The Last Weekend of Summer...

It's the last weekend of summer, what do you plan to do?  

We are in for a little beach fun!  When our family gets together,

there is always a big party, lots of laughter and fun. 

My little beach abode

Life is definitely good at the beach...

 Recap of fun from 2012  summer days on the beach...

Birthday party bash...

Fab, fun & zealous party attendees!

All for the birthday girl...

Family Sandcastle contest...

yes this is actually a real person under there...

We roamed the beach to find all these bottles!!!

Of course Our version of Barbie was rated PG unlike the team above...!

Lily was a good sport!

Davis assisted!

The melting point was coming...have you ever tried to stand like

this for an hour?

There was also a family wedding and wedding parties

Of course there was a sandbar party complete with funnel cakes, fresh
squeezed lemonade and hotdogs/hamburgers...

days hanging on the beach with the fam...

Catching a few waves for the boys...

Volley ball game with a very competitive group....

Bocce ball with the guys....

Beautiful sunsets....

Let's enjoy this one last weekend of summer and look forward

to making more memories next summer...

(all images are property of Lisa Mende)

Congrats to Barb Vietri for winning the custom monogram!!!
Patty Day for winning the Glassybaby!  I will send you info on
how to claim your prizes!!! Congrats!!!! 

Thursday Trend Alert- Polka Dots & We Have A Winner!

  I keep hearing how polka dots are in style... My question is "Do Polka Dots ever really go out of style?"  They play well with others and add a  happy vibe to almost every outfit or interior.  Gone is the idea that polka dots only belong in children's rooms, lately polka dots have been showing up in grown up places..

Images: Mario Sierra for Woman magazine Via Jaclyn Paige

Assitant Editor, Yvette Gonzales Via Martha Stewart Living

Via Bright Bazaar

// Good Homes, May 2012 | Styling by Emma Clayton, assisted by Charlotte Love & Rebecca Nee | Photography by Joanna Henderson

Damien Hurst Art in Elle Decor
Stylist Jackie Astier's apartment as shown in Elle Decor with photography by Eric Piasecki

Boussac for Pierre Frey 

Art by Marc Johns

What do you think about polka dots?  In or out?  

NOW FOR THE WINNER OF

 THE YORK,ETC 

Necklace & earrings!!!!

Congrats to:

Tami Warren!!!!

Send your shipping address to  Lmende@gmail.com...

Don't forget to check back with York,etc for new items

added daily!  Make sure you like her Facebook page and

Join her blog York,etc for fab tips on how to be fashionable 

without breaking the bank!

Check back tomorrow for the winners 

of the Olioboard Voting Contest Prizes!!!

What Do You Have Over Your Bed?

  A constant question I get in my business is "What should I hang over my bed". Once you have chosen your headboard or bed, how do you decide what to hang over it?  I typically ask these questions  1) What personality do you want your room to convey,  2) Do you have a great piece of art, photograph or collection you might want to use? 3)What is the budget?  The bed is typically the focal point of most bedrooms therefore,what you hang over the bed dictates the feel or personality of the room.  If you have a piece of art or a collection you would like to use, we can use that as a jumping off point for decorating the room.  If you don't, then budget can dictate our options.
Here are some ideas to consider:

via

Do you like the simple black and white photographs hung in Martha Stewart's creative director,

 Eric Pike's bedroom as seen in Martha Stewart Living.   This creates a calm sense with the absence of color,

 also the way the  pieces are hung further enforces a sense of balance and serenity. 

Town & Country - Ruthie Somers

Do you prefer a luscious fabric over the bed like Ruthie Somers

created in this bedroom featured in Town and Country? This

beautiful fabric gives this bed a sense of opulence and grandeur

which makes the room a little more feminine and formal.

Veranda

What about having one large piece of art as shown in this bedroom by Timothy Wheelan in Veranda?

 The realistic art added a little color and current vibe to an otherwise neutral  and traditional room

 therefore adding another layer of interest to the space.

Tammy Conner

Do you have a special collection you would like to showcase over your bed like

these antique plates ,designer Tammy Conner  displayed over
 the bed in this bedroom?

