Poolside.

Ready when you are summer....

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I'm thinking.. of opening a store..

There's some romance with the idea of opening the cutest little design store you ever laid your eyes on. I mean who wouldn't want to spend their days filling their little treasure chest with beautiful trinkets and one-of-a-kinds?? With all this excitement running around in my brain, it has occured to me I need some inspiration to guide the look' n feel of such a treasure box.

Here are a few storefronts I like.

(bobby burke home)
I like ivy stuff. And black also, And a good colorful door.

Simple at it's finest, the KISS rule. The DO NOT ENTER sign is sending the wrong signal though..

Simple again, but so beautiful. I think I like a little more detail than this, but this is lovely.

And some store insides that I like..

Minus the clothes...

Minus the clothes here too, and 50% of the mirrors.

The last two pics are of Tory Burch stores.. I think we're getting somewhere here.. .

This is overthtop antiquey frenchy, but I like all the patina.

Borderline broing, but a few things I am liking..

I need MORE inspiration. You tell me where you like to shop n stuff.

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March Madness

Unrelated to any games with balls, this month marks the beginning of spring, which usually means days are longer and warmer.. but Portland right now just means longer, colder and wetter (than any March in the history of weather-recording. Gross. Rain. #over-it). But SOON I will frolic in warm weather, which makes me think of springy outfits and sexy heels...

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Olivia usually works it out. Love the navy feather skirt. I will do more skirts this year than I used to. (And craving her tan. bigtime.)

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Yes, statement clutch is on my list.

(satorialist)
A good pair of bell bottooms (perhaps from Emerson?)..

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Love the high-waisted skinny with crotched top.

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Destroyed skinny's are on my radar too. A good pair of white jeans also. I think those will be a necessity this season.

(DJA)
Silky nudes and more skirts, how lovely. Lace is popping up everywhere. Seems snaggy.

(DJA)
Ohhh loving this ensemble too. High waisted again.. apparently I'm really attracted to that this year. It might have something to do with my extra-long torso and short legs (my friends joke I'm like a t-rex with tiny arms and legs chasing everyone around). And ya know, high-waisted pants help the long torso sitch.

Now. If the sun would just please pay us a healthy visit.

What are you hunting down for summer weather??

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My Projects: Frenchie Bistro

Last year I posted about my appetite for restaurant design (pun intended) and I won a project a few months ago and it's about to open (alas, not without a few, gigantic stumbling blocks). But guess what.. I won another restaurant project *jumping with excitement*. This project is an entirely different approach than the glamor-meets-classic style of the other restaurant, this is a french bistro, oh oui oui merci.

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How fun to dig my hands around in the cookie jar of bistro design. The reigning design elements are casual and approachable, unstuffy and unpretentious, a neighborhood place you can have a delicate coffee in the morning, or a classic french cocktail come happy hour.

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It weirds me out that this is in Las Vegas, but it really captures the right essence.

A good classic inspiration photo. (via)

The basic design ingredients for bistro design include a mostly colorless palette- maybe some blue or red in linens or chairs, but walls and hard surfaces are wood or a basic white. Hard urfaces should be marble or white tile, goods (such as liquor, linens, plates, cups etc) are exposed, pragmatic yet "designed" feeling. Simplicity and ease of use are at the top of the priority heap.

Albeit a residential kitchen, again we are capturing the perfect essence. (via)

Great sample of industrial-french. (via)

 Our plan is to make the space a bit industrial feeling, with an emphasis on lighting and community.

 
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Yesssss. Perfect.  In addition to being simple, part of the beauty of this approach is that it (shouldn't) cost an arm and a leg to create the welcoming vibe. Double score.

 
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Ya' know, sexy and edgy and without the sex or edge.

I'll keep you posted as progress, well, progresses. 

xoxo-

julie

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ROOM SWOON {Spring in my step.}

No. There is no spring in my step because the forecast is for rain for daysssss. I badly want lots of springing. So I am going to force it  use this room as inspiration for springtime splendor, because it ain't visiting me anytime soon.

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Let's see what we come up with.

(celadon jar, oly hanna chair, wood lamp, rex mirror, coral pillow)
Oh yes, I like this very much. (take note the coral pillow and celadon jar are what make it work).

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(This was another photo from the same house, the dotted detail on the trim was too fun not to share..)

Have a fabulous weekend everyone! I'll be stuck in the garage DIY'ing all the junk I've collected with good intentions. Ew. Not nearly as fun as the collecting part.

xx
-j

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Bengal-ia

Have you seen these cats? You probably have because they're insanely leopard-ish and eye catching. Could you imagine having one tromping around your house?? Maybe they don't tromp, I bet they stalk...

I've heard before that they're unfriendly and generally make bad pets. This is probably because it's half stray cat and half Asian Leopard Cat (says wikipedia), and anything with "Leopard" officially in its title can't be expected to be cuddle-y.

They sure are beautiful though.

I can see them lounging around here:

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I can definitely see one in here, hanging out on the sofa..

And wouldn't a curious leopardy cat have a heyday on that table top by Kelly W.

I had a cat for years (of the Maine Coon variety -because these cats are from Maine and are crossed with a racoon- sersiouly.) that was leopard-ish, but not even close to those crazy Bengals.

My Marty was no sneaky-stalking type, he was as gentle as can be (unless there were cheezits or ice cream, he can get a little demanding then).

(please note these are not my legs)

And maybe he was a little fat.

Aw shoot, Marty was such a good cat, we spent a solid decade together before he got too creaky and old to enjoy the little things in life (like food). He's missed often.

(PS, I saved him from a shelter in Seattle when I was 19 years old, my mother undoubtedly thought she would inherit a cat within the first year or so. Turned out to be quite the opposite, we shared five apartments and two homes together.)

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Rounded.

I've been feeling rounded myself lately, but here I'm talking about the best round-up yet. Srsly.

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Everything. I want everything in that room.

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I wouldn't change one thing about this whole situation.

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Secret gardens make me anxious with excitement. They are real-life magic.

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I want whatever she's having.

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Her too.

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Is that real? Is that really for real? It seems unreal. Nothing can be that pretty/cool/rocker-messy. Except maybe Shakira.

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