ReadyMade Magazine Folds...

I was so sad to read of the news yesterday that ReadyMade magazine would be folding. When I was working at Parents in the early 2000s, we were purchased by Meredith and it was exciting to be part of a company that included a cool roster of mags such as ReadyMade and Better Homes & Gardens. I remember our art department going crazy for this cool, hip DIY magazine. As for me, as the crafty lifestyle editor, ReadyMade really opened my eyes to new projects. I've since followed the staff on their journey and while I was not a subscriber, I was a fan.

I've been watching one great shelter/lifestyle mag after another fold ever since the beloved House & Garden did in 2007. Since then, I've seen so many including Cookie, Blueprint, Metropolitan Home and two of my favorites: Country Home and Domino vanish.

Of course included in this roster was the last magazine I worked for...Hearst's Quick & Simple magazine. That was a heartbreaking time. I had just arrived a year earlier and poof! We were gone. To add fuel to the fire, we were told our offices would be occupied by some new magazine from the Food Network. Three years later, I suppose Hearst made a good business decision as it is extremely popular, but really, there was certainly room for our well-designed women's lifestyle weekly. Hm, I guess I am still very sad and why not...it changed the course of my entire career.

Sadly, I am not excited to visit the magazine section at the bookstore any longer. While I still enjoy a handful of titles (Martha Stewart Living, House Beautiful and Country Living top my list), I find the others are just not quite fulfilling my needs when it comes to the home/shelter/craft category.

I suppose that's why I, like so many have turned so voraciously to the blogosphere. I crave the content and the daily reading. Without it, I'd be lost and I'm so grateful to be a part of it!

So here's to ReadyMade, its staff (best wishes!) and all of the other pubs, staff members and readers who have had to say goodbye to their favorite titles.

To end on a bright note, I thought I'd share with you today some of my favorite design blogs. How about you? What are some of your favorite design blogs? List them in the comments section!

Decor 8
Coco + Kelley
DesignSponge
Sweet Paul
Little Green Notebook
La Dolce Vita
Shelterrific

Five things I love about Martha Stewart Living...

I am a huge Martha Stewart fan but will admit I've taken a break from reading MSL each month so when I picked up the September "home" issue (my favorite always), I was so glad to be back. Here's why:

1. Good Things. If I could choose a dream job it might be to produce the Good Things section every month. I am obsessed with recreating this wallpaper shade on p. 63.

So smart to use wallpaper scraps to jazz up a plain roller shade. I have some patterns that would be perfect...

2. Blogs. Martha and her editors are fearless in their quest to share their ideas. I'm exicited to start reading the new Home Design and Taste of the Test Kitchen blogs along with my fave The Crafts Dept (oh, to be part of the craft team...maybe one day...)

3. "The Big Reveal" feature. This month, executive editorial director Kevin Sharkey shows off his finished, renovated apartment. Check it out online here. In a word, stunning.

4. "Icing on the Cake" feature. No one does frosting like Martha. Not only were the photos drool-worthy so were the recipes. I'm dying to try each and every one, especially the cream cheese frosting below...

5. Tassels. I'm gearing up to make a bunch of my own. If anyone remembers, I sort of have a thing for tassels....so thank you to the MSL team for showing me how to make them!

All photos via marthastewart.com, except for top photo...I took that one!

Did you pick up the September issue yet...what did you think?

Home, Around the World...

Hello friends! I wanted to share two fantastic interviews I did for this month's LI Pulse magazine! How chic is this cover? Loving it!

The first is "Home, Around the World," an article totally devoted to design customs and superstitions from around the globe. I had such fun interviewing so many dear friends for this article, it is worth a read for sure. Aside from the always interesting principles of Feng Shui, I learned that birds and empty bird cages in the home are bad luck in so many cultures...too bad it is such a trend right now!

Then, pop over to read my interview with Mary Nolte of Kaleidoscope Color Consulting to learn the ins and outs of home staging. Have you heard about this popular trend in real estate right now? I'm kind of obsessed with the idea and would love to learn how to do it myself!

Happy Reading!!

Design Envy: Anna Kohler's Condo in Renovation Style

This gorgeous condo from the spring issue of Renovation Style was making it's way around the blogosphere late last week (I found it via the lovely La Dolce Vita blog) and I couldn't help but share it here too. So, I ran out and purchased the mag and made these scans for you...and for my personal inspiration archive.

I am a sucker for details, so even the opening shot of those pretty roses in one of my favorite bowls from Anthropologie inspired me! The photo on the right is of the owner, Anna Kohler seated at her workspace.

I love the artwork arrangement and the fact that her desk was from her childhood, given a fresh black-and-white update.

