Major Score!

Y'all know I can be quite obsessive when it comes to my 'collections'...one of most favorite is my vintage green, blue and gold Rosenthal Netter pottery. (Btw, does anyone happen to know the official name of this collection?) Then this biotch showed up on the scene and literally lit up my life! My favorite pottery. As a lamp. Well, shut the F$*K YOU!

Do good decorating, y'all...it DOES come back to you!!!

Free Shiot Friday!!!

Can someone please grab this free shiot off the street and change YOUR LIFE??:

This cabinet is screaming to get painted in a fun color and then serve yo ass in the kitchen as extra work surface/storage, the dining room as a server/buffet or in the living room as a media console/credenza/ or an entryway table...

Point is: pieces like these are workhorses. They're uber-functional and can look chic too, with some quick paint lovin'...and being free means you can't go wrong no matter what. Free workhorses...that's the kind of horse I like to ride!!! I mean. What a great way to start a weekend! Savor it, y'all!

Just another day at...

the office, y'all...

When your office just so happens to be in a major NYC nightclub! This holla hawt screen shot is the photo shoot of an office design project that I completed at end of June (being shot by the fab, Kelly Marshall!) Can y'all even handle all this shiot?!? Stay tuned for more gratuitous REVEALS!!!

Style SH*ITSHOW at HomeGoods!

Y'all, Dyl and I popped into our local HomeGoods recently to nab some fun & hopefully o.t.t. accessories for the final installation of a clients' office...witness what went down:

And then these:

Standing all at attention and shiot, DEMANDING to be made into lamps! Hmmm, k! This:

'Cause biotch y'all know you've been searching all over God's green for the bright yellow Tuscan urn to match your baby's new shoes! #babyshoeurn! Oh, and then this betch, who thought she was all cute and stuff up on the her shelf and flew right into our shopping cart:

Her:

Hims Horses:

These shiny whores:

Then shiot got really REAL here with this and time stood still:

Stalagmite lamp hawtness almost took down the entire venue...who ARE you people???? I got my answer, y'all:

Shut the F*%k YOU FOOT! The slaying continued:

I'd say that was a successful style slapping session provided by our friends at HomeGoods...damn!

Renegade Decorating

Y'all, sometimes you have to do this:

No, that's not a new 'Gone With the Wind Fabulous' drama-swagged shower curtain in my bathroom...it's vintage fabric that biotch just hand washed in a bucket! Uh huh! #washedinabucket!!!!

Once it's drip dried, it'll be made into some fab curtains for a new office commission I'm working on...check it:

Yep, y'all, when I carry on about being a hands-on decorator, who's all cost conscious and shiot for my clients...this is what I'm talking about!!! Ummm, k, hunty?!?

Ring Ring!

This is happening:

This baby was scored off Craigslist! She's one of two vintage phone booths-- thanks New Jersey!!!-- that are being primarily repurposed as privacy booths in a new open loft office design project i'm doing! I mean, it's like CAKE, right?

I'm painting the interiors, gasp phone-booth-o-philes and eventually we're going to retrofit the light and even wire them with the company's phones! For now, employee peeps will just use their cellphones to make those delicate calls...like, to their drug dealers! AMAZE! Stay tuned for more process shots of wonder! And happy FRIDAY!!!

Today's Design*Sponge Sneak Peek? Our Apartment!!!

Ok, y'all, I've had a serious case of blog-haustion the past couple months, but I'm delighted to share that our apartment is being featured today as part of DesignSponge's Sneak Peek!!!! Holla! Check out the full story here, shot by the uber-talented, Bob Martus! Thanks also to Grace and Amy (and ALL) at Design*Sponge for the continued support and constant gorgeousness that they put out into the world!!!

Y'all need some buffalo plaid all up in yer life!!!

