1. for the guys, and for the girls

2. stylish washi tape

3. nyc style john derian for j.crew

4. and my yearly personal favorite purchase, graphic image planner

5. foil correspondence set, and you must include this fabulous rollerball pen

6. take ivy

7. and  sharing this one again for good measure collegiate dictionary

It was  a gift to me a few months back (a really awesome gift!), and I’d yet to have a chance to take it all in. The first thing I read, “Abrasive as it is, why are we so attracted to big city living?” I got to thinking…that is so true. Why would I limit my space so that I feel packed into under 600 square feet, just me and all my belongings. Why would I want to live in the hustle and bustle, stress and chaotic order of a BIG city. The next sentence read, “irresistible (EXACTLY!!, I thought it is indeed irresistible…) siren call of culture, trade, and society, including America’s most successful designers, who make all sorts of compromise and often sacrifice space to live this way” Kelly hit the nail on the head, it is like a giant “melting pot” everything and especially of all great things design!! It is inspiring to simply walk down the street, and knowing that my only “tamed part of the city” be the retreat I seek behind my closed apartment door, I am still okay with it. With that in mind, you learn to create your own little oasis in the teeny-tiny bubble of air space around you. I concluded that this could have an effect on my blog as well. A good effect, I hope. It might give a rebirth to my blog, with the variety around me I hope that the over stimulation of my brain can be channeled into somewhat organized thoughts right HERE! Low and behold, the very next page I read in Kelly’s book read this… (got me thinking again), “What makes a good decorating blog?” I like to dwell on the somewhat rhetorical questions in books before I actually read what the authors says, so I thought some more. I thought a lot about the blogs that make my do little back flips in the chair while in front of the computer when they have new posts. I thought deeply about what I liked loved about them, and I made a list of positives! Then I read on, “daily postings covering a wide variety of finds and inspirations, written about with enthusiasm and passsion (that’s KEY!) that both entertain and educate (Yes, we want to learn something!). And the best of all, they aren’t afraid to have a point of view”. That gives readers a way to related, learn, and feel enthusiasm themselves! So for me, this book was like a mid-year resolution read!! THINK creative and be INSPIRING!!! Why? b/c the best reads for me are creative and inspiring, they make my blood rush, and my heart beat real fassssst!

I am sad to admit, but I rarely have time to sit down and enjoy the books and magazines that I have at home. Ideally I would like to spend hours of my day with my nose stuck in the pags of lots and lots of inspiring images, articles, and text. However, these days are few and far between. Yes, to my dismay, my schedule is usually overtaken my task that somehow seem to take priority over “fun” and “enjoyable” tasks. Just this weekend, while talking to my Mom, she said to me as she was flipping through a design magazine from April 2009, “I think this is the first time I have even looked at this magazine. It came in the mail, yet, quickly found a nice place to collect dust beneath the coffee table.” Yeap, it is true! Last night, I decided to flip through a book I’d bought on sale at Anthropologie a while back. By the looks of it, I think the pages had never been flipped. The book: Dwellings: Living with Great Style, a collaborative book between well-known designers James Huniford and Stephen Sills. The express every aspect of style, show lots of pictures, and full of stunning design ideas!! Their techiniques literally touch on all the details!

“Capturing their unmatched understanding of atmosphere,
color, and a room’s sensuality, this innovatively
designed book will serve as both inspiration
and a reference tool for creating a beautiful home.”

Just saying, but this book is a great addition to your library collection!! Think Christmas is soon, or maybe you can score the $30 on sale for $7.95 like me!

*image via dwellingshome.com