To continue on with , I am posting Blue found in my apartment. It was harder then I thought! Blue was always a favorite color of mine, but you would never know that by looking in my home...sheesh.
stacks of china on industrial kitchen shelves
vinatge ball jars filled with dog treats
suitcase storing secrets in the living room
picnic basket filled with watercolor paintings
japanese fishing balls
a cheerful mixed media painting
my favorite scarf hiding shoes, scarves & dog needs
I am having so much fun with this project! Check back tomorrow for Green!
OK, I figured that I might as well keep playing along and go the whole week...although I am not sure if I'll upload to the flickr group, but I will post along the Schedule! I had to play catch up, here is Tuesdays group of White which I found in my apartment!
Come back tomorrow to see what is Blue around my home...yay!!!
I really, really wanted to participate in the over at PoppyTalk...but oops, I can't always get to everything on time. I thought I would share my Red images anyway, as I had so much fun walking around spying red things this morning in my apartment!
Yummm, fresh tomatoes, apples & mangos!
Red boots on a red floor in my library/painting studio
The fabulous red book shelves I lined the library with
The best coffee ever...and the cutest creamer
Poppies that will live forever
Vintage red topped school teachers desk
The desk has a story...I bought it for my first solo apartment. It started out as the first apartment I lived with a boy in, but we ended and I got to keep the prettiest apartment I ever had...well, until this one. Anyway, it was on the top floor of an old converted factory building in Syracuse, with super high ceilings and a wall of huge windows which overlooked the city. I was the youngest resident of the building. As it turned out I went to prep school with the son of the owner, so he felt he could trust me...I felt very grown up...despite not having any furniture.
The Niagra Mowhawk building was in my view, which as you can see is an incredible Art Deco structure by day and by night...well they light it up...sometimes with colors...its incredible to have as your view.
Anyway...back to not having furniture...there was an Antique Store on the bottom two floors which shared the elevator with the rest of the building. I slowly furnished most of my apartment by riding downstairs in my slippers, wandering around for hours in the different booths looking for the prefect pieces to fill my home. It was a huge shop and consigned most of the space out to different sellers, so there was new stuff daily and tons of stuff in there. I would be down there for until I was exhausted and out of cash (thank you bartending!), then I would simply load up the elevator and zoom up to the fifth floor where I just had to push my goodies a tiny way to home. It was awesome.
I remember the day I saw that desk. It was love at first sight. 12 years later, its still one of my favorite pieces in my home! Wow. That was quite the tangent.
We closed the restaurant tonight because of the snow and even though we're only open 2 nights a week, I get really excited when we have a snow night! I of course celebrated by reading on the couch (my ultimate guilty pleasure activity!). After an hour I was restless so I have been organizing in the studio and watching house. I may even make some hot cocoa, woo hoo!
Sierra all bundled up
For a break, I grabbed my camera, bundled us both up and took Faye out for a sad little walk. However, she gets a bit whiny about the snow and just stands there looking at me like I enjoy watching her suffer and find her pain amusing, its kind of funny, but at the same time pitiful.
Faye all bundled up
Shortly after we got outside, I was happily taking pictures when we were almost were attacked on the side walk by this woman's two crazed yapping dogs, so I gave in and our adventure was cut short.
Home
The second floor is home to me, Faye and Manic Trout and on a snowy night is cozier then ever...I'll admit I'm not that upset to be back inside!
my collection of rubber & plastic toys on display in the studio
The people you know who have obvious hobbies or things they are into are always the easiest to shop for. For example, when I was married to an avid fly fisherman, everything we received had trout on it...it even influenced my business name! Even when its not time to pick out a gift, I like those types of people, I enjoy their quicks and love to see what they collect. I actually design for people like that...the critters are perfect for collectors, as are all of the vintage lucite, lockets, buttons, scarves and game pieces.
my collection of Japanese Fishing Balls have inspired my living room table
I tend to gather my quirky collections in subtle ways and keep them small. I am however pretty jealous of those with massive displays of snow globes or pez dispensers. I usually use my collected goods and have them spread out and tucked away most of the time...and never in very obvious places when they are out. I have two glass fish bowls in my studio filled with little rubber and plastic critters and army men and my living room table is adorned with a basket of what started as just Japanese fishing balls, but now include brass sea creatures and wicker balls as well. Those are the two most obvious examples of my collections, but I kind of want to take it to the next level.