Like this:

And I know just the place to snatch it up: Lambert & Co at the Chateau Frontenac in Canada! YES! (Y'all, L&Co is inside the hotel lobby, which hotel is linked to above, but -- gasp-- store seems to have no online presence! WTF, Lambert? Well, fret not friends, just do like we used to do back in the day-- call or email them to buy yo-selves some plaid-ness: (418) 694-2151 and lambertco@qc.aira.com)

Like these lovelies:

Speaking of lampshades, these biotches at Lambert & Co are werking all kinds of lampshade divinity...

And never one to be distracted by a lampshade, this one nabbed a fur head-dress:

There was also some sort of sheep theme running rampant throughout Lambert & Co., b/c I think I remember the shop owner telling me something about their history involving Shetland Wool and sheep, fur, lampshades, plaid?

Go on y'all and give 'em a shout to get your hands on some of this chic!!!

Apartment Shoot

Y'all, I shot bits of our apartment back in April 2011 with the uber-talented, Bob Martus:

Catch the rest of those shots in my portfolio section...anyway, We always knew we weren't finished with the shoot-- we just didn't realize it would take damn near two years to make it happen!?! Well, here we are, getting back in the photo groove and finishin' what we started:

No, I'm not moving, y'all...

This is what goes down when you get a photographer and a prop stylist all up in yo grill-- in yo face with jumblin' up yo shiot like you was movin' but all your really doin' is takin' a picture of yo house! That's called GLAMOUR and consider yo-selves, schooled!!!

And here in NYC, we grab power WHEREVER we can scrounge it up...this one kitchen outlet is powering a photo shoot AND tonight's dinner, simmering in the slow cooker! YES! Y'all know I'm all about double-value in my house!

Even my poor dog was all wide-eyed and feelin' bamboozled, wandering from one mess to the next:

Cant' wait to share the fab pics soon!!! Patrician Court realness can't be denied! XXOOOO!

Free Shiot Friday in full effect!

Oh she's a cold one out there today, y'all...but you know some Free Shiot Friday will warm y'all good-n-toasty like nothing else! Like this gal here, who's sitting all pretty:

Hanging hardware still intact and looking operational (someone must've just smashed this poor girls door in a fashion frenzy one morning and here she is, out on the street...the shade!):

LOVE the fun yellow and white stripe party happening in the back of the interior of armoire...'cause y'all know the front is all business and shiot:

What's great too is that back can be changed to fit whatever party you got going on, if you're not vibing yellow and white mountain alps Ricola-realness! Paint it out, add a different patterned paper, or fun fabric...I mean, just let loose like you never knew you could on the back of an armoire, people!!!! YESSSS! Free Shiot Friday is about freedom and the USA!

Here's another shot that details the clothing bar...

Or boombox, or bar or World Britannica Collection or...Happy Friday y'all! Go out and get some Free Shiot!

The birds have flown the coop in my bathroom...FINALLY!!!

Y'all, it's been since July, but my bathroom pattern repeat paint project is finished...prepare for HOT AFTER ACTION!!!:

I'm really happy with the way it turned out! I think it's an unexpected play on the scale of the existing print of the shower curtain, which looks like this:

And because the print is much more like a line drawing, I could get all cra cra and not worry too much about painting something that was a prefect replica of the original. Talk about not coloring in the lines...damn! Here's how I did it, y'all: 1. Start with a shot of your choice and then proceed with cold beers throughout...this helps your inner Picasso hurl forth! 2. Using interior latex paint in black & brown and a couple foam craft brushes, I picked a cage that inspired me and free-handed it onto the wall. If the cage has a brown base (see above pic), I started with that. To achieve a perfectly round circle for the one cage, I traced the lid of a pot. I typed POT. Hee hee... 3. Next I painted the black bars of cages and other black lines. This was the best part of process b/c I really couldn't make a mistake, since the lines in original print are so askew-- and I was beyond trashed at this point...

