brussels.

i had the opportunity to travel to brussels, belgium before my semester in italy. from other reliable travelers i got mixed reviews about the city. many gave me a "eh- its OK" review. being the first european city i ever traveled to, i think it will always hold a special place in my heart :)

love the french architecture influence...because i LOVE french ANYTHING

so my mom sent me an email about a "flower carpet." after reading the subject line i was immediately intrigued...i opened the email to find this beauty -->

this "carpet" is designed out of flowers! how cool is that?! the city does it every august. i wanted to travel back to brussels after not trying a belgian waffle (i had one in florence...but i want the REAL DEAL. belgian waffle from belgium. duh.), so now i know to plan my trip around this "festival."

oooohhhhh. ahhhhhh.

*note when i make the statement "when i go here on my next trip." i am referring to in the future. i don't have the $$$ to go on any bad ass trips after last semester :( but i am dying for another adventure. :)

full steam ahead!

*warning the following content is not for the hungry*

t-minus 6 days till project is due. YIKES! these INDS projects always seem to creep up on me. one day i will be ahead and finish in a timely manner (which seems to be my goal at the end of every semester!). anyways...with so much left undone i am sure that you are wondering "why is this idiot making a blog post??..." well the truth is, i have a dirty little secret. incase you didn't know my favorite thing to do when i am overwhelmed or stressed i don't freak out or work mysely to death. i go to my kitchen...and...cook. :) so i decided to share the recipes that made the cut, and that i am going to sample this week...

first on the list - cashew curry. YUM. after a dinner party with chicken curry i have been CRAVING some coconut curry sauce. and look what i stumbled across on the internet. how can this picture not make you hungry...

salivating already...

this recipe for spinach and chickpeas doesn't seem hard - i doubt that i will even print it off, for something this "easy" i just use the picture to go by and get "inspiration." a custom piece (like most of the furniture i specify for project).

yummy! :)

and last but not least, i have the biggest sweet tooth in the ENTIRE world (i could out eat anyone in anything sweet - so try me). i thought i would try making some chocolate macaroons. i recently discovered that i like coconut, i have always enjoyed chocolate...and when the two combine. well let's just say the flavors are pure harmony. mmmmmm

i believe in dessert after every meal.

well now after a break, it is back to the project (yes, i am still working on that 15,000 sq ft bank) and jamming out to "lungs" my new favorite album by 'florence + the machine.' check her out...

addiction update

so i ordered the first book in the sookie stackhouse series -"dead until dark" today. the reason being...now that i am all caught up on true blood, i need supplementary reading to get me through the week.

don't forget episode 6 airs tonight @ 8PM on HBO

back to work on my interior design project. blah.

cats do have 9 lives...

so recently my beloved "fur-baby" was sick. trooper - the coolest cat in the entire world - suffered from a serious infection in her kidney and pancreas. she wasn't eating, drinking or being her usual frisky self. sure she is "old", i prefer "aged." which makes her like a fine wine, she is only getting better :)

anyways. this post is dedicated to her! and i guess after her "miracle" recovery (that can be attributed to the $$$$ vet bill and baby food - yep, she was on a baby food diet to get her strength back)...trooper is recovering with 8 lives left.

enjoy the photo shoot :)

bobble head trooper...

emo trooper....

TROOPER!

blast from the past

(navy chair - frozen in a block of ice...still unsure of the message here. but it looks "cool" and i like it...)

for everyone that loves (or appreciates) design!

get ready to have your mind blown. i had the experience of a lifetime this past spring. not only was i living in a refurbished palace in italy (ok so maybe it was the "stable" section and not the actual living quarters - but it was still legit. did i mention i was just a 45 min train ride south of rome?), but i had the chance to attend MILAN DESIGN WEEK.

milan design week is an international design show (duh). and because interior design is my life, i wanted highlight my favorites on my blog. the inspiration being - when i was working on my 'non-residential studio' project (and because i am sure that you are DYING to know what this infamous project actually is - well, funny you should ask. it is a 15,000 sq ft bank in las vegas, nevada), and stumbled across an ad in a magazine of this light...

