9 by Design

Since Jersey Shore ended, there's hardly any t.v. worth watching anymore (haha) but lately I've stumbled upon Bravo's newest docu-series called 9 by Design. I not only like it, I set-my-Dvr-to-record-love it! It features the crazy life and creative genius of a husband/ wife team of designers based in New York City.

Robert and Cortney Novogratz started renovating run down urban facilities in New York City in the early 90's. With little funds, they renovated a space in the up and coming "Chelsea" neighborhood. When (then) big-time Musician Suzanne Vega offered to rent the space at three times the mortgage, they of course obliged, and the rest is history! Since then they have popped out 7 kids and 8 renovated homes, all of which appear to have turned out pretty nicely (despite being named Five, as their fifth child was... which I think is unique but just sayin')

What I love about what they do, is first off the fact that they're self taught and insanely creative. They've used nontraditional and usually abandoned spaces and turned them into spacious homes, mostly by using recycled or reclaimed materials from the original fixture. Here is a before picture of one of their projects:

And After:
I especially love how instead of a standard rooftop garden, they opted for something their kids would use, a basketball court! But this one mimics the design of an adjacent church dome... I also love the eclectic mix of antique and modern accessories they use inside:
And their use of texture to add warmth to white walls, like these graphic curtains in the twins room: Here they used a garage door in leu of standard windows and/or french doors to open up the kitchen space and enjoy the view of the city:
For more images & info on their book, go to their official website Sixx Design
Or just watch on Bravo Tuesday night's, which I am going to do right now!

Thread Show *Standouts*

In no particular order...

*Pocket gardens and living sculptures by Tend: Enduring Design for Modern Living
* Recycled Wears from Taxi cdc

* The cutest little barrettes and accessories at ohhellofriend * Swimsuits that actually make me want to swim! Fables is coming soon to San Diego...* The only art in the place worth seeing, by far. Artist Zaragoza from Peppermint DayDreams
* Mid Century furniture that is pristine (and actually affordable) at Nest VintageImage from website

and last but certainly not least Sezio! A non-profit artist's organization in San Diego, run by some pretty charming boys. Their next event is happening this Tuesday April 13th at Bar Basic.
Maybe I'll see ya there...

indie design & fashion show

This year's THREAD spread runs Sunday April 11th from 11-5pm at some abandoned building in Horton Plaza. I've never gone before, but this year I am going for the following reasons...
Can't pass the chance to:

* Shop Eco-friendly designers in the THREAD Responsibly section
* Get in the door for $8 (if you donate clothes at the door, $10 without)
* Swap something old for something new! (By bringing a bag of clothes to part with in exchange for a bag of someone else's in the THREAD Swap Lounge).
* Browse The Haiti Poster Project collection and buy art that will benefit Haiti

* See more than 100 independent designers with their Spring trends

Not to mention this year they've added a housewares department... ooh la la!

I'm there, who's coming with?

(P.s.- I want this coat...) All the info here

Liberty of London for Target

It's Spring! (well, it has been since the weekend, but I've been busy)... Nonetheless, it's time to switch out the sweaters for something more slinky! I treat my home like an extension of my own body, so I'm going to bring some spring to each room. The easiest "must-have" item to brighten a room is fresh flowers. In San Diego alone, there are tons of weekend Farmer' s Market spots that you can get great bundles at for pretty cheap. Some favorite locations are:
* Hillcrest
* Little Italy
* La Mesa
* City Heights

Check out their websites for all the info...

Also, this week my friend Marie gushed to me about the new collection at Target by Liberty of London. Since we share the same taste (in basically everything!) I had to check it out. Unfortunately, it looks like most everything is sold out already. But I'm loving how 60's summer the whole collection feels, in everything from chairs to sundresses to pillows. I don't normally go for patterns this loud, but I have always loved this random color combination of magenta's with eggplant, or deep reds paired with pinks, like in this pillow.

On a celery green couch, these would really pop! Once again, too bad they're sold out... maybe Target will re-stock soon! The only thing that's missing from this 3-tier tray are raspberry tarts...
And you know how I feel about containers....

