I was so happy to have the chance to chat with a very upbeat Eddie Ross on this morning about his experience on Top Design (he was sent off the show this week), working with Martha Stewart and his hugely popular blog. I started the interview with the question “So, tell us, who is the … Read more
Happy Thanksgiving! Despite the troubles in the world today, we all can find something to be thankful for. I am thankful for my friends and family, work colleagues and blogging buddies – we’ve formed a wonderful and supportive network and I value all of your blog posts and comments more than I can say! My … Read more
Contributed byLori Dolnick. Check out VixenHill.com where you can design your own eat-in porch, right online. The online porch builder is a brand new feature of their website that also lets you build shutters and gazebos online. These are fine wood products that are crafted in Pennsylvania. The design is modular so you can build … Read more
Okay – first off – how cool is the name Alan, The Gallant? It conjures up chivalrous images of raincoats laid over puddles, doors held and gentlemen standing to great a lady. Sigh… ok, am back from my daydream. But, seriously – how pretty are these graphics designed by, yes – Alan, The Gallant – … Read more
Patricia Racette and Roberto Aronica, October 2008 productionSara Krulwich/The New York Times I’m so excited as tomorrow I’m heading off to NYC with my friend Rob to hear Madama Butterfly at the Met! Several years ago I played in the orchestra for a local production. But… The Met! I wrote about the newly refurbished Swarovski … Read more
This is my 1,000th blog post. That’s a whole lotta words and photos! My first post is dated January 27th, 2005 and was a rehash of a series of decorating tips I’d written. When I decided to start the blog, I really had no idea what I was doing. I decided it made a good … Read more
Hmm… what to do for the big one? Seriously… ideas, anyone?
As some of you know, I am a flute player and hold a degree in music performance. I don’t perform anywhere near as often as I should, but every once in a while, I get the opportunity. Each week, I teach private music lessons at a local public school as part of a Prodigy Music … Read more
A big congratulations to Sheila O’Meara – you are the winner of the Blogging Top Design Swarovski Crystal Palace Chandelier Design Challenge! Our esteemed judge, Margaret Russell, editor-in-chief of Elle Decor magazine and Top Design judge, says of your design: “I’ve chosen Sheila O’Meara’s formal dining room with the Light Sock chandelier as the winner … Read more
Have you heard of Spoonflower? It’s this great service where you can design your own fabric and they will print short runs at an incredibly low price! They are currently printing on 100% cotton fabric by Moda which is great for quilters and crafters. I am hoping that at some point, they will release a … Read more
I am so thrilled to welcome Tracy Glover Studio as a new sponsor of ::Surroundings::!As a young girl Tracy Glover saw a photo of a woman blowing glass and found the image so intriguing she was inspired to try it herself. She fell in love with the challenge of working with the material and realized … Read more
A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to have been selected to receive a packet of Fifi Flowers fabulous note cards. Aren’t these so pretty! I am a big believer in the power of the handwritten note and I particularly love ones like these with original art. I am especially impressed that each card … Read more
As seen on DominoMagazine.com Over the last year, we’ve seen a lot of the gray and yellow color combination. I know several of my fellow bloggers have done posts about this combo as well. And yet… I just can’t wrap my head around it. I thought if I pulled together several images and really immersed … Read more
Click on image for larger view. The BTD team – Laura K, Tbone, The Scarlett and Linda Merrill have confabbed and we have selected Fifi Flowers Francoise McAree Sheila O’Meara Anne Payne Annilee B. Ramirez Kimberly Saquing as our finalists in our Swarovski Chandi Challenge. We were originally going to pick five finalists, but couldn’t … Read more
Contributed by Janet M. Perry Because of the housing boom in the 60’s, there are lots of these houses out there. Because of today’s housing bust, many of them are on the market. Or perhaps you live in a Sixties ranch and want to make it look distinctive and not so dated. Turning your ranch … Read more
Have you been on 1st Dibs recently? I’ve been a big fan of this site for a few years and I’m just so impressed with how they’ve grown. Their in depth content has made them them a real go-to site for the decorative arts. And, they are clearly not resting on their laurels. They recently … Read more