One More Thing....

While it may seem that I am a bit Schizo, but these blog postings are being written by three different people. I am Mark and also Kate and Ashleigh contribute as well, but we haven't quite worked out yet how to add those extra signatures to the postings, if anyone has any tips, please do not hesitate to let us know.

Anyway, I have lately been checking on a blog that I am quickly falling in love with: Unclutterer.com . It has some great tips about ways to simplify your life, from keeping your desk tidy to organising your computer files. A lot of the stuff is a bit sophisticated, but for instance this morning there was a terrific post about how to develop a self-purging filing system.... I loved that!

Check them out and let me know what you think.

Weekend Homework...

Happy Friday! From now on, each Friday I will be posting a bit of “Weekend Homework” for our readers. Maybe it will be a book or a website to check out, or maybe it will be a challenge to you to try something different with your current space, or a space you may be working on.

This week I encourage you to check out the wonderful sites I have used while designing a nursery for a longtime client. Through trial and error, I have found there may be a ton of nursery furniture out there, but not a whole lot I actually wanted to use. To save you time and energy, bookmark these great sites and refer to them next time you are creating a welcoming space for a brand new bundle of joy!

1.) Posh Tots- Beautiful cribs and other pieces of furniture.

2.) Oopsy Daisy- Fun, playful, wall decor.

3.) Little Castle Inc.- Rockers and gliders for mom and dad.

4.) Lulla Smith- Luxury baby bedding.

Maybe its the Time of Year...

I was looking around at the Pacific Design Center the other day, and it seems that there is a lot of red around. Perhaps its the time of year, perhaps its just that everyone is sick of pale blue, who knows?

Anyway, I thought I would post some red images of my own, what good is a bus, if no one is one it?

When life gives you lemons...

While leaving the office the other day I almosty tripped over a huge lemon that had fallen from our office lemon tree. I looked up to see many others, almost ripe and ready for use. I thought of making a batch of fesh squeezed lemonade right away, but realized there were enough large lemons there for much much more. Below are some of my favorite uses for this fruit when it is not in a yummy pie or tall glass of cold lemonade! Hopefully you will discover a few and use them in your home as well...

1.)Eliminate fireplace odor. Next time you have a fire that sends a stench into the room, try throwing a few lemon peels into the flames. Or simply burn some lemon peels along with your firewood as a preventive measure

2.)Clean tarnished brass, copper or stainless steel. Make a paste of lemon juice and salt and coat the affected area; let sit for 5 minutes. Wash in warm water, rinse, and polish dry.

3.)Refresh cutting boards. To get rid of a smell and help sanitize the cutting board, rub it with the cut side of half a lemon or wash it in undiluted juice straight from the bottle.

4.)Get rid of tough stains on marble. If washing won't remove a stubborn stain, try this: Cut a lemon in half, dip the exposed flesh into some table salt, and rub it vigorously on the stain. But do this only as a last resort; acid can damage marble. Rinse well.

5.)Absorb odors. Dab lemon juice on a cotton ball or sponge and leave it in the fridge for several hours.

6.)Whiten fingernails. Rub a wedge on the surface of your nails.

7.)Remove soft cheese or other sticky foods from a grater. Rub both sides of the grater with the pulp side of a cut lemon.

8.)Ant deterrent. Pouring lemon juice around areas where ants frequent is said to repel them naturally.

9.)Clean Hands. The smell of fish can linger on your hands, even after scrubbing with soap. Rubbing hands with lemon juice will neutralize the smell and leave your hands smelling wonderful.

10.)Quick décor. Fill a glass bowl with lemons for a sunny dining table centerpiece.

Good Enough to Eat

I have to admit that I would probably not be a dream client. I am very particular about what I want, but at the same time have no idea exactly what that might be. So it was with great trepidation I started a search recently for new dinnerware. My old sets were still great, a plain white one from Crate and Barrel, mixed with some from Calvin Klein, and some vintage pieces, but I felt it was time to do something new and fresh.

I looked at all the usual suspects, but everything seemed a little overdesigned to me, what I wanted was something that had some style, but was able to work with hot dogs on the plate or some of my attempts at gourmet cooking, not an easy order to fill.

I came across this company MUD, from Australia, and their work is absolutely beautiful, it is porcelain, that has had the tint added, so the color permeates through the whole piece, and then there is a clear glaze applied on top. It makes for the chicest blend of matte and gloss, and the colors are soft like old plaster. 

There are some great colors in the line, and I couldn't decide which to get so I went with a blend, so now wgen I set my table sometimes I will set each person with a particular color and other times a random mix. I love that the colors are soft enough too that I can still mix in my old sets as well.

Check them out, and let me know what you think.

Buying Antiques

I love old pieces of furniture, no matter how hard I try, the patina of an antique is impossible to match. Also, the feeling of an antique is hard to replace, one of my favorite things is to blend the old with the new, and i think it makes each feel stronger. However, for the novice buying antiques can be pretty daunting, for that matter being sure that the piece you are looking at is even an antique at all, can be half the battle.

Here are some tips that might help:

1. It is best if you can maintain a constant interest, whether through auctions, dropping by your favorite shop, or the mega-site 1stdibs.com, the more you look at antiques the better you will get at recognising both quality and value.
2. Take your time in making the decision, few good decisions are made in haste. Look at it in natural light to get a better sense of its real color.
3. Remembering that some imperfections can actually add value, so don't expect it to be perfect. Having said that be wary of things like worm holes that's are all the same size, they may be created by a nail not a worm.
4. Be aware, especially on old pieces that sometimes the hardware will have been replaced, so check closely for changes in wood color around the hardware locations, also look under the piece to see if you can see hand made marks, rather than machined perfection.
5. If the dealer seems to be hiding things or be a bit shifty about the provenance etc, move on.
6. Lastly, fall in love with the piece, it will bring you years of pleasure.

Perfecting the Thank-You Note

Being in the design industry, I have come to learn how important positive relationships are. It may be a vendor who goes out of their way to track your shipment, a sub-contractor who refers you to a potential client, or a rep who finds you that perfect fabric just in time…they all deserve a thank you! So lately I have made it my new policy to write two thank you notes a week to let those people know just how much I appreciate their extra efforts. Last week, it was a brief handwritten note to a client to thank them for their continued support, and this week it will be to a vendor who always seems to make my issue her only priority. For those of you out there who love the idea but don’t quite know how to begin, or what to say, I have included some tips for a fail-proof thank you note…
1. Open with enthusiasm. “What a (blank) sweater/book/vase!” or “You really know how to throw a (blank)!” says just what the recipient wants to hear — that you enjoyed the gift or the event.
2. Be specific. By thanking that person for their specific action or gift, you are letting them know exactly what they have done to assist you or make your life better, easier, happier…
3. Don’t repeat yourself or it will come off as filling space. Even “thank you” said over and over begins to seem less than genuine.
4. Don’t waste time! Send your thank you as soon as you think of it, or you will probably forget.
5. Reflect the effort made on your behalf with the effort you put into your note. Do not send a casual e-mail unless you’re thanking someone for a casual favor.
6. Don’t stress about making every note unique. If you have many thank-yous to send, write a template that you can personalize in parts. People aren’t literally going to compare notes.


Now, next time you write a thank you to a client or a friend it won’t be generic or repetitive, it will be just as warm and heartfelt as you had intended. Happy writing!