Did y’all ever see the movie Auntie Mame?  It’s one of my top ten favorite movies of all time, the book is hilarious too.  Rosalind Russell is so brilliant in this role as the eccentric yet glamorous Mame Dennis who is assigned the caretaker for her orphaned ten year old nephew Patrick in 1920’s New York City.  Auntie Mame is colorful and unconventional, a lover of art and theater, with a quick wit and a disdain for stuffy or snobbish society. 

The character is divine and the movie sets are magnificent.  The apartment Mame lives in takes on a completely new and different look every few years based on her iridescent theatrical personality.  During the movie, viewers get to see six separate and completely different designs, and to quote Jonathan Adler, “Watching Auntie Mame is a right of passage for every aspiring decorator”.  For a full tour of the six different makeovers during the movie in Mame’s apartment, visit Julia’s post on 3 Beekman Place.

So I have a neighbor named Tatiana and we met eight years ago at my annual garage sale. Tatiana is the closest person to Auntie Mame I know. Up my driveway eight years ago she walked with her husband Miguel and Tatiana and I became instant friends.  When I first met her, her name was Jennie, but then she decided she wanted her name to be Tatiana because she preferred Tatiana so she legally changed her name to Tatiana.  At the age of 45.  I love that.

Tatiana is my Auntie Mame, she eats and drinks and decorates as she pleases all with a zest for life that’s rare these days.  She lives around the corner from me and we meet for coffee from time to time to catch up. She always wants to come to my house because she finds it so soothing, and I always want to go to her house because I find it so inspiring, so we take turns.  But on our last coffee visit I won and got the pleasure of visiting with her in her home.  

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As one of the bloggers over at My Colortopia, I get to answer inquiries and write articles about choosing color for the home, which really is one of my most favorite topics in the universe ever.  They asked me to write about my method for choosing paint color for walls so I’m going to share the easiest way! 

When you’re about to paint your walls something other than white or a pale neutral, I’m a firm believer in starting with something that will actually live in the space as a source of inspiration.  It can be a decorative object, a textile, something organic, a print or piece of art – anything you love that inspires you. Once you find that thing or that fabric, the easiest way to choose a paint color for the walls is to use that source of inspiration as your starting point. 

In my own master bedroom, I wanted a soothing gray with a hint of blue on the walls, so when I repainted it last year, I pulled my color from this Ikat toss pillow.

Fabric or artwork is always a great place to start, but it really can be anything that you use as your jumping off point.  How about the pattern on this loose tea canister?  Your wall color can be inspired by an object just like this. Imagine medium gray walls with vibrant coral or tangerine and spa blue accents, gorgeous!

To see a ton of inspiring color palettes, be sure to visit one of my favorite sources Design Seeds – a blog all about pulling color inspiration from both organic and tangible objects.  Also, be sure to check out the My Image Inspiration Tool – upload an image and palette will be generated for you!

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It’s fun to look back on what we obsessed about in DIY and design over the last year, from chevron patterns to chalkboard and pallet everything!  There were so many inventive projects and gorgeous spaces we saw in 2011, when I look back on my own inspiration files, I’m amazed all the beautiful rooms I see.  In the interior design world, several elements have been trending in 2011 which I believe will continue into 2012, and for good reason. 

Reclaimed and Natural Wood.  Raw and repurposed wood has surged to the forefront of design and it’s good to see that wood is back in a big way with its amazing organic qualities. I can’t wait to see more of it in 2012 and I hope to work with more salvaged wood myself in the new year. 

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Seasons greetings all, together with my two other judges Courtney and Rhoda, we’ve finally settled on the winners for the HomeGoods Tablescape Contest.  I cannot tell you how difficult this really was to judge, there were over 175 submissions via link and email, and so many were just gorgeous. How to choose? Well, we narrowed it down to the top 16 then voted again based on style, affordability, and creativity. It was extremely difficult, but finally here are the four winners and some other very honorable mentions. These holiday tablescapes are sure to inspire you all.

Let’s start with the three runners up, who will all receive a $50 Gift Card:

Runner Up #1: Pear Green and Sparkly

Pear ornaments and mercury glass pair beautifully on this simple outdoor tablescape set by Jordan at The Happy Homebodies for her ladies church group for Christmas. We loved the warm browns next to the cool shimmering mercury glass. The simple yet stunning branch centerpiece combines spray painted glittery branches with more natural manzanitas.

