From the bottom of my heart <3

Out with the old, and in with the new!

We inherited this table and chairs as part of a lucky Craigslist find. The look was midcentury and a bit heavy. We have considered getting a walnut table or lacquering our current one in black, down the road. But for now it has character;) I’ve been looking forward to buying new dining chairs and CB2 was a great place to start. Here is the completely updated look.

Overall they are excellent buy, sturdy and easy to assemble. Check. So, I’m thinking about other resolutions.

In 2012, I plan to blog more and take better photos!

How about you, what are some of your resolutions in the new year?

You may be wondering where I have been, (lately I am reading more). I have some book recommendations, if you are looking for pure fiction!

I am working on a wood panel artwork for an art benefit December 10th. The event called 11 x 11 is a fundraiser for the arts and is created by Michelle Berc of CreateFixate.

These inky watercolors by Lourdes Sanchez have been right up my alley. Watercolor is a medium that never fails to appeal to me. There is something about it’s aqueous quality that I just love.

I have abundant projects and ideas I hope to materialize over the following months, some involving watercolor.

Which one is your fave?

Normally thought of as a feminine hue, pink (when used conservatively) loses its girly connotations and becomes sophisticated, classy, or even, a bit edgy. The home décor ideas below prove this point perfectly with just a touch of pink here and there such as on a lighting fixture or on a single, larger design element such as a staircase. Would you be daring enough to use pink in your home?

Material Girls

Soft, serene and elegantly styled, this room’s designer could have chosen to leave the room completely white and a bit cold feeling with all of the glass, mirror and metallics with the chandeliers. But two pale pink pillows, strategically placed, warm up the room along with fresh, barely-pink flowers on the petite coffee table.

Apartment Therapy

Another white room is transformed, this time by adding a fuchsia chair with a curvy back to a modern desk. Delicate in form, yet boldly hued, the flowers at the window balance the color from below.

Absolutely Beautiful Things

This Barclay Butera room boasts a pink wall and matching ottoman amongst navy, green and white. The delicate pink softens an otherwise heavy palette.

The Lennoxx

A single, hot pink upholstered chair set amongst a white and black room might look out of place, but the designer added a small needlepoint pillow on the sofa to bring the color across the space. The designer might also have anchored the boldness of the pink by adding a pink light fixture, such as a table lamp beside the sofa.

freshome

Barely-there pink accessories on a chest and on a window sill, add just the right touch of a third color to this otherwise cool blue and white design. The lovely pendant lights hanging above the desk will definitely provide enough light during evening hours.

My White Room

Another white and blue room is accented with a hint of brilliant pink at the sofa, window sill and floor. The pink stripe at each window is unexpected, yet works beautifully to bring the room elements together.

Susan Currie

This pink staircase is edgy, urban and hip. Painted in white or black, it just wouldn’t have the same effect as the Barbie pink, which makes a bigger statement.

Favim

A single pink pillow and fresh flowers give this white room just the pop of color it needs to make it personable and stylish.

Images: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |

What do you think of the pink fetish? Don’t forget to come visit Arcadian Lighting for more pink-ish light fixtures.

The sneak peak of our wedding day is finally in and I wanted to share some of the design details of the day with you!

Throughout the course of planning, we thought about little touches and traditions to incorporate into the evening. The day of the rehearsal dinner, a henna artist came to share her talents with us, as you can see on mine and Katie’s fingertips. The clutch, designed by me, was a gift to all 3 bridesmaids.

Getting ready with the girls was a blast!  I remember feeling so relaxed and thinking that this moment had finally arrived. I discovered Jenna, our talented photographer after seeing images from a friend’s wedding.

My hairstylists, Mauro and Ala were such a blessing in the final moments. The most thrilling moment out there on the beach for me was exchanging our vows.

As the sun set the party gets started!

I have been looking everywhere for the perfect beachy dresses for the girls! The 3 bridesmaids in our wedding will bring a punch of color to the ceremony. While we haven’t determined a palette of colors…I am thinking of coral (or fuschia) and mint green. I am asking each friend to choose a cut they prefer in a flowing chiffon material.

