On The Road Again….Boston

I always found Fall to be a relaxing time period.  It has always meant a time for nesting, curating my life and pumping the brakes after a hectic Summer.  However, Fall around here is pretty much full steam ahead!  I apologize for the lack of posts over the last month but I had to make a conscious decision that something had to give and sadly it was the blog.  I am determined to get back on the saddle come October but for now, I am on the road for a solid week.

First off this week is …..

Funny in that this is my first real trip to Boston.   In my past life, as a marketing executive, I came to Boston for work but it was literally all work and no play.  This time around aside from work, I am including a few hours to stroll the neighborhoods and shopping haunts.  Today, after my afternoon meetings, I took a meandering stroll through the city center and was smitten with the city’s architecture …..

I also snuck in a few minutes to visit the freestanding Bonobos men’s fit boutique.

If you aren’t familiar with Bonobos and their amazing men’s pants then you are missing out!  Perfect fit and amazing colors – their hip to waist ratio is spot on for my body type which is how I tell if I am going to spend an insane amount of money at a store.  In any case, they recently expanded their offering to include denim, shirts and jackets so I had to try everything on!

A few more appointments and then I am off to my favorite city in the world….NYC!  So while I am  here, got any recommendations for other things I need to see before my time in up in  Boston?

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Wallpaper Happy Dance…

I am struggling this morning….errr afternoon hence the late blog post.  I think it is partially due to the fact that this weekend was a working weekend.  I spent Friday night and Saturday morning prepping for a Halloween tablescape shoot – imagine about 3 pounds of dried flowers, branches for days and enough candles to put the Phantom of the Opera to shame.

Saturday evening was working with one set of the Hawthorne clients to hang artwork and finally get their dining table delivered.  Yes, the dining table that arrived like this…..

Did I mention that this was the THIRD table to be delivered?  Fortunately the third time was the charm and this table arrived pristine, much to the client’s (and my delight).  However, it did arrive 3 hours late and took over an hour to install – but alas that is a small price to pay.

Sunday, I found myself at a marathon tablescape shoot to document my newest Halloween “creation”.  It is a twist on last year’s concept that I was super pleased with and I think the magazine will be too.  Oh yeah, I didn’t mention – this year’s tablescape will be in Dabble Magazine so check it out!

Which brings me to today and why I feel like I have cement in my shoes and it took a large pot of coffee to jump-start my brain.  But a surprise wallpaper delivery totally jolted me back into high gear.  A few weeks ago, I signed a new client who also happens to live in the same condo complex as my Hawthorne clients.  We have been brainstorming on how to bridge his love of rustic and  industrial with the ultra modern elements of his condo.  One of the things I am pretty set on is providing some type of graphic and dynamic background to offset the austere qualities of some of the pieces we are bringing in hence the wallpaper….

My snapshot of the samples don’t do them justice, but I may or may not have done a dance in my kitchen which may or may not frightened our new neighbors.

I am leaning towards the big and bold stripe, called Verve from Graham & Brown…

The paper has a wonderful textural quality and sheen which I think is the perfect foil to the industrial elements in the space.  Plus it provides a nice jumping off point to pull a color palette for the room.  I am now officially excited and ready to go….

Well right after I have another cup of coffee…..

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Weekend Recap….

I spent this weekend lamenting that I should be doing work but complaining that I don’t spend enough time with my friends and The Partner.  I am finding that as the business grows, my free time shrinks, which I understand.  Here is hoping that I find that balance that allows me professional success and personal fulfillment…..

Friday, I was a day free of meetings, so I took the opportunity to run errands, search out lighting for a new project (isn’t the above lamp FAB?), return merchandise for clients and sneak in a walk with Scruffy to our favorite little park.  The redwoods towering over both of us and the cool breeze that tends to flow under their canopy is always comforting, plus I think Scruffy enjoys the “challenge” of trying to “lay claim” to such a vast territory.   On my return home, I finally fulfilled a long standing promise to myself  – rotate my dishes and other tableware just like I do my throw pillows.  I reorganized the kitchen cabinets pulling out some of the tableware that I love but have for some reason kept hidden.  It was nice to see some new things out and get inspired for future tablescapes which I know I have been sorely lacking in doing this year.  I finished just in time to greet The Partner with a nice glass of red and some quality time….

All too soon Saturday arrived and  I found myself back in the fray of work.  Many of my clients prefer Saturday morning meetings and while I don’t love them, I am in the business of providing excellent customer service, so hence I find myself more often than not meeting contractors, painters and the clients themselves to review plans.  This Saturday I met with a contractor for the Sansome Project and talked with the client about kitchen countertops.  Once that was finished, I rushed home to promptly continue working.  Fortunately, we were hosting of my favorite people for the weekend which forced me to quit working and start partying.  We had a fantastic dinner on the patio and I finally got to bust out our new string lighting (go Wal-Mart) and light the fire pit.  The festivities lasted into the wee hours and by “festivities” I mean drinking things that glowed in the dark and eating Korean fried chicken…

Since partying it was at the epicenter of my Saturday night, my Sunday was all about relaxing which included a delicious and leisurely brunch.  Sunday afternoon was about preparing for the week and realizing that this time next week I will be on my way for a 3-week vacation in Europe! OMG.

So expect some posts as I try to wrap my head around Spain, Monaco and France and the fact that lil’ ol’ me will be in the thick of it!  OMG.

Okay, enough about me…how was your weekend?  And did I mention I am going to Europe in 7 days? OMG.

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