I've been nominated for a Liebster Award! (Part 1)

My German grandmother would be so proud right now, as I have been nominated by the hilarious and witty Lisa of Sux In The City, for a Liebster Award!  

What is a Liebster Award you ask? It roughly refers to something you like, or that which is beloved in German – and the Liebster Award is a fun way to honor up-and-coming blogs who have less than 200 followers in order to get everyone more engaged, connected and it's a great way for you to find out about some new bloggers! Huzzah! Thank you Miss. Lisa! 

Now, I'm supposed to write a bunch of questions and nominate bloggers and tell you random things about myself, but I just spent 20 minutes on the graphic above and another hour answering the questions below-- so I'm just going to post half now and half later! 

ANSWERING LISA'S QUESTIONS:

1. If you could go back in time and alter a decision you’ve made, what would it be? I would have spent more time thinking about how to turn my favorite hobbies into a cool career before jumping into "real world" and dyed my hair from blond to red a lot sooner (even got to have a few pink days in between dye jobs!)
2. What’s your favorite thing about yourself, and why? My ability to throw together a great impromptu party - a handy and necessary skill. That or my winning personality.
3. If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you be? Sitting at just about any vineyard drinking wine with friends while my dogs troll around looking for willing hands to pet them.
4. If you had to select one food to live on for the rest of your life, what would it be? Champagne. Obv.
5. What scares you? Being too vulnerable, but I'm learning.
6. If you were 90 years old looking back at this time in your life, what would you regret, or wish you’d done differently? Keep in touch with old friends, wear red lipstick, and regret nothing. 
7. What is your biggest dream? My biggest dream is to happily live a life that is just right for me...and to pass the Sommelier Level 1 exam so I can be a legit wine expert!
8. If you could swap lives with anyone for 24 hours, who would you choose? Thelonious Monk or Frank Gehry -- just to have a glimpse into how these minds work would be incredible and I'm pretty sure my brain would explode.
9. Who’s your favorite person on earth? My grandmother- no longer on earth per se, but no less my favorite. She taught me that an all black outfit accessorized with big, colorful jewels, shoes, and purses is chic at any age.
10. If you had the power to change one thing about the world (circumstances, behaviors of people, etc), what would you change? I would strive for an emphasis on everyday happiness and focus on quality of life issues. More siestas, more laughs, less work, less competition, more brother and sisterhood, more wine.
11. Does your milkshake bring all the boys to the yard? Just the boys who aren't lactose intolerant.

Classics and Coral [MOOD BOARD]

The warm weather and longer days are leaving me to yearn for a killer patio to lounge on. Luckily, I actually have a pretty cool patio, but the sobering fact that I am merely a renter keeps me from spending any money to furnish this secondary living space. Instead, I choose to daydream about long hours spent lounging with friends and drinking wine while watching the sun dip below the horizon.

While I don't know if I would design my patio quite like this, I do have a soft spot for the classic black and white stripes and punchy accents (and that VIEW) shown in the outdoor space below. I've broken it down into colors and textures for those of you that would like to recreate it for yourself! Enjoy!

Design Advice: Integrating Screened Porches

Screened porches are a thing of amazing convenience and oftentimes very little beauty. Immediately  that sideways leaning, hastily built eyesore with sagging screens pops into my mind and I die a little bit inside. Of course, they serve a great purpose to those that love them. You are outside, breathing the warm summer air, becoming one with nature -- sort of.

I currently have a client who is very keen on having a screened porch integrated into the remodel of his home, and in this case I couldn't agree more. The keyword here is INTEGRATED! In Austin, the sun assaults your eyeballs and burns your skin for 8 months out of the year. Not only does this make it nearly impossible to enjoy the outdoors for most of the year, but it also comes with bees! bugs! mosquitos! raccoons! flash floods!

You bet I'm not going to give him just any old screened porch. He is going to get the crème de la crème of screened porches! So far, my search as turned of a few beauties you can check out below. Judging by these pics, a screened porch might be in my future too. You mean I can sit for hours sipping sugary gin + lemonades without the fear of bees?! Count me in! 

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Which of these screened porches would you like to spend hours lounging on? What unique details would you include in your perfect screened porch? Tell me in the comments below!

