Opening the doors in Somerville!

This weekend, Somerville, MA is opening the studio doors for a great tour of the artistic side of the city! The Somerville Open Studio is this Saturday and Sunday 12 - 6pm. Below is just a sample of the many amazing artists you will encounter! Most even sell their pieces through Etsy or their website so if you are not local no worries you can still participate in the shopping! Enjoy!

Pigweed Press

Arguedas Photography


Joey Asal


JewelsFabulous

Take me away!

First let me apologize. This week I have been feeling a little under the weather with an awful sinus cold, not fun but I have been thinking of you and wanted to at least share a little something.

I came across the picture and just had to share. Since Sunday I have had beach houses on my mind, I actually started an inspiration folder with my recent finds. The picture above is fantastic! Take a look at the details. The white cushions each have a different color contrasting welt, orange, pink and turquoise. These colors are than pulled together in the striped pillows. Such a small detail which makes a big impact!
What magazines and website do you look to for beach cottage inspiration? Please share, my folder needs to grow!!

(image from Southern Accents)

Monday Morning Happy!

(a bucket full of magazines, a cup of tea, a comfy chair
and a view of the ocean = the perfect spot!)

Welcome to a new week! Did you have a nice few days off?
What an amazing weekend! It was 80 degrees here in the Northeast which was Summer in April and absolutely FABULOUS!! The weekend was also filled with visits by many good friends and a bit of exploring. Don't you love when you get in the car, set out for a ride without a real idea of where you will end up? That was Sunday for me. The first stop was a fun flea market, Todd Farm which really put me in the mood for Brimfield. Than we explored the fantastic Oldies "Red Barn" in Newburyport where there were a few great finds, but none that we were really sold on. It was all wrapped up with a lazy few hours exploring a new beach and picking seashells! The combination of creativity and spontaneity can make for the perfect day!
Enjoy the new week!
jul

How To Thursday - Small Flower Pleasures

Welcome to another "How To Thursday"! Today I thought we would talk about the simple pleasure of freshly cut flowers and how to have them in your home every week. Now the budget might not allow all of us to have a big bouquet of flowers sent to the house every week so how can we have a bite of joy without the big expense? Small bud vases and creative uses of everyday household items are the answer. Purchase a few stems of your favorite flower or if you are lucky enough to have a garden, pick a small batch. It's nice to mix up your display from week to week. Some weeks I choose to group a few bud vases together and other weeks I separate them and display them in different rooms like the office, bathroom and next to my bed. Places I see a few times a day. Look around your home and think outside the box, this will make the most of your small arrangements and cut down the cost. Below are a few examples.

Tin tea containers are a beautiful and colorful way to display wild flowers

Glass tumblers like these from Lekker are a great everyday option

These NapaStyle bud vases are my favorite. They look great alone or grouped together

Many times there will be an item like these hurricanes above that at first glance you think can not be used as a typical vase. By finding a clear glass or votive holder which fits inside instantly creates an interesting unique vase!


As an Italian pasta loving girl I always have small canned jars of sauce in the pantry. Now, as a CreateGirl I LOVE a budget friendly find! When I am done with these small Classico jars I save them, pull off the label and use as vases. They are so sweet and always start a fun conversation!

Have fun with it! One week use single flowers and the next cut the stems real low and bunch a few together! I promise they will put a smile on your face!


(images from top to bottom: chez larsson, domino magazine, lekker, napastyle, west elm, jace interiors)

Vignettes of the Green Home

The HGTV Green Home is located in Port St. Lucie Florida. It is a very interesting space. Sometimes very bold and sometimes very serene, it's a great mix. I wanted to do something a bit different with this post and focus more on the vignettes of each room. As we all know the accents can really make or break a space. I did not want to distract you with too much content as I was hoping you would focus more on the details. Click on the room name under each picture to explore further! Enjoy your trip through this Green Home!

the Foyer (bold welcome)

the lounge (stacked patterned pillows)

Master Bedroom (great use of a console in BR)

the master bath (tones of blue for the tile are perfect)

pillows in master bedroom (lovely serene color and bedding)

kids bedroom (fun fun fun!!)

Quick Share - The Lantern

Recycled Lanterns CB2 $19.95

Perfect eco-friendly lighting and yes it sets the mood too!! Cozy up my friends we are all doing our part and with this price you can save a little green too!!

Simple Earth Day Pleasures!

Happy Earth Day!! How nice would it be if we could all just take some time today to unplug and enjoy the simple things in life.

Skip the electronics and play with the kids outside, remember how fun a simple ball use to be?!

or meet up with a friend and enjoy the outdoors with a cup of tea

or if you are lucky enough to live someplace warm, why not skip out on the emails and go surfing?

and hopefully by the end of the day you will be able to enjoy a free show of a perfect sunset!

