Room of the day

It's not very often that I feature a children's space for my 'room of the day' post, but this room is so lovely, I couldn't help but share it with you all!

Designed by the amazing Tobi Farely, this girl's bedroom uses a combination of colors, fabrics and textures to bridge the gab between 'little girls room' and sophisticated space. I love the pale lilac walls, modern furniture pieces and light fixtures, and the built in desk and window seat. If I was 10 years old all over again, I would die to have this as my bedroom! It's a young girls dream come true, complete with separate spaces for sleeping, playing, reading, and studying. 

Happy Birthday P.O.!

Today is my fiance's birthday and I just wanted to quickly scream from the rooftop, HAPPY BIRTHDAY HONEY! I'm super lucky in that he's not only my best friend, future husband, but also my live in handyman, carpenter, auto mechanic and more. There really isn't much that this guy can't do! Oh, and he shares the same love of architecture and design that I do. He really is the man of my dreams! (Don't be jealous, girls ;)

Here's a quick shot of my ruggedly handsome man installing some drywall. When we first got together he graciously spent every free moment during that summer remodeling my parent's house. I knew then that he was a keeper :)

Quicky

Here's a quick shot of my "entry" (which really isnt much of an entry, but more of just a cute vignette I have sitting next to my front door, since the front door opens up right into the living room.)

I recently found the star burst mirror at TJMaxx for only $29.99! The bamboo console table I have had for a few years and was found at Ross for $39.99. The white grommet drapes are from Ikea of course! I picked up a bouquet of sunflowers at the grocery store yesterday and I love the fall-ish feel they add to the space.

I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend! Fall has officially decided to make an appearance here in sunny California (after 90 degree temps the last few week!) Rain fell last night, so it feels like the season is finally here!

The Marimekko Shop at Crate & Barrel in SoHo

Marimekko and Crate & Barrel have been collaborating for the last 40 years but today marks the public opening of the Marimekko store-in-store at the Crate and Barrel in SoHo, NYC. The Finnish textile company has set up shop in a 1,775 square foot area that includes everything from glassware and tabletop peices to fabric, pillows and more. Crate and Barrel founder and chairman, Gordon Segal states that it's likely to serve as a "test lab" for future openings nationwide. Lets hope it makes it's way to San Francisco!

Are you as big of a Marimekko fan as I am?!

J. Crew Bridal Salon

Today's 'Wedding Wednesday' post combines both of my loves - weddings and beautiful interiors! The J. Crew Bridal Salon that opened in New York back in May is every brides dream come true! The chic, Parisian inspired boutique offers every member of a wedding (bride, bridesmaid, flower girl, mother, guest, etc.) stylish and affordable fashion and accessories in a setting that is second to none.

The store was designed to evoke an old French atelier and was inspired by furniture designer and architect Eileen Gray (one of the most influential designers of the early 20th century.) The design team added a mix of vintage and modern fixtures and furniture and created a layout that includes a mixture of large and small rooms.The combination of lucite, brass and herringbone floors bring the whole look together while the whimsical touches (like this blue light fixture and chair, below) make the space feel hip and fun!

I'm not sure what I love more, the dresses and accessories or the gorgeous furniture, lighting and color pallet! If only there were a J. Crew Bridal Salon on the West coast!!

While we're at it, here's a few J. Crew dresses I have my eye on for my upcoming beach wedding next summer;

available here

This gorgeous dress is on sale for $119.99! I better act fast if I am seriously going to consider it an option, eeek!

available here

available here

available here

What do you think? Which one is your favorite?!

Have you visted the J. Crew Bridal Salon in New York City? If so, I am super jealous! 

Coastal Living's 2010 Ultimate Beach House

Located in the quaint town of Seabrook, Washington, this years Ultimate Beach House boasts three levels of tranquility including an outdoor living area. It also comes equiped with a basement which has a spa, a media room, and a sauna. As if all these amenities weren't enough to make you want to move right in, add to that list that it is just steps away from the Pacific Ocean. Take a quick look;

To read the entire article and view more of this gorgeous beach house, go here. 

Think Pink

I know I'm a little late to the game in this announcement, since we're already 1/3 into the month, but October is officially National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In case you haven't noticed the color pink is all over the place! Every where I turn I'm seeing individuals, local business, large corporations and more sporting pink in order to increase awareness and provide education on the disease and raise funds for research, prevention and a cure.

Now, for the first time ever, Hans Wegner’s Wishbone Chair is available in pink. As part of The Pink Wishbone Project, SUITE New York is auctioning off 20 of these chairs featuring one-of-a-kind cushions designed by leading women interior designers.100% of the proceeds benefit The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Kelly Behun, Sheila Bridges, Alexandra Champalimaud, Neisha Crosland, Lulu de Kwiatkowski, Tori Golub, Alexa Hampton, Allegra Hicks, Julie Hillman, Annie Kelly, Celerie Kemble, Kit Kemp, Laura Kirar, Amy Lau, Katie Lydon, Emma Jane Pilkington, Sara Rotman, Ruthie Sommers, Kelly Wearstler, and Bunny Williams have donated cushions of their design. 

