Thursday, September 30, 2010

Design Crush: Tia Zoldan

I love anything that has to do with interior design in California, mostly for its laid back, beachy breezy cool look. I'm an East Coaster at heart, but sometimes I really think due to my laid back sense of being and obsession with the beach, I should be in California.

Anyways, back on track to my newest and hottest design crush, meet Tia Zoldan of Los Angeles, CA. I discovered her work on myhomeideas
browsing around for inspiration and took a long visit to her website, and blog

I love this cottage she designed so much, it's so perfect - beachy, relaxed, elegant and chic - just what I love!

These photos are taken of her remoldeled 1920's cottage, I just love it!









it's casual and bold and airy at the same time, how does she do it??

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

When I Grow Up ...

Last night as I was laying in bed I was picturing my life in a few years and hoping for this:

A sweet little house in a neighborhood by the water, meticulously maintained and charming as heck. Brian will be my husband and maybe the talk of children will be starting. Shorely Chic will have taken off and I'll have clients knocking down my door for design services. I'll have a totally chic'ed out office off the side of the house where my clients will come for consultations and meetings. A few blocks away will be my boutique where I can either ride my aqua beach cruiser to or drive my aqua Vespa. There will be local highschool and maybe college students manning the shop and I'll frequently pop in to pick out accessories for my clients and mingle with my customers.

Here are some photos of lovely offices I got some inspiration from:







source

How do you see your life in a few years? Come on now, dream people!

Friday, September 24, 2010

The House that Seashells Built

I love good craftmanship and of course, seashells, but this is just unbelievably over the top! This house sits on an island just north of Ft. Myers, Florida, the capital of shelling, and is 100% covered in shells.





can you believe the time and labor that went into this?!
Now I would never cover a house in shells but instead of doing a stone wall, I might consider a shell wall!!
How about you?

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Smitten with Social Media...and Life!

I am smitten with social media for the opportunities I have been given like attending the Nate Berkus show with hundreds of other design enthusiasts on Tuesday and being able to attend and participate in What's New What's Next at the New York Design Center yesterday. You see, everyday I try and write a blog post and go through and read the posts of my favorites, and I have become to know these people in a weird way - I know not so much about their personal life, well some, but I know about their passion for design and we have that very special thing in common which bonds us in this weird online way. I also tweet with the people all day long on my blackberry. Whenever something cool happens with Shorely Chic I literally can't wait to tweet about it and post it in a blog, just like this...

This week, I met with all of these people face to face and boy did we have a G.O.T. (grand old time) - did I just mimic the Jersey Shore? yes...I did...shame on me!!

 
here we are at breakfast before heading to Nate! from left to right: May from Snug Furniture, me; Jessica from The Entertaining House; Catherine from Avery Design Interiors; Marcy from Irwin Feld Design; Marcy from pine creek cottage; and Jonathan from jonathanlegate - woosh!!!
me and Chassity from looklingerlove
 
all of the fabulous and stylish people waiting in line to get into Nate!
 
I love you Nate for the Q&A you did after the show <3
 
he is so yummy

 
Marcy, Catherine and I chatting it up at the after-party hosted by the lovely ladies of The Nest and Camila of High Heel Foot in the Door!
so much fun, and I'm so inspired after these two days I could burst!!

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

What's New What's Next is Today in NYC!

Today is another big design day for Shorely Chic - The New York Design Center has dubbed design bloggers 'The New Curators' and they have asked me to be a live blogger at the What's New What's Next event today and their headquarters, 200 Lex (Lexington Avenue). I am so excited to be blogging from this fantastic design event and will be stationed in the Aqua Gallery Showroom.

I first saw this showroom last week during a visit to the NYDC and was so amazed when I walked in. I had never seen such modern and organic artwork in the form of light. A very cool concept turning artificial lighting into something so natural looking. Aqua began in 1994 by photgrapher Albi Serfaty and designer Ayala Serfaty whose main goal was to produce lighting and furniture with an artisitc vision. They have certainly accomplished this goal:
 
To me, these look like the lighted wonders of the sea, jellyfish

this effect is made from a felt like fabric. cool, right??

wouldn't this be the greatest little night light?


sun chandelier!

I hope to learn lots more tonight about this awesome collection, as well as listen to presentations from the best of the best in design, and meet lots of fun people!


All are welcome to attend What's New What's Next in New York today. Email me with any questions at shorelychic@gmail.com .



Stay tuned for live tweeting from the showroom at twitter.com/shorelychic!


Tuesday, September 21, 2010

A Dream Day

I am so excited about today!! I will be attending the Nate Berkus show with an audience full of design bloggers -!!!- followed by a cocktail party for the audience happening in a chic city neighborhood!

I mean, to be able to meet all of these amazing bloggers who inspire Shorely Chic every single day, and to watch Nate live with all of them couldn't be better!

charging the camera as we speak - will check in tomorrow lovelies!! Follow me on twitter for updates and photos throughout the day! 

Monday, September 20, 2010

Monday Morning Refreshment

Browsing around for a little Monday morning refresher I stumbled across these photos from an old blog which seems to have passed away back in 2009, but the incredible posts live on! I loved the author's selection of photos that she chose to reflect her dream beach house - very similar to what I would have chosen!

Do you have photos you'd like to share? Email them to me at shorelychic@gmail.com and I will gladly update the post with reader's photos!

I hope to be her in a few years!

I went to a great tag sale this weekend and after spending the summer looking for the perfect straw hat for the beach, I found one! I picked it up brand new for a whopping $3 - woohoo!!

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Casual and Plain, but Chic as Hell!

Nothing says, "My outfit may be casual and plain, but I'm still chic as hell", like a nice big scarf wrapped around your neck and draped over your otherwise plain outfit. I live in scarves and this is mostly because I own many clothes in neutral colors like white, beige, gray, and sometimes black. I guess it's a little bit like my decor preference - white slip covered couches, french linens, bamboo shades, jute rugs, etc... and then a punch of color thrown into the mix with a bold throw pillow, colorful artwork on the walls or a crazy antique that makes guests say, "wow!",

I'm wearing a scarf today which I just love! I bought it new at a second-hand store in town and it is by Echo. It is linen and has beige, white, and yellow stripes. I'm wearing it with white capris, a grey cami, and a white blazer with a big old watch on my wrist. see? an otherwise plain outfit with a little bit of punch in the scarf and the watch.

Oh, and I am writing this post by no means as a fashion expert but scarves are just something I truly believe in to give you a fresh and fun look!


My gosh, does it get anymore beautiful, nevermind the scarf, the hair!!


Here are some I love:


this is an amazing site I just discovered by the way, all these scarves are under $30.00!