Update on me

Hi Loves,

I just wanted to thank you all of you for your sweet comments and all of the emails that I have received. It means the world to me that you are thinking of me during my difficult time.

While these last couple of days have been really hard on me I'm finally feeling a bit more like myself.

I know people are curious as to what has me so upset so I thought I would share.

On Jon's birthday I found out I was pregnant! We were so excited. We had been trying for over a year and had just gone through one cycle with an infertility doctor. We told close family and friends and we were going to wait to tell everyone on Thanksgiving.

Last saturday I had to go in for a sonogram. Because I got pregnant on fertility meds my pregnancy was considered high-risk so I had already been for 2 sonograms before week 8. On saturday we had sonogram number 3. We should have heard a heartbeat, but we didn't and I was told the pregnancy wasn't viable.

Earth breaking news. I know miscarriages happen to a lot of women, but I just never thought it would happen to me. I waited this whole week to see if things would progress naturally. They haven.t I went in for another sonogram this morning just to double check. Things are still the same...no heartbeat.

I go in for a D&C on Monday.

Sorry for the rather heavy and depressing news on a normal light-hearted and design related blog, but I didn't want to lie about things and not tell all of my friends in the blog world. This blog is a huge reflection of me, my life and my work. This is something happening to me and I couldn't just put on a happy face and not tell you all.

I am feeling a bit better about things. I know these things happen. I know I didn't do anything to cause it.

Since I'm having the procedure on Monday I won't be back to blogging until Tuesday. I have an exciting two weeks ahead for the blog. Full of give-aways and gift ideas!

Thank you all again for your thoughts and prayers.

xoxo,

Camila

I've had a bad day....

I'm sorry for the lack of a post yesterday. I try to be very good and ALWAYS post Monday-Friday, but this weekend my life got turned upside a bit and I haven't been the same since.

I'm still processing everything and don't feel like sharing all the details yet, but I'm heart broken. Literally my heart feels like it's in pain. I've gone from bailing my eyes out to just staring into empty space for hours at a time. It's so weird how life can change so quickly.

Jon, my family and friends have been super supportive, which has helped along the way. I'm taking everything one day at a time. I'm going to be taking this week off from the blogging world to try and get myself back on track.

I hope you all have a lovely Thanksgiving.

I'll be back next week, with 2 weeks full of GIVE-AWAYS as I share some of my favorite things for the holiday season.

xoxo,

Camila

IN HER SHOES: Trip down Memory Lane

Hello Loves,

 

Beyond excited that it is Friday! This week has dragged for me and been full of lots of work and projects around the house. Hoping to finish up some projects this weekend so that I can share next week!

 

I have totally dropped the ball with IN HER SHOES and I feel horrible, because it’s one of my favorite things to do! Not only have I been busy, but I’m totally running out of ideas on who I should ask to participate next!

 

I need help! So please share what fab new person you want to see featured!

 

I don’t want to leave you all empty handed today so I’m posting some of my favorite IN HER SHOES from the very beginning. Hopefully it will be new read to some people.

 

My first every featured lady was non other than Sherry from Young House Love!  Check it out here!

 

One of my first blog friends and extraordinary decorator from down south is Marianne from Haven and Home! Check her feature here!

 

We all know and love Paloma from La Dolce Vita so I was very excited when she agreed to take part and share her day. Check her feature here!

 

Last, but not least if you are interested in what a typical day is like for me you can check out my own feature here!

 

I hope you enjoyed the trip down memory lane. Remember please leave me a comment and let me know who you want to see as the next featured IN HER SHOES lady. I’m open to all suggestions.

 

The sun is actually out in NY today. I nice surprise since this week has been filled with gray and rain. This lady is going to take advantage and get some outdoor projects finished today!

 

Hope you all have a lovely weekend!

 

xoxo,

Camila

Pillow Talk: Orange Crush

Earlier this week I got many emails about my orange toss pillows. So happy that you all enjoyed them. They totally make me happy. The orange pillow is actually an Anthropologie find that they no longer carry! The other dose of orange is none other than KWID Imperial Trellis.

