Inspiration DC

Maine

2010-07-09T11:30:00.000-04:00

I'm heading to Maine tomorrow to spend the week with my family. I'm beyond excited as I've never been to Maine, but have all kinds of glorified pictures in my mind of what it is going to be like. I'm imagining beautiful trees, rocky beaches, and as much lobster and seafood as you can eat. I pulled together a few Maine pictures of what I hope my vacation is like. If you have any Maine recommendations please leave them in the comments.

mbrigid

My Summer List

2010-06-28T17:00:00.000-04:00

Cuba Gallery

I feel like I just blinked and half of summer has passed me by! It is seriously almost July!

So to make sure I don't waste any more time I have made up a list of things I want to do this summer.

This is what I have so far. I may add to it as I go along. But I think this is a pretty good summer of activities if you ask me:

Go Sailing

Ride Bikes

Take more photos (especially polaroid)

Learn to make homemade ice cream

Get a membership to the DC Library

Go on picnics

Visit the monuments at night

Go tubbing down the river

Make Lemonade

Go to the Georgetown Flea Market

Do a creative project for myself

Watch at least one outdoor movie

Visit one museum

Go to the beach and fall asleep listening to the waves

Wander around the side streets of Old Town Alexandria

Go Kayaking

Read a good book

Visit a Virginia winery with friends

Play bocce

Have as many cookouts as possible

See Strasburg play baseball

Weekend in Pictures

2010-05-24T11:00:00.000-04:00

Happy Monday! I'm trying really hard not to dread work weeks and stop living just for the weekends. But its really hard. Especially now that the weather is nice and all I want to do is play outside!

Had a picnic at Iwo Jima this weekend. This is a great picnic spot with views of the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, and Capitol Building.

Had a little fun compiling multiple pictures into one.

I think Max Power enjoyed the picnic and relaxing at the park too.

Saturday Turner and I rode our bikes to check out H street's farmers market. This was my first time biking in the city and I have to say it wasn't too bad! Still need to get used to it though!

It was at the end of the market though so a lot of vendors were out of stuff. So then we headed over to Eastern Market.

And to pick up a few more things for a fresh yummy lunch we went to the grocery store.

I waited outside with the bikes and our farmers market goods. While waiting I noticed the fun textures and colors of the bike rack and pavement.

After our farmers market lunch we took another ride over the Anacostia and back around by the Nats stadium. I got in lots of city biking practice this weekend!

Saturday night my friend from North Carolina was in town so we took her out to H. Street. I usually try to take all my out of town friends to Sticky Rice because their sushi is just so darn good.

Yes we are immature and still play with our food.

Sunday morning I had brunch at Matchbox with my bible study girls. Most people don't know that Matchbox has a seriously banging brunch and is not just a pizza place. And on Sundays they have live jazz music. I love their cinnamon buns that come in a skillet.

Another exciting happening of this weekend that I don't have pictures of is my sister had her baby on Sunday! Its been a roller-coaster week for my family with the passing of our dog and the birth of a new little boy! We are extremely excited for my sister, brother-in-law and their new addition to the family. Unfortunately I can't meet the little dude until our family vacation in July. But I'm counting down the days and beyond thrilled for my big sis!

Rest in Peace Abby

2010-05-21T08:30:00.000-04:00

Last night my mom called to let me know my dog of 14 years had passed away. This is the first real time I've had to deal with a pet of my own dying. And I have to say it is like losing a member of the family.

We picked out Abby when I was 11-years-old. My sisters and I had agreed on a name before we even picked out a dog. So when I went with my mom to see a golden retriever puppy and we learned her name was Abby, the very name we had decided on. I convinced my mom it was fate and she was to be ours.

I have to admit she was an awfully naughty puppy. Chewing up so many things my dad threatened on multiple occasions to bring her to a farm. Luckily he never followed through on his threats and she grew into the most loyal sweet dog our family could ever ask for.

She was always there to give you dog kisses. She'd stay up late at night to keep my dad company while he read. Then when he went to bed she'd scratch at my door to sleep on the floor next to my bed all night. Even when I was away at college she would sometimes stick with this routine, sleeping in my empty room.

Abby was always under my mom's feet while she would be cooking. I think because she liked to be close to us, but mainly to catch any scraps. I can't really blame her though, my mom was a total sucker for her puppy dog eyes and would quite often throw a few treats her way.

She always looked like she was smiling a little dog grin. Maybe she was just panting from being tired, but I like to think she was happy when the whole family would get together.

She was the most loyal dog my family could ever ask for and we will remember her for that always.

Weekend in Pictures

2010-05-17T11:00:00.000-04:00

This weekend was an amazingly beautiful weekend in DC. Besides the short thunderstorm on Friday I barely spent any time indoors, which equates to the perfect weekend to me!

Friday night I had a girls night where we all brought ingredients to make pizza and watched a chick flick. The perfect activity when its the end of the week and storming outside.

Saturday we spent the day at Breaux Vineyards in Virginia with a group of friends. It was seriously on of the most perfect days. We do this sort of thing almost every other weekend in the summer and I highly recommend it as the perfect group activity out of the city.

I made to share with the group strawberry crumb bars from the strawberries I purchased at the farmers market. You are allowed to bring outside food as long as you don't sit on the patio so we all brought our own picnics. (Recipe adapted from this blueberry crumb bar recipe)

It was dog day at the vineyard so we brought Max along. (Though you can bring your dogs any day) He ended up chewing through his leash when we weren't looking and we had no choice but to let him run free. Luckily he makes friends easily and by the end of the day half the vineyard knew him by name.

Relaxing at the vineyard.

I was sneaky and got a group shot from afar.

Several rows of grapes were open for us to roam up and down with. So I ran back and forth with max.

Katie with max in tow.

Max loved running up and down the vineyard rows.

Sunday we took our bikes to Rock Creek Park. I had never been, but there are some amazingly beautiful bike/walking paths.

The paths run along with a creek which makes it extra beautiful and relaxing.

Owl Themed Baby Shower Invitation

2010-05-04T17:00:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago my mom, sister and I threw my oldest sister an owl-themed baby shower. Truth be told I've never thrown any sort of shower before and I had such a blast planning it. It was slightly difficult planning with me in DC, my middle sister in North Carolina, and the shower in Boston where my oldest sister lives. But I think we pulled it off well with one full day before dedicated to hectic running around!

I'm sharing the invitations I designed for the shower today and will share pictures from the event tomorrow. I first got inspiration for the owl theme from a gift my brother-in-law gave to my sister when she first got pregnant. It was a modern owl stuffed animal made out of vintage fabrics. They eventually built their nursery theme around it.

My sister has a green and white birch rug in her dining room, which is where I pulled the birch trees into the design. I mainly chose the colors to be bright, fun and playful with the main color palette being turquoise, brown, and orange. They were a lot of fun to design, especially since they were for my big sister.

Stay tuned tomorrow for pictures of the designs I created for the actual shower!

