twitter

I'm still unsure about it, but here goes...

The blog's twitter page: http://twitter.com/RearrangedDsgn

and Lolabags: http://twitter.com/Lolabags

Pssst

Make sure to check the blog next Tuesday for an amazing giveaway!

Break

I've been fighting a cold for the past few days and my husband came home from a super busy week in L.A. , We have also been meeting with a realtor and in the early stages of possibly buying a house... we were planning on going down to Santa Cruz to shake it all off but with me being sick we postponed to when I could actually enjoy it.

It's been really busy around our house the past week as a result I need a break. So this week I won't be posting. I will return next week.

Thanks.

House Tour Recap March

Danielle, Lakshan & Mortimer the Bulldog 3/9/09 

Chiara 3/16/09 

Liz 3/23/09 

Happy Friday

What a lovely color combination. Nothing could taste bad coming out of this kitchen.


Have a great weekend!

Handmade Fridays

I'm not a fan of stuffed animals, especially grown ups with stuffed animals. This I feel is an exception:

These sweet litte owls are so cuddly and charming they are near impossible to resist. I have given one a home on my bed and everyone loves it; Me, cat, husband, we're all loving the little guy.

Check them out here at Stelabird.

5 Things

The 5th thing is the picture is the sheets. They are modal sheets and they are super soft and comfortable but they developed weird orange spots and holes after only a few washes.

Yay!

Monday night I hit a personal goal. I hit 100 sales in my Etsy shop. I was hoping to hit that goal in January which was the one year anniversary of the shop, but one year and two months isn't to shabby.

I just wanted to thank anyone who's ever so much as looked at the shop. Thank you.

Etsy Buy Handmade Lolabags

5 Things

This one is a little late, this is last week's 5 things. Hopefully I'll have 5 more by the time Friday rolls around.

The best things in life are free...

Boy is that true, All my favorite furniture in my home was free.

On Friday my husband and I were on our way to our favorite diner (Jim's if you're in the bay area) and I spotted this chair on the porch of a house as were were driving by. It was next to a bunch of junk and old stuff. It's possible it's always been there but I have never noticed it before and it's a street we frequently travel.

I couldn't stop talking about it through dinner so we swung back after we were done with dinner. I saw a man go in the house so I hopped out and offered to take it or give him some cash. He told me to take it, he didn't want it.

I knew he didn't know what he had.

So we took it home and cleaned it up.

It's not an original but it's a pretty nice copy, no outside screws and the arms wrap the right way. It's in terrific condition, I'm positive it's vinyl and not leather, and it's in great shape, no holes or tears, just a few minor scratches. It's a very nice chocolate brown.

What's really funny is the only other person I know who would be wowed by this find is my brother, we have the same taste in furniture. Which is funny because our parents did not. Turns out he bought a knock-off two weeks ago, his is black though.

For now I put our rocking chair in the closet, I really hope we move into the bigger apartment in our building because I don't want to give either chair up!

Giveaway 2.0 Winner!

Thanks again to everyone who commented on the little chair.

C.E.R. The chair is yours! Email me your address and I'll get it right to you.

I know quite a few of you wanted it, but fret not, it a week or so there will be two more giveaways for a really awesome item.

Stay tuned!

House Tour-Liz

Name: Liz
Location: Oklahoma City, OK
Square Footage: 900 sq. ft.
Years Lived in: 6 months
Rent or own: rent
Describe your style: mid-century comfortable

What's your favorite free/found item?
A chair that I found on a curb while house-hunting. It combines two of my favorite things in furniture: green (naugahyde), and tapered wooden legs.

What's your favorite purchased item?

At the moment, it's my dining room table. It's the exact style I want, it has this really exaggerated walnut grain, and it's small enough to fit where ever I live.

What has been your biggest obstacle in decorating/design?

Since I love old furniture, I can't buy it all at once. It's culled from a variety of antique stores, second-hand stores, and sites like Craigslist, which takes time and patience. And I'm not the most patient person... but I've got to remember that I'm cultivating my home, which if you think about it, really takes a lifetime.

Is your design style organic or planned?

Definitely organic. Each time I bring a new piece in, it changes the dynamic of an entire room. It might move me to rearrange furniture, or remove pieces to maintain whatever balance I had in there before.

What is your favorite spot in the house?
My bed, without a doubt. Since I live alone, I'm more likely to hang out in there than, say, the living room, especially if I'm reading, or using my laptop. It's probably laziness, but it works for me.

