Rule: a principle or regulation governing conduct, action, procedure, furniture arrangement, my every thought, etc

I am at last willing to admit my love of rules. I always thought I disliked them but I'm learning that I love them. This is a positive and a negative thing. In the world of design and decor, guidelines are incredibly useful (I'll speak to the not so useful another time). I believe more than a few of you have heard me state the distance that should remain between your sofa and your coffee table, and I suspect that many of you have implemented it regardless of how crazy you think I or the rules I embrace are. A few examples:

• 'Twinkle lights' are for Christmas. They are not for weddings, to be wrapped in tulle, or strung along your living room ceiling.
• White grout is not for public restrooms.
• CFL bulbs (like florescents) are bad for you. Well, they're bad for ambiance, but I shall wield the general statement with all my might.
• Light fixtures hang 28 to 34 inches from the top of your table, are no wider than the diameter of the table less 6 to 8 inches, and so on...
• Proportion, scale and spacial layout are 75% of the feel of your space. No wall color will fix poor space planning. 
• Everything is not worthy of chalkboard paint, mostly because I'd like it's appeal to last more than 4 years.

They may seem like pet peeves, and I know they are kind of funny. It's a sample of the way my mind works minute by minute. The visual dsicrminations that allow me and many others to see things for what they could be. I'm open to new thoughts and a changing design landscape, but I think the little things go a long way in impacting our day. From the coffee shop, to the park, to the grocery store, we go in and out of well or poorly thought spaces. Take note, those of us who think this way hope you enjoy our work  ... without noticing the work.

Oh and the coffee table, approximately 18 inches.

"An apple a day ...

...keeps the doctor away." I actually once had a doctor tell me this was true. I did it, it became redundant, but I felt great.

"A vacuum a day... keeps you from having to change your rugs and carpets." It may be a stretch, but I thought of it while I was vacuuming this morning and it reminded me to eat an apple. It is more likely that you will be eating an apple and it will remind you to vacuum, unless you had a mother like mine or my good friend Taylor Stevens ... wait, Thornton! (gosh, I must mention that 2 of my dearest friends got married to eachother this weekend:)

So, both carpets and rugs can be very costly and difficult to replace. With a good and regular vacuuming, you can add years of life to your flooring. Really, years! And when kept in good shape, rugs can make great family heirlooms like this one from my great grandma.

There it is, a new pearl of wisdom. I didn't even talk about the fantastic life of cleanliness added by a vacuum. I'm only looking out for your decorative investments today.

Spectaclace: an optical instrument that is designed to aid in the viewing of objects not readily seen; an ornament worn around the neck; a gift from a couple of kind friends.

This little treat is my new spectaclace, as I like to call it. It's a pair of vintage specs that my very thoughtful friends turned into a necklace for me. It was the sweetest 'just because you love to help with Milano and we love you' gift. 

I don't need them to see, but they have become part of my everyday ensemble. They are a perfect replica of the specs in my soon to be logo and blog header, which is being created by another talented friend at homeseed.

Music, paper, writing, paintings and so much more to share. I'm surrounded by people who make pretty things.

Secret: kept from knowlege or view; marked by the habit of discretion; I love to plan parties!

Ooops. That title doesn't make much sense and I might be getting in too deep, but I just can't contain my excitement.

I really enjoy parties. I enjoy big parties, themed parties, birthday parties, music parties, no reason parties and most particularly wedding parties. There's nothing quite like having friends and family together to celebrate ...the splendor, the imagination, the chaos! Like my thoughts on facilitating life through the spaces around us, I do the same for said get-togethers. These are some shots of a one year old birthday party I prettied for a lovely friends daughter, followed by a wedding where I just made sure things were getting done. I fancy myself a seer and a doer, and on your wedding day, it's really helpful to have one of those :)

Hope you have some celebrations of your own planned. If you need a little help ... kellymarie@certainspectacle.com ;)

 

Find: to discover by the intellect or feeling; to meet with; a particular object of my affection.

Inspiration is quite tangible for me, meaning, I like to be able to touch it. I am in an industry (if it's not clear yet, this Certain Spectacle is my work) where what I produce is highly affected by the work of other dreamers and creators. If I could, I would build, stitch, paint and weld every last detail, but as it stands I rely heavily on talented furniture designers, artists, carpenters, lightologists, etc.

What I love about the way I do what I do, is that I get to see, touch, smell, and even hear the stories behind the goods that will be the basis for a new space. A space that will have it's own sights, smells, tastes and stories. These are a few new finds I am particularly fond of.

I brought the farm table, old red amunition box, and mirror home that day. The mantle from an old mansion on Logan Blvd would have come with me too if I could have carried it.

Granite: a very hard natural igneous rock formation of visibly crystalline texture, formed essentially of quartz and orthoclase or microcline and used especially for beauty induced moments of awe.

I've seen so many good things this week. A smattering of happy faces at the sight of new furniture, a new home, and new work space. I truly enjoy getting to share those moments with people. Spaces excite me, and I am even more pleased when they excite other people.

With all of that going on, as well as some fantastic finds, I had a moment. It happened at the end of a long shopping day with a client in Naperville. Hoping to find just the right bathroom counter, we wandered over to a granite warehouse. I thought I had my mind wrapped around granite, but no, I have never seen so much natural occurring beauty in my life. This stuff is just sitting under layers of dirt! It's incredible to think that there are things like this out there that have been created for the sheer goodness of beauty, to be seen, or maybe not.

My absolute favorite slab. After twenty two rows of piece after piece I turned the corner to find this one standing alone. I thought at first that it was a photograph of the surface of the earth. Friends, this is a solid, one of a kind, slab of honed and polished rock. Oh how he delights.

Caliper: any of various measuring instruments having two adjustable arms, legs, or jaws used especially to measure diameter; also for the purpose of wall art.

Sharing some of my latest finds. The Calipers are ... well, explained above. The metal objects that appear to be little shoes, are shoe molds. Otherwise known as $1 paper weights, rustic display decor, or my next and most outrageous undertaking of becoming a cobbler of children's shoes. (The latter is quite unlikely.)

 These fancy finds will be landing in a space that is in process, the studio space that I am currently writing from. Hope to share it with you soon!