Good Morning: Time to Fly a Kite

2010-05-03T09:00:00.000-04:00

Nono Fara

Time for the Weekend

2010-04-30T17:00:00.001-04:00

julia stotz

So glad it is almost finally the weekend. This has been one super long week. I've been working non-stop on a million design projects this week. And while that will continue through the weekend, I can't wait to get out and about and enjoy the beautiful weather. There is a ton of stuff going on in the district this weekend. Here are a few highlights that I might check out:

Its that time of year again when Embassy's open their doors for the Around the World Tour. While I've never checked one out, I hear they are fun and a great way to get a crash course on a culture. Maybe this would even satisfy the travel bug I feel coming on....at least for a few weeks. Go here for the full schedule.

So many farmers markets are starting this weekend! I'm so ready for some fresh local produce! H Street NE, 14th and U, and Mount Pleasant all have markets starting this Saturday. And Mount Pleasant is having a free concert series from 2-7. I can't imagine a better way to spend a beautiful saturday then walking around a market and listening to live music.

Barracks row is having their tasting event along 8th street on Saturday. For $5 you can taste food from 14 area restaurants, which sounds like a great lunch to me!

I'm anxious to check out the photography exhibit: Beat Memories: The Photographs of Allen Ginsberg at the National Gallery of Art. The exhibit opens this weekend and runs to September 6th.

Those are just a few of the many events that caught my fancy for the weekend. What are you hoping to do this weekend?

I'm on Twitter! And a few other new things...

2010-04-29T15:00:00.002-04:00

First things First........I'm finally on twitter!!! At first I was putting it off because I didn't understand the value. And then I just couldn't find a good handle. But I finally committed and made the jump.

So make sure to follow me at DesigningInDC

Also I'm sure you noticed the new blog header. And sort of a new name, thats kind of what I'm in the midst of working on.

I know I've been very on and off since I got sick in January. Which makes me sad because this blog used to be part of my daily routine that I really enjoyed. And then everything kind of got thrown into disarray when I ended up in the hospital. And I've been struggling to get back into routine. But another reason why my attention has been pulled elsewhere is because I've been really focusing on expanding my new freelance business.

Design District is the new name for my design business and I'm currently working on getting my full portfolio website up and running. Once that happens I hope to revamp the look of my blog as well. But for now at least I have a new header! Also I've been mulling over where I want to go with the content of my blog. It will definitely stay the same topics but I'd really like to reign it in a little to be more personal about what I'm working on or experiencing in DC. So we shall see!

I've also put some of my design work on flickr while I get my portfolio up. I hope you will check it out!

I know I've pulled the disappearing act several times as I've been dealing with my health, but I'm really excited about everything I have in the works. And I hope this is the start of something even better than before!

And just one more time: follow me on twitter!

Rainbow Birthday Cake!

2010-04-26T14:00:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago was my nephew's first birthday and my sister and I thought it would be fun to make a rainbow cake. It started out in our minds pretty simple of just separating the batter into different pans and putting food coloring in each one. I have to say it did not turn out that easy, but still totally worth it. We basically had a full ROYGBIV cake (minus the indigo). And it looked completely awesome when we cut into it. I was slightly creeped out by consuming all that food coloring and eating unnaturally bright food, but a few weeks later I still seem to be fine.

We used a basic yellow cake recipe and tripled it for all the layers. Then had to bake 2 layers per shift because that was all we could fit. My sister made a basic buttercream frosting and did all the layering with frosting separating each color. Now if only my nephew were old enough to appreciate all the work!

A full slice of ROYGBIV Cake.

He may not appreciate the work that went into the cake, but I do think he enjoyed eating it. Even if half of it ended up on him.

Good Morning: Spring Rain

2010-04-26T09:00:00.000-04:00

huffmans

Good Morning: Dreaming of Summer Days

2010-04-23T09:00:00.000-04:00

ClickFlashPhotos / Nicki Varkevisser's

Good Morning: Wine and Chocolate

2010-04-12T09:00:00.000-04:00

beatbull

Summer Shoes

2010-04-08T11:00:00.001-04:00

I've been thinking about getting some sort of summer tennis shoe. While I love my black chucks, they just don't seem very summery. I could see myself riding bikes and kicking around in the shoes below. I think they would fit the bill perfectly and they look oh so comfortable.

Good Morning: Take a Ride

2010-04-08T09:00:00.001-04:00

Dornveek Markkstyrn

Good Morning: Spring Has Sprung

2010-04-05T09:00:00.000-04:00

MarcelGermain

Google Before You Tweet

2010-04-01T11:00:00.000-04:00

One of my friends sent me this Google before you tweet poster a while back. And I completely forgot about it until I stumbled upon it again. And thought oh yeah such a true statement! I love Typography sells prints for a mere $15. A pretty small price for such a wise proverb.

{via Design is Mine}

Good Morning: A Girl in Rome

2010-03-31T09:00:00.000-04:00

wili_hybrid

Moomah

2010-03-30T20:00:00.000-04:00

Lately I've seen Moomah, a creative arts cafe for children and their parents, everywhere. First I saw the creative logos and packaging designed by Apartment One in HOW Magazine's design annual. I instantly fell for their identity made up of whimsical collages. And I thought what a great idea for a cafe. A space where parents and their children can spend time together and be creative.

Then I stumbled upon pictures of the interior. Which I realized, this is exactly how I would have imagined it. Collages of artwork, missed match furniture of various materials, and spaces to relax and be creative.

Looking at their website I just love the whole concept of this cafe. A place like this would be really popular in DC and many other cities. They believe in serving foods that are locally grown as well as encouraging kids to try new foods. Their menu is clever with items like yummus and a dish called the super tryer where kids choose 6 items to try.

I think their motto says it best, " A place of sweet whimsy, wonder and warmth, moomah is a creative playscape, a cozy cafe, a living classroom, a quiet hideaway, an art oasis, your meeting spot. Your favorite place to be together, and a place for your child to simply be." I just really love the whole concept and think it would be great in other cities. Below are more pictures of the interior and their branding.

Good Morning: Put Your Rainboots On

2010-03-29T09:00:00.000-04:00

rachel_titiriga

Done with Jury Duty

2010-03-25T13:00:00.000-04:00

Joe Gratz

I know I probably had the shortest case ever. Which is probably more the exception than the rule.

Jury Duty was actually a really positive experience. Maybe because I only had to take two days away from work, but I really enjoyed it! All the jurors on my case were a lot of fun and it was a really interesting process.

They told us we could talk about the case now, but I still feel weird divulging all the details of the case. But I will tell you about part of it so you can be more aware in the city. This young man walked up to a woman who was playing on her iphone and started talking to her. Then he snatched her phone out of her hands and jumped back in the car and sped off.

There was definitely more to the case than that. But I found it a good reminder to always be aware in the city. There have been more reports of snatching ipods and phones on the metro close to the doors. So this is just a friendly reminder to be aware of your surroundings when you are playing with your electronics. I know living in the city a few years now I get comfortable and less careful.

I completely lucked out with my experience, but I have to say I'm really glad I served jury duty. Everyone I encountered in the DC Court system was extremely friendly and helpful. Which surprised me and is probably pretty rare or unique to my experience. But the judge was very nice and respectful of us and our time. I enjoyed everyone on my jury. We all got along really well and obviously were able to come into agreement extremely quickly. It was a really positive experience for me which I did not expect at all.

