"I can totally make that..."

Famous last words.

Spend any amount of time with me window shopping and before you know it, I'm want to utter that phrase. Or I say something like, "please. don't buy that....you could totally make that. I'll show you!" I'm not sure if it's the girl scout in me or having a mother who was, literally and figuratively, the mother of all DIYers {someday I'll have her scan photos of the Halloween costumes she made for us as kids} but the blog 'P.S. I made this' ranks high on my "frequent visit for inspiration" list.

Many years ago, when I first saw John Derian's work, I made a feeble attempt to reproduce my version of his decoupaged plates. While, my efforts looked more like a Pier one plate smeared with Mod Podge and some clipped photos, it was not remotely in the same realm as the master's work. However, seeing this posting, inspired me to maybe give it another try:

Or what about this affordable, adorable, summer scarf: This nautical flag sign would be great at a beach themed party, there are so many spin offs of this you could create.

Today over at Refinery29 {a fantastic site } P.S I made this has created a special, sparkly DIY project just for the readers of Refinery 29. check it out here

As a blue eyed man once said, "If I can make it here, I can make it anywhere".

Now, go, get inspired and be creative.

peace out

I remember summer, originally uploaded by kikafluff.

blog out loud sf>>

Rebecca and me, raring to get the party started...

This past Sunday, fellow blogger Rebecca Orlov {loving.living.small and Apartment Therapy L.A.} and I took our Blog Out Loud, blogging symposium to San Francisco. The venue,BellJar, was simply, stunning. If you haven't already been there, git on in there.

We had a completely stellar and generous panel {see below photos} filled with such great experiences and ideas to share. The audience, was as much a part of the evening as anything. Great input and questions. It was fun to meet, in person, readers and fellow bloggers~ who added to the night through their great dialogue.

We began the morning by having a get together at the de Young museum cafe {a little shout out to the staff there, who were incredibly helpful and cheerful}

In the fore ground, my two oldest friends, Allyson and Analisa represented the 'non-blogger' contingency and my personal support system. {thank you, you two!!}

Lynn Goldfinger- Abram, telling the group some great little story.

and then on to BellJar....

pre-event shopping takes place among the gorgeous little things.

our audio video guy, Matt, gettin' set.

Nick filled in as bar tender to the 3buck.

wow. we had some serious blog out loud booty for the first 20 guests. All of this talented work came from etsy/bloggers who donated their work: paper pastries, we collective, tiny pine press, ink and wit, erin vale design, ferm living {also a panel member}

thank you Fleurt design for you overly generous floral art.

old friend, SF landscape designer, blogger of garden rooms, Robyn Pope, contributed this beautiful, organic gathering {this was one of two!I know I keep saying this but, the generosity was unbelievable}

and so we begin...

Our talented group of bloggers from Left, Cassandra LaValle of coco+kelley, Christiana Coop of Ferm living/clever spaces, Lynn Goldfinger-Abram of Paris Hotel Boutique, Susannah Murdock of Petunia Faced Girl, Sasha Wingate of BellJar, Anne Sage of The City Sage

The incredibly talented designer, Christiana Coop of Ferm Living and blogger of Clever Spaces.

Petunia faced girl blogger, Susannah Murdock chats it up {the real petunia faced girl made a brief cameo}

doing our best to look like a sorority pledge day photo.

aaaaand......it's a wrap.

Thank you each and everyone who participated whether you were panel or audience. And for those of you unable to make it, we missed you and hope you can join us next time....

please check blogoutloudevent.com for the video content of this event, coming soon!

ooh! la la! ce qu'est une vente!

Over the weekend, wandering around Mill Valley, my friends and I went not once but twice into Maison Reve. The beautiful home store showcasing 'urban farmhouse living' is hard to keep away from. Lucky for those of you in the Bay area, the shop will be having their monthly tag sale this coming Saturday, August 29th, 8-noon

I over heard the shop owner explaining that the sale consists of treasures and finds {not store stock} It's like having a French flea market in your own backyard...if you're in the SF area. I'm so sad to be missing this amazing sale.

