New Year's Inspiration: A List of Things to Focus On

This year I mentioned that I wasn't going to add more to my plate with too many resolutions and goals, but rather improve the areas in my life that I've neglected for some time now. Here's a list of areas I'd love to focus on in my home for 2013. I'm queen of making lists and then never sticking to them, but this year I'm really going to try and change that! What are you focusing on in 2013 in your home? Have a great weekend! xoxo - Julie

 1. Buy fresh flowers more often, just because they make me happy!

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 2. Get organized and stay organized...especially with all of my son's toys that are now invading our apartment! 

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 3. Buy fresh produce more often at our local farmer's market and experiment with some new recipes. I'm so tired of cooking the same 5 things for dinner every week!

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 4. Redecorate my apartment (we may be moving in a few months, so I may wait until then). Do I want bright and colorful, or...

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 5. Do I want to keep things more soft, neutral and glamorous?

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 6. Bake more...I can't wait to try this recipe for baked French Breakfast Doughnuts.

7. Give our bedroom a serious makeover! I want to create a relaxing and beautiful retreat to unwind and rest.

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8. Entertain more - have family and friends over more often for brunch, dinner or cocktails.

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9.  Attempt more DIY projects and post the tutorial on my blog, like this DIY Linen Covered Polka Dot Pinboard!

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Guest Blogging for AirCraft Infused Scentsticks...

Happy Wednesday...we're half way through the week! I wanted to share with you an exciting collaboration I have going on with a brand new company called AirCraft Infused ScentSticks. They've asked me to be a guest blogger on their Facebook page for the entire week, where I'm sharing a snapshot of a space and then creating a design board to reflect the style and color scheme of the space, along with the scent(s) I think would coordinate best from their collection (which smell amazing, by the way!). AirCraft believes the scent of the air in your home should be as important as the decor...it helps set the mood of your space. Here's a peek at one of the spaces I've broken down and created a design board around. Please visit their Facebook page to see the others, and be sure to visit again tomorrow and Friday! And if you like what you see, please Like their page!

Interior Therapy with Jeff Lewis

Hello and happy Friday! To help kick off the new series on Bravo, Interior Therapy with Jeff Lewis, Bravo asked me to participate in a mini-challenge to give my own office space some interior therapy. They sent me "Workplace Therapy Kit" centered around a vintage design theme. The kit contained various products to incorporate into my current workspace to boost my mood and productivity. It was a bit of a challenge, but I think I pulled it off in the end. Below are some before & after snapshots and explanations of how I transformed my space with the items that were sent to me! I'm a huge Jeff Lewis fan and look forward to his new show - it sounds hilarious and completely out of his comfort zone (scroll all the way to the bottom for show details).

Contents of the Bravo Workplace Therapy Kit

My desk before - simple and in need of a little sprucing up

My desk after - I rearranged a few things, got rid of extra paperwork clutter and added some new accents. Sometimes changing things around and adding some fresh new items to your workspace can be just what you need to feel refreshed and energized.

I added a couple more accessories to the shelf above my desk, including the picture frame that came in my kit. I also added another book to the stack and the phrenology head (which I already had).

I hung the Wallcandy Chalkboard Decal horizontally to fit it above my desk, which I can use to scribble note and reminders.

The details: I added a vase of fresh flowers to my desktop for a burst of color and wrapped the gold Buckyballs around the top for a touch of glam. I also poured the potpourri that came in my kit into an empty candle holder that I already had. 

Interior Therapy with Jeff Lewis – Premieres Wednesday, March 14th @ 9/8c on Bravo

Everyone's favorite obsessive-compulsive house-flipper is moving in with his clients. Bravo's Interior Therapy with Jeff Lewis follows Jeff Lewis and Jenni Pulos as they move into someone else's home and Jeff does what he does best -- judge their flaws and redesign their space.

He'll observe the homeowners, diagnose their problems, and then take over their house for five days -- with the goal of improving them inside and out. Of course he does this by using a combination of brutal honesty, impeccable design, and a few unique solutions that only Lewis could come up with. His trusted assistant Pulos, and his loyal housekeeper, Zoila Chavez, are along for the ride to make sure he doesn't go too far over the line. This time, Lewis is not just redesigning a space; he's redesigning people's lives. Click here to visit  the official website for details!