And now I am back and can finally start every day life again.

Good Morning: Fly Me Away

2010-03-25T09:00:00.000-04:00

HaoJan

DC Jury Duty

2010-03-23T21:00:00.000-04:00

OZinOH

As luck would have it, I got picked to serve on a case as a juror. I'm beginning to think I can't catch a break! I guess thats what I get for thinking what are the odds I'd get picked and have to miss even more work!

On the bright side the whole legal system is a really interesting process. Nothing like you see on tv. I'm in the midst of it right now so I can't say anymore, but I will offer a few tips if you do get called. Which if you live in DC its only a matter of time.

-I got there around 7:45 AM and the line was already down the hall and back again. I probably waited in line for at least 30 minutes. So I'd recommend either getting there earlier than that or a little bit later.

-I did not realize this before, but you can bring your laptop with you and they have free wifi. Though if you have a laptop like mine that only has a 2 hour battery I'd recommend getting there early to stake a plug against the wall in the jurors lounge.

-I assumed they were strict about food and skipped my morning coffee. But almost everyone waiting in line was sipping coffee and I was oh so jealous. They say food is not allowed in the jurors lounge, but I'd definitely recommend grabbing a coffee on your way as you wait in line. You'll probably finish it while waiting anyway.

-It is freezing in the whole building. So bring layers because I was sitting there in my trench the whole time shivering.

-I had read there was a dress code and not to wear jeans or sweats or anything. But I would say half the people were in jeans. And I was oh so jealous of their comfy attire as I sat there in my work dress and tights. I'm definitely dressing it down from here on out.

-Unfortunately I can't offer any strategies on how to not get chosen for a case. As I am exhibit A.

So needless to say right when I was getting back to blogging, I get pulled away again! Hopefully this whole process will be quick and painless and I'll be back in no time.

Good Morning: Jury Duty

2010-03-23T09:00:00.001-04:00

chang'r

I have jury duty starting today. I know I can't seem to catch a break! Someday I'll have a normal week where all I do is go to work. That is the dream. So posting will be light as I'll be twiddling my thumbs with no technology all day/possibly all week. I'll do my best to schedule posts, but I won't have as much time to search the web for inspiration. Hopefully I'll at least get a good case! I've never had jury duty before so this should be interesting.

I've been searching the web for blog posts of tips/advice for DC jurors. Honestly haven't found a ton so if I learn anything helpful/interesting I'll be sure to share. Apparently living in DC you get called to jury duty often (or at least every two years). Something about a small population but high ratio of cases. So this may be the first of many.

I'm Back!/Weekend in Pictures is Back!

2010-03-22T11:00:00.000-04:00

I'm back I'm back I'm back! And almost healthy. I know I took an extensive hiatus. Recovering from surgery and working from home proved to be a lot for me. And I just didn't feel like myself. Part of it the medicine and part of it was I just didn't have energy to be myself. But this past week was my first week back in the office. And this weekend was my first weekend to really get out and about with friends. It felt amazing. I've been sick for three months now and its been a really rough road. But I think I'm at the end of it for now. My surgery wasn't a cure, just a quick fix for now. But hopefully I'll be good for a while. Which means....I'm back! And this weekend was the perfect weekend to be back.

Friday night I checked out the new restaurant Liberty Tree on H street, NE. They serve American Fare at pretty reasonable prices. To be honest they really have the tables packed in there. I felt like I was part of about 4 different tables conversations. And their menu seemed to be a little bit all over the place. But the food was delicious and it was a good price. So while it isn't an instant favorite, I'll for sure be back.

Then we headed over to H Street Country Club where I whooped some butt in skeeball with my friends. I'm pretty sure we spent about $20 in quarters playing. I am really digging bars with games like skeeball and shuffleboard these days. And H street has both that and good cocktails. Since it was my first night out drinking in 3 months I stuck to one drink. But I must say their guava lime margaritas are to die for. A little sweet. But still amazing.

Saturday was the most amazingly beautiful day ever. And I think every single person in DC was outside. I headed down to Old Town Alexandria with a friend. We had a picnic by the water and then just relaxed in the sun. Afterwards we got ice cream. First ice cream of the season. Man am I excited for Spring and Summer!

Saturday night I went out with my girlfriends to Bar Pilar close to 14th and U, NW. I think this is my new favorite bar as it felt exactly like the bars I would frequent during my semester in Barcelona. Really intimate and cozy for sure. We also indulged in some white wine sangria which was amazing. I checked out their brunch menu and it looks both delicious and reasonably priced. So its on the list for a future Sunday morning.

A pitcher of white wine sangria = amazing.

Sunday morning I had brunch with several girlfriends at Co Co Sala, the chocolate bar. I ordered some sort of philly flatbread thing which ended up being extremely heavy. And I wished that I had tried the chocolate french toast thing instead. There is always next time though.

Good Morning: A Sea of Umbrellas

2010-03-22T09:00:00.000-04:00

// solidether

Amazon Kindle Commercial

2010-03-10T14:30:00.001-05:00

Not many commercials make me stop what I'm doing and pay attention. But this one definitely has every time. Very "Her Morning Elegance" like.

Good Morning: Hey DJ

2010-03-04T09:00:00.000-05:00

Thomas Hawk

Good Morning: The Moon Balloon

2010-02-24T09:00:00.000-05:00

Tambako the Jaguar

Tom Brokaw Explains Canada

2010-02-22T11:00:00.000-05:00

I love hearing Tom Brokaw's voice. Makes me feel kind of safe. This is a great piece explaining the history of Canada and the U.S. Not going to lie it makes me both a little patriotic as well as appreciate our friends on the border.

Good Morning: Double Dutch

2010-02-22T08:00:00.000-05:00

Ferdi's World

Good Morning: From the Balcony

2010-02-18T09:00:00.000-05:00

PacoCT

Major Olympic Events Tonight

2010-02-17T14:00:00.001-05:00

I've been totally loving the winter olympics this year. Part of it is that I'm stuck at home so I've watched every single event. But I think also part of it is that I was lucky enough to go to a couple events in Torino in 2006. Once you catch that Olympic bug, its hard to shake. I have to say it is honestly a major thrill just being there.

Tonight's lineup of events is really solid. I am most excited about the halfpipe (one of the events I went to in Torino). Seeing Shaun White win gold last year and hearing about all the new tricks he has been working on since then, it will be fun to see what he pulls out tonight. Other events tonight include Men's Speed Skating with Apolo Ohno chasing his seventh gold medal and Women's Alpine Skier Lindsey Vonn competing in her first of many events since being injured.

Since I've been reminiscing so much about my trip to the 2006 Olympics I thought I'd share a few pictures. Check your local listing to see when the games will be airing.

Pictured above are Canadian Snowboarders Brad Martin and Hugo Lamay. Looks like only Brad Martin is returning to the Vancouver Olympics this year so it will be fun to see how he does this time around.

