Personalized Gift Tags...too much? NEVER!!

that's ikea? seriously? thanks apt. therapy - again! (www.ikea.com)

One of the most common complaints we hear about IKEA products is their instantly recognizable and generic appearance — the last thing most of us want is an IKEA showroom for a home. However, searching through our House Tour archives you'll find quite a few ways to put your personal spin on a run-of-the-mill IKEA product. TO BUY FROM IKEA AND FIND YOUR LOCAL STORE VISIT: http://www.ikea.com/!!

• Allison's Playful Chinoiserie Modern showcased a simple and glamorous update to IKEA's $10 VIKA LERBERG trestle legs. Just giving them a coat of gold spray paint made them the perfect base to her elegant vanity.
• VIKA LERBERG trestle legs take on a totally different feel in Erin and Chris's Fantastic Fishtown Fixxer-Upper where they topped the legs with old joists salvaged from their building.
• IKEA's EXPEDIT bookcase seems to be a staple in many an Apartment Therapy home, however Ashley and Robert put a unique twist on the clean-lined workhorse by affixing decorative brackets from Anthropologie in the corners to make it better suit the vibe of their Streamlined Bohemian Home.


Images: 1, 3: Leah Moss of Allison's Playful Chinoiserie Modern and Ashley & Robert's Streamlined Bohemian, 2: Kristen Lubbe of Erin & Chris's Fantastic Fishtown Fixer Upper

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/dc/inspiration/ikea-facelifts-from-midatlantic-house-tours-134765

LVAC: Multiplicity Art Show, December 10, 2010, Louisville, KY

More is more in LVAC's newest exhibition: Multiplicity. Through painting, drawing, sculpture, installation, and photography, artists investigate multiple frames and parts, multiple aspects of the same subject, and multiple points of view. Many of the artists in this exhibition have expanded the idea of multiplicity by creating series, sequences, and images that comprise numerous parts. They explore repetition, pairing, and variations on a theme as artistic strategies.


Opening reception: Friday, Dec 10th, 6-9
Closing reception:Friday, January, 7th
A complete list of artists will be compiled soon. Below is the Multiplicity list of artists at press time:

Linda Akers
Lisa Austin
Jeremy Dixon
Erin Fitzgerald
Derek Gregory
Rebecca Jackson
Jarrod Lee
Keith Linton
Joan Hogan Moser
Tony Perez
Brian Stastny
Alexandra Roisen-Tash

2932 Cleveland Boulevard

Louisville, KY 40206

For more details and location visit the Facebook page at: Louisville Visual Arts Council

cool website with cool gifts for cool people (and they keep stealing MY ideas!)

that hand thing?  that's MY thing! 

visit http://www.mothology.com/ for more super cool accessories and fun!

vintage globes - why are they so cool? i truly have no idea - but they are...

vintage replogle world globe by ethanollie on etsy!!

$33.00 excluding shipping

a replogle world globe is the perfect gift for the world traveler or child who dreams of one day becoming one. great full shape with gold toned axis and white enameled base. blue green waters and nicely saturated continents

a good one for the collection!

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.etsy.com%2Flisting%2F61308768%2Fvintage-replogle-world-globe&h=731a3

my home - my halloween decorations!

Whispering Pines is one of my all time favorite sites!!

http://www.whisperingpinescatalog.com/products/road-trip-rug
check out this fab rug!!!

chinese stools - apartment therapy facinates again!!!

for the last few years, barrel-shaped ceramic stools have been a popular decorating accessory, adding luster, color or texture to a space while serving as little side tables or room accents. but where do they come from, and where were they traditionally used? okay, the answer is in the title of the post: they come from China, and they were traditionally used in gardens. read on to learn about the fascinating origins of this familiar form.

believe it or not, barrel- or drum-shaped garden stools have been used in China for at least 1,000 years. they may have evolved out of the Buddhist garden tradition, where natural elements like tree stumps and smooth rocks were used as seats.

traditionally, Chinese homes were built around a courtyard, and with an emphasis on landscape and gardens, so outdoor furniture was essential. by the Song Dynasty (960-1279), these types of stools were used both indoors and outdoors as casual seating  indoor stools were typically portable and made out of wood, while outdoor furniture, to withstand the elements, began to be made out of stone, glazed stoneware, or porcelain.
the antique stools that are still extant tend to be from the late Ming Dynasty — early 17th century — and later, and they have a range of decoration, including fretwork, relief decoration, and pierced motifs. one common decoration is simulated nailheads, often around the upper and lower parts of the barrel form. the nailhead motif is left over from ancient Chinese drums, which had wood bodies with skins stretched over each end and affixed with nails. although they've been around over 1000 years, in the USA they have gained popularity only in the last and current century.

you can find stools locally at thomasville, ethan allen and other fine furniture stores.  or on line at www.wisteria.com and www.chinese-furniture.com.

From Apartment Therapy today! Wine Racks!!!

Best Wine Racks from Apartment Therapy - 2010

hughs house, louisville, ky: before images

editing the colors of your kitchen plates and bowls

my kitchen at the carriage house

tip of the day: pick 2 or 3 colors/styles only for your kitchen plates, cups, glasses, etc. stay with your choices at times - sippy cup colors COUNT TOO!!! thus, even though you have obtained loads of different pieces from different sets over the years, it all still looks good on a your shelves!!

fab website with vintage state plates, pillows and table cloths! plus! vintage picnic tins!?!? OH MY....

whisperingpinescatalog.com

real simple's 50 best "new uses for old stuff"...and that coaster idea? been doing it for years!

http://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/new-uses-for-old-things/favorite-new-uses-00000000019718/index.html

honor your ancestors - decorate!

an easy way to honor your family and personalize your home is by adopting some of their hobbies. my grandfather's collection of swizzle-drink stirrers looks BEYOND pretty sitting in a julip cup on my bar- and some sticks are over 50  years old! my favorite women in the world: my mother, my grandmother and my aunts, all collected limoges boxes. today my sister and I add to our collections by giving limoges boxes to each other as a fond reminder of a special trip or event.  and don't be afraid to let the world know about your collections - it makes gift giving much happier and easier for all involved (you are simply doing everyone a favor by educating them).  petite collections are great decorating tools in smaller spaces such as shelving and desk tops. but a group of vintage napkins or table cloths can be displayed neatly folded in a basket or framed along an entire kitchen wall.  tip: to keep collections from exploding, be specific about your pieces. for example,  i only collect the green/blue and pink mccoy pottery vases and pots - it looks better/cleaner in clusters and works with the other colors and designs in my home.  have fun!