An Old Storefront That Was Built In The Early 1900’s

"It’s a great sample of a storefront renovation by Tyler Engle - Architect,

the old storefront that was built in the early 1900’s

converted into a cool home for live/work space.''

I have always wondered

about living in this way.

I live near a small coastal town that has quite

a bit of 'quaint' left in it.

It is called Delray Beach, Florida.

The downtown area has more

than a few adorable buildings left in it.

I used to think about opening a design studio

on the first floor and living upstairs.

AND THEN.......

making a roof garden on the 3rd floor.

On the 3rd floor in any of these buildings

you would still be able to see

THE OCEAN!!!

Only one problem....

I am not completely sure that I would like

not living anonymously.

I mean,

it is a small town and people would eventually

get to know that I lived there.

Would I really want to say hello when

I didn't feel like it?

Ummmm....One part of me would love it,

and the other....well, the other part of me

is a recluse.

I would probably have the

'Closed' sign up more often than not.

I would be up on the roof painting,

 listening to music and

ordering in Chinese or Italian.

And you can be certain that

I would have to dress up

 in a disguise to grab a pack of ciggies.

Have you ever thought of living 

above, behind, or below a business of your own?

* The client is a couple with an extensive art collection. Creating the modern equivalent of the traditional courtyard house, the new design is centered on a large skylight over the living and dining room. Reminiscent of a shipping container a wood-clad service core houses the kitchen and powder room. A flexible and multi-functional space is facilitated by large pocket doors, steel plate blinders that hide the kitchen and concealed equipment that pivots out for use. 
Visit: http://www.tylerengle.com/ 
* click here for the article.

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On December 31st ....

On December 31st in 1892

 Ellis Island Immigrant Station 

formally opened in 

New York.

Arriving immigrants.

oh look, what a concept...

they are waving American flags!!!

'All American Kids'

and New Immigrants!!!!

On December 31st in 1808 

The U.S. prohibited import of slaves from Africa. 

Our great shame.

The end of this.

Freed Slaves.

hallelujah!!!! 

 .......on decmember 31st in 0404  

The last gladiator competition was held in Rome. 

So if you can't think of anything to celebrate....

you can celebrate 

these 'little things' in history.

*my love to my friends 

and best wishes to all of us!!!

i don't know about you...

but i think that one of those guys 

was a great, great uncle 

of mine getting off that boat 

(in the 4th picture).

Or was it YOURS?

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Design Center of The Americas, D.C.O.T.A., Ellis Island is formally opened, Slavery Importing becomes illegal in the U.S., the last gladiator competition

Drop That Ball Already!!!

In 1920, a 400 pound ball made entirely of wrought iron replaced the original. In 1955, the iron ball was replaced with an aluminum ball weighing a mere 200 pounds. This aluminum Ball remained unchanged until the 1980s, when red light bulbs and the addition of a green stem converted the Ball into an apple for the "I Love New York" marketing campaign from 1981 until 1988. After seven years, the traditional glowing white Ball with white light bulbs and without the green stem returned to brightly light the sky above Times Square. In 1995, the Ball was upgraded with aluminum skin, rhinestones, strobes, and computer controls, but the aluminum ball was lowered for the last time in 1998.

For Times Square 2000, the millennium celebration at the Crossroads of the World, the New Year's Eve Ball was completely redesigned by Waterford Crystal. The new crystal Ball combined the latest in technology with the most traditional of materials, reminding us of our past as we gazed into the future and the beginning of a new millenium.

( The New Millenium.!!!    Ha! Ha!    I was perfectly happy with the old one.)

In case you were wondering.......

About "Time-Balls"

The actual notion of a ball "dropping" to signal the passage of time dates back long before New Year's Eve was ever celebrated in Times Square. The first "time-ball" was installed atop England's Royal Observatory at Greenwich in 1833. This ball would drop at one o'clock every afternoon, allowing the captains of nearby ships to precisely set their chronometers (a vital navigational instrument).

Around 150 public time-balls are believed to have been installed around the world after the success at Greenwich, though few survive and still work. The tradition is carried on today in places like the United States Naval Observatory in Washington, DC, where a time-ball descends from a flagpole at noon each day - and of course, once a year in Times Square, where it marks the stroke of midnight not for a few ships' captains, but for over one billion people watching worldwide.

Did you know the history of  

'THE BALL?'

Everyone Have A Happy, Healthy and Prosperous

NEW YEAR !!!

