carolina on my mind.

in my mind i'm goin to carolina
can't you see the sunshine
can't you just feel the moonshine
-james taylor

tomorrow, i depart for high point, north carolina-- the furniture mecca of america. furniture market is a very inspiring place. i'm excited to see what new trends and designs will be launched. i'm noticing a yellow palette and a reach for high concept design. i love seeing new products and the installations throughout different showrooms. although we work from 7am-10pm and we're on our feet all day, we're schmoozing, wine.ing, dine.ing, and shopping for fabulous products in the most creative atmospheres.

vintage summer.

as you may know from previous posts, i'm a camp-aholic. i am lucky that my parents sent me to sleep-away camp, but it was their choice of camp that i am eternally grateful for. while growing up and singing my camp alma mater, my dad would tell me about his bungalow colony and how similar it was to my camp. well, it wasn't until recently that i saw some fabulously vintage photos of his summers upstate. it's like i'm looking at bonus footage from the film 'dirty dancing.'

can't stop [won't stop] watching.

it's been a while since my last post. suffice to say it's been a busy few weeks months. however, i always make time for ever inspiring video. you know, the kind that has you watching the same 3 minute and 32 seconds over and over.

mumford and sons. 

i will wait.

the voice battle round.

de'borah vs. nelly.

advertising spot for smart cars -- "made for two"

axis of awesome.

4 chords.

eran amir.

long weekend playlist.

happy 3 day weekend. summer is coming to an end so make sure you enjoy the next few days and live it up. indulge yourself. pour those glasses of margharitas and eat those forbidden calories. and, as always, make sure you have a fantastic soundtrack to the weekend. here are some songs to add to your labor day playlist.

emeli sande. next to me.

the lumineers. stubborn love.

train. 50 ways to say goodbye.

passion pit. take a walk.

miike snow. black and blue.

the killers. runaways.

a couple of room scenes.

nyigf

i wasn't completely wow'd by this year's nyigf. i saw a lot of the same thing. however, there were a few companies and/or displays that knocked my socks off.

i am a big fan of the show, 'shark tank.' i always put myself in the sharks' shoes. i try to imagine if i would commit to an idea or not. aside from the profitability, i look for its usefulness and its wit. sometimes it's that gimmick that will make you buy something. well, that was the case with this company. they created a line of napkins & placemats that you rip off of a paper towel roll. after one use, they can be washed or they can just be thrown out. there are a ton of colors to choose from.

i've seen a pad of disposable placemats before. heck, we sold them at just 4 the home. but it was this woman who saw the same pads we sell and decided to make it a bit more chic. she created more than 25 designs, some completely textual, some with a bit of humor. for example the pad with the boy on the cover has a girl page alternating with the boy. it's an easy replacement for a place card.

oly has a special place in my heart. no matter how absurd some of their designs are, they maintain a very classic feel. whenever i'm in their showroom, i never want to leave. it's classic meets chic meets some hoofs for legs. 

in the colors of the dusk.

dance with me in the colors of the dusk
-ben harper

one of my favorite lines to use as a designer is 'a pop of color'. well that is a huge understatement at the festival of colors. holi, better known as 'the festival of colours', is a religious spring festival celebrated mostly by hindus. so where do the colors come in? well, one of the earliest rituals attached to holi is throwing colored powder and water at each other. spring blossoming trees once supplied the colors, but modern day celebrations use dyed powders.  this festival has presented itself in mainstream pop culture; in linkin park's music video for 'the catalyst',  in "the amazing race', in regina spektor's song 'fidelity.' spanish fork, utah recently celebrated holi and thomas hawk documented some of the most beautiful images from there.