This bedroom makes me long for my single-girl days...she quietly embraced modern shades of pink, something I couldn't quite do with my hubby in our bedroom.

This pretty bedroom is such a great example of decorating in layers...she fearlessly and successfully mixed patterns, colors and textures here.

Finally, her dining room truly made me gasp. Her nearly all-white space is warmed up by the ebony floors (such a trend right now!) and the deep chocolate upholstery on her chairs. Loving that added bit of drama with that beautiful white chandelier. So fresh...and perfect for entertaining.

This story has inspired me to really go for what I want in my own home projects!

What inspired you most about this design?

Rumor Alert: HGTV The Magazine?

It was reported yesterday that Hearst is rumored to be in talks to produce a magazine for HGTV...similar to its Food Network Magazine (below).


Sign me up for a subscription! I think it's a great idea and of course, I would LOVE to come work for the magazine--hint, hint, Hearst! :)

I think having a magazine would be a wonderful extension of the beloved HGTV network, especially right now as the home category is in desperate need of a fresh, quality publication.

HGTV's fans are so devoted and would follow their beloved network anywhere!

I can see the pages unfolding now...dreamy spreads of the homes featured on House Hunters International, insightful Q&A's with Candice Olson and Genevieve Gorder and just think of all the tips for first-time home buyers and sellers...oh, and the crafts! There will be so much content to draw inspiration from, it's a no-brainer.

HGTV and Hearst...go for it!

Happy Anniversary, Elle Decor!

Speaking of Victoria Hagan...

I just read over at Coco + Kelly (one of my new favorite blogs) that the cover image of the new Elle Decor book: Style and Substance: The Best of Elle Decor , is of a room designed by Victoria.

The image was the best selling cover in all of Elle Decor's 20 fabulous years.

20 years? Yep, Elle Decor is celebrating 20 fantastic years of bringing us gorgeous design. They're celebrating in a big way with this new book. Can't wait to check it out.

In my opinion Elle Decor is one of the last great shelter mags out there. Margaret Russell and her staff do it right. I am always struck by their cover images and the gorgeous stories inside. I love how they bring amazing design from around the world right into my little hands.

Thank you and happy anniversary!

DIY: From Junk to Gems

A bit of shameless self promotion here, but I'm excited that my latest column for LI Pulse Magazine is out! For August, it was all about cool DIY projects made from, well junk!

Photo via lipulse.com

One of the talented staffers at the magazine, scoured junk yards and other surprising sources for cool stuff that she re-invented into functional home accessories. Check out the bookends she made, above, using old license plates! To find out how to make them and other projects, click here.

Speaking of junk, it is flea market/yard sale/antique show season! End-of-summer and fall are perfect times to get out there for the best tag sale goodies. Sometimes, it's great to just find a cool antique that just needs a little cleaning but when you're on the hunt this year...keep your eye out for less-than-perfect objects or "misfits" no one else seems to be buying. Put your thinking caps...you may be able to re-purpose it into a fab new project!

To help you locate a tag or yard sale where you live, check out this cool new site called yardsaletreasuremap.com. I read about over at Daily Candy today. Just plug in your address and it will give you the locations of yard sales in your area! Brilliant!

Happy Junking!

Love it or Leave it? House Beautiful's Sept. Cover

Just read this article in the NY Times Media section. The September cover of House Beautiful will have a "pull-out" paint color chart sponsored by Glidden (a Glidden ad will be on the back).

Photo via nytimes.com

Not sure how I feel about it. I've always loved the idea of pull-outs and little extras for readers within the pages of magazines...but right there on the cover? I know mags are hurting (hence my freelance career) but I'm not sure how I feel about it? I'll have to check it out when the issue comes out.

What do you think? Love it? Leave it?

Oh and P.S.....the photo above, which is from nytimes.com, was taken by a fabulous photographer over at Hearst...Phillip Friedman :)

Inspired.

I usually spend the first few moments of my "workday" mornings browsing my favorite blogs, web sites and other sources of inspiration. I have to thank Holly over at Decor8 for her post about UK stylist Lucyina Moodie. After reading the post, I quickly jumped on over to Lucyina's web site and was blown away by her portfolio. I fell in love with each and every photo.

Lucyina spent nine years as a contributing stylist for the BBC and its magazine, BBC Good Homes, where she no doubt honed her styling skills. The photos are exquisite, her talent is evident. My favorite are her detail shots. I have posted a few here. I can only imagine the hours spent creating each shot.

What I think I miss most from my days as a full-time magazine editor are the photo shoots. At Q&S we had our own digital studio where we would spend days locked in there, creating beautiful photographs for the magazine and sometimes just for ourselves. We had our own little slice of creative freedom in that NYC studio and I miss it and my lovely coworkers.