Following the auction, SUITE New York is also the exclusive dealer of the pink wishbone (w/o designer cushion) - with 20% of the sale benefitting BCRF for one year.

Room of the day

Let the planning begin!

It's Wednesday, so you know what that means. . . it's Wedding Wednesday!! Yesterday I announced that I recently got engaged (in case you missed it, you can check it out here.) Don't worry, I won't bore you every Wednesday with jibber jabber about the planning process, but I will share with you some details here and there! Here's a rundown of our initial wedding plans;

1. Who - Paul & I, of course along with 100 guests (I have a HUGE family so it's going to be a little tough to narrow down a guest list.) We're going to be paying for this ourselves, and the budget is going to be t-i-g-h-t so we've decided to try and keep it 'small'. Paul's good friend is going to perform the ceremony (I heard a rumor that he reads my blog. . . HI BILL! :) My two sister's will be my 'maids of honor' (they are twins so there is no way I could decide between one or the other) and I want to include my favorite cousin in the wedding party as well (Hi Sarah!) As far as everybody else, we're still undecided. 

2. What - It's going to be a very casual, relaxed affair with an elegant twist. I invision non matching bridesmaid dresses in cream, lots of orchids and succulents and maybe some mason jar candle holders. It's going to be one major DIY project, that's for sure!! I want to do everything myself (with a little bit of help of course) from the invitations to the flowers and everything else in between. We'll also be enlisting the help of some close friends and family to help out as well (photographer, catering, etc.) to keep costs down.

3. Where - We have both always dreamed of getting married on the beach, toes-in-the-sand style. I always invisioned the event taking place in Carmel-by-the-sea, but since the budget is tight (and that area of California is very upscale and p-r-i-c-e-y) we are considering the Santa Cruz/Capitola/Aptos area instead. Ideally we would love to rent a beach house within walking distance to the sand, with a large yard to accommodate a party. It's going to take some time to find just the right venue!

4. When - Since I'm a summer girl (born in the summer and live for the summer and my flip flops!) I want to get married during my favorite season. However, beach vacation rentals can charge up to twice as much during 'peak season' so we might opt to do it late September or early October to save buck (or a few thousand.)

That's all I have to share with you for now! I'll keep you updated as we make progress with the planning process! 

Don't forget - JPM Design offers special event styling services! Keep in mind that event decor isn't just about flowers, it's about creating an atmosphere. Contact me if you would like help customizing your wedding or special event in order to create a party that truly reflects you!

I'm getting married!!

I was going to wait until tomorrow to share my big news (it is 'Wedding Wednesday's around here after all!) but I couldn't contain my excitement much longer! After almost three years, Paul asked me to marry him! We had a weekend trip planned to my family's cabin in Yosemite, just the two of us. After a fun day of sight seeing, we stopped at a meadow that looked out to Half Dome and he got down on one knee and popped the question! 

I look like a goober in this picture, but it really captures the moment quite well I thought! (Can you tell I was shocked?!) After planning dozens of parties and weddings for other people, it's my turn to plan my own and I couldn't be more excited! Of course I'll be sharing all the ups and downs with you as we go along, so stay tuned!

So many reasons to love Jonathan Adler, so little time

Check out this new screen available from Jonathan Adler. . . doesn't it remind you of my blog header!? I love this! It's also available in walnut. Go here for more info.

The 'D' Word

Decorator vs. Designer. . .What's the difference?

I get asked this questions all the time! Go here to read interviews with design professionals who touch on this very topic.

via Davis Jiminez

Wedding Thumbprint Tree

Yep, it's that time again. . . Wedding Wednesday! Yesterday I made some excuses as to why I hadn't been posting much on the blog, but I COULDN'T let another Wednesday go by without sharing some fun wedding ideas!

Back in July I attended a wedding in Sacramento for some friends of ours. (I blogged about it here.) You might remember me mentioning that the lovely couple opted not to have a traditional guest book. In it's place they had a large, hand drawn tree rendered with various shades of green stamp pads set up next to it on the table. Each guest was asked to 'leaf' a thumb print and sign their name next to it. The end result looked amazing and was such a sweet way to document who attended their wedding!

via Me

If you are interested in purchasing a wedding thumbprint tree similar to the one above, you can contact the artist Syndel Metcalf - syndels@yahoo.com

Since I attended this wedding, I've starting to see this trend pop up all over the place! It's a great alternative to the traditional, old, boring guest book that's been around forever. (Which usually gets tucked away in a box after the wedding, never to be seen again.) I love this 'wedding tree' idea because it creates a custom piece of art that you can hang in your home after the wedding and is an awesome reminder of your family and friends who celebrated with you on your big day!

Etsy has a number of 'wedding trees' available for sale. Or, to make it even more personal, you or someone you know who has any sort of artistic ability could render one yourself or draw it on the computer! Take a peak at a few variations of this growing trend;

Don't forget - JPM Design offers special event styling services! Keep in mind that event decor isn't just about flowers, it's about creating an atmosphere. Contact me if you would like help customizing your wedding or special event in order to create a party that truly reflects you!