tj maxx... you should go!

during one of my weekly visits to the local tj maxx as I was doing my usual digging around the home section I came across the perfect white lacquered accessories for my bedroom... so just remember, you don't always have to spend the big bucks to accessorize your home... always, always shop around!

quote of the day...

"Have you ever stopped to think what fun this business of living can be? If you haven't, and if you are one of those who insist upon believing that life is humdrum, grim and boring, then I'm afraid this department is not for you. For I don't believe any such thing. I know that we can all free ourselves and live our lives fully, zestfully and joyfully!" ~dorothy draper

colors that take years off... your life!

new this month from house beautiful: 14 colors that make you look younger!
hey ladies, it's worth a try... :)

checkberry
"You never think you could get away with a color this strong, but here's how. Don't paint the entire room pink—just one wall. This is a gorgeous peony pink, with a bit of raspberry in it. That undertone is what keeps it from looking sickeningly sweet. It's a happy, cheerful color that makes everyone look younger. Even the house!" ~SUZANNE KASLER
GLIDDEN CHECKERBERRY 32RR

mid winter
"As a woman you generally try to cover the gray, but on walls it looks really fresh. I love a dove gray paired with white lacquer molding. It's a cooler, more modern neutral that works with everything. It can be loaded up with brights, or toned down with pastels. Combine it with metallics or black and white for a graphic look." ~CYNTHIA ROWLEY
MYTHIC PAINT MID-WINTER 135-4

very lemon
"I even like using a gray like Mid-Winter in a kid's room, with Very Lemon. " ~CYNTHIA ROWLEY
VERY LEMON 083-3

misty lavendar
"I even like gray such as Mid-Winter in a kid's room, with Misty Lavender." ~CYNTHIA ROWLEY
MISTY LAVENDER 125-3


razzle dazzle
"Hot pink. What other colors do you know that start with 'hot?' Hot pink makes me feel ready to cha-cha. I think of zinnias, poppies, bougainvillea, strawberry soufflé and sassy skirts. It's vibrant and alive, open to possibilities. Why don't you high-gloss your dressing room or bathroom? Who needs Starbucks after that?" ~CHARLOTTE MOSS
BENJAMIN MOORE RAZZLE DAZZLE 1348

citron
"Look at all those women who suddenly become blonde and blonder as they get older. Lighter, brighter colors light up your face. This is a warm Provençal yellow with a bit of ocher in it. It lifts your spirits and makes you smile, and everyone looks their best with a smile." ~MARCY MASTERSON
FARROW & BALL CITRON #74
parma gray
At my age, there is no color that makes me look younger. Only a good plastic surgeon could do that. But there are colors that make me feel younger. In my mind, nothing is as fresh and everlasting as the combination of blue and white. Think blue skies with fluffy white clouds, Dorothy's gingham dress in The Wizard of Oz. Parma Gray is a subtle, sophisticated blue, best in a matte finish with white trim and accents." ~CAROLYNE ROEHM
FARROW & BALL PARMA GRAY #27
bright yellow
"Bright Yellow reminds me of nursery school, where I was picked as chief dishwasher after milk and cookies. It should come with a warning label because it could provoke seizures in the wrong atmosphere. What I love about it is you can't be in a bad mood around it. It would look great in a bathroom, a hallway, even on a ceiling. If you don't want to feel as if you're still in nursery school, use it with graphite gray for a more sophisticated look." ~AMANDA NISBET
BENJAMIN MOORE BRIGHT YELLOW 2022-30
fowler pink
"This is a face-powder pink that makes everything that's gray and sallow look plump and rosy. It's that browny pink you see in those John Fowler rooms that I love so much, with William Kent consoles and everything upholstered in cottony white and a marble bust topped with a straw hat. That combination of grandeur, coziness, and wit is very glamorous, and I think glamour makes you feel young and fabulous." ~MILES REDD
FARROW & BALL FOWLER PINK #39

incarnadine

"Red, for sure. Men, women, everybody looks happy and healthy in red. Your skin glows. Historically, there's Chinese red, Pompeian red, American-flag red. So many cultures have embraced it, and they can't all be wrong. I've never done a home without a touch of red. It sparks up a room and gives it life." ~ALESSANDRA BRANCA
FARROW & BALL INCARNADINE #248

rollinson hues
"Well, in the dark we're all swimsuit models, but with the lights on, Chris Rollinson's #20 puts a little blush in sallow skin tones. It's a cantaloupe gelato color, zesty and soothing at the same time. If it could also firm up a few body parts, I would paint my whole apartment!" ~CELERIE KEMBLE

ROLLINSON HUES #20

real red
"This is a real red, a Ferrari red. And after arriving in my Ferrari, I could see myself in a red library sipping on Champagne while I'm wearing my red Valentino gown. Red is gutsy and chic. Red is the color of love and passion. And after you dance the night away, you can be any age!" ~MILLY DE CABROL

SHERWIN-WILLIAMS REAL RED SW6868

pale powder
"I grew up on the southwest coast of Scotland, and the sea was almost this color—a gray blue with green undertones. It's a very easy color to throw things into, a good background for fabrics in pink, orange, taupe, or mustard yellow. This is one of my basics. It holds memories for me, and memories and old friends keep me young." ~KATHRYN M. IRELAND

FARROW & BALL PALE POWDER #204

eve green
"This is the green you thought you would hate, but then you get it up on the wall and you love it. It's a sour apple green with a lot of yellow in it, a little edgy and offbeat, as if it had been injected with Superman's kryptonite. I used it in my own bedroom and it makes me feel energetic. It's unexpected—like meeting a new person every time I walk in." ~ALISON SPEAR

BENJAMIN MOORE EVE GREEN 2024-20

girls just wanna have fun :)

taking off for the weekend... a much deserved break from work! heading back to motown (morgantown, WV) to meet up with a few of my BEST friends (the loves of my life)... see you next week!

quote of the day...

"It is just as disastrous to have the wrong accessories in your room as it is to wear sport shoes with an evening dress."

~dorthy draper

classic with a twist

new "hancock park" collection from lexington

love the yellow & green combination...

traditional references with updated twists...

low scooped footboard and oversized bun feet take the classic poster bed in a new direction

gorgeous scallopping detail...

fresh updates to classic style...

includes the very stylish upholstered headboard...

blog virgin

just a quick introduction:

• hello, my name is alisha
• i graduated from west virginia university in 2007 with a degree in interior design
• i started this blog as a diary of sorts to keep tract of the thoughts that run through my mind keeping me (and my dog) awake at night
• i am inspired by almost everything i see and thus created "my design diary" as a way to archive images that will later become inspiration for future projects...
• BUT, most importantly i wanted to share with YOU what inspires me... in hopes that you too can find inspiration in some form or another... ENJOY!

Remember: I am brand-spanking new at "blogging"

patience please & thank you :)