Joyful Delight

Hello World!

2010-08-12T19:51:00.000-07:00

My apologies for the delay between posts. I've been busy working on my nature-inspired stationery line amongst other things. I'm going to recommit myself to weekly posts.

So in exchange for your patience, I've decided to share a few new images with you. The one above is of a gorgeous white hydrangea from Trader Joes. I purchased them July 28th and they are still thriving. I've had them scattered around the house in little bud vases/jars. They've brought me happiness with each glance. There is no substitute for fresh flowers in a home. The bouquet was approx. $6 and they've lasted nearly two weeks!

This next set of images is from my trip to Valley View Farms in Cockeysville, MD.

They are an excellent albeit expense resource for everything garden.

They have amazing pots....

and plants. They also have a huge water garden supply center and tons of patio & outdoor entertaining supplies. If you're ever in the area you should make a point to visit Valley View Farms.

Custom Rubber Stamps

2010-07-03T13:26:00.000-07:00

I have an obsession with rubber stamps and stationery. I just created the two return address stamps below... what do you think?

A Beautiful Portrait

2010-06-03T19:55:00.000-07:00

I love this painting by Lisa Falzon. She's a talented artist, writer & entrepreneur of Irish descent. I adore the red bow against her dark hair. I also love her dark dress against her alabaster complexion. This image inspired a series of images for a digital comic. To see the rest I encourage you to visit this link.

Below are two other images the first is based on Snow White and the second is depicting a relationship between Josephine and Napoleon Bonaparte.

Photography and Prop Styling

2010-04-19T09:41:00.000-07:00

I spent about three years of my professional career working in the photography industry as a Senior Photo Editor for Black & Decker. I was involved with everything from prop selection to location scouting. I loved working with talented photographers like Brion Mc Carthy of Apparition Studio. I have a great deal of respect for anyone who is involved in the photo industry because I realize the amount of work that goes into creating a master piece like this one below by prop stylist Barb Fritz.

I saw a posting about Barb on one of my favorite blogs, decor8 To see some of the images I was involved with visit my behance portfolio.

My NEW website

2010-03-26T10:05:00.000-07:00

I've been very busy trying to learn iweb, dreamweaver, html & more. Please visit my new website and let me know what you think. Thank you!

Ready for Spring

2010-02-17T09:17:00.000-08:00

I've been buried under a pile of school books & 56+ inches of snow for nearly two weeks. The snow was beautiful at first but now it is icy & gray. I can not wait for spring, green grass & flowers! Above are a few photos I took at a greenhouse in Harford Co. in spring of 07. I think I may need to visit the National Arboretum in order to survive this winter on a positive note. I miss sunny days and flowers!

Turkey Chili

2010-02-05T21:06:00.000-08:00

We are expecting up to 24 inches of snow within the next 24 hours. I thought it would be a good night for a hot bowl of Turkey Chili. I used the recipe from 24 hour fitness. I also made some corn bread and rice. Yummmmmmmie!

I am in love

2010-01-26T20:00:00.000-08:00

with my first ever MacBook Pro Laptop! I have several work issued laptops over the past 5+ years and now I have my very own! This is a proud day. I'm a very happy girl. I feel like celebrating. I think I'm going to buy some champagne to drink as I boot it up! Whoha!

Belvedere Square

2010-01-24T20:00:00.000-08:00

My mom and I enjoyed a late lunch last Sunday at Belvedere Square Market. Below are a few snapshots from our trip.

Wilson Heritage

2010-01-24T19:38:00.000-08:00

This weekend I found a great local resource for lamp repair & restoration. Wilson Heritage is located in the heart of Towson at 10 Towsontown Blvd E. They specialize in antique repairs but they can work on modern lamps as well. They also have a great selection of vintage lamps & lighting accessories. Below are a few photos from my visit.

They also have some great vintage signage hanging around the shop.

I love their vintage inspired sign which was hand painted by their cashier.

A Beautiful New Blog

2010-01-20T17:15:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone!

I'm writing to share a new photo blog that features beautiful imagery of collections. The photo above is from Lisa Congdon's inspirational blog. She appears to have a supertastic art career & her home has been featured on apartment therapy, a fab interior design blog.

I discovered this new blog while reading DesignMom which is written by Gabrielle Blair. She blogs about the intersection of design & motherhood. Mrs. Blair & her sister Jordan Ferney of Oh Happy Day are blog genii.

I was inspired to create a photo blog as a new years resolution but I didn't put any restrictions around what I actually photograph. I currently work from home so most images are of things in and or around my home. I really like the idea of photographing a collection and I kind of wish I thought of it! Brilliant idea Lisa!

So after being asked by Mrs. Blair about my collection I got to thinking. I have a thing for wooden cigar boxes, artsy stamps, office/craft supplies, kitchen tools & foreign currency. If I had to pick a favorite it would be the currency.

As a design lover I've always been fascinated by the artwork on banknotes. Today while cleaning my office I came across the cigar box which houses my modest collection. While admiring each thoughtfully crafted piece and I've come to the conclusion that I need to do two things:

1. Archive it digitally

2. Find a way to display the best pieces

I have a lot of stuff going on right now with getting back to school and trying to get healthy but I will make this currency collection project a rainy day/summertime thing and I'll post about my solutions.

Below is a quick snapshot of my collection which can also be seen on my photo a day blog {project postponed until next year} I really need to set up a mini make shift studio and get a camera with an image stabilizer.

Attention: Good news for Couch Potatoes!

2010-01-12T20:39:00.000-08:00

I'm loving a new trend in interior design and I thought I should share it with you! Apparently, it is in vogue to push a dining table up to a couch! Helloooo, why didn't I think of this?! This is way more chic than using a dreadful tv tray!

This new trend combines two of my favorite leisure activites - relaxing on the couch and eating. This probably sounds really bad since it is still January and I'm working on my healthy lifestyle overhaul but I could TOTALLY imagine drinking some fresh squeezed oj while reading the saturday paper after a good workout right at the table below! Images are from a fab blog called delight by design.

I'm totally feeling this first look!

Hello world!

2010-01-11T20:35:00.000-08:00

I'm writing this blog because I found myself enjoying blogs like Oh Happy Day & Nie Nie Dialogues. I'm not sure what this blog will do for me but I enjoy hosting it. I also take pleasure in looking back at my posts and reflecting on the experiences I've had as time quickly passes by.

I know you are reading this blog because of the nifty sitemeter service I've subscribed to. I can see most of your IP addresses but I don't know exactly who you are, how old you are or what we have in common.

I know that some of my readers are outside of the US. I love checking the world map feature in sitemeter to see the pinpoints of my recent visitors. Folks from Denmark, Germany, France, London, Asia & Brazil have stopped by.

Some of you found this blog by searching for restaurants or destinations in Baltimore, MD. Others have found it by googling Paula Scher, The National Stationery Show, love birds or the Bedford Post Inn all of which I blogged about last year.

I want to hear from you. What do you think? Am I any good at blogging? I never got a handbook or any training ; )

It would be incredible to be highlighted by Times Online like those of you who were mentioned in The Top 50 Design Blogs. I've spent a lot of time thinking about this blog, my audience & what I want to communicate. I wonder if the Top 50 Design Blogs are successful because they focus only on DESIGN? I have thoughts about the design world. I was an in house graphics designer for several years before I was a photo editor. Should I narrow my focus and write only about design? I also like cooking, entertaining and interior design. My love of design & aesthetics has permeated my entire life. As a visual person and I find beauty in everyday things/experiences.

