While innocently perusing pages of Facebook, I was quickly distracted by an advertisement for DecorDreamHome.com.  Since I’m such a sucker for beautiful things, I couldn’t help but investigate further.  The pillows!  The accessories!  Very exciting…

Where do I begin?  Just the thought of writing this post has my mind racing with excitement!!!  That, or perhaps I’ve had too much coffee.  Either way, Target is a fantastic resource for just about everything.  Rather than walking you through, aisle by aisle, I will do my best to focus on that which is most relevant.

The images below reflect a lot of my own personal style.  Aren’t they fabulous?!  If you happen to disagree, don’t count them out alltogether.  Between their retail stores and online, Target has a huge selection of bedding, lighting, window treatments, home decor, tableware, and the list goes on…

After what has been nearly a lifetime (I’ve been known to exaggerate), I am finally graduating!  The past 4-years studying Interior Design at NH Institute of Art has been nothing less than sensational.  My path to higher education took a slight detour before I realized the artistic direction I wanted to take in life.  NHIA provided a challenging opportunity to study Interior Design in New Hampshire while continuing to work full-time.  I encourage anyone and everyone to consider NHIA for pursuing their own creative interests.

For the “senior” project, we were given a general footprint of a house and required to either use Universal (handicap accessible) or Green design principles.  Being the green enthusiast that I am, you can guess which option I went for. 

My concept for the project was “A Walk In Nature”.  Elements of nature and New England landscape served as inspiration for each room of the house.  In other words, the living room used colors, textures, and patterns found in the forest.  The kitchen, a field of tall grasses.  The bathroom, a flowing stream.  The bedroom, sunset in the mountains…

Visit www.nhia.edu for more information.  (ID is available through the Continuing Education Dept).

Located on South Main Street in Concord (next door to Vinnie’s Pizza), KAZA is a sensational addition to the Downtown community.  They offer a variety of home decor products including organic, mid-century modern (my favorite!!!), international merchandise, and much more. 

For those of you who are wondering, the name KAZA means “fortunate accident” in Turkish.  And how fitting — it so happens that a catalyst for Lisa Swan to open the store was the availability of cowhide rugs from family friends in Turkey.  These extraordinary rugs and other Turkish furnishings are exclusive to KAZA.

What I love most about KAZA is the style that they bring to Concord.  For someone who leans in the funky/eclectic/modern direction, KAZA is a breath of fresh air for New Hampshire.  Also, the variety of international products are genuine works of art from countries such as Mexico, Peru, Morocco, Bulgaria, Italy, and Turkey.  In addition, KAZA features the talent of local artisans regularly.

I highly recommend that you take a trip to visit the shop.  You can also go to www.kazashop.blogspot.com.

To be honest, the excitement of Christmas hasn’t been the same since I outgrew my one-piece “feetie” pajamas.  If you are like me, one way to nourish holiday cheer is to decorate your home.

Families and traditions come in all shapes and sizes.  Your style of choice may be the classic red, white, and green combo, or blue and white for Hanukah.   If so, I am here to encourage you to step out of the box!  The possibilities for decking the halls are endless, and it doesn’t have to cost a fortune. 

As an alternative to the classic red, play things up with pink or orange.  Purple, green, blue, turquoise, brown, silver, gold, etc. all have potential to create dazzling displays individually or in combinations.  The inspiration behind a theme can come from anywhere:  a hobby, rural/farming, urban/modern, retro, Adirondack, tropical, winter solstice…  Your favorite holiday book or movie are other sources for decorating ideas.  Silver bells can represent “The Polar Express” or a thin, somewhat pathetic secondary tree lends a nod to “Merry Christmas Charlie Brown”.

Have fun –  it’s time to celebrate!

(Courtesy of Better Homes & Gardens)

As you will soon get to know about me, I love that which is hand-crafted.  Block printing is a technique that has been around for thousands of years and is still utilized in many cultures.  Unlike many machine-made fabrics, these embody the character and culture of the artisan by whom it was made.  Best of all, a true hand or block print is likely to have tiny imperfections such as a drop of paint or the mis-aligned stamp.  But it’s not just the principle behind this process that I admire, look how gorgeous they are!

Shown are Galbraith & Paul, John Robshaw, and Lee Jofa.