Monday, August 31, 2009

Feeling Inspired!








(All images via Elle Decor)

Today, I had planed to post pics of my trip to the Design Center from last Friday. To say that my schedule is full is an understatement, and I apologize for the change in plans. We're starting to pack (I hate this part of moving), and on top of moving I have a lot going on with work. I wish, I was spending my day in any one of these rooms. How about you? What are your plans for today? I hope it involves a lot more than packing.


P.S. I will be starting a new series called "What's in your makeup bag". I have a love affair with beauty products as well as home remedies... I know, I'm not alone on this one. The series will consist of your beauty routine and the products you love. It will be running every Monday, starting next week. Please, send me an email if you would like to participate.

P.P.S I have an opening on the schedule for the "City Escapes Series" which will be posted this Friday. I will need to have the post by no later than Thursday. Let me know if you would like to participate.


xo,

Yansy

Thursday, August 27, 2009

City Escapes - Wilmington, N.C.

Today's post is by one of the sweetest and most helpful bloggers out there. Sissy from Blue Hydrangea, always makes sure to indulge us with fabulous inspirational images and spectacular designs. I adore her home, and I'm completely obsessed with her blue Opaline goblets. I'm on a mission to find a set of my own.

I hope you all get to enjoy Sissy's fantastic hometown as much as I did. I've always had a love affair with North Carolina, as with any good old Southern Town. Wilmington, is making me long for the small town vibe Miami desperately lacks.


Enjoy the fabulous virtual tour of Wilmington, N.C!

I am so excited to be included in Yansy's City Escapes Series. Today, I am going to be taking you on a walking tour of Wilmington, N.C.

One of the best parts about Wilmington is that it is located between the river and ...


The sea. O.K. I call it the beach...but isn't it great!!!

Today I am going to focus on downtown. This picture shows the end of Market Street where it runs into the river. You can almost make out one of my favorite shops....


Island Passage. Tiny, but full of great finds. Several stores up is another favorite of mine, Edge of Urge, where I got my favorite summer sandals.



Also on Market Street is this great condo which just happens to be for sale. You can have it all, city living in a small town. Check it out here.


Not only does downtown have cool restaurants, shopping and nightlife, but we also have a fabulous farmer's market right on the River walk.

If we head away from the river about two blocks, we will come to the court house. It reminds of the clock tower in Back to the Future. Thankfully I have never had a reason to go to the court house and I hope it stays that way!


From there we can head south two blocks and find First Presbyterian Church. It is important because I grew up going to church here, got married here and baptized my babies here. More importantly, Butterball will start school (O.K. he will only be in the toddlers two days a week) here in a few weeks.


In the mood for a tour. Be sure to check out the Bellamy Mansion, a 22 room antebellum mansion in the heart of downtown. Much prettier than Tara, don't you think?


Just had to include the fountain that is right in front of the Bellamy Mansion. Don't you love the turtles?


As long as we're walking around let's look at a couple of homes. There are a lot of historic, charming homes in downtown.

A friend of mine lived in this house as a child and I spent the night there once. I think I remember being scared.


This is one of the homes features on the local Ghost Tour. I would tell you the story but I don't want to ruin it for you.

That's it for the today. Let's stop by Jester's Java for an adult grilled cheese..with avocado and bacon. Yummy! This is a great little spot where you almost always see someone you know. They also feature artwork from local artists on the walls. Always something new to look at while you dine.

There is so much more to see so if you ever head to my hometown give me a shout!!

I would like to thank Sissy from taking time out of her busy schedule to participate in the City Escapes series. How wonderful must be to live in a City with so much southern charm, and to be located between the river and the beach. I can only imagine those views. Sissy, if I ever find myself in your town, I will definitely give you a shout out. We'll have to do lunch and some shopping :).


I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and make some time to explore your city!



