Decorganizing Wednesday: Party Invitations

Here goes, Decorganizing Wednesday...

If you are really popular (like me) and having a hard time figuring out what to do with all of your party invitations, take some cues from these creative folks.

Designer Lindsey Harper

Designer Mary McDonald for Domino

Use an old door or shutter.

P.S. I tried this once and the tacks wouldn't penetrate [pause for giggles] the old wood so check first!

Designer Kay Douglas for House Beautiful

I have a random wall in my kitchen that is about 30" wide and I have filled the entire wall, floor to ceiling, with invites and photos. I tried using the chalkboard/magnetic paint but it wouldn't hold a magnet (despite three coats) so they are just tacked in. I am real excited about the day when I get to spackle this wall![she says sarcastically] Therefore, I highly suggest using cork instead.

When you are done displaying your invitations, you can cut them up and use the pretty printed parts as tags for gifts (or so says my inner Martha). Anyone have any other creative ideas for displaying party invitations? Leave a comment!

Inspiring Offices

Designer, Kelly Wearstler's Office

Designer, Mary McDonald's Office

Designer, Celerie Kemble's Office

Designer, Laurie Smith's Office

Bare with me...I have been going non-stop since the beginning of December. I am behind in every aspect of my life right now-work, blog, gym, mail, laundry, grocery shopping, catching up with good friends, you name it! I am excited for the cold weather and impending rain this weekend so I can nest and get myself back on track. After seeing two of my organizing clients today, I am motivated to get myself all neat and tidy too. So one of the items on my massive to-do list is to clean out and re-organize my office. I do this every January and it feels...well, as Monica (from Friends) would say....orgasmic! Anyhoo, here are some photos to inspire me (and hopefully you!).

~Images: 1) via decorpad 2 and 3) Kelly Wearstler 4) Domino 5) Pottery Barn 6) Celerie Kemble 7) book Discovering Home With Laurie Smith 8) Unknown

Orange Crush

As I was decorating my house for supper club last night, I got to thinking about my love for the color orange. I grew up a Georgia Bulldog and therefore was forbade to wear the color orange because it represented all of our SEC rivals-Florida, Tennessee, Auburn, Clemson, etc. And personally, I am a cool colored type of gal but I really do love to color orange! It reminds me of some happy times-carving pumpkins with my brother as a kid, picking oranges off the trees at my grandparents place in Florida, sunsets on the beach, watching Real Housewives of Orange County...

Need help picking out a good shade of orange to paint your walls? Check out this article from House Beautiful's October issue in which top designers gab about their favorite orange paint colors. Have a go-to orange paint color that you have used before? Let me know!

~Images: 1) Designer Tobi Fairley 2) Designer Mary McDonald 3) Designer Palmer Weiss 4) Designer Celerie Kemble 5) Designer Ashley Whittaker 6) Designer Sara Story

For the Constant Gardener (or the Non-Gardener Like Me)

I know I am not the first blogger to cover this topic but I was sourcing a garden stool today for a client (to use as a shaving bench in her shower) so they were on my mind. An interior design trend for the past few years has been to use these stools as side tables, nightstands or extra seating in a pinch. It is always nice to break up massive amounts of wood furniture by having another material like ceramic to add some interest. Likewise for adding a shape other than square or rectangular furniture.

I love layering them in front of other tables like this...

Garden stools as side tables, coffee tables and nightstands...

I also like to layer them under a console table like this...

My favorite source for ceramic stools is Emissary (available to the trade only). Their varied collection is what put this company on the map back around 1989 . If you like anything you see, email me at sidney@eclectic-idg.com for a price. Or you can get your own knock-off version for cheap via any of the companies below, many of which are having end of summer sales. Beware however that most versions are heavy as all get out!

Wisteria Metallic Chinese Garden Stool for $129

Ballard Tuiles Garden Seat for $99

Overstock Ceramic Hexagonal Stool for $160

~Images: 1) styleathome.com 2) Designer Mary McDonald 3) Designer Jennifer Marsico Domino April 2007 4) House Beautiful Oct 2009 5) Domino Dec/Jan 2009 6) Domino April 2008 7) Coastal Living May 2009 8) Ashley Whitaker courtesy of Little Green Notebook

Sugar & Spice and Everything Nice...

I went to a baby shower for a good friend of mine on Saturday who is expecting a little girl and so I have been in a super "girly" mood all week! I adore my three nephews but boy (ha!) do I appreciate some girly-ness and let me tell you this shower was all about the pink, ruffles, bows and frills! So fun! With that being said, I don't think pink has to mean "little girl's room" as artfully displayed in these photos. Pink can be super classy when paired with grey, ultra mod when paired with purple or fantastically chic when paired with yellow. Kinda makes me want to eat some cotton candy or chew some Bubbalicious gum!

~Images: 1) Angie Hranowski 2) Designer Mary McDonald 3) Designer Phillip Gorrivan for Elle Decor 4) Traditional Home 5) Unknown

I'm Seeing Stripes

When stripes are bad: horizontally on your clothing, on your body when you missed spots with the sunscreen or if you find yourself wearing prison garb. When stripes are good: on the American flag, Stripes: The Movie, The White Stripes (some might say) or the bold stripes in these amazing interiors! Painting stripes on a wall (or ceiling) is not for everyone but as you can see, the technique totally paid off in the rooms featured above because it was well thought out and perfectly executed. By using contrasting colors, you can create a shocking amount of interest in a room but you have to totally go for it! If a subtle look is more your style, try doing a tone on tone treatment instead. After studying these images, I am feeling daring and kinda want to go paint something totally unexpected in stripes...like the interior of my coat closet! (I know, I know, I'm W-I-L-D!)

~Images: 1) Mary McDonald's Office Featured in Domino Feb 2006 2) Mary McDonald's Domino Feb 2009 3) Unknown 4) Domino Oct 2005 5) Domino Nov 2008 6) Unknown