See More! Images from Target.com & Liberty's official website

Re-designing the CUBE

Today the sun came out enough for me to want an iced coffee as opposed to my regular americano... got me thinking that I may need to start considering summer clothes, UGH! The upside, homemade cures for the heat, like these fun ice cubes



Just thinly slice a lemon (or orange), add to a cupcake tin filled with enough water to make them float, then freeze. Or...

... re-design the standard ice cube tray by adding those last bits of mint or berries to each cube. Also a great way to prolong the life of fresh fruits, and zest up some spring drinks like lemonade, pellegrino, or mamosa's!

Thanks, Martha!

Richard Sweeney

Cardboard Chair

PAPERcuts

Love this guy's work... more info: http://www.richardsweeney.co.uk/

Dirt! the movie

I Spent last Wednesday night someplace old, yet new to me... the San Diego Central Library on E street downtown. What a treat to find a free documentary on Dirt, of all things... First of all, this place is a historical gem. I am definitely coming back with my camera, and will post more photos then. But check out this image from it's opening in 1954
Inside, I felt like I had stepped into a scene from The Royal Tennebaums. At a quick glance, lots of neat original mid century features... a speckled sea foam green staircase, revolving door phone booth, tones of tomato red, caramel and rose... some of my favorite color combinations. Anyhow, this documentary ruled; in a terrifying, motivating way. Since then, I can't stop thinking about how little I see "healthy" dirt, and how I really need to get my feet back into it more often. Besides the recent rain, I am way more aware of how under-nourished our desert soil really is, and yearn to live in an overgrown, lush nest somewhere up North. Till then, I can at least pretend I do!

Watch this clip then enjoy some green things inspired by the documentary:

These adorable jars are from Burgon & Ball's online garden shop, and makes me wish my basil plant had made it through this winterHowever, their blog Grow with Us is full of great gardening tips for people who can do more than keep succulents alive!


Check out this crafty little terrarium

I love packaging that lasts beyond the life of the food... in this case these tin tea containers make for great windowsill pots for easy urban gardening

Dirt is probably the most undervalued element of this earth, and essentially being the skin of this planet, we need to take better care of it. Deforestation, wars over fertile land, and hundreds of suicides by farmers who can't afford common pesticides, all can be avoided by making small changes in your everyday way of living. Here are some related links worth looking into:

* San Diego Roots


* Sustainable places to eat in San Diego


* TreePeople

* Dirt: the Ecstatic Skin of the Earth by William Bryant Logan

Now, do your homework!

Fun with Venn Diagrams

You either get it, or ya don't!
http://thisisindexed.com/

Staple gun Sunday

I don't mind the rain, in fact, I adore it. It gives me a reason to nest and play house! So Sunday I decided to tackle the annoying dining room chairs that have been staring blankly at me, literally. Originally I bought the set from a small contemporary furniture place because I liked the sturdy wood, and the size fit into the space I had to work with. But I never liked the plain cushions that came with it... it just felt too... how do you say, boring? Anyway, I have been scouring thrift stores for a print that would work, with no luck. I knew I wanted something geometric, or interesting without being loud. Also had to be durable considering the amount of work these chairs are under (hehe). By chance on Sunday I finally found a nice one! HomeFabrics in La Mesa is having a huge sale on cotton/ blend fabrics, so I had to check it out. Here's what I found:Regularly priced at about $8/yard, these were marked at $3.00/yd, what a steal! Not sure what they will go towards in the future, but I couldn't pass up a chance at a cool throw pillow or handbag... The chocolate brown starburst design is what I found for the chairs. I spent twice as much time browsing around the fabric store than the time it took to cover both chairs, it's that simple.

All you need is:

- Fabric (one yard of 56" tall covers 2 seats with room to spare, so add accordingly)

- Staple gun

- Fabric shears

-Screw driver

Start by removing the cushion from the frame. Most wood chairs have a top that's just screwed on, and if you prop it onto something upside down, it is easy to get off. My couch was the perfect height...