 

 

 

Below are some other suggestions that I think would look lovely in rotation for my living room sofa and gives you some ideas of how to inject orange into your home at a variety of budgets.

 

Orange Velvet Suzanni Pillow: $99:

WS HOME Jellyfish Pillow: $39.99:

Hable Construction Orange Rope Pillow: $130:

Vidastyle Orange Ducks: $28:

Decorative Instincts: KWID Trellis Pillow: $65:

Needlepoint Orange Zebra pillow via to the trade vendor 123 creations.  Contact me if you would like to order!

I heart the library!

I love going to the library. Where else can you go and browse around for hours, not get bothered by anyone talking to you, shop to your hearts content, leave with a handful of goodies and not have to spend a penny! It's heaven. I can spent hours in there browsing through the books, dvds, cds and magazines. It feels like I’m shopping because I get to walk out with a handful of things and the icing on the cake is that it’s FREE!

 

My latest love for the library has come from discovering the 700,000 images available at the New York Public Library Digital Gallery. 

 

Here are some of my favorites:

 

{Typical Floor Plan of 1910 NYC apt}

{Bird cards}

{Birds of the East: There were many different birds like this. Imagine a massive wall filled with them!}

{Vintage Dress patterns: Would look oh so chic in  a fashionista’s room.}

{I have a soft spot in my heart for Peacocks. A quick search lead me to these amazing feathers!}

 

With 700, 000 images available I could go on and on. Now you can order prints thru the site that run around $30, but it also gives you the option to print them yourself for FREE! All images can be saved on to your computer and even sent to your local Kinko's to get enlarged.

 

Enjoy!

Finishing touches: Living Room

One of the many reasons as to why my to-do list has been never ending these last couple of weeks is that all of the rooms in my house are in there finishing touches spaces in anticipation for the big photo shoot to get my portfolio started.

 

Of course right when I think I’m done with a room I decide to change something! Gotta tell ya all that Jon is loving this about me. Poor man is being driven crazy by his decorator wife.

 

This weekend I got one step closer to finishing the living room. I would love to show a before picture, but a couple of weeks ago my laptop with all of my images and my life decided it wanted to work as a paperweight instead so I don’t have one available!

 

Here is what I now get to enjoy in my living room:

Different angle shot:

 

Close up of frames:

 

I originally had one main piece of art on this wall. It was one of my first real art purchases that I still love and enjoy, but every time I saw it on the wall I felt like something was different. I really loved my pops of orange in my toss pillows, but orange was lacking in the rest of the room. These new prints helped me incorporate more orange and some shades of blues that were already in the room.

 

This was a super easy project that helped me add more color into the room and laying out the prints in the grid that I made helped make the walls seem higher. Always a plus!

 

Here are the supplies neccessary:

Since this was an extra last minute project I didn’t want to spend a whole lot on it. With a quick trip to A.C. MOORE  I picked up 9 frames (11”x 14”) at $5 each! I then picked up some mats for $3.39 each! I still needed a background for the French notebooks so I searched my fabric closet and found some neutral burlap that fit the bill. I already had some of the French notebooks in a different part of the room so I just needed to purchase a couple more here.

 

I then had to cut the burlap to size:

Once the burlap was cut to size I put it to the side and centered my notebook on the frame. I then used a glue stick so that my burlap would have something to adhere to.

Once the glue is on the notebook I simply placed the burlap on top and then glued the edges to the mat as well.

Last step was just to secure the backing on and voila all finished!

I then did the steps 8 more times! When it came time to getting them on the wall I had Jon come to the rescue. Due to the swinging sconces we could only do 3 across, which enabled us to go 3 rows up. Also to have it be pleasing to the eye Jon made sure that all of the frames were equally spaced from all sides.

I’m off to work on another project for the living room that I’m hoping to share tomorrow! Fingers crossed all goes as planned.

The Martha Rules: 6-10

This weekend I finished up The Martha Rules along with finishing up a couple of home projects as well that I will share this week!

