Monday, June 11, 2012

The Monday Mix: There's Something About These Closets



I haven't done a Monday Mix in a while. When it comes to mixing fashion and decor, is there a better setting than the closet. While doing my exhaustive research for this post I realized something about myself. I've always coveted those closets with wall to wall, mirror-clad, paneled doors, glass-fronted cubbies, and central islands with big honking chandeliers...
you know like these:

 

 


How gorgeous! Love the door detail
Madeline Stuart
Closets
via

Okay, well, I guess I still do...especially that last one but...

CloSeTs 

...there's something about these other closets. 

closets.
Elle Decor

They are less structured, more eclectic- 

closets
via


They are open and a little messy.
closet
via

These closets are drawing me in, making me feel more creative- 

Beautiful wardrobe from Southern Accents.
via Southern Accents

like I want to put together an outfit like I would put together a tablescape- 
   
wow
pinterest via netvibes

or a recipe, a little of this and a little of that.


Are you feeling it??? I mean really... just look at that closet!

Friday, June 8, 2012

Guest Post: How To Photograph Your Pet

I have a special treat for you today! As you may know, one of my most favorite subjects to draw is pets. I recently had the opportunity to draw a cat portrait for a woman in Israel (she won my last pet portrait give away). Her poor Joey has been missing for quite awhile and she thinks of him every day so she sent me an amazing photo of Joey for me to use to draw a portrait from. Elsina is also an artist and has a good eye for that sort of thing. You can check out her blog HERE A great portrait starts with a great photo. Here is the photo that she sent me- the actual portrait that I drew is at the end of the post!

A great example of a photo that
could be used to draw a portrait from.

My blog friend and photographer extraordinaire Terry, is going to give us an idea how to take great photographs of pets, whether you are having a portrait drawn from them or not.


Hello Ispirato Design readers.  I am so thrilled that Michelle asked me to pop over and talk you about taking fabulous photos of your pets.  Normally, I hang out over at These Peas Taste Funny where I chat about crafting, cooking, and taking great pictures. 

When you decide to have a pencil portrait done of your favourite dog, cat or iguana, having an awesome photo becomes absolutely key.  A fabulous photo gives the artist a chance to really capture the essence of your pet and create a lifelong keepsake for you.  A poor photo?  Well that is just asking for disappointment.  

So how do you get that fabulous photo?  Here are nine tips on how to do it right:

1.  Get down and dirty.  
         Okay, you don’t actually have to get dirty, but getting right down to kitty’s level is important.  The back of a cat isn’t at all interesting or cute.  It’s the face you want, so you might even have to lay down to get the best angle.  See how the right photo is so much better.




  1. 2.  The dog, the whole dog, and nothing but the dog.
    1.      You want your pup’s face to fill the entire screen.  When you think you’ve zoomed in close enough, zoom in a little closer. Make sure you aren’t cutting off any ears (or tails if you’re doing a full body shot), but don’t allow any extraneous background to creep in.


      3.  Go natural.
             Natural lighting is definitely the best way to highlight your pet’s beauty.  Flash will make their eyes reflect and will create a harshness in the face and fur.  If you can take your photos outside, that’s awesome.  If not, try for a window full of natural sunlight to get the best photos.

        4.  Sharp as a tack.
             Pay particular attention to your focusing.  Aim for the pet’s eyes and make sure that they are clear.  This is where the soul lives and you want it to be perfect.  

        5.  High Resolution.
               When an artist is trying to get the details of your pet’s face and fur perfect, it’s often helpful to enlarge your photo.  In order for this to be effective, your photo needs to have been taken at a high resolution.  Many cameras refer to this as ‘fine’ (as opposed to normal or basic).

          6.  Shoot.  Shoot.  Shoot.
                 Take a lot of shots.  This isn’t the time to worry about your memory card, just keep snapping.  That doesn’t mean to be careless with focusing or choosing your settings.  It means to get so many photo taken that you are bound to fall in love with at least one.  It’s a strength in numbers approach, so to speak.
            7.  Have a plan.

                 Decide what type of portrait you want.  Do you want something casual, maybe kitty sleeping?  Or do you prefer a more formal, straight-at-the-camera shot of puppy?  A playful romp?  Your pet alone or your pet with an interesting background?  Decide ahead of time and make sure that’s the picture that you get.


              8.  Be patient.
                    This might be the most difficult point, but the most important.  You have to be willing to wait for your pet to get comfortable with the camera (and possibly with you on the floor) and resume its normal routine.  This is when you will be able to get the best, most natural photos.  

