Hello Inside Out...I love you!

Such a great way to start the weekend, knowing my Love Candy Print in Lemon made it into the magazine! Big Smile. ; ) Thanks to the Polka Dot Bride Blog for sending me this scan & to Sally at Inside Out Magazine, for being such a sweetheart via email. This issue is available at Barnes & Noble now.

AS FOR ME: I'll be busy helping my guy build a bookshelf. You know, one that follows the pattern of a staircase. Will blog it when it's done. Also, find me on Twitter to see what I'm up to. Enjoy your Friday, Saturday & Sunday ladies & gents.

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Playing with Shadows

(Denim Jacket from Korea, BCBG Dress, Jewelries from F21, Marc Jacobs, and random, shoes from a bouqitue in Santa Monica)

For all my lovely readers who complained that I don't smile anymore.

hehe =)

Happy Friday

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I want a new camera.

I've been saving up money for an SLR for a while. Still need to sell more bags to make the big purchase, but to make use of what I have, I took some engagement photos of my dear friends Stu and Keris. It was so much fun! I've never had so much fun moving my friends into positions so I can photograph them. Not to mention I had to get in strange positions to get certain shots. But all-in-all, I think it was a success! :)

You can see more here.

A special thanks to Stu and Keris for being my test subjects for my up-n-coming photography career! :)

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Spring clearing - the dining room (lots of dining eye candy too!)

This room will probably be one of the easier rooms in your home. With the uprising of eat-in-kitchens many of us find our dining rooms not used. Save this room for a day when you don't have a lot of time or pair it with another task.

• Dust down the ceiling and corners
Consider if the walls in your home need to be washed. Check here for information on how to clean different wall surfaces. Don't forget air vents and switch plates.

• Dust and clean all wall art. Be careful when cleaning framed art and photographs. Never spray cleaner or water onto the frame. The liquid can seep behind the glass and damage the pictures. Instead lightly wet a clean cloth to wipe the frame and glass.

• Clean the Ceiling Fan.You know what's worse than a fly in your soup, a large chunk of dust from your ceiling fan in your soup. Dust the fan and fan blades. You may need to use a gentle cleanser like Murphy’s Oil Soap mixed with water and a cleaning cloth. Take down light fixtures and gently wash and dry them before replacing.

• Take down draperies and curtains to wash or have cleaned according to the directions. Dust down any blinds and other window treatments. Dust down and wash window sills and corners. Wash the inside and outsides of windows. Take down and rinse off screens, before replacing.

• Wash down the dining table, chairs, and any other furniture thoroughly. If you have wood furniture that needs to be oiled or waxed, do this now. If your chairs have an upholstered seat, spot clean the seats.

• Clean the carpet and rugs. You can choose to use a carpet professional, rent a cleaning machine, or vacuum and spot-treat according to soil level.

What You Need:

• Dust mop (preferably with a long handle)
• Step-ladder
• Cleaning cloths
• Small bucket with handle
• Sponges
• Vacuum with attachment
• Gentle cleanser
• Rug shampoo machine with upholstery attachment (optional)
• Spot remover for upholstery or carpets (optional)

via About.com

I'd love to know more about you guys and your homes! Which dining room comes closest to yours?

A.

B.

C.

D.

E.

F.

G.

H.

I.

J.

K.

L.

M.
Happy clearing!

images via House to Home

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who knew? part II

President Obama gave Gordon Brown a gift of hand-selected, quintessentially "American" DVDs. While laying in bed? reclining on his couch? drinking tea? in his 10 Downing Street residence, Gordon Brown inserted the first movie, anticipating a few hours of relaxation and entertainment. He pushed play and reached for a fistful of popcorn.

Guess what happened next?

The blue screen announcing that his DVD could not be viewed in his region appeared. When I heard that story on public radio I whooped I could have told you that! although it did make me feel better that the president and his staff didn't know any better than I did. (Newer readers, reference Who Knew? part I which explains why I learned about DVD regions.) After hearing that their gift didn't translate to Region 2, the Obama people sent over a new American DVD player to Gordon Brown could enjoy his movies.

This story got me to thinking about how experience is a great teacher.

(segue)
I've learned it's a bad idea to try to vacuum up an ant infestation. One simply must use poison and vacuuming up a huge population of live ants is pretty stupid.

I've learned that nail clippings and hair does not flow readily through one's sink drain. It clogs. Clogs require clearing drain traps. Drain traps are really gross.

I've learned that there's a good reason for all those open parking spots closest to the baseball diamond: fly balls.

I've learned that I need to label all my frozen vegetables from my garden with a Sharpie marker. Case in point: I made a casserole with a quart of what I thought were frozen tomatoes. It was frozen pumpkin puree. The casserole's flavor was NOT what we all expected.

I've learned that signing up your 6 year old son for a summer school class in dance will not lead to his enrichment in the arts and gender neutrality. He will NOT appreciate a gym full of girls skipping around with long twirly ribbons and steadfastly refuse to join the class. (Shut up. I let him drop the class.)

I've learned that playing tag with garden hoses with spray nozzles will definitely result in someone getting their retinas power washed. This? Is not fun.

I've learned that if you're going to have a bonfire in the woods, you absolutely have to rake all the leaves and twigs into the fire and have a wide clearing of dirt around the fire area. If you don't do this, the fire spreads kind of quickly. I've also learned that these little wildfires will burn themselves out kind of quickly, too.