Don't get me wrong, a photo shoot takes a ton of work and talent to pull together, but it is worth it when you're left with beautiful shots such as these!

I am truly inspired today to do a little styling of my own this week. I've been writing so much lately that I have not been crafting or styling much professionally, I'm ready to start that up again! A good balance is always needed in life.

If you need a little inspiration today or any day, I highly recommend heading on over to check out Lucyina's portfolio. You'll be happy you did!

Country Living at Kmart & Sears

A nice little surprise popped up in my inbox this morning. Country Living magazine has created a home collection (soft goods, furniture, etc.) to be sold at Kmart and Sears in stores and online, starting in August. The collection looks great and I am so excited to blog about it today!

I have a personal connection to the magazine. My first job out of college was assisting the former Editor-in-Chief, Nancy Soriano. Nancy was one of the classiest, kindest, smartest women I had ever met. Her passion for the magazine was truly evident. If I remember correctly, “Come Home to Comfort,” their tagline, was created by Nancy and I can just about remember her excitement when she came up with it while we were on a shoot location (or maybe it was a staff trip, my memory is fuzzy!) But I digress.

This new collection is beautiful and moderately priced. There is a bath collection, several bedding styles, dinnerware, furniture and so much more. Here is a sneak peek at some of my favorites:

Modern Countryside – I love the purple and green embroidery against the linen-colored bedding. Plus with 600-count Egyptian cotton sheets, how can you go wrong? The price will approximately be $14.99 - $137.99 for the collection. Very reasonable!

Accent Furniture – True Country Living…these embody the types of furniture pieces we’d always include in the product pages. Classic and comfy. Prices are from $79.99 - $199.99. So affordable!

Porcelain Blossom – Another bedding set that is a little bit country, a little bit chic in my opinion. Blue, especially a true denim shade can be a bit masculine and I think they balanced it nicely with a hint of romance from the white accents such as crochet, ruffles and embroidery. Prices are also $14.99 - $137.99

I hope you’ve enjoyed my mini sneak-peak at the new collection, look for it in August. I wish them lots of luck…I have my eye on that cozy sitting chair with the nailhead trim and the linen-like upholstery. I think it would make a perfect home office chair!

Purple, Please!

Searching for inspiration this afternoon, I stopped in my tracks when I came to the Canadian House & Home website (this magazine is a must for design-lovers). Right there on the home page was this gorgeous gallery of purple rooms. Now, I've been known to love red, even turquoise, but when it comes to decorating, purple has my heart.

The collection of photos are so inspiring, a true reflection of what is happening with decorating today. Here, I walk you through my favorite photos and why:


Photo #1: So many great ideas here, where to begin?! I love the use of the soft lilac and grey in the furniture and on the walls. That combo is cool, sophisticated and modern. A perfect complement to the richer purple tone of the sitting chair and all of those amazing pillows! I love each and every one of them, they are a great example of fearless decorating--yes, you can mix-and-match patterns successfully! The trick? Stick with one color family.


Photo #2: I love the bright purple wall in this dining room. A great example of how just one wall painted a bold color can take a room to the next level. It really makes the rest of the room pop. If you took away that color, those fantastic chairs with the golden yellow cushions would not make the same statement. Somehow having that funky purple wall makes them feel like they belong there.

Photo #3: I love this bedroom, it's all about being playful with design. Again, grey (charcoal in this case) is the perfect backdrop when using colorful accessories. Please think about using this color for your next project. Think of it as a "modern neutral." In this room, the charcoal wall makes a statement yet quietly falls in line when its time for the vivid plum bedding and that sunny yellow nightstand to shine.

Thank you Canadian House & Home for sharing these photos! To check out the entire gallery, click here.

All photos from Canadian House&Home.com

Say Goodnight, Domino...

Photo from NYTimes.com

So many of us were devasted when the beloved Domino magazine folded back in January. I can't recall how many times I referred to it for advice and inspiration in both my professional and personal life. My mantra sort of became..."What would Domino do?

When I read (in the NY Times and on Elements of Style) about the "tag sale" a few of the former staffers will be having this weekend in NYC, I was sad once again. Not only as a reminder that the magazine is gone, but it also took me back to when the last publication I worked for folded.

We were left not only with devastation, fear and grief but also a lot of STUFF! Books, magazines, furniture, props, office supplies, you name it--we had it! Dara Caponigro (Domino's former Style Director) put it best: “When you are doing shoots, you accumulate a lot of stuff.” Um, yes...when we left our offices last July, my home looked like the remains of all the photo shoots I had ever done.

If you happen to live in or near NYC or are visiting for the weekend...go check out their sale!