A Penny For Your Thoughts

It's here! My vignette for Serving Up Style has been installed and is showing now as we speak. The amount of work that goes into this event is unreal, both pre and post show. The two weeks leading up to the event always makes me question why I signed up for another year, but the end result makes it all worth while. And the money raised goes to the amazing Molly's Fund Fighting Lupus.

Along with the design freedom and raising money, there is also a group of awards that are handed out for different categories. All of those but one are handed out tonight at the Gala Dinner. Keep your fingers crossed for CoCo Designs.

The final award is handed out on Monday morning after voting is tallied for the People's Choice Award. This year Houzz.com is sponsoring online voting for people that can't make it to the show, but can view photos online. So loyal readers, please click on the link and vote for CoCo Designs' "A Penny For Your Thoughts".

 

 

 HEARTS 

It's the Final Countdown... Da Da Da Da

In case you've been living under a rock, the biggest design competition in Oregon is just around the corner. Serving Up Style brings in the top area interior designers into one building to compete for ass-kicking design honors. Not to mention raise money for a super great cause, Molly's Fund Fighting Lupus. This year kicks into gear on Thursday, October 4th during the Portland Fall Home & Garden Show at The Expo Center.

With just a mere three days before the installation begins, we here at CoCo Designs are busting out last minute crafting and designing projects. I can't disclose much, as this is a top secret mission, but I will tell you that the whole team is feeling really good about our design this year. Be prepared for "A Penny For Your Thoughts".

So, head down and check out all of the beautiful designs by some awesome designers. CoCo Designs being the most awesome, of course. In case you're looking for a coupon to the show, I just happen to have one for you.

I'd also like to give a thousand thank you's to the generous support from my donors who donated time and supplies to our vignette.

BRANCH AND BIRDIE: Seating and Accessories

AD BUSCH: Custom Dining Table

MOSAIK DESIGN & REMODELING: Walls and Frame

HALL STREET DESIGNER SHOWROOM: Accessories

ZGALLERIE: Accessories and Furnishings

REJUVENATION: Base Lighting

YOLO COLORHOUSE: Paint

THE WHOLE 9 YARDS: Fabric and Notions

D'LURE AIRBRUSHING: Custom Artwork

A2B MOVING & DELIVERY: Delivery and Set Up

***And a BIG thanks to my family and friends who helped us amass an unreal amount of pennies. And to my team. What would I have done without you?

 HEARTS 

Serving Up Style: Meet the Team

It's time for the official announcement of Team CoCo. I am so very lucky to have three amazingly talented people join me this year for Serving Up Style. Welcome to Adriane Boyland, Kaylene Campbell and Minh Duong.

I can't give too much away, but I will tell you this. We are going to KILL IT!

Roll call...

ADRIANE

This little lady is back for year two with CoCo Designs at Serving Up Style. She also kicks ass at interning and assisting me with all kinds of design nonsense. Adriane is getting ready to start her third year at Portland State and is majoring in Architecture. She is an interior designer's dream.

KAYLENE

This sassy sister is a Serving Up Style veteran. Prior to joining CoCo Designs for this year's competition, she has been a star member of the Art Institute Team. I convinced Kaylene to come join the dark side. She is one hell of a student at AI and has a killer eye for design.

MINH

What can I say about a man that dresses better than me? Besides the obvious fact that he must be REALLY stylish. Minh is another previous AI team member with plenty of experience under his belt who decided to cross over. He is bringing a much needed breath of male insight into the high levels of Estrogen at Team CoCo. Minh is also a student at AI with a crazy gift for design.

 HEARTS 

Serving Up Style... It's BAAACK!

2011~Red Delicious

That's right, ladies and gents. It's that time of year when Team CoCo Designs puts their noses to the grindstone and starts dreaming up a crazy design plan for Serving Up Style. In case you live under a rock and have never heard of the one and only Serving Up Style, let me help you out. Here is a little tidbit from the website...

Molly’s Fund Fighting Lupus, along with the Portland Fall Home & Garden Show, invites you to join in the fight against lupus with Serving Up Style. Serving Up Style centers around a design competition and four day showcase at the Portland Expo Center. Each year, design teams are invited to create fantastic, whimsical, and stunning dining room environments. October 4th-7th.

