Lucy's First Birthday Party

Well, Lucy is now officially one!  We rang in her first year with style with a small play group get together and a garden themed birthday party the next day.  As a refresher, here is the concept board I prepared for the event with all the fun Minted goodies I was getting.

The day-of it threatened to rain so we moved the food and drinks tables indoors and set up the kiddie table out on the covered front porch. It actually worked out really well.

Love the Botanical Affair bunting from Minted.  I could even re-use it and just take out the one flag with the photo of Lucy (although, let's be honest, I'm sure I'll want to create something with a different theme next year).

I put together a drinks table in the breakfast area with these fun cup tags and table tents from Minted.  I like buying plain colored table ware (cups, plates, cutlery etc), that way you can mix and match depending on the event. The yellow cups I'm sure will work great for Bryan's birthday later in the year or some other adult event. They aren't Dora or Thomas specific and they pack a graphic punch. I had the orange dotted straws from Bryan's first birthday and just combined them with the pink zig zag ones here.

Whole foods has great mix-and-match flowers so I bought long-lasting daisies and accented with some pink peonies. I happened to have three watering cans that worked perfectly for the florals and theme.  Coupled with some grass and pink ball garland from the Target dollar aisle and party supplies section, and the vignette is complete.

How cute are these Minted  cupcake toppers?

I made little potted succulents with thank-you tags for the favors and put them on a cake stand (pots are again from the Target dollar aisle)

A friend had snagged the cutest schoolhouse chairs when her kid's Montessori was renovating and I borrowed them for the kids table. In lieu of renting a child-height table, I actually strung together four Ikea lack tables. We had two already that we were using as coffee tables. They are pretty beat up so I bought two replacements and put all four together. Topped with the custom Minted table runner, nobody can tell how beat up they are and they work great as a white backdrop for the runner and big round confetti.

The party hats were Etsy finds that I had laying around from Bryan's last birthday.

The birthday girl enjoyed her carrot cake cupcake by local baker Sullivan Hill Sweets and also had fun with her party hat!

And to keep my work load manageable I ordered pizza for everyone.

Here are some of Lucy's friends hanging and discussing whatever one year olds discuss.

Having the party in the front ended up being a big hit. As you can see, the party wound down with the dad's stooping it on the front porch.

Stop by Post-modyrn for a follow up post on my entertaining tips.

Photos by Jessica Davis and Soyoung Oh of Dogear Press

Off the chART -- Fiber Art

As the annual May Impressionist and Contemporary auctions in New York come to a record-breaking close, I wanted to highlight a genre that has interested me recently -- Fiber Art. There is something about the vivid colors and textures that I keep coming back to. I am amazed at how these artists can transform simple threads into voluminous sculptural pieces.  Check out some of these finds you can grab for under a $179.4 million!

1. Gabriel Dawe torres de satélite + site specific installation at centraltrak + gütermann thread, painted wood and hooks + 7' x 14" x 16' + 2011
2. Elizabeth McTague Macrame wall hanging 24 inches wide and 28 inches long
3. Karen Margolis Yin-yang, 2015 14x11”, Watercolor, gouache, map fragments, thread on Abaca
4. Jose Romussi  Embroidered vintage black & white photograph
5. Jennifer Reifsneider Landfall (Inverted Mercator) 2012, thread 113" x 80" x 10"

-Jessica B

DESIGN BLUEPRINT: Modern Dining

While the real 'wow' factor of this dining room is the interior architecture, there's still a way to snag this look for your home.

The wall art, lighting and chairs all combine to create a super modern look that will have your dining room looking untouchable, like the cool kid in high school.

