Saturday, February 25, 2012

Inspired by: Street Art

When traveling, I love taking to the streets with my camera. 
Maybe it's being in an unfamiliar setting, but everything just seems to inspire! 
Especially graffiti art. There's nothing like turning a corner and being 
stopped in your tracks by unexpected street art. 




Love this quote. And so true! 
 Sometimes things have to get really bad before they get really good. 
Trust Your Struggle



There's a certain "something" that is so alluring about graffiti art.

 Intensely bright colors. Massive size. Imperfections. Chaos! What's not to love?!






Like someone took a prim and proper painting, threw it in a blender, and then splattered it on a wall.
Fun!




 I am captivated by this Candice Sone painting. It's like polished, sophisticated graffiti on canvas. 
Love, love, love it! 






" Convergence " by Candice Sone
Currently on display (and for sale!) at Retropolitan.



So whether you're on vacation or just passing through an unfamiliar part of your home city,
be sure to stop and take a good look at your surroundings. 


I guarantee you'll be surprised and inspired by what you see :)

-Fig

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

What We Love....In Honor of Valentine's Day

What I love....

Family
Friends
My sheltie Cali
Music
Red wine in my parents backyard
Books - any and all genres. I dream of having my own library someday
Pasta Sundays
Hats
Fall
Decorating the Christmas tree
Sparkle and Glitter.  Yes, anything sparkly is good for me
Flea Markets
A day off with my husband
Seaside massage in the outdoor hut at Turtle Bay in Hawaii
Summers in Minnesota on the lake
Movie Popcorn
Candles burning
A warm cup of coffee
Afternoon tea
A full moon....to wish on.



Kate Leiva

Monday, February 13, 2012

What we love...in honor of Valentine's Day

What I love...



Champagne!
Complete, Utter Surprises
Local Art. Scott Moore (below) is my absolute fave!


My Mother's Jewelry
Seeing Friends in Unexpected Places
Sleeping in on Rainy Mornings


Drinking Coffee in Bed
A Handsome Tux on A Handsome Guy
Louis Vuitton



Entertaining...I love to play host!
Coats and Jackets! I have way too many and still need more
Bunnies :)


The feeling after a vigorous morning workout 
Sharing a Meal
The smell of Gardenias


Big, Gold Hoop Earrings
Traveling
Lunchables


Summer weekends at the Lake
Candid Photographs
Red Wine...I started early ;)


Knowing the band
Pillow Talk
Hardwood Floors Throughout
Driving my Jeep late spring, 80 degrees, top down




-Katie Figlio




Sunday, February 12, 2012

Tablescapes

I'm inspired by a recent Facebook post by lovely and talented Retropolitan store manager, Katie Figlio (AKA Fig).  She whipped up a fabulous centerpiece for a customer using a vintage wooden milk crate and handfuls of oversized, latex flowers.  Gorgeous and lovingly custom made!  

So, armed with that inspiration and some snapshots of my own house (yep, I'm getting up close and personal here!), I'm kicking off a few thoughts about tablescapes... 




I have one, simple rule..."tell a story."  Merchandisers use the term "color story," referring to the set of colors used to create a vignette or store display.  Same idea.  But in a home setting, I want tablescapes to draw people in and give them a little story to contemplate.

The scape above is in my entryway.  The lamp and gold urn are prized, vintage finds.  The small photograph was a gift from some good friends, the larger one is of my "little lambs."  The red, crystal champagne flutes were an anniversary gift.  The old, red books in the urn are from my husband's childhood (the front one is The Wizard of Oz - written in the town where my husband went to school - just a little Heimermann family trivia for you!).  I added in a book on Impressionistic art, as it's a love of ours, and a linen tea towel with the initial "A" on it (a gift on my birthday.)  So, everything has meaning in the life of the people that live here, namely my family and me!




This little scape sits on my living room ottoman.  The carved, wooden tray came from a little boutique in Sonoma, CA (I couldn't come home without it!).  The books are French Impressionists and more of those classics from my husband's childhood.  The candles are my son's favorite scent and color, and the glass garland is just plain fun.




Still more of the things we love in our foyer...Impressionistic art books, a vintage bronze bust, a family heirloom bible in German (super old!), a really unique candlestand I got at my very first antique sale, and some little red, glass eggs (they captured my husband's fancy in a lovely boutique in Denver, CO.  Don't know why, but I love that he loved them!).  




I'm tossing this arrangement from my daughter's recently re-styled room (she did it all herself!) into the mix, just to highlight using things you love in the "scapes" in your place. What would you say is the passion in this little girl's life?  Gymnastics.  No question there, right?  My thought is that it should be the same throughout your house, and mine.

 So...what do the arrangements in your place say about you?  Do they tell a little piece of your story?  If so, I say you've achieved a thoughtful, inviting approach to home decor...
and Fig would be so proud!


- Amy


Saturday, February 11, 2012

What We Love... in honor of Valentine's Day

What I love...

Rain on my face
The Blues...really loud (Joe Bonamassa - currently Disk 1 in my truck)
Boots...most any style will do!
The smell of sawdust, paint and construction
Bold, graphic prints on wallpaper and fabric
Impressionistic art
English toffee
Every possible shade of turquoise
French fries!
Me-time
Driving a stick-shift
Walking through fallen leaves
Big, chunky rings and bracelets
That resolved, peaceful feeling after a good cry
Gin and tonic, with a splash of St. Germain
Roller coasters
Sirens and city sounds at night
A really great antique sale
Fresh flour tortilla chips and chunky salsa (no onions, please!)
Ultra modern decor, mixed with European antiques and vibrant art (duh)
Grainy, black and white photography
Whispy, flouncy jackets and blouses
Brainstorming sessions (the best are over a hot cup of coffee or a lovely cocktail!)
Cowhide rugs (the ones dyed in bright colors are my favorite)
Kissing
Breakfast...in.  Dinner...out.



-Amy

Monday, February 6, 2012

La Vie en Rose...

This French saying translates to "Life in Pink."
People take it many different ways, but to me it's those moments in life when there is so much love,
passion,
satisfaction,
happiness,
hope...
so much that it ends up casting a rosy hue on everything you see. Love is suddenly everywhere!
Some might argue this kind of "seeing" is dangerous. You know, blinded by love.
But no, I don't think love blinds you. I think it's the opposite actually. It helps you to see.


Audrey Hepburn's character in Sabrina says it best:


"I am looking at the world through rose-coloured glasses. 
It says everything I feel...I have learned how to live, how to be 
in the world and of the world and not just stand aside and watch. 
I will never again run away from life...or from love either. "


So, in honor of February, here are our windows en Rose...


















Here's to seeing life through rose colored glasses.

Fig :)