Here's a shot of my paint 'set-up'...yes, that IS a cat food can...don't hate, biotch! When cleaned out, they make the BEST paint cans for projects...or, go ahead y'all and leave chunks of food in the can to mix with your paint, the remnants will add texture to your paint treatment, resulting in stucco realness that your cat can eat right off the walls!!! YUMMY!

And here's where this all started:

And let's savor one last look, y'all...this shiot was months in the making...

Meeeeooowww!

Gifts that keep on giving...and giving...and...

Y'all, it's mad scrambles for a lot of folks out there right now searching high and low for 'the perfect gift'...I had the pleasure of styling a news segment by Lauren Glassberg on Eyewitness News Channel 7, featuring a company/e-commerce site called, Gifts that Give, created by the fab Nancy Taylor.

$1 out of every $5 y'all spend on purchases, goes to the cause of your choice! Talk about double value! And better still, is the variety and selection of awesome gifts that are on offer...so log on and get your shopping frenzy on...you'll tackle those wishlists and help some peeps out in the process!!! And be sure to check out Lauren's full story and video here. Happy shopping AND giving!!!

Mi Casa...Ankasa!

Y'all, the other night I was swillin' champagne at the swanky premiere/holiday party for Ankasa in Soho! Ankasa is an absolutely gorg luxury home brand with roots in high end fashion, created by Sachin and Babi Ahluwalia. Exquisite pillows, bedding, furniture, lighting and original artwork are in abundance and ready to slay y'all...

LOVING the white lacquered pipe and flange used for display...and y'all can't really tell from my '5-glasses in advanced champagne camera technique', but the paint colors used in this place are divine-- Who ARE these people?!?!

SERVE US!

More Festive Skulls!

Ankasa is just bubbling with all kinds of gorgeousness for the home, so it's well worth a visit to see it for y'all-selves! And for those out of towners, fret not: though Ankasa is in the process of updating it's online ordering system, they are more than happy to facilitate orders over the phone, click here for specifics. And festive skulls!

I'm gonna serve sass at upcoming "Art Enology." Pop-Up Gallery in Harlem!

For those of y'all who are able, please join me this coming Sat 12/8 at Art in Flux Harlem, where along with several other interior experts, I'll be dishing on how to decorate your home for the holidays and how to incorporate art into the home setting! Slain! It's also a wine tasting with some nosh and an exhibit! Woohoo! Art-realness!

The event is part of "Art Enology." Twenty Artists on Wine exhibit to highlight Harlem's growing art scene. Exhibit runs from Dec 2012 to Jan 2013. Here's a more official, proper blurb b/c y'all know my jank description above is so not pitch perfect:

'Tis the Season…for Art & Wine: Sat. Dec. 8th 1-3pm. During the holiday season there is lots of celebrating and decorating to do. In this event, participants will receive tips from experts in art, wine and interior design on how to incorporate art and wine into the holiday season. Questions that will be answered include: how to select art/wine as a holiday gift; how to select the right wine for a Christmas/New Year’s party; and how art and wine can be used to decorate the home during the holiday season and all year-round. The event will also include tastings and an artist meet-and-greet. Fun! Right y'all?? But wait...there's MORE:

Art.com will be showin' some love by offering some prizes during the event...'cause that's how it is when you're an 'Inspired Insider' with art.com...did i mention art.com? The events’ sponsors include Simone International/Papi Wines, Ebony.com and Cuisine Noir magazine, with production by Souleo Enterprises, LLC, an event/media production company.

This is all going down at Art in Flux Harlem, 1961 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd (7th Ave.) at 118th Street, in New York, New York. 646-340-3479, info@artinfluxharlem.com and click here for even more info. Hope to see y'all!!!

'shroom II-- Style Slapped...twice!