*unable to find the magazine again :(

loaction : somewhere in my HUGE stack of magazines i need to catch up on (january- june)

and it was my first "OMG! i saw their display at MILAN DESIGN WEEK 2010!!!!!!!!" so i guess this was a lengthy explanation of why i "repeating" a post (the origianl post can be found here -http://mshapinitaly.blogspot.com/2010/04/milan-designday.html)...

light on display that i saw in MILAN.

sadly i can not remember the manufacturer of this piece, or seem to locate the magazine i found it in! (bummer) so i will just give the low down. the chandelier is not what you may think. after looking at that picture i am sure you must think the same thing i did when i first saw the display. big deal, it is a bunch of pendant lights clustered together to create a "chandelier" so 2008. well prepare to have your mind blown (literally).

(sunday august 1, 2010) so flipping through my school notebook, and what did i find?! but the manufacturer of this light! the link to the website (http://bocci.ca/#/bocci-collection/) for your viewing pleasure.

so each light is 1 piece. yes. you read that correctly. as much as you might think the blown glass balls are individual pieces that are in a group you are wrong. i wish i had a better detail image to explain the process that i am somewhat familiar with. it all starts with one blown glass sphere (duh), and then someone (which i am certain must have been magic after further inspection) blows another sphere off of the previous one. the process continues until the desired number of spheres are present. during this process another "bubble" appears in the sphere. once again, a detail image would be helpful. basically what i am trying to tell you is...this light is AWESOME. and as soon as i find the website i plan on posting it so you can see for yourself...

basically this post is going to be a photo album of design favorites from design week...

ready...set...DESIGN.

the first stop on our week of design (that was crammed into one day) was this really innovative student exhibition. all the pieces were "reclaimed." like these chairs - the seat is constructed of re-used wood pieces. i think they are a beautiful art piece. one of a kind - just the way i like it.

i don't know what this is...or what it is for.

it just made me smile :)

"green design" may be a trend - but i think it is here to stay!

check out this console table that is encrusted in buttons. a lacquered finish secures them and creates an even surface.

reminds me of a kaleidoscope!

detail image of the buttons on the console table.

more reclaimed art.

this was made of CDs. i love (notice i did not say "loved" because the feelings towards this piece are still present) this piece and i would have considered stealing it right then and there, but i was unsure how i would have smuggled a 4ft high piece of art out of a showroom, managed to carry it around all day and then fly back to rome on ryanair (if you are unfamiliar with ryanair - you are not even allowed to take 2 carry-on's on the plane. a bag or a purse. not both like american airlines. oh how i do not miss budget airlines)...

neat lights.

environment furniture showroom!

for a project last year i used a lot of their products (the products are finished and made with reclaimed and recycled materials), so it was really cool to see the products that i actually specified in person.

because i just liked the way these plants were arranged...

molo!

saw them at neocon 2009 (trade show in chicago, il), and immediately fell in love.

this is a lighting installation, entirely made out of paper. actually...everything that make is made out of paper. the product that BLOWS MY MIND in their "stools" that you can sit or stand on (yes, you can STAND on paper...and it will actually hold you up).

HIVE. a really cool contract (aka office) furniture installation.

would love to work somewhere that used this as storage! i think it would make me feel very productive...like i was a little "worker bee" in a beehive.

a rug made out of wood? one may say no, but is say YES.

i think it is more of an "art form" than an actual rug...but either way it was COOL!

what is it?

well that might be what the untrained eye would say...but i know better, and thankfully can enlighten you with the fact that it is a storage piece of furniture. similar to a chest of drawers. the track system for this piece is magic. it allows you to pull the drawers to the left or right, without the piece toppling over. genius.

the piece in action...

established&sons. oh how i love you!

my design companions. (from left to right)

nortold, LB, MAX (only the best guide ever), becca, krystle, lil coco, cyd, mikus, and me :)

hope all these pictures have inspired you to do something great today.

live.

love.

and design!

the name change says it all.

the change of the blog title should suggest the reason behind my extended periods of time between my posts. i blame school (and life in general - eating & sleeping consume more than my day than one would think...but we can put the bulk of the blame on interior design studio), but that would be lazy of me. something that actually IS to blame is the HBO phenomenon - true blood.