I've also been keeping my eyes open for a new bed for a while now- I currently have the full-sized HEIMDAL from IKEA, and it's one of the few IKEA remnants I have from my college days. Anyone have a full-sized Heywood Wakefield bed they need me to take off their hands?

How has your style changed in the past 5 years?
In the last five years I've graduated college, started my first full-time job, and moved. I shed a lot of really disposable IKEA-type furniture (nothing against IKEA, I"m just becoming more interested in pieces with history and substance).

What is your favorite resource or store?
Without a doubt, Craigslist. I love surfing it even when I'm not looking for anything specific. Although great finds are sometimes few and far between here in Oklahoma.

What is your biggest decorating/design pet peeve?
Well, just because I don't like something, doesn't mean that it doesn't work for whoever decorated it.

That being said, I get itchy when things are too matchy-matchy, or when rooms look so formal I'm afraid to even breathe on anything.

What has been your favorite design trend?
It seems that people are starting to value and prefer older or pre-owned pieces more than new or off-the-shelf stuff. That's promising.

What is the biggest influence on your design/decorating style?
I'm not sure if this is an influence per se, but I strive to not stick to one style of decorating. So, I guess I'm influenced by people who can pull that off.

What in your home dictates how you design/decorate?
My graphic design education, actually. As I learned and appreciated more about design in the 50s and 60s, I also started appreciating everything ELSE from those periods- especially the interiors. And clothes. And music.

What is the simplest thing you have done that has made the biggest impact?
Rearranging. I love it, and do it throughout the house constantly. It is free!, and can change the feel and purpose of a house instantly.

More Orla!

Check out this post at Apartment Therapy.



It looks like they will be restocking the Orla Kiely line at Target, Hurray!

Handmade Fridays

This week's artist is Teaforbini. Her paper plane art is pretty fantastic, I've got a space all picked out for when I finally order one.

Teaforbini.etsy.com

Happy Friday

Lovely flowers from a lovely lady, Thank you again Maria!

Have a great weekend everybody!

keep dream inn

My Husband and I are getting stretched a little farther than we'd like. We both have a ton of going on between work, life and possibly moving.

We need a siesta.

Enter Dream Inn, we were in Santa Cruz this weekend visiting some family and we saw the hotel, we hadn't made set plans for my husband's birthday yet so we marched right in their lobby and booked a room.

We stayed there in November for my birthday and his birthday is coming up so we're going to do the same.

I'm feeling tapped out creatively and I think it's starting to show, so I want to recharge and relax and come back with some fire in my belly.

This weeks posts are a little lax, Next week I will announce the Giveaway 2.0 winner and hopefully have some more info on our (possibly) new apartment.

Here's my flickr set from our first stay at the Dream Inn.

Giveaway 2.0

I'm bummed Candace never claimed her prize but that's good news for everyone else.

Let's try again...Comment below to make the little chair yours!

Orla Update

Thanks to a trip to Santa Cruz this weekend and the help of Christine, a reader of this blog, I was able to get the Orla Kiely stuff I'd been pining for.


Thanks again Christine!

House Tour-Chiara

Name: Chiara
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Square Footage: about 1,000, I think
Years Lived in: 6
Rent or own: rent
Describe your style: eclectic mix of vintage, thrift, and modern

What's your favorite free/found item?
little wooden farmhouse table that my father got at a thrift store

What's your favorite purchased item?
vintage white painted cabinet that I got when I worked at Martha Stewart

What has been your biggest obstacle in
decorating/design? lack of funds! I want a new sofa so bad but it's such an expense


Is your design style organic or planned?
totally organic - it grows as I find things I love and bring home

What is your favorite spot in the house?
my baby's room. It's the only room I painted - a light minty green - and it's so peaceful and pretty in there.


How has your style changed in the past 5 years?
maybe a little more modern, getting away from the antiques

What is your favorite resource or store?
I used to troll ebay a lot. I also like flea markets, although it's been a while since I've been to any. It's hard with a baby in a stroller!


What is your biggest decorating/design pet peeve?
 beige and brown!

What has been your favorite design trend?
Hmm, there's so much good stuff out there. I like the clean, graphic style of lots of designers in Brooklyn right now.