P.S If you are interested in participating in The City Escapes Series, please send me an email.


xo,

Yansy

Fashion Extravaganza

Christian Louboutin Platform Ankle Boots $995



Fendi Suede Peekaboo Tote $1980



Tessera Necklace from Anthro $80


Mercurial Crochet Necklace from Anthro $128



Angles & Angles Cardigan from Anthro $88



Letizia Cardigan from Anthro $118



Puckered & Pleated Cardigan from Anthro $128


Somerset Cape from Anthro $158



Is not odd for me to put a list together of must have items for each season. No, I don't get to buy everything I love, I could only wish. Let's face it, we are downsizing in space, including closet space and my addiction to fashion needs to downsize as well. That doesn't mean, I can't have fun shopping virtually. I am considering purchasing a couple of the Anthro sweaters, and the Fendi tote, my Chanel needs a rest. Are there any fashion pieces you have been coveting lately? Oh, I almost forgot to mention, I'm trying to convince Bobby that I just need to have those two necklaces and the Christian Louboutin boots. We'll see how that goes. I'll keep you updated.


P.S. I didn't get to go to the Design Center today, like I had planed. Something came up with a client that I had to take care of, and I was not going to reschedule my mani/pedi appointment. I always feel like a new person after a mani/pedi. I plan to go to the Design Center on Friday. I will post pics next Monday.

Have a wonderful and productive day, and by productive I mean have fun shopping.


xo,

Yansy

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Another project in progress


You might remember my Paisley story, if you don't make sure to read it. You will be laughing, I guarantee it. I wanted to share with you, the design board I put together for my client's living/dining room. I'm happy to announce that this project is well on its way, many of the items have been ordered. There will be a gallery wall behind the custom made sofa, the clients have amazing art that they've inherited from their family. They had their art pieces spread all over their condo and fell in love with the idea of the gallery wall. I can't wait to share pics of the finished product, and wait until you see the views from that apartment. Why can't I live in on the 25th floor of a high rise on the bay? Oh, right. I have dogs that need to be exercised, and I don't miss the days of walking my dogs late at night. By the way, I fell in love with the Bengal Coffee Table from CB2, I'm so glad to be using it on this project.

I'll be spending most of my day at the Design Center, I have to choose fabrics for new projects, and hopefully find some great furniture pieces for a project I was recently hired to do in Palm Beach. Adriana Hoyos will be my first stop, take a look at her work here.


I'll be back tomorrow with lots of pics,


Have a wonderful and productive day!

Yansy

My New Favorite Client!

For the last couple of weeks, I've been working on a little girls room. This room has to be one of my favorite projects yet, perhaps the little girl behind it is the main reason. Meet Kylie, she's a sweet little girl with a whole lot of attitude, she knows exactly what she likes and there is no convincing her otherwise. Her demands were lots of pink, and a Audrey Hepburn poster. I had a blast designing this room, and Kylie's mom is a trooper for putting everything together.

Kylie, next time I'm in LA, I promise to visit you first :)

P.S. Jade and Tazer send you lots of kisses.


xo,

Yansy

Monday, August 24, 2009

Feeling Light!


Today, I'm feeling as light and airy as this hallway. There is something about this image that speaks to me. It could be the gallery walls , the moroccan arches or the natural lighting. It could be that it reminds me, of my Spaniard grandmother's house. She had a similar hallway, full of pictures of our family. I spent many summers, obsessing over all of the intricate details in many of the photographs, most of them were taken in the 1800's.

I miss her and her home, she thought me to follow my heart and to celebrate my femininity. After having quit my job, I feel as light and airy as this hallway. Today, I'm celebrating my freedom and my new outlook in life.


I would like to thank all of you for your sweet words, and your support. I started this blog four months ago, and I know it's been one of the best decisions I've ever made.

Go out there and be the best version of yourself, and always follow your heart!

xo,

Yansy

Thursday, August 20, 2009

City Escapes - Naples, FL

Today's City Escapes series is featuring one my favorite cities in Florida, and fellow blogger.
Naples is only an hour away from Miami, and it couldn't be more different and laid back compared to Miami. Anne, from Annechovie was kind enough to share her favorite spots in the city. I don't think it's necessary to formally introduce Anne, most of you know who she is, and are familiar with her wonderful work. Anne is an amazing and talented artist, make sure to check out her fabulous store on Etsy. I have so many of her pieces in mind for the new gallery wall I plan to create in our new home.

Enjoy the virtual tour of Naples, FL!


Hello Yansy,

I really appreciate you inviting me to participate. Unfortunately, there are not a lot of "landmark" type buildings around here. It's a beautiful area, but has a kind of small-town vibe and most of the big buildings are beach condo hi-rises. However, the downtown area is charming and has lots of Spanish style architecture, much like the rest of Florida. The most beautiful thing is the water and sky, but I have tried to include some of the main landmarks for the area.