Torino Olympic Halfpipe

Torino Olympic Torch

Torino Olympic Halfpipe

Torino Olympic Luge

New Cloth-Bound Classic Penguin Books

2010-02-17T11:00:00.000-05:00

I was really excited to see in my inbox this morning that Penguin had added several books to their beautiful cloth-bound classics series. It makes me hope that they continue to expand their collection. Someday I'd love a whole bookshelf filled with these books. You can pre-order now, as they are released March 10th. Also they are $7 cheaper on Amazon compared to Anthropologie/Bookstores.

Alice's Adventure in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass

Emma

Treasure Island

The Odyssey

Good Morning: Living in a Paper Bag

2010-02-17T09:00:00.000-05:00

Mark Sebastian

Good Morning: Coming Back to Life

2010-02-16T11:00:00.000-05:00

photographer padawan *(xava du)

Good Morning! I'm finally back. Well sort of. I'm still at home recovering from surgery, but well enough to take my blog back from my friends Katie and Jasmine. Though they did a great job while I was laid up.

Posting will still be a little slow. And unfortunately I'm not leaving the house yet, so I don't have any fun activities to blog about. But I will do my best to provide inspiration from around the web. Its good to be back and I plan to get to 100% soon!

Good Morning: Happy Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T16:17:00.002-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

I'll leave you with an Ingrid song lyric that I love, about love.

<3 Katie

"Baby you've got the sort of laugh
that waters me
And makes me grow tall
and strong and proud
and flattens me
I find you stunning" - Sort Of, Ingrid Michaelson

You Should Be Wilder, You're No Fun At All

2010-02-12T10:00:00.001-05:00

I have been crushing on A Fine Frenzy lately. While Jasmine is the music guru 'round these parts, sometimes I get down with it. And the new A Fine Frenzy Album is delicious. Jasmine and I agreed that with her, you either love the song or you hate it. Most of her other albums I've found one or two gems, but hated the rest of the album. Her sound can be that of a Disney princess in a saccharine movie, but most of her new record A Bomb In A Birdcage is light without being sappy and playful without being fake. I just can't get enough.

Here are a few of my favorite tracks:

Good Morning: Drip Drop

2010-02-12T09:00:00.001-05:00

'(042/365)'
courtesy of 'kimberlyfaye'

Decorate Your Dome

2010-02-11T14:44:00.006-05:00

Well, Katie may love nail polish, but my accessory crush is on headbands. I tend to wear pretty simple clothes (hello, jeans + tshirt), so I love that headbands can pretty up an otherwise boring outfit so easily.

'_'

courtesy of Clara McAllister

I feel like headbands have been making a little comeback recently, but I must say, I am kind of over the feathered look. I also don't really know what the deal is with wearing them over your forehead. Sorry, hippies, I just don't think it's cool.

'Day Seventy One'

courtesy of fearless_mess

What I'm interested in is something pretty, feminine, and fun. I love unexpected pops of color, maybe a little bit of shine, and flowers are always nice.

Good Morning: Time To Get Up Yet?

2010-02-11T09:00:00.001-05:00

'no feet on the walls please'
courtesy of '`this.is.epic'

Design: Grow

2010-02-10T16:18:00.003-05:00

I might not have the greenest thumb ever, but I am a big fan of bringing a little bit of the outdoors inside. House plants naturally purify the air, and they can look really gorgeous when they're integrated into a room's design.

Spring Style Essentials a la Katie

2010-02-10T14:38:00.006-05:00

Katie again. Because I'm bored, and sick of the snow, and wishing for warm weather, I decided I should think about spring styles. I was laying in bed dreaming of better weather and chic wardrobes: nights out with friends in skirts, beer on patios in strapless tops, strolls through Dupont Circle in sundresses. I curled up with my collection of Anthropologie and J. Crew catalogs and went through them lusting after spring and gorgeous clothes, carefully studying each page. As I was doing this, I realized I should probably make a look book with all of my favorites, and then decide what essentials I was missing from the looks that I love. I started by cutting out all my favorites:

And then arranged them by work and play. The work looks should take up most of my wardrobe, since I've got some exciting things happening in my career, both full-time and my freelance writing. Both of my jobs require stylish, upscale looks, and so that is where I put most of my focus. These are the looks that really stood out for work.

I also pulled out a few play outfits. Outfits to wear out at night, or outfits to do things in on the weekends.

The first thing I did was pull my overall favorites. The must-haves, the absolutes. I loved this work look, and want to replicate it with pieces I already have in my own closet.

I also love this cardigan. SO MUCH. I am buying it just as soon as it goes up on sale. Rebecca promises to keep an eye out for me. I think it's perfect for spring and summer, I just can't bring myself to spend $128 on one piece that isn't a suit or another lifetime investment.

Everyone who has met me knows that my signature style is large cocktail rings. I buy them cheaply because I go through them crazy fast, I've got some favorites that I'll wear over and over, but mainly they're like a firework, large, sparkly, pretty, and then I'm over them. So I tend to buy them all either on sale, or from Forever 21. It's a strategy I've learned to love since it always keeps my feeling trendy without being broke. Anyways, I'm newly obsessed with this J.Crew glass cut ring.

I searched around a little to find a replica. This one in blue is not quite it, but it's still gorgeous, I might need to make it mine. And then I found this Vast Square ring, and if you get it in the cream, it's very similar to the J.Crew look.

After that I started looking for patterns in what I liked. I noticed that I was drawn to the brown belts over cardigans.

So, of course, I went off in search of one that would be like those, but not quite as spendy. I came across this wide, woven belt from Forever 21 (where else!?) (God bless you F21 for replicating all my favorites.) I also fell in love with this more unique Jennie Woven belt that looked similar to some of the Anthropologie styles.

The next thing I noticed was that I love the long cardigan. It was in tons of the pictures that I pulled.

So, off I went to find a cheaper alternative. (This snow storm is giving me way too much free time! Gettin' spendy over here.) So I headed to Target. Cause Target is great for basics. I found this Converse cardigan that looks a bit weather worn and is the perfect length and color. Good ol' Forever 21 had this really cute ruffle sweater that I think I might HAVE to try... how cute is this?

My final must-have of the spring is a ruffle blouse. While I have lots of them from Winter, I think a pale pink is in order for summer.

On the back of my US Weekly this week (there was all kinds of dirt on Bachelor Jake's final four ladies that I HAD TO READ.) Target advertised a super cute ruffle blouse that they still have in black. But I am sort of stuck on this coral color of spring, so I kept looking. I found the PERFECT Dramatic Ruffle Blouse from Ann Taylor Loft, it's work and weekend appropriate. The spring coral will look fine with my pale winter skin and it's exactly what I'm looking for.

Basically, this was a super productive afternoon. I identified all my favorite looks, found them for less, and am on my way to sipping margaritas on the roof of Lauriol Plaza looking stylishly sophisticated. If only this snow would melt... like, now.

Oh. Right. I forgot about this:

"I am unimpressed with your shennanegans, all you need is fur. Kthanks."

