Sidewalks of Style...

Another reason why I love this town:

For a Style Scavenger like me, a simple stroll down the street can be an adventure...and in a town like NYC, where most folks just deposit unwanted items right on the curb...it's like finding treasure without having to do much digging! And let's be honest here y'all, sometimes you just don't want to have to work for your style. This chair has clean lines, even though she's a bit of 'big gal'... and she's probably harmless, but I tend to avoid curbside cast-off upholstered pieces b/c Lord only knows what kind of party is raging under that fabric! Though, I have scooped up some winners-- my sofa was rescued from an East Village street, but she got completely rehabbed...bless her! Always scavenge with caution! Anyway, my favorite thing about this chair...the sign:

I love that some thoughtful soul took the time to type up a sign for their chair! And even better still...it looks as though that sign has actually been sat on! Genius! Oh, just another afternoon in NYC...I'm going to the dry cleaners and oh, wait, let me try out this free chair...I've been needing something for the living room...y'all some of the best things in life really ARE free!

It's Thrift Whore Thursday, y'all!

There's very few things in life that delight me more than a thrift store. Or whores. So put the two together and throw in a thursday and you've got a situation as 'licious as when peanut butter met chocolate. Yummy!At a recent stop into Goodwill I spied all kinds of treasures that just had to be shared...

Some things have real potential, like this:

Cute enamel fondue set, $8.99? Well, shut the fu%$ you!!! And this poor soul is either just lost in heinous forever or, with the right paint treatment and modern shade will style slap us all into America-Home-of-the-Free-liberty-realness! Ding a ling and spray her with some paint already!

That must be a dinner bell going off, 'cause look who's at attention right here:

But don't fluff, er fret, y'all 'cause these babies are a score: And this just screamed at me, she's so cute: Creating a stylish space is about having pieces that truly reflect the unique people who live in it. So, whether y'all are looking for kitsch or class, I hereby style slap y'all to take a minute and stop into your local thrift shop. They're like a value candy store filled with treasures, inspiration/ideas, and hiliarities...you just have to keep an open mind. Plus your purchases usually go towards a good cause, which is never a bad thing. Happy hunting whores!

Sweet Monday

Y'all there are tons of things to do when family comes to visit in NYC, but one of the best, by far, is Dylan's Candy Bar!!!

There's all kinds of sweet treats to enjoy but even more decorating 'lisciousness to be had...look at all this yummy:

Talk about color and pattern inspiration?!? Or what about making your own custom candy light box, like those stairs-- genius! Or imagine a wallpaper accent wall done in THAT pattern?! And yes, this is a gumball tabletop-- incredible!

True that, y'all! Enjoy!!!

Office Plan

My client threw me a conundrum, or tried to anyway, when she tells me that she needs me to decorate her new office. For a staff of four. In one room. Short sentences with periods equal drama. The pics are in the previous post...here's my plan of attack:

If y'all can't tell what in hell is going on with my sketch, here's the actual product sheet:

I love these cool Ikea desk/bookcase combo units! The lamps are just tres chic, no matter what day of the week it is. Cute cork and metal desk organizers. Clients' existing office chairs are gorg, so they're being re-used, which we love, not only for the environment, but also for the budget. And can we all just writhe around all over that cowhide rug? Go ahead, y'all writhe!!! YES! Clearly, I'm going for a very black and white/neutral color palette. Client is in PR/Communications...she's way hip and way savvy. I wanted to keep her workspace light and airy and unfussy. Let the color come in with her custom inspiration boards...oh, wait...I didn't mention those yet?

So, y'all saw the pics of the atrocious interior soundproof windows...I'm proposing we retrofit them as giant inspiration/bulletin boards! Made from what? C'mon y'all...HOMOSOTE!!! Call back! That's right, we're gonna just cut some homosote to size and take those odd windows and make them work for us! I'll upholster these with a nice neutral linen and frame them out with some chunky molding/trim...and since there are two windows in the space, this new office will score double bulletin board value so client can pin her PR & communications for days on end!

We'll just re-use the existing window treatments and give that space a fresh coat of white paint...and voila-- new office! Stay tuned for more process shots as it all comes together!

Cheap chic served at Target!

En route to a beach housewarming party, Dyl and I put on our big girl panties to brave Target Atlantic Center on a Saturday. Which for those of y'all who've experienced this firsthand, you know I speak the truth...this isn't just some 'Dynasty' tv show drama...this is full on Tar-ghetto at its finest, y'all! Well, well, imagine my joy upon seeing this graphic greet us at the door:

Awww, that's a puppy after my own value-driven heart...y'all know biotch loves a bargain! And lo and behold, we found these wicker wrapped glasses on clearance that were just too cute to pass up, ruff ruff!

Have y'all ever beheld so much joy? That's not a glare from the glasses, oh no...that's bargain shining through!! HOT! And at $4.18 a pop, our new homeowner will have the happiest AND warmest home on the block! Cheers!

A ray of sunshine in an Ikea runner!!!

Y'all, the good folks at Ikea must just be beyond exhausted, what with all the style sass they're constantly serving us...just yesterday I was in the Brooklyn store and was style slapped by this new runner:

I'm just j'adoring the fun, poppy stripes of this beauty...AND the fact that she's a mere $24.99 is just icing on a cinnamon bun!!! (of which we bought a dozen before leaving the store-- oh shiot, yes!!!)