Wonder Woman doing a great job holding pens in the studio
What amount makes one go from a casual collector to having the rights to really display the goods??? My sister Holly has been getting me Wonder Woman doodads for years now, she's given have the barbie, the pez dispenser, an address book and this year a vintage 1988 Burger King Cup. Its awesome, and I have her holding the pens I sketch jewelry designs with...a very important job...but I'm wondering if I should take this collection up a notch? I know that technically a collection is made once you have three of something, but how much vintage Wonder Woman stuff do I need to display it together proudly?
As you are well aware if you read this blog, I moved last winter due to a flood and had a major decor overhaul because of it. I was very lucky that none of my major pieces of furniture were damaged, but between the move, the re-decoration of the bedroom and the fact that my bed is about a decade old made me want to upgrade from a full to a queen. I however, love my headboard and am reluctant to change as I have not found one I like as much. I currently have an upholstered vintage headboard which I love, but is alas, a full. I was all excited to buy a new bed this past summer, and I fell in love with a new style, but then realized that it was no longer available. I persevered however and found another I was enamored with...but sadly that sold out before I could make up my mind.
the second bed of my dreams (from West Elm)
Since then I have found nothing that I like...except that now I think that I may want to go back to really liking the upholstered look. I'm pretty sure the problem is that I have not found a great place to look with a bunch of style options. Perhaps I just need to see a better selection to find my dream bed.
Any one have any suggestions of styles they love or great places to shop?
As the days of become warmer and there are more people on the sidewalk below us, I have noticed that Faye has taken up a post to make sure we are safe and sound up here...
Faye at her post
Faye relaxing while hard at work
My favorite part is that after a few irritated lectures about messing up the curtains, she has learned to do so in a way that keeps the curtains how I like them. You can't make this stuff up!
So sorry to have fallen off the planet, but moving my home and business has left a few things on hold...but its almost done!!! Hope you are all enjoying this snowy February and I look forward to sharing the new space and *gasp* there is new jewelry all ready to go online!!!!
I was so lucky to have had such a wonderful Sunday and Monday in Manhattan this week and I will tell you all about it soon, promise. However I am currently occupied with my home and studio as I returned late last night to find my apartment filled with 4 inches of water...again. Yes, this is the second flood I have had in 4 years. Nothing major was ruined, although I did loose all of my drawings (last time it was the watercolors) but I have photos of my favorites. There is alot of wet wood kitchen furniture as the pipes above the kitchen seem to always burst, but it will dry. A few dishes were hit with the falling ceiling and a bunch off odds and ends had to be thrown out...pads of drawing paper, jewelry boxes, bubble mailers and a few other things I could care less about, so I am actually really lucky.
The good news is that I still had all of the contact info for the flood specialists, plumber and handymen and called them all last night, so by this afternoon the pipe was fixed, the carpets and floors were ripped up and industrials dryers were put in place. The bad news is that in order to have the new floors installed, I have to remove everything from the apartment in a couple of weeks. Not fun. This included my studio, incredibly not fun. You can all feel sorry for me now...especially as I went through this a mere 2 years ago.
As far as the big picture goes, I've decided that this means its time to move to a new home for the next year or so I plan on living in Millbrook. I am hoping to move to an apartment in the same house that is actually bigger, but it may not happen. So I am in limbo. I have been being as positive as I can through all of this and have looked on every bright side and seen every silver lining...but this is still pretty hard to deal with right now.
On a more positive note, I have been getting ready to start announcing the new lines...and hopefully I can still get them out soon, just a smidge behind schedule. Until then, cross your fingers for me that I stay dry!
I have heard that decorators will actually go and buy books just for their spine colors to achieve this affect in houses...which is really a bit sad...but part of me really wants to rearrange my book shelves to this effect. I have created my dream room filled with books, my painting supplies and a big comfy couch...sadly I do not have time to even go in there right now...but whatever, I smile whenever I walk by it. I really need to rearrange the bookshelves and part of me wants to spend a day doing it just like this room this winter...if I do, I promise to share it with you...
Hello!! My name is Sierra and this is my digital sketchbook where I share my life as a designer living in Austin, TX. Check out the about page to find out more about me and what goes on here!