Y'all, my second mushroom ottoman has been turned out! Here's the fabric she got done up in:

Velvet wasn't my first choice, in all honesty...I wanted to do this awesome blue cotton canvas, but the company stopped making that particular shade of blue, and I wasn't really loving the upgraded color they were trying to pass off as it's replacement. SO, I came across this velvet in the same shade of blue as my inspiration, which I was intrigued by...but then I noticed all this distressing and it was over! 2.5 yards couldn't get into my bag fast enough...and I think I ended up with the right choice:

And now, let these two ladies SERVE IT:

BIG shout out to the good folks at Economy Foam and Futon who reupholstered these gals! They did such an amazing job!!! If y'all need ANY upholstery, throw pillows, etc...get yo a$$es to Economy...they're soooo affordable and they do soooo much more than just futons, tell them I sent you!

Compose Y'all-selves!

One of my many 'job duties' as a prop & set stylist for photo shoots is to compose items/objects being photographed, like this:

That's an early version of a cosmetics shot that I composed for the Taigan.com 2012 holiday gift guide...it's not brain surgery here, folks, but it's a close second at least, I mean, c'mon...the beauty industry? The economy? Y'all do the math! Anyway, I digress...here's where we ended up:

A little composition love goes a LONG way, right? What started out as cute & contained grew to be fun & flirty with lots of energy and movement. Now, don't y'all just want to buy all that shiot right now? I mean, look how gorg it is, spread all across the place just beckoning, ever so tenderly...Cosmetic Confessions!

Shout out to the uber-talented photographer dynamo, Emily J Anderson, and Ellie Sommerville McNevin, who art directed beyond belief! Trebbie! We had a great time together and I think we served up one sassy gift guide...check it here. So now, none of y'all have ANY excuses for last-minute holiday shopping scrambles, OK?!

'shroom gets style-slapped!

Y'all check out my 'shroom ottoman's new outfit:

That giant-a$$ shadow was insistent upon getting in on the photo shoot, but thankfully it doesn't distract from all the gorg babygirl is serving us:

I LOVE how it turned out...Economy Foam and Futon did such a terrific job (who knew they did upholstery? Y'all DO...that's who!?) It's so scrumptious now, compared to what she was serving us before:

For those folks interested in the fabric I used for this ottoman, get y'allselves over to fabric.com and order some up! It's soooo chic!!! And remember to check back for the BIG REVEAL on the other mushroom ottoman who's getting tricked out in a tangy blue velvet! Yummy double 'shroom love coming y'all's way!!!

MyColor inspired by Pantone Blog-A-Dazzle winner is...

Jennifer C!!!!

Congratulations to Jennifer who commented on last week's painting par-tay, saying, "I've got a few pieces of furniture I've found that I want to paint"...

Well, girl, your painting destiny is about to be fulfilled with 3 jars of MyColor inspired by Pantone paint in whatever colors you choose!

Now go get your PAINT on...and please feel free to send pics of your project, would love to see the transformations!!!

Congratulations!

It's ON: MyColor™ inspired by Pantone® Painting Party!

Woo-hoo! It's 12p EST and y'all know what THAT means? It's par-tay paint time!

Welcome to the MyColor inspired by Pantone painting party! Let's GET this! To review: there are a group of awesome diy blogger dynamos, including yours truly, who have all done up some projects using My Color inspired by Pantone paint. Expect to be inspired (duh), mesmerized...titillated even...by paint! Uh huh! Y'all could even win stuff! OH! And maybe, just maybe, today's the day y'all are gonna finally have your decorating destinies fulfilled, not only here on Blog-A-Dazzle...oh, no, y'all...you're embarking on a full-on painting treasure hunt, today! YES!

See, after you experience what I've got to share, you'll click on over to Cassie, at Primitive and Proper blog, who will beguile y'all with her paint magic! Here's the complete list in order:

Courtney @ A Thoughtful Place *Go Back to the Beginning!* PJ @ Blog-A-Dazzle *You Are Here!* Cassie @ Primitive and Proper *Continue to this Blog Next!* Holly @ Life in the Fun Lane Angela @ Number Fifty-Three Heather @ Paper Princess Studio

But first, I'm gettin' all kinds of diy dirty up in here with My Color inspired by Pantone Paint, 'cause that's just how I roller-on my parties (pun intended!) Oh shiot!:

I'd been given these three amazing graphic popsicle art prints from the amazing designer & illustrator, Erin Wengrovius, a while ago:

Y'all can score some of her work right here.