I'm proud to say that a design thought leader noticed my blog. Ingrid Fetell, the creative mind behind the Asthesics of Joy, referenced one of my post about Patterns of the World which was inspired by Pentagram's @issue online zine.

I also have gotten two interesting emails because of my blog 1) from a gentleman asking if I would be interested in helping his company (a stationery manufacturer) sell their stuff and another from a housewares company who would be interested in sponsoring a giveaway.

The giveaway sounds cool. What do you think? Do you want a chance at winning something in a giveaway? I think I need to learn more about what these offers entail before I make any commitments. Keep the emails coming. I'll give them some thought and get back to you!

Unless you speak up I'm going to limit my future postings to twice a week so I can spend some quality time learning html, xhtml & css. I'd like to fix my lame blog layout. I'll continue to post to my daily photo blog as part of my news years resolution so stop on by and let me know what you think.

Finally, I'm going to use more of my free time to work on developing a line of stationery so I can get a booth at the 2011 National Stationery show in NYC. I feel like I should at least give it a try since I've been thinking about it for five years or so.

Well, its late and I've got some client services activities I need to take care of tomorrow. Thanks for stopping by and please leave me a comment sometime.

Good night.
Nancy

FOOD everyday - THE LIGHT ISSUE

2010-01-06T17:38:00.000-08:00

I'm not a subscriber to FOOD but I'm looking to replace a few of the unhealthy recipes I rely on so I figured I'd pick up a copy. This months issue is filled with light & healthy solutions which just so happens to perfectly coincided with about 90% of the New Years resolutions I & many others have ever made.

I love the zines size. It is great to carry with you while you shop because it is no larger than a readers digest. I also love that they also include prep tips. I've never done stirfry at home before. I didn't have a wok so I picked one up at a local oriental market. It was only $12.

I made the stir-fried honey-ginger chicken with peppers recipe from page 88.

It was so good! While creating this post I realized this recipe was for 4 servings and my husband and I ate the entire thing ourselves. OOOoops! I guess we need to watch the portions and drink more water before we eat.

I'm going to try out a few more recipes from this magazine this month. I'm pleased with the first experience. The recipe was very simple to follow and the ingredients weren't too exotic which made shopping fairly easy. I think I might even dvr FOOD on PBS.

Photo Wall & Movie Interiors

2010-01-05T17:28:00.000-08:00

While my husband & I were dating I helped him to renovate the basement of our 1950's town home. We tore out the old carpet & paneling. We expanded the living space, redid the bathroom and reshaped the wall along the staircase that descends into the room. We used neutral toned furniture which I had, had in my single girl living room to furnish the space. The only thing we haven't done is hang art. I'd like to do a wall of photos.

Check out this one below from a recent Pottery Barn catalog.

I also loved the wall of art shown in the Devil Wears Prada.

I've always taken notice of the interior design in movies. Some of my favorites were in Nancy Meyers films produced within the last 7 yrs which includes The Holiday (2006) & Something's Gotta Give (2003.) I also liked It's Complicated (2009) but I'm not sure if the interior designer was the same as the others.

After a little googling I've discovered the genius/interior designer, James Radin, responsible for both The Holiday & Something's Gotta Give. I've actually bought the movies above on dvd because of how much I loved the interior design. Below are some images of the interiors shown in the films listed above.

If you would like to duplicate the looks below you may want to visit silverscreensurroundings.blogspot.com for tips on where to find the furniture shown.

Something's Gotta Give images via here, here, here & here

The Holiday images via here

It's Complicated image via here

Oh & FYI while researching for this post I also discovered that Mitchell Johnson was the painter of paintings shown in more than one of Nancy Meyers films. Go here to read more.

This is a detail shot of the painting shown in the It's Complicated set above. Image via http://brillantehomedecor.blogspot.com/

After Christmas Sale

2010-01-03T14:30:00.000-08:00

I went to the mall today to check out the holiday decor sales and I found the larger stockings pictured above at Pottery Barn for only $6.99! I bought 6 of them because I figured they'd be nice to have for our future child/ren and the rest we can use as gifts! I've been wanting these for a while and I'm so glad I finally have them. I'll get them embroidered in early November so we can use them this December.

Happy New Year

2010-01-01T20:56:00.000-08:00

My husband & I were lucky enough to have off this past joy-filled week. During the last 11 days we've been both guests and hosts. We've imbibed great wine, enjoyed fine foods and watched lots of late night tv knowing that we had the luxury of being able to sleep in.

On New Years Eve, we partied into the earlier morning hours with family & friends at an Oyster Bar in Federal Hill, MD. Today, January 1st, was perfectly peaceful. Like most people, I’ve been thinking about my/our plans for the New Year. I have a feeling that 2010 is going to be very special. We're going to:

continue our education to further advance our careers. (Registered 01/04)
start looking for a new, more spacious home. (Maybe this fall)
and finally (mid-year) we may attempt to start a family. (Scary but exciting!)

For my personal goals, I am going to:

Get healthy. I'm going to do it by learning about fitness & nutrition. I'm currently looking for a healthy cooking class and starting Jan 4th., I'll be hitting the gym 4 days a week.
Be regularly creative. Life can get distracting. I want to commit to a creative side project to keep the juices flowing.

After spending some time looking at the blogs that inspire me I’ve decided on the regular creative project. Stephanie of Nie Nie Dialogues posted about starting a photo blog which will involve taking a photo a day. She was inspired by the book 3191, A Year of Mornings. "It's a collection of photographs taken by two friends who live across the country from each other. The pictures - two for every day of the year - are gorgeous and inspiring." - Real Simple.

I was one class short of minoring in photography in under grad. I’ve worked with photographers for years. Plus I love taking photos so a photo blog seems totally doable for me (even though I'd like a better camera then the one I have now.) If you'd like to follow my photo-a-day posts please visit my new blog http://365photosbyjoyfuldelight.blogspot.com/

Happy New Year Everyone!

2009-12-31T12:07:00.000-08:00

Photo via CityPaper.com

A Very, Merry Christmas

2009-12-26T15:44:00.000-08:00

St. Ignatius, Forest Hill, MD

I had a wonderful Christmas with my family. I'm so grateful for the people in my life. I hope you are all enjoying this time with the people who mean the most to you.

Canadian Geese

2009-12-23T15:22:00.000-08:00

My brother is a talented craftsman and while working on a clients log cabin this week he saw these beautiful Canadian Geese hanging in an exterior storage shed.

This shot was taken with a cell phone so it is low res but I love the muted colors & the composition. This kind of reminds me of an Andrew Wyeth painting. My mom gave me a gigantic coffee table book on Wyeth. He was such a talent!

A Winter Wonder

2009-12-23T12:35:00.000-08:00

Check out the icicles we had as a result of last weekend's snowstorm.

CLICK THE IMAGE FOR A LARGER VIEW

These were hanging above our kitchen entry way. It was a little scary so I knocked them off before using the door.

Christmas Packages Tied Up with String

2009-12-23T12:24:00.000-08:00

I love wrapping gifts. I like to use a quality paper and creative adornments. I'd prefer to create my own paper but I need to investigate a cost effective large format printing method. I've used plotter printers in the past but I don't currently own or have access to one. This Christmas I used red & white paper, bakers twine, red & white book plate labels & a "With Love" stamp with red ink. I'm happy with the way they turned out.

The packages look soooo pretty under the tree, I hate to move them but I've got to give them away!