Modern Chic Home Winners + New Product!

We made it to the weekend! I'm happy it's Friday and even happier that it's supposed to rain this weekend. It's been a pretty dry and warm winter here in southern California, so a little rainy weather is much needed. A couple of weeks ago I asked you for your input on blog post topics you'd like to know more about in 2012. I really appreciate your positive feedback and excellent ideas, all of which I'm using to inspire fresh content on Belle Maison! And to thank you, I offered to giveaway (2) $50 gift certificates to my online shop, Modern Chic Home. Today I'm announcing the WINNERS...Congratulations to Tia Brumbelow & Penny Barns!  (shoot me an email to claim your gift certificate - julie[at]modernchichome[dot]com). Thanks again to everyone for your input :)

Now, on to the second part of today's post...we've been busy adding fresh new product to the shop and I wanted to give you a peek at what's new for 2012! I also wanted to extend an exclusive discount to my fabulous Belle Maison readers to receive 15% off your next order over $50 (excluding wallpaper). The offer is valid through Friday, January 27th, 2012. Just use discount code BELLE15 to redeem. Enjoy the weekend! xoxo - Julie

{Shop Accent Pillows @ Modern Chic Home}

{Shop Lighting}

{Shop Mirrors}

{Shop Accent Furniture}

CLICK HERE TO SHOP ALL NEW PRODUCTS @ MODERN CHIC HOME

What's New: Haus Interior Boutique in Los Angeles

If you live in the LA area, I'm excited to share with you the opening of Haus Interior's 2nd retail location (the flagship store is in NYC). I'm absolutely loving the clean, fresh, neutral color palette, along with the mix of different textures like glass, jute, linen and natural wood. I can't wait to visit the store in person! Have any of you been to the NYC location? Here are the details from the press release: Interior designer Nina Freudenberger is pleased to have launched an LA location of her NYC boutique and interior design firm, Haus Interior. The store, located on trendy W. 3rd Street in Los Angeles, officially opened just a few weeks ago and as with its NYC counterpart, features mid-century pieces with Haus Interior’s signature warm, modern touch, offering both new and vintage furniture, decorative accessories, books and art.

In addition, Haus Interior LA is doing a special collaboration with 20x200, selling many of their exclusive prints by a variety of artists – many of the pieces are already sold-out online, so this is the only chance people will have to purchase this “accessible art.” It is the first collaboration of this nature that 20x200 has done and a very exciting aspect to the store’s debut.

IMAGES COURTESY OF THE COLLECTIVE AGENCY

{SOME ITEMS THAT CAUGHT MY EYE FROM THEIR WEBSITE: SILVER GLASS BOTTLENECK LAMP; ROPE & NICKEL SERVING PIECES; MIRROR W/POLISHED NICKEL HANGER; BROWN MUSTARD STRIPE PILLOW}

A New Year & New Possibilities

Hello! I'm back in full swing today after a nice little "stay-cation" at home last week. It was wonderful to relax and take it easy for several days...but now I'm ready to put down the sweets & leftovers, put away my sweat pants and get back into full work / life mode. I feel refreshed and ready for new challenges, which leads me into a few of my New Year's resolutions. There's just something so exciting about starting a new year...the possibilities seem endless and I have a renewed energy that makes me feel like I can accomplish anything I set my mind to. In a nutshell, here's a list of several things I'd like to focus on (in no particular order)...

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• Grow and expand my business & blog; offer lots more @ Modern Chic Home
• Spend more time with family and friends; entertain more often
• Get involved in a charity and / or volunteer program with my husband
• Clean out my bedroom closet once and for all!
• Save money
• Ride bikes on sunny days
• Get out more on the weekends 
• Make it a habit to have special "date nights" with my husband a couple times a month
• Deliver a healthy and happy baby boy this Spring :)

I think this is a good start ;) What about you? Please share your goals, resolutions, dreams, etc! I'd love to hear what you have planned for 2012.