I've always had the best intentions to have them framed in some 'licious way, but y'all know how easy it is to blow out your decorating budget with custom framing...am I right? So, when asked to participate in this event, I knew just what I wanted to tackle: frame these lovelies!!! What's that got to do with paint? Well...

When framing, I love to take my color cues for my frame choice right off the artwork that's being framed and then sass up the whole situation even more by surrounding artwork with a thick white mat-- yummy! I also j'adore the idea of contrasting subject matter in the artwork with the frame type, like my modern & poppy art prints, paired with frames that look like this:

I scored these ornate-y frames for value dollars at thrift stores and flea markets. They're all kinds of janky-- some chips & dings, one was missing glass, but they're giving us all kinds of gilded glam that will contrast perfectly with clean & modern art prints.

The real icing on the cake starts oozing when I paint each one of them in a different coordinating color from My Color inspired by Pantone paint! Paired with the white mats, these sweet treats are gonna style-slap y'all with bright bold painted frame realness!!! Paint biotch!

FIRST: With either your artwork or measurements of your artwork in tow, troll area thrift stores, flea markets or other fun places you know that could yield used frame bounty. Each of my three frames were less than $15, so go dig up your own value!

SECOND: Take both your artwork AND your "new" frames to your local art frame shop. Have them cut mats for your artwork to fit into the frames you're providing in the color you choose. I almost always choose white, single mats. Prints Charming in Brooklyn is my go-to spot for these types of projects, they're awesome! (Note: Avoid drama here by calling ahead to your frame place to confirm they'll do this service for you. Most locally owned shops allow you to bring in your own frames, but there are some that prefer you purchase frames from them. By just purchasing mats and having them customized you are saving a small fortune with this step. Another great note: The frame you find doesn't have glass? Most frame shops offer glass for frames for dirt cheap, so GRAB it!)

THIRD: Prep frames for painting. Remove backing and glass. Clean frames. Once dry, paint frames in desired colors.

Depending upon the original color and finish of your frame, expect it to take two to three coats. Allow to dry between coats and before next step. For reference, the colors I used were: Tangerine Tango for the orange creamsicle art, Dandelion for the rainbow popsicle and Blithe for the rocket pop.

FOURTH: Reassemble frames by carefully inserting glass, your artwork with new mat and secure in back of frame. Now, go rock yo walls with your new artwork, y'all!!!

So as you can see, my mis-matched ornate-mess frames turned out stunning when style-slapped with bright poppy paint that matches the art within. How hot is that y'all? Tangy!

BUT WAIT, there's more: If y'all want to win a sample of MyColor™ inspired by Pantone® for y'all-selves, just comment on my post (you'll have up to a week from today to do so for y'all lazy a$$ skanks) and share how you’d use MyColor™ inspired by Pantone® in your next project or your life! Feel free to comment on the other blogs in the party too – they’ll all be giving away samples-- oh my, y'all, that's 5 potential samples! For a second chance to win, tweet your project ideas to @MyColorPaints using hashtag #PassItOn. Also check out and like the MyColor™ inspired by Pantone® Facebook page to get access to the schedule for today’s parties as well as the rest of the parties going on this month! Share your project ideas there for one more chance to win!

And don't forget to continue your DIY Painting Party journey with my fellow Par-tay bloggers. Next stop on this party bus is with Cassie at Primitive and Proper. Happy paint party!

Dazzle Disclaimer, y'all: MyColor™ inspired by Pantone® reached out to me to participate in the MyColor™ inspired by Pantone® Painting Party. My post represents my honest experience with MyColor™ inspired by Pantone® paint. I am not being paid for my answers, but I did receive MyColor™ inspired by Pantone® paint to use for this project.