Thursday, February 27, 2014

In Living Color

I've had a love affair with bright colors all my life. Blame it on my island upbringing where color surrounds you in the simple, everyday things of life - all year long. The bold splash of orange on a mango, the bright yellow of the ackee fruit, the green skin of plantains and of course, the vibrant blues of our beaches.
Let's just say that in my 10-plus years of designing homes and events, I can count the neutral spaces I've done on two fingers. 

 
So, I was thrilled and equally humbled when Sherwin Williams - my go to paint for design projects - noticed my designs around the web and asked if they could feature me and my colorful projects in their magazine, Stir. 
Er, sure thing.

You can check out the feature in the latest issue of Stir and hear me chat a bit about my colorful adventures in selecting paint with clients. Thanks to clients who have allowed me to color their world, just a tad bit.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Yessir, We Have a Winner!


Man, what a giveaway! You guys clearly love you some Target. And who doesn't? Anywho, without further ado, the winner of our $25 gift card to Target is ......


Jessica Wyatt! Congrats to Jessica. Thanks a million to everyone who entered and checked out the blog. You guys rock. Cheers to a great week ahead.

Monday, February 17, 2014

Target Wedding Registry - Be Yourself, Together + a $25 Giveaway

Ask any engaged couple what they're looking forward to the most about getting married, and chances are they'll say the honeymoon. The stresses of the wedding day will be over, and it'll be time to unwind and finally chill as husband and wife.
Target, one of our all time favorite places to shop, has again asked us to pull together items from the Target Wedding Registry to help couples create a fun wedding registry, with the theme "Be Yourself, Together." 
This time around we're suggesting items for a fun honeymoon. Where to begin? With suitcases of course. We suggest luggage in vibrant colors to make it easier to spot what's yours as hundreds of suitcases spin around aimlessly on that carousel.
Skyline Hardside Suitcase - Orange (28")
We love the vibrant orange and the sturdiness of this suitcase...

Embark Perennial Upright Bag - Pink (28")
And the fun splashes of color on this suitcase....

My hubby and I honeymooned in Jamaica, and I definitely wish we'd used these fun luggage tags.

             Mr./Mrs. Luggage Tag Set                                               T-TECH by TUMI Luggage Tag - Grey
            Mr./Mrs. Luggage Tag Set                                               T-TECH by TUMI Luggage Tag - Grey

If you're traveling further than the Caribbean, then definitely consider a travel pillow and eye mask for some much needed comfort, especially if you're on a long flight to Europe or Asia.              

         Travel Smart Convertible Pillow Blue/White                               Embark Eyemask - Ebony

We definitely recommend capturing those interesting sights on something more photo friendly than your cell phone. 


Canon EOS Rebel T3 12.2MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-55IS and 75-300mm Lenses, Memory Card - Black

Be sure to keep that fancy camera fully charged.
Travel Accessory Set

And consider a backpack to hold all your stuff while doing touristy things...

SwissGear Backpack Black/Charcoal

And before you head off to that romantic getaway to Paris, it may be good to learn a few words to speak with the locals: "Parlez-vous francais?"
Rosetta Stone German v4 TOTALe - Level 1 - Learn German

I think we've got our couple all set for a fun honeymoon. What are some of your favorite registry items for the engaged couple? Leave your tips below and enter for a chance to win a $25 gift card from Target. You must be a follower of this blog to be entered. A winner will be announced a week from today. Good luck peeps!

*This is a sponsored post by Target, with original content written by yours truly.

Content and/or other value provided by our partner, Target

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Friday, February 14, 2014

We Heart You!

All images via Pinterest.
 

From our heart to yours. 
Happy Valentine's Day. 
Walk in love today and beyond.

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Hello. It's Me.


Lordy, lordy, lordy, where have I been? Why has there been so much silence on this blog and the year has just begun?
I've missed chatting with you all more frequently in this space but most of you know you can follow me over on Instagram where I'm a bit of a busy bee. 
So here's the tea - for the uninitiated, tea means dish, scoop, the gossip. 
We are busier than we've ever been. Ironic right? Especially when I agonized so much last year about taking a leap of faith and leaving my full-time job as a writer for a medical school. The lesson in all this? Sometimes you have to be available to embrace your blessing. I've become 100% available to be present and accountable for my business and in turn, have been blessed to be available to reconnect with old clients, and embrace the the new clients who have found me via Houzz, Pinterest, Instagram and more. 
So what projects are we working on? The design above is for the model unit of an apartment complex. We've been hired to design the 2/2 bathroom unit and to say I was excited is a bit of an understatement. Designing a model has been a dream of mine so definitely happy to check this one off the bucket list. 
It's come with challenges though. For starters, we had three weeks to get it all done. Lord, the stress. These are also rental units which means we were not able to paint the walls or change any light fixtures. Since y'all know how much I love color, not being able to paint beige walls made my head explode but we'll have bold splashes of color throughout the unit. Stay tuned. 


We're also working on this project, the winter home for an amazing couple who also found me online.
Things have definitely evolved since our presentation so stay tuned for that reveal. We are on a tight deadline with this one as well as they are having lots of friends and family in town for the very fabulous Jazz in the Gardens event.
This nursery is underway for a young couple whose living room we designed last year (that reveal is coming up). In the midst of that project they announced they were pregnant and asked me to add a nursery to my design checklist. Asked and done. We also planned the baby shower, which we revealed a bit over on Instagram. P.S. our talented Shaggy painted those stripes without using any painters tape. He's kinda talented like that. 
Today is the final installation day of this project for my client Renee and her adorable family. Her kids came home from school yesterday and squealed, "Is this our house?" Melted my design heart. 
We are in the home stretch of completing this kitchen. Yes, that was my client Natasha, who was a tad too excited to smash those cabinets on demolition day. The new cabinets were installed this week. 

Noticed a theme or two? I'm definitely smitten with blues and purple this year. With the exception of Natasha, all of these clients found me online. I've said it before, but I'll say it again, show your best work and hints of your personality on your various social media platforms. Potential clients are paying close attention so reconsider the abundance of selfies. Showcase your work and sprinkle in some personal moments here and there so they get to know you a little but don't over share i.e. woeful tales of why you broke up with your significant other, the hate you feel for him and his new chick should be kept to a minimum. My two cents.
Any who, looking forward to checking in more often and sharing all these project updates. What have y'all been up to?

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Valentine's Day Crushes


Feeling pink, feeling love. 
Just a few things we're swooning over for Valentine's Day and beyond. 


Valentine's Crushes




1//2//3//4//5//6//7












Monday, February 3, 2014

Kicking the Flu to the Curb and Doing the Happy Dance


I was in bed all of last week, sidelined by that ridiculous unwanted visitor, the flu. One of the worst cases I've had in my young years. No joke.
Anywho, I'm on the mend and claiming a happier vibe this week.
What better than Pharrell's killer song, Happy, to get me stepping right?
Cheers to a happy and healthy week to y'all.
 

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