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Saturday, July 31, 2010

Purple, love it or leave it?



Not everyone loves purple, but I do! And it's done so well in Nina Campbell's London residence featured by Veranda. I love everything about the room above, it's traditional yet whimsical, pretty but not too serious.





To see the rest of the feature - click here.

all images via Veranda, photography by David Parmiter

Friday, July 30, 2010




August 1st


1492: Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile drive the Jews out of Spain, despite the fact that they received 78% of the Jewish vote in the 1490 royal elections.


1957: The United States and Canada form the North American Air Defense Command (NORAD). The U.S. pilots patrol for Soviet invaders, the Canadian pilots make sure the puck doesn’t cross the blue line.


2001: Bulgaria, Cyprus, Latvia, Malta, Slovenia and Slovakia join the European Environment Agency… and promptly agree to dump all their trash in Albania.

Lohan Released
Lindsay Lohan has just been released from jail. Shares of heroin are up 537% in the pre-market.



Bieber Book
16-year-old singing idol Justin Bieber is publishing his memoirs. It will be the first autobiography to use the pop-up format.



Economic Fix
The Democrats have a new plan to help Americans dealing with foreclosure... it includes moving millions of them into Charlie Rangel's illegal rent controlled apartments in Manhattan.



UAW Threat
The UAW says it is asking non-union auto companies to ensure fair work practices. Apparently, all those hard-working guys at Honda and Hyundai are ruining the curve.



China Economy
China's July manufacturing data were the weakest in more than a year as the government clamped down on real estate speculation, energy-inefficient factories, and kidney trafficking.






August 2nd


1610: Henry Hudson sails into what it is now known as Hudson Bay, and becomes the last person ever to easily find decent parking anywhere near Manhattan.


1937: The Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 is passed in America, essentially rendering marijuana illegal… and forever harshing on everyone’s mellow.


1990: Iraq invades Kuwait, rendering the world victim to 20 years of deadly reporting from Wolf Blitzer.



July 31st


30 BC: Mark Antony achieves a victory over Octavian's forces in the Battle of Alexandria, but most of his army subsequently deserts because of a series of anti-war plays staged by drug addict actors back in Rome.

1938: Archaeologists discover engraved gold and silver plates from King Darius in Persepolis. They also discover the people who gave the plates to Darius as a wedding gift never got a thank you note.

1971: Apollo 15 astronauts become the first to ride in a lunar rover. But they give it up after a few hours when they are unable to cruise any chicks.

Mita Corsini Bland - Illustrator of Sister Parish Design


illustration by Mita Corsini Bland for Sister Parish Design

I am crazy for beautiful illustrations of house interiors. Sometimes they seem to capture the essence of a room better than photographs (a little artistic license goes a long way). Mark Hampton's illustrations are some of my all time favorites (see his book Mark Hampton: On Decorating).

So, I was thrilled when I received my copy of Sister Parish Design - On Decorating and found that it was illustrated beautifully by Mita Corsini Bland. Between the illustrations and all of the helpful pointers from the best decorators of our time, this book is a must have for your design library.


illustration by Mita Corsini Bland for Sister Parish Design


illustration by Mita Corsini Bland for Sister Parish Design


illustration by Mita Corsini Bland for Sister Parish Design

Thursday, July 29, 2010


Rangel Charges
New York Congressman Charlie Rangel has been charged with 13 ethics violations for tax cheating, accepting illegal gifts, and defrauding the Slim Fast diet plan.



Textbook Deals
A new law will allow college students to shop around for deals on textbooks. Schools will be required to post prices for cheaper used books, ever less expensive older editions, and the highly-priced books that have never been used by everyone on the Florida State football team.




Obama to Detroit
President Obama goes to Detroit today to proclaim the $85 billion auto bailout a success. He'll be joined by the three Americans who have bought an American car since January.



Spanish Unemployment
Spain's jobless rate has hit 20.9%... making it much harder for the other 79.1% of Spanish people to keep pretending that they're working.



Clinton Rehearsal
The rehearsal dinner for Chelsea Clinton's wedding is this evening. It's a very exclusive event, but the rest of America can have the same experience tonight by going to see the new movie "Dinner for Schmucks."





July 30th


1733: The first Masonic Grand Lodge in America is founded in Massachusetts. It remains as the best excuse in all of America for men to avoid their wives one night a week.

1965: President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Social Security Act of 1965 into law, establishing Medicare and guaranteeing that all doctors’ offices are jammed with annoying old people for the next five decades.