Last Minute Christmas Wish List Item

2009-12-20T10:07:00.000-08:00

Since we were snowed in this weekend I was able to catch up on lots of my holiday to do list items. Afterwards we spent some well deserved time drinking eggnog in front of the tv. We watched Home Alone, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and Four Christmases.

After my husband shoveled our property for the second time in two days he made his way out to enjoy some football and beer drinking with the boys. I took advantage of having the house to myself and watched several of the Martha Stewart episodes that have been taking up precious space on our DVR.

I admit, I'm addicted to Martha. I wish I could have a house like hers...

Photo via NY Daily News

do craft projects all of the time...

travel, garden and make all of our food from scratch. Ok so back to reality...I would settle for my current fabulous life if I had the new KitchenAid Pasta Press she featured on one of her recent FLN shows. It is so cool...

Pasta Press Photos From Williams & Sonoma's Website

You can make small and large macaroni, bucatini (thick hollow tubes), spaghetti, fusilli (corkscrews) and rigatoni (short ribbed tubes).

Pasta Press Photos From Williams & Sonoma's Website

I have never made pasta from scratch before. This attachment makes it seem easy! I immediately went to Macys.com but they don't carry it. This new product is only available at Williams & Sonoma for $179. I read on google that it may be in Macy's next year. I'm sure it will be at a more reasonable price point, at least I hope so!

If you want to learn more about this product you can see a video on Williams & Sonoma's website.

Holiday Eye Candy

2009-12-19T20:02:00.000-08:00

I love this wreath by Sharnel at My Life, My Loves. If you like reading blogs I suggest you bookmark hers.

She has great taste and very creative posts. I really love her recent posts on how to make CandyCane treats...

& Reindeer cookies, YUM!

Homemade Peanut Swirl Brownies

2009-12-19T13:51:00.000-08:00

I've been so busy with all of the holiday to do's. Our friends had a holiday party and they asked us to bring brownies. I felt like it would be cheating to use a box mix. So I made homemade brownies for the first time ever. I used an Ina Gartner recipe I found on FoodNetwork.com. The Peanut Swirl Brownies were AMAZING! You must try them!

Merry & Bright

2009-12-11T06:44:00.000-08:00

Our Holiday cards are finally ready to ship. I had a minor set back this past week. My printer broke so I had to redesign the card and have it printed at Target's Photo center. I went with a completely different design. I used an image from our wedding. It turned out really well. We love it! Our envelopes are Champagne Metallic and they match my husband's vest and tie from our wedding.

Our names have been cropped out for privacy.

I found the envelopes at Paperandmore.com.

I also designed our mailing labels. I used 8.5 x 11 clear label paper which is much softer looking than a bright white label paper. I hand painted the snowflake and digitized it.

The labels wrap around the back of the envelope to reveal a return address and the following holiday message "May Your Days Be Merry & Bright!"

A Christmassy Weekend

2009-12-07T17:08:00.000-08:00

Photo via flickr

Our weekend was action packed with Holiday festivities. Friday night we saw the Nutcracker at the Hippodrome. Parking was easy and cheap at $8. The theater wasn't at full capacity so the bar on our level was closed. The drinks were $7 each and very small. The theater was stunningly beautiful! I was very impressed with the costumes but the music was piped in which was disappointing. The overall experience was exactly what we needed to get into the holiday spirit.

On Saturday we woke up to a beautiful snowy scene which was the perfect start to our traditional family cookie day. My husband's parents hosted, as usual. We made close to 200 Italian cookies with a recipe that has been passed down from the previous generations.

We had a wonderful day! It was extra special because my new nephew was there! He is such a cutie, isn't he?

His mom is the most stylin' mom I know and she hired Little Moon Photography Co. (an extremely talented photographer) to shoot some newborn photos. Every shot turned out great. Go here to see more.

On Sunday, My mom and I went to The Shops at Kenilworth to see the train display which is just as much a delight for adults as it is for children. They had everything including a miniature dunkin donuts which had a parking lot full of cop cars.

Afterwards my mom bought some new ornaments at Stebbins Anderson. Most ornaments are $30 - $50 but they are having a 20% off sale til Christmas eve. They have a wide selection of holiday decor.

Photos from here & here

Christmas in Hampden,MD

2009-12-02T20:03:00.000-08:00

I love this shot via Idle Type's photostream. I think this may have been taken the year my husband and I made the trek to city to check out the Avenue. It was our first and last time. The traffic was insane. In my opinion this picture captures the best part of the Hampden holiday experience.

Bedford Post Inn

2009-12-01T21:37:00.000-08:00

If I had a bucket list it would definitely would include:

• spend a long weekend with my husband at Richard Gere's Bedford Post Inn in New York.

By the way, I'm in love with the logo & website! The logo was designed by Louise Fili! Check out her site.

Eye Catching Winter Wear

2009-12-01T20:54:00.000-08:00

I found these incredible Victorian inspired cuff collars on Esty today. They are so feminine & unique. I'd like to have one or two. The cuffs aren't bad either but I'm not sure I could pull them off.

Checkout out the designers shop out on Esty.

Fall Flower Arrangement

2009-11-30T11:47:00.000-08:00

We had a small dinner party this weekend with a couple who joined us in Mexico for our wedding. I made this centerpiece from flowers I picked up at Trader Joes. They had a great selection.

My First Pumpkin Pie

2009-11-29T20:45:00.000-08:00

I've been busy with many new holiday projects and it has been hard to keep up with the blog. My in laws asked me to bring a pumpkin pie to their house for dinner last Saturday. I had never made a pie before but my husband encouraged me to try it. I was willing to accept the challenge.

I found this recipe by Paula Dean on FoodNetwork.com then I made my way out to pick up some baking tools & the ingredients. I found a pastry mat & a cool new pyrex pie dish with grip rite handles.

I picked this recipe because it called for pre-made pie dough. I knew I needed to focus all of my energy on the filling. I used a Betty Crocker pie dough mix. After mixing up the dough with my Kitchen Aid I shaped it into a ball and then tried to roll it out. It was hard to get the dough into a circular shape. I later learned on Martha Stewart's show that it is better to shape the crust into a disc rather than a ball. You're supposed to place the disc onto a floured surface and turn it after each roll.

The recipe suggested I buy a 2lb bag of dry beans or pie weights. I had never heard of pie weights. I had some trouble finding them so I went with the dry beans. I prewashed them & dried them in the oven before using them to weigh down the crust.

Per the recipe I baked the crust with the beans for 10mins and then again without the beans. Afterwards I had a nicely cooked crust to fill.

I learned that pie crust shrink and that I shouldn't have trimmed mine so closely but overall my first pumpkin pie turned out pretty good.

I had a much more raised filling surface but I smoothed it out with a icing applicator. I had fun & learned a lot. My next pie should be perfect!

Love Birds

2009-11-17T05:26:00.000-08:00

My mom always refers to my husband and I as the "Love Birds." I thought of that when making our Christmas cards this year. After I designed the cards I googled Love Birds to see if the imagery I created made sense and would read as a pair of Love Birds. Most of the birds were side by side but I did see a few that were kissing.

During my google search I came across this beautiful "Love Bird" rug by Thomas Paul on Domestic Modern.com

Isn't it pretty? You can go here to see more from the collection.

