Balance and Symmetry

  

I'm obsessed with this photo from House Beautiful. I have it saved in my iPad photos along with several other design photos and every time I flip through them, I stop at this one. There's something about it that I find intriguing and almost mesmerizing.
So when I stumbled upon the picture again last night and said to my boyfriend for the 10th time, "I just love this picture," he asked me to explain what I loved so much about it. It made me think and I suddenly had a hard time putting my finger on it.
I thought about how the mirror draws me in and is really ornate and striking. And I love the color combo, which is pretty simple- white, steel blue, gold, tan, brown. And the flowers and throw add beautiful punches of purple. But there was more... and suddenly I realized why this room is so perfect to me-- because it appears to be practically symmetrical. Everything is balanced out. And so I realized, maybe it's not so much the room that I'm in love with, but the PICTURE of the room. For example, if I walked into this actual room from another angle and saw this area from a different perspective, would it still have the same affect on me?
Possibly not.

Here are some other strikingly balanced looking rooms....



{Houzz}



{Houzz}



{Lonny Mag}



{Lonny Mag}



{House Beautiful}




{Lonny Mag}



{Lonny Mag}

Love and a dog

Wish List

I'm starting a recurring entry in my blog called "wish list"... because, well, there are a lot of cool things out there that I wished I had! So here's one (hint hint, boyfriend). Actually, I wish for two of these bad boys. Because if I had just one, then everyone would want to share it with me, and I want one all to myself. But while I'm at it, I guess I need to also wish for a yard, and a tree to hang it from....

{Dedon}

EXCITING NEWS!!

It's about time! I suddenly wished I lived on the Upper West Side....

{HomeGoods}

Laughing in Puerto Rico

I went to Puerto Rico for four days last weekend with two of my girlfriends- Randee and Margot. It was the best and worst time for me to take a vacation. I had been working on a story at work that was pretty intense and required a lot of extra hours. Being absent for two days put me a little behind and required two of my colleagues to pick up some of my slack (which I doubt they were thrilled about). However, with all the stress and lack of sleep, I felt like I was on the verge of losing my mind, and so mentally, this getaway couldn't have been more perfectly timed.
We drove to the airport at 4am Thursday morning to catch a 5:45 flight. When we arrived in Aguadilla, Randee's friend, Doug, picked us up. It took a few minutes to shake off the sleepiness, the New York rainy chill, the work stress,  the blackberry emails, the climate change, and the culture shock. But then we settled in to the beach with a cold beer and some sunscreen. And it was about then when the laughter kicked in (and no it wasn't lack of sleep mixed with alcohol!). It was just pure happy girly laughter. And it didn't stop for four straight days.
Time away from the office mixed with some sunshine and the sound of crashing waves is soothing to just about anyone. But I don't think this trip would have been nearly as therapeutic (and obviously not as fun) if I didn't have two great friends to spend it with and laugh the whole way through.
So what was my favorite part of Puerto Rico? The beautiful beach at the bottom of a cliff? The delicious Arepas in Jobos? The amazing outdoor massage under the gazebo? Those were all great, but it was the moments we laughed so hard that tears ran down my cheeks that I'll remember and cherish the most. So, would I go back to Puerto Rico again? Sure.... But only if I can take Randee and Margot with me...

I like bacon too!

Sorry but I couldn't resist with this video.  This dog is just too cute. And what can I say, I'm a sucker for a cute dog! :)

Pretty chalky

The more and more I see chalkboards and chalkboard paint, the more I love the idea!

You can make chalky designs or just be practical... even the dog gets acknowledged here!

I love what Holly from Life in the Fun Lane does with her chalkboard. She changes it up with the season or her mood and moves it around the house from room to room. Not only would I NOT think of that, but I could NEVER get my handwriting to look that good!

Same frame, but totally different look! Not to harp on the writing, but I really feel like that's what  makes it look classy and stylish! Just like any piece of art that you frame- it sets the mood for that whole area and can really pull it together or throw it off.

{Desire to Inspire}

{Apartment Therapy}

Turning over a new leaf

Wow! Has it really been a whole year since I last posted on here? I don't know where the time has gone! I used to feel like I should only post if I had something important to say or some cool vacation memories to write about. And if I didn't have some real focus, what would I write about? Well, I've been thinking about it for awhile, and reading lots of blogs in the meantime. And I've become inspired! I'm just going to write and post about whatever I want to post about!
So here's some of my most recent inspiration....


I guess it's the spring weather and the flowers blooming, but lately I've really been digging white and airy looking rooms with sunshine galore.

                                                          (www.dreamywhites.blogspot.com)

                                                            (www.inthefunlane.com) 

How cool is the driftwood on the wall? What a great idea!

(House Beautiful) 

                                                   

I love the pops of color in this white office. It's bright and cheerful. Do you think these kind of work environments could lead to better productivity?? I'd like to think so. 

This is so simple but still so inviting. And I love wrought iron headboards/footboards on beds. My mom found one at a house sale in the early 1980's and it became my bed for the duration of my childhood and teens. It still remains, although when I moved out it went from pure white to solid black.