2010~Molly in Wonderland

I'm now in year 3 and beyond excited to be competing again. Sure, it's more work than one can imagine and every year I curse myself for participating. But after all of the blood, sweat and tears, it's an experience I would never give up.

Not only is this event the most fun an interior designer can have, but it supports such a very important cause. Molly's Fund strives to educate the public and the medical community about lupus, to push for earlier, life-saving diagnoses for those afflicted, and to spur governments and foundations to fund research toward a cure.

If you don't come down and take a look in October, you're dumb.

Serving Up Style. Learn it. Know it. Do it.

 HEARTS

Red Glitter Apples and Vinyl=LOVE

As I mentioned in my last post, I have been working feverishly on my design vignette for Serving Up Style. Well, you'll be happy to know that as of Wednesday night at 10:00 pm the installation was complete. Thanks to my awesome team and generous donors, CoCo Designs has a kick ass display this year. Sure, there were hiccups along the way. Wrong lighting order, platform measurements came in short, table got a crack in transit, ceiling panel wouldn't hang right, etc. I'd like to believe that kind of thing happens to all of the design teams (if I find out it doesn't, I just may cry). I equate the Serving Up Style experience to child birth. It's stressful, painful and causes lots of tears and bad words, but after it's over you forget all of the bad and have a feeling of euphoria and are ready to do it again. Thank you, Debbie McCabe for making the entire experience fun and exciting. 

 

If you're around this weekend and looking for something fun to do, come check out the show. Make sure you vote for your favorite (CoCo Designs)!

Main Exhibit Hours
Thursday, 9/29: 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Friday, 9/30: 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Saturday, 10/1: 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Sunday, 10/2: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Oh yeah, forgot to mention. I had the super cool task of interviewing with HGTV's Michael Payne this morning. Talk about a sweet guy!

XOXO

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things - Part III

As I sit here putting together this blog post, I am thinking how I wish I had more time to actually write something funny and interesting. Unfortunately, I am both exhausted and in desperate need of more time in a day. I woke up this morning (third night in a row with max 5 hours of sleep) with my eyes swollen, laptop still open on the pillow next to me, bedside lamp on and phone next to my hand. BTW, when I say eyes swollen, I mean SWOLLEN. The kind of swollen where you want to show everyone because it is impossible to express in words how bad you look. Not pretty. I had to eliminate makeup today to try and get them to heal up. What could possibly be keeping me up so late and working so hard you ask... I have been working my tail off for the Serving Up Style design competition at the Portland Fall Home & Garden Show starting 9/29 and at this point, I both look and feel somewhat like a zombie. It never fails. You think you have everything all taken care of and ready to go and then reality hits. Time always goes by way quicker than expected and inevitably, something goes wrong. Since the projects are top secret I can't elaborate, but I will leave you with these clues. Red Foil. White Vinyl. Apples. 

Hope to see you all down there!

And now my favorite things...

Schumacher's Chiang Mai Dragon Fabric Print

Knitted Chair by Miriam Ortwed

Alexander McQueen-Spring/Summer 2001

Wonder Woman My Little Pony by Mari Kasurinen

Jonathan Adler

Sotheby's auction

Jasper Conran and William Neoward

Gemstone Painting by Carly Waito
(Yeah, that is a PAINTING. Not a photo. Amazing!)

Eileen Kathryn Boyd

Prostores

Trust me when I say, the new ones don't hold a candle to the 80's Pudding Pops.

XOXO

The Very Talented Mandy Greer

If you have ever taken a gander through my portfolio and saw the photos from the Serving Up Style event I competed in, then you surely saw the amazing green ivy and leafy piece hanging in the corner. That masterpiece was generously lent to me by the one and only Mandy Greer. Her work is remarkable and unlike anything I have seen before. She has a gift of turning yarn, fabric and other craft tidbits into pure beauty. Mandy is always being featured at a museum or gallery somewhere, but if you aren't close to her nearest display, be sure to visit her website or grab a copy of her book that just came out. It showcases the last 10 years of her artwork and all that is the wonderful Miss Mandy.

Photo Courtesy of Kamala Dolphin-Kingsley