Modern Darlings
July 4 >> Great Walls
Looking to personalize your space? Here are 3 quick ways to do it.
1. Get out your camera and start shooting! Take pictures of places that inspire and people you love, then turn them into pictures that come to life. From wall collages, to personalized wall paper – everyday digital flicks are turning the walls of homes and offices into a deeper more meaningful and personalized space.
2. Out with painting, and in with wall paper that pops! I’ve seen it all – animal prints, paper mache, and carpet ladden walls – and it all works! Whatever your style, there’s a wall decor just for you!
Look to companies like Design Your Wall to turn your bleak spaces into works of art.
3. Turn your hobby into a collage? Build a wall of baskets, mirrors or maps. Whatever you love, there’s a way to turn it into a wall covering by putting them on display. Not only will you create uncluttered space, but now your beloved artifacts can hang displayed for all your guests to see.
June 27 >> Erinn V Design
Celebrity Interior Designer, Erinn Valencich has long been one of my favorite designers. Her knack for creating magical spaces full of life is nothing short of mesmerizing. So when I learned that her empire, the Erinn V Design Group was assigned its first hotel job–the complete remodel of the famed Lady Luck hotel in Las Vegas – I was ecstatic!
If you live for coming home to a place of enchantment, then either hiring or being inspired by Erinn’s designs is a worthy discovery.
Frank said it best when he sang, “Let luck be a lady, tonight!” With her newly appointed position, Erinn V is just that – A Luck Lady!
Here’s peek at a few of my favorite Erinn V rooms!
June 20 >> Urban Zen
On the Urban Zen site it reads:
“THE NEW LUXURY IS THE COMFORT OF BEING…
It is the indulgence of being at home, of being calm, of experiencing what is meaningful. It is about our health and quality of life. It is our time. Our time with family, our time with friends, our time to reflect. IT IS ABOUT ARTISANS. It is about the soul that goes into a garment, the craftsmanship that makes something an object of desire. It is about products that soothe your mind, body and spirit. Products that activate your senses. It redefines fashion as a constant evolution, a movement, a flow. Space and time are precious resources. The Urban Zen brand promotes quality of life and artistry while ensuring sustainability. CELEBRATING OUR SOUL AND SPIRIT–THAT IS THE NEW LUXURY.”
In addition to being one of the world’s greatest and most respected fashion designers, Donna Karan is now helping to heal our little ones. Through her Urban Zen foundation, she is using her voice to inspire change in the health and well-being of children across the world. Partnering with other designers, filmmakers, photographers and artists- that I might add all donate their time…. DK is doing her part to create a plateau for those who are able to raise awareness for the world’s impoverished children.
Now I know you may be thinking, not another “celebrity foundation…” Well, yes this one is. However, Urban Zen offers just what its name says it does- “Global Peace.” And instead of simply exposing the problem, UZ implements solutions to solve it. So whether its shopping Urban Zen retail (which I might add is TDF!) or donating your time towards a cause, or using your artistry to create and partner up, Urban Zen is doing a stylishly sustainable job of positively impacting our world.
So this time when you enter your credit card number to make a purchase- you can say “wooosah” as you gain complete serenity while hitting the ‘charge it’ button. Because after this sale is complete, you’ll walk away knowing that as you wait on your luxury item to arrive, you’ve now just became apart of a village that is helping our little ones across the world who need us in order to survive.
Ahhhhh, what could be better or cooler than feeling good about indulging, while at the same time knowing you’re being a blessing to someone who needs it! This New Luxury is indeed a meaningful experience.
June 15 >> Scented Bliss
Tubéreuse
Ahhh my favorite way to relax- Curled up with a good book (my current read is “The Gospel According to CoCo Chanel”), and listening to great make music (Thelonious Monk) while sipping on a lovely Pinot Grigio (currently it’s “Cupcake”) and most important, surrounding myself with scented bliss- a Diptyque Tubéreus Candle, you better ask somebody!
If you’ve never been acquainted with a Diptyque candle- please, do your self a favor and run don’t walk! They are simply too die for.
Every Darling male or female should have a sig scent that their quiet space is synonymous for, mine is Tubéreuse. It’s sweet, a little woodsy, very ladylike, can be strong, lingers and doesn’t quietly die down. You could say this scent is a lot like me, and maybe that’s what attracts me to it. These candles fill my home and even my work space. I burn them daily to get dress, to sit and write, to take my shower, to clean my home, and to relax at the end of my day- for me they provide the beginning of centered ambience. I can honestly say that my space feels different when I’m not burning one- I’m often not as relaxed, I’m maybe a touch rushed, and my tasks seem overly complicated. Could be me, but then again, perhaps scented bliss is what allows me to breathe deeply.
Think about a time you strolled into a boutique or perhaps an apothecary and something in the air aroused your senses. The scent you smelled greeted you like a good friend and traveled around the room with you. Soon you may have found yourself walking around trying to find the exact scent that caught your fancy. And when you found it, you found yourself entranced in a space that just “felt good.” That’s scented bliss! Imagine waking up to that smell, and at night laying down and falling asleep to it… ahhh heaven.
We all have scents that cry out our names. Mine is Tubéreuse. To be honest, I’ve tried other Tubéreuse candles, but none of them have been able to hold a light to a Diptyque- there’s just something about it that calls my name.
What about you, do you have a sig scent for your space? If not, I’d strongly encourage you to find one. Believe me once you find one, your quiet place will take on a new meaning, forever feeling in a blissful state.
Gennifer McKissack
hey,
i really think u could help me. school is coming up and i wanna be “vintage mara” i just love it 
im also going into highschool this year so i think it will b a good thing.
i have e-mailed u and so i have another thing to e-mail u about. im re-doing muy room and im like crazy for vintage ideas. i need help though to create tht look for my room and also style
mara
Posted by mara | August 3, 2011, 7:50 pm