Hurricane Irene is heading toward NH...and people are FREAKING OUT!

So, I am a total facebook junkie like so many of my friends. I find it is a great way to keep in touch with family and friends. I post pictures and my family and my husband's family get to see the kids as they have their "kodak moments" or in our case Canon Moments and I really think it brings us all a little bit closer.

The down side of it is that when there is a storm (either political or weather related), everyone gets a little on edge. 

Right now, it is all about Hurricane Irene. People are heading to the stores to clean out the water and batteries. They are cleaning their yards and preparing to hole up in basements in necessary. Now, I am not mocking them...In fact, I just cleaned the yard and will be heading to the grocery store to stock up myself in a few minutes...I just know that part of the reason is that everyone else seems worried....which makes ME worried...ya know?

Pic from my friend, Andre Wright

In light of that, I am signing off with a few murals meant to offer some peace and relaxation. We all could use a little of that today! 

Oh, and....

HEHE.....Just kidding!

All of these murals and more can be found at www.customizedwalls.com!

HAVE A GREAT (AND SAFE) WEEKEND!!!!!

Introducing Signed Artist, David L. Glover

When I first saw David's work, I was so impressed with his attention to detail. His painting bring you to a time and place. Many of them are romantic and beautiful and others are peaceful and serene. I think so many of his painting would make fantastic wall art or murals and wanted to introduce you to the man, himself and show you some of his work.

David Lloyd Glover has a 25-year international reputation exhibiting in major galleries in the US, Canada, Mexico, and Japan.  Glover has exhibited his works in over 17 sellout shows in Tokyo and Osaka Japan.  For the past 20 years he has exhibited art in an exclusive gallery on the famed Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, California where collectors from all over the world have acquired his original paintings.  Many Hollywood celebrities and recording stars are among his top collectors.  For his many galleries, Glover has created images ranging from Impressionist landscapes to Iconic images of Jazz artists and Rock stars.  Glover creates masterworks in watercolor on paper, gouache on paper, oil on canvas, acrylic on canvas with equal facility.  Born 1949 in Victoria, British Columbia, he exhibited an usually acute ability as an artist selling professionally at 12 years of age. At the age of 18 he was a full-time newspaper and magazine illustrator.  It was during his illustrator period he developed his skill in rendering people.  After a career in the advertising industry he embarked on a full time vocation of creating fine art for gallery sales.  His original art is highly coveted and very seldom available on the resale market.  David Lloyd Glover now appears as a guest on Fine Art Showcase on Celebrity Shopping TV, channel 233 on DirectTV.

Here are some fantastic examples of his work that can be found at www.customizedwalls.com:

I just love his work...Don't you?

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Have a Fantastic Day!!!

...and thanks for reading!

Tuesday Trend Alert- Chevron

I do not know about you but I am seeing chevron everywhere lately. The sharp angles draw the eye and add interest. It is a timeless but modern print.

Here are some examples that I think are just killer:

This design can be yours in any color of your choice at www.customizedwalls.com. Just give us a call at (800)425-9959 or email me at laurie@customizedwalls.com for a custom sample.

Have a wonderful day!

Being More Eco-Friendly and Saving Money in Meantime!

I have 3 little ones at home and almost every month has big expenses with seasonal clothing, back to school supplies, birthdays, holidays, etc. so I am always looking to economize....that, and I do have some serious hippy chick views about ecology and the environment. 


I am not above spending and buying something of quality that can greatly enrich my space or style but for sure try to practice as much reduce, reuse, recycle philosophies as I can...


One of the things I do in my spare time (what little I have) is to find some serious furniture and design pieces and give them a new life. I just LOVE yard sales, thrift shops, and craigslist finds! I also think some of the pieces are more unique than what you can get now and have history...plus you totally bond as you re-paint and design the new pieces...


In that trend, here are some furniture makeovers I have found (online- not mine) that I think would look amazing in any house!

So, grab a paint brush and get out there! Happy Thrifting!!!

Cleanliness is next to Godliness...

I know most of my blog is about home design but I just had to share this awesome cleaning tip. 


I have a vintage gas stove/ oven. It works (most of the time) perfectly and looks super cool. It came with the house and we soon realized that the gas heater on the side was worth it's weight in gold. I live in NH and sometimes we get so much snow it takes down power lines. Our super cool stove in addition to turning out my culinary masterpieces can heat the whole bottom floor in the event our power goes out. Pretty snazzy, huh? 


It looks kinda like this:

So, ya it looks great BUT is a Pain in the booty to clean. The white enamel gets grease caked on faster than you can say "Shake and Bake". I can not tell you the amount of cleaners (as many as 60!) I have tried to clean this monster and though I could get it clean, it just would never get some of the black, hardened bits no matter how much I scrubbed or soaked it. Talk about FRUSTRATING!!!


Recently, I was reading a tip that said I could throw the grills and any detachable parts in a bag with ammonia for the night and I wouldn't have to scrub, it would just come totally clean. This seemed like a total fairytale but I gave it a try....


And, low and behold! It WORKED!!! Every baked on, caked on black bit just came off with a rinse and sponge. It now is gleaming like BRAND NEW!


So, now I am on a Bag o' Ammonia kick! I have cleaning the gas grill outside, microwave plate, shower heads, and pretty much anything laying around that has a built-up hard stains.


So, give it a try on your grills. It works! 


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Tuesday Trend Alert: Power Stripes

Today's Tuesday Trend Alert: Power Stripes!