Christmas Card Design

2009-11-17T05:24:00.000-08:00

I've spent some time designing our Christmas cards. This is our first Christmas as a married couple. Below is a sneak peak of the work in progress. I hand painted the birds, snowflakes & holly with watercolor. Then I scanned them in and cleaned them up in Photoshop. This mock up was printed on crapy white copier paper. I am in the process of ordering a nice linen card stock & champagne metallic envelopes. I will also be designing custom address labels to match the theme. I used a satin ribbon but I may see what else is available at my local craft store. I wish I lived near The Ribbonerie in San Francisco. Does anyone know of a cool ribbon store in the Baltimore?

I'll post a styled photo once our card is complete.

Note: In my spare time I create wedding invitations, stationery, baby announcements, invitations, cards and much more. Email me at JoyfulDelightDesign@gmail.com to get started on your custom design.

Shoes A Poem by John Foster

2009-11-16T13:43:00.000-08:00

Red shoes, blue shoes, old shoes, new shoes, shoes that are comfy, shoes that are tight, shoes that are black, shoes that are white. Shoes with buckles, shoes with bows, shoes that are narrow, and pinch your toes. Shoes that are yellow, shoes that are green, shoes that are dirty, shoes that are clean. Shoes for cold weather, shoes for when it’s hot. Shoes with laces that get tangled in a knot!

I wouldn't mind having a few of these cool shoe storage cabinets from Ikea.

Kitchen Faucet Search

2009-11-12T10:32:00.000-08:00

We are shopping for a replacement faucet for our kitchen. We aren't going to be in this house for much longer so I'm not looking to own my dream faucet. I've found two options from PricePfister that are worth considering. The first one is called the Avalon.

I like the idea of having an integrated soap dispenser which would help us to avoid counter clutter.

I also like the Ashfield shown below. I'm leaning towards the Ashfield because I prefer the lighter colored spray nozzle screen.

In case you are wondering, my dream faucet would be the Delta Touch, Single Handle Pull-Down with Soap Dispenser, in Chrome.

Aren't the counter tops in this Delta faucet image Beautiful?! I'd like to have them in my dream kitchen!

Oh and if you love looking at beautiful homes you should make a point to visit ThingsThatInspire.net

Lovely Cork Board Idea

2009-11-12T10:19:00.000-08:00

I love these fabric covered cork boards. I found them on the site Jordan of Oh Happy Day linked to when posting about a red painted credenza. The cork board designer (aka genius) is Jenny of Pearl Street Interiors. I love her blog!

Searching for a Chimney Sweep

2009-11-12T08:43:00.000-08:00

We live in a 1950's brick townhome in the county. We have an end of group unit with a fireplace. When my husband first bought the home he was a bachelor. At the time, we enjoyed many bottles of wine and caught up on lots of movies while enjoying the fireplace.

These past two years we were busy with home repairs, family get-togethers & planning for our wedding. By the time we sat down to relax we had forgotten to call a chimney sweep. Now that things have settled down, we want to get the chimney back into working condition. We'd like to have it done within the next two weeks so we could enjoy the fireplace while hosting some small dinner parties for our friends who we wouldn't normally get to see during the busy holiday season.

This morning I spent some time on the Chimney Safety Institute of America's website to find a CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep in our area. To my dismay, most of the companies are booked through til the end of December. I'm still waiting to hear back from one more company before I'm forced to accept such a late appointment. Next year I'll plan to call in August. I hope someone is able to help us before Thanksgiving!

For those of you interested in enjoying your hearth this winter you may want to check out Fireplace 411 By Lisa Ann Smith on RealSimple.com. The article has some great tips, Enjoy!

UPDATE: I've got an appt. for a chimney sweep! Just in time for Thanksgiving! Yay!

Historic Candlelight House Tours

2009-11-09T18:23:00.000-08:00

I had a fantastic Friday night! My mom & I went to Annapolis, MD to take advantage of the opportunity to tour some amazing homes that were built in the 1890's.

Unfortunately, they wouldn't allow photography indoors but I have a few exterior shots to share.

{My Mom, I love her so much!}

It was so neat to go into someone else's home and see how they have restored it. I definitely have a new found appreciate for older homes. Plus I got tons of new decorating ideas. Did you know they didn't have kitchens in homes in the 1890's? The new kitchens, although tiny for the most part, were AMAZING! They all had premier counter tops and cabinetry, except for one place. That place was owned by a smoker and you could tell within the first 2 seconds of being in there - wheh - Yuk! We walked right in and went straight through to the back door. The stink house also had a spiral metal staircase which seemed very out of place. Each home even the stinky one had great art. I didn't shoot an exterior shot of the stinky house.

{I love the flower basket, isn't it darling!}

I saw tons of old family photos, ancient frames, turkish rugs and collectible artifacts that had been passed down from generation to generation. Plates seemed to be a popular item to hang on the wall. Each of the homes had antique furniture, sconces, exposed brick, hardwood floors and very nice appliances. For the most part the appliances were new but some of them were designed to look vintage.

I snuck in this one interior shot because I want to try this technique in our house.

{Sorry about the feet}

I just need to get my husband to go away long enough for me to pull it off because it is much easier to ask for forgiveness then permission. Shhh!

My most favorite house had all the great historic things plus it had the biggest and most decked out kitchen and outdoor space of them all!

{My Most Favorite House}

{My Most Favorite House - Garden Area}

{My Most Favorite House - View of the kitchen from the Garden}

{My Most Favorite House - View of the living room from the street}

For more information about this and other fun events in Annapolis, click here.

"Don't Let Anyone Turn You Around"

2009-11-05T16:23:00.000-08:00

Studio portrait of Amelia Earhart, c. 1932. (original source: http://www.freeinfosociety.com/ site.php?postnum=46)

Despite lukewarm reviews, my mom & I went to see Amelia last Thursday evening. It was beautifully styled. The 1930's clothing, cars and planes were worth the cost of admission. And yes, Hillary Swank did a fantastic job of bringing the inspirational icon to life.

We all know Amelia Earhart was a adventurer but I had no idea how unconventional she was! She was very resistant to marriage. I read on wikipedia that she broke off her first engagement to Samuel Chapmen in 1928. Afterwards she became intimate with Putnam who was instrumental in her launch to stardom. Putman proposed to Amelia six times before she finally agreed. She never lost site of her personal dreams and sense of individuality. I was very shocked to learn that on the day of her marriage she sent her husband to be a hand written note which said the following: "I want you to understand I shall not hold you to any midaevil ([sic]) code of faithfulness to me nor shall I consider myself bound to you similarly."

Amelia accomplished so much in her short life. It is a shame that her endless desire to take risks ended up causing her demise. If she wasn't such a robust thrill seeker would we be celebrating her life today? There was one line in the movie that really moved me,"Don't Let Anyone Turn You Around." Electrifying, isn't it?

In the video below Kristin Lubbin from the International Center of Photography talks about the exhibit, 'Amelia Earhart: Image and Icon', which features photographs of the legendary pilot. (Video: Jon Groat)

Gorgeous Glitter Greetings

2009-11-03T11:23:00.000-08:00

I make a point to stop in to Anthropoligie on a regular basis because they're constantly updating their in-store displays. Their visual designers are so very talented. I always leave feeling inspired. During my last trip I found some darling Vintage Holiday postcards by a San Francisco based company called Cavallini & Co.

I looked them up today at lunch and discovered that they have many other beautiful things to choose from like:

Rubber Stamps

Note Books

Gift Tags

To learn more about Cavallini & Co. visit their new website.