Better Homes and Gardens

Is your headboard the star of the room like this carved upholstered headboard in Better Homes and Gardens and you really don't have room for anything more? In a situation like this, the pillows then become the design element instead of something hanging over the bed.

Better Homes and Gardens

Do you like a minimal look of a simple shelf with art and a map leaning on the shelf as 

seen in Better Homes and Gardens?

Lonny

Starburst mirrors such as this one in a bedroom designed by Celerie Kemble featured

 in Lonny have been popular in recent years.

The options are endless for creating interest on your bed wall...you could create a gallery wall, hang wallpaper or frame your children's photos in a creative way, hang a collection of antlers, a triptych of prints or a large tapestry.  You are only limited by your imagination.  

Here are a couple of helpful hints:

1) when hanging a grouping make sure you put framer's dots or double stick velcro dots  behind each piece so the pieces stay in place.

2) Hang the base of your lowest piece high enough above the bed that your head doesn't hit it if sitting in bed

3) Make sure when hanging heavy objects, you hang properly according to weight.  You don't want a heavy piece to fall on your head in the middle of the night!   

What is hanging over your bed?  Guess what is hanging over mine?

If you guessed a starburst mirror, you would be correct!

Katie Leede

When I was in New York in May at Blogfest 2012, I had the pleasure of meeting interior and fabric designer, Katie Leede at the Elle Decor Modern Concept House.  I enjoyed meeting Kate as much as anyone I met while in NYC.  She is fascinating in person and very warm and friendly.  Katie was enthusiastically sharing her design concept and secrets with everyone who entered  the bedroom she decorated in the house.  Her described her imaginary client was a "globe trotting" college student.  Katie said most of the room was decorated with quick ship catalog finds that can be easily order online to show that good design is available to everyone.  The star of the room was a fabric swag that draped over the bed creating a canopy made of Katie Leede's own fabric pomegranates and peonies in kohl.  The walls were painted in Farrow & Ball Arsenic No. 214.  The final result was a room with a well curated bohemian vibe.  Here is the room from concept to completion. 

Katie Leede's Conceptual Drawing of the Room

Katie Leede's Conceptual Drawing of Room Idea for Elle Decor Modern Concept House 2012

Photograph of finished space

via

Katie Leede was dressed for the part in Room in Elle Decor Modern Concept House.  She was quick to explain the concept and share her design details with every guest that visited the room.

The canopy was made by Jonas workroom.

It was attached to the ceiling with drapery hardware from

Restoration Hardware.  

Here Katie explains the organization of the closet which was outfitted in

components from The Container Store

Another shot of the bed styled with a tray of Laduree macaroons 

in colors that matched the room.

One of my favorite elements in the room was the amazing art.

A New Life #2  by  artist Matthew Albanese

Adjacent to the bedroom was a bathroom with this painted on the wall:

Can you think of anything better for a young woman to read 

every morning?

The shower curtain made in Katie Leede's fabric Thebes made

by the Jonas showroom in NYC

Here is a picture of the Charles P. Rogers Newhouse bed in white leather used in the room.  Is it me or do you find it looks totally different with the swag over the bed?  Really softens the look doesn't it?

Newhouse Bed by Charles P. Rogers

I hope you enjoyed seeing Katie Leede's room in the Elle Decor Modern Concept house.  I think it is interesting to think that the only thing in the room that was custom made was the fabric over the bed and the window treatments.

This is a great example of how a designer can take readily available goods and create a custom look with well thought out details.

To See more of Katie Leede's products and interior design click here

For a great interview with Katie Leede check out this one by StyleBeat editor, Maria Marcantonio click here!

Giving Credit Where Credit is Due With Photographs

This past week, I found myself in bed, flat of my back with double pneumonia.  