The rug is called Barbro Rand and it's 6'7"L x 2'x7"W...get more details here...I also love the fact that b/c she's a flat weave, I can customize her to fit whatever dimensions I need without all kinds of binding/fraying drama...genius!

So go on and get y'all some Ikea Barbro Rand action for an easy splash of summer style 'lisciousness...the yummy cinnamon buns are optional, of course!!!

Y'all, go get your Art on!

The art you choose to display in your space says a lot about "who" you really are... it's not just a style statement... it can be a real journey into the psyche of the folks who live there... sometimes that's a trip you're eager to take-- especially when we're talking about yummy vintage yarn art-- holla-- or, it can be territory that's best left uncharted. Meaning, anything incorporating LED lights. And scene. Thankfully, the good peeps over at art.com have trusted yours truly to offer up my picks for adding some pizazz to your place... I tried to corral a varied collection of art, without loosing my style stamp of approval. Currently they're featuring a gallery of floral and nature themed art that I selected. Check out my gallery here (just scroll down and click my face - y'all know you want to)... even if my suggestions don't backslap you, you're sure to find something that will help tell the world who you really are!

The bath mat that changed my life...

More often than not, I find myself mired in some sort of decorating dilemma or another. I'm looking for a certain THING for my apartment, a lamp, a coffee table, window treatments...whatever it is. I scour the market trying to find what I want, and a lot of times-- like a lover-- I find the perfect match! HOT! But, usually, the solution requires that I take matters into my own hands...oh ecstasy! And that's when things get all d.i.y. dirty up in Patrician Court, y'all! Such was the case when I was looking for a hallway runner. I wanted something patterned, narrow and long. Most NYC apartment hallways aren't these grand wide spaces that can accomodate the standard 2'.5" x 7' runners that you see all over the market. Even if you go for it, at best, you're getting the look of a stubby wall to wall runner and we don't generally respond well to stubby here at Blog-A-Dazzle. No, no. Besides, our hallway has a kick ass mahogany inlay, why would I want to cover up an inlay, y'all?! Shut the &$ck you, I wouldn't! And neither should you! So, my runner had to be between 18"-22" wide and at least 8' long. We'd found a temporary fix that was as plain jane as they come, but at least it was narrow AND cheap.

In the meantime I went hunting high and low for my perfect runner. And hunting. And hunting. Sweet summer skipped into azure autumn, leaves changed. Fall brought brisk nights, but no runner. Bummer. And then-- a random stop into West Elm changed my fate...forever. There, I found my runner...but not as I expected-- these things never are, folks-- it was a bath mat that seduced me!

Gorgeously patterned, soft and supple, 20" wide, $29 dollars!...and...what? Only 34" LONG?! Cruel, cruel fate! But don't cry for me, y'all...with some simple d.i.y. enhancements I spurned fate and now...for under $100 bucks, I have the runner of my dreams...and y'all can too. Here's how:

1. Purchase the quantity of mats that will equal the overall length you'll want when finished. I bought 3 to give me a little over 8'. Of note: be sure you confirm the widths of each of your bath mats by holding them up to one another before purchasing...I found there was some discrepancies with widths, though minor, even though it's the same bath mat. The widths must match up to look seamless. Lay them out on floor, end to end and then carefully remove the seams of the ends that are being joined, with a seam ripper.

2. Iron flat the loose ends of each bath mat that you removed seams from. Then, align them front to front.

You choose which sides you want to be your front. The pattern is on both sides of the mat, so see which two mats can match up as perfectly as possible...those should be your fronts. Note: the opposite end of your mat is already finished with a hem, so you can simply let that hem dictate which side is your front. Otherwise, you'll have to re-do that end hem as well if you switch it.

Pin the loose ends together, on the back side, being mindful to line up patterns. (I used T pins b/c the mats are somewhat thick and textured).

3. Carefully sew the two ends together. Be mindful to remove T pins as you sew. Go slow with this, y'all, the mats are textured and somewhat plush, so don't force your machine...she'll get angry and stop working!

4. Once sewn, lay rug, front side down. Iron out the two sides of your new seam.

Then trim off excess material.

Iron one last time and flip over your new rug, y'all! Safety first: make sure you use a non-slip rug pad and enjoy...our dog Brandon sure is!

Modern Anthology

Y’all don’t need me to tell you that NYC isn’t hurting for chic stores. That’s one of the best perks of my job is that I get paid to shop-- a lot. In doing so, I stumble upon some pretty amazing spots to get your style on. One of these is Modern Anthology.

Billing itself as “creative agency + retail lab”, this a double value discovery b/c in addition to the amazing store, they’re also a design firm. Genius style slap! Located in the Dumbo area of Brooklyn, this has to be one of the best stores I’ve seen in a long time. There wasn’t a single item that I wouldn’t be happy buying. From clothing & bedding to furniture & accessories, the sophisticated selection is extremely well edited, merchandised and just…well, cool. Think: hip big brother’s room that’s no longer off limits!

The “lab” just oozes masculinity, which explains why I was drawn in to begin with—heehee-- scandal! Vintage clothing, accessories & industrial furniture pieces are seamlessly mixed with awesome new offerings. This is the place y’all come when shopping for a gift for the guy who, “already has everything”. But make no mistake, thankfully, the owners of this place are total EOA--- Equal Opportunity Aesthetes--- giving guys AND gals the perfectly curated spot for some stylish retail therapy! Well played, my friends.