BLOG - December 1, 2011 - December 31, 2011

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday! I had my family out here in LA and hosted Christmas for the first time so I thought I would share a few pictures of my table.  Posting will be spotty this week as the Carolina George team is taking some much needed time off!! I'm heading to the Caribbean tonight and will try and post a bit from down there. Have a wonderful week and a happy new year.  xoxo

For those of you in LA, I suggest high tailing it over the the Meier/Ferrer Showroom in Melrose Place.  I discovered it last fall when I met Charlie Ferrer one of the masterminds behind the chic and spare line of furniture.  In addition to their line they also have the works of few other artist and designers.  Check out the pictures below for a taste.  This is not to be missed!! 

I am crazy for these ceramic buckets, I may have to pick one up for myself before they are all gone.  

One of my favorite finds of 2011 was tumblr.com. At this point I am not sure how I would survive without it. I use my main account dreamanddwell to keep track of the many sources of inspiration that I come across on a daily basis. We also use tumblr to interact with clients and to share images amongst ourselves at the office. After a year of using tumblr, I am finally ready to share it with you all!

If you have a tumblr account, please follow me at www.dreamanddwell.tumblr.com

One of the things I love about tumblr is that it gives me the freedom to blog and post in real time and without having to frame the things I love with text. At times it is completely random, running the gamut from witty phrases to gorgeous photos. Below is a sampling of some of my favorite recent images and posts.

...and don't forget, www.dreamanddwell.tumblr.com !!!

Always a fan of the peacock! You will see this is a reoccurring theme on my tumblr page. I just can't get over that something so colorful, ordered, and gorgeous is a product of nature!

Some more natural beauty!!!

To Die For!! I wish this was my house!!!

I want to be here!

From a dream....

Simply cool...

Hello beautiful!

Whoever said contemporary is cold??? Doesn't that room look so surprisingly cozy?

Always a fan of a great color study

All photo credits available on www.dreamanddwell.tumblr.com

As an interior designer, I am always looking for inspiration. I love being introduced to things previously not encountered, and learning to appreciate things that I'd not ever paid attention to before.  I frequent a blog called Scala Regia, created by a Portuguese bon vivant, that totally stimulates my imagination.  It is, to be described briefly, a photographic chronology of all things beautiful, unique, fabulous, and a bit ridiculous.  The blog consists mainly of imagery, with a few snippets of story-telling here and there.  I swear, I do not know where he finds some of the photographs!  Need a picture of the Russian royal family from the 19th century?  He has it.  Looking for a place where you can peruse images of everyone from the Duke of Windsor to Beth Ditto on the same page?  You found it.

Many of the photos I come across on Scala Regia are ones that I've never seen anywhere else.  For me, the beautiful imagery really works to inspire - be it how to dress, how to decorate, or, quite simply, how to aspire to a life well-lived.  As we approach the new year, I am looking forward to re-bootting and starting 2012 with a burst of new creativity!

Check out some of the images I've collected from Scala Regia below.

I have had a long love affair with notebooks.  It began as early as I can remember, when I was little I couldn't wait until our teacher gave us homework so I could have a proper notebook.  I learned quickly I did not need homework in order to have a notebook.  My husband, being a writer,also loves notebooks and every year for Christmas I try and give him a different one.  On more than a few occasions I have given him one of the Astier de Villatte notebooks.  They are perhaps one of my favorites.  I thought I would share them with all of you who might be looking for some last minute holiday presents.  They are great little gifts for people you work with or a good stocking stuffer for a family member.  The come lined and unlined, big and small. They even make an agenda which I love as I'm one of the few people that refuses to get with times and use my phone as a calendar.  In the past I have bought them at John Derian in NYC and I think Bergdorfs also sells them.  Happy Shopping! 

Native American Inspired Pendelton Blanket

The other night I was at the opening of Haus Interiors on 3rd and Harper in LA and I spotted a whole wall of Pendelton goodies.  I don't know about you, but Pendelton reminds me of my childhood in a major way.     The classic striped blanket, that had belonged to my dad when he was kid, and that I always thought was too itchy remained a staple in our bedding wherever we moved.  We even had the Native American inspired blankets that my mom picked up in Wyoming.   In addition to all the classics they have introduced some great new stuff.  I marched back over to Haus Interiors to get a little Christmas shopping done today and picked up some of the below items.

The beach towels above and below come in a variety of patterns and colors.  I picked one up for my brother who lives to surf and is heading off on a 6 month surf trip this summer.  Perfect right?

How cute it the below throw with the carrier.  Again comes in a million patterns and another great present!

The below classic striped blanket, which for me is synonymous with Pendelton, now comes in a much softer lighter weight version.  Great for over a sofa or for traveling!