Important Issues Of Our Day: Nail Polish

2010-02-10T13:00:00.001-05:00

'08/24/09'
courtesy of 'B_Zedan'

Lovely to meet you, I'm Katie. And while I usually write about food, I'm happy to have an excuse to write about the subject that has been weighing heavily on my mind recently. Nail polish. Not just any nail polish, generally I have conquered nail polish, like traditional pinks, reds, even dark purples and blacks. I feel naked in the winter without a nice red (I love Essie's Lollypop red right now.)but I'm ready to branch out into uncharted nail polish territory.

Lately I've been feeling yellow. I realize that this is going to make me lose credibility, but I got inspired after seeing Callie on The Real World: DC, with her cute yellow nail polish she wears all the time. Now, before you go getting all weird on me and thinking I'm crazy, I'm not thinking neon yellow. None of this:

'Too bad shadows are always gray.'
courtesy of 'Giulio Menna'

More like this: (Forgive the weird flickr picture, but the yellow is ahhhhdorable.)

'Precision The Next "It" Girl'
courtesy of 'aprilrobin'

You see what I mean? Isn't that so cute?! AAAHHH.

The other thing I'm dying to try is different colors on different nails. I've got two examples for you - the first from BleuBird Vintage (must-read blog)

And then look at this example from American Apparel.

I'm dying of the cute. (Well, and cabin fever, but we're focusing on nail polish here people.)

Also, I'll have you know Lauren Conrad from The Hills (she may not be able to write for crap, but I enjoy her fashion sense) was pimping it recently too, with navy and red alternating.

Oh, and this was the picture that started it all for me:

So, between yellow and multicolored, the possibilities for spring nail colors are endless, and far more creative than I ever thought I'd be. Who is up for a painting party?

Good Morning: Snowoverit

2010-02-10T09:00:00.002-05:00

'*'
courtesy of 'MarcinMoga / Lolek'

Where We're Spending Our Time

2010-02-09T16:56:00.002-05:00

Between Rebecca recovering from surgery, and the extended five-day snow captivity, we're spending tons of time right here:

''
courtesy of 'IvÃ¡n Santiesteban'

'I want to mess up my sheets with you, there is nothing I'd rather do.'
courtesy of 'Zawezome'

'Sleeping In'
courtesy of 'John Haro'

''
courtesy of 'ohhhbetty'

'52.39 - Cushions and laziness'
courtesy of 'dichohecho'

'IMMERSED IN DREAMS'
courtesy of 'dr_vaibhavahuja'

Fol Chen: Cable TV

2010-02-09T14:00:00.000-05:00

Hello Inspiration DC fans, it's Jasmine and I am all set to carry on the IDC legacy while Rebecca is recovering (good, healing vibes are coming your way, Rebecca!).

As you can tell from Rebecca' pics below, we are all snowed in here in DC. This cold and snow can be beautiful, but I am a summer girl through and through, so I've been spending my time mentally being somewhere else. Somewhere warm, with bright colors. And maybe dancing in empty pools. Yeah, that would be nice.

This video is from a group called Fol Chen, on the Asthmatic Kitty label (which was started by Sufjan Stevens, whose name is a little more recognizable). I'm not a huge fan of their other stuff, but this video is really enjoyable.

I really like the stop-motion (or maybe they just took out every other frame, who knows), but I especially appreciate the blue skies and palm trees in the video. I realize that they are singing about going inside and watching TV, which I have been doing plenty of lately, but I prefer to imagine being outside and maybe listening to this song in my car with the windows rolled down. Much nicer, right?

Headed to Surgery

2010-02-09T09:00:00.001-05:00

I'm headed to surgery today and will be out for the week. Instead of leaving my blog dead like the last time I was in the hospital, I'm having a couple of my friends step up.

My friend Katie is the food writer for We Love DC and Washington Life. She is always keeping me in the know of great deals and delicious dishes around town.

My friend Jasmine is a former music writer for We Love DC and now writes her own blog about becoming vegetarian and environmentally savy called District of Change. She is always introducing me to new music as well as being conscious about my footprint.

I'm giving them free reign to write about whatever they want and have fun. And I'll be back when I'm better!

Weekend in Pictures

2010-02-08T20:00:00.001-05:00

My last weekend before surgery and I was stuck inside with several feet of snow! I tried to make the best of it though and get out a little bit.

Saturday night I made it out to H street for the $1 off per 6 feet of snow deal.

Sunday night I ventured out to West End Bistro with Katie where we sat at the Chefs Pass and enjoyed tons of delicious food from the sous-chef Adam. We probably ate about five or six courses. We dubbed it my last glorious meal before surgery.

Good Morning: The Aftermath of Snowpocalypse

2010-02-08T09:00:00.000-05:00

Mr. T in DC

24 inches of cold wet stuff headed your way

2010-02-05T08:00:00.007-05:00

By now all the milk, bread, and toilet paper is probably cleaned out of every store within a 50 mile radius of the district. And everybody is freaking out that snopocalypse is hitting DC. So once the snow actually does start and you hunker down, what to do with yourself? Movies and eating rolls of raw cookie dough can only get you so far.

Friday and Saturday night (starting at 6 pm) several bars on H street, NE are taking $1 off drinks for every 6 inches it snows. I'm definitely thinking of hitting this up Saturday night once I've gone completely stir crazy. If we get 24 inches of snow thats $4 off each drink! Participating bars/restaurants include Little Miss Whiskey's Golden Dollar, Palace of Wonders, The Red and the Black, Sticky Rice, the Pug, and Jimmy Valentine's. Note there is a $2 minimum for drinks so if we end up getting insane amounts of snow you still won't be drinking for free!

Brightest Young Things is organizing another snowball fight. Hopefully this one won't be quite so infamous. This time they are meeting at Logan Circle Friday night at 9:00 pm. Considering this is when the snow is going to be heaviest it could get quite epic. If you want to wait until daylight so that you can see your targets, I'd suggest the snowball fight happening in Dupont Circle at 2:00 on Saturday. I've also heard rumors there will be snowball fight part two on 14th and U.

Nakid is also putting together a game of snowy kickball with a snowball fight on the side. Just head to Smithsonian Metro stop on Saturday at 3:00.

If sledding is more your thing We Love DC writer Cathy came up with a good list of hills in and outside of the city. She even has a list of sled alternatives, because lets face it all the Targets and drug stores are long sold out by now. (Though I did hear rumors that Frager's on Capitol Hill would have more in early this morning so get your butt over there if you are serious about sledding)

In the mood to build a snowman? Jackson 20 in Old Town Alexandria is having a sculpture contest in their courtyard. Free cider and hot chocolate for all and the winner gets a free dinner entree. Judging starts at 5 pm.

Unsure which restaurants are braving the blizzard and keeping their doors open? Well my good friend Katie came up with an extensive list including lots of snow deals. Because we all need a little incentive to trudge out in the cold. And bonus there is a google map included! This is why I love her.

Also if you want to know what is NOT happening this weekend because of the snow, Going Out Gurus are compiling a list of everything that is being canceled.

Sondre Lerche: Heartbeat Radio

2010-02-05T07:30:00.000-05:00

Its Friday morning. Its about to get real snowy up in here. I'm ready for the week to end. All I can think to do is play Sondre Lerche's Heartbeat Radio over and over again until my boss lets me go home.

