Homes sweet homes

One of the best parts of travel is returning home. You always bring back new perspectives and memories. One of the last jobs I did before leaving DC was address 250 envelopes for the elder assistant's wedding invitations. My right hand hurts.

And then I got to watch that romantic English wedding. Personally I wondered if the Queen was tired too.

So Cheers to the Newlyweds, William and Catherine! May you have a long life of happiness together. Hooray for 2011 weddings.

As Colette emptied her suitcase she immediately put on her slippers Daphne had given her from Peru. She saw the gift bag from Call Small and the purse from Peru but could not find her knit Peruvian hat! She hoped she did not leave it in Pennsylvania.

Then she thought of the gifts she meant to give. She remembered giving an envelope of wood samples and beautiful modern swatchs to Shale, but she wondered if she packed them up and brought them home again?

She knows she forgot to give Call Small her present. Did she take Daphne's back to California too????

Well, she would have to check with them before the Northern California mini group meeting in a few weeks when she would DEFINATELY remember to bring them to share!

 CM

Call of the Small in Princeton

Susan and I were graciously welcomed into the home of Christine Ferrara the blogger Call of the Small. What a joy! Seeing how each mini designer organizes her work and accessories around her life is amazing especially when children and careers are thrown into the mix.

photo by Susan Hale as SOMEBODY forgot to charge her battery overnight!

Call Small has been wildly sucessful, published in the New York Times about the mini design phenonemon, and recently Ladies Home Journal Magazine. Her work is cutting edge and she owns an incredible collection of mid-century and modern furniture.

The girls have a drink on the road

Recognize this establishment???                            photo by Susan Hale

Time to Design

Really, Colette, We can use this stuff?

 Yes it is very high end.

Well it turns out CM's older assistant is beginning a new career in office design and she thought we might find uses for these, Daphne.
What do you think?

would you stay in this motel?

The room service is very good, the Martinis are shaken, not stirred.
Beds are a little on the small size.

Credits: Mattel 1950's wood furniture with original bedspread. minimodernista ribbon lamp and beige woven rug, postcard for screen, antique vase with a calking tube lid for the pleated shade. Barbie purse spray painted. African mask from Texas Tiny. Color xerox from a Miro museum postcard.

Mattel early wooden furniture

from the 1950's-60's This furniture was an early set for Mattel dolls.
I am playing around with it and will use it in the hacked Imaginariumglittersuite dollhouse... aka the I house.

This design remind me of the music of the time epitomized by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass sound. Did you know his parents were Jewish immigrents from Romania? He excelled at the trumpet at Fairfax High in LA. He said most of the guys in his band were Italian but he really helped start the love of Latin music.

Check out these videos from the time. Disneyland?  Some critics say he created elevator music. I love it. My memory is of my High School band playing it at football games. He and his wife Lani Hall still are making beautiful music today.

I will be adding more pictures on this post as I play with it. C

                              Fondue anyone?
Credits: all the furniture is Mattel with original upholstery, minimodernista shell sculpture, bonkai plastic asian figure, 2 Bozart vases, Jonathan Adler Barbie lamp, antique southwestern pot. Black vase on table is contemporary Barbie.