DESIGN BLUEPRINT:

Pendant via Euro Style Lighting

Wall Art via ZGallerie

Dinnerware via Marimekko

Chairs via YLiving

Dining Table via All Modern

Inspiration image via Bloglovin'

 

- Cori

Style Spotlight: Meus Shop

My friend Deb (of Work and Play fame) recently introduced me to a fellow local entrepreneur Mamma, Marchielle Hills of Meus Shop.  My kids had actually taken a music class with Marichelle and her kids in the past and while I didn't know her then, I definitely always admired her style (yes, I'm a total style stalker).  In any case, Marichelle's shop is chalk full of beautiful simple curated items for home and wardrobe.  I especially love the jewelry and clothes, now that I'm aiming for a cleaner way of dressing with my capsule wardrobe.  Below are some of my favorite items for summer:

1 Marichelle rocks the stacked delicate rings in such a cool way - I totally want more of these in my collection and I think this ring dish is such a beautiful way to display them.

2  This indigo tunic is sold out but I couldn't help featuring it since I would snatch one up if she still had them. So versatile in summer and for layering when the weather gets cooler. And the price point is definitely right.

3 This denim dress is so easy and breezy.  Marichelle turned me on to indie label Ace & Jig and I am absolutely loving all their pieces.

4 A bell chime is such a nice way to add a little sparkle and ethnic flavor to a room - just hang it over a door knob and you'll know when someone is coming and going.

5 The Inga necklace is so versatile. There are three different ways to wear it.  This might just become one of my summer staples.

6 I love a good luggage leather bag. This bucket bag is perfect for toting all those kiddie essentials while looking stylish.

Oh and of course Marichelle's beautiful home was featured on Designmom recently.  Thanks to Deb for the intro. It's always fun to meet other creative people in our community.

Stylin' Mamma: Paint it Black

Summer's a-comin' and the mercury in San Francisco hasn't topped 62 in weeks, with no heat in sight.  A closet full of springtime loveliness taunts me as I try to get ready for yet another gray May day.

It's weeks like these when I am grateful for the Little Black Dress.  That Throw-On / Accessorize / Go closet staple that needs but a swipe of eyeliner, an occasion-appropriate shoe, and a statement necklace to look like something.  

Most of the fashion bloggers I follow are singing white's praises this season, but for those of us facing a bleaker forecast, I humbly submit the following black beauties.

1. The starting point: a basic scoop-neck jersey dress (And it's DVF.  And it's on sale.) 

2. The beachworthy belted tunic

3. The evening contender

4. The comfiest jumpsuit

5.  The office-appropriate shortie

6. The popover the begs for a gladiator sandal

7.  The breezy trapeze 

The Shoes

for play

for work  

for dancing  

The Extras

understated glam 

festival-bound

makeup must-have

- Jaime

CURATED NEST: Summer Footwear

Even though it's cloudy and cold in Los Angeles, we know it's just a weird weather patch. The sun will be out soon, like it is in most parts of the country, now that June is fast approaching.

Which means... sandal season! Here's some fun options:

 

1. Swedish Hasbeens

2. Nordstrom

3. Asos

4. Michael Kors

5. Topshop

6. Topshop

7. J.Crew

8. Toms

Inspiration image via Grace(ful) Things

 

- Cori

 

IN THE WORKS: City Condo

I'm working on a new project for a client in the city and am excited to show you a little sneak peek.  It's a one bedroom condo on the Upper East Side (sound schnazzy right? Funnily, my client was actually priced out of Brooklyn and ended up back in the city).  Anyways, the condo has a great amount of space and my client wanted a bright airy, eclectic feel.  Here are some layouts I did for her living / dining space.

She opted for this third layout below:

And here are the two design boards I did.  She already has the sofa, ottoman, bar cart and dining table so I worked those into the schemes. We really like the layered rug look and since my client is Indian we might be able to use some oriental rugs from her family to pull this off. 

Which is your favorite? I'm on the fence and I think we will end up with a hybrid.  More later as we work out the details.

DESIGN BLUEPRINT: Rustic Glamour

Layers, layers and more layers. That's what this living room is full of, and it's perfectly balanced. Sometimes layers, like accent pillows, area rugs and throws can get carried away, but not here.

While this apartment features lots of texture and rustic elements, there's also a feeling of glamour with the mixed metals and high end pieces, like the accent chairs.