Good Morning: Snow is Imminent

2010-02-05T07:00:00.000-05:00

I, Timmy

Its going to snow.....again

2010-02-04T16:00:00.000-05:00

Ok maybe I'm being a brat here, but seriously! Another 16-24 inches of snow this weekend in DC! There is a reason I live in the somewhat south! Anyways looks like we will be stuck inside for another weekend. Orrrrr we could try one of the winter activities below. I'm seriously digging the idea of a huge group sled being pulled by a car. I think this would be the perfect way to end snowball fight part two (hopefully not as epic this time) at 14th and U on Saturday.

Pictures from the Dutch Nationaal Archief

Good Morning: Gleam

2010-02-04T09:00:00.000-05:00

Anna Gay

Weekend in Pictures

2010-02-03T10:00:00.001-05:00

I'm a little behind schedule on this. And debated doing it at all. But every time I skip a weekend in pictures I catch crap from my friends. So I do it for them. The snow put a major kink in my weekend plans, which maybe is a good thing. I'm having trouble forcing myself to slow down and take it easy. But with the cold wet snow it forces me to do just that. Nevertheless I was still able to squeeze in a few fun activities.

Friday night I went to see the Upright Citizens Brigade Improv show at the Shakespeare Theatre. This group is based out of LA and New York and I highly recommend a show if you are ever in those cities or they are traveling to your town. I often forget how fun comedy shows are and this is definitely on my list of things to do more often.

All my plans Saturday were canceled because of the snow. So the only time I got outside was to pick up pizza from 7th Hill. If you've never been to 7th Hill their pizzas are very gourmet but good. Not a ton of seating though, so most times I just pick it up to go. All the names of their pizzas are cleverly named after landmarks in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. My favorites being the Navy Yard and the Union Station.

Pictures through the foggy car window. I'm lazy and like to take snow pictures from the warmth of the car.

Sunday morning I met my girlfriends for brunch at Old Ebbitt Grill. While often overrun by tourists, I feel like having brunch at Old Ebbitt at least once is a requirement to be a Washingtonian. Established in 1856, it is said Old Ebbitt Grill was a favorite of many presidents. Of course it has moved locations dozens of times since, they still have a lot of priceless memorabilia around the restaurant and you can't beat the proximity to the White House and museums.

I'm always the child that lags behind and gets separated from the group. You probably can't tell from this picture, but my friends are passing the time dancing as they wait for me to cross the street.

After brunch we headed to the Corcoran to see the newly opened Turner to Cezanne exhibit. Of course you can't take pictures in their traveling exhibits, so these are from other parts of the museum. I would highly recommend the exhibit, even if you aren't a huge impressionist to post-impressionist fan. I think my favorite pieces were Whistler's Nocturne Blue and Gold and of course Monet always steals the show.

Met a couple of friends at Teaism to go over our study. I thought for sure Teaism would be empty at 4:00 on a Sunday. Definitely wrong as there was a line almost out the door. I dealt with the crowds though because this is my favorite place in the city to get a cold Ginger Limeade and a Salty Oat cookie.

Valentines For Nerds

2010-02-02T16:00:00.000-05:00

My friend Katie sent me these Valentines today suggesting the "With You, Life Is In All Caps" card for herself. Maybe she was suggesting I get her a Valentine. Instead I decided to just share it with you.

Good Morning: Anarchy

2010-02-02T09:00:00.000-05:00

lulazzo [non vede, non sente, non parla]

Blog Crush: Unhappy Hipsters

2010-02-01T14:00:00.001-05:00

Stumbled across this amazing blog last week and I've been meaning to share. I know it is making its rounds about the web, but in case you haven't seen it yet: Unhappy Hipsters. Basically most of the pictures are taken from Dwell with snarky commentary added on to it. Read through for a good laugh. Because its a lonely place in the modern world.

"The octopus was full of judgement."

"Everyone always leaves."

"Maybe naming him Rimbaud wasn't such a good idea."

"Even in your company, I feel so alone." (Thats right, that's DC's own Taylor's Deli owners on H street, NE)

"You can come out when you properly explain the differences between Modernist architecture and postmodern ornamentation."

Camera Obscura: French Navy

2010-02-01T11:00:00.002-05:00

Camera Obscura's video French Navy makes me want to travel around Europe and fall in love. I actually lived 3 blocks from Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, which they show a brief clip of in the music video. The shots of Paris, Barcelona, and Rome bring me back to my study abroad days of running around Europe without a care in the world.

Good Morning: Fun in the snow

2010-02-01T09:00:00.000-05:00

Nationaal Archief

Paper Art Made of Hearts

2010-01-29T15:00:00.000-05:00

I've always loved paper art. Could be that I started my road to graphic design in scrapbooking as a teenager. Or it could be that no matter what, I just love paper and handmade materials. Nonetheless paper art has always been on my list of things to experiment with/learn. Sometimes I doubt that I have the patience to do anything intricate though. I mean I know I could never be a Yulia Brodskaya. But some of these seem simple enough to recreate. And it is perfect timing for Valentines Day. Check out all of Sarah and Bendrix's beautiful creations at their Etsy store.

{via Bliss}

Good Morning: Happiness

2010-01-29T10:00:00.000-05:00

gagilas

Pictures of Mars

2010-01-28T14:00:00.000-05:00

These pictures taken by NASA's HiRISE camera are like works of art. Its amazing how beautiful the shades of colors and patterns are. Sometimes I forget that so many patterns of art originate from nature.

The HiRISE camera is the most powerful camera ever sent into space. The ability to capture detail is really stunning as they are able to measure topography down to a .25 meter. The camera has been dubbed the "People's Camera" as soon people will be able to request sites for the HiRISE camera to capture. Which in my opinion is very cool that they are including the community in this project.

{via Huff Post}

Good Morning: After the Sun Comes the Rain

2010-01-28T09:00:00.000-05:00

[phil h]

The Making of Fantastic Mr. Fox

2010-01-27T14:00:00.000-05:00

I didn't have very many favorite movies in 2009. Maybe its because I didn't see very many, or maybe I was just underwhelmed by what was out there. Nevertheless one of the few movies that I absolutely loved last year was Fantastic Mr. Fox. I'd go as far as to say it was one of my favorites for 2009. Then again anything that Wes Anderson touches is gold.

I just loved how colorful it was, the amazing soundtrack (which in my opinion can make or break a movie) as well as the whimsical nature of it. And it was just different from everything else out there.

I recently stumbled upon a book that shows behind the scenes how the movie was made. And from the few pages I've seen I think I have to get my hands on this book. If it is half as creative, bright and eclectic as the movie then I know I will enjoy skimming through it. Just the sketches and color swatches look like they'd be good inspiration for when I'm in a design funk. If nothing else at least it will bring me back to the magical world of Mr. Fox and his friends.