I've learned that I have no business ever drinking any amount of rum.

I've learned that soggy fields full of mud are the equivalent of quicksand. If you step in, it'll keep sucking you down. Don't walk on it. Don't drive on it. Stay away from it.

I've learned that if you're having a party in your back yard, you should keep the food out of direct sunlight. Especially if it's August. And especially if it's cheese.

What has experience taught you?

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A Case Study on Sick Mom (by 5 year old child)

Mom hasn't felt well these past couple of days. Frankly she is a little hot and cold in the temper department. I have compiled this list of recent behaviors to demonstrate the demeanor of our subject, Sick Mom.

3:30 pm- Mom looks a little green but she is all smiles as she picks me up from school.
3:32 pm- Mom won't let me have ice cream from the ice cream truck. She is evil.
3:35 pm- Ask mom if we can decorate Easter Bonnet for the Easter Egg Hunt tomorrow at school. She says "Can you let me get in the door first?" Obvious hostility.
3:40pm- Mom lets me eat all the sweets I purchased today at the school fair. She is redeemed.
4:00pm- Mom on phone with Granny and keeps shoo'ing me out of the kitchen. Geez!
4:48pm- Mom offers to let us do crafts. Markers and crayons rock. She is awesome!
5:15pm- Hot dogs for dinner with BBQ chips. This woman is really trying to make me happy today.
5:56pm- Mom is yelling at me and KiKi to quit fighting. We aren't fighting. We are having a fundamental difference of opinion.
6:12pm- Mom just took away my markers for coloring on my self. That woman is a killjoy.
6:36pm- Mom says if we clean up the living room she will let us watch a movie. How is that fair?
6:54pm- Mom is a slave driver. Living room clean.
7:10pm- Mom put in Horton Hears a Who for us to watch. Score!
7:15pm- Mom even made popcorn (not the pre-popped stuff in the bag for once). Something has seriously be wrong with her.
7:50pm- KiKi and I are bored with the movie so we are running around the living room. Mom thinks this is not cool. She needs to chill.
8:24pm- Mom says we have to go to bed. Now. Gosh!

Apparently Sick Mom is a benevolent dictator. Nice enough to lull us kids into a false sense of security and then brings down the mighty hammer when we least suspect it.

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DIY Framed Art Wall in 5 Steps...

1 - You may use various sizes of frames for this project, I prefer to stick with 2-3 different sizes. Mostly 5x7's , 8x10's & a few 11x14's. I prefer to mix & match, using white & gold. Feel free to do the same or use the same color. etc. To brighten things up, you can add a couple of bright colored frames as well. It all depends on the rest of the decor within your home. If you have some old frames lying around, but they aren't the colors you want for this project, then PAINT them! That's what I did with a few of these.

2 - Draw the layout on a piece of paper as well as whatever piece of furniture will be against that wall etc.. (In my case, I aligned the frames in my drawing with my dining table as my guide).


3 - Layout the frames on the floor or table top to get an idea of where you'll place the frames & how it will appear.

4 - Now for placement of the frames on the wall, begin with the top center & work your way out.

5 - Every so often, measure the distance between each frame. Try not to go too far down or your frames may end up behind your sofa, dining table etc. (in my case, my dining table) Do you notice how my art doesn't go lower then the height of my table top? Make sure it's all proportionate to the wall. If you aren't placing any items of furniture near that wall, then you may place the frames as low or high on the wall as you see fit.

Tip: Try to maintain continuity throughout the project.

*Above- my dining room table. For more pics of my home click here.

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Michelle Smith - Smart, Sexy & Glamorous...

I came across Michelle Smith's design studio via Delight By Design Blog. She's a fashions designer who runs her own clothing line business called 'Milly'. I swear I've seen that patterned sofa (in the background) in an issue of Oprah Magazine! Anyone else seen it before?

Michelle's lofty design studio is located in the greatest place in the world, Manhattan, NY (in the garment district). I'd be excited going to work everyday if this was my studio. She describes her work studio as clean, smart, SEXY & glamorous. I'm with her on that! There is an extensive layout via Traditional Home magazine you can check out.

*Image credits: Traditional Home (photography by Squire Fox) and Net-A-Porter

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Shauna & Stephen. The Loft. The Work Studio.

Something's Hiding In Here duo, Shauna & Stephen, are a talented, young couple living in a fantastic loft in Philly. They are the type of people that LOVE to use creativity in their work. And as you can see below, creativity isn't lacking in their home either! The items they make also reflect their style....from refinished furniture to an indoor porch swing! In fact, most of the items in their place have been DIY Projects! Nice right? Not only is this where they live, but it's also the studio where they produce all their goodies. For more on this lovely loft visit their blog here and Flickr page.

Below Truly cards from their shop!

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Wallpaper divinity! Which is your fav?

I was so excited when I got a little surprise "e-troduction" in my inbox last week from Elli Popp. Their wallpaper is so luscious. I think my favorite design is Esmeralda's Reverie...but it's so tough to choose!

Oh yes, all orders place before the end of April get 20% off!


Foxy flowers?

Esmeralda's Reverie?

Crazy Ostrich?

Just Around Midnight?

Haiku?

Dede?

Butterfly Valley?

Marlene?

Bebe Palm?

Bebe?

Baroquette?

Most of these patterns come in 3 color options, and you can see those and more patterns at the Elli Popp site.

I'm liking wallpaper more and more these days...

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