What is the biggest influence on your design/decorating style?
Favorite mag is Domino. I also like the Cookie nesting blog (http://www.cookiemag.com/magazine/blogs/nesting) and ohdeedoh (apartment therapy's nursery site - www.ohdeedoh.com/)

What in your home dictates how you design/decorate?
I tend to stay away from primary colors, but other than that, anything's fair game.

What is the simplest thing you have done that has made
the biggest impact? Getting a living room rug. It really makes that space a "room" and pulls it all together.

Chiara's blog is Molasses Candy - - molassescandy.blogspot.com

Handmade Fridays

My Grandma's neighbor is a Stained Glass artist, one summer when I was 13 or 14 I spent every day with her learning how to make suncatchers and garlic braids, it was very Northern California and I loved it.

I think partially because of that I have a fondness for stained glass, not hummingbirds or flowers but really simple and beautiful pieces. That's why I really like Quingawaga 's pieces on Etsy.

They are really stunning and lovely, She uses beautiful shades (I am waiting for another orange like the one pictured to be listed).

Check out her shop here .

Happy Friday!

This shower/tub reminds me of The Beatles...why? Because it's so simple it's genius.

Have a great weekend!

5 Things

We might be moving soon, so they're might be some bulk purging coming up! I will keep you updated.

Don't forget to join the 5 Things flickr group.

LOST

I am a self admitted LOST nut. I love this show and one of the little things I've enjoyed through watching this show is 'The Other's" houses. They are little time capsules filled with Mid-Century goodness.

Here's a little bit of it:

If you're also a fan you know what I'm talking about, if you're not it's not too late to Netflix the seasons and get caught up. This show makes me hold my breath until it's over.

Rocking Chair

Whenever my a photo of my Living Room shows up somewhere I always get questions about my rocking chair. I found mine on a pile of trash, cushions and all.

There's no stamp on it but the cushions have the original label, that never helps anyone...but I was just trolling Craigslist and found the same chair.

It definitely needs some new fabric, but check it out if you're in the SF area.

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/fuo/1066263278.html

More Barbie...

Here's some more photos of Barbie's Malibu Dream House done by Jonathan Adler followed by some info and fun facts about the anniversary party. (All photos courtesy of mawphoto)

Barbie®’s 50th Birthday Party at her Real-Life Malibu Dream House®

Photo courtesy Mattel

Styled and decorated by famed, “Happy Chic” interior designer Jonathan Adler
Party planned by renowned event planner Colin Cowie
Music provided by DJ AM

AT THE PARTY:
1,800 pairs of Barbie® sunglasses, 3,500 pairs of tiny shoes and 3,500 mini handbags fill up custom-designed lucite tables
3,000 pink roses, 100 hydrangea and 300 ranunculus make up the centerpieces
Guests can toast Barbie® with signature drinks including, Barbie Doll-icious!, Ken’s Caiprirosca, Strawberry Blonde and It’s a Pink Thing
146 pounds of pink candy including mints, chocolate, licorice, rock candy, gummy lips, jelly beans and more line the dessert table
1,030 pounds of ice make up the cake ice sculpture

INSIDE BARBIE’S HOUSE:
The wall-to-wall carpeting lining Barbie®’s bedroom and hallway feature a custom-designed “B” pattern
Over 200 yards of fuchsia velvet fabric were used to turn Barbie®’s bedroom into the dreamiest place in the house
50 custom-designed Barbie® pink peep-toe Christian Louboutin heels (straight from Barbie®’s first ever Runway Show at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week this February) line Barbie®’s shoe closet
65 reproduction dolls of the original 1959 Black & White Bathing Suit® Barbie® doll were used to create an eye-catching one-of-a-kind wall mirror featured in the main living room
The sitting room’s “hair” chandelier, designed by Chris March (contestant on Season 4 of “Project Runway”), consists of 30 blonde wigs and took more than 60 hours to construct
Two pink plastic poodles on lucite pedestals flank the fireplace
Three pieces of Barbie® vintage art hang on the walls throughout the house, including the iconic portrait of Barbie by Andy Warhol and the Donald Baechler “Ice Cream” portrait
Barbie®’s in-house museum features 25 of the most iconic dolls throughout her 50 years.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR BARBIE®:
Barbie®’s custom décor and signature pieces from the Malibu Dream House® will be heading to Las Vegas! This spring, the Palms Casino Resort will launch the Barbie® Suite, the ultimate Vegas destination for bachelorettes, birthdays and anyone who wants to be pampered in pink. Additionally, select items from the house will available for purchase as part of the “Jonathan Adler Loves Barbie” collection launching this September.

a plea...