 

The remaining rules in Martha’s book are for businesses that have been around for a couple of years. Since I haven’t been around for a year yet I really didn’t have my own two cents to add to the conversation. So I figured it best to just share the final rules with you all at once!

 

Rule #6: Quality should be placed at the top of your list of priorities, and it should remain there. Quality is something you should strive for in every decision, everyday.

 

Rule #7: Seek out and hire employees who are brimming with talent, energy, integrity, optimism, and generosity. Search for advisors and partners who complement your skills and understand your ideals.

Rule #8: When faced with a business challenge, evaluate or assess the situation, gather the good things in sight, abandon the bad, clear your mind, and move on. Focus on the positive. Stay in control, and never panic.

Rule #9: In business, there’s a difference between a risk and chance. A well-calculated risk may very well end up as an investment in your business. A careless chance can cause it to crumble. And when an opportunity presents itself, never assume it will be your last.

Rule #10: Listen intently, learn new things every day. Be willing to innovate, and become an authority your customers will trust. As an entrepreneur, you will find great joy and satisfaction in making your customers’ lives easier, more meaningful, and more beautiful.

I truly enjoyed giving this book a good read! It totally reinvigorated my love for business. It helped me re-evaulate things and give me a clearer picture of where I want to see my business go!

 

I sprinkled this post with images of Martha Stewarts’s prop room! I think you know you have made it if you have a space like that to call your own.

 

Martha if you are reading I’ll need 5 mins in there and a big bag that I can fill to the brim! :)

 

I’m off to finish up some final touches in my Living Room so that I can share some pictures tomorrow!

The Martha Rules: Rule #5

Rule #5: Use smart, cost-effective promotional techniques that will arrest the eye, tug at the heart, and convey what is unique and special about your business or service.

 

According to Martha the two most important keys to successful promotion of your business is to be creative and use common sense.

 

Martha also wants you to remember to position your product or service. You need to figure out exactly what you are trying to accomplish and how your product/service is going to stand out!

 

In figuring out exactly how to advertise Martha wants you to appeal to your customer’s wants and needs. In the interior design world if you placing an ad in paper you must make sure that it very stylish and appealing to the eye. Have some sort of image and not just copy to catch a clients eye.

Another crucial key to promoting yourself is the publicity game. Hiring a publicist is going to be hard on the wallet, but in return you are going to have some one in corner. A constant cheerleader that is reaching out to all of their media contacts and sharing how fab you  are! What could be better. I would die if I had enough funds to hire Ruby Press . There work is beyond amazing! If a publicist is not in the cards then you must become the publicist. Martha recommends sending out letters to local media outlets offering your services as an expert in your field. You just need to make one connection to get your foot in the door.

 

Once you get the attention of a media outlet Martha’s tips are easy. Get personal. Share something that people might find out of character for you. Get people to want to know more. When you are in the public eye it is also important to tell your story well. Practice is key!

 

Martha also believe it’s important to be consistent in your message. She loves her sayings such as, “It’s a good thing,” and Learn something new every day,” and If I can do it, you can do it.” Her sayings are a constant reminder to everyone of what her company stands for.

 

* It’s not a secret that I’m a complete marketers dream. Make it pink and sparkly and I’m sold! One company that I think hits it out of the park every time is my favorite, Kate Spade. They not only make me want to purchase everything I see, but they help me dream, give me inspiration and make me what to be a little more unique and original in my own life. I sprinkled this post with some of my favorite KS ads.

 

FYI: Winner of the $100 shop bop gift card for most creative answer is MATAANDCONNIE! Please email me with your information! I can be reached at cpavone0107@gmail.com. Can’t wait to see what you pick out!

The Martha Rules: Rule #4

Rule #4: By sharing your knowledge about your product or service with your customers, you create a deep connection that will help you learn how best to build and manage your business.

 

 

When I got to this rule a big smile formed on my face, because I think I do a pretty good job of doing this already and with the help of this blog I am able to share my knowledge, tricks, and tips with all!

 

 

Martha recommends to extend the connections. What she means by this is to get constant feedback from her clients/customers. She always wants to know what she did right, what she did wrong and what she could have done better.

