And the WINNER is.....

....MARGI !! 

Way to go MARGI- YOU WON my blog giveaway!
You won...a gorgeous Set of 3 Decorative Antiqued Baskets. YAY! I just emailed you to get your address! Please send it to me so I can get these babies to their new home!
Congrats to you! And THANK YOU to everyone who entered. I'll have another GIVEAWAY in a couple weeks. So, stay tuned! 
In the meantime, be on the lookout for some more of my "Chapters"!!

OVER 500 FACEBOOK FANS=GIVEAWAY!!!!

On Monday, I'll be announcing the winner of this week's BLOG GIVEAWAY! That lucky person will receive...Set of 3 Wrought Iron Antiqued Decorative Baskets!

To enter, it's simple: FOLLOW THIS BLOG.→
(If you ONLY "subscribe", I don't know who you are, SO MAKE SURE YOU FOLLOW!)



Good Luck!

A STORY WORTH TELLING...CHAPTER 1

As most of you know by now, I have a passion (okay...obsession) for home decor. I can look at home decor photos, read home decor blogs and books, watch home decor shows, decorate my home, offer advice to others, sell home decor items...and I'm still not over it. I don't exactly know why I love it so much, but I'm beginning to figure it out.

Last weekend I was browsing through some photos of our first home, good memories....and then I started looking around at our furniture and decor elements in our current home, which is a completely different style. Our first home was very traditional, while our current home is more of a transitional/modern/chic. Anyways, what I soon realized is that almost EVERY piece of furniture or accessory in the house has a great story attached to it. What I've discovered, is this just COULD be THE reason I'm so darn OBSESSED! What I'm trying to say is....Your home (and our home) is your book and the treasures in your home are small chapters!

For the next few posts, I'm going to share some of my chapters with you. I would love to hear some of yours too.

Chapter 1- Souvenirs

I've never been interested in buying mugs, snow globes, spoons, t-shirts, etc. while on vacation, because I couldn't figure out what to do with them. They were never quite as impressive as the memories we've made while on our little adventures, not to mention, I had nowhere to put them (meaning, I didn't want them integrated into my decor). So, what I do instead is take a lot of photographs. Not just of us, but photos of landmarks, historical monuments, and things that we know are unique to that particular city, country or place in general. Once we return from vacation, I go through all our vacation photos and select a few to keep in full color, some to make into black and white and once selected, blow them up into a much larger size. Then I mount them in gallery frames with matting and hang them in our house. What we get...are decor accessories, memories, one of a kind artwork and endless stories to tell. Below are a few examples, which hang proudly in our entryway.


Introducing... Manhattan, NY. And the most famous building in this shot is the
Empire State Building. In summer of 2006, we had the opportunity to visit this
gorgeous skyline.



Public Market Center in Seattle, WA. I was lucky enough to end up in Seattle in 2007. This is where all the fish throwing happens! Pike's Place Market is one of the most popular places within the Public Market.



Monterey Canning Company, located in Monterey, CA. In 2008, we drove to Carmel, CA. for our Anniversary and took a detour to Monterey for a little sight seeing.This is the where all the sardines used to get canned, right off the boat! Now, it's a very popular landmark and the address is the same as our Anniversary date...7/11!



Jack's Fish Spot and Crab Pot at the Farmer's Market in Seattle, WA. Also located in the Public Market, they had some very unique sea creatures! This entire area was so full of life and local culture. Everyone was so friendly and having a blast.

And....here are some of those photos displayed in my entryway. I feel so fortunate. Everyday I can reminisce about the amazing places I've captured in these photos....a moment in time, but a beautiful memory. The icing on the cake- it's such a great conversation starter when guests come over. Not to mention, it was an inexpensive decor project!

CHIC TALAVERA LAMPS FOR SALE!

The first time I layed my eyes on these beautiful lamps, I fell in LOVE! I thought it was too good to be true....Talavera pottery, with a chic and slightly edgy style, painted zig zag or striped finish...WHAT?!
I not only had to have them, but I had to allow YOU to buy some too!
So, today...I am extremely excited to be able to sell them! I don't have them on a shop site yet, but if you are interested, you can still purchase them from me.

First, let me tell you a little bit about how they're made and the history:

In a small historic village tucked away in the Guanajuato Mountains, small shops and vendor stalls line the cobblestone streets. Women and children, squatting on curbs, sell juicy limes and just-picked avocados. Vases, hand painted with bursts of brilliant flowers and squiggly designs, decorate the sidewalks. This is one of the best places in Mexico to buy Talavera pottery. This village is known for their superior quality for production of Talavera.

All art pieces are created totally by hand-from the molds that they use to shape the pieces, to the colorful final touches that these creative Artisans put into each piece. They do not use patterns to paint the designs, they use their amazing talent (freehand) to craft different designs that you are going to love. The Artisans specialize in all Talavera, not just lamps. They are masters of their trade and their talents are showcased in plates, sinks, tile, planters, vases, ginger jars and much more.

If you ever have the opportunity to witness the Talavera process, you will be blown away. We are so spoiled by machinery and the American way of mass production, that the intense work that goes into every piece of Talavera is astounding and demands respect for the artists who create each masterpiece. Each piece takes hours and hours to make, then hand painted by skilled artists who have been taught this tradition for generations.

Black Striped Lamp
Size: 10"w x 18"h
Price: $235.00

Burnt Orange Striped Lamp
Size: 8"w x 13"h
Price: $185.00

Blue Striped Lamp
Size: 10"w x 18"h
Price: $235.00
SOLD OUT!

Burnt Orange Zig Zag Lamp
Size: 10"w x 18"h
Price: $235.00 

Black Zig Zag Lamp
Size: 10"w x 18"h
Price: $235.00

I'll also be selling ginger jars and vases in these same patterns soon!!!! Contact me to purchase or check availability! loft32@verizon.net

THE LUCKY WINNER IS......

STEFANIE SOKACH! 
YOU WON my blog giveaway! You won...not ONE, but TWO gorgeous yards of IMPERIAL TRELLIS ALTERNATIVE fabric in the COFFEE/IVORY colorway. YAY! I'll email you to get the address of the fabric's new home!

Congrats to you! And thank you to everyone who entered. We will have another GIVEAWAY in two weeks. So, stay tuned! ♥ In the meantime, enjoy more posts of decor greatness!

ANNOUNCING...ANOTHER GIVEAWAY!

EXTRA EXTRA!                EXTRA EXTRA!

Next Friday, I'll be announcing the winner of this week's BLOG GIVEAWAY! That lucky person will receive...not ONE, but TWO gorgeous yards of IMPERIAL TRELLIS ALTERNATIVE fabric in the COFFEE/IVORY colorway.

To enter, it's simple: FOLLOW THIS BLOG.→
(If you ONLY "subscribe", I can't see your info, SO MAKE SURE YOU FOLLOW!)

GOOD LUCK my decor lovers!