Best of 2010

As the 2010 year is coming to its end navyblueshoe reflects on the past and summarizes some of its favorites...

Best music album:

Sigh No More from Mumford and Sons - I have listened to this album a million times and still in love with every song.

Best shoe:

Purchase of these beautiful studded boots from via Roma XV was a good decision. Very good!

Best colorful purchase:

This awesome coat rack was one of the recent purchases. One of the many unique items on my wish list from These Four Walls, it finally made it to my home. The introduction of this beautiful bright color brings so many possibilities of adding accent pieces into the room! (will be my project for new year)

Super towels:

I got these Perpetual Blooms Towels as a gift and they are the best ones that I have ever used. Soft, super absorbent and absolutely gorgeous, they dress up the bathroom. And every time I use them I feel like royalty!

Best face moisturizer:

I have said it before, and I am saying it again: Soy Face Cream from Fresh makes skin as fresh as could be! Not too heavy, it delivers a perfect amount of moisture and the fragrance is hea-ven-ly!!!

Miracle shampoo and conditioner:

These Moroccanoil Shampoo and Moroccanoil Conditioner are the best in the world! There is simply nothing better. Every day they miraculously save my hair from looking dull, thin and flat. Plus the fragrance... oh what a fragrance!!!

Best body butter:

Pacifica Perfume's Malibu Lemon Blossom Butter makes skin soft and smooth + its fragrance brings a splash of sunshine on any given day and makes me happy.

Best eye shadow:

I was searching for a perfect tint of light lilac eyeshadow for a while now after my favorite color from Chanel was discontinued. This long-lasting Eye Shadow in Tulip from Josie Maran has just the right amount of color with grayish-muddy undertones and very light shimmer. -Perfection!

Best gadget:

The list would not be complete without mentioning my iPhone: I just do not know how I lived without it!?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to all of my readers!!! You are all truly the best and your feedback is my best reward!!!
Now that I have shared most of my favorites this year, what are yours?

All Wrapped And Tied

I am finally done with wrapping all the gifts!
One of the gifts I give out every year is preppy socks from JCrew. Everybody loves them and awaits for a new pattern to come out of the box. This year instead of using JCrew's signature boxes I made little baggies out of brown paper lunch bags. I used white and red yarn to tie them and painted snowflakes with white acrylic paint.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Happy Holidays!!!

It's Snowtime!

Thought I moved down South... My compass must have been wrong! :)
Today is a real snow day. It is truly beautiful outside! The snow has been falling down for a few hours now. It has covered all of the rooftops and leaves of Magnolia treas are all dressed up.

My pansies are hiding under the snow and wondering what is going on?

Time for a cup of hot chocolate!

Red Berries + Colored Lights + White Lace

Only ten days are left before Christmas! This year more than ever I have been obsessing over the holiday decorations. At first I was debating whether or not I should make everything white. Then I realized that the white decorations will wash out against the light colored walls. Thinking and experimenting for a while I came up with the following inspirations:

~Red berries covered in snow: what a beautiful color combination!

~Colored lights: they will always have a special place in my heart, reminding me of the ones we had at home when I was little. I tied little ornaments to a variety of leftover ribbons that added color to this festive wreath.

~White lace reminds me of snowflakes: every one of them is so unique! I painted lace on the mirror with a little brush using White Window Writer Paint. The inspiration for the storm door owl came from the incredible designer Ruthi Auda.

Best In Show

I recently signed up to be a volunteer with the Visual Arts Center of Richmond and last Saturday I helped at the 46th Annual Craft + Design Show. It was held at the Science Museum of Virginia where craftsmen and designers from all over the country showcased their best work.
After my shift was over I rushed to the rotunda where most of the shops were set up. I made a quick circle through all of the booths. Relieved to see that I was not too late to catch the best items of the show I later made another round. This time it was a slower one, where I stopped and talked to the artists, admired their talent and documented everything I loved.

Don Shelton, an artist blacksmith of A Touch Of The Past, makes these incredible benches and tables. Every item is one-of-a-kind and he does work with custom orders. The prices are surprisingly affordable. Not only I was impressed with his products, but also by his custom-made backdrop. He made this display out of sheets of corrugated metal framed into plywood that he later painted red. I personally see a great value in this item. Some day one lucky customer will purchase it for an amazing interior installation. Possibilities are endless!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Joseph Gower of GDG Studios designs and makes all of his beautiful porcelain products by hand. His collection of modern vases, bowls and cups is very simplistic, yet the multifaceted planes make it so intricate. Microwave and dishwasher safe feature makes it very user-friendly.
An animal head on a wall that doubles as a lighting fixture? -Brilliant!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Erica Gordon of Steel Toe Studios makes hand forged belt buckles and belts that can be mixed and matched. One can choose between a colorful leather belt or a recycled bike tubes belt to snap on any of the buckles.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jenny Mendes of Jenny Mendes uses clay as her primary material to create beautiful products. A variety of pottery, tiles and sculptures is later painted with a delicate technique in a very unique style.

Alice In Wonderland

Grand Game Wallpaper, Cloud Bank Booties and Spinning Lace Dress

Diva Loveseat and Crested Fireback Wallpaper

Painted Owl Wallpaper, Rabbit Fur Felt Top Hat and Shrewd Stitches Stole

Calligraphy Bed, Atlantis Chandelier and Midsummer Night's Wallpaper

HB Cup & Saucer Set and HB Teapot

Barcelona Necklace

Inspiration:
~Plaid Dress
~Copper Earrings

I have had this plaid dress for over two years now. I bought it during my vacation to Barcelona. The dress was a total bargain. It originally had a pair of ties around the waist that were supposed to tie back, but since I was not crazy about them I cut them off right away. Lonely and sad, these two ties were laying around for a while. Last weekend I decided to make something useful out of them. Searching for ideas these copper earrings came to mind. Coincidentally, I purchased them on the same trip to Barcelona at the museum shop of Casa Mila. I get immediately inspired by the combination of vibrant colors of plaid and the copper of the earrings.

After finding the desirable components, including three sizes of copper chain links and two different kinds of glass beads, the Barcelona Necklace was born.

An Old Folk Remedy

Antique Suzani and Suzanni Chair

Tula Painted Samovar and Wingspan Heels

Bodomgul Design Decorative Cushion Cover and Kremlin Trivet

Antique Suzani and Quirky Heirloom Throw

Bunch of Flowers Seven Matryoshkas and Matryoshka Tea Towel


Traditional Ikat Pillow and Essex Upholstered Ottoman in Ikat Gray

Stud Muffin

Tosca Crystal Pocket Binoculars


Flat Studded OTK Boot

Marrietta Chest

Embellished Dress

Studd Lighting Fixtures

Studded Patent Clog

Studded Top
Studded leather gloves

Kaleidoscope

Felt Pixel Rug

Frolicking Daisy Sheet Set

Selma Chevron V-Neck Dress

"Jazz" Bath Towels

Footwear from Missoni Winter Collection

Hand-Made Original Kaleidoscope Celestial Cosmos Cotton Quilting Panel Fabric

Strapless Romper Coverup

Filigree Cage Pendante