2003: The last 'old style' Volkswagen Beetle rolls off the assembly line. It is now the home of a family of 6 in Guadalajara.

Catalog Living - the blog


Once in a while you stumble on a blog that just makes your day. Thanks to the AJ Photostylist on facebook I checked out this blog - Catalog Living. It's a hilarious look at the life behind all of the catalogs you get in the mail.

Don't miss this blog - it's a guaranteed smile! Click here to see what happens in the shower above.

Sister Parish Design - On Decorating


If you have not read this book by Susan Bartlett Carter and Libby Cameron, and you love interior design - go get it immediately. It's like sitting at a round table discussion with the best in the field today. I read it at the beach in June and couldn't put it down.

Speaking of Sister Parish, a few images of Parish Hadley design -

image via sara gilbane interiors


image via desk of annie


image via style court


Yellow Oval Room, 1962 via Chameleon Interiors

Wednesday, July 28, 2010


Obama Doesn't Know Snooki
President Obama says he has no idea who Snooki from "Jersey Shore" is. His popularity among conservative Republicans has just shot up 437%.



New Kindle
Amazon is introducing it's new Kindle that includes a new battery, wifi, and a map of the nearest place where the owner can eventually buy an iPad.



Chevy Volt Price
Chevy is selling its new electric car for $41,000. That's $1,000 for the car and $40,000 for the UAW campaign finance fund.



College Drinking Report
A new report shows that U.S. colleges aren't doing enough to limit student drinking... and the ones that are doing enough are only doing that by offering the freshmen free bongs.


Immigration Law Nixed
A federal judge has outraged millions of Americans by striking down most of Arizona's tough new illegal immigration law. But the ruling is delighting millions of American men who now have another excuse to watch the Spanish language news shows with the hot anchors in low-cut tops.





July 29th

1565: The widowed Mary, Queen of Scots, marries Henry Stuart at Holyrood Palace. Queen Elizabeth attends the reception and has the ice sculptures beheaded.


1830: Charles X of France abdicates… assuring him an honored place in a long line of French leaders who quit and ran away.


1921: Adolf Hitler becomes leader of the Nazi Party, narrowly beating out the Joker, the Riddler and Lex Luthor.

Visiting Ladegaardsøen and Oscarshall

About hundred and fifty years ago Oscarshall was commissioned as a summer and pleasure palace for the Norwegian-Swedish King Oscar I and his Queen Joséphine. It was completed in 1852. Today it is the property of the state and is placed at the disposal of the King.
The palace is considered to be one of the finest examples of Neo-Gothic architecture in Norway and is one of the country’s most important embodiments of the National Romantic style so popular in Norway during the period. In 1881, King Oscar II opened the palace to the public as a museum.Oscarshall was closed from autumn 2005 through summer 2009 due to necessary, extensive restoration work on the buildings and interior. The palace was officially reopened on 20 August 2009 and today we went on our first visit to this very intriguing castle at Ladegaardsøen or the peninsula of Bygdø.From Frognerkilen the royalties and their companies could arrive by boat and pass the first building and walk through the park up to the palace.
They could take a break at the smoking pavillion and walk around the fountains before aproaching the stairs up to the palace.
It is forbidden to take photos inside the building, but at the royal castle´s website they have presented one image of the dining hall . You may also find a preliminary draft of the decorations at the tourist shop wall.Joachim Frich has made the large landscape paintings and Adoph Tidemand the smaller paintings above. The drafts was changed when performing the paintings and you can see that the images of Romsdalshorn to the right, was changed into two different wall paintings.A nice way to arrive or leave Ladegaardsøen is by ferry. We took the ferry from Dronningen to Bygdønes with the Norwegian Maritime Museum and the various craft/ships like Fram, Gjøa and Kon-Tiki.
The Oslofjord-waves was very calm on our voyage back to Oslo centrum, and another island-jumping tour must be planned for visiting other islands close to the City Hall.
Approaching Piperviken and Oslo City Hall we have a great view to the Aker Brygge (left).
And can you think of anything better than ending this summer morning with a light luch and a glass of wine or "Stampils" (beer) at Hannibals Hybel.

Just because...

I was cleaning out/organizing my picture files yesterday and I found these to share.


image via Peak of Chic, living room of Mrs Vincent Astor, design by Parish/Hadley


Source


image via House Beautiful, design by Lynn Morgan


image via House Beautiful, Quadrille fabric


image via House Beautiful, design by T Keller Donovan