1). Saison Blanche Couture 2).Eden Bridals 3). Eden Bridals

Conveniently, I found a wedding house in Koreatown near me that carries both of these brands!

Or we could go with a shortened version of the bridesmaids gown…although I have been forewarned that it gets pretty windy on the beach in Malibu around sunset…hehe.

This is definitely something that I could see myself wearing again. A black knitwear piece by Ralph Lauren. Love it.

Should this dress be an option for the rehearsal?

Here’s to making some decisions over the weekend!

I love how these fresh garlands infuse the home with color and a wonderful scent. I was lucky to come across a garland designer via a mutual friend. In fact, she makes breathtaking designs like these daily.

Now she will work with us to design the garlands for our wedding. According to the Hindu tradition, both of us will wear and exchange them.

Look at this little bud bracelet below! Maybe something similar could be made as a headband for a flower girl.

I hung these other garlands in our bedroom and in my art studio. They add grace and whimsy to the rooms.

I couldn’t resist wearing one myself! The carnations below both coral with pink edges are the exact shade I am imagining…

We are coming one step closer to the wedding!

This week, I am developing a vision for the look and feel of the wedding. As of now, everything is still wide open and it seems like we should come up with a basic palette because we will be sending out Save the Dates and bridesmaids may start hunting for dresses soon! Since we will be on the ocean, it makes sense to choose colors that will complement the gorgeous blue-greens of the ocean in the distance. So far, I have come up with silver, white, and sea green…accompanied by a potential burst of fuschia or peach.

Looking for wedding flowers has been a total eye opener. There are so many talented florists out there and I know that I want mine to be of the boutique variety. All across the city of Los Angeles I see the most gorgeous flowers. (Btw, the silver dress below is intended for the bridesmaids and the ribbon tiara could be for me!)

I’d love to collaborate with a floral designer.

Aren’t these tiny green succulents in silver cups adorable? and eco-friendly because they can be taken home after the event. Plus, they require very little water!

Finally, I flipped over this bridal bouquet, which I am thinking of making myself. I looked all over for a way to combine succulents, tulips, and orchids. I know, it’s an unlikely combination and when I found these I was soo surprised.

But seriously, I may decide to leave something to the professionals…it’s just that I have this uncontrollable itch to be hands on!

Last pic:

this is from that cutesy little boutique, The Little Branch. I am thinking we may use white spotted orchids, since we’ll be on the ocean in a beachy restaurant.

There will be more to come this week, as I find ingenious wedding blogs and vendors by the day!

From the bottom of my heart, I must say: Happy New Year!

I am delighted to find the time to obsess over new design inspiration.

I am pleased with so many things that are going on within this photo. Gray walls with white trim the natural birchy brown of the mirror’s frame.

How sparingly they use the sea foam green. Wouldn’t that be a peaceful space to cuddle up and sleep?

I am really enjoying the bedroom design that I am working on…it is a bit like this; quiet and charming with little pops of green! Bit by bit the pieces are coming together.

Any of you have design wishes that came true over the holidays? Mine did!…when Santa brought me this task lamp from you’ll never guess where.

See more photos of this gorgeous Texas home!

Here’s to 2011 being full magic.

I feel like there is so much to be grateful for in my life. My family, friends, art, teaching, the ocean, yoga, cinnamon macadamia nuts, veggies, nature’s beauty….the list could extend on and on. I’m sure many of you are feeling the same way.

Photo of Oahu courtesy of Ashish Vaid…yep I was there!

This picture is so full of whimsy it got me totally excited to head over to the Honolulu International Marketplace tomorrow and shop ’til I drop! That bunny looks just like an albino bunny that I kept in the summer’s between seventh and eighth grades growing up.

PinkPianos on Etsy is having a 10% off sale on accessories all day along with many others. I promise to be back in the blog world with a fresh look on Baroque furniture next week!

What are you thankful for this week?