 

Another key to rule #4 is making sure that love and concern is returned. I find myself doing this with all of my clients. Decorating is such a personal thing that it is only normal that you are going to form a strong bond with your clients. Many of my clients turn into friends during the process and that is just the icing on the cake.

 

I found myself nodding in agreement again when Martha mentioned the importance of developing the appropriate attitude. I find this to be true not only in business, but in life. I use to be a very negative person. I was constantly complaining about things and it got to the point where it was driving me crazy. One day I just decided to put a stop to it. I know try to deal with every situation with a smile on my face and take a deep breath before I freak out. I also treat everyone how I want to be treated from a client  to a family member to the check out person at a store I’m always super friendly and respectful.

 

Martha also had some gems that deal specifically with clients. She wants you to remember that customers are your best consultants, to think like a customer and see beyond the initial transaction.  I have to totally agree with Martha on all counts. A new client or customer is a great resource of information. They can help you come up with something new that you never thought of incorporating to your business like adding organization packages to your design business.

 

This  by far has been my favorite chapter. Perhaps because I feel like I already do many of things that she recommends and feel a bit ahead of the game. Then I have to remind myself that I started my business without a business plan (ah bad business owner) so I must get to work on that!

 

Of course I needed to add some pictures and decided to sprinkle this post with some projects I worked on. To see more of the black and white bathroom above head over to Plush Palate where I am guest hosting today!

Vintage meets Modern

To me the perfect mix in a room is when vintage meets modern. It doesn’t have to go totally one way or another, but it’s nice when their is a touch of either.

I absolutely adore telling someone something in my house is vintage instead of saying Pottery Barn. Don’t you worry though I do have some Pottery Barn thrown in for good measure as well. Like I say it’s all about the balance.

 

I know not everyone thinks the way that I do, which is why I find it so special when I connect with someone that does.

 

 

A couple of months ago I had the opportunity to meet up with Caitlin of Caitlin Creers Interiors. I’m so happy that we got to be ladies that lunched for a day and enjoyed some shopping as well. We are kindred spirits in both life and design.

 

She shares my love for Kate Spade, color, pattern, etc and most importantly vintage finds!

 

If you haven’t already head on over to her site and check out her Old is New series this week. She is filled with lots of great ideas to inject a little vintage vibe into your home on a budget!

The Martha Rules: Rule #3

Rule #3: Create a business plan that allows you to stay true to your big idea but helps you focus on the details. Then remain flexible enough to zoom in or out on the vital aspects of your enterprise as your business grows.

 

Well after reading that I’m not going to lie my initial intake of information was, blah, blah ,blah. I had to re-read the chapter a couple of times to fully grasp the concept.

 

I have always understood the importance of needing a business plan for a business such as a store. It’s necessary in order to get a loan from a bank or investors. Since I was starting a service business and didn’t need $$$ from investors/bank to start out I truthfully didn’t think about doing a business plan.

 

I’m now thinking that perhaps I should free up some time and try to get some basics down on paper. A sort of business map for me so that I know how to stay on course.

 

The basic concept in Chapter 3 is to make sure that as an entrepreneur you see outside the big picture and make sure no mistakes are made in aspects of your business that you may find boring. For me that would be book-keeping. A total snooze, but it must be done.

 

Martha is a big believer in hiring professionals to help you aspects of your business that you are not strong in.

 

Since I haven’t done  a business plan yet I don’t have much of my own experience to add to this rule. Any other interior decorators/designers out have a business plan or are you like me and need to get in gear and write one up?

 

All images via Decor Pad

She bop he bop a we bop

Every time I think about my latest Shop Bop give away I have Cyndi Lauper’s She bop running on a loop in my head!

If I was able to enter the contest I would itching to win the $100 gift card and get my hands on some of their fab finds.

 

Loving these astrology charm necklaces:

It’s been freezing in my house lately these UGG Slippers would totally fit the bill and warm up my toes.

Love, love these pockets!

How chic is this case for my business cards?

All of my picks are under $100 and could be purchased if you win the card!

 

You have until Wednesday at midnight to enter!