Dinner Tonight

2009-11-02T12:10:00.000-08:00

I'm making Chicken Tacos with Charred Tomatoes tonight. I've got to do something to balance out all of the halloween treats from this weekend. The recipe can be found at EatingWell.com

Beauteous Beadazzled

2009-10-30T06:55:00.000-07:00

My favorite local bead store has just relaunched their website.

Beadazzled is the best brick & mortar resource in Baltimore for jewelry making supplies. I've found the staff to be extremely helpful and creative.

I picked up all the supplies at Beadazzled in Baltimore to make the necklace below.

Creative Clocks on Etsy

2009-10-28T12:08:00.000-07:00

I'm tempted to buy this super creative turntable clock created by Pixel This shown on Etsy.com.

I'm not crazy about most of the hardrive clocks they offer but the ipod one is pretty rad.

Fall Comfort Food

2009-10-27T11:17:00.000-07:00

As you know I'm addicted to Real Simple magazine. I picked up one of their recipe books a few years back. Now that I'm married, and cooking for two, I feel pressure to mix things up a bit to make sure we don't fall into a dinner rut. I recently tried this Pasta with Broccoli Rabe and Sausage recipe. It has become one of our favorites...

A Must See Halloween Movie

2009-10-27T08:26:00.000-07:00

I would like to watch this heartwarming Charlie Brown classic with my nieces this week!

Fall Photos

2009-10-25T17:12:00.000-07:00

I decided to take the long way home from Harford to Baltimore County today. Luckily, I had my camera with me. The weather was gorgeous.

I was hoping to stop into Grier's Nursey in Forest Hill, MD but unfortunately they were closed. I haven't been to Grier's since I moved out of Harford Co. It is a remarkable place.

I hope you enjoyed the weekend too!

Guess who's back....

2009-10-23T12:20:00.000-07:00

Remember that song "Meet Virgina"? Well if you liked it you'll be happy to know that Train is back & will be touring with Uncle Kracker!!! We're going to catch the upcoming show at Ram's Head Live, Baltimore on November 13th. Train's new album is scheduled to release on Oct. 26th.

Houseware WishList Item

2009-10-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

Check out these awesome pistachio bowls from Delight.com I want one in every color. They'd be great for a big party! I download podcasts of the Today Show and they had these featured as a HOT giftable item, HINT HINT!

Image via Delight.com

A Jewelry Fair at The Walters Art Gallery

2009-10-20T15:20:00.000-07:00

According to the post card above the shows runs from Nov. 20-22, 2009 however there are other jewelry related events prior to the 20th which are listed here. I'm most interested in the Jewelry-making demonstrations scheduled for Nov. 17th. The image below lists the participating jewelers.

Cool Event at Woodberry Kitchen

2009-10-19T20:19:00.000-07:00

If I lived closer I'd so walk to this....

Beach Weekend Recap (Better Late than Never)

2009-10-19T13:59:00.000-07:00

So a few weekends back my husband and I went away for a long weekend at the beach. We stayed in Delaware but spent most of our time in Ocean City.

On Friday afternoon/early evening we stopped by Sunfest. Unfortunately, we were underwelmed.

The crowd was much older, the bands were unrecognizable and the vendors were mediocre at best. Plus the windy weather made it hard to stay warm.

There wasn't much of a turn out...

Before we left we walked through the vendor tents. I liked these outdoor sculptures by Garden Bits & Pieces...

and I found some cool bugs on display...

They had some ugly bugs too...

I have to admit though it was neat to be able to check them out. I would have never gotten this close if any of them would have been alive.

On Saturday we checked out this amazing new crab house called the Crab Bag. It was a great experience. This place was newly remodeled, exceptionally clean & the staff were super friendly! We waited about 40mins at the bar for a table. The calamari was crisp & well cooked but the portion was very small ($9) & we paid about a dollar a piece - ouch!

Overall, despite the name, we were very pleased with the price & quality of the crabs. This place was WAY better than Hoopers!

On Sunday we checked out our first (& maybe last) NasCar race.

First, I want to THANK GOD for earplugs! It was sooo loud. It was also very exicting. There was a big crash, you can watch it here. Thankfully the driver survived. In fact he ended up finishing the race in another car!

Overall it was a great weekend getaway!!!

Fall Wardrobe Wish List Item

2009-10-19T13:30:00.000-07:00

I love these boots from JCrew. I saw them here. Any one want to lend me $345? Like them too? You can buy them here ; )

Summer 09

2009-10-18T18:24:00.000-07:00

I took the photos below in June of this year.

I can't believe how quickly this year has flown by...

I miss painting. If I ever painted again I think I'd like to try my hand at landscapes. In undergrad, I studied fine art. I took several painting & photography classes. In fact I even had a show once at the Minás Gallery. At the time, the gallery was located in Fells Point. Minás has since moved to Hampdem. I've been thinking about making a trip up to the attic to dig out my easel & paint supplies.

New York, I Love You

2009-10-16T08:49:00.000-07:00

I want to see this...

Check out the trailer!

Guess who I'm spending my Friday night with?

2009-10-15T20:21:00.000-07:00

That's right... Ray Lamontagne!

I am the very proud owner of two tickets to tonights show at the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in Baltimore!! I can't wait to see you Ray!

His much anticipated third album, Gossip In The Grain, was just release this week on RCA records. I wonder if they'll be available at the show...

3 Fun Fall Finds for Under $10 each

2009-10-15T19:24:00.000-07:00

I found the most adorable doorstop at TJ Max! He was so well priced I picked up 2!! Isn't he cute?

I also got this great candle by Michel Design Works. It may be cold and rainy outside but it is toasty inside and the house is filled with the scent of a fall harvest. I love it! (I actually bought the candle because I like the packaging. Check out the link above to Michel Design Works and you'll see many other products with equally nice packaging)

Last but not least I found a 3 pack of mini pumpkin candles. Two days later I found the same exact candles in a Pottery Barn catalog for 3X the price!

Attention Meat Lovers! - CANCELLED as of 10-15-09

2009-10-12T09:48:00.000-07:00

One of my most favorite restaurants in this region, Woodberry Kitchen, is hosting a Sausage Festival on Sunday. I'm not sure if our schedule will allow us to go but if we can, we will.

The Dutch Connection

2009-10-12T09:41:00.000-07:00

I picked up some beautiful pansies this weekend at The Dutch Connection in Belvedere Square. They won "Baltimore's Best" florist this year.

Did you know that "the name pansy is derived from the French word pensée meaning "thought", and was so named because the flower resembles a human face; in August it nods forward as if deep in thought."

They have lots of colors to choose from. If your in Baltimore County you should plan to stop by.

Hope For Alex

2009-10-09T18:47:00.000-07:00

Chili's Bar & grill in Bel Air, MD is sponsoring a fundraiser for my niece who is currently fighting childhood cancer. If you happen to be in Bel Air, MD on Oct. 12th please plan to stop into Chili's between 11am -11pm. You'd have to mention that you'd like to participate in the "Hope For Alex" fundraiser to your server in order for them to donate 10% of your receipt. Thanks in advance for your support.

Good news...we found out that Alex is in remission today, THANK GOD!

Imagekind - NEW - Review added

2009-10-09T18:42:00.000-07:00

I ordered two canvas prints of images from our honeymoon at Imagekind.com today. I'll post about the quality and the process once they arrive. I'm expecting an 11 X 14 of both of the images below. Have any of you used Imagekind? If so what do you think of it? Were you satisfied with the quality of the prints? Please post a comment, I'd love to get your thoughts.