LOVE IT!

if you are familiar with the show, it is my "V." can't get enough. always wanting more even after i have had my fix. i have no self control after watching an episode. i can't stop. i want to watch the next, and the next, and the next...the cliff hangers are THAT good.

if you have never seen the show...you are probably wondering what that previous sentence meant. WATCH THE SHOW TO FIND OUT.

i never thought i was really into the whole "vampire trend," but kudos to the writers at HBO... not only did they get my hooked on a show that involves vampires (and some shape shifters - and some other characters that i am not even sure what to classify them as), but they know how to write in a cliff hanger. i stayed up till 4:00 AM watching half of season 1! yes, it is that addicting. so my advice to all the people who have not experienced the power of true blood, make sure you have adequate time to devote to catching up on the series (HBO is currently airing season 3), because this isn't a show you can start. stop. pick back up in a few days. watch half an episode, and then finish the next on friday after class. it requires your full and undivided attention. don't say i didn't warn you....

fave vamp&mortal couple,

and i am sucker because they are even a couple in REAL life (not the "fake life" of television)

one of my favorite dresses on the red carpet - of all time!

hands down, most entertaining character on the show! and my fave.

a gay, drug dealing, black, cook trying to escape the slow paced lifestyle in bon temps, LA...what more could you ask for in a "complex character?!"

so get ready for true blood to dominate my blog, much like lil wayne and interior design have...

enjoy :)

barbie and i have a lot in common

(*i am sure you are wondering "geez, nothing was posted for an entire month. what is with the increase in posts?!" well if you must know the class that was prohibiting my ability to post is almost over (rejoice! it is an ethics class. blah)...now i am procrastinating from studying.)

what do barbie and i have in common? it is surely not the love for pink - although my room at my home in fairhope is pink, that was a poor design decision that i made at the mature age of 11. it would be....(drum roll)....

this guy! the great (well that is not his actual title - i made the executive decision to add it for a more dramatic approach) - JONATHAN ADLER!

he has GREAT products. fun&quirky&eclectic. would define his style. he has a very imaginative and almost child-like approach to design. with the small "menagerie" animals (the ultimate carefree pet). i like the spaniels. the perfect dog for a BUSY college student (like myself. *hint hint mom!).

http://www.jonathanadler.com/menagerie/

for your white ceramic animal viewing pleasure, venture to the link above.

*disclaimer - so i can't actually post the picture of the malibu barbie on my blog (copyrights are a bitch sometimes, but i understand that he wants to protect his work...), so check out his interior design page (http://www.jonathanadler.com/interior_design.php) and scroll down in a few thumbnails down on the left - you can click the picture to enlarge it for your viewing pleasure.

ps- not only do barbie and i have a love for JA designs in common, we also love floor poufs! the image has a few clustered together (they are silver metallic and...well...obviously located on the floor).

enjoy :)

RAW

i know this blog was supposed to be about my love for design (currently my blog expresses love for lil wayne and traveling)...but i finally found something "cool" enough for me to post. yay!

so not only was i STOKED to learn that this company's studio is based in the ATL, but the overall concept is great. they (a husband and wife team - awwwww) salvage carpet and create this...

a masterpiece!

the discarded pieces (aka trash) are sewn together to create an custom work of art for your floor (aka an area rug)! go Meg van der Kruik, the creative genius behind the work (girl power, fo sho).



so the old saying holds true "one man's trash is another man's treasure."

for more information hit up this AMAZIN website: http://www.unioneighteen.com/index.html
enjoy :)

how can you not be in love with sustainable design,
when the finished product looks so GREAT.
GO GREEN, or GO HOME...

oh the places i will (hopefully) go.

