Holiday Eye-Candy and Inspirations

As we count down to the 2009 holiday season, it occurs to me that many of us feel the almost desperate need for some decorating direction....something to inspire us and give us that extra little push we need to get us going. I'd like to share some absolutely fabulous blogs with you that can provide you with that much needed inspiration.

Yes, this is supposed to be a store blog, 'tis true....but let me tell you a little bit about me personally. Back before Scott and I bought our little store, we had been renovating our home and we discovered our passion for design and decor. I'd always had a flair for decorating, but the whole-house redo put our talents to the test. I ended up studying interior design and joined a few decor-specific Internet groups to increase my knowledge. From one group, an MSN group named "Great Impressions", I formed many friendships with some very wonderfully talented ladies & gentlemen, many of whom I still keep in touch with today.

Scott and I have been waiting for the right time to introduce decor topics on this blog and it seems there's no better time than the present. We're selling more and more decor items in the shop and on-line at our website so it's not a big stretch to bring information about decor to you via this blog. We encourage those of you who have decor questions and concerns to ask here. Scott and I and our many decorator friends would love to chime in with advice to help you out.

We also encourage you to check through our friends' blogs and websites. They're all listed below on our blog roll, but let me list them as links for you. They are:

http://allthingsetsy2222.blogspot.com My friend Elizabeth's blog, A Breath Of French Air probably smells as good as it looks! She makes and sells her own fantastic soap products, and is also a decor and gardening buff extraordinaire.

http://www.backporchmusings.com My talented friend Pat's blog is amazing. Pat is not only an accomplished decorator and floral stylist, she's an amazing photographer, too! Stop by and admire her wonderful taste and exacting eye....all her photos are magazine worthy!

http://cakesandcupboards.blogspot.com My friend Lisa, another talented decorator, also makes the most wonderfully creative cakes. When in need of cake inspiration or decor inspiration, she's your girl! I also know she's very good with power tools!

http://deardaisycottage.typepad.com My friend Kim's blog, Dear Daisy Cottage, is another wonderful source of decor inspiration. Colorful and full of light-hearted whimsy, her home and blog are fun-filled spaces that will make you smile!

http://jassman.typepad.com My friend Jill's blog, Follow Your Bliss. Jill's lived all over, most recently in France, and I can remember her posting pictures of her lovely French home. She's back in the U.S. and into paper crafting and photography, of which there are many peerless examples of on her blog.

http://howtokeephouse.blogspot.com My friend Sue's blog, How To Keep House. She's got that perfect touch....you'll love going through her gorgeous rooms!

http://penchantsponderingsandposies.blogspot.com My friend Maureen's blog, Penchants, Posies & Ponderings exudes beauty. Mo is another accomplished decorator and photographer, and her gardening shots are exquisite. Check out her latest postings of her tablescapes....they are a must-see!

http://dec0r8or.blogspot.com My friend Sharon's blog, Serendipity, is a pleasure to read. Tons of inspiration here, this accomplished woman has decorated showhomes all over the upstate NY area and is rather awesome, if I must say. : )

http://smallplacestyle.blogspot.com My hero of small homes! My friend Lisa's blog, Small Place Style, is a delightful read, also. She's got the solutions for living small beautifully!

http://southernhospitalityblog.com My friend Rhoda's blog, Southern Hospitality, is a fabulous foil for her incredible talent. If you're looking for inspiration, this Southern Belle has it in spades!

http://www.roxandthings.blogspot.com My friend, Lisa's blog, Rox and Things, showcases her awesome talent for home decoration and jewelry making. They say things come bigger in Texas, and I guess they're right....Lisa's got a huge amount of talent!

http://roseeliff.blogspot.com My friend Rose's blog, The Center Of Myself, is your one-stop destination for ohm-filled, soul searching goodness. Her fabulous Orange County home is the source for decor inspiration, also.

http://thedecoratedhouse.blogspot.com My friend Donna's blog, The Decorated House. An inspired designer, this Florida decorator's taste is incomparable. She's a creative multi-media artist who is magical at whatever she does - there's a link to her Etsy shop on her blog.


All of these sites offer the best of the best and more inspiration than you'd ever want. Keep in mind as you view these blogs that the women who write them have done most of their home decoration themselves. Meaning, they climbed the ladders and primed, painted, Venetian plastered, buffed, or textured their walls themselves. They scrapped, sanded, cleaned, bleached, stained and painted their garage-sale or bargain basement finds themselves. Some made their own art, some found theirs on Ebay, but all have their creative juices running to the max. This is especially advantageous during difficult economic times, because you tend to save a lot of money when you do the work yourself. We could all benefit from knowing how to accomplish certain home renovation projects, and what better people to ask than those who've done it successfully themselves? I invite you to ask away....I'll get back to you as soon as humanly possible.

I've been trying to get Blogger to attach links to my post, but it refuses to be cooperative. I don't know what I'm doing wrong, but I can't spend any more time on it...Scott's making pizza while I pound the keyboard, it's 8:40 pm and I have clothes in the wash. Please either scroll down to the very bottom of of the page and click the links there, or cut and paste the URLs into your browser window....so sorry for the inconvenience.

Next post, we'll take a look at our friends' blogs in the Altadena/Pasadena area. We love to spotlight creativity whenever we find it!