Have you ever been to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC? I am always hit in the face with color and imagination. Particularly the rainbow colored floor. 

Floor of MoMA

This floor is an art piece unto itself. It shows a tribute to color. A vibrant display that just exudes energy. And I have noticed it among my searches for these bright stripe patterns are becoming quite the trend. 

This Stairway is so fun!

Ombre Placemats from the MoMA store..colorful and fun

A Make your own version of the MoMA floor in a dining room. Painters tape can be your FRIEND!

And we have a few customized walls that would help you achieve this bright and happy feeling in  your very own space. You can place onto a floor, wall, ceiling bookcase or more for a great pop of color that will be sure to brighten even your darkest day. 

www.customizedwalls.com Great for a kitchen!

This would be fun in almost any room!

I would use this as an accent. On the interior of a bookcase or panels of a drawer.

More muted version for less color adventurous! www.customizedwalls.com

I love this trend and hope you do too!

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Gorgeously Purple Bedroom.

One of my favorite colors has always been purple. When I was little, I went away for girl scout camp and my parents surprised me by re-decorating my room with my favorite color. I still remember the light purple walls, my pretty white bed, and my new white comforter set with dainty purple flowers. 


If I were re-designing my dream purple bedroom now, these are some things I know I would just have to have:

"Retro Glamour" Chandelier - Horchow http://bit.ly/nMGamM

 

Have you ever seen a more glamourous chandelier in your whole life? Dreamy!

DKNY Floral Garden Duvet Cover from Donna Karan Home http://bit.ly/rcjifj

I would LOVE this bedding! It is just the right amount of crisp white with a splash of purple. Lovely!

Lattice Ooh La La Armchair, Mauve | PBteen http://bit.ly/nkchD2

A Pair of these lattice chairs would be wonderful for sitting with a good friend and having a nice long chat or just getting ready in the morning. 

I would change the black to Purple to match from www.customizedwalls.com

I love this pattern! Since Customized Walls can colorize many of our images, I would change the black to match the purple. I think it would fit perfectly in my dream purple bedroom.

I love it! How about you? 

It is never too late to start doing what you love..

Today, I was on my latest obsession, www.pinterest.com and I was struck by this sign...

You can Follow my pins here http://pinterest.com/customizedwalls/pins/

I guess it appeals to me because I am 36 and starting a new business and really hoping that the past 7 months of 7 day work weeks working 14 hrs a day (not to mention the cash investment) will pay off and amount to a successful business.


Before starting this business, I had been consulting selling ink and media for large format printing. Primarily for the fine art market but I have touched quite a few markets. One thing I can say with all my years of touching, testing and yes, even smelling AND tasting printing materials, is that I know a good product when I see one. I can feel it in my bones, if you will. A sort of tingle that this will be something that people can use.


So, when I found this product, I had a big tingle. HUGE, really...right down to my toes and I just knew that this was something I would use in my own life. Everyone always says, when  you find something you would use yourself, start a business.... and I guess you could say that is just what I did.


At one point, I have rented. Being a little bit of a nomad in my early years, I rented SEVERAL apartments and houses. And each one had the same boring, white walls. I would always decorate and dress it up in my way (with whatever budget I had at the time) but I just know that I would have absolutely flipped to cheer up those standard white walls with one of these murals. Heck, I would have been happy to order one in a solid color...anything other than plain, old apartment white...


Ever the entrepreneur,  I also owned a wine shop for a few years. I was able to paint my shop and make it cute but I think how much easier it would have been if I could have done a few of these murals to set the mood. I can pictures vineyard-scapes with dark purple grapes hanging so fat and juicy you could practically taste the wine they produce. Talk about advertising...


and THEN, when we bought this house, my (at the time) 4 yr old daughter was absolutely obsessed with pink. Now, I like pink as much as the next gal but I find vast amounts to be a bit like pepto... if you know what I'm sayin'...


Anyhow, we waited a few years....Why? Well, because we were bad, horrible parents that were just plain too pooped on the weekend for painting.


When we finally got around to it, we spent a solid week (Yes, I said solid WEEK) in August (her birth month) steaming, scoring, scraping 1970s wallpaper from her walls for a birthday room makeover. Exhausting and HOT does not even BEGIN to describe it. After hauling buckets of dirty, wet, old paper and glue out of the room, we scrubbed and scrubbed the walls clean and FINALLY got to spend the next weekend taping off, priming, and painting the walls. Yep...THREE coats of pink to match the less obnoxious lighter color in her new pink and zebra bed set (did I mention she was also obsessed with zebras?).


BUT, when she finally saw it she screamed and yelled and hugged with such excitement that it was totally worth it........Sort of ;)

This is When we were ALMOST finished the pink RE-DO

We made this Warhol-esqe Large print of her to hang over the bed. Cool, huh?

Well, unfortunately, she is SO OVER pink now that she is the ripe, old age of 10 (my baby is growing up *sigh*), and just LOVES everything BLUE. Here we go again!


This time, we are going to paint the room a more sellable neutral color and buy crisp white and aqua bedding.....And the BELOW mural on one wall. I think it will have some milage into the teen years, don't you?

She is a little surfer chick...so it works great... 

But, I digress......


When I saw this product, I saw something that I know I would have, and WILL use. My hope that others will want to use it too.


So, here is to all of US who are just starting something new.....may we "master" our new pursuits as well as Julia Mastered the Art of French Cooking!