I may need a couple of extra pairs of hands to get this off the ground.

Don't even get me started on the bathrooms they have in this issue. I have no idea how I am going to remotely transform my rather stark and utilitarian bathroom.

02 - Goin' South

After moving to New York last summer, I received some interesting feedback from the locals shortly after I arrived. Apparently, saying pleasantries, making small talk, lending a had, and other common courtesies are strange nowadays. Holding doors, offering up a seat on a train, helping someone carry packages are antiquated. It quickly became a refrain. 

“You’re not from around here, are you?”

East Coast Girls Are Hip

Born in Jersey. Raised in Florida. Transplanted in New York.  Aside from my five years in Japan, I have always been an East Coast Girl. My colleagues often compliment my hard work and chalk up my eagerness to assist and entertain to my “southern upbringing”. They found my “southern comfort” refreshing in the hustle and bustle of the Empire State which I certainly take to heart. Though I chalk some of my quirks up to my ‘being from the South’, compared to Georgia, the Carolinas, or anywhere north of Gainesville, south Florida is a completely different color of horse. 

South Florida’s diversity pulls from many different cultures, but the part of the state I hail from does not lend to the traditional textbook definition of “The South”. Being close to Miami and going to a culturally diverse high school, I was able to embrace the flavor of the Greater Miami Area. When I think of The South, I think of the stereotypical symbols: Gone With the Wind, Southern Belles, Juliette Gordon-Low, Savannah, Atlanta, Paula Deen, and the list goes on and on. South Beach and anything south of Orlando is a completely different story.

Perhaps the summer season has me by the collar. When I return to New York later this month, I will throw myself straight into the annual summer camp and packing to move to my new housing assignment. Though the summers up North are milder compared to the sweltering humidity of the Everglades, it calls to me to get outside and enjoy the sunshine, moonlight, and the fresh air. Often I joke about being “an inside cat”, but it is true. Growing up with the air conditioning on from March until October, I grew accustomed to staying inside. I look out the window with longing, reminiscing about summer camps, pool parties, and playing outside from sunrise to sunset. How did I use to do it when I was a kid?     

The Not So Dirty, Dirty South

While perusing the magazine selection at the store today, my curiosity got the best of me and I threw Southern Lady (May/June 2010) and their sister magazine Tea Time (July/August 2010; Volume 7 Issue 4) atop my stack of glossies to purchase. During the World Cup game this evening, I flicked through both, diverting my attention from the tension and excitement. Tweeting with my pals up in Gainesville, we started hashing out ides for a tea party. Not a traditional afternoon tea, but being the diverse group of creative thinkers we are, we came up with a theme. Granted, it is not very southern in sense that there would be hoop skirts, lace gloves, and lots of fine china, but it seems more appropriate for my group dynamic. 

My greatest concern is when said tea party “eleganza extravaganza” should take place. As I no longer live near my tight circle of friends in central Florida, the next feasible date would be during winter vacation. However, that may now be a particularly bad thing as it would give me time to create a menu, select teas and entertainment, as well as provide time for everyone to select and design their costumes. Yes, costumes. We figure that if we are to have our first tea party, it might as well be fun.  Winter may be best as it would justify copious amount of hot beveraging and delectable treats.  It would also give me several months to practice.

I may not be the hostess of the group, but the perfectionist within refuses to anything less than 100%. I want the experience to not only be educational, but more importantly entertaining enough for a repeat performance. I want to tap my inner Julia Sugerbaker, embrace my sassy Blanche Devereaux, and develop my inner Ya-Ya. Hundreds of miles away from ‘home’, I want to remember the smell of pine, palm, and air plants. I want to relish the savoury tastes of my youth. As I flick through the pages, I see so many ideas that look simple enough for a bumpkin like myself to tackle. I not only want to walk through my door and feel at home, but I want others to see visiting my home as an adventurous escape.   

I wonder if subscribing to these magazines would be a worthwhile investment. As they are region specific, I doubt I will be able to find them once I am back up north. Ladies of the South, what other magazines would you recommend for a fledgling hostess and home decorator in her early 30s?

A Year Round Celebration

Magazine subscriptions aside, I have managed to refrain from committing myself to a monthly delivery program. When I flicked to page 18 in Southern Lady, I found this really cute design idea that I could really dig. Year of Seeds ($79.95) by Red Envelope would be a nice splash of color on my window sill or table top. Without the ability to have a garden of my own and the lack of storage to maintain large window boxes, these small planter pots are 2½” x 2½” x 3” and come with everything necessary to grow the flowers. 

I always joke about having a technological black thumb, but it also crosses over into my gardening ability. When I was a junior in college, I did a research paper on the art and popularity of Japanese bonsai trees. I learned that when properly taken care of, the juniper in particular, is virtually indestructible. My parents were kind enough to buy me a juniper bonsai to celebrate my high marks on the paper. Unfortunately, I killed the ‘virtually indestructible’ tree within a few months. From that moment on, I swore off all plants that were not edible or artificial.  It has only taken ten years or so for me to even contemplate another foray into gardening, but even if it is on a small scale, it’s a step in the right direction, yeah?

Looking over all those gorgeous table settings in the magazines, flowers appear to be a staple in ‘Southern Living’. There’s something mature and classy about a table with flowers on them.  Even sprigs of green or small clippings of flowers dress up a setting. I would need to wait until later this month when I return to New York to order them, but I think these planters paired up with the Year of Wishes Candles may make for interesting conversation pieces and lovely home accents in my slice of the South in the North. 

I terribly torn being a Girl Raised In The South and a Damn Yankee at the same time. ;)