The Naples Philharmonic/Performing Arts Center

The famous Naples Pier, a popular place to walk, esp. at sunset

There's an all pink building near 3rd st., housing the Marissa Collection, high end clothing, etc

One of the signature hotels downtown is the Inn on Fifth, I have also included a photo of the street area, a popular venue for shopping, restaurants, etc.



Also, a photo of Clam Pass, so you can get an idea of how beautiful the water and beachy areas are here (I know Miami has these incredible spots as well!)


Thanks so much and have a great day, Yansy!


I would like to thank Anne for taking time out of her busy schedule to do the series. In my opinion, Naples has one of the best beaches in the world. After seeing these pictures, it's not difficult to understand how Anne can produce such beautiful work. Anne, you're an inspiration to all of us, and after seeing your City, it's easier to understand the excitement and love behind your work.


I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and make some time to explore your city!



P.S If you are interested in participating in The City Escapes Series, please send me an email.


xo,

Yansy

A perfect balance!


(Image via House Beautiful)


The color combination in this bedroom is perfection. I love everything except for the light fixture. Wouldn't you love to wake up in this room every morning? Is there anything you would change about it? The bed and the lucite polka dot bench are my favorite. Which are yours?

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Entryways (Eye Candy)











(Images via Domino, from my inspiration file)

I've always had a thing for bright and airy entryways. I think that's part of my adoration for Southern Architecture. An entryway is your chance to make your first impression, in my book it happens to be as important as curb appeal. If your curb appeal is your LBD, than your entryway is your dazzling pair of chandelier earrings. Would you classify these entryways as couture?


Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Glass Slipper

Glass Slipper by Benjamin Moore (image via House Beautiful)




I love this color! I'm going try this color in our master bedroom when we move.

"I've used this color so much that the paint chip is all bent and splattered with marks, like a cookbook. When I was five years old, I made my mother paint my room this color — a pale sky blue with a little gray in it. It's strong and fragile at the same time, and that's what most people don't realize about me. As aggressive as I am, I'm really soft inside." -Phoebe Howard


P.S I think we found our new home, I will share pictures with all of you when we know for sure.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

City Escapes - Richmond, VA

I'm super excited about our second City Escapes tour. Richmond, VA happens to be one of the most historical cities in the country. John and Sherry from Young House of Love, were kind enough to virtually introduce their favorite buildings in their historic hometown. Make sure to check out their home history here. Their world is surrounded by historical architecture and a fantastic ranch they call home.


Here are four of our favorite buildings here in our Richmond, VA hometown.
The first building is Main Street Station, a historic clock-tower building that serves as a gorgeous and grand train station.
Here are some old tobacco-warehouses-turned-modern-lofts which are an amazing combination of old & new (many of them have exposed beams and original brick with amazingly modern state of the art kitchens and furnishings).


The third building is one of the many gorgeous older homes on Monument Ave, Richmond's most historic thoroughfare lined with monuments of civil war heroes and houses full of gorgeous period detailing. We especially adore this home for the quatrefoil railing and the original windows.


And the forth example of our favorite Richmond architecture is this quirky vintage Richmond Dairy Company building which has since been converted to updated apartments (yes, you can live in the milk bottle!). Gotta love a place with a sense of humor.

Thanks so much for including us in City Escapes. We can't wait to virtually explore other cities!

xo,
s (& j)

I would like to personally thank Sherry and John for taking time out of their super busy schedule to participate in the City Escapes series. I would love to visit in a couple of months, hopefully when the weather is perfect and fall is on the horizon. Now, I just have to convince Bobby to take some time off.


I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Make some time to explore your city.



P.S If you are interested in participating in The City Escapes Series, please send me an email.


xo,

Yansy

Help!

Image via Apartment Therapy









You guys probably remember the picture above, this credenza currently seats in our living room. It's been with me for years, I inherited from my aunt. We're moving..... to where, I don't know yet but I figure I painted and get it over with. Its a project, I've been putting off for a while. I've been wanting to go with the black/gold combo you see on one of the pictures above. However, lately I've started thinking that perhaps a high glossy white or grey could work as well. I'm super indecisive about it, since I would like to tackle this project within the next two weeks, I really need make up my mind. Please, help me! Your suggestions are needed.