Photos from the last event look like a treasure trove of finds.

Is your wallet beginning to wimper?

• 108 Throckmorton Ave
• Mill Valley, CA 94941
• ph. 415.383.9700
• www.maisonreve.com

peace out

photo credit::sf girl by bay

christopher ross

One my favorite creative inspiration blogs for fashion is Atlantis Home.

Judy Aldridge is the blogstress, and fashion designer, former model, former boutique owner and current owner of the online shop, Atlantis Vintage. { many of you already know her daughter, Jane, of whom I've blogged about here} Knowing her via an emailing relationship, not only is she incredibly talented but she's also a lovely and generous person. J'adore Judy.

Any of Judy's followers know about her love for vintage , Christopher Ross Belt buckles. Her collection is enormous. I believe, she has singled handedly created a fervor of new fans for these belts that's so strong, you're hard pressed to win one on ebay {which seems to be the only place I can find one for sale } And why not? they're the most fabulous pieces of jewelery you could own. Big, bold and beautiful

The name Christopher Ross is synonymous with eBay battles that garner the high blood pressure soars of the challenge and the ecstasy rush of the score

This eponymous belt line was once sold in fine boutiques across the country {with a reported sighting at Harrod’s} has been dormant in its production for the past two decades. A recent resurgence in interest has made obtaining his limited works, challenging.

Interesting to note, Ross a native of New York, was once a very successful financier at Morgan Stanley. Later he worked directly along side as a protege of real estate tycoon Harry Helmsley. Putting all of this aside, his art became his main focus, as he switched directions midway through life.

Taking his inspiration from nature and history, Ross, a one time successful financial professional in New York city, created work that has endured the test of time and popularity in the finicky world of fashion where yesterday’s ‘hot’ is today’s ‘cold’.

The success of his work and its test of time are clearly based on the level of artistry and execution so deftly accomplished by the untrained sculptor.

Beautifully realistic and distinct with detail, the creatures run the gamut from handsome lion heads with flowing manes to fantastical unicorns and Chinese dragons.

The belt buckles are as bold and impactful as they are organic in statement. Paired with any wardrobe staple - from a simple pair of old jeans to an elegant eveningwear sheath, the accessory is a timeless piece of jewelry perfection.

To begin the process, the pieces are hand-cast in a metallic alloy from clay. Each original buckle is hand-polished and plated with a 24 carat gold finish of the finest quality. A thumb print signature, pressed into the back of each piece, gives a final stamp of authenticity.

The bulk of Ross’ work was created in the 70s and 80s and can occasionally be purchased on eBay for several hundreds of dollars.

check Judy out on Vogue.com all photos Judy Aldridge

www.christopher-ross-collection.com

the skirted round table threesome, takes it into the bedroom

photo:: domino magazine::rip

This week we chat about bedroom decorating. What are your must haves in the bedroom?

the skirted round table

The quiet, beauty of still life painting. Abstract Realist, Paul Wonner

Garden Chairs and Lunch Table

Painter Paul Wonner, generally associated with the "Bay Area Figurative" style of painting, was the creator of beautiful, quiet works of art in a palette so rich and clear you want to reach out , grasp it, and feel the depths of the color, the textures of paint.

I keep a few of my favorites on my desktop, bringing them up to soothe my soul when needed.

the waiter

His work was regarded in the same school as the originators of the Bay Area Figurative style, which included, David Park (1911-1960) and Richard Diebenkorn (1922-1993)

Dutch Still Life with Stacked Objects and Telephone (detail)

"He painted in a brushy manner similar to theirs until the late 1970s, when his style turned crisp, emphasizing bright light and sharp shadows, and he concentrated on still life themes.

Green Cloth, Orange Juice, Magnifying Glass

The Dutch Baroque still life tradition served as a historical source for Mr. Wonner, but he typically painted objects from everyday contemporary life. His mature pictures distinctively portray things as separated by almost surrealistically vacant distended spaces." sfgate.com