All posts for today were actually typed up Tuesday night so hopefully when you read this I am out for a long walk enjoying the weather!! How will you spend Earth Day?

(images from top to bottom: Kodak, Graham&Green, TPort, BostonCoasters/Boston.com)

SALE alert!

It might be difficult to read the fine print but this sale is at the Hynes in Boston April 23rd - April 26th. Rugs on sale starting from $99. I have never been to a Stark Warehouse Sale but I bet it is fantastic!! I plan to stop in on Thursday to check out the goods and am hoping there might be some fabric there as well. If anyone else checks it out let me know your review.

Scouting Flower Photography

This week one of the items I am scouting for is flower photography. This will be wall decor to add to a teenagers room. The color scheme of our room is blue and chocolate with white furniture. My thought is to find crisp, modern, clean looking photos of a single flower with a great pop of color. They will most likely be framed in a white frame to offset the boldness of the photo. Here is what I have come up with so far! Oh and I am searching for three they will hang one on top of the other!

Jennifer Squires Etsy

Mary Lane Art.com

Abby Rex Art.com

Flanders Fields Etsy



Beach House Blues on Etsy

Have you shopped for Flower Photography lately? If so where did you find your pieces?

Monday Morning Happy!

How was your weekend? It was one of those weekends where a few of my favorite things happened, the kind which can't always be planned!

* My beloved Celtics played their first playoff game and it was basket for basket just about the entire game. It was exhilarating, the best type of ball game to watch.

*The next day I turned on the tv only to find one of my favorite movies has just started, I love that!

* A friend called at the last minute to have brunch together which was the perfect way to start the day! Spontaneous plans can be the best!

Did you have any fun unexpected things happen to you this weekend? Something that made you stop to say, ahhh that was great!

The "Cute Picture of the Week" was taken by my good friend Jason (also known as the one who patiently answers all my random blog questions). I can't imagine a better Christmas gift than a puppy, which is exactly what his sister Andrea received this year! Isn't Bailey just adorable? She looks like the perfect best friend!

(image from Architectural Digest)

Happy Weekend!

Is it only me or when the sun is shining bright everyones happier and things seem to go your way? Well that was this week! It has been a great week here at CreateGirl and over at Jace Interiors too. It is so fulfilling to be living a creative life everyday, something I try not to take for granted. My online blogging class might have something to do with this sunshiny view. All of my classmates have been supporting and encouraging each other. It has been such a wonderful learning experience! Now I am thinking of what class to take next. Has anyone else taking an online creative class?

I hope everyone has a fun weekend and thanks once again for all the comments this week, I did a little jump for joy every time I read one!

(image from napastyle.com)

A special Thank You

I just wanted to take a quick minute to say a big THANKS to Holly over at Decor8 for blogging about my Frank Roop post. If you have never been over to Decor8 (though that would be surprising!!) stop by, she has a fantastic feature on Fridays, "How Much For This Room". It is a great example of not spending a ton of money to create beautiful rooms! On a personal note Holly is just the most supportive, encouraging, creative person I have come across. That my friends, is quite refreshing, I appreciate her and her optimistic outlook more than words can say.

(image from Decor8)

Daydreaming with Eric Roth

Eric Roth's Topsfield Barn Studio
Boston Globe Magazine

Last night I was overwhelmed by the amazing photography of Eric Roth. I had the pleasure of attending the opening night of his new exhibit at the Boston Design Center, "Personal Space - A Decade of Tastemakers, Style Setters and Interior Design Through the Lens of Eric Roth". There was a fantastic turn out and we all were picking out our favorite photos....though it really would be impossible to dwindle it down to just one! At times when I am flipping through a magazine, I will stop at a picture I just love and soon realize it is an Eric Roth! If you have time over the weekend take a look at his website, it is truly remarkable and inspiring.

Terrat Elms Interior Design

Design New England Butz + Klug Architects



Newburyport Dream Home
Boston Globe Magazine

The exhibit it open to the public through June 16, M - F 9am - 5pm at the Boston Design Center

Boston condo tour - Roop Style

I am SO excited to share a fantastic Boston Home with you today and I completely stumbled upon it by accident! Don't you just love when that happens? As I posted about here, I truly admire the local designer Frank Roop and his work. His style is consistently clean and fresh but with just the right amount of punch. He mixes textures unlike any other I know. I even have one of his foyer photos pinned up on my inspiration board, it's one of my "aspire to have" pictures! Take a walk with my through his newest project featured in the May issue of Metropolitan Home, it is just gorgeous!

This is the picture which stopped me in my tracks and told me to search out this space as it was something special. The powder coated steel stools are just amazing, so strong with the geometric cut outs. They are even Roop Designed. I wish this was 3D so I could scoot around the island and see what is going on over at the dining nook! The layered wallpaper draws you right in!

