Honeysuckle: The Color of 2011

Last year was turquoise and this year we're onto Honeysuckle; a fun and bright colored pink! I love color so I'm excited about this color for 2011. Here's another resolution for you: bring more pink into your life! Many people shy away from a pink in their homes because it can be seen as unsophisticated and girly but I think that couldn't be further from the truth. Hit it...

I think people are scared of pink sometimes because they're afraid that it won't match with everything else in the room. This room by Amanda Nisbet certainly proves that this isn't so! She has browns in that gorgeous rug and oranges in the drapery and a yellow sofa. This looks incredible without looking like a Lilly Pulitzer dress threw up all over a room (not that that would be bad...).

Ahhh Jamie Drake, my color idol. He uses pink nearly everywhere to make this traditional and geometric bedroom. I adore the pillow cases with a simple pink border and that lamp is gorgeous. It reminds me of Vaughan gourd lamps...

Here is a much brighter pink as the backsplash for this sitting room by Amanda Nisbet. Color in the back of a bookcase is a must.

Nothing is bolder than this. A brilliant pink vintage sofa up against a bright blue wall? I love it. From MFAMB. This feels so fresh and especially with the little pop of yellow flowers off to the right.

Here is a softer version of it with this gorgeous fabric. I wish I knew who made it but it certainly stands out among all the soft neutrals in this space. Photo from Farrow and Ball.

Kathryn Ireland created this stunning fabric filled bedroom with different bright pinks and pink paint up to the chair rail.

This honeysuckle pink throw is used as a table runner on the upholstered ottoman. What a fun rug--is it part of this collection at ABC Carpet? These bright elements help to brighten up an otherwise soft room. Room designed by Deborah Lloyd found in Lonny Mag.

As you know, fashion always follows interior design (they just want to be like us). How adorable is this pink pom pom scarf?! It's from Kate Spade and is hand knitted by a woman in Bosnia as part of their Hand in Hand (created by Deborah Lloyd!) partnership with Women for Women International. A good cause and a cute scarf. Done and done.

I secretly think that Pantone just loved my new background of my blog so they changed it a little and made it color of the year! But seriously, pink, honeysuckle, faded salmon color--whatever you want to call it--is fun and whats the point if something isn't fun and its just "nice"? Agreed? What do you guys think about this choice?

ALSO, bt dubs, I MAY OR MAY NOT be having a give-away coming up so stay on me!


Alicia B.

I. Need. These.

New Years Resolution #1--Trick someone into buying me these shoes. They are Cynthia Vincent and you can get them HERE...for me.

Now I know I said I don't believe in New Years Ressies but in this post you'll find my exception. How cute are these shoes? I don't normally do short posts or posts about clothing but these are too pretty to pass up. I saw these tonight on my way home and almost broke through the glass to get to them.

I'm working on a SUPER fun post to get PSYCHED.

Alicia B.

Milk Glass Inspiration

Wedding planning is beyond fun. It's like mini designing for every single little event. I'm knee deep in designing the rehearsal dinner. I'm envisioning french linens on the tables and milk glass vases with yellow flowers. I've been obsessed with milk glass lately--join me.

The contrast of rustic and smooth glass is so beautiful. Peeling paint is true love to me. Country Living.

These are great on a shelf too! A shelf-scape. I hope to have more bookcases in my new apartment for all of my books and put some pretty vases in it to break it up a little bit.

I love the simple color scheme here of pink and white. It's very pure and easy on the eyes--perfect for a party setting. Country Living.

A collection of like colored items like this looks great together. Even if they are not the same size and shape, the same look and color looks eclectic but cohesive.

Citrus colors and a pretty pile of oranges looks nice and summery in these milk glass pieces. Perfect for our August wedding.

Eddie Ross is a tablescape miracle worker. This gorgeous table with milk glass chargers and candle sticks convinces me further of my original design!

My next step is to collect some pieces of milk glass. I've found a bunch on etsy and some on ebay but I'm really excited to hunt around thrift shops in NYC and up in CT. I love a new project too. Does anybody have any suggestions for places? Here is my inspiration board so far...thoughts?



I said, THOUGHTS??


Alicia B.

Party Time

Happy New Year Everyone!