I have been to 5 maybe 6 Targets in my area all in search for Orla Kiely's stuff.

It's apocalyptic, like a bomb hit every  Orla endcap. In 5/6 Targets I have come up with one placemat, one canister and 2 shelving units.

It's crazy to think just how popular this line is, I hope they take that into consideration and do a second run.

My plea is this, if anyone sees these items at their Target, perhaps they can pick them up for me?

I'd pay you straight (plus shipping of course), we could do a trade, you could raid my 5 Things. whatever!

The brown pitcher is also made in yellow, I'd be most grateful for whatever!

Here's hoping!

Candace?

Candace, you won the giveaway for the little West Elm chair...It's been waiting for you.

Candace please email me with your address.

If I don't hear from Candace by Friday, I will do another drawing for the chair.

Rachael Ray?

Yeah, I'll admit I like her. I like her retro kitchens and her cookware is pretty damn good, she loves orange too and she's partial to mid century kitchenware and furniture.

This kitchen is in the April edition of her magazine, it's impressive and Eco-friendly. I don't love the chairs but I do love the straw table and the tile. Check it out here.

House Tour-Danielle & Lakshan

Name: Danielle, Lakshan & Mortimer the Bulldog
Location: Sydney, Australia
Square Footage: Around 800 square feet + deck and small roof terrace

Years Lived in: 1

Rent or own: Own

Describe your style: Comfortable modern

What's your favorite free/found item?
I love my desk, it belonged to my great grandmother. She had painted it bright orange (among many layers of other colours). I stripped it back and painted it a soft blue.


What's your favorite purchased item?
At the moment its two pieces of graffiti art (one above the dining table and a smaller one on my bookshelf), which I bought from a street artist for $11.50 and a packet of tic tacs.

What has been your biggest obstacle in decorating/design?
The small size and strange shape of our house can make it quite tricky to decorate – for example, our lounge is long and narrow with the front door right in the middle, and our bedroom upstairs is in the loft space so it has no straight walls and low head height.


Is your design style organic or planned?
It’s planned in the sense that because of the awkward size/shape we need to roughly work out furniture placement and measure carefully before bringing any new pieces in, but organic in that our furniture is a mix of old and new, some has come with us and some was purchased specifically for this house.

What is your favorite spot in the house?
I really like the desk and the sunroom, we both spend a lot of time working in there. I also love being snuggled up in bed as the morning sunshine comes in or as a storm rattles on the tin roof.


How has your style changed in the past 5 years?
I think it has become more refined rather than completely changed. For instance, I have a huge collection of postcards – 9 years ago, my whole collection basically wallpapered my first student apartment. Then around 5 years ago, some of my collection was still up on the wall of our first apartment together, but carefully curated and arranged more as art. Now I have a few of my most favourite postcards framed, and a few hanging on a ribbon above my desk, with the rest neatly tucked away. So I guess over time my style has evolved to ‘less is more’!

What is your favorite resource or store?
I must admit its Ikea. We needed a low bed because of the low ceilings upstairs – the Malm was the lowest, best looking and most budget-friendly we could find. I needed a small bookshelf to fit in an awkward space between two doors in the study/sunroom - the Billy was the perfect size, best looking and most budget-friendly we could find. Same goes for rugs, frames, coffee cups… good looking and so inexpensive, I just can’t resist.


What is your biggest decorating/design pet peeve?
Tschotskes!

What has been your favorite design trend?

I dig the DIY/handmade trend going on right now. Anything involving a DIY makeover gets my vote, whether it be a reupholstered chair or a whole home makeover, I really love a good ‘before and after’.

What is the biggest influence on your design/decorating style?

Home Beautiful and Real Living magazines, and all the beautiful décor blogs like Apartment Therapy and Door Sixteen and Rearranged Design!

What in your home dictates how you design/decorate?

Space and budget are always considerations… and the 30kg bulldog galloping around means everything needs to be washable.

What is the simplest thing you have done that has made the biggest impact?

Cleaning, dusting and washing all the linens and rugs always make a HUGE impact to the look and the feel of the house. It’s amazing how much lighter and brighter it is after a thorough clean.

Danielle's Blog is: delaks.blogspot.com