Change is good...

A year has gone by once again since my last post and so much has changed...so it is time to get back to blogging on a regular basis.

In doing so it was time to change the site too. The overall concept is the same. I will continue to blog about dollops of goodness for your home and your life with a little different perspective.

I closed my professional design business in pursuit of new goals and dreams. To the outside it may look like I was going backwards, but for me it is all forward progress.

2012 will be an amazing year filled with monthly decorating ideas, personal growth concepts and making life better in the process.

So stay tuned to what's to come....

Great Collaboration…

Pretty much every project is a collaborative effort between client(s) and designer but this project was even more so because I partnered with my good friend and fellow designer Aimee Miller of Designed To Move.

It was great to have someone to bounce ideas around, shop and edit the perfect choices to present to the clients....

The clients had moved from a smaller very modern house to a quite large Mediterranean home. We were pretty much starting from scratch. There was a family room sofa and chaise, a master bedroom bed, a guest room bed and a breakfast table and chairs. This house needed life, personality reflective of the people living there.

Here are a few shots I hope you will enjoy!

Before:

After:

Here we used an Oly Sofa, Chairs from Duralee, Paul Ferrante coffee table, Ironworks Light fixture, Visual Comfort Floor lamps, and the Mirror from Hinson. The drapery hardware is from Bradley at Donghia.

Before:

After:

The bed frame was one the clients had purchased prior to hiring us. So we added Night Stands, Sofa from Robert Allen, Ottoman also from Robert Allen and the bedding is a mix of Peacock Alley with custom pillows. Drapery and pillow fabric both from Schumacher. Last but not least is the beautiful hanging fixture from Ironies.

Before: After:

The guest room features a cane bed the client's had purchased prior to us. We pared with it 2 night tables form Global Views, Lamps are from Visual Comfort and again we mixed Peacock Alley bedding with some custom pillows. Drapery and ottoman are all Robert Allen/Beacon Hill fabrics.

All my best!

What we did last summer...

I can't believe I forgot to tell you about our summer vacation trip in Hawaii....
My husbands cousins are great at planning a family reunion every other year, but this year was different...1st we weren't suppose to have a reunion this summer as last year we met in Bodega Bay. 2nd one of the cousins wanted to do it big. I mean really big! His nick name is Big Daddy. Anyway it was his 50th birthday. So he and his wife Zoe, well mostly Zoe, planned an all expenses paid extravaganza at the Grand Wailea in Maui, but not just at the hotel...oh no, we had 9 condominiums at the Grand Wailea. Did I mention there were sixty people??? So here are a few of the highlights from the trip...

We took a day trip to another Island which includes a day of snorkeling, volleyball, sunning and dinner...

Our host "Big Daddy" his wife Zoe. There last name is Campbell like the soup so they call there family Team Soup....and as you can tell Team Soup had more flavors to be added to the long line of soups...see below for the latest....


One thing that is traditional with the family reunions is that every family usually takes turns hosting a dinner. This year was a bit different because of the sheer quantity of people. So we mostly band together by condo to host a meal. We worked with our condo-mates to create a feast of a dinner. Included grilled fish, lime-coconut rice with cilantro, chicken wings, Chinese long beans and a mixed green salad with nuts, blue cheese and raspberries. Sorry for some reason no photos?

We didn't make dessert that night so I did make cupcakes one night mostly to celebrate Team Soups upcoming additions...
No Hawaiian trip is complete without the quintessential Luau....

There were so many amazing moments, we cannot express how much this trip meant to us nor can we possibly even begin to thank Kevin and Zoe enough for all the memories...

Congratulations on their new additions to the Soup Mix!

Race for the Rescues 2010

So it's the 5th Annual Race for the Rescues at the Rose Bowl Sunday Oct. 24th!!!

A 5k, 10k & Kids Fun Run to benefit 10 non-profit dog/cat rescues and animal welfare Foundations.
Run, Walk, Shop or Adopt to help save the life of a homeless dog or cat!

