'E' for Emmy's

Last night was the 62nd Annual Emmy Awards show and of course another showcase of stunning couture gowns on the red carpet. All of these women are captivating in their own way and most of them graced perfect gowns for the evening. Fashion police will be held tonight on E! at 10pm. I guess we will find out what the fashion po po's think but here is my opinion on the fashions worn.

{left to right} The lilac chiffon pair up is so feminine and I adore it. Although the Zac Posen dress is lovely and the color is a fine choice for Christina Hendricks making for a demure look with her skin tone and hair her breasts are completely non flattered & way too large for that cut...So I say thumbs down on this one, C -. Claire Danes in an Armani nude sequined strapless gown which is completely chic and classy. Its a easy A. Kim K. is always looking drop dead beautiful and how could you go wrong in this piece by Marchesa, A +. I feel like her and my style is the most alike if I had to pick a celeb style. I definitely gravitate towards the type of look she seems to maintain.

January Jones sports a royal blue Armani number which I am scared of getting cut by, I mean really do you need armour to brave the paparazzi? C-. Sofia Vergara in Carolina in Herrera is a definite thumbs down, what is the stream of sequins running down the middle of the dress doing there?? It's the fabric and cut of the dress together as well that just doesn't fit on the red carpet. No, no, no. C-. Now Lea Michele dons a navy Oscar de la Renta dress with cascading ruffles which is fabulous on her cute figure. Two thumbs up for sure, A.

Maria Menounos in Ralph and Russo A+

Julie Benz in Pamella Roland A+

Lauren Graham wore Yigal Azrouel B+

Tina Fey in Oscar de la Renta B-

Eva Longoria Parker in Robert Rodriguez A+

Kyra Sedgwick in Monique L'Hullier A+ {this color is phenomenal}

Anna Paquin wore Alexander McQueen B-

Rose Byrne in Gucci A+

And last but not least the most beautiful couple on the red carpet, Seal and Heidi Klum. Heidi is wearing Marchesa and yes it is short short short especially for her age but come on with legs like that why in the world can't she show them off?! A+

From this fashion critic to another I hope you enjoyed the looks & finding out who wore what. :)
Kisses.
-M

And They Were All Yellow

Yellow sparks energy and creativity. It shines optimism and carries the happiest glow with it wherever it goes. I can't help but hum "Yellow" by coldplay while studying these photographs of spectacular spaces and places yellow is applied. Yellow is the most joyful color of all. It gives me a warm feeling from the inside out and displays itself in such a way that it draws me to it. Lighting in my opinion, is one of the most.. if not the most important element of successful design. Yellow encompasses a light in itself that naturally illuminates a room. Take in the blissful moments of yellow displayed here in these designs....enjoy :)


Jcrew yellow chinos

Benjamin Moore yellow raincoat natura paint









Stunning yellow mosaic tile is the perfect accent on this bathroom wall



Hope this starts your week off on with a vibrant vibe! Carry a bit of yellow around inside of you this week and see if it brightens your day up. You never know when someone might notice your natural glow. XO
-M

Windsor Smith

The California based designer is one of my icons. I adore her work. She has successfully accomplished spreading her unique taste into three different ventures. Smith has her own furniture collection, fabric collection, and rug line. This woman is a supermom for sure. I would love to spend a week with her to see how she manages her time! Smith is so inspirational to me because her style encompasses elements of the past done so beautifully in a new fresh way. It has the character of old but the excitement of new. "I like the idea of a new vernacular pitched against classic sensibilites. Everything should feel like it is of the present but also has some kind of thread to history" as she tells Western Interiors magazine.


Smith's entryway




Smith's closet








Windsor Smith fabric for Kravet.

To fall more in love with Windsor Smith go to:
http://www.windsorsmithhome.com/
I hope you find her designs as inspirations like I do. I also hope for you to have a sparked interest in the beauty of balance between historical pieces meeting new concepts. Love to all!
-M

Allow Me To Introduce You

To my home away from home, the Washington Design Center.
7 floors of design bliss is what fills the Washington design center {WDC}, in my opinion. Feast your eyes on endless immpecable furniture pieces, drool worthy fabric, and undeniable accessories. And you can indulge if your pockets are deep, really deep. Of course like all design centers we are opened to the trade only. Meaning you must be a registered designer with tax id # to purchase goods. Now, a client or the general public can make an appointment, come walk around and look but they cannot buy anything without a designer. Design centers all over the nation are filled with our industries most exquisite goods. Above are just a few of the showrooms housed in the WDC.


Street view of the building. Pretty tree-lined sidewalks grace the front and a long awning at the entrance allows the designers never to spend the 2.5 seconds from the street to the front doors getting wet in the rain or hot in the sun....quite spoiled I'd say.


Here is a peek at the main lobby of the building. The design is the work of prominate DC interior designer Kelly Proxmiere. Notice what a fabulous color combination she chose? Georgia on my mind.... GO DAWGS! :) This space exhibits classic colors with a fresh and edgy sass used in accent pieces. I am excited to see what the winter design will be. {I'll be sure and upload some photos of the change when it takes place}




Last but not least here are some of the absolutely wonderful people on the third floor

Precious Pam

a hard days work!

My sweet Emily, she brightens my day and is always ready to chat when I need a break :)

My Alabama girl, Amanda. I get the privilege of working with this crazy awesome girl who never fails to keep me laughing all day long...

The one and only Greg- this man is one of the friendliest faces on the 3rd floor. He is always informing us of the latest & greatest happenings/places to go around town.

Duralee's cute-as-a-button intern, E. This sweetie is a hard worker and is on her way to a fantastic design career!


Needless to say my working environment is entirely too much fun and more fabulous than I ever expected my first job to be. I am so grateful for a job {in this economy} and I'm thrilled that the design center is my home away from home. Thank you to all the people that make my day incredible everyday and allow me to thoroughly enjoy working at the Washington Design Center.
Until next time...
-M