Pattern Play

On this sunny summer day, I'm loving these vibrant, playful patterns by Ashley Goldberg. Don't they just brighten your mood?

Photos from here. 

A Gorgeous Clash

I love the beautiful turmoil of these paintings by Todd Hunter. The colors and brushstrokes are presented in such a dynamic mashup. I can't get enough of the emotion in them!

Photos from here. 

Happy April!

This month, I'm craving pastels -- around my home, in my clothes, on my nails, everywhere! It seems the perfect way to celebrate Easter and welcome spring.

* Room

* Fashion

* Eggs

* Cupcakes

* Heels

* Print

* Nails 

Toned Down

Thank you for all the sweet comments yesterday! I can't tell you how much your kind thoughts and well wishes mean to me.

I want to share this stylish studio -- a mere 350-square-foot space in New York City -- today for several reasons. First, I love a makeover. Show me before and after photos of just about anything and I'm there with you on the journey. But second, it shows how a change of paint can completely transform a space.

When we bought our house, we inherited some unusual color choices. Lavender walls in the living room, a sickly sunflower gold in the kitchen, neon orange in the basement and a primary green accent wall in the bedroom (not exactly relaxing!). So as much as I love bold color, we worked our way through the house toning down the hues.

This New York studio started out with baby blue and light yellow walls. But with some gray paint and smart furnishings, it became so sophisticated. Don't you agree?

Photos from here. 

A Pretty Start

Let's start this week off on a pretty note! There's something about the unexpected combination of yellow and lavender that I find really lovely. Perhaps it will inspire a nice, easygoing week.

Photos from here, here and here.

Pattern Play

I'm entranced by the gorgeous work of artist and textile designer Luli Sanchez. It's amazing what she can do with color and pattern. Hop over to her website to see the breadth of her work, but be warned -- you could spend hours browsing through her galleries! Here are a few of my favorites.

Photos from here. 

A Change in Plans

So, we're not in the Caribbean this week after all. My little nephew got sick, and at the last minute -- at four in the morning as we were assembled at my parents' house about to head to the airport -- we had to cancel our family trip. We're all really disappointed, but it was the right decision.

Being at home Sunday night gave me the chance to watch the Golden Globes, specifically, the red carpet coverage before the awards show. I can't decide which trend I like better -- pretty blush-hued dresses or vibrant-colored gowns. Here are a few of both!

Soft and Pretty

Bright and Bold

Photos from here. 

Rainbow Brights

If Santa would only bring me a J. Crew party dress in every color of the rainbow, I'd definitely be good all year long! Can you imagine all these beauties wrapped up under the tree?

Photos from here. 

True Blue

I love the color blue any time of year, but on a hot summer day, isn't it particularly refreshing? I'm smitten with these happy blue finds by Kate Spade.

Photos from here. 

Lush

It's a gray, stormy morning, so I'm gravitating to these vibrant, rich paintings and mixed-media works by Georgia artist Rachel Guest. They're quite an effective spirit-booster, no?

Photos from here via here.

Bold & Beautiful

Today is dark and gray and rainy. I love moody, stormy days like this every once in awhile, but I am so looking forward to spring and bright days full of color. Until that happens, these gorgeous acrylic paintings by Michelle Armas will have to tide me over.

Photos from here. 

Color!

The other day over on the lovely AB Chao blog, a colorful piece of artwork caught my eye. I had to see more so I hopped on artist Meredith Pardue's website. Her work is gorgeous! The forms in her paintings may be organic but her colors are otherworldly. Have a look:

Photos from here.

Gray Matters

I don't typically think of gray as a summery color. I tend to reserve it for clothes I wear in fall and winter. However, I recently bought a super-soft gray wrap dress and it feels so right, even now in the height of summer.

But then I noticed the gorgeous gray dresses in Donna Karan's spring 2010 ready-to-wear collection on style.com. So beautiful! There really is something to be said for the hue, no matter the time of year.

Photos from here.

Pop It

Often, when I see homes and rooms in shelter magazines and on design websites, I'm drawn to serene white spaces. Gorgeous rooms that make you breathe deeply and settle in to a relaxed state.

But when I think about living in one of these homes, I get antsy and begin to mentally inject color.

So when I saw this slideshow on Canadian House & Home, I knew why I liked some of the rooms. They all have a glorious pop of color. An orange floor lamp, a purple dining table, bright yellow accents -- yes, yes, yes!

Photos from here.