Smitten

Yesterday, I was researching an item for a client, when this image came up. It stopped me in my tracks and I knew that I had to get back to the image once I was done with my workday.

Here is what I saw…

Did you just die and go to heaven? Everything about this front entry is perfect. I am in love. The black and white canopy stripes, the dogs with their collars, the manicured shrubs. I die.

The drapes are from Ballard Designs and they are a great indoor/outdoor fabric. I’m waiting on a bench in that exact fabric to arrive for a client – I can’t wait to see it.

This beautiful entryway belongs to Terri Long; she is the writer for the blog: La Dolfina and she is also part owner of a store in Oakland: Little Shop of Hoarders. You know I’m going to be paying that store a very long visit. Here’s a peak at it…

Fabulous! Couldn’t you just lose all sense of time in this store? So happy to have stumbled upon Terri’s fabulous entryway, which lead me to her amazing blog, awesome shop and possibly even a local Alameda Antqiues Fair shopping buddy.

My Black Friday Purchase

I don’t know if you rushed through Thanksgiving dinner to stand in the line at Best Buy or wherever. I, thankfully, did not. In fact, I had absolutely no intention of doing any shopping of any kind this past weekend. But sometimes our intentions do not always match our actions. 🙂 During a stroll through downtown Los Gatos, Graham and I wondered into the Mac store. We had been considering a Mac Desktop computer for my work for a long time. We finally took the plunge and now I feel much more official; it’s the perfect purchase for Kate Collins Interiors. It actually has made my workdays feel more productive.

I will say the Mac is beautiful – here it is in my office…

I love that it only has one little cord; don’t you just hate cords?

I need to accessorize my desk more but for now I just want the mac to take center stage. For the rest of the bits and pieces in the room – the chairs are Pottery Barn but are no longer sold there, similar ones found at Restoration Hardware. The desk is the Ikea Besta desk. The crocodile lamps are the Saville lamp by Jonathan Adler (mine were Craigslist) and most fun of all – the paintings are from Irene Wood (they were a wedding gift and we cherish them).

If you’re thinking to yourself, “really Kate? a post on a computer? really?” Yeah, well, I couldn’t agree more. I do really love my computer and I’m still in a bit of a turkey coma…Thanksgiving was just so much fun. What about you – turkey coma till Christmas?

My Cyber Monday Pick

On this Cyber Monday, I have a suggestion for where you should shop: History and Industry.  As I wrote about in this post, Irene Wood, a very talented artist and jewelry designer has created a new line of statement necklaces.  In her new line she is inspired by accessories of ancient Greco-Roman, Egyptian and African royalty.  Such inspiration calls for dramatic statement pieces, bold colors and natural elements for materials. I have the Katherine necklace (love the name); it goes with everything and is that extra touch that makes every outfit.

Since the necklace arrived, I’ve worn it every day.  I kid you not.  The necklace is also very light weight so you can wear it every day easily. To give you a feel for the necklace, I thought I’d share the outfits from this past weekend (keep in mind I was living out of a suitcase again so there will be some repeats).  I def. look awkward in most of the photos as I’m still not used to pictures of just myself, even though I’m very much a ham.

Thanksgiving Dinner –

Friday Christmas tree cutting –

Saturday night out…

Sunday errands…

Luckily, the necklace arrived the day that we were going out with friends.  When I wore it, my girlfriend’s loved it so much that I thought I’d snap their photos in it and show how versatile it is with any outfit:

I told you I have incredibly fashionable friends.   I would really, really encourage you to think of snatching up a necklace.  I’m not the only one sending her praises; her necklace line has been on Daily Candy, Fab.com, and Cool Hunting.  You can purchase her necklaces through her shop:  www.irenewood.com/jewelry or London-based Culture Label, http://www.culturelabel.com/shop/history-and-industry, or New York-based Fashion Stake http://www.fashionstake.com/browse-by-designer/irene-wood.html which carries several exclusive pieces.  Happy shopping!!

Thankful For…

I’m thankful for you. Every day, I sit down at my computer and stare at a blank screen, either bubbling with excitement for a post to publish or feeling lackluster about what the heck to write about. It’s a ritual that makes my days complete and keeps me sane.

Via Velvet and Linen

Sure, I could write a blog for me myself and I, but in no way would it have changed my life; in no way, would it have pushed me to dream big, to achieve goals and to grasp for more.

Amy Meier

You are my engine. You are my support. You are my outlet. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for reading, for commenting and for being here.

Thankful For…

Update – First of all, as an update on my professional photos on my last apartment, I have submitted them to some bigger blogs and I’m waiting to see if they accept them or not. Fingers crossed. Thanks for your patience; I wish I could show them to you now!

(Via Lonny)

On to what I’m thankful for…I’m thankful for books. I’m thankful for getting lost in the pages of far off lands, of twisted love entanglements, of personal triumphs. Through the power of words, I have been an American reporter in Rome (The Imperfectionists); I have been an attorney in South Africa during the Apartheid (A Telling Time); I have worked as a TV producer, writer and actor (Bossypants). Currently, I’m living in Paris with Ernest Hemmingway; we’re newly married, young and scared shitless about what will happen with our futures, little do we know what’s ahead for Ernest (The Paris Wife).