Design Advice: Designing Around Quirks

After leaving the nest of your parent's home, you no doubt will live in multiple temporary residences. These rentals may include dorm rooms, apartments, condos, townhouses, duplexes, single family homes and maybe even the occasional house boat! Knowing that you are merely passing through and living on an intern's budget, you might end up with a place that has any number of quirks --- a random column in the middle of the living room, a few bricked in windows, yellow shag carpeting, a second story kitchen, windows that look straight into the condo (namely the bathroom) across from you. The horror stories are endless!

The bedroom below is a great example of celebrating and disguising one particularly common addition. Between the intricate bedframe and gorgeous artwork and fun use of color, did you notice that there is an extra door behind the headboard? It nearly melts into the wall completely and the turquoise outline cleverly draws the eye to the headboard, which we are all in awe of, and you forget there is a door there at all! Brilliant!

If you are a renter, you might feel that there is always SOMETHING that seems to deter you from creating the perfect room. If you are looking to purchase your first home, you really never know what "custom" (read: HILARIOUS) design choices the former homeowners are going to throw at you. The key? Have a plan and be flexible.

It can be a pain for most, but as someone who feels the need to live in a new space every year, I have come to enjoy working around these fun little quirks. I have also found that when done right, they can really add an extra layer of personality to the space. Anyone can design a plain white box, but it takes real talent and imagination to figure out how to celebrate or hide those architectural elements that cannot be changed as a temporary tenant. 

What is the weirdest design element that you have designed around? How did you hide or celebrate this potential eyesore?  Leave me a comment below! 

Design Advice: Mirror, Mirror

Amazing countertops? You've got them.
Awesome cabinetry color? Love at first sight.
Knobs and pulls? Stunning.
The perfect backsplash to tie it all together? You're stumped.

Finding the perfect kitchen backsplash can make or break your perfect kitchen design or remodel, and this anxiety inducing detail is completely justified. If there is too much grout and you risk holding onto grease splatters for a decade! Too colorful or trendy and you might end up hating it in 2 years! Too neutral and you wish for more personality! What's a savvy homeowner to do?!

My favorite classic, icy white subway tile is often a great choice when this dilemma arises, but not always the client's cup of tea. With so many amazing tile trends, finding "the one" isn't getting any easier.  Luckily, I have one go-to that I can almost guarantee won't end up in divorce. Mirrors -- with finishes like antiqued, distressed, pewter and rippled -- in shapes like beveled subway, disco mosaic, clean lines or large sheets are versatile, chic and cost effective! This material is also a great solution when trying to  make a small kitchen look bigger or a dark kitchen seem brighter. Check out a few of my favorites below.

Happy Weekend!

In the past 4 weeks, I have been ushered into my "late twenties", reconnected with old friends, lost inspiration, found inspiration, learned the importance of a morning beach run, wrangled in my ongoing design projects, indulged in too much champagne, AND officially registered my own LLC. 

What will this awesome business be, you ask? You will have to wait to find out. What I CAN tell you is that it is my personal mission to make good design accessible to the new generation of smart, economically savvy homeowners and renters --- and maybe, just maybe it will catch on. 

Stay tuned for updates and enjoy the long Memorial Day Weekend! 

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My Style: All Black Everything

I LOVE black. Love love love. I remember when I was gallivanting around in brightest candy colors back in my college days but insistently telling one of my BFFs that SOMEDAY I would have an all black closet and buckets of the most colorful accessories I could afford. Then I moved to Chicago and that's exactly what I got!

My perfect closet looks a little something like the collection below with a few flourishes of gold and red. Moving to California changed this a bit as my current closet has a bit more color. But as I consider a little (huge) hair color change up, it looks like my all black items will be making a comeback!

PS- How killer is that Quilted Balmain Blazer?

Pumps // Jeans // Perfume // Bra // Purse // Blazer // Necklace // Lipstick 

Be in love with your life.

Thank you Ashley Bellview for the inspiration. Always. 

Be My Valentine?

Hope today is all hearts & champagne bubbles for you too! Cheers! xoxoxo

Grey & Rose [MOOD BOARD]

Happy Thursday!