Drive By: Beach Cottages August 20, 2008

The wedding is now over and I have finally returned home again. My daughter and I intended for her wedding to be a “simple beach wedding” and in many ways it was. But as with any “destination wedding” (even a destination just 1 1/2 hours from home!) there are a few logistical issues to deal with. The first was how to handle accommodations for the wedding party. Fortunately, we have good friends who generously shared their lovely beach house in Gearhart so we would have a comfortable place for some of the wedding party to stay for the weekend.

We were so grateful for the use of that house, we ended up frosting 200 cupcakes in their kitchen the morning of the rehearsal. We made such a mess! Eek. It took us a few hours to clean up after ourselves. I’ll share the story & photos of the cupcake episode and the whole wedding weekend later, once I get everything all loaded and ready to show.

While I was in Gearhart to clean frosting off kitchen cupboards the day after the wedding, I snapped a few photos for you around the neighborhood. Because I KNOW you all love drive bys and I can’t possibly do a drive by without sharing it with you. I thought of you every time I took a photo, I knew you’d love the houses. So here you go, a quick Drive By in Gearhart, Oregon. Just for you, my chickadees.

Oh, and FYI, the reason that I didn’t run up for super closeups on too many of these houses (as I normally would for you) was because of the enormous pain I was in the day after from wearing super high-heeled red patent leather shoes for the wedding. I pulled some thigh muscles I didn’t know I had, running up and down stairs all day. OW! But, dang, I looked cute in those shoes if I do say so myself. Yet, I am facing the fact that my over 40 year old legs need more sensible shoes, I guess. Next dress up event, I’m wearing grandma style loafers.

Enjoy the tour…

To view all of my drive bys, click HERE!

Observation: Checkerboard Kitchen August 18, 2008

Greetings! Thank you all so much for checking in on me over the weekend. My daughters wedding was absolutely lovely. There were so many special things about it I cannot wait to share once I can get back into Portland and load some photos and gather my thoughts. An unbelievable amount of detail and coordination went in to this event (which was actually designed to be “a simple beach wedding” but yet still took a lot of thought!) so my brain has been on overload. Meanwhile, I kind of left you all hanging there without any posts so I am going to put in another observation post so we can have a little fun while I am getting myself back into gear.

For those of you new to this game we’ve been playing, here are some ideas to jump start the conversation, but feel free to share on anything about the room:

• How would you describe this style?
• What is the mood of the room?
• Describe the personality of people who might live in a room like this?
• What are the main things you notice when you first look at this photo?
• What are some subtle features that you notice when you look more closely?
• Notice things like the shapes, the textures, the colors, the proportions, patterns, etc.
• What is something you can learn from this style or how the room is put together?
• What role does the architecture play in this room?
• If someone wanted to create a room like this, what are some of the significant things they should incorporate?

Enjoy observing, and don’t forget to share with us what you noticed. Many of you have commented how much you are learning by both sharing AND reading what others share. I agree this is a great way to learn about design!

“Observation” is a new series of posts where we will all share our observations on the day’s photo. There is no expected, right or wrong comment. Just share what you see, what you notice, what is unique, what you love, what strikes you, or what is something you might have learned about design from this photo.

You don’t have to love the room to observe things about it. We’ll study all kinds of rooms (don’t worry, we’ll do other posts too, not only these!)

This exercise is both to stretch our own creativity and to help ourselves and others see from a new perspective.

Need more help with what to look for? Read the explanation post here. Have fun observing!

Photo: Southern Living

Beach House Love August 13, 2008

No, the beach house love I’m talking about has nothing to do with the wedding reception for my daughter that will be taking place this weekend at our beach house. I’m talking about a lovely beach cottage I spied on blogging friend Villa Anna’s blog recently. Oh, how I love! Click on over to her blog see the rest of the loveliness.

And because I can scarcely talk about anything non-wedding related this week, I’m gonna give you a few links to decorating articles I’ve written for Blissfully Domestic Magazine. You’ll go read them, right?

And if you haven’t joined me over on Twitter, I’d love to have you over there keeping up with the day to day or hour by hour happenings!

DEBUNKING A DECORATING MYTH

HOW TO DECORATE YOUR HOME: SOLVING THE PUZZLE

CHALKBOARD DOORS: CREATING FAMILY MEMORIES

REPURPOSING: NEW USES FOR OLD SIDEBOARDS

Love to you all! I miss visiting with you and can’t wait to catch up soon! Thanks to each of you who faithfully visit my blog, send me emails, say hi on Twitter and are just all around great friends! MUAH!

Photo via Villa Anna, & Design Editor designer Jane Coslick Design

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Observation: Black & White Toile Bedroom August 11, 2008

 

It is observation time! Here are some ideas to jump start the conversation, but feel free to share on anything about the room:

• How would you describe this style?
• Describe the personality of people who might live in a room like this?
• What are the main things you notice when you first look at this photo?
• What are some subtle features that you notice when you look more closely?
• Notice things like the shapes, the textures, the colors, the proportions, patterns, etc.
• What is something you can learn from this style or how the room is put together?
• What role does the architecture play in this room?
• If someone wanted to create a room like this, what are some of the significant things they should incorporate?

Enjoy observing, and don’t forget to share with us what you noticed.

“Observation” is a new series of posts where we will all share our observations on the day’s photo. There is no expected, right or wrong comment. Just share what you see, what you notice, what is unique, what you love, what strikes you, or what is something you might have learned about design from this photo.

You don’t have to love the room to observe things about it. We’ll study all kinds of rooms (don’t worry, we’ll do other posts too, not only these!)

This exercise is both to stretch our own creativity and to help ourselves and others see from a new perspective.

Need more help with what to look for? Read the explanation post here. Have fun observing!

Photo: Traditional Home, interior designer Gerald Pomeroy

Sweet Escape: Sunny Days August 9, 2008

Nothing like a pop of yellow to sweep the clouds away! I hope you all have a sweet escape planned. We are entering the final week now of wedding frenzy. I am excited to see it all come together. I’m a little sad knowing she is going to be driving off waving goodbye in the end, but hoping to enjoy every last moment making things special. Sunny days, sweeping the clouds away!

Happy sunny day to you all!

More Observation Posts next week, and wedding updates on Twitter too!

Oh, and if you visit me on Twitter you’ll get to hear lots of stuff you don’t find out on my blog, like the latest RAT episode (right on cue, didn’t I tell you last Thanksgiving that we can’t have holidays or events without a rodent involved?)

Photos: Tortuga Bay Hotel, a string of villas in the Dominican Republic designed by Oscar de la Renta, Architectural Digest

Be Still My Heart. August 7, 2008

Photos: House Beautiful, designer Nancy Boszhardt