On something flat, lay out the fabric with the print side down. Using the cushion as a guide, center it onto the pattern as you want it to look. Sometimes it helps to just fold the fabric over the cushion to get an idea of where the edges will land, before you make any cuts. You can also align the edges with points on the design to get it right, or if you are a type A kind of person and have to have it perfect, you can measure it out and use a pencil to trace it (I'm "type A" but a little lazy on the ruler). Once you have that done, cut out the square, making sure to leave at least a 2 inch border around all edges. This is going to fold under the seat, so don't scrimp. It's better to have some to cut off, than to realise it's too short and have to start over. Once you have the first one cut, make sure it fits right, then use it as a template to cut the remaining. Then, center the fabric, again with the print side facing down. Staple the corners diagonally down first, then the sides. Use a staple every inch or so, to make sure it is secure.
Repeat for all the chairs. When you're done, screw the tops back onto the frame the same way they were taken off. Super simple!

Rainy Sunday + staple gun + fun fabric = new excuse for wine night at my place!

Before & After:

(That's Gizmo, admiring the new look!)

My Maiden Voyage to Little Italy

So today is the first day in a long while that I have spent an entire day doing fun stuff! Thank the Presidents for the time off... I finally got the chance to check out all the amazing design shops that saturate Little Italy. I was so engrossed with the beauty of the furniture, I barely took any photos, but I will definitely be back for more. Here are a few shots from my first stop at Architectural Salvage:I found racks of flawless vintage glass light fixtures, bins of letters, knobs and unique hardware and from upstairs you can see just how much they have to offer. This place is a treasure trove of little bits and pieces that can be used for art projects, renovating an older home, or just for finding one of a kind pieces to use when decorating. I love the rustic ugly of the collections, and can't wait to come back and scrounge for the perfect project. For more info go to their site at http://www.architecturalsalvagesd.com/home.htm


My second stop was a place I could easily live in. Boomerang For Modern is basically staged to represent the ideal (modern) Mid Century lifestyle. Love it! Check it out
Although most pieces are past my personal price range, I can't say I wouldn't fork out the cash just to own one of those couches. Or a chair. Or teak bar. Or, well basically anything in there! Till then, I can at least appreciate what it has to offer and maybe mimic the look for less.
For example, under the window which you cannot see from this angle, I found a lovely ceramic planter. This concept looks relatively easy to make myself, and would look great with some native succulents tucked into it. Here's a closer look:
http://www.boomerangformodern.com/

Also, just up the street is another shop neatly arranged with a split level of pristine Mid Century modern furniture. Klasskik isn't as expensive as Boomerang, but still has a lot to look at, minus smaller accessories other than lamps and rugs. I did fall for a circular sectional in a celery green... and noticed it sat upon a brown leather shag priced at $500.00, twice what I found at Home Fabrics and rugs about a year ago.
In comparison, for a 5x8 at Home Fabrics I believe they ran about $250.00, which is a pretty good deal for the durability you will get from the leather. Since the strips are individually woven into the backing, they can loosen up and fall out, which may not be the best choice if you have a young child, or if your kitties get the litter box mixed up easily! But for a more masculine look to a room, or to bring some texture, I think these are an awesome choice. Just shop around before you commit to spending that much...

Lastly, I have to mention my new favorite place to shop for just about anything vintage. Antiques on Kettner has a huge selection of finds just waiting to be discovered. They had cases and cases of retro kitchenware, Victorian, silver and Bakelite jewelry, not to mention tons of well taken care of knick-knacks that make for nice bits of character around your home. They are especially stacked with a wide variety of art, sculpture and architecture books that are reasonably priced. This place is a one stop shopping haven for every room in your home! I was so good I didn't buy anything, but trust me, I will be back with tote bags! Here's their website, but seriously, just go there in person. You will see what I mean. http://www.antiquesonkettner.com/
I really can't think of a better area in San Diego where you can literally hit up a whole slew of places specializing in mid century, modern, and antique jems, all within walking distance. Although they are a bit pricey, it's worth a trip out just to get your creative juices flowing, or if you're like me and enjoy the excitement of finding something totally original. Plus, it's a great way to spend a day outside in beautiful weather. Happy Hunting!