As fine as wine, as sophisticated as fashion

As ethereal as the goddess; Aphrodite, if food, wine and fashion could somehow amalgamate I would spend all of my days locked in a villa by the ocean ordering room service.  Why talk about food, wine and fashion?  They, along with the beach are three of my favorite things in the world.  Today I am focusing on fashion, merely fashion and fashionable rooms.  Homes that speak fashion, homes that might have started from something as simple as a single piece of fabric and transformed into something as creative as Haute Couture.

Ready to wear dress by Reem Acra

If Reem Acra herself would appear at my door and say this dress is my personal gift I bestow upon you I would not mind, not one bit...the same goes for this desert home in Santa Fe.  Bold, but tranquil at the same time, the two co-exist fashionably.  Set a lucite runway across this water feature and you can have your very own show....I'm just saying, you have options here.

Home in Santa Fe

Here is something that no one can say is not green, literally.  A Project Runway contestants entrance at Fashion Week in NYC.   An idea, a light bulb, something goes off in someones head and as the wheel turns, it increases its speed, faster and faster until you near the completion of your project and you end up with a room worth mentioning, a room worth mentioning over, and over, and over again. 

JASON WU& MARBLE!  I don't know how much I really need to say, I really don't.  Marble is always classic and elegant, Jason Wu, well, phenomenal.  A great designer, and natures great design.

Forward thinking has always made for the greatest innovations.  Creativity does not need to be combined with anything to become inspirational.  It all starts from somewhere and ends up creatively yours.  Have a beautifully creative week everyone!

~xo~Michelle~xo~

Crackpot Color Theories & their meanings

Roses are red, the sky is blue, today I am exuding pure color to you.  Many people believe that certain colors evoke certain emotions.  "Studies" say that people who over a long period of time are exposed to the color red are "easily excitable", while others who are exposed to green and blue feel "serenity and calmness".  I'm here to squash that theory.  Whose to tell us how a certain color makes us feel?  Isn't that why so many of our favorite colors vary?

They say never paint a room red because you will always be excited, well not excited but angry and brooding.  How many people brood on a daily basis?  I know sometimes I do, but it has nothing to do with the colors that surround me, other things , YES, absolutely, color, definitely NOT!

I once did a school report on this designer, David Hicks.  $1000 an hour was his fee, $1000!  After his father passed his mother moved their estate (the city escapes me, somewhere in London, yes he's a Brit), David remodeled their estate, had a friend over from House and Garden who had to photograph the estate known as South Eaton Place.  The article made a name for him and the fact that he married Lady Pamela Mountbatten helped to secure his spot as a high society designer.  But enough about him, this is in fact about color.....Look at it, just look at IT!  Bold and red and exuberant and sexy.  An eclectic mix of colors and display lighting, you CAN NOT tell me that you feel anger when you see this room.  

Okay so I take it back....yellow is supposed to be the excitable, make kids hyper, it's supposed to increase their adrenaline level, make them jump off of the furniture while making adults restless.  I thought that was sugar, no?  Yellow done right, done well, done appropriately.  That is how I feel about this room.

Blue makes me think of the ocean, the waves crashing down making that whooshing sound that I love.  The ocean, for some odd reason we stare at its vast span when at the beach and that evokes emotion.  Is that why they say blue has calming properties? Is it because the beach always seems to put everyone in a better mood?  Who knows why really?  I just think plain and simple it's pretty...it's tasteful, it's done elegantly and with class.  That's my opinion, you form your own.

Yellow+Blue=Green, it's simple addition and that is what we have here.  Now in my opinion green is one of those colors that is hard to get right.  It is so easy to mess it up, too many pastels, too many apples, too dark, too light, too blah, blah, blah.  Do you feel any emotions when you see this room?  What do you pick up on?  How does it make you feel?  If this is the type of "studies" that color theorists do then of course they are going to say certain colors evoke certain emotions.  Those are the ones they are looking for, it is a biased study within itself.  I say who cares?  I say it a lot.  If you absolutely love a color, do it, no one has to like it but you, and that is exactly why it is called yours and not theirs!

A final note, do what you want to do.  Feel the way about a color you want to feel.  Design what you want to design, how you want to design, there's no apologies in design, just beautifully created mishaps.  That is how some beautiful work is created.  Enjoy your Sunday and the beginning of your week everyone!

~xo~Michelle~xo~

Cry-Bots are scary enough

     Three quarters of a year, two hundred seventy days and sometimes more!  I'm talking about BABIES!  Women carry them for that long and it's astonishing to me.  A little person inside of you, playing tug of war on your insides, just walking around, lounging and sleeping as you carry them for nine LONG months. 
     Once out this little poop factory is even more demanding.  Needing around the clock care and an endless amount of attention throughout the middle of the night you must be prepared.  This sleep depraved, child-rearing experiment could go awry if you let it, well DON'T!  So today, for Rosita, we are talking about nurseries; what to do, what not to do, and even throw in some who cares about that in there.

 

The who cares part of this is actually the design....I know shocker, right?!??  That's okay we will get back to that later, for now we are working with the bare bones of your project.  The BIG THREE.  If you want feel free to share the BIG THREE with your family and friends.  Well actually not if you want, you can't keep this information to yourself.

#1. THE CRIB

The Cinderella Carriage

 As lavish or bare bones as you want the crib to be it needs to be functional.  Imagine a crib for your Princess, because lets face it the minute that little person comes you will see them as nothing else.

With more bells and whistles than some of the cars you see this Intellicot crib is the bell of the ball.  It comes equipped with an auto lift system, air conditioning, nightlight and even has a rocking feature to rock your little person back to sleep. Talk about function, right?  Whatever crib you invest in make sure you do the bending test!  Get close to the crib to pick up your baby, you have to make sure you are the appropriate height, right?

#2. THE CHANGING TABLE

My friend with two kids told me a baby changing table is a waste of money....Then I showed her this one.  She thought I was talking about the one that you put up on the wall.  She replied,"Ooooohh, I like that one."  Why?  It's multi-functional.  A place to sit your little person, change their insurmountable amount of doody filled diapers and what do you know?  All of the items you need to do this; ointments, diapers, baby wipes; have all been strategically placed for your easy reach.

#3.  SEATING

 I can't stress enough how much sleep you will be loosing once, well you know.  Make it easy on yourself.  Can't splurge on the intellicot crib above, well rock your little person in a glider chair with an ottoman.  You might fall asleep yourself.  Now on to my favorite part, the DESIGN (sung in a melodic high-soprano tune)!!

This room is what I consider awful!!  I hate, hate, hate with a passion rooms where the parents feel it a necessity that because they welcome a new son or daughter they have to use that color that everyone always goes to; hideous pink and blue.  This room above looks like a someone blew an enormous bubble gum bubble and it burst all over this room.  Bleeeccch!  Think out of the box, be different, don't be normal.  Normals sounds like a snooze fest to me, personally.

Neutral....why can't it be considered for a baby room?  This room above is chic and pristine, it's not your typical little person room.  It has all the elements that are great for your child to grow up in and they can still love it.  Hmmm, something to consider.  No matter what design style you have there is a chic, functional baby room in all of us.  It just wants to get out, remember no timidness here.  Congratulations on your little person Rosie!  I can't wait to welcome her into the new exciting world with you!  Have a good Friday everyone!

~xo~Michelle~xo~