                               
*credit: times square alliance
www.timessquarenyc.org
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Do You Hang High or Do You Hang Low?

One great idea in design is

a writing desk on one side

of the bed instead of a coordinating nightstand.

Who really needs 'matchie-matchie' anyway?

Matching is for the 'anybodies' of this world.

Because anybody can do it.

Right?

And besides it gives you more room for more 'stuff.'

I have a writing desk next to my bed that doubles as a night stand.

Now I would never do it any other way.

Everything to me is super.

Except,

the hanging pendant shade

over the middle of the bed.

It disturbs me.

Just wait till next week... 

and I might show you what really disturbs me.

LOL

I would rather see a contemporary swing arm lamp

peeking out through the draped wall

on the readers side of the bed..

This room is really nice.

I guess it is the black.

I love black.

The greek key, the zebra, it is all very sharp.

Grrrrrreat settee and console.

What do you think of these actual windows???

I would have loved to see the home.

This wild white chair ( I believe) is from

Century Furniture's Oscar de la Renta Collection.

Look behind the curtains 

next to the mirrored mantel.

* I did a post on the two chairs in the forefront.

A few of Dorothy Draper's favorites.

This designer has featured designer shoes

in designer boxes

with designer labels behind these designer draperies.

Clever.

I think......?

I hope this is the sitting room in a bedroom.

Sublime.

No?

Love these dining ( wing ) chairs.

The velvet is one of my all time favorite colors.

A sable taupe.

I LOVE ART HUNG IN THIS WAY!!!

( i say this room is truly DIVINE )

Would you hang your art as low as this?

If not why?

*What do you 'likie' in this post?

It is almost our NEW YEAR.

tic toc tic toc tic toc

What will you be doing?

*My design tip regarding this post;

If you do use a writing desk for a night stand

remember that it will be desk or dining height, approx 29-30 " high.

It you use a different height for your night stand

and you are using matching lamps in the room,

they will still be different heights when you look at the room.

That bothers me, so make sure to get the pieces to be very close in height.

Stay within an inch or two (at the very most) as I have done in my own home.

OR....you can use a task lamp on the desk ( there are some gorgeous ones),

and a lamp that makes a statement on the night stand.

This is a sharp and sophisticated look.

*as featured in Traditional Home Magazine
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Merry Christmas, Keep Your Expectaions Low, And Vent On Your Blog

by  AmoLaZucca  on YouTube 

The title of this post might have been

"What A Drag Clean Up Is After Christmas",

until I fell upon the first photo in this post.

It had a link to the song which I have put right under her picture.

The music is beautiful....

and the message slapped me in the face.

I needed it.

I can get to feeling sorry for myself.

I can bitch and moan.

And then something or someone reminds me.... 

how fortunate some of us are to have a turkey to cook for our families.

I have had some pretty crummy Holiday Seasons....

but it is my nature to.

The holidays get me to feeling 'raw'.

Yesterday I was driving with my top down,

it was a gorgeous day in sunny Boca Raton

 and I just started crying.

I am no Hallmark Card kid from a Hallmark Card family.

(Who is?)

It was something 

related to my expectations.

 It was a little thing that always happens

between my daughter and myself.

It is always the same old thing....

So why do I continually

expect a different outcome

the next time the same issue comes up?

There is a saying;

The definition of insanity is

 "Doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results"

But I do.

I think I keep hoping things will be different.

I need to keep the focus on myself.

On my issues, on who I am, and what my actions are.

I need to lower my expectations.

And just love her....and let her go.

I don't mean let her go like

I don't care what she does or who she is,

but accept her for who she is.

(And lower my expectations)

Usually when I am having any kind of problem

it stems from how, and from where I am viewing the issue.

There are more people in this country

that are homeless and losing their homes than will be 'made public.'

They are not dealing with cleaning up after xmas.

They are not putting away all the precious xmas ornaments.

They are not dealing with all the garbage

from the xmas packages being gleefully torn open

last night or this morning.

They had no xmas dinner to clean up,

no xmas morning breakfast dishes to load in the dishwasher.

They gave their children nothing.

Maybe they found something in the garbage

that they cleaned up and wrapped in a shopping bag for their child.

Or if they were lucky....

they got something from " Toys For Tots'.

Think about that.

I need to.

I was able to do what I needed to this year.

I need to have gratitude.

It is so easy to forget what we do have in our lives.

Even if we do have 

THE LUXURY of cleaning up after xmas.

Bye Bye Christmas.

Until Next Year.....

Love you guys....and you know who you are XXX's

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