The “What do you See” Challenge: The Airport

Posted on June 3, 2010 by DishOnDesignGal

There's more than just people watching here...

It’s was Tuesday afternoon as I sat in the Tampa airport luggage terminal to write this. I had personal business in Tampa on Wednesday and will be doing business in another part of Florida for the next few weeks. As I sat there, I had this thought: wouldn’t it be fun to share the cool things we saw, experienced or noticed once a week?

The last time I travelled to Florida I blogged more via photo’s and short descriptions than written stories because I had so many fun things to you share with you. For some reason, when I’m in Florida. I open my eyes to “see” my surroundings more than I do when back home in the daily grind of things.

One the best things I ever did was to take a workshop called The Artists Way, based on a book by Julie Cameron. I love workshops by the way, don’t you? A good workshop, much like our own Decorate Fabulously, will stretch your mind, teach you new things, grow your confidence and most of all provide a great time with new friends. The Artists Way encourages readers to go on an Artists Date once a week to visit some place new or see something that is new to you. It could be a current art exhibit, a wine tasting festival or simply a boutique that you’ve never been to before. The key is to purposefully go somewhere new, expand your mind and “see” new things.

I love to visit local home tours, but I probably drive whoever I go with nuts because instead of walking into each home and oohing and ahhing… (I do that sometimes as well!) I prefer to really “see” each home. Okay, yes that fireplace is fabulous…but why is it fabulous? Is it the combination of materials? The art? The scale? And if I don’t like a room when I walk in it..why don’t I like it? Is it the color? The furniture? The furniture arrangement? Truly “seeing” things that surround you is a great way to expand your creativity, garner new ideas and understand what you love and don’t love.

My challenge to you is to begin to “see” the things around you. I promise this simple act will expand your world and suddenly open up a world of things you ‘ve never noticed before. Try it now…what is the ceiling above you like? How is the lighting? Do you love the art? What are the baseboards like? Even if you’re in a space you have been in a 100 times, you’ll probably see something new.

Did you see the picture at the top of this post? I snapped that as I sat down to wait for my friend to pick me up at the airport. A few seconds later everyone had gotten their luggage and it looked like this…

Once everyone from that flight had gotten their luggage, I had time to really look around the baggage terminal

What I started to notice was the use of shapes, curves and swirls combined to create a feel of movement and motion. How many curves and lines to do you see? Once you start looking, you’ll be amazed.

Here’s a bigger picture…double click to make it larger.

Here's a larger picture...look at the floor, ceiling, fixtures...everywhere. It's all about curves, lines and shapes.

My “guess” is that they used geometrical shapes, curves and patterns to encourage travellers to keep moving along. The airport is a busy place and time is important. You need time to get through security and time to get to the plane on time. A well designed interior will have a comfortable flow to encourage an easy traffic flow and for visitors to move with ease. This is on a huge scale, but we really should plan the same in our homes. A home with the same principles is easy to move from space to space and your eye encouraged to move from wall to wall, much like they did at the airport I was at in Florida

This week I challenge you to take time to really “see” what’s around you. Make sure to share with me next week all the exciting things you see! I’m going to take lots of photo’s to share as well! xoxoxo Amy

Pssst…look what I got! The Good Karma Swap

Posted on February 22, 2010 by DishOnDesignGal

How fun is this?

At the beginning of the year I set a goal to blog more often and get to know some of my fellow bloggers. I also started twittering diligently a few weeks back, which is when I saw a tweet by Kaileen of kaileenelise.com saying there was only a few hours left to sign up for her Good Karma Gift Swap. Moments later I posted a comment saying sign me up and I was in, along with 29 other Good Karma Swap bloggers. The assignment was to send a secret blogger a treat that calms, something that comforts, a bit of celebration and a piece the promotes creativity. I’m so excited about this I’m a big fan of sending good Karma and talked about it in a post a few years ago when I wrote about Pay it Forward.

A few days after signing up, I filled out a short questionnaire about things I liked and didn’t like and sent back to Kaileen to anxiously wait for a secret name to send my gifts to. I’ll blog about her when I know she’s received my gifts, but in the meantime, I want to share you what I received from the blogger that got my name!

This past Friday I went to the mailbox and was sooooo excited to find a package. Could it be the Good Karma Gift? It was!

A package from Megan (Yay!)

Megan Loftin of Megan-Moir had sent me a package, but I was in the middle of a deadline and saved it to open until I got home…it was killing me not to open it immediately, but I wanted to enjoy it!

I should add at this point that another New Year Resolution is to “have a place for everything and everything in its place”, so I’ll also share with you exactly what I’m going to do with all my new goodies!

Look at the goodies!

