VT (for all of my design-obsessed peeps)

photocourtesydesiretoinspire Peeps, Funny how this little bug just seemed to dig itself in (my body) and just hang-out (for more days than I would like).  I have been resting, drinking lots of liquids, and on two successive nights I dined at my favorite Thai restaurant, where I ate curry soup with lots of peppers.  Besides offering great Thai food at reasonable prices, Rincome (on Columbia Pike in Arlington) has a genuinely retro vibe, complete with 50's decor, tropical-inspired drinks with names only ex-pats could identify, and an assorted medley of characters in the adjacent bar who would fit perfectly in a David Lynch movie.  Also a delicious sticky rice with mango dessert that happens to be heavenly with strong, black coffee. Today's interior which I believe is located in Spain or Italy is quite playful, and seems designed (and furnished) to accommodate lots of social gatherings.  The golden wall adds a dramatic element to the room, and reminds me of t...

photocourtesyathoughtfuleyeblog Peeps, Grey skies again, and oh how tiresome already.  I realize that its only the first week of Jan and still technically early winter, but it's tiresome nevertheless.  Thankfully some design blogs and home magazines have been offering wonderful pictures of color, warmth, and visual excitement. I especially like this interior by talented Spanish designer Luis Bustamante, who employs two tall columns to dramatic effect in this high-ceilinged New York residence.  I doubt that the columns are marble, but instead most likely wonderful examples of a faux-painting technique called 'marbling,' and when executed by a skilled faux-painter, the results are stunning.  Combined here with classical statuary, lots of books, and bursts of red, one could almost forget about the dreary, cold day outside. Please enjoy today's visual treat, as well as the first weekend of 2012. Sincerely, Shane

photocourtesycoloroutsidethelinesblog Peeps, It's grey and cloudy here in Washington (DC), and with the wind whipping things around (and the temperature at 32 degrees), no one wants to venture outside for very long.  I love living here for the change of seasons, with beautiful springs and glorious autumnal displays of falling leaves; sure the months of July and August are brutally hot, yet when compared to parts of Texas, it ain't so bad.  Still the grey and gloomy weeks of Jan and Feb are real downers, and makes me wonder why last year, so many eager-beavers jumped on the grey/griege bandwagon when it came time to pick a wall color.  It's bad enough to see it--meaning grey--outside, but to live surrounded by it.  Please!!  Honey, you'd better make it a double and forget the rocks. Today's featured interior makes me smile and feel a little more cheerful.  All my favorite things are here; books on Istanbul and African textiles; folk-art, an...

photocourtesyphotoproblemviacolorsoflife Peeps, I am hopelessly drawn to the worn and battered, darned and mended; objects, environs, and individuals who seem to have experienced life in all its complexity, or simplicity if we remember the teachings of wiser heads.  Today's visual treat is of a sitting room, or home office where the purpose of reading or writing remains foremost.  To some it may seem that the look of the room is of little concern to the dweller, for it is not 'done' in the conventional sense.  Yet there is much to delight the eye (as well as nurture the spirit): natural rugs which offer warmth and comfort, stacked books suggest an inquisitive and intellectual disposition, and hung artwork certainly suggests an interest in the representation of our reality (via the vehicle of art). On the book-stands pushed against the walls, three objects capture my eye.  First, the white bust of a child, possibly a store mannequin, or a childhood doll. ...

photocourtesydesiretoinspire Peeps, Accompanying the chills was a head-ache and overall body ache, then sneezing, followed by a racking cough and the sense of a 12/24/36 or 48 hour flu bug residing deep within me.  Calls of regret had to me quickly made, and plans for revelry and continuous merriment to mark the coming of the new year had to be shelved.  NyQuil, homemade soup, and lots of rest seemed to do the trick, and thankfully today I am almost back to my former self.  So glad that back in November I took Nurse Jane's advice to get a flu shot, because so many other folks are still bed-ridden (or house-bound). The creative team and I have lots of visual treats planned for this coming year, and we are all so excited to share them with you (that I almost wish that I could fast-forward time, but that in itself presents lots of problems, such as logistics, and concerns of an existential kind.  Not to mention the antics of the you-know-who(s) in Iowa tomorrow...