{via for me, for you}

Timeless Vixen Dresses

2010-01-27T11:00:00.002-05:00

While searching around Etsy for something completely different (isn't that how it always is with Etsy?), I stumbled across the most amazing vintage couture gowns and dresses. Someday when I make enough money to survive, I will dress like Betty Draper every day of my life. I can't even imagine how graceful and timeless these dresses look in person. It would definitely be a unique purchase for a wedding or special event.

1950's Vintage John Mack Dress

1950's Vintage RubyRed Dress

1950's Fiery RubyRed Drape Dress

1950's Vintage Julie Miller

1930's Antique French Flapper

1950's Vintage PolkaDot Dress

1950's Vintage Helena Barbieri

1950's Tulip Dress

Check out Timeless Vixen's Esty Store for more beautiful dresses.

Good Morning: Rushing Through

2010-01-27T09:00:00.000-05:00

Baptiste Pons

Photographer Natalie Kucken

2010-01-26T11:00:00.000-05:00

Seriously how is this photographer only 15 years old? Her talent is amazing and I'm in love with her colorful young style.

Good Morning: Birds on a Wire

2010-01-26T09:00:00.000-05:00

TarikB

Catching up on Weekend in Pictures

2010-01-25T16:00:00.001-05:00

Yes, I realize I disappeared again. I just couldn't handle blogging last week while going to a million doctors appointments and having more tests done. All while trying to juggle getting back in the office some. I'll be having surgery in a few weeks so hopefully I'll be on the road to recovery after that.

Ok so enough personal stuff. I know I usually shy away from getting personal on here. Since this is more a place for my inspiration than my problems. But I'm determined to get back to it this week.

So I'm starting with a few pictures of stuff I've been up to over the past few weeks. Basically catching up on two weeks worth of Weekend in Pictures. Even though I'm sick I am pretty awful about slowing down. It may not look like it, but I promise I've been going at a slower pace.

Checked out the Gibson, a speakeasy type bar on U Street, for the first time. I was super sad I couldn't drink as I hear their cocktails are amazing. But their non-alcoholic juice was pretty good. And I loved the dark tavern type atmosphere. It is slightly pretentious you have to make reservations, and that they don't have any sort of sign/markings. But I'll over look that for the cozy bar and delicious drinks.

Tried out Rustico a few times in Alexandria. Again I hear their beer selection is great and once I'm able to drink again I'm definitely going back to check it out. Their pizzas are really good and it has the same warm vibe as their sister restaurants Tallulas and Birch & Barley and Churchkey.

I've spent tons of time at coffee shops catching up on work. Since I was on bed rest I can't handle doing work at home anymore. So the perfect compromise is getting out to a coffee shop. Lately my favorite has definitely been SOVA on H Street, NE.

Accompanied my friends to restaurant week at Poste. I didn't partake in the food, but it all looked delicious and the presentation was pretty amazing.

Played Shuffle Board at a new bar called the Iron Horse in Chinatown.

Tried out the new restaurant Ping Pong Dim Sum also in China Town. The restaurant originates in London and the concept is a 21st century tea house. Basically it is an Asian tapas restaurant. According to my friend their cocktails are killer and I really enjoyed their tropical juices.

Checked off another consignment store on my list. This one was Mint Condition in Old Town Alexandria. It could have been that I wasn't in a huge shopping mood, but I wasn't extremely impressed. A lot of the prices seemed a little expensive for second hand. So far Current Boutique in Arlington is still my favorite and Treasury in the District.

Tried out Lavender Moon Cupcake while in Old Town. Wasn't anything special that I'd go out of my way for, but definitely was a good sugar fix while out and about.

Visited my favorite Vietnamese restaurant, Minh's in Arlington. Now that I live in the city I don't get out to Court House quite as much. But when I do, Minh's is always amazing.

More work at the coffee shop with my friend. We attempted to go to Buzz in Alexandria but it was completely packed. So we ended up at Caboose Cafe and Bakery in Del Ray. Not extremely cozy, but they had a good amount of seating and their sandwiches looked good.

French Music

2010-01-15T12:17:00.003-05:00

This week I've been working from home as I recover. And one thing that I love listening to while I work is french music. One of my friends seemed very surprised by this. But to me it makes perfect sense. Unfortunately I do not speak french, so I'm not distracted by the words. They are just like pretty sounds to me. And I just love the mood it creates. This creative fabulous french cafe type mood straight out of a movie. At least thats what I pretend as I listen to it.

One of my favorite french artists (actually she was born in Italy but minor detail) is Carla Bruni. I loved her before she married Nicholas Sarkozy and before she was made popular on the soundtrack of 500 Days of Summer. But that is neither here or there. Her music is just so light and romantic. I especially love the video below and will now imagine whimsical drawings as I walk around my own city.

Another french artist that I love listening to is Charles Trenet. He is like a french Frank Sinatra/Bing Crosby. The big band sounds combined with his rich voice. It just sounds like such beautiful poetry out of a classic movie that I do not understand.

There are a bunch more french artists I listen to, but the last one I'll share is Amelie-les-crayons. I just love the accordion sounds. It feels like I could be walking along the Seine eating a croissant and wearing stripes. I'm cliche I know.

Boden Spring Line

2010-01-14T17:22:00.008-05:00

Don't you love it when you forget about a brand and then all a sudden somebody or something reminds you. Well thats what happened with Boden, a UK based clothing store. They had completely slipped under my radar until one of my friends sent me a link to their spring collection. And swoon. Now you have to be careful with Boden because some of their clothes and patterns have a momish Talbots look. But some are down right adorable. They are already making me dream of warmer days.

Must Have Shift

Embellished Sateen Dress

Fun Dress

Scallop Trim Coat

Fun Cardigan

Corsage Flower Necklace

Hotchpotch Top

Killer Jellyfish of Graphic Design Favors

2010-01-13T14:00:00.000-05:00

I seriously laughed out loud when I read this poster. Mainly because it is way too true. Being a graphic designer I get hit up for free design favors ALL the time. Sometimes I don't mind it because it is for a good friend or it is a fun project. But sometimes it is ridiculous requests by people I barely know or at least do not fall into the friend category.

A few I've gotten most recently are t-shirt designs for the twilight movie premier because they were too cheap to purchase already made ones. And a sports poster for a football game with a specially designed font that includes the nike check in every letter. Both expected to be pro bono. And both expected to be just whipped up. I don't want to sound whiney because I love doing favors for my friends and family. But if you don't fall into that category and your request is super frivolous...it gets to be ridiculous. Which is why this poster is so glorious. Maybe I should hang this on my cubicle wall so people start to get the hint. Especially since I'm awful at saying no.

By LunchBreath

{via Core77}

I'm Back!

2010-01-13T10:28:00.009-05:00

I'm Back! I know I disappeared for the week, but it was with good reason. It was this time last week that I woke up feeling fine and healthy. By afternoon I was in excruciating pain and by night I was in the emergency room. I ended up staying in the hospital for a couple days. So crazy how things can change so quickly.

I must say I have the most amazing friends in the world who stepped up instantly to help me with meals and visit me and all that. I was seriously shocked at how much everyone wanted to help. And my family was great in coming up to take care of me for the weekend and calling to check care of me. If nothing else I learned this week 1) Don't take your health for granted 2) appreciate your family and friends because they will be there for you when it counts.