Meet celebrity hosts Jane Lynch, the star of "Glee," Carrie Ann Inaba from "Dancing With The Stars" and Danielle Fishel from the Style Network's "The Dish."

Come out and enjoy and help support a great cause the weather is scheduled to be cool and sunny-perfect for to make a difference!!!

Great event to tell you about!!

As a member of the ICA&CA-SCC I was part of the committee that put together an amazing event. I hope you will join us for a series of talks, round-table discussions, tours of the Inn and historic downtown Riverside, sketching classes and camaraderie and enjoy the beauty of the Mission Inn before the holiday rush.

The Mission Inn and Spa

Built between 1902 and1932, this remarkable hotel embraces all of the architectural phases of Southern California’s fascination with its Spanish heritage. Now restored and refurbished, the Mission Inn Hotel & Spa still conveys the vision of its original owner, Frank A. Miller. The Mission Inn Museum offers a 75-minute walking tour led by docents trained on the art, architecture and history of the Mission Inn. This is your opportunity to see parts of the Inn that are inaccessible to the general public.

November 12 - 14, 2010

Friday Night Speaker: Steven Spiller-Historian Talking about the Mission Inn's History

Saturday Night Keynote Speaker: Charles Phoenix

We will be serving JAQK wines at our receptions and dinners.

$400 ($300 ICA&CA Members) - Fee includes all meals, classes, talks and tours (excluding hotel accommodations)

Sketching Class - XX LU’s/CES credit for AIA members

For hotel accommodations, contact 800-843-7755 to reserve at discounted group rate (reference the Institute of Classical Architecture when making your reservation.)

Hotel reservation must be made by October 20th to receive special ICA&CA rate.

If you choose to partake in the walking tour Marion Mitchele-Wilson gives you an overview of what you will see...

The Mission Inn Historic District (1871-1946) walking tour will cover roughly the area bounded by Sixth Street, Eleventh Street, Market Street and the Commerce Streets in the heart of the Riverside's Historic Mile Square. Between and 1890 and 1932 many of California's most important architects including, A.C. Willard, Arthur Benton, Myron Hunt, G. Stanley Wilson, Julia Morgan, and Burnham and Bliesner worked here. Early urban planner Charles Cheney developed its Civic Center, Transportation and Parks Plans and authored the state enabling legislation for zoning which was carried by State Senator, Samuel Evans, former Mayor of Riverside. It was here that Arthur Benton wrote his monograph on the importance of mission architecture as the basis for California's signature Mission Rival style and designed the first examples. Other architectural styles in the district are Romanesque and Spanish Colonial Revival, and Art Deco in a variety of building materials such as concrete from the Riverside and Colton Cement plants, Arizona Sandstone, ceramic brick, terra cotta and rough-hewn granite. Important mid-century modern buildings include the Riverside Public Library and the Central Fire Station by Bolton Caldwell Moise, Jr. with its extruded aluminum awnings from the Riverside Hunter Douglas plant. The area features numerous resources listed in the National Register of Historic Places and two National Historic Landmarks, the Mission Inn and the Harada House.

I hope you will all come out and enjoy the great weekend!

Before I end this we have to acknowledge our great sponsors Zeluck Architectural Wood Windows and Doors and Project Solutions.

For more information and to RSVP contact 310.396.4379 | diane@classicist-socal.org

I'm Back to Blogging

Hi All-
I'm back after a six month hiatus...lots to talk about but for now I want to re-enter the blogging world with a blast from last year....

Halloween photos of Wasabi and Sammy, we all need a good laugh and they love putting on their costumes...

Wasabi hates the camera but loves to pose. She's such a goof ball!!!

And then there is Sammy, he's such a happy dog although he's looking a little worried in this photo....
Happy Halloween!!!

Blow Out Spring Furniture Sale!

I'm back!
Been a little busy getting ready for our Spring Warehouse Sale! It's been days of photographing everything...and we are not done yet. Please visit our site and keep checking back as we will be adding for the next week or so to get everything up...

http://www.designerhomefurnituresale.com

In addition to what you will see on the website there will also be model home furniture from 3 Condos and the proceeds will go to HomeAid.