Thanks!

FEEDBACK: UNFORTUNATELY, THE PRINT QUALITY WAS POOR. I SHIPPED THE PRINTS BACK TODAY OCT. 19th. I'LL UPDATE THIS POST TO MAKE YOU AWARE OF THE RETURNS EXPERIENCE. My Refund finally posted on the 12th of Nov. I called customer service to check prior to the 12th but no one EVER answered. I was getting scared but it ended up working out just fine.

Baltimore Beer Week

2009-10-09T06:47:00.000-07:00

I love this image from lopolis's flickr stream. Don't forget to check out Baltimore Week. More info can be found here.

Inspired by Nie Nie

2009-10-08T16:29:00.000-07:00

Since early 2008 I've been a huge fan of the Oh Happy Day blog by Jordan Ferney. Jordan is a seriously talented San Fancisco based letterpress designer/event planner. Jordan has several links to other fantastic bloggers. It was through Jordan that I "met" Stephanie Nielson, creator of Nie Nie Dialogues.

Approx. 13+ months ago Stephanie & her husband were in a life altering plane crash.

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

They both survived the crash despite being severely burned. Stephanie had burns over 80% of her body. She is was in a coma for approx. 3 months while medical staff worked to heal her burns. Her support network kept her (& her blog) alive. In the last 8 months or so Stephanie was able to gain the strength to return to blogging. This incredible story spread through the blog world very quickly. The support she received from the internet community was unbelievable. This past week Stephanie & family were on Oprah.

The interview brought me to tears. Her blog brings me to tears. Stephanie & her loving husband are an inspiration. She is a beautiful example of how the adversity in our lives can make us realize how strong we are. During the course of the show the following moving phrases were spoken: "life can change in an instant", "be present", "live in the moment", "divine intervention" "don't take life's small moments for granted" These words still resonate within me. Each moment is a gift. (My niece is still battling Leukemia. I treasure each moment with her. I pray we can have the opportunity to grow old together. We'll find out if she is in remission within the next week. Please keep a positive thought for us.)

Stephanie is a mom to five beautiful children. If you read her blog you'll quickly realize that she has always taken great joy in raising her children. You can watch a video of Stephanie in her home as she goes about her day on Oprah website. The other women in the video is a mom who has admittedly taken her motherly activities for granted. It is very moving to watch as this guest mom discovers how fortunate she is to have the ability to care for her children and participate in the day to day routine of life. The guest mom said the Nielson house is warm, peaceful & calm. I have to believe that their faith and love for each other is what has gotten them through this. Christian, Stephanie's husband, still describes Stephanie as the love of his life. These two are truly role models.

Photos via Nie Nie Dialogues

Memories

2009-10-08T14:30:00.000-07:00

I usually check the Sartorialist blog once a week. If you haven't already heard it is an amazing blog filled with photos of beautifully dressed people from around the world. It is updated frequently. The image at this link brought back fond memories of my days as a photography editor. I loved every part of that job including being surrounded by expensive lighting equipment, neatly stacked prop shelves, traveling to exotic locales, working with: photographers, modeling agencies, location scouts and other artful people like makeup artists & stylists. I never got tired of it. I enjoyed everyday I spent on set in a studio or on location. I loved the feeling of walking into those cavernous, dimmly light studio spaces with hipster music softly playing in the background. I swear my fond memories had nothing to do with being spoiled rotten with Starbucks, or foods from Whole Foods, Atwater's and the local Indian place/s. These folks were super talented. They LOVED what they did and it showed. The energy was amazing. Working as a photo editor was definitely one of the highlights of my career so far.

Hilarious - Makeup Packaging by Soap & Glory

2009-10-07T19:22:00.000-07:00

As a women who suffers with dark under eye circles I was thoroughly impressed by these implied results. What stunning before & after photos. This stuff must be liquid magic. Ha Ha!

Baltimore

2009-10-05T11:47:00.000-07:00

On Monday Oct. 5th I read a great overview titled 36 hours in Baltimore By Joshua Kurlantzick of the NY Times. I've lived in Maryland for more than 20+ yrs and his over view is right on. I highly encourage you to take his advice and plan a long weekend trip to Charm City.

I'd also like to add that you may want to find time to stop into my favorite midday getaway, Atwater's, at Belvedere Square. All the food is organic and from local farmers. The Ploughboy soups are sure to delight even the most discerning taste buds!

Above Hampden image via NYtimes.com

Look out Kindle & HP Touchsmart here comes the Apple Tablet

2009-09-30T16:50:00.000-07:00

While scrolling around Wired.com today I found this Apple Tablet article.

"All the rumors suggest the device would be a larger iPod Touch/iPhone with a 10-inch screen." Sounds super cool to me but how exactly do you place it on your desk? I'd imagine it would need some sort of support mechanism/easel. I'm also curious as to how it would change the way a designer designs. I'm sure it would have to offer a keyboard & mouse attachment, right? What are your thoughts?

I blogged about the HP TouchSmart last Oct. I knew Apple would have something up its sleeve but according to the rumor mill this isn't confirmed and if it is legit it wouldn't be out til 2010.

A Creative Comedian from Italia

2009-09-28T16:16:00.000-07:00

Ennio does impressions of stars and singers using paper costumes that transform from one person into another. Beware: His costumes are better than his dance moves...

Happy Monday!

If you want a DVD of his performance you can find it here http://www.enniomarchettodvd.com/

A Good, Good Day!

2009-09-24T06:25:00.000-07:00

One of my new regular blog reads, My life - My loves had an excellent post which I felt compelled to share. This is a must watch video with Oprah, the Black Eyed Peas and an inspiring group of people.

Happy Weekend Everyone!

2009-09-24T06:12:00.000-07:00

Summer is over but we still intend to head to the Eastern shore for some r & r this weekend. We are going to celebrate the anniversary of our first date plus my husbands company gave him two free tickets to a race at Dover Speedway. The race is on Sunday and we plan to check out Sunfest on Saturday. I've never been to either event before. This should be an interesting weekend! I hope you enjoy yours!

My house wish list...

2009-09-22T18:50:00.000-07:00

I've always loved Barefoot Contessa (aka Ina Gartner.) As I was preparing for our wedding, we registered for her cook books at Crate & Barrell. I've seen parts of her gorgeous kitchen in her show but I had no idea how amazing the rest of her place was til I saw the photos of her remodeled home on House Beautiful.com

I adore the window walls. My dream house would have to have some of these brilliant elements.

And I wouldn't mind having a room for my art & jewelry supplies. I want my art room to be as orderly as this image from Apartment Therapy...

Images via Apartment Therapy & House Beautiful

Carl Filipiak & the Cat's Eye Pub

2009-09-22T18:10:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday we stopped in Cat's Eye Pub for some live music by Carl Filipiak & the Jimi Jazz Band. Here's a clip of them from a show in August 09. We had a great time. They're a fantastic local band!

Twirling Around Washington DC

2009-09-22T14:07:00.000-07:00

My husband loves to watch football and I don’t. So while he's hanging with the guys, I've been using my Sundays as inspiration days. I thought I'd give you a little glimpse of my recent Sunday trip to DC.

The photo above makes me want to buy a big balloon and go to dc with my hubbie on a Saturday! This couple was so cute. I wish I had had better light at the time this was taken. They looked so happy. The Smithsonian grounds are very well maintained and even the squirrels looked better than the ones in my Baltimore Co. neighborhood. I felt like we were walking onto a Disney movie set.

