Lords South Beach Hotel

Thanks to the lovely folks at Design*Sponge, I was introduced to Lords South Beach Hotel. I thought I had died and gone to Heaven when I saw the photos and went to their website.

Here are just a few reasons I want to stay here...

1. It's got a color palette of bright turquoise, yellow and crisp white. Hello! How awesome is that? Totally a beachy, Miami sort of feel.

(Yes, that's Elizabeth Taylor above the bed!)

2. Stripes, stripes and more stripes. Did I mention I have a serious crush on stripes? BTW, when you type "stripes" that many times in a row it looks like it's spelled wrong. I hate it when that happens.

3. Ahem, a giant white lacquered polar bear holding a beach ball. I'll repeat that, a giant white lacquered polar bear holding a beach ball. Need I say more?

4. One hell of a BAD ASS bar. This room is like a cross between The Shining, Braveheart and any John Wayne western. I love the spikes on the back of the chairs. Not only fashionable, but could come in handy for any unruly patrons who had one too many Cosmos. 

In closing, Lords South Beach Hotel, please let me come visit and PLEASE let me in on the design of your next unbelievable masterpiece. This is a design girl's dream!

XOXO

Tis' Berry Season

I don't know about you, but I have been counting the days until berry season since December when I used the last of my inventory from the freezer. I daydream of fresh strawberry shortcake and berry cobblers.

Full disclosure, I was raised in Lebanon, OR, home of The World's Largest Strawberry Shortcake, Strawberry Festival and berry fields as far as the eye could see. I tend to believe this is where the obsession came into play. When I was little, all of the neighbor kids would go on day long adventures through meadows and fields and pick wild blackberries. I also had a summer job picking strawberries one year. Although, I think I ate more than I got paid for. However this started, my love for berries is steadfast.

Luckily, we live in the Pacific Northwest, which means come June we are in berry heaven. I have already started planning for my first U-Pick trip and how I am going to store 3 times as many berries as I had last year. Be sure to check out Sauvie Island Farms for their fresh produce goodness. Their website lists the weeks that each different item is in season and ready to be picked. They also have a lovely flower field where you can cut flowers and create a beautiful bouquet.

Happy (Almost) Summer!

XOXO

AM Northwest and the Fabulous Custom Desk

So, I finished up shooting my very first AM Northwest segment yesterday. It was a two week timeline, starting with the first shoot at The Rebuilding Center on Mississippi. The segment is about re-purposing old and used items into something fabulous (and we all know that I LOVE fabulous). 

While there, I selected an old wood door and some crusty kitchen cabinets to create my masterpiece. The cabinets I chose were covered in laminate wood and a few layers of paint. This is when a putty knife and primer will be your best friend.  

After hauling these bad boys home, I pulled them to the back deck and got to work sanding, primer, repairing and cleaning. As with all vintage/used items, you have to be prepared for the unexpected. Don't let the the dings and flaws send you over the edge. That's part of the beauty of these kinds of projects. My little "assistant" wasn't much help, but super cute, so I couldn't resist her taking a snooze while on the job.

With newly sanded and altered pieces, I got ready to tackle the painting. I chose a light gray to compliment the vibrant coralish red (very technical term) fabric I chose for the top. I love the combination.

The last step before putting all of the pieces together was to finish up the cabinets by installing gate hooks and doing a little decorative painting to pull the squares from the top down to the bottom.

It was quite difficult to hand over my labor of love to The Rebuilding Center, but I take comfort in knowing it's going to a great place. 

If you've never been there, check it out. They have aisles and aisles of old doors, windows, lumber, cabinets, hardware, lighting, and on and on and on. Low prices and recycling pieces that would have otherwise been tossed into a landfill. The way I see it, it's a win win.