Office Space

In the past two weeks I worked around 50 hours of overtime in an office space that was less than thrilling. To be honest it was downright depressing and has been that way since I started my job a little over a year ago when they had just moved into a new office space. The work continued to pile up and decorating/organizing fell by the wayside. With all this extra time I was spending in such a bland space, I decided to take it upon myself to mix things up! Design is my life damnit!

My budget was somewhat limited since this was to come out of my own pocket but I feel what I accomplished will suffice for now. What follows are my purchases from this past weekend for my area of the office.

From top left: IKEA Stockholm Rand Rug – IKEA, Torchiere Floor Lamp – Target, Fejka faux potted plants in a Socker steel pot – IKEA and Horizontal Organizers – Target.

From top left: Vintage Construction Book Set, Iron Table Lamps – Target, Vintage Framed Building Blueprints and Hyllis Stainless Steel Shelving Unit – IKEA.


The books have yet to be purchased but are next on my list! Everyone was surprised to see some decor in the office this morning and I hope to have encouraged some to bring some life to the office themselves! Plus working under the lamps rather than the horrid fluorescent lighting is a blessing beyond words!

Damn, I wish THIS kind of designing was my job!!
(No offense roofing buddies!)

White Diamonds.

On March 23, 2011, the world lost one of the last great legends from the Golden Era of Hollywood, Elizabeth Taylor. She passed away at the age of 79 and we will probably never see someone as irrevocably astonishing as her again.

She was known internationally for her beauty, earned two Academy Awards, had successful fragrances, was a strong advocate for AIDS research, and was married a total of eight times. Vanity Fair published a piece on her and Richard Burton in their July 2010 issue and I could NOT put it down! Their scandalous yet epic romance that began on the set of Cleopatra was one for the ages. He bought her many gifts but especially among those were the 33.19-carat Krupp diamond and the infamous 69.42-carat "Taylor-Burton diamond." She lived a life far more dramatic and intense than any movie.

What follows is a small tribute of some of my favorite photos of her. It was extraordinarily hard to narrow down the photos as she looks damn lovely in ALL of them!!

Elizabeth Taylor in National Velvet, 1945.

Elizabeth Taylor with Montgomery Clift on the Paramount lot while filming A Place in the Sun, 1951.

Elizabeth Taylor in Suddenly, Last Summer, 1959.

"My mother says I didn't open my eyes for eight days after I was born, but when I did, the first thing I saw was an engagement ring. I was hooked." - Elizabeth Taylor

Elizabeth with Rock Hudson on the set of Giant, 1955.

Elizabeth Taylor in Butterfield 8 where she won her first Academy Award in 1961.

"Richard came on the set and sort of sidled over to me and said: "Has anybody ever told you that you're a very pretty girl?" 'I thought, Oy gevalt, the great lover, the great wit, the great Welsh intellectual, and he comes out with a corny line like that! But then I noticed his hands were shaking as if he had Saturday night palsy. He had the worst hangover I'd ever seen. And he was obviously terrified of me. I just took pity on him. I realized he really was human. That was the beginning of our affair."
- Elizabeth Taylor

Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra, 1963.

Epic love story in the making on the set of Cleopatra.

"I've always admitted that I'm ruled by my passions."
- Elizabeth Taylor

Elizabeth looking divine leaving the set of Cleopatra.

Elizabeth Taylor + Richard Burton on the set of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, 1966.

Elizabeth Taylor at the 42nd Annual Academy Awards wearing the Taylor-Burton diamond, 1970.

"I had a hollow leg. I could drink everyone under the table and not get drunk. My capacity was terrifying."
- Elizabeth Taylor

Elizabeth Taylor with her fragrance, White Diamonds.

Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor, DBE
February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011

Sources: Life Magazine + mptvimages.com

APART.

Last week was the film portion of South by Southwest (SXSW) here in Austin. If you have never heard of SXSW, it is a annual music, film and interactive festival that attracts hundreds of thousands of people from all over. It is insane! I had the chance to attend a screening of a movie at the festival. Not just any movie though. A movie that was filmed in my hometown that I had worked on as a wardrobe assistant! It was a very interesting/different experience watching a film where I had behind the scene knowledge. Plus, it was pretty cool to see my name in the credits! The people were awesome and I miss working on it. This was all about 2 years ago... and last week I was able to see the final outcome. It hit beyond what I had imagined.

