I spotted this lamp below on the PB website…loves loves loves!

Actually I love alabaster in any shape or form. But what the heck is alabaster exactly?

In comes Wikipedia… it’s a “name applied to varieties of two distinct minerals: gypsum (a hydrous sulfate of calcium) and calcite (a carbonate of calcium). The former is the alabaster of the present day; the latter is generally the alabaster of the ancients.”

Alabaster goes wayyy back- it has been used for centuries in carving and statues. Just look around in any museum- you are bound to find some alabaster objects.

White is the color normally associated with alabaster; however, the mineral can be found in other colors such as pale brown or reddish, or even just veined with color. Somewhat translucent, soft, easy to work with, and readily available, alabaster makes for a beautiful lamp.

Some of my alabaster faves…

Raymon Goins Fine Furniture- Mayfair Lamp

Visual Comfort- Balustrade Lamp (was in Charlotte’s apartment in the Sex and the City Movie- thanks for the tidbit Paloma!)

1st Dibs– Italian Alabaster Lamps

William Sonoma Home- Madison Lamp

Frederick Cooper- White Alabaster Gu Form Table Lamp

Martha Stewart Alabaster Table Lamp

Restoration Hardware- Empire Egg Lamps

Alabaster is a nice alternative to crystal lamps, if you want something a little more low key but still nice, light and very elegant!

I love silhouettes in any shape or form…I think they are so timeless and there is so just much you can do with them!

Vinyl Silhouettes is a company who makes really cute custom decorative silhouettes from personal photographs, that look similar to hand painted artwork.


And they have ever so generously offered to give away a custom made silhouette to one of our MG readers!

Winner will get a custom head profile decal of one of your loved ones- child, pet, etc. It can be any color that Vinyl Silhouettes offers on their website and can be any size up to 30″ tall. (be sure to visit their website for lots of great silhouette placement ideas!)

To enter our giveaway, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post letting us know your favorite vinyl silhouette color that they offer!

The giveaway will last from now until next Thursday night, 2/26. Winner will be chosen at random and will be announced Friday, 2/27.

Thanks for playin!

**And one more thing we need! If you aren’t registered on blogger, please provide us with a contact email so we can contact you if you win. Thanks!!**

I live for the Academy Awards every year. Celebs and movies are two of my passions so this night is always so much fun for me to watch. I try to see every Oscar movie nominated before the show; however, this year I am desperately lagging behind.

On award night, we usually only get to see what happens on the red carpet and on the stage…but what about behind the scenes?

Where do the famous presenters go to wait before they give out some of the year’s most prestigious awards? Well, there is a room designated just for this- the infamous Architectural Digest Greenroom. It’s the 7th year that the magazine powerhouse has designed for the Greenroom and what an incredible space it is!

This year I got a sneak peek into this hidden gem. Architectural Digest chose Stephen Shadley to design it this year and it looks amazing.

He went with a “Seventies Modern” design that incorporated a scenic backdrop of Los Angeles from the Hollywood Hills. He also used Baker furnishings including an 11 foot sofa with black lacquered arms. To top off the look, he added in a lucite and alabaster chandelier, a vintage brass and lacquered 1960’s table, a custom quartz bar created with CaesarStone’s Concetto, a gorgeous silk fabric wallcovering, a modernized shag rug by Karastan, and everyone’s favorite- garden seats!

Several of Stephen’s past clients have been none other than movie stars themselves! Diane Keaton, Woody Allen, and Robert Altman.

All 920 sq feet of the space gives off a sleek, simple and monochromatic vibe, providing a calming backdrop for the night’s presents as well as its winners.

Can’t wait to see who takes home Oscar on Sunday!

For four days only, Stephanie Anne in Dallas is having a huge 50% off Winter Clearance Sale!

Today, 2/19 through Sunday, 2/22, their winter finds will be on clearance to make room for their new Spring collection.

