Sweet Tooth.

Check out Amy Atlas Events. They create works of art at all sorts of events ranging from corporate parties, bridal showers to children's parties and weddings. So cute. So fun. Love it. 

must. find. dresser.

I want this dresser for my new room: 

Must find it. 

[image via brilliant asylum]

Hi, my name is adorable.

My new baby cousin. I'm in love with her. 

[totally unrelated to anything, except super super cute!]

Dropped Calls

Cingular Ad. Clever. 

Michaels Italian Restaurant

So Michaels, the crafting mecca store has FINALLY decided to update its logo. Gone are the dated red letters that adorn weekly coupons in the Sunday paper, and in their place, this whimsical hand lettered font. 

On paper I enjoy the new logo. The handwritten style is definitely in keeping with the "crafting" mantra of the store. However, I'm not quite sure how this will look on the stores themselves. It looks more like a boutique style store, rather than the solid national crafting institution that it is. I know that their ads [and their coupons] will not be as identifiable in the Sunday paper, but could the same fate await the stores themselves? Let me explain. I inherited my creative spirit from my mother. While I prefer to keep it somewhat under control, my mother has let crafting go to her head a little too much [I mean this in a good way of course]. Recently my mom and I took a road trip. When planning said trip my mother grew very concerned because there was a Michaels one day only sale coupon [a "special" one besides the typical sunday paper regulars]. The problem was that this one day interfered with our trip. In order to appease my mother we pulled off the highway in Fredericksburg, Virginia in search of a Michaels so that her coupon would not go to waste. Lucky for us, all we needed to find was the giant strip mall infested road that ran through town, and then giant [ugly] red letters would alert us to the nearest Michaels. 

I ask this - with the new logo, will it be as easy to find when driving down the road? I fear that new logo will not be as substantial, nor easily identifiable to passersby. Should my mother and I find ourselves in an obscure town the day of a one day only Michaels sale, will we be able to distinguish the crafts giant from Michael's Italian Restaurant? I worry. 

Don't get me wrong, I like the new logo, I'm just not sure how it will work on a storefront. 

Orange, White and Blue

The first time I saw this sign for Mark Ellmore's congressional race in Virginia I did a double take. The sign bears a striking resemblance to that of Jerry Kilgore who ran for Governor of Virginia just 3 years ago. Ok, it is absolutely IDENTICAL. Both of their names even end in "ore."  

I understand that those who design for political campaigns often "recycle" the layout for a mailer etc. However, if you're going to make your logo completely identical here are a

 few suggestions: 

1. Recycle a sign/logo that hasn't been used IN THAT GEOGRAPHICAL AREA in at least 2 major political cycles [city council doesn't count]. 

2. Perhaps change the color or use a design that isn't so drastically different from the "norm" [aka blue, white, red...you know...patriotic colors]

3. Use a design that actually worked. Don't choose a design that didn't even work the first time around. If you want to connect yourself to someone, why not hook yourself to a winning campaign? 

I apologize for the small Kilgore example. Apparently, the campaign stripped the internet of all evidence that he ever ran for Governor following the campaign. 

fit for a princess

So my cousin is due to give birth to her first child [a daughter!] any day now! I think that little girls' rooms are so cute and so in honor of my future baby cousin, I have compiled a collection of fun girls' rooms, from baby to teenage years...OK so I'd probably live in half of these...

This room has a crib for baby and then a bed for when baby grows up, or when mommy sleeps in the nursery.

OK, so I probably wouldn't have this nursery, but if this is your style then I think its really cool. Very clean with simple lines. 

JLo's twins' nursery. A little girly for the boy, but absolutely precious for the girl! 

The perfect room for the modern, trendy teenage girl. 

Very cute room for a more retro girl. 

I thinkn this room looks adorable...ok WOULD look adorable if it were a little bit bigger. It looks very cramped but with wonderful pieces. 

Standard issue little girls room, bed for girl, bed for friend...oh sleepovers... 

I love circle cribs! I think they are so cute! 

Simple and yet ornate at the same time...

I could probably do with out the giant diaper pin on the wall...

Retro baby. 

lebello chairs

How comfortable do these Lebello summer chairs look? I know summer is over, but my new house that I'm moving into in a week and a half will have a deck...maybe next summer... 

judge the judge

Kelly Wearstler has declared in the new issue of Domino that it is time to move on from the Hollywood Regency style. Um, first off, I like the Hollywood Regency style. But secondly, what will take its place? Apparently this bravura modernism the Top Design judge did to her guesthouse. I DON'T THINK SO. Horrid. Absolutely Horrid. Kelly, we can not live with your design. 

the big 1-0-7

So I'm not going to lie. I really didn't think that this blog thing would last. I wasn't sure if I would have the motivation to keep it up, nor did I really expect people to read it. But lo and behold, I have reached my 100th post milestone. Ok, so I have actually reached my 107th post milestone but I wasn't really paying attention. Then on Friday I was reading a Linkedin question and it was discussing how many bloggers reach their 100th post milestone and this person estimated that only 1% did [which I completely disagree with by the way] and they then continued on about how special said milestone is. Well, I'm not going to elaborate on how this is the happiest day of my life or any of that nonsense, because in actuality, I didn't look to see how many posts I had done until I read the Linkedin post, but I would like to say thank you to everyone who reads my blog. I wasn't sure any of you would :)  oh and I would also like to thank sitemeter for letting me know that people really are reading it and I'm not just talking to myself [which is still cool]. 

i'll miss you big daddy

I really don't get into reality television shows that often, but Bravo's Top Design has a special place in my heart. I'm definitely not one to talk about them that much or get that fired up about them, however, this week it really upset me. Kerry Howard, an interior designer from Atlanta, Georgia was the latest to be sent packing from the show and this is an outrage. 