The title of the film? ---> "APART"

"Linked by a rare psychological disorder, Noah Greene and Emily Gates must uncover the mystery of a tragic past in order to find hope for the future." -IMDb

The script kept me on the edge of my seat. The cinematography was visually stunning! The way the story is told can be compared to the way the TV show "Lost" was told. It went back and forth between past and present building the mystery with every turn. It is nice to watch a movie that asks the viewer to think rather than sit mindlessly and watch.

The one thing about this movie that truly hit home was that it was filmed in my hometown. Seeing my hometown so beautifully shot on screen actually hit a more emotional level than I thought it would. There was a scene during the football game that hit it out of the park! My friends and I would be found at the football games most Friday nights and those scenes brought so many memories back. A sense of pride came over me... That was MY town!

I truly enjoyed the movie and can't wait for my family and friends to see it!!

P.S. Keep an eye out for the grey pea coat Emily wears and some of the band posters in the background... That's all me baby!

Visit apart-movie.com for more information on the movie!

Bouldin Castle.

This is one of my favorite renovations of a historic site and it is right here in Austin. May I present, Bouldin Castle.

This site was originally home to San Jose Catholic Church from 1925 until the 1970s when it changed hands to another church. The property was eventually bought by Urban Nature Inc. in 2008. Ivan Spaller and Priscilla Glover teamed up to redesign the existing church and I must say they did a brilliant job.

The designers reconstructed the existing spaces with a modern yet old world design while staying true to the original mission style. The overall feel of the castle is open and creates a sense of ease and escape. The natural building materials and natural light connect the interior and exterior spaces. This is one design element that I especially love about this castle.

There are small gothic details throughout the castle. The original flagstone floors and wood beams in the great hall were incorporated in the redesign. The chandeliers that grace the hall are originals from the church as well. The space in the great hall is vast and many different layouts could be used. I can get a bit stir-crazy from time to time and to have the ablility to easily rearrange a large space would definitely be beneficial. This space would also be ideal for the many parties I would love to host. My Thanksgiving Feast would consist of an extra-long dining table that could fit 20 of my favorite people right down the center of the hall. My Christmas Gala would center on a huge, decorated tree with my friends and family all around. The Halloween Ball would be frightfully scary and spooky. Seriously a freakin' amazing space to share with friends and family!

The master bedroom is your sanctuary for escape. There needs to be natural light, preferably with windows strategically placed to allowed breezes and the morning sun through. A clean color palette and a BIG, FLUFFY bed help make the bedroom a place where you can unwind! The master bedroom in this castle takes up the entire second floor. I am usually not a fan of the master bedroom being on any floor other than the ground floor but I will make an exception for this master suite! It has an amazing patterned, reclaimed wood floor accompanied by lovely, white walls. The bathroom is fully equipped with modern day amenities and is oh so tranquil. There is an elegant claw-foot tub and is also equipped with a private shower room and a huge walk-in closet! This is one master suite I would certainly seek refuge in after a long day!

I am a sucker for a lovely, well-designed kitchen. A poorly designed kitchen can break the design of a home. That is quite the opposite of the kitchen that resides in this castle! The kitchen is stocked with two steel fridges, a gas range with a vented hood and two original street lamps from 1900s Bordeaux, France that hang over the kitchen sinks that are set in Italian marble. With such awesome appliances, ample natural light and high quality materials, this kitchen serves its purpose above and beyond.

There is a saline lap pool on the grounds along with two outdoor dining areas. I would spend spring evenings dining al fresco in the courtyard and be all bundled up inside during the winter months! There would be something almost primal about living on this property. If the funds were available, I would grab this castle up in a heartbeat. It would definitely be a relaxing change to come home to after a hectic day at the office. Your mind would be able to open up and retreat back to a simpler time while utilizing all of today’s modern advances. Ah, the life of a king!

Source: www.715westmary.com

Hello. Good Morning.

I have been sitting on this blog for almost 6 months now. I had been wanting to start a blog for awhile to help keep me inspired and to spread the love. A part of what held me back was the fear of what others might think. Things have changed in the past 6 months and that fear has seemed to subside. I finally feel free to break from the mold I thought I needed to fit in. This blog will be my attempt to entertain + inspire + update those that care to read it while continuing to be my awesome self. So here's to saying good bye to caring what others think and hopefully creating an entertaining and kick-ass blog along the way! This should be interesting...

photo from Life Magazine.