My friends, I will be taking a small break from blogging for the next few weeks to focus on professional endeavors and to care for health issues.  Thank you for your kind understanding, and I hope to be back before the holidays with decor and tabletop ideas!
In addition, Happy Election Day on this day where [...]

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Happy Halloween from my baby Mia and me! May your evening be filled with plenty of treats and a few jovial tricks! (She always gets VERY serious with her perfect poses in front of the camera…I think I should have dressed her in a high fashion model’s outfit instead…)

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On a day of tricks and treats, I would like to share with you a vintage industrial treat….that only costs $1!  Currently, this public surplus auction is selling five vintage industrial chairs for only $1.  They remind me of the ones from Anthropologie, except these are authentic and government-issued no less.  The catch is that [...]

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One of my favorite weekend getaways is Julian, tucked into the mountains approximately 50 miles east of San Diego.  Originally settled by silver miners, the town is a beautiful testament to historic preservation — and repurposing!  Enjoy these photos from a recent day trip, where I enjoyed shopping in homes turned into retail boutiques, hot [...]

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For the next week, I am excited to share with you different ideas I styled to make your home spooktacular!   This first installment was inspired by the literary elements in my home.

If you have a typewriter, use it as a way to hold up spooky signs (mine was created from a page out of [...]

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The creativity of repurposing always makes me incredibly happy.  My first encounter with repurposing was my first week in college, when I was meandering towards campus via colorful Telegraph Ave. in Berkeley and found a street vendor clanking away at vintage spoons — and I happily walked away with a spoon ring that I still [...]

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Last week, I professed my love for seeing your drawers, and I was so delighted to see these beauties arrive in my mailbox!   How charming is the fact that each of these artists’ inspirational drawers compliments their blog banners in ambiance and style?   What inspires us truly permeates through all aspect of our life!
Without further [...]

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My lovely friend Suzanne, the Italian Girl in Georiga (who has marvelous photography in her Etsy shop), surprised me this weekend with snail mail!  There’s something quite nostalgic and magical about receiving a letter in the mail, don’t you think?
Inside her beautiful photography card was a useful article on vintage industrial lighting she clipped for [...]

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…your desk drawers, silly!  I’m fascinated by drawers and cubbyholes, and the forgotten treasures that are stashed within.  I also love seeing how people organize their desk drawers, be it muffin tins, wooden boxes, or the “I know it looks insane, but I know where everything is” system.  With that said, I would love if [...]

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Leah reminded me last week of the fantastic photography of Ormond Gigli, who was a prominent photographer especially in the 1950s and 60s — but more importantly, whose ability to direct photographs creates such timeless magic!  Of course, his most iconic photograph is “Girls in the Window,” which was serendipitously shot in a dismantled brownstone [...]

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At the beach this weekend, I could feel everyone sadly saying goodbye to the call of the sea (at least for those without wetsuits).  To keep my workspace inspired, I found a few shells (fine, I bought them at the seashell shop by the shore).  One works beautifully as a repurposed catch-all for my paperclips.  [...]

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I’ve been on an Airstream kick once again, as I have been spotting amazing deals on my local Craigslist.  One day, when I have a tiny piece of land to call my own, I shall plop one of these vintage beauties in the backyard to be a studio / office.  (For inspiration, check out these [...]

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The appeal of vintage industrial chic is timeless — and Randy from Kramer Design Studio really takes metalwork repurposing to a new level of style.  From upcycling weathered steel railings into fabulous headboards, and utilizing chain links (that weigh 15 pounds each!) to create the most unique tables, to giving clock faces new lives as [...]

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Your comments in the vintage sewing giveaway (which is open until Sunday) really inspire me!  With so many wonderful sewing projects in mind, I crafted a reminder for all of us to continue to create…and this vintage spool will also be included in the giveaway.

Creating is the essence of life -Julius Caeser
A few weeks ago, [...]

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I have a secret obsession with lamps (such as my birdcage chandelier), and my favorite are ones that are repurposed — don’t you think they make for such interesting conversation pieces?  I recently saw that Ikea has a hanging lamp kit for only $3.99, and my mind has been running with ideas.
What types of fun [...]

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