Can we stop for a moment and swoon over the leather raised floor?! I have always been drawn to raised rooms and this is FABULOUS! I love separating a space by a step up if it is at all possible. The back wall is a great take off of a traditional "built in bookcase". Take note of the accent color coming down the middle, slightly connecting all 3 rows. I am not sure if it is paint or wallpaper but that is a great affect! Yes that is THE Frank Roop hanging on the sofa.

This is a beautifully serene bedroom. The leather headboard and floating nightstand create the perfect amount of unique interest. With solid neutral bedding the focus really becomes the artwork.

Ann Sachs aluminum subway tile placed on the vertical accents the tall ceilings

Take a look at the living room above there are not many patterns here. The movement really comes from all the different textures in the room. Frank Roop used many versions of cashmere and velvets in this space along with nailhead trim and metals. The wallpaper has an interesting reflective quality.


Hope you enjoyed the visit of a Frank Roop designed condo! I can't wait to see what he does next.


All photos are by Eric Roth (more to come on him in the next few days). He is an amazing interior photographer and I am excited to be attending an event showcasing all of his work tomorrow night!

(images from Point Click Home)

Quick Share - Spring Lamps

How sweet are these little lamps? Garnet Hill is a store for really adorable items but for some reason, one I sometimes forget about. They have the perfect accents pieces and these are a lovely example! Any one of the ceramic lamps could work with multiple room schemes and add just the punch you might need! Now to decide which is my favorite.....



(images from Garnet Hill)

Monday Morning Happy!

How was your weekend? Hopefully it was fun and filled with family. We enjoyed an Easter feast cooked up by my Mom, it was DELICIOUS! Today's Monday picture is just for her, since she loves tulips! I am excited to start another fun week of the online class and begin on a new client project.

The "Cute picture of the week" is the absolutely adorable Miss. Miley. She is the new addition to my friend Mike's family. In the picture she looks so posh with her fuscia collar, lounging on her black and white chaise! Love it! You can check out a few more pics over at his blog here.

Enjoy the new week
jul

(images from Martha Stewart)

Peeps & Tulips

How was your week? I had a great week! I am absolutely loving my new online class and am feeling full of creativity! It's Easter weekend and in my family we always give gifts of flowers. It could be a plant for the spring garden or a sweet bunch of my favorite flower, the tulip! We can't forget the peeps, the picture above is so fun I love the combination of colors. Once again I see color inspiration in the same tone of pinks, purple, greens and yellows mixed together! Maybe a little girls room?!
Enjoy the weekend
jul


(image from FungeP on flickr)

How To Thursday - Gallery Wall

Welcome to another "How To Thursday"! This week I thought we would talk about how to hang a gallery wall. Many of us have a long hallway or a big wall and have family photos you want to display, but how do you begin? Here are a few tips I use when starting.

* Gather all your photos. I like to mix candid photos with scenic photos. They could be postcards, scenes from a vacation or prints you buy from Etsy. If you have children why not mix in some of their art work?

* Decide on the size frames you need. If possible I like to pick 3 sizes to mix together.

* Depending on the house style you could use all the same colored frame like we have below or you can use tones of the same color or style. If you have time, collecting vintage frames from flea markets can make a unique gallery too. The key is to have one thing that connects all the frames (color, style, texture).



Once you are set to hang your frames decide on the parameters you want to stay in. For example in the photo above we have a chair rail and at the far end I see the molding of the doorway. I chose to stay above the chair rail and hang all frames within the door height, this way you are not "breaking the invisible line" and frames are not "floating".

If you have an open space on the floor below, lay each frame out like you would on the wall. This gives you a sense of the space you have and how close or far apart they can be. It will also give you the opportunity to change your mind and mix the gallery up as you see fit. Do you want all the family photos on one side and the scenic on the other? Are you telling a "story" with a time line?




This is a quick diagram I put together to give you an idea. It's nice to mix horizontal and vertical frames. For example I start on the far left with a vertical frame, mix in 2 more verticals (the bottom and top of the frames meet in the center of the 1st vertical), than 3 horizontals and lastly another vertical. This mix of shapes create an interesting flow. As you can see with the arrows I keep the 1st vertical and last vertical frames the exact same height. The 3 horizontal stays within the height of the 2 vertical frames to the left. This acts like a border to create unity. Also if at all possible try to keep your spacing between each frame the same distance, again this helps with keeping in your border.

(yes you want to make sure all frames are straight before taking the picture...opps!)

You can also arrange the frames so you can add more as time goes on. In this case start in the center of the wall and work out. Most importantly have fun with your gallery and make it a place of great memories!

(images from Jace Interiors)