Here's how you can get this look...

 

DESIGN BLUEPRINT:

Woven Wall Textile via Etsy

Sofa via Crate & Barrel

Geometric Pillow via All Modern

Woven Pillow via Pottery Barn

Round Accent Table via YLiving

Accent Chair via All Modern

Side Table via West Elm

Natural Area Rug via World Market

Cow Hide Rug via Wayfair

Inspiration image via My Domaine

 

- Cori

HARDWARE INSTALLED: Kowloon Tong Project

We've had a couple of great installs of our hardware overseas over the past few months and we are excited to show them to you. It's fun to see all the different styles that are being implemented around the globe.  Louie Shum of House of Beast in Hong Kong sent us these install shots of our F-01L, T-01L, and T-03 in satin brass that he used in a super luxurious bathroom in Kowloon Tong.  Asia really does it right when it comes to super custom modern design!   For those of you who may not know, I actually grew up in Hong Kong so it's especially exciting for me to see installs in my home town.  Can't wait to see what Louie comes up with next.  Thanks for sharing!

IN THE WORKS: Gentleman's Study

I have a couple of new design projects in the works having now finished up Christine and Will's condo.  First off is a study for the husband of a friend.  The idea is masculine and clubby without falling down the Restoration Hardware rabbit hole (which my client admits to having done in the past).  It's a one room project so it's nice and easy to wrap my head around.  The layout will be as per the below.

And I've come up with two options. I like them both. Option 1 is a little more traditional.

While Option 2 is a little more eclectic.

Which are you partial to? We can't go wrong with either although I personally am a fan of Option 2.

FASHION FIX: The Capsule Wardrobe

Back when I made my new years resolutions I mentioned trying to be more stylish as one of my primary goals.  I've always enjoyed clothes and shopping but with a small house, my clothes were stuffed in Bryan and Lucy's closets and a few dresser drawers and it was impossible to know what I had, let alone figure out what to pair things with.  I actually did end up hiring a stylist for a one time wardrobe revamp about a month ago.  While she imparted some advice that I don't think I will be adhering to (she told me wear more belts and tucked in shirts) and wasn't so with-it on the minimal / hipster style front (she grimaced when she was my No 6 Clogs and my retro casio watch), she did help me purge a ton of my clothes which kickstarted my wardrobe revamp.

After the stylist came and went, my associate Jessica Burne put me on to a blog called Unfancy and the idea of a capsule wardrobe.  I love everything about Unfancy - from Caroline's style to the aesthetic of her blog.  The capsule wardrobe concept is that every season you create a capsule collection of say 37 items (arbitrary number) that are carefully curated and that work together.  You may have to shell out a few bucks at the beginning of the season but you wear everything all season long and don't have to worry about shopping except for those four times a year.  Included in the capsule are tops, pants, dresses, shoes and outerwear.  Excluded are accessories (scarves, hats, jewelry and the like), lingerie, workout clothes, formal wear and for me, gardening garb.

In any case I went through my clothes a second time and created a spring collection, deleting another big chunk which I gave to a bunch of girlfriends and relegating formal wear, off season stuff and a few things I wasn't completely sure about purging to Lucy's closet. I also splurged on these great flocked hangers (I figure I'm in my mid thirties and can afford to buy all new hangers).

I had grand plans to photograph each piece in my capsule wardrobe for this blog post. That still may happen but it's distinctly possible that we will be well into summer before anything like that takes place. I'm attempting to document each outfit via my instagram feed and hope to feature them here in one post at some point toward the end of the season.  But for now here is a list of the items in my capsule wardrobe - there are 40 total.

Oh and I chopped my bangs because I liked Caroline's so much.... and I had that crazy new-mom baby hair thing going on.

 It's so exciting to have a new look and a uniform so to speak. Looking in my closet is refreshing and I feel like I have a more consistent style.  It's also inspiring me to simplify other parts of my life (like all that wrapping paper, boxes of gift bags and bows that I've been holding on to forever).  Stay tuned!