It was poor timing to be stricken with this horrid illness.  I was vying in the High Point Market Olioboard Contest for the 9th Style Spotter,  therefore, I knew more eyes than usual would be on my blog.  The problem was I didn't feel like writing the blog.  I had such a migraine headache it was painful to even look at the computer screen, but I felt I had no choice than to produce a post. In retrospect, I should have stayed in bed and rested.  Why?  I wrote the post, but took a shortcut and posted the "photos as courtesy of Pinterest".  I had gotten them off Pinterest and when I clicked on them to find the source, it went to a blog, so I assumed the blog had given the proper credit.  Rather than do what I normally do and track the source down, I took the shortcut.  When I see photos on other blogs,I typically  pop over to Pinterest and find the photo to locate the source, so I knew my readers could do that as well.  I typically don't do that.  I generally always find the source and credit.  It was definitely poor judgement on my part.  I have learned my lesson.  if I don't feel up to completing a post with proper research, I won't post.

  Here are the photos that were featured in Better Homes and Gardens , allow me to correct my mistake and give proper credit
 where credit is due:

This photograph was taken by Rob Brinson, it is the work of

Melanie Turner, Interior Designer and  styled by Annette Joseph 

This photo was taken by Rob Brinson, it is the work of

Melanie Turner, Interior Designer and styled by Annette Joseph.  

I must say that I totally admire this trio's work.  A very talented group of people who deserve total recognition for their hard work.  I invite you to click on their names and visit their website to see more of their amazing work.  

Why am I writing this post now?

I want to thank Annette Joseph, the stylist, who brought my attention to my lack of professionalism, in not providing  the proper credit for the photos.  I am thankful that she spoke out.  It made me realize how often it is taken for granted that the designer, stylist, photographer's work is there for us to use, because it is readily available on  Pinterest.  This is a fallacy with Pinterest.   It is not right and needs to be corrected.  We are the only ones who can correct this.  Although, it has been a while since I had something photographed, due to my sabbatical while grieving,  I currently have  projects in the pipeline that  will be photograph in the near future for the website I am creating.  I wouldn't want someone to use those photographs and not credit me.

How good are you at giving credit where credit is due?
 Do you always search for the source and properly credit?

I ask all bloggers to make sure you credit the designer,

 the stylist and the photographer when using their work.
I myself will strive to have more original content due to this issue. 

When we don't give proper credit, it really is taking something that isn't ours.  

The money spent on this type of work is very expensive.  We all love seeing beautiful work like this and that is why we want to share it on our own blogs, when we are talking about a topic, but we do need to give proper credit!
 I will never post a photograph again without properly crediting the source.

 If you are a blogger, I ask you to join me in efforts to
properly credit photographs used on your blog.

a perfect gray: guess what I want...

a perfect gray: guess what I want...  I do likey Donna!  I would like that in my room too but unfortunately on one side there is a window!  so can do only on one side, like the symmetry of two though! Have a great day!

Heather Shaw - Fabulous Friend on Friday & A Giveway!!!!

Today's Fabulous Friend on Friday is a step away from 

my typical post about my interior design friends.

Today's fabulous friend is someone I have known for many years.

Meet my talented friend....

Heather Shaw,  

owner of York,etc.

Heather is a tiny little ball of fire!  When I say talent runs in Heather's family I am not exaggerating.   Daughter of swimsuit designer, Jamye Shaw, Heather grew up watching her creative Mom build a successful business, so it was only natural for Heather to continue the progression.  Not only is Heather, owner and founder of York, etc., a clothing and accessories business, but she is also a model and an accomplished singer.  I have always been amazed at how willing she is to share her talents with others.  Heather has always had a really keen sense of style.  She has that innate ability to mix high and low design to create a spectacular outfit.  Always the "go to girl" when her friends need fashion advice, Heather is now willing to share her fashion savvy with others outside of her circle of friends.  How lucky for all of us!  She is also editor of , York, etc blog, where she shares insider info on where to buy trendy items at a price and great tips on how to style outfits.    If you are into keeping up on what's on trend or fashion at a price, it's a must read!  Recently, I posted the picture below on my Facebook wall of a necklace and earrings Heather sells in her business York, etc and had many people inquiring about where and how it could be purchased, so I decided to do this feature on Heather and introduce my readers to this incredible resource.

Multi Mesh Long Necklace $16. 

Here are a few other samples of York,etc.'s current inventory.

Inventory is always changing, so if you see something you like

 contact Heather quickly because it sells out fast!  Her

price points are unbelievable and often the pieces are 

available in several colors.