As I opened the package, the first thing I saw was a burst of color…

Tea with a bit of cream and sweetener -mmmmmm

It’s tea! Who doesn’t love a good cup of tea? This could be a new favorite…spicy but light…I’m going to have to find out where Megan got this…it’s that good!

This will not last long!

This is a no brainer…It’s going straight into my favorite mug!

Beautiful Stationary

Look at this beautiful stationary! I can’t wait to write my first note. After my son Tyler suffered a head injury this summer, I received beautiful notes from friends that I will forever treasure and I promised myself to make a point of writing notes this year. Tyler is doing better every day, by the way!

A new home for the note cards

The note cards are on a desk that has a special place in my heart. My father-in-law, a few months before he passed away, asked if I wanted a small desk that wasn’t fancy, but had been his mother’s - of course I said yes, Though I have a few random items placed in it now, I’m getting ready to give it a fresh new look and when finished, I’ll properly accessorize it. Of course, you’ll be the first to see photo’s when it’s done.

Isn't this journal beautiful?

I soooooo love this journal…I’ll use it more as an idea book and because a girl never knows when she’s going to get a fabulous bright new idea to jot down, this is where you’ll find my new journal…

Perfect in the outside pocket

Yep! I’ll carry it with me at all times and store in an outside pocket of my handbag.

A Happy Book!

It’s no secret…my friends all know that I’m a glass is half full kind of gal and I can’t wait to read this book…

I wish this for you too...

And isn’t this the most lovely note? awwww Megan… I wish you that too! I’ll tell you where this book is going after I show you the next gift…

I love words...

I wrote in my questionnaire that I love words. Quotes inspire me…and this word she sent is something I want need to see everyday, because I, like probably most of you, get so caught up in getting things done, that I forget to stop to enjoy the beauty of now.

On the road...

This is where you’ll find my happy book and enjoy…I carry this bag everyday to the office and sometime this week. It’ll be travelling with me to Florida on business. Enjoy is a daily reminder to stop and breath… The happy book is perfect to read on the plane!

Hugs to Megan for the beautiful and thoughtful gifts as well as Kailene for putting this all together. And while I’m at it hugs to you too… It’s been so much fun! xoxox

The Cupcake Experiment

Posted on February 21, 2010 by DishOnDesignGal

Mini Chocolate Buttercream Cupcakes

For some time now I’ve been wanting to learn how to make pretty, fun and yummy cupcakes. One of my friends on twitter has the most beautiful cupcakes and even offers cupcake classes, but alas she is across the sea in england and I don’t have plans to be there anytime soon. Click to see Bea’s of Bloomsbery’s creations…aren’t they beautiful? Since cupcake classes were out, I figured what the heck…just dive in and try it…so I did.

Last night my daughter Ashley decided to come for a sleep over and to try our hand at cupcakes and it was so much fun! I think the secret is in the buttercream icing (which I slightly messed up) and the decorative elements. Perfect they are not, but I think they’re pretty cute and taste absolutely yummy!

Next time I’ll try a batter from scratch and will remember to set the butter out in advance. This recipe call for butter at room temperature and instead of softening in the microwave, I accidently melted it…oooops! The icing was a bit runny as a result! This was the first time to use a decorating bag for the icing and it really was quite easy. I can’t wait till next time when my icing is the proper consistency.

Tip: Homegoods, my favorite place to shop, has a great and inexpensive selection of sprinkles, jimmies and drops.

Here’s some photo’s with my newbie insights

Ready to Ice

I had read that you should tap the pan before putting in the oven to get out any bubbles. We filled ours about 2/3 full – which seemed about right.

Chocolate with Buttercream Icing

Next time we make chocolate cupcakes, we’ll either use two paper wrappings or a metallic wrap…as you can see above (or not see); the cute design doesn’t show with a dark cake.

White Dots

These pearly white dots came in a Princess multi-pack of sprinkles and were one of our favorites

The Mini's were the Prettiest

We experimented with a variety of colors and sizes. One word of advice is to taste your sprinkles before you decorate. A few of our sugar sprinkles were a bit bitter and I wouldn’t use them again. Also, maybe it’s the designer in me, but you can’t go wrong when you color coordinate. The mini’s above are our favorite, not only because they are just darn tiny, but because we made sure they all matched. Remember…even in cupcakes…you need to plan your color scheme!

This would be a great family activity on a cold winter night. Pre-bake the cupcakes and pre-ice as well, if your kids are really young. Set up stations like an ice cream bar for decorating and let children decorate without inhibitions…this is all about developing creativity and confidence and none of it is about perfection. Giving kids the freedom to learn and explore with accolades instead of criticism is one the best gifts you can give your children and also makes it a bit more fun for everyone! I still have to remind myself of that sometimes! xoxox

All About Ceiling Medallions

Posted on October 22, 2009 by DishOnDesignGal

Look up at the ceiling.