(Via Martha Stewart)

I also love the power a book can have over my sleep. I have struggled with insomnia my whole life and I am finally in a good sleeping pattern at the moment. I have to be thankful for a good half hour of reading and the sleep comma it induces. You know that moment when you struggle to keep your eyes open and the last sentence becomes a blur as the book cascades onto your chest and you wander off into dreamland? I’m incredibly thankful for that moment.

So for the imagination sparkers, the thought producers and the sleep provokers – thank you to all authors; the world would be a very sad place without your books.

Thankful For…

This week I thought it was fitting to do some posts about what I’m thankful for. Today, on this crisp, dark, early Monday morning, I’m thankful for my Sundays. Sunday to me is the absolute best day of the week. It truly is the day to put down work (at least until evening), to turn off cell phones, to hang out with family and to be lazy.

(Via CocoKelly)

Yesterday, Graham and I slept in as late as our tired selves could snooze til (10:30). We then took off on a very special date. I told Graham about a week ago that my dream date with him would be driving around in our car, with the rain pouring down, the heat blasting and a huge cup of hot chocolate in my hands. That’s exactly what we did yesterday and it could not have been a more perfect day. We explored new parts of San Francisco that we didn’t even know existed and we got out of the car for opportunities to run in the rain, laughing all the while. It was a perfect Sunday and for that I’m thankful.

Sundays you are always so good

Happy Friday!

If you clicked over to the Meet Me in Philadelphia post yesterday, you would have seen a shot of my old bedroom…

It’s a professional – shot by the oh so talented Michelle Drewes. As we know, my skills are non-existent in the photography department, so I went to those who can to take some shots for my portfolio. I had Michelle come over literally on the morning that we moved – hectic. Well folks, we moved two and a half months ago now and I haven’t done anything with my professional photos. I kept thinking I would want to send them out to a larger blog, in which case, I’m not supposed to “publish” them here first. But, I’ve been really really busy with a lot of clients (thank you lovely clients) and honestly, I’ve been down right scared about actually putting them out there and the whole rejection factor. For now they sit in my inbox all pretty and wrapped up for me to take a gander at from time to time. I figure if I write about it – I might actually do something. I’m thinking Apartment Therapy – House Tour (the kind where you only show four pictures since I’ve already moved) or maybe even Design Sponge (a girl can dream). Here’s the deal, if I don’t send the photos out by end of day Monday, I’ll share them here on my blog on Tuesday. I think a deadline will get me moving. How does that sound? I really want to share them with all of you!

Happy Friday everyone!! What are you up to? We’re off to a Hipstomatic party (I love that ap) then a date at Flour and Water and tomorrow night we’ve got Friendsgiving dinner (faux Thanksgiving). Have a great one!

Rocking It

This is the first year that Graham and I can have a Christmas tree. The first two years of marriage, we lived in Chicago and so we were always home in California for the holidays. Last year, our place was so crammed there wasn’t a hope in hell a Douglas Fir was welcome into the mix. This year, watch out because we’re going to have a Christmas tree. I realized we don’t have any ornaments; I’m sure we’ll slowly build up a collection. However, this time round, our tree is going to be rocking these…

Oh yeah, about 100 cut out hot pink lucite pieces (I have many more then what’s pictured). How very 80’s of the tree. I found them the other day in a thrift store and I just couldn’t turn them down. I’m thinking of mixing them with disco ball ornaments to turn up the party factor.

Too bad I don’t have any transistor radio ornaments or zinc on a string to hang up. Oh the joy. What will your tree look like?

P.S. Check out my favorite thing over at Meet Me in Philadelphia today.

High Street Market Shop

Sorry for the lack of post yesterday.  My computer decided to crash.  I took the computer to Best Buys Geek Squad three times yesterday and every time they thought they had it fixed.  I would bring it home and it would have problems all over again.  We (the Geek Squad guys and I) decided that the computer needs to be shipped back to the manufacturer for some serious Dr. time.  I’m thinking blogging will be sporadic until I can get my baby back.

Anyway, on to happy news…Kelly, from the fabulous ETSY vintage shop – High Street Market, opened up an online store yesterday.  Every piece is more fabulous then the next.  I will definitely be using her shop as a resource for clients and for my own home.  Go check it out!

Everything is awesome!!

Fashion Friday: Cousin It

My mom lives in a beautiful home but it’s up in the hills.  With all the beauty of nature, comes the issue where rodents and varmints can come for a visit.  Sometimes she’ll have possums living on her roof, which requires a call to an expert to get them out.  The other day, I dropped by home after a client meeting and I was pretty sure mom had trapped and skinned such a little possum herself.  This is what I found laying on her vanity.

I asked her with disgust and intrigue what this hairy number was.  She said, “Oh, I went in to buy a hairbrush and I came out with this.”  Relieved this was not the DIY version, disgust turned into delight.  What could this little number be?  Mom immediately modeled it for me and I just had to snap a photo and share…

Fabu – mom – fabu!!  Obviously, I had to get into the “Cousin It” modeling and so I threw on top of the outfit I was wearing.

I’m thinking the leopard belt was overkill this time round.  What do you think?  It worked with the outfit I had on prior to Cousin It.  I love that mom bought Cousin It along with a hairbrush.  And for those of you who are local – she bought it at Peninsula Beauty – you would never guess it.  Now, I have to convince her to actually wear it out of the house.  Happy Friday!