Make up a Room

The first several images are of pieces that I fancy. I don't think I would ever actually buy any of them. (Budget, you know.) I imagine they would go well in the same room, but I could be wrong...but it's fun to imagine~

The Classic Audubon Pelican Print:

A poised, serene, unique sofa,

A Happy Area Rug:

A couple of put-your-feet-up/extra seating tables:

                                                       

A pair of gorgeous lamps:

A broad coffee table for games, drinks, snacks...

And some ready-made dreams:

I would love this bathroom

...and this bedroom with its wonderful designs

and navy/gold color mix:

I could go on and on...couldn't we all!?

Have a great day!

xo

Valerie

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Solar Flare Flair -- DIY and More

A chunk of sun...Magnetic fields are disrupted.

Communications are disrupted. Electricity is disrupted. The sky is beautiful.

Nature's  Design.

Which we love to copy.

Here is an image to keep, a Solar Flare Sunset:

Charged Particles are  Gorgeous!

This shot of the solar flares, taken recently by NASA,

 would also look great framed and up on a wall:

                                                              news.nationalgeographic.com

As would this sweet mirror:

Wow...

                                                                        telegraph.co.uk

     This certainly gives you a sense of being, um, overwhelmed, and may call for sunglasses...

       This calls for applause:  Solar-inspired D-I-Y

Unfathomable...

                                                                     www.physics.uci.edu

        A tea ceremony room at a 2009 gold exhibition in Tokyo:  golden tea set on display~ 

                                                                     

       Sunburst Dahlias~the colors match so well! Lovely flowers....

     Versailles Palace - Hall of Mirrors...

This solar flare was captured March 8, 2012 at about 11pm  Eastern Standard Time:

NASA

Amazing...




Have a Beautiful Day!
xo
Valerie




P.S..........................    


    According to :

The coronal mass ejection (CME), reached Earth at around 5:45 am EST on Thursday (3-8-2012) according to officials at the Space Weather Prediction Center of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. But it was more of a “glancing blow” than a full on collision, thankfully.

The impact will continue to affect Earth today according to Space.com, but the storm has now been classified as “moderate” as of midnight last night (EST). The effects have been the greatest over the polar caps.

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Feasible + Fabulous

Fabulous does not mean you must put the screws to your wallet .  

Below are very some smart ideas to help you achieve that Look without going broke:

~~~

Use fabulous wallpaper this way, at a fraction of the cost. 

Brilliant:

Gorgeous fabrics and wallpapers can be 

used sparingly to GREAT effect:

    A Really Good DIY Sunburst Mirror:

~instructions to make mirror here~

Composition and a Bit of whimsy can be enough:

Re-cover and repaint 2 different old or thrift store chairs to "match".

An old re-painted chair can make a stylish side "table":

Branches,  preferably with bulbs or seed pods still attached: FREE

Books add warmth, coziness, and a personal feeling to a room.

 Store them out in the open. Also FREE:

Good composition, lack of clutter, awesome carpet choice, and creative

 lampshade-applique work -- plus an adorable dog -- makes this a steal!

Have a Fabulously Frugal Day!

xo

Valerie

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Phoebe Howard - Smart design

Have you always read "shelter" magazines and books? Books, that is, about interior design ?  I've always had stacks and stacks of wonderful shelter magazines lying around.  I still  go through all of them. Good design moves through each trend and continues to look great. I found Phoebe Howard's work a couple of years ago in one of my favorite sources, Atlanta Homes + Lifestyles Magazine.
 Both the Mrs Howard designs and the Max and Company designs seem ageless,. Their work is absolutely TOP drawer. Some of these pictures have been around for at least a couple of years.  But the look holds up, fresh, cheerful, sophisticated and beautiful, as if t was all put together this week.  I hope these pictures give you a thrill of appreciation, no matter how many times you may (or may not) have seen it. And I have some advice for you at the end. : )

This room  has been a favorite of mine for at least a year. I doubt it will ever go out of style. It is quite a gem.

 Classic, traditional design that looks fresh, modern, original...Subtle, nuanced design detail can make a huge impact. I know I do not know the Half of it, design-wise, but doesn't it seem that the best results are the ones that APPEAR to be un-fussy, simple and sophisticated?  Wonder how much planning goes into that!

Predictably, the next step is this blog ( not a very pretty word, but what else to call it?!?!?!)  Now I can share all of this "stuff" with YOU.  Hopefully, we are like-minded in this design madness. 

  I REALLY love dong this! What a great way to formalize and perhaps justify the time I spend  looking  at and drooling over design. 

Now THAT's a mirror!

I just love oohing and aahing over it all with y'all!

The portfolio collection of Howard designs can be seen here. Meanwhile,  I hope that you have gotten a thrill, no matter how many times you may ( or may not) have seen these  shots.

Public Service Announcement:. "remember to blink while sitting at the computer. It will help your eyes to focus and stay moist. Stand up and stretch, too! That helps everything.

... I'm just sayin' ...

Have a great weekend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

~vbk~