Is there anything special up there? The surface that everyone seems to forget when decorating is the ceiling and my bet is you’re looking at one that’s been forgotten as well. Let’s face it, we give our full attention to selecting the flooring, choosing treatments for the walls and windows, but more often than not, we forget about the ceiling. Oh yes, we choose lovely lighting and hopefully we’ve chosen it for both beauty and function - but what about beyond the lighting?

There’s endless decor ideas for ceilings such as faux painting, stenciled designs, tin tiles and more; typically, we just don’t think to use them. One of my favorites accents to place a ceiling medallion above a chandelier. Medallions are affordable, available in all shapes and sizes and can be hung as-is or even better; painted.

I have a medallion sitting in the corner of my dining room that I’ll post about when I get around to finishing it, but in the meantime I photographed a project that my friend painted one day when I was visiting. Here’s some helpful tips for selecting, painting and hanging a ceiling medallion.

Selecting a Medallion. Medallions come in all shapes and sizes. Your local home depot or Lowe’s, will offer a choice of assorted white medallions which be mounted as is or hand painted to match your trim or decor. You can also find medallions in a bronzed finish to match your chandelier. They can range from $18.00 to $200.00 and up. Some are very lightweight and others are heavier. Once hung, you it’s pretty difficult to know if it was inexpensive or not. It’s about choosing the style and finish that is right for you.

You can get a simple classic design like this..

Or a traditional, ornate style such as this...

Here's a medallion finished in bronze...

Another that's dome styled

Giclee bronze medallion

Wrought iron

Above are just a few of the many styles and finishes available. The photo’s are from LampsUSA and additionally, you can find lots of online sources.

Once you decide the style you prefer, size is your next concern. Now it’s all about proportion. If you have a larger chandelier, you want a medallion that is big enough to provide balance – too small, and it will look out-of-place. The reverse goes if you have a small chandelier. You want to select a medallion that is proportional in size – anything too big will over power a smaller light fixture. I’ve been referring to chandeliers, but you can really use medallions with many styles of lighting fixtures; even ceiling fans. According to LampsUSA, which is where the medallions above are from, here are some thoughts on sizing:

Sizing rules of thumb:

A ceiling medallion should be two-thirds the diameter of the chandelier.
Larger rooms and higher ceilings can accommodate larger ceiling medallions.
For a typical dining room with an 8′ – 9′ ceiling, a medallion that is 18″ – 26″ in diameter will usually work well.
20″ – 28″ ceiling medallions work well with 52″ ceiling fans.

Coming up: Follow along as my friend paints a medallion for her home to complement the chandelier below…

This Chandelier is going to get a Painted Medallion...

Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder

Posted on October 13, 2008 by DishOnDesignGal

“Decorators should never insist on throwing out everything the client has. Even when they are far from perfect they add personality”

~Billy Baldwin

This quote brings to mind, my very first residential client many years ago named Don. He was a bachelor in his 60′s and had spent many years taking care of his aging mother. After she passed away, he decided to move into a one bedroom condominium and wanted a contemporary look that was fresh and reflected his personality. Everything was to be new and with $25,000.00 cash in hand to shop, it was a young designers dream!

Of course I had a vision for the space and he trusted me with any decisions and purchases I made for him. As a young designer, I prided myself on my eye for what worked and what didn’t and was very proud of the end result. On move in day, he had tears in eye as he walked in and saw his new home. it was even better than he had dreamed and I was thrilled that he was so happy – after all, that’s what it’s all about!

Then he said “Amy, I have one more thing for you to do – find a place for this. He handed me a very bad silk version of a red rose. Three red roses, in fact, that may have even been plastic. The look on my face was one of a deer in headlights. Are you kidding me? The entire house was done in jewel tones and the primary color of a red rose was definately not in the color scheme. “These are moms”, he said “and she treasured them- they need to be someplace special”.

It was a defining moment in my young career, because I realized then, that it’s not about creating a show place, but creating a home. For Don, the roses made his house a home. I could have hidden them in bedroom, or tucked them into a corner, but I put them on a prominent shelf in the living room so that he would see them every day. In the end, it’s not about what is beautiful to the designer, but what is beautiful to you. I am grateful for that lesson early on.

Update: Jayne wants to add that she made all the fabulous floral arrangements (she had a custom floral design business at the time) and that it was after she brought in and placed all her BEAUTIFUL arrangements, that he brought out the plastic or silk red roses. You should have seen the look on her face – haha!