This is sort of my weekend in pictures post I guess. I haven't taken a lot of pictures obviously and still getting my energy back. But here are a few randoms, and yes my friends have already teased me mercilessly that I took photos in the hospital. What can I say its a habit I can't quit.

Machines in my hospital room.

The IV I was so happy to get rid of.

My hospital bed and the morning light coming in on the curtain.

The beautiful flowers my coworkers sent me.

All my medications that make me sick, ugh.

Flowers from my wonderful friends.

Playing Uno on my bed with one of my friends.

I've been playing lots of Uno obviously. Playing Uno again with two of my friends that came over and cooked for me. Hey its an easy mindless fun game!

So thats all for now. I'm working on getting back in the swing of things slowly. So posting will be slower but I'm really excited to finally be back.

Designers are meant to be loved not to be understood

2010-01-06T15:00:00.000-05:00

While I don't agree with these design rules completely, I absolutely love the concept as well as the way it is laid out. I wish I could paint/stencil this on one of my walls!

1) Designers are meant to be loved not to be understood.

2) The purpose of design is to make the ordinary extraordinary.

3) The best designers are the ones that find the good clients.

4) Design must seduce, shape &, more importantly, evoke an emotional response.

5) Good design can be planned but great design just happens.

6) Design the right things, design the things right.

7) Imagination is more important than knowledge.

Good Morning: Frosty and Friends

2010-01-06T08:00:00.000-05:00

Alessandro Pinna

2010-01-05T14:00:00.000-05:00

I know this is a Christmas post on Sweet Paul's blog, but this inspires me to make feather ornaments and hang them up all year round. How beautiful are they? I better invest in clear ornaments at Michaels before they are all out for the season! Doing a little bit of research there is a whole online catalog of feathers. Who knew?! They also sell feather ornament balls for around $3.00 a piece. If I remember correctly Anthropologie had feather ornaments for around $12 this year.

via {Sweet Paul}

Framed Everyday Life

2010-01-05T11:00:00.001-05:00

I love the idea of the every day object becoming the framed art. This would be perfect for my front entrance.

via {Dolce Vita}

Good Morning: Blue and Yellow Snow

2010-01-05T09:00:00.000-05:00

tlindenbaum

Cracks

2010-01-04T14:00:00.000-05:00

This movie Cracks looks really dark but so good. I love the styling and Actress Eva Green is beyond beautiful. Kind of looks like a very twisted wrong version of Dead Poets Society.

{via Her Name Was Lola}

Weekend in Pictures

2010-01-04T11:00:00.001-05:00

Happy 2010! It is so difficult coming back to work after a long weekend. Even though I had an extra day on my weekend I really didn't do much with my days. Got lots of errands and relaxing done! And of course recovering from New Years Eve.

Heading out with my girlfriends for New Years Eve festivities.

We were not very good about making plans in advance for New Years. So last minute we decided to go to the Ugly Mug where for a set price they had open bar and apps. Ended up being an excellent decision for a fun New Years.

Morning after I headed to brunch at Matchbox with my girlfriends. I recently discovered Matchbox's amazing brunch and have been addicted. They have delicious cinnamon rolls that come out in a hot skillet. And lots of other delicious brunch foods.

I recovered from my NYE festivities in time to go out to sushi at Sticky Rice. I went here so often in 2009, I think it was only appropriate that I start off 2010 with a Godzirra roll and tater tots.

Saturday night I had friends visiting in town, so I took them to my old stand by, Busboys and Poets. This restaurant is great for out of town visitors. Delicious american food with a few interesting dishes, great artistic diverse atmosphere, and the whole political thing going on. They absolutely loved it.

Saturday night Game night since it was too freezing to brave the cold. If the weather doesn't shape up I have a feeling we are going to have to spend a few more Saturday nights like this.

My friend Katie playing with her crocodile dentist game. Which is made for a five-year-old yet totally freaked me out. I seriously did not want my finger snapped on!

I spent Sunday at SOVA, the coffee shop and wine bar on H street, NE. I think this is my new favorite coffee shop as it is so cozy and artistic. They serve you the coffee in these huge mugs and the upstairs is filled with a mismatch of couches and random artwork. I spent the afternoon sipping my caramel latte, sketching in my sketchbook and reading How to be an Explorer of the World (xmas gift from my awesome sisters) for inspiration. I'll do a separate post on my pictures.

Good Morning: The Boy with the Balloon

2010-01-04T09:00:00.000-05:00

[phil h]

Good Morning: Happy 2010

2010-01-01T09:00:00.002-05:00

Linda Cronin

Hope everyone had a wonderful New Year and happy 2010! I'm off recovering from the nights festivities and having brunch with the girlfriends. Have a fabulous long weekend and I'll be back on Monday!

New Years Resolutions

2009-12-31T14:00:00.000-05:00

I sat down to start drafting my new years resolutions the other day. I don't like to do the cliche ones of losing weight or eating healthier. Those always die away by the first couple months. And there isn't really any sort of goal to achieve. This year I want to do fun resolutions. Things that will make my year a little brighter. Here are a few items I have on my list so far.

-Travel somewhere new

-Send a card by mail to a different friend each month

-Tour the Capitol Building (I have so many friends who work on the hill I don't know why I haven't managed a tour yet!)

-Volunteer in DC possibly with my design services

-And my favorite: Pick 12 classic movies and watch one each month of the year. When I was home over Christmas I watched Holiday Inn featuring Fred Astaire and Bing Crosby. I absolutely loved it and realized there were so many classics I hadn't seen. So below is my list of movies I've picked for myself and all I have to do is watch one from the list each month.

1) Roman Holiday

2) Casablanca

3) Funny Face

4) Gone with the Wind

5) An American in Paris

6) Singing in the Rain

7) Its a Wonderful Life

8) My Fair Lady

9) The Godfather

10) Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

11) Red River (Figured I should do one classic western)

12) An Affair to Remember

What about you? Any fun New Years Resolutions you are giving yourself?

On My Way to Work

2009-12-31T12:30:00.000-05:00

I was walking to work this morning and snapped a few pictures of the frozen twigs and leaves. I love how the ice encapsulated everything over night!

I also decided I need to take more pictures on my way to work. Or at least stop and notice things. Usually I'm in a hurry to get in on time. This morning I didn't care quite so much as its New Years Eve and barely anybody at the office.

A Few Favorite Good Mornings

2009-12-31T11:00:00.000-05:00

Looking back at my blog over the past year, I realized I've been doing good morning posts since the second week in January. So for almost a year now. The point of the post was just to start off the day with a creative or beautiful picture. Usually something relevant to the time of year or my mood, though not always. I find that looking at other peoples photography is a great source of inspiration for myself.

So I thought I'd go back through my year of Good Morning pictures and pick a few favorites. It is interesting to look at what kinds of photographs I gravitate towards. Usually they include a human element. Sometimes vintage colors. Below are a few of my favorite pictures I've featured throughout the year. I love all the pictures I've used through the year, but these really jumped off the screen for me. Feel free to have a look through and pick out your own.

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