                9.  Personality.

                     Don’t be afraid to send in other photos of your beloved pet along with ‘the photo’ you are sending for the actual portrait.  This will give the artist a better idea of your pet’s special personality, as well as giving additional views on how his fur lies and any unique markings.  

                Above all, have fun with it.  If you’re too tense trying to get the perfect shot, your pet will notice your vibes and stress out too.  Keep it light and you’ll end up with a fabulous photo and a fabulous portrait.

                Thanks again, Michelle, for letting me ramble on about two of my favourite things:  photography and four-legged friends.

                Thank you Terry- I will definitely refer all future clients commissioning a portrait to this post! Didn't Terry do a great job? :)
                As promised, here is sweet Joey as an original pencil portrait.


                "Joey"


                Wednesday, June 6, 2012

                Recycled Door Headboards

                Pinned Image
                via

                Hmmm, how should I start- long time no see? or should I say long time no write...less cliche- more accurate!? What an amazing few weeks! No, we haven't completely finished the kitchen reno- not even close. Free time has not been abundant. Our household is in the thick of baseball season-two boys, three teams- one of the teams takes us all over...NJ, Albany, Buffalo and we love it! Yes, we've been doing lots of traveling and have pity on me, I just returned from NYC where I helped my daughter (my one and only daughter, sniff,sniff) set up her new apartment for the summer. A big, wonderful and exciting step for her! 

                I was inspired to hop back into posting because last night I was with one of my daughter's friends whose moving into an apartment in Manhatten. She recently purchased a couple of old doors that she wants to use for a headboard. I'm hoping to help her out with this endeavor...for now, here is some inspiration for her and anyone else attempting this project.

                Although these doors are not part of the headboard, I just love the look with the sconces.
                One of my favs! 


                Apartment Therapy

                Door headboard 9
                House Beautiful

                Door headboard 7
                Remodelista

                Door headboard 21
                A Pair Of Pairs

                Door headboard 18
                Better Homes and Gardens

                Door headboard 22
                Dirt Cheap Decor

                Scour antique shows, garage/barn sales for some great finds.
                Craigslist is also a great place to find doors for this purpose. I think LR, my daughters friend, picked up three beautiful doors, with hardware, for five dollars each. 
                So many options...  So many different looks... Which one appeals to you!?

                Monday, April 16, 2012

                Planning A Kitchen Island

                Hello there! After a week long, spring break staycation, things are finally getting back to normal around here. The older kids are back to college and the younger ones back to school. I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter weekend- ours was exceptionally nice this year. I probably say that every year but it's just so nice having the family all together! 

                I've picked up a couple of jobs over the break, one of them being a kitchen design. The focal point of this particular design is the island. In my recent guest post at West Pear Avenue, I discussed how important it is to consider how you actually live in your kitchen. This particular client explained that her daughter and her daughter's friends hang out around the existing kitchen island all the time and that they all like to cook and prepare food together. That got me to thinking about islands like these:

                curved kitchen islands with seating
                via

                .
                via

                A second consideration is that a wall between the kitchen and an adjacent sitting room was just removed. Now there is a clear line of sight directly from this sitting room, as well as the front entrance, right into the kitchen. That got me to thinking of islands like these:

                curved kitchen island designs
                via
                love this
                via

                One last consideration is that a cramped eating area could be eliminated if enough seating could be incorporated into the island or possibly a small, (potentially portable) table could be incorporated.
                Something like this:

                Cool island
                via
                 I wish I had enough room in my own kitchen for any one of these awesome islands. 
                They definitely would encourage gathering in the kitchen!

                Do you have an island and is it the "hot" spot in the kitchen?

                PS I've really missed reading all of my blog friend's blogs! I'll be making my way around to see what you've all been up to :) 

                Tuesday, April 3, 2012

                Guest Posting at West Pear Avenue


                West Pear Avenue

                Holly over at West Pear Avenue has invited me be a part of her Tools Of The Trade Series where she invites a fellow blogger to share some of their background and a few design tips. I'm thrilled to be a part of it- please stop by and check it out and check out the rest of her blog. It won't take long for you to see that Holly is a young and enthusiastic mom- well on her way to establishing her own decorating business. We've chatted about her business on and off the blog and I'm looking forward to watching it bloom!

                pride and faith #quote

                Monday, April 2, 2012


                Isn't it hard to believe that this weekend is Easter? Every year my mom and sister and I exchange egg ornaments that we have decorated. I usually make an Easter tree out of pussy willow branches to display them but with the unusually warm weather that we had a couple of weeks ago, the pussy willows came and went before I even noticed. I was so mad- it was mid March for crying out loud...that is just unheard of.  
                The tutorial from last year is HERE

                Blue and White Porcelain Eggs | Seasonal
                wisteria.com

                These hand painted porcelain eggs at Wisteria had me thinking. It might be fun to try. I could use a blue sharpie for the outlines and fill in with watercolors.
                Some other ideas that are inspiring me are these.