Kate Spade

2010 has been quite a year. Lots happened: I retired and restarted my blog, I switched jobs from working in a showroom to working for an architect, my business has grown, I discovered yoga after I hurt my knees, and I got engaged!

Homes and Gardens

Being the positive person that I love to be, I have lots to look forward to in 2011. I don't LOVE New Years resolutions but I do love goals and thinking about the future. My main goals are to work on expanding my business, planning our wedding, and working on fixing my knees (I heart yoga).

Eddie Ross

2011 will be a wonderful year full of amazing design. Honeysuckle Pink is the Pantone color for this year and it's fun, festive, and pretty. These two pink tablescapes make me think of fun and celebration...like tonight!


Have an amazing night celebrating the year that is now over and looking forward to the fabulous year that we have ahead of us! BTW, does anybody want to buy me those shoes from above? Thanks! Be safe and drink champagne.

Alicia B.

My Christmas Vaca in Pictures

I have become a picture taking addict. Some people find it annoying that I insist on documenting almost everything but they certainly thank me when they see the pictures afterward. I like to create a story in pictures sometimes, or catch people in a candid moment that can't be recreated.

I arrived home JUST in time on Christmas Eve to decorate the tree with my parents and younger sister! We were missing our older sister--she usually hangs this ornament!

This is our first ever Nativity scene; each figure hand carved from wood.

Beautifully (and realistically) wrapped presents which get sequentially handed out on Christmas morning. We don't like to break tradition.

Table Setting # 1: Christmas Eve with gorgeous raffia placemats, red table linens, and delicious tomato soup and some vino!

Tablescape #2: Christmas Dinner. I insisted on chargers and found these gorgeous red and gold ones that have barely been used in this house! Everyone had calligraphy name plates and a fun Christmas popper with toys and a tissue crown in it.

We...got some snow up here. Of course I took a ton of pictures of the fast falling snow because it was so beautiful. This tree is in our front yard.

After the blizzard let up (60 MPH winds!), it was time for clean up. Everyone up here must have a John Deere tractor, even non farmers.

Our wreath is beautiful all covered in snow.

And finally here I am shoveling snow, that, as you can see, is up to my fingertips! My father thought it was a good idea to document me shoveling snow because it was the first time it's ever happened! Harsh.

Now the hurdle of Christmas is over, sadly, but we must look forward to 2011! I have NO resolutions but a super positive attitude about the year ahead. What are your New Years Plans everyone? Do you have to work this week?

Alicia B.

Oh Christmas Tree

I will be going home in about 24 hours and I can't wait to see our Christmas tree and decorate it. This year, my parents have finally gotten rid of their metal stand from the 1940s, that makes my dad swear and makes the tree tilt to one side, and replaced it with a 2010 easy-to-use stand. Because it's easy, my parents are slightly un-trusting of it. Anyway, it got me thinking about different bases for Christmas trees and how I've been seeing so many interesting ways of standing those gorgeous trees up.

This wide basket makes a beautiful base for a tree, right? It also looks really stable--no tree tippage here. From Southern Living.

From Martha Stewart. Martha mounted a tree in the stump of a birch tree for a super woodsy look! I find the gold tree a tad abrasive but it's Martha so, I still love it.

This cute couple tried the same thing and I think it turned out really well. They took a regular stump of a tree, drilled a hole and put their tree inside it. I think this works only with fake trees as they have a thin end to them, which makes it easy to put inside the thick stump.

This is a great way to elevate a smaller tree if you don't have a lot of space. Sometimes if you want a taller tree, it has to be wider too, but if you put it in a bucket or on top of a cute box like this, you can show off your bucket and give some height to the tree. From Lisa Fern Creek.

Here is another bucket tree stand but this time in galvanized metal. I love how old fashioned this looks with apples hanging from the tree. From HERE--cute blog!.

If you have a crate, that also makes a great tree stand. Or an old flower box--just leave it natural or paint it white like this one from Homes and Gardens UK.

I adore this wide galvanized metal bucket tree stand from Country Living. This probably makes watering it really easy because you don't need to worry about protecting the stand or having leaks!

I know we'll just have a traditional stand with a skirt around it which will look beautiful, but do any of you, my lovely readers, have creative stands like these? A basket? A bucket? I'm sure everyone is traveling today so be safe and enjoy yourselves. Don't put too much brandy in your eggnog!

Alicia B.