Big Daddy, as he's also known, is a true southern gentleman, and someone who I really think I would like just as much in person. While he was the team leader on the project, he owned up to his mistakes [which really was just listening to Wiset] and took responsibility. He has talent and vision, and SHAZIA should have been the one to go. For those of you who don't watch the show, Shazia is a lazy half wit who just rides the coattails of those who she's partnered with and hopes they'll get it done for her. 

I heart Big Daddy. His only mistake was listening to his a little bit off partner, Wiset, and letting him have some say in the project. This means he has a good heart. At the end of the day, he put his head on the chopping block like a true leader and for that he should be commended. And, for the record, I would just like to say one last thing: Big Daddy's display wasn't half as bad as Shazia's. That's all. 

Oh, and check out Howard House Interior Design, Big Daddy's designs are in Gallery One. Love the kitchen [top row, last image] with white cabinetry and dark grey SUBWAY TILES [be still my heart]. 

Did I mention that Shazia's firm is called Egospace. Yup, she's got one of those for sure. 

sharon montrose

Thanks to Beach Bungalow 8 I have just discovered Sharon Montrose. Sharon is a photographer/author specializing in dogs, cats, kids and babies. Her pictures on her blog are really cute and I just wanted to share some of her dog Squeak. Plus, her house looks beautiful too! But you have to check her out for yourself because there are about a million pictures of hers that I absolutely LOVE. I am obsessed with dogs and her photos have so much personality and spunk - obsessed! 

Ok, I can't help it. They are too adorable I have to share some of her other photos as well [LOVE the tongues, LOVE when dogs lay out with their little paws stretched out behind them]... 

So Adorable. If you want more of Sharon Montrose, check out her books, calendars, notecards and more! 

your ________ is showing

Last winter, the Las Vegas based ad firm R & R partners created the new ad campaign "Your Vegas is Showing" for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. While the new campaign, in my opinion, wasn't half as brilliant as the firm's 2003, "What happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas," the new slogan was pretty clever. 

Fast forward to this fall and Tide debutes an ad campaign with the EXACT SAME SLOGAN as the LVCVA?! 

Tide's new ads endwith the tag line, "Your Tide is Showing" and while it may be slightly more relevant to Tide's product [although LVCVA's use is more clever] it still makes them look like nothing but a bunch of COPYCATS. 

This leaves me with a few questions: 

1. Aren't slogans copyrighted or something? 

2. There had to have been a lot of focus groups conducted before the campaign debuted, were the deaf/blind/all of the above?  

3. There were more than 6 months between when LVCVA's ads hit and Tide's ads hit, doesn't that look a little suspicious? I mean it would be one thing if they both came out within a month of each other, but this just looks like someone said 'hey great idea, lets use it' and THEN put the ads into production.   

when you really need to remember...

turn an entire door into a chalkboard so so that you can remind yourself of things right before you leave the house! 

[via skonahem]

a plant even I can't kill.

I do not have a green thumb to say the least. I have yet to keep a plant alive for long, although I have found that you can often resuscitate them for a little while. However, I also do not do fake plants. Usually, but these plants from Wisteria are made of iron with a zinc-like finish rather than the shiny fabrics most fake plants are made of. Once upon a time they were used in conservatories and winter gardens in 19th century France. Did I mention no sunlight or water needed? Perfect! 

rub a dub dub, i can see myself in this tub

My future bathroom by Brad Ford. 

[via decorno]

restoration hardware: child size.

I have a secret. I adore Pottery Barn's teen and baby products/stores/catalogs. I am over the age of 21 and have no children, I just think that they have the cutest stuff. Why didn't they have this stuff when I was little?! Anyways, I have found a new children's store to obsess over: Restoration Hardware: Baby & Child. Behold the cute and girlish items I have found: 

And that was in just 10 minutes on the site... 

Vintner Grill

About a year ago I discovered Vintner Grill in Las Vegas and right away became absolutely OBSESSED with the entire restaurant- especially the interior design and color scheme - lime green, black and white. The food [and wine] were absolutely delicious as well. I have since moved away from Las Vegas, but am still dreaming about recreating the dining room of the restaurant someday when I own my own kitchen. Plus, it has a super adorable, chic outdoor eating area that I love. Lime green, black, white, acrylic lamps, lanterns in the trees...LOVE IT. 

Today I stumbled upon a picture of Kate Spade's kitchen. Now, I'm sure I've probably seen it before, but it was before my obsession with lime green, white and black kitchens. So here it is, for all to enjoy. However, nothing against Mrs. Spade, but I think I would add a itsy bitsy bit more lime green. Although, I can't see the rest of the room, so maybe it has some more. Shedefinitely earns bonus points for subway tiles! 

Kate's Kitchen

Meet Karl

Say 'hello' to the Steif limited edition Karl Lagerfeld bear. The bear, scheduled to debut in Berlin next Friday is a 15" alpaca wool tribute sports the requisite black outfit, sports aviator sunglasses, and a belt adorned with jeweled "KL" initials. 

The fashion and couture icon approved his stuffed likeness and is quoted as saying, "I really love animals, particularly when they are stuffed with cotton or polyester, that way you can guarantee that they won't bite, won't claw, won't smell bad and make your things dirty."