                Easter eggs decorated with Sharpie doodling
                via
                My thirteen year old, Dominic, whose becoming a talented artist in his own right, was the first to tell me about zen doodles. I hadn't realized that this so called conscious doodling had actually become such a popular art form. It's pretty cool. I like the eggs in black and white- just grab a black sharpie!

                 I'm trying to come up with that perfect blend of pretty but quick and easy.

                It's Eggsibit Day!  Make your own beautifully lace decorated eggs!
                marthastewart.com

                These lace eggs are quite lovely and very simple. Just wrap lace around an egg and secure it with a rubber band before dying them. A very pretty alternative to hand decorating.


                Of course just spray painting is easy. These look so very elegant.

                DIY Silk Tie Dyed Easter Eggs Tutorial
                via
                At the other end of the color spectrum are these vivid silk tie died eggs. Come to think of it, my husband has a few silk ties that are sooo ugly- I'm sure he wouldn't mind! I'm going to try this right now!

                [Time Elapsed 30 minutes]
                Oh my gosh...I can't wait to show you! 
                That was soo easy!!!


                Because I'm making egg ornaments, I blew out the eggs that I used. 
                Tutorial for blowing out the eggs HERE. You could also do this using whole eggs.


                Seriously, he is not wearing this tie! 
                1.) Start with a silk tie and some eggs


                2.) Cut the tie into pieces large enough to wrap around the eggs and secure with a piece of string.


                3.) Wrap a piece of white cotton around the silk covered eggs and secure that with a string. You could use an old t-shirt or pillow case torn into smaller pieces.


                4.) Put the eggs in water (I used about a quart of water and about 3/4 cup white vinegar). 
                Bring to a boil and boil for 20 minutes. Since the eggs were hollow they wanted to float. I weighed them down by laying a lid on top of them.


                Then I rinsed the hot eggs under cool tap water and carefully unwrapped them. I really was shocked!
                Now I'll just add a ribbon to hang them and voila! I'm still going to try and do the blue and white ones and maybe even the zen doodles but these were just so quick- I can't wait for the kids to get home so we can do more.
                You've got to try these!

                Friday, March 30, 2012

                Modern Vintage Style

                via
                Good morning! First, let me start with a cute little story.
                My eight year old son picked up a tape measure and was walking around the kitchen measuring things. I heard him say that something was sixteen inches plus tax. I questioned why he said plus tax and he explained that when something cost two dollars you actually have to pay two dollars plus a little bit more. To clarify, I asked him what he thought "plus tax" meant, to which he replied, "plus tax means a little bit more, right?" Isn't that sweet!
                I said actually it means too much more!

                Anyway, in my last post, I alluded to an emerging design trend where "old meets new" or "vintage meets modern" What?! you say-that's not new but, how it's being done is new.
                It's more refined, more calculated. It's like shabby chic goes to the big city. More and more I've been noticing vintage furniture being updated and made to look modern either through the use of paint in modern colors or modern fabrics and patterns. 

                What do you think of this sofa by Moda-USA?
                modern vintage collection moda-1
                Moda

                modern vintage collection moda-2
                Moda
                I'm a huge fan of mid-century modern furniture and I'm loving pieces like this being thrown into the mix, Do you like this trend and where would you try a sofa like this?

                 I think I would consider it for any one of the rooms below:



                wall panels
                gregnatale.com
                How about in Greg Natale's gorgeous, classic foyer?


                Fabulous Office Space
                via
                ...or this home office



                via
                It would work next to that table and lamp.


                Chandelier, silver leaf ceiling, pocket doors
                via
                How about this dining room?



                sigh
                via
                This chair makes my heart skip a beat- weird, huh? 
                It could see it in the same room with the sofa.


                #zebra
                via
                How about this room with the zebra rug? ...too much?


                love this kitchen
                via
                ...and wouldn't it be great in a room adjacent to this kitchen! I think that may be my favorite.
                Which space from above do you think would be the best space for the Modern Blue Vintage Sofa?