Runner Up #2: Z Gallerie Inspired Peacock tablescape

Several DIY projects combined to create this magical New Year’s Eve table over at Commonplace Beauty.  $4 accent plates were the inspiration, and we’re head over heels in love with the inexpensive glam chargers created with a “pound of bling”.  Don’t miss the gold garland dollar store vases, they’re so pretty!  Bravo Heather!

Runner Up #3:  Violet Winter Wonderland

Jess over at Events That Sparkle pulled together this stylish and budget savvy winter wonderland tablescape in unconventional violet that wowed us all, and all her DIY touches make this table the place to be for her family that celebrates both Christmas and Hanukkah.  Just fabulous Jess!

Drumroll please…

The Grand Prize Winner of a $100 Gift Card to HomeGoods…

Natural Christmas: Sweet Something Designs!  Congratulations!!!

We loved the cozy outdoor setting, and the use of a plaid ‘Camp Blanket’ as the inspiration for the color palette. The use of everyday white plates, contrasting black napkins, red flatware coupled with textural burlap, twigs and berries make this Christmas tablescape universally appealing to all.  The glass hurricanes tiered on cedar platforms are the perfect centerpiece for this inexpensive welcoming outdoor scene.  Simple, stylish, creative, and affordable!  Hop on over to see the full outdoor tablescape ~ congratulations Michelle!

And congratulations to the top four winners, please contact me ASAP so I can get your address to send your gift cards! 

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Honorable Mentions that made judging this contest nearly impossible:

Jen at The Decor Scene created a gorgeous centerpiece for her holiday table that works for any occasion from Thanksgiving to New Year’s plus she offers up some helpful tips for how to layer a table. 

Don’t miss this whimsical bird tablescape over at The Rooster and The Hen so festive and fun, and how cool is the birch centerpiece! 

Traditional Thanksgiving tablescape by Stone Gable filled with all the colors and warmth of autumn and the bounty of Thanksgiving.  Such gorgeous leaf motif napkins and lovely pear accent bowls!  

Here’s another simple yet inspiring setting, this elegant Thanksgiving table at Baylor Says decorated in fresh whites with a pretty orange runner and some simple gourds as accents.

A Burberry scarf makes a great runner, together with green bottle candleholders and gold chargers over at Our Fifth House, love it!

Lovely brown and white transferware complete this warm and wonderful Thanksgiving table by Take Six.

We loved this dramatic gold and black tablescape by Living in the 513, those chevron napkins are perfection!

And here are two email submissions which stood out, first this beautiful apple green and brown tablescape by Bev S., how clever are the upside down martini glasses as candleholders?

Laura T. submitted this pretty peacock inspired table saturated with layers of beautiful blues and hints of gold with a collection from both HomeGoods and the Dollar Store, lovely!

If you want even more inspiration, pay a visit to even more links at the Tablescape Contest, there are so many ideas there for your next holiday table.  Thank you to all who participated, to the two other judges Courtney and Rhoda, and to HomeGoods for sponsoring this fun event.

Let’s hear it for all the contestants, all fantastic stylists right? 

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Hey everyone, I’m so excited to announce that I’ve partnered with Joss & Main to curate a collection that will go up for sale next week!  You do all know about Joss & Main, right?  The site that offers daily events where the finest brands and designer goods go on sale at 20-50% off retail, but the deals are only available to members!  I’ve been a member for a year now, and I’ve bought a few things from Joss & Main over these past few months (you’ll get to see my two new club chairs tomorrow!) 

A month ago, I was asked to curate a sales event (I know, pinch me) which meant I got to go virtual shopping and hand select 60+ items that reflect my personal style. It was so fun! I gathered up all sorts of stylish finds for you, from gorgeous home accessories under $50 to bigger ticket items like rugs and furnishings. The big sales event is next week ~ here’s a little sneak peek of what you’ll find in my curated sale.  

If you’re not signed up yet to get the emails announcing all the sales, here is a personal invitation from me* so you won’t be placed on a wait list.  It costs you nothing, you sign up with your email, and then you’ll have access to various designer decor that goes on sale daily.  *Note, I do receive a small referral fee if you sign up, just like anyone else (including you!) who refers new members.

You definitely don’t want to miss my curated sale next week filled with so many gorgeous things all personally selected by me, you’ll love it!  Look for the sales event next Tuesday, December 13th over at Joss & Main. 

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