Our excursion started with some lunch at the Smithsonian Castle (Information Center.) The website suggested we stop in to pick up brochures to help us navigate the local attractions.

On our way into the Castle we were captivated by the surrounding garden.

We spent at least an hour smelling and photographing the beautiful floral collection. Have a look at some of my photos below…

I loved the moss between the bricks in the path....

Our ultimate goal was to see as much of the American History Museum as possible. The museum has an impressive collection of rare and historic American memorabilia. We started in the Price of Freedom exhibit on the 3rd floor. After spending over 2.5hrs we only were able to see about 80% of the third floor before closing time. I’m convinced that you could spend a week in this one museum if you read every display and listened to every video. We’re going to go back in mid Oct. to check out the Julia Child’s exhibit. Apparently, they have recreated her entire kitchen as shown in the movie Julie & Julia. We also want to see all of the first ladies Inaugural gowns.

Photos to come….stay tuned.

Want to create a custom font?

2009-09-22T11:21:00.000-07:00

I just saw a cool video on CNN.com by Tech enthusiast Chris Pirillo. He talks about a web based program to create a personalized font for FREE! According to Chris the finalized font is able to be used anywhere on your computer. I'd like to know if it would work with Adobe Illustrator. Click the image above to visit the website. I'll try this out for myself and I'll post a review later this week.

Did you know?

2009-09-18T08:55:00.000-07:00

If you are a card carrying Starbucks member and you have registered your card than you can enjoy up to two hours of complimentary AT&T Wi-Fi service every day. The only rule is that you've used or reloaded your registered card in the last 30days.

I'll take a soy chai latte please with light water and it make it a grande!

Date Night & The History of Electric Guitar

2009-09-18T08:34:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday! As lovers of music & art my husband and I decided to make It Might Get Loud the movie of choice for our date night entertainment. We've purchased tickets online at Landmark Theater located in Baltimore's Harbor East. In addition to plush leather chairs this theater offers an upgraded concessions stand with beer & wine. The Rotten Tomatoes community gave the movie a 94% rating. We're really looking forward to seeing the show : )

A Vintage Travel Video of Chicago circa 1948

2009-09-18T06:51:00.000-07:00

My father, who was born & raised in Chicago, sent me this digitized motion picture of his hometown. The architecture is stunning. This era was full of fine design. I loved seeing the vintage boats, cars and clothing.

If you liked this flick you should subscribe to the History of the Widescreen on Youtube.

Enjoy!

Romantic Mediterranean Bathroom

2009-09-16T20:54:00.000-07:00

I love this bathroom designed by Brown Design. Ryan Brown's Blog reveals the following details...

"The vanity at a 1920's Los Feliz Spanish revival home was featured on the cover of the July 2008 issue of California Home and Design. There has been a tremendous response to it and we wanted to reveal all the details with our readers!

As we designed the interior, it was important to select pieces that would restore the home to it's original Spanish charm. Collectively, a mix of new and vintage pieces were used in the home. In the master bath however, we used new pieces, but carefully selected those that provided a vintage feel.

We custom designed the double vanity that was made of reclaimed douglas fir. The hardware was purchased from a Beverly Hills store called the Golden Lion who specializes in traditional european hardware."

I highly recommend that you check out his blog for more inspiring designs!

Fun Fall Outerwear

2009-09-16T12:25:00.000-07:00

Year after year, I've purchased a black coat for the cooler months. This year I'm tempted to go completely out of my comfort zone and try this beautiful Wool-Blend Funnel-Neck Coat from Old Navy. What do you think? It's under $100 and I adore the cheerful color.

It would look great with this Cable-Knit scarf...
which can also be found on OldNavy.com.

Classic White Shirt

2009-09-16T12:02:00.000-07:00

I love this image from Chico's. I've been meaning to buy a new classic white collared shirt. At 33, I feel a bit too younger to be shopping at Chico's but for some reason this seasons ad campaign really caught my eye.

Colorful Canvas Prints

2009-09-16T10:15:00.000-07:00

My DVR is set to record Flipping Out with Jeff Lewis. I LOVE most Bravo shows but this one is surely a must watch if you like high-end interior design.

I checked out Jeff's blog and saw a link to an artists who's worked I recognized from Top Design, a reality show about interior design.

I want this print...
by MATTHEW EHRMANN

Images via http://www.mpephoto.com/

8 x 10 Bar

2009-09-15T13:33:00.000-07:00

My husbands band played at the 8 x 10 bar in Baltimore, MD this past August on the 40th Anniversary of Woodstock. I brought along a camera and shot a few snapshots. We got to go up to the green room too. It was a fun night!

Check out the back door which is loaded with cool band stickers...

Here are two detail shots, the first one's the top (duh!)

I loved my husband's band Shakedown Suite
(image from Joe Squared show in Sept.)

& the first band, 38 cents a gallon.

I didn't stick around to watch the third bands performance...it was a long night.

Fun Antique Fair Finds

2009-09-15T13:03:00.000-07:00

I found some wonderful vintage items including: travel mailers, a valentines card and a pack of historic architectural photos of Baltimore, Maryland at a local art & Antique fair held at Kenilworth Mall in Baltimore County this past weekend. They have another show scheduled for mid Oct. I'll scan and post the flyer for anyone who may be interested in attending.

Have a look at these beautiful vintage examples of graphic design at it's best:

I loved the note inside...

isn't it sweet?

And how about these vintage mailers?

Don't you just love the imagery...

& retro typography.

I had a bunch of Baltimore Postcards in hand and I ended up putting them back because I found this darling little pack of vintage photos instead!

This case is smaller then a tic tac container.

Do you know your Internet History?

2009-09-15T12:30:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was packed and extremely productive. In addition to the standard house chores I had my eyebrows waxed, went to an antiques fair, shared tapas & sangria with friends, visited my brave niece who's fighting leukemia and finally I learned about 15 important internet people. I figured I'd do a brief post about it because without most of them this blog wouldn't be possible. I recommend each of you hit wikipedia and look them all up. Each of them has a very interesting story. I've included a short phrase about each of their internet contributions below.

1. Tim Berners-Lee - Co-founder of the WWW

2. Sergey Brin - Co-founder of Google

3. Robert Cailliau - Co-founder of the WWW (Also an Atheist)

4. Tantek Celik - Chief Technologist at Technorati

5. Hillman Curtis - Chief Creative Officer at Hillman Curtis

6. Jesse James Garrett - Experience designer who coined the term AJAX

7. Molly Holzschlag - Top 25 Women of the Web, Designer & Author

8. Mitch Kapor - Founder of Lotus

9. Rasmus Lerdorf - Creator of PHP programming language

10. Eric Meyer - Web Designer & Consultant, most noted for Web Standards & CSS

11. Ted Nelson - Coined the terms hypertext and hypermedia, in to simplifying UI

12. Jakob Nielsen - Web Usability Consultant

13. Larry Page - Co-founder of Google

14. Jimmy Wales - Co-founder & promoter of Wikipedia

15. Jerry Yang - Co-founder of Yahoo

Hillman Curtis is my most favorite from the list because he seems to be both Internet savvy and visually creative. He has been called the "Pope of Flash." You can link to his website by clicking the image above. I highly recommend that you visit the artist series film link and watch each of them, they're beautiful and inspiring.

