Cutting Edge Stencils Giveaway!

Love the look of wallpaper, but afraid of the commitment or the price tag? Wall stencils may be your answer and one store to check out is Cutting Edge Stencils. They offer a huge variety of stencil patterns at great prices. Here are some of my current favorites, but keep in mind this is just a small sampling of their designs. 

If you are craving change and have been thinking about adding a beautiful accent to your walls, you are in luck! Cutting Edge Stencils is giving away a $40 gift card to one Simplified Bee reader. Here’s how to enter:

• Visit Cutting Edge Stencils and pick your favorite stencil.  Leave your choice in a comment! {provide your email if I don't have a way to contact you}.
• Extra Entry - become a new follower of Simplified Bee's Blog, Twitter or Facebook Page.
• Extra Entry – become a Cutting Edge Stencils fan on Facebook.
• Extra Entry - mention this giveaway in a post or tweet, then leave a comment letting me know.
• Please post a separate comment for each extra entry.
• Entry period closes at 9 p.m. PST on Tuesday, February 8, 2011. The winner will be chosen by Random.org. 

Happy decorating and good luck!

"Crossing Boundaries . . . "

From House & Garden's "Book of Style"

Greetings,

Stairs.  A simple mathematical balance between 'rise' and 'run.' But a mysterious architectural feature.  The strict border between the public spaces - and the more private parts of the home.  The formality of an entryway - giving way to quiet rooms meant for slumber.  The stairwell offering slight glimpses of the unknown personal rooms.  So they can serve as a barrier - but can also be an invitation.  They're almost flirtatious.  

"the red petticoat"

Anne Miller, for House Beautiful
(Photo Credit - Eric Paisecki)

"the glimpse of stocking"

Courtney Daniels Haden, for Elle Decor
(photo credit - Simon Upton)

"the bare elbow"

Elizabeth Martin Design, New York Project

"the nape of the neck"

Windsor Smith, from House Beautiful
(photo credit - Victoria Pearson)




"an exposed knee"

Michael S Smith, for Architectural Digest
(photo credit - Scott Frances)

"cascading hair"

Eric Cohler, New York, NY

"decolletage"

Miles Redd,  for Elle Decor 
(photo credit - William Waldron)

"the garter strap"

Phoebe Howard, East Hampton, NY Project

Cheers,
Scot

Table #2: Sexy Dinner Date

If all the pink and red and hearts for Valentine's Day makes you want to puke, here's a gorgeous table setting that sets the mood without provoking your gag reflex:

This candelabra will provide the perfect mood lighting



I am obsessed with these sexy, brooding dinner plates


You can serve your dessert (definitely something chocolate-y) on these gold plates.



I'm pining for this glasses to replace my current chipped onesCandelabra and gold dessert plates from Vivre
Dinner plate from Bloomies
Glass from Velocity

Introducing High Gloss

I'm so excited that the premier issue of High Gloss, the latest web magazine to hit the virtual newsstands, has arrived. The brainchild of fellow Houstonian blogger Paloma Contreras (of La Dolce Vita), High Gloss is all about interior design, style, fashion and entertaining. HG promises to deliver high style combined with a fresh, stylish (and thankfully, colorful!) perspective that I honestly haven't seen in its competitors (though let's face it, there's always room for another good decor magazine, isn't there?).

Of course, as a contributor for this first issue, I say all this with a wee bit of bias. You can check out my small contribution as the copy writer of the "Modern Makeover" article, which features a truly gorgeous Houston home designed by local favorite Sally Wheat. The home is truly drool-worthy and I've been dying to share it with y'all. 

Of course I'm not going to go and spoil all the surprises now that the issue is up -- you're going to have to go check it out for yourself. I did, however, want to give you a little sneak peek of the living room, with its more traditional bones, modern furnishings and pops of bold color in the accessories. It's chic, but also incredibly livable.

You can also see me on the list of contributors on page 10. Gotta love how I'm astride the virtual fold, right? In any case, I couldn't be happier for Paloma and her fellow editors at the reception the magazine has been receiving. Congratulations, ladies, on a job very well done! And Paloma -- I'm here whenever you need me!

New Kids on the Block

Have you checked out the newest online design mag yet - High Gloss? This morning I posted my reading list of design mags, but High Gloss had not made it's debut yet. Well, I poured through it while eating my breakfast, and I have to admit I'm in love.


My absolute favorite spread was this bohemian, eclectic LA home. {design by tia zoldan, pics by grey crawford, words by paloma contreras}





Editor Erin Gates killed it with this gorgeous bachelorette pad {interior design by erin gates, words by alcira molina-ali, pics by sarah winchester}

Hoooray for new mags! Because all my friends know that reading a design mag (online or paper) and sipping a cup of coffee is probably my favorite activity!

Reading List

I am so thrilled that there are SO many choices for online design inspiration. When magazines like Domino and Blueprint went away, I was worried where I would get my inspiration from. Sure, I love Elle Decor, but those magazines seemed to be the voice of my generation of designers. Thank goodness for the internet and online magazine publishing, because online design and lifestyle magazines are popping up all over and I'm loving it!

I was checking out the latest addition to the online magazines - Matchbook... It's an adorable lifestyle mag.

Loved this yellow pillow from Lela Rose's home {piece written by Caitlin McGinn and photographed by Andrew Richards} The magazine is more lifestyle than interiors, and there were some great spreads, like the 50 wardrobe pieces that are a must-have for every woman.

Here's a round-up of some other online magazines I can't seem to put down:

I love Lonny, who I consider to be the pioneers of online design magazines.

Some of my favorite shots from their Jan/Feb issue:

{designed by Lynn Nigro}

{designed by Hillary Thomas}{both articles written by Shawn Gauthier and photographed by Patrick Cline}

Lonny also has a fantastic website (where you can search for inspiration images by room) and an inspired blog.


Rue Magazine recently came out with their third issue, which I have to say was amazing.


My favorite space is still the living room of Nicole from Sketch 42 (which I wrote about last week.){photos by Emily Anderson, copy by Erica Reitman}


I also adore Adore Magazine - an Australian design magazine. While it's frustrating that most of the shops and resources are Australian, it's fun to see what's hot down-under.
I haven't flipped through this most recent issue, but it's high on my to-do list.


And on February 1st (today!) a newbie joins the group - High Gloss. Some amazing design bloggers have come together to create this one, so I've got a good feeling about this one. As you read this blog posting, I will probably be devouring this new magazine.


Anthology is a new paper magazine that I'm going to start subscribing to...
As for other paper magazines that I read these days... Elle Decor, House Beautiful, Canadian House and Home, Traditional Home (which is much hipper than I would have expected.) Any good read I am missing? I tried Veranda once Dara Caponigro took over, but I didn't fall in love. Any more suggestions?

Traditional Office Desk Level

Design a simple desk, Gabriel Teixidó designed the Level Desk for Spanish company AG Land 14. Contemporary forms were created through traditional craftsmanship, making this desk a jewel for a strong individual.


This is a strong, masculine design that stands out through its very own simplicity and adds elegance and style to the room in which it is placed.