Hip to Be Square $26

Available in purple, black or lime, blue or pink

Aztec Seafoam Necklace $20

Also available in pink

 Triple Drop Earrings $16

also available in green

Teal and Green Seed Bead Necklace & Earrings $30

also available in Royal/Gold, Pink/Gold, Black/White/Gold

Read the interview with Heather and learn a little more about

this fashion dynamo!

How did you get started with York, etc?

  I love finding unique accessories that can make any old outfit seem new again.  People would often ask me where I found a necklace or a pair of earrings...so I decided to start buying more than one of each item and selling them to friends and family.  One thing led to another and York etc. was born!  I now have my own small business selling unique accessories at affordable prices.

Tell me about your company? 

 My company is named after my middle name which is also my mother's maiden name.  Growing up as a young girl, I honestly wasn't very fond of it.  Other kids would pick on me and say that it sounded like New York City or York peppermint patties.  The older I got, the more I started to LOVE my middle name and all that it means.  York is unique...and since the items that I select for my inventory are also unique, I felt like it was the perfect name.  And then I just added the "etc." so that I could incorporate any and everything into my business one day. 

How Do You sell York,etc?

York etc. is currently something that I do for fun and on the side when my "real" job isn't keeping me busy.  I enjoy helping customers find pieces to add to their wardrobe that are affordable, stylish and that will help them make a fashion statement that they are proud of.  Right now I am only selling via facebook and through home shopping shows.  I am also doing a booth at a few Holiday Shows this year and have had lots of fun and success at area country clubs with their ladies functions.  It's truly a fun hobby and not just a second job!

What are your typical price points? 

 I have never sold anything over $100 and I want to keep it that way.  As a bargain hunter, I just can't bring myself to carry items with high price tags.  Most items range from $14 for a pair of earrings and $30 for a statement necklace.  My prices are hard to beat!

How does someone order? 

Shoppers can browse photo albums on my facebook page and simply email me or comment on the photo/item that they are interested in buying.  Then I call you and take payment info over the phone and the items are shipped out to you the next day.  It's an easy way to shop for sure!

Do you plan to expand your business in anyway?  

I would love to expand York etc. in terms of the numbers of "fans" that I have...since that's the best way for people to shop.  I would also love to increase the number of home shows that I do each year because it's a great way to get the items out in front of people to see in person.  I have lots of ideas on ways to expand....but trying to take one step at a time.

What is something interesting about yourself you would like to share with the readers? I am the spokesperson for Capital Madza in Cary...yes, another side job!  So if you live in the triangle area and are in the market for a new car...let me know!  My friends are also teasing me

about being on tv in their commercials!

If you could have dinner with three people who would they be?  

Tory Burch, Kristin Chenoweth and Natalie Morales.  I love Tory's style and everything about her....I worship Kristin as a petite blonde singer...and Natalie is just a fabulous, stylish news reporter on The Today Show that I really love.  All 3 ladies would make for a great dinner party that I would love to host!

Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?  

10 years from now I see myself as a working mom with just enough free time in my life to keep York etc. up and running.  I am getting married in April, so the "where do you see yourself" question is really fun to answer now!

Tell the readers a secret about your self that not many people know?  

I love shopping for clothes at K-Mart!  Seriously, there is one near my office in Durham that has the best clothing department.  I got 6 things there this past spring and it was about $60 total.  I like to keep those kind of bargain secrets to myself :) 

GUESS WHAT! 

Heather has decided she wants to give one of you this 

fabulous necklace just for visiting her blog and leaving a comment

and liking her Facebook page!!!!!

This yellow seed bead necklace is all the rage!

$32.00 retail for the set!

It can be yours if your name is drawn!

All you have to do to enter is:

Visit Heather's blog and leave a comment telling her which

piece of her jewelry is your favorite then go

 "Like" her FaceBook page "York,etc"

Winner will be announced on Monday!

Here is Heather's contact info!

email: yorketc@yahoo.com

blog: http://yorketcfavorites.blogspot.com/

facebook page link:  https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/York-etc/115153698505021

The Giveaway for voting for me

in the High Point Olioboard Style Spotter

Contest will be announced next Thursday,
August 30th!