Remembering 9/11

2009-09-11T15:49:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it has been 8 yrs since our country was attacked. I can't believe we are still at war. I'll never forget 9/11. I'm proud to be an American. I'm proud of all of those who have dedicated their lives to protect and serve. My hope is that one day we all live in peace.

Image via Jessie Arenson

Amazing Remodeling Project

2009-09-11T15:10:00.000-07:00

Check out this amazing home makeover I found in the Before & After section on the DesignSponge blog today! Jennifer Grey & her husband bought an older beat up piece of real estate and made it stunning! This place could be in Better Homes & gardens magazine!

This women is SERIOUSLY talented. I love the color palette, the use of vintage lighting, antique furniture & decorative accessories. I also love that she didn't use stainless appliances. Nothing against stainless. In this particular (modest) home, the white ones seem to fit in just fine! The cabinetry is from IKEA even though it looks like it is high-end. I bet this was an affordable kitchen remodel.

Luckily, Jennifer has a blog and shares all the exciting details including tons of cool photos of the entire process. I love what she's done with the kitchen but you really should check out her blog because she's done many other rooms in this cottage home.

I'm so inspired! I may attempt a mini kitchen makeover at our house. However, we don't plan on staying here much longer so we may just hold out and spend the money on our next place. If we do a kitchen makeover, I'll be sure to document it for you all!

Images via Jennifer's Blog

Creative Business Cards

2009-09-10T19:15:00.000-07:00

I'm in the process of brainstorming a personal calling card. I liked some of the creative solutions shown here.

Image via www.webdesignerdepot.com

Patterns post at @issue blog

2009-09-10T19:04:00.000-07:00

I loved this clever quiz on patterns. See if you can match these patterns with the countries from which they originated. The answer can be found here. Good luck!

Image via @issue

The Making of the Prius Commercial, Pentagram, Paula Scher & @issue

2009-09-10T18:32:00.000-07:00

At the gym this morning I saw the Prius commercial for the 90th time and thought to myself "I wonder how they did that." This evening while browsing some design blogs I linked to the pentagram site which had two great things!

1) This awesome video showing the making of the Prius commercial, the music was done by Petra Haden

and

2) An inspiring 2 part interview with designer Paula Scher. The second part was my most favorite and I've embedded it below. Check it out:

Doesn't she make you want to crack open your art supplies cabinet and get busy?!

The pentagram's site also revealed that "@Issue’ Becomes a Blog"

@issue was one of my most favorite reads while working as a design professional. They're dedicated to communicating how design contributes to a brands success. I saved every issue since 1995 & I shared them often with my colleagues during brainstorming sessions.

My apologies

2009-09-10T18:18:00.000-07:00

I've been absent. My life has changed in the last 10 days. My darling 6 yr old niece has been diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL.) It has been extremely hard on the family. Luckily, we are very close and we are pulling together to help my niece and her family in anyway way that we can.

Fortunately, this is a treatable disease and 96% of all patients go into remission and stay there. Please, if you're spiritual, think positive thoughts and pray for her.

The first few days after hearing the news, I had trouble focusing on my day to day responsibilities. I was a wreck. My father & my husband both gave me some good advice. They said "first things first." I realized that I can't let this consume me and that I need to be strong in order to support my sister & her family.
NOTE: My niece has been in remission since early Oct. She is handling her treatments very well. I do my best to support her and the family as often as possible. I've learned a lot about fund raising. I've set up a blog and a twitter account for them. If you are interested in making a donation towards her care please visit this blog for directions. Thanks in advance for your generosity.

The National Stationery Show

2009-08-26T20:04:00.000-07:00

Watching the video below makes my design heart flutter with excitement. How cool!!!

After being laid off in Jan of 2008, I decided to attend The National Stationery Show. Right before the show I was offered an exciting new job and my long time boyfriend proposed. Even though I was happily employed, I still had a perfectly good ticket so I went to get inspiration for my upcoming wedding and to try to learn about the business.

While at the show I bought a heavy-duty rotary paper cutter. It turned out to be a lifesaver with all the wedding collateral! Unfortunately though, with the matrimonial planning and the new job I hadn't thought about the show much since that weekend.

Since men and women often go their separate ways after the start of the football season I'll have plenty more free time to focus on stationery ideas.

I found this video on sknifton's You Tube page. Video Summary:
The National Stationery Show is the premiere market for social stationery and related products in the United States. It is the annual platform that 1,000 exhibiting companies featuring more than 10,000 lines rely upon for branding, new product releases, sales, business development, customer relations, public relations and licensing.

Restoration Hardware Sale

2009-08-25T20:24:00.000-07:00

Beautiful vintage inspired fans are on clearance at Restoration Hardware. I'd like to have the small one for my home office.

Making an Impression...

2009-08-25T14:20:00.000-07:00

Today after hearing a former schoolmate of mine made it on to Top Chef, Las Vegas I've decided I should make a better effort to make one of my dreams come true! I've always been a fan of letterpress printing. I'd love to create a line of letterpress greetings or at least a beautiful set of personalized stationery. I'm determined to take a letterpress class either this fall or next spring. While designing some collateral for my destination wedding I contacted Mary Mashburn of Typecast Press, a letterpress workshop that prints commissioned paper goods. I saw the beautiful work she had done for the Woodberry Kitchen. I'd love to get a lesson from her. You can read about Mary here and on DesignSpongeOnline.com

Image via DesignSpongeOnline.com

Fall Fashion on Etsy

2009-08-24T16:25:00.000-07:00

I'm fallin in love with this two toned grape cowl neck warmer with dark eggplant trim. It's made by Soft Spoken and you can find it on Etsy.com.

Glamour Girl Page 194

2009-08-24T15:49:00.000-07:00

Have you seen Lizzi Miller on page page 194 of the most recent issue of Glamour??? It is nice to finally see a real looking, beautiful women in a magazine. I can't believe she is considered plus sized. Can you believe the average american women ranges in size between a 12 - 14? Can you believe a 12 is considered plus size? I think she's beautiful!

Images via Glamour.com

Fall Fashion

2009-08-24T15:10:00.000-07:00

I'm loving the Punch Up Your Button Up ideas on Oprah.com
I own at least 10 button downs and I feel like they can be soooo boring sometimes. I've got tons of beautiful scarfs...and necklaces so this should be any easy & inexpensive transition into fall. I'll only need an argyle vest and I'm set!

Images via Oprah.com

Home Office Organization

2009-08-21T08:34:00.000-07:00

These photos from RealSimple.com make me want to reorganize my desk drawers & office supplies. I wish Target or someone sold loaded drawer kits with compartments so you could just start off organized!

Happy Friday!

2009-08-21T07:38:00.000-07:00

I'll be at the 8 x 10 tonight to support my husbands new band! Stop by for some live music & cool cocktails.

Whhooo knew....

2009-08-20T16:29:00.000-07:00

My chic sister-in-law surprised us all with her desire to have an owl themed nursery. She found the linens here.
I was impressed by her courage to try something different. At first I thought it would be hard to find accessories. Turns out owl stuff is everywhere! I had know idea owls are so in vogue.

Kate Spade has an owl handbag...

Anthropologie has an owl lamp...
and I'm noticing owl stationery all over Etsy. The calling card design below is by Almost Sunday.

Creative Calling Cards

2009-08-20T16:16:00.000-07:00

I'm searching for inspiration for my new calling cards. I LOVE this card by HappyGirlGreetings. I'm very impressed with her work. She definitely has talent! I wish I had a summer home so I could order a few of these for me!

Poke image for source.