New Etsy Shop: Coco and Toast

Happy Friday! Today I'm excited to introduce you to a brand new Etsy shop called Coco and Toast, featuring gorgeous handmade jewelry created by Erin Villegas, who also happens to be one of my best friends :)  Erin has an amazing eye for fashion and style, especially when it comes down to the small (but very important) details of accessories and shoes. She has a serious passion for beautiful things, especially jewelry, which is why she decided to launch her own little Etsy shop. "Jewelry, to me, is the finishing piece of any fabulous outfit, and adds that super special personal touch," says Erin. Each piece is carefully crafted using high-quality materials and I've rounded up some of my favorites share with you. To view her entire collection, which she updates often with fabulous new pieces, click here. And Erin was so sweet to offer Belle Maison readers an exclusive 10% discount on all orders! Just use coupon code MODERNCHIC upon checkout to redeem. With Christmas right around the corner, Coco and Toast might be the perfect place for you to get some shopping out of the way (think friends, your sister, co-workers...).  Enjoy and have a wonderful weekend! xoxo - Julie

{Gold Filagreed Hand of Fatima with Blue Jade Bead Bracelet}

{Lilac Moroccan Jade Pendant Gold Necklace}

{Gold Evil Eye Necklace}

{Delicate Gold Black Jade Pendant Bracelet}

{Sterling Silver Evil Eye Necklace}

{Super Chic Gold Olive and Brown Feather Earrings}

Some Exciting News...

I've been hinting over the last week that I had something special to share with you...well, I'm going to be a mommy! I'm 14 weeks pregnant and due on May 13th! This will be our first child and my husband and I couldn't be more thrilled :). I actually suffered a miscarriage back in June, which was devastating to say the least, but God blessed us with a new little bundle of joy just 8 weeks later. We had an ultrasound last week and found out that we're having a BOY! So naturally, the designer in me is already at work on what color scheme and theme we'll be doing for his little area of our bedroom. We live in a one-bedroom apartment so I don't have the luxury of decorating a nursery just yet, but that day will come in time. I'm feeling good and am finally getting my energy back - there were several weeks there where I experienced a fatigue that was beyond comprehension (with 3 hour naps in the middle of the day, thank God I work from home!). I haven't had any nausea (fingers crossed it stays that way). Needless to say, I'm over-joyed at becoming a mother and can't wait to meet the little guy. Below are a couple of snapshots from our ultrasound last week. It's an absolute miracle to see the little life that God is forming inside me! Thank you for letting me share this exciting news with you and please feel free to leave and pregnancy / parenting tips, advice or otherwise. I'll continue to keep you updated as the months go by and will be sure to share a snapshot of my growing belly once I start showing! xoxo - Julie

{Baby Thigpen @ 14 weeks}

Today Only: Designer Flea Market

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I'm so excited to be one of the vendors today at the Designer Flea Market, taking place in Newport Beach, CA. If you live in the L.A. / O.C. area, come on by to shop some fabulous deals on designer goods & vintage finds at discounted prices! I'll be selling odds and ends from my warehouse stock room, including several items from Modern Chic Home.I hope to see you there :)

New Book Release: Live, Love & Decorate

Many of you may be familiar with Martyn Lawrence Bullard from the recent hit show on Bravo, Million Dollar Decorators. Martyn proved to be quite a character, often using words like "Daaaahling" (darling) and "Delicious." It was interesting to be able to take a peek into the life of an incredibly talented interior designer who has designed for top celebrities like Elton John, Cher, The Osbournes, Kid Rock, among many others. I was fortunate to receive an advanced copy of his first book, Live, Love & Decorate, which chronicles some of his most incredible projects to date and is filled with incredibly beautiful and inspiring images of his creations! "Drawn to glamour, Martyn Lawrence-Bullard, today’s Tony Duquette if you will, moved from London to Los Angeles to pursue acting, but became a star decorator instead, financing his way with a keen eye for flea market finds, which evolved into his hugely successful design business." If you're a design book junkie like myself, then you MUST get this book to add to your collection! To put it simply, it's Delicious Dahling :) Have a great weekend! xoxo - Julie

