Gracies New Boyfriend Oliver

This is Oliver. He was in the store today with his owner.

I think he looks like a good date for Gracie.

also can we all just please look at this awesome harvest table kelley brought in? She finished the top and re did the legs. I love all the chairs she paired with it too! (out in holland)

greetings from chi town

i spent all weekend in chicago. it was glorious!

my little sister and i went to

the public hotel, nordstrom, antropologie, pump, all saints, adidas, american eagle, hollister, sephora, abercrombie and fitch, tavern on rush, sprinkles, starbucks, corner bakery, eleven fresh, soltice, tory burch, kate spade, gucci, jcrew, gap, louis vuitton, mama mia, and so much more.

i think we shopped a total of 20 hours between friday and saturday.

we also went to the Merchandise Mart (stylemax) on sunday and found some great new lines for the store!

it was really hard to stay focused on specific vintage inspired clothing. i found some great brands and drew some awesome inspiration from the colors (they promised spring!)

here are a few major trends i've been noticing

cat eye sunglasses. i splurged on these after i saw them on kourtney kardashian. every sunglass brand around town is coming up with their version of the cat eye.

in stores these retail for super big bucks but i found a used pair on ebay. you can also find less expensive versions from ray ban, marc by marc jacobs and of course you will soon find fun styles at FOUND

the brighter the better is coming up for spring.. bright yellow, orange, royal blue and emerald green are four major colors i noticed hitting the floors at major retailers. i love how jcrew throws it all on at once!

texture was also something i paid close attention too. lace, loose knitted textures, silk and sheer (and sequins) are what many eye catching pieces have. i love the looks coming out from tibi. these are extravagent examples. I found many less expensive alternatives in vintage styles that will be hitting the floor soon!

1 2 3 

last summer was all about the 70's but i found a heavy 60's influence in this springs styles. 

mini dress, mini skirt, ankle skirt all very mod and boho. 

one of my favorite looks is diana agrons photo shoot for NYLON mag. she wears it well!

what trends are you planning on rocking this spring (when it comes)

Liberal Michigan Woodsy

Lately it seems I've been doing a lot of design work. And that can mean a lot of things...

  I've been doing design for about 25 years. Yes, I am that old. And sometimes it's really fun and inspiring and sometimes it's just, well, work. But every once in awhile you have a client you really enjoy.

 One night this week I had an appoinmtment with a young couple who had come through our apartment during the Up On the Rooftops event back in December.

They just bought their first house and wanted to put a plan together for where to begin with redecorating and making the house their own. And here is what I liked so much about working with them...

 * They know what they liked but also knew they needed help achieving it and were wise enough to invest in design help before they started renovations. So many people hire a designer after they have already tried to do it on their own and end up with the unneccessary expense of redoing choices that didnt work

* They listened to my advice - really listened and trusted the knowledge I have gained from years of experience.

* They had some fun pieces of artwork and furniture they didnt hesitate to suggest they would like to work with. I love when clients do that  - it's what gives a space personality!

* And finally - after walking through the house and mapping out a starting point for renovation we discussed some specifics. And when I asked what element of design in our apartment had sparked their interest and inspired them their response was this: Well, we liked the kind of 'Liberal Michigan Woodsy' vibe you had..

 To which my first reaction was ....what???? Because I am not a) from Michigan b) very political c) a deerhunter or anything close. But then I thought about it and went home and looked around and realized that ,actually, it was a really accurate description. I just never heard anybody use that before. And thats what I like about clients that think outside the box. I can tell we're going to have a lot of fun working together..

 And if you would like to design your own unique image don't hesitate to call. In house design time is only $35.00 an hour. I would love to hear some of your ideas!

- Susan

Here are some pictures of my apartment!

burnin down the house!

we finally did it. revamped the entire grand rapids store! we started at four, i left around 10:30...who the heck knows when kelley left. we took everything down, brought in new treasures, and put it all back together again. it was exhausting but the end result is awesome. 

i made it home around 11 and went straight for the heating pad :) 

it was a great time though. we ordered pizza and troy boy (kelley's husband) brought us candy and fountain pop. joey (my husband) came just in time to haul a set of lockers off the front window stage. 

let us know what you think!