And FYI, Stephanie Anne has moved to a new location in Highland Park Village off Preston

A new study published 2/5 (and written about in The New York Times) found that red makes people more cautious and detail-oriented and blue makes people more creative.

Hmm well my office is painted blue- so does that ultimately influence my creative sense and make me a more imaginative and artistic designer? Well, according to the study, it just might!

But on the other hand, just reference Alessandra Branca’s bold red office, I don’t think she of all people is lacking in the creativity department!

I think along with being creative, designers have to be detail-oriented and on top of things- otherwise our projects would never come to fruition! With all the invoicing, material samples, purchase orders, measurements, specifications, taxes, and about a million other things that we have to keep track of (along with those extra things that keep piling up on our desk!) most designers seem to be very meticulous anyways- whether their office is painted red or not!

Mary McDonald must be soaking up all of that creative energy within her pretty blue office.

Most days I need to use my right AND left brain. It seems that no matter how creative a person is, a designer still needs to be on top of her game! No wonder Drew Barrymore is so smart AND inspiring- her office is red AND blue!

So apparently certain colors “do a mind good”…there’s no doubt that Drew has the best of both worlds in here!

And that concludes our science lesson for today…

Don’t forget to enter our monthly giveaway!

This month I will be helping one of our readers with his or her paint probs. Gotta love free design advice!

Also stay tuned for the results of last month’s giveaway- Lauren’s Re-Design for the Ugliest Bathroom

For every exquisite light fixture out there, Z Gallerie seems to come out with its inexpensive clone

Say hello to Angelo Mangiarotti’s P-Light Chandelier

and its fraternal twin, the Glass Links Chandelier at Z Gallerie

Circa Lighting’s Large George ii Chandelier reminds me a bit of the Z Gall Calais Chandelier

Here we have the Cellula Chandelier at Design within Reach….

With a similar looking but less expensive version, the Linear Strand Crystal Chandelier at Z Gall

Finding similar pieces at different price points has become one of my favorite past times!…(seriously)

I found the cutest pieces of art on nybgshop– just in time for spring!

These charming, framed flower paper reliefs are created by Jeff Rudell and would look perfect in a little girl’s room.

Lots of different color combinations and flowers to choose from in these crafty pieces!

Happy Valentines Day!!!

Hope you have a wonderful, pretty pink day…off to go celebrate with my valentine!

This is one of the best entryways I’ve seen in a while! I love everything about it. The dramatic and irresistable chocolate brown wall color, the glam sunburst mirror, the abstract paintings, the funky zebra pillows, and the hot pink French sofa put this entryway right in my personal “style book” that I keep handy for inspiration.

{Close up above from Bayou Contessa}

This mansion was featured in this month’s House Beautiful. It’s in the heart of New Orleans and belongs to designer, Ned Marshall.


The display on his fireplace mantel is completely unexpected, and looks very “designer”. He artfully placed each piece and made sure he balanced higher objects with shorter objects, natural pieces with more glamorous ones.

Don’t get me wrong, I love one large mirror or piece of art over a fireplace, but I also admire those people who can creatively arrange many objects on their fireplace without making it look junky and cluttered. He did a fantastic job here! And you can definitely tell how much he loves brackets- they are all over his house!

The second floor entry hall contains a faintly painted wall of silver and gray stripes. If you notice, silver isn’t the only metallic added to this space. He went ahead and added in gold as well- great example of how you can mix the two metallics in a room without it looking gaudy!

Another mantel arrangement with a wide variety of accessories…can you believe those candlesticks are just from good ole Pottery Barn?

The dining area is just as cozy as the rest of the house. FYI, all the dark brown walls in his house that provide such coziness are Bittersweet Chocolate by Ben Moore, in case you were wondering!

I don’t think my orange phase is ever going to subside! I’m still crazy for this color. Especially in this room. Its wall color was inspired by the orange leather on his armchairs- reminiscent of an Hermes box.