[IMAGE CREDITS: RIZZOLI; PHOTOGRAPHED BY TIM STREET-PORTER; IMAGE #2 VIA ANP; IMAGE #3 VIA JULIE THIGPEN]

Martyn Lawrence-Bullard: Live, Love, & Decorate, 
Rizzoli New York, 2011

Hardcover / 224 pages / 8½̎ x 11¾̎ / 200 color illustrations

Introducing: Creative Power Course - Rocking Your Business

 Listen up Southern California interior designers and design students...Sabina Vavra, Founder & Creative Director of Madison West Interiors, has launched an exciting new series of classes called Creative Power Course."Creative Power Course is a series of individual boot camp courses to help you, the emerging design professional rock your business. Whether youʼre a student, launching your career, or veteran entrepreneur itʼs all about playing into your strengths, knowing your weaknesses and taking it to the next level."

Sabina is a friend and esteemed colleague whom I've know for years. She's an entrepreneur who  successfully runs her own design firm, has appeared on TV, launched Flea Bag Bed (designers pet beds that are fabulous!), among many other exciting endeavors, and her latest venture, Creative Power Course, is one that I just had to share with you! "From topics like revenue streams to identifying your goals and passion, weʼre bridging the gap between school and the real world. Creative Power Courses aim to elevate your design business, no matter what stage of the game youʼre in with practical advice derived from real experience," says Sabina. Sabina will be appearing on Belle Maison next week as a guest blogger, so stay tuned!

The first Creative Power Course takes place in November! Here are the details....

 BLAZING YOUR PATH
November 3, 2011 10am - 4pm, Laguna Design Center, Laguna Niguel, CA
 
"Our debut Creative Power Course, Blazing Your Path, focuses specifically on you, your design empire, and your vision for the future. We’re talking about finding your tribe, the value of your cocktail line, marching through the door and getting it right. Get ready to blaze your own path in this creative and fruitful wold of design!" 
Hurry and sign up by this Friday, October 7th to take advantage of the "early bird special" for only $197 and bring along a friend for only $47! After Friday, the price will go up. Click here for details on how to register.

If you live in the Bay Area, Creative Power Course will be making its way up to the San Francisco Design Center to offer the same exciting classes! Subscribe to their emailing list for details!

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What's New: Fabulous Decorating Books

There are a plethora of fantastic home decor books that have recently been released, along with several publications that will be released in the coming months. While I haven't had that chance to personally review all of the books featured in today's post, I've selected the ones that look the most interesting and exciting to me. My apartment is filled with stacks of big, colorful art & design books, which I refer to quite often for inspiration. You can never have too many fabulous books, right?! Which book catches your eye in today's round-up? Any others that you'd like to share with us?

[A beautiful library designed by Windsor Smith. I love the way she arranged the books by color. Image found here]

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[Design Sponge at Home by Grace Bonney]

[Martyn Lawrence-Bullard: Live, Love, and Decorate; I'll be reviewing my advanced copy over the weekend and will report back to you about it next week!]

 [The New French Interior by Penny Drue Baird]

 [Patina Style by Brooke Giannetti & Steve Giannetti]

[Preston Bailey Flowers: Centerpieces, Place Setting, Ceremonies, and Parties; I'll be sharing my personal review of this book in the coming weeks!]
 

 [Michael S. Smith Kitchens & Baths]

 [Be Your Own Decorator: Taking Inspiration and Cues from Today's Top Designers written by Susanna Salk]

 [Black and White (and a Bit in Between): Timeless Interiors, Dramatic Accents, and Stylish Collections written by Celerie Kemble; I can't WAIT to get my hands on this book!]

[The Perfectly Imperfect Home: How to Decorate and Live Well by Deborah Needleman]

 [Essentially Irish by Josephine Ryan]

[Katie Ridder Rooms written by Heather Smith MacIsaac]

[Exotic Taste: Orientalist Interiors written by Emmanuelle Gaillard]

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