Things to do in europe-

I have started to compile a list of places I want to go, I guess you could consider it a “traveling bucket list.”

*attend christmas mass, easter mass, the first sunday of advent mass, and when the new pope is elected – at non other than st. peters (roma, italy)

*celebrate st. patricks day at a pub in ireland

*visit malaga, spain for my birthday (significance – mobile's supposed “sister city,” - although wikipedia disagrees)

*also while I am in spain, track down potential long lost relatives (I am assuming they are from madrid) and go to a bull fight.

* “yachting” off the coast of croatia...movie star style. :)

*go back to paris...because well...it is paris! (same goes for barcelona)

*go back to interlaken, switzerland during the summer and partake in the hiking and “zorbing” (when you roll down a hill in a clear inflatable ball, think human hamster wheel), and possibly even sky diving.

*and believe it or not I want to travel to munich as well (this city and germany as a whole currently remains at the end of my list of favorite places I have been), during the summer and give the city a second chance with a trip to the “beer gardens”

Some other countries i wish to travel too include : argentina, egypt, england, russia, austraila/new zealand, and south africa just to name a few. :) also i want to go back to fes (when i have money) and buy EVERYTHING. they had some of the most beautiful things: carpets, leather goods, ceramics, like i said...EVERYTHING.

INDIA!

My next “trip” that I am obsessing over is – train-ing across india! After traveling to fes (morocco) I want to get as much 3^rd world traveling out of my system in my 20's...before I turn into a complaining “old” person. I think it is inevitable and happens to the best of us...

ultimately as far as my planning has gotten is, you want to visit between october and february (avoiding the humid hot summers). I want to fly into bombay on the western coast of india and some how make my way through north eastern india via train. So, that is about as far as I have gotten. Oh yeah...and I guess I need figure out how i am going to pay for this too!

im backkkkkkkkkk

i took a little break, not knowing how i initially wanted to start this blog, and then it came to me "lil wayne." thankfully the other night my subconsciousness made that possible by having another famous lil wayne dream...

i remember waking up in the middle of the night - during my crazy dream - and thinking "wow. this is insane. i should write this down.." but before i could really finish my thought (or even consider getting out of bed to document my recent thoughts) i had already fallen back asleep. well basically this is all i can remember. i was at skybar, in my pajamas (and it is the ugliest piece of sleepwear that i own - a flannel nightgown that is light blue and covered in ice cream cones) dancing around in the "boom boom room." for those who are unfamiliar with this terminology it is the very back of skybar and similar to a gymnasium, and it's where they play all the rap music. so i am back there getting my groove on when i notice that someone is taking pictures from the "top deck" (some more skybar slang - the very back of the BBR has an elevated area that looks down on the rest of the room), because i kept seeing huge flashes of light. in my dream i looked up so see who it was when they finished with their paparazzi photo shoot. and it was none other than - lil wayne. he was doing his weird laugh that he does in many of his songs. and then i was immediately embarrassed. but now i wonder what he was doing at skybar when he is supposed to be in jail...

cheesing with that purple drank.

166 days till the infamous "free weezy party." or November 4th, for those that don't want to perform basic math :)

A few random facts about lil wayne that i learned :
(thank you - behind the music: lil wayne)
-he "invented" the popular phrase "bling bling"
-he doesn't write his music, he freestyles (which i FULLY support, i am the resident "free-styler" on projects in interior design. haha)
-he has bullet shards lodged in his chest (he shot himself on accident when he was in middle school and some fragments got too close to his heart for the surgeons to remove safely)
-his daughter has the same birthday as MACKENZIE - november 29