Inspiring Burano

(via)

From afar the shop looks like another house on the tiny island of Burano – painted electric blue, offset by crisp white trim and green shutters – however the display cases out front catch my attention, immediately drawing me closer.  An elderly Italian woman greats me, as I hover over the first display case, intrigued by the beautiful jewellery inside. After the usual buongiorno, my lack of Italian fails and I simply nod and smile as she makes conversation, gesturing me into the shop. Unprepared for what awaits me inside, I move towards the entrance, longingly looking back at the display cases I haven’t fully explored.

(via)

Immediately my eyes catch glimpse of a seemingly endless row of small glass candy jars containing delicate glass beads in an array of sizes, shapes, and colours. After gathering myself together I notice more individual pieces of jewellery, like those in the display cases outside, flanking the entrance and set off to tediously make my way around the store, moving slowly to ensure I see everything on offer.  

(via)

 

(via)

Swirls of colour create gorgeous hand blown rings, petite gold foil earrings send a shimmer of sparkle across the room, and glass and felt beads effortlessly combine in stunning necklaces and bracelets. In addition to the jewellery, which is all handmade and one of a kind, Alla fiera dell'Est also sells individual beads and allows shoppers to design their own pieces. After wandering around the store for a while, making a couple loops and trying to narrow a growing list of favorites, I realize the task is impossible. Everything in the shop is lovely.

(via)

(via)

Easily the most beautiful store I have ever seen, I finally forced myself to walk out empty handed. Although difficult, we don’t have a lot of room in the budget to splurge on glass beads – even if they are insanely beautiful – and as all my craft supplies are boxed up it’s unlikely I’ll have a chance to make something anytime soon. Bead-less and moving onto Vienna, I’m left with only the dreams of soft felt, delicate glass, and glistening swirls of colour. However it seems the beads have a different idea, now that they’re haunting my sleep perhaps we have unfinished business…

*It may have been awhile since my last post however I’ve been keeping busy and hope to get back into crafting and blogging here in the New Year. Until then, you can always check in on me, and my travels, at Have Blog, Will Travel.

2011 Room for Color Favorites - North, South, and International

As promised, I'm back today with my favorite entries in the North, South and International categories for Apartment Therapy's annual Room for Color Contest. I'll risk sounding like a broken record to say it again: there were some really amazing rooms entered this year. So good in fact that I am a bit jealous.

As I did yesterday - each title links back to the full entry on Apartment Therapy with more pictures!

Cory's "Orange with a Kick" Room - I can't seem to get this amazing kitchen out of my mind! Those orange stripes are fantastic (just the right width and the the perfect paint hue) and they work so well with the soft gray walls and wood cabinets.

Anna & Brad's "Taste of the Rainbow" Room - This room actually received a bit of flack in the comments section, the only negative thing I saw throughout the contest. Someone was upset that the room only incorporated a bit of colour (in the bright red rug and a few throw pillows)  but I think that Anna and Brad have done a really great job mixing colour into a minimalist room. After all, this contest is for regular people with real homes and realistic budgets, not design superstars.

Alison's "Vintage-Modern Blue & Grey" Room - I apologize that this photo doesn't depict the entire room but this little corner is just too gorgeous not to share. The greenish blue walls, chevron rug, vintage coffee table and intricate window detail are all layered together to make a truly lovely space.

Jessica's "Mid Century Style" Room - Initially the mauve paint in this room caught my attention, then the deep rich flooring, and finally the cozy textiles in the rug, chair, and sofa.

Majken's "Calm Scandinavian Room" - I really thought that this would be the room to beat in the International category but as it turns out, Majken's glorious room placed 4th, less than 50 votes ahead of me. I love the slate blue wall, hanging light fixture, and colour blocked bookshelf. In the end, it just wasn't meant to be...

The International Category has closed but the leaders in all 4 US categories - North, South, East, West - have been compiled and voting is now open to select one American winner. If you want to vote, head over to Apartment Therapy. Quite a few of my favorites are still in the running which clearly shows that I have impeccable taste...

Enjoy!

Calli

2011 Room for Color Favorites - East and West

This year there were a lot of really great entries for Apartment Therapy's annual Room for Color Contest (and yes I'm counting myself as one such entry). 

Today I'm going to share some of my favorite rooms from the East and West Categories - Tomorrow I'll post North, South and International. 

Clearly there is a common mid-century modern vibe in my selections but I really can't help myself. Note to next year's entries, throw anything Eames or Teak in there and you've got my vote!

Turtle's "Rodchenko Blue" Room - I love how the deep blue walls make the room feel really warm instead of cramped and dark.  The art over the sofa adds an instant pop of colour which ties into the shelving unit and orange shell chair. 

Mark's "Bold Basics" Room - I didn't vote for Mark room simply because his colour scheme matches that of my favorite hockey team - although it would have been enough. I voted for Mark's room because it is absolutely beautiful. I love the rustic cow hide rug, simple white coffee table, Eames lounge chair, amazing art...  clearly I want to live here. 

Megan's "Woodstock Modern" Room - The architecture of Megan's home captured my attention more than anything else. The large windows and skylight let in oodles of natural light and she made smart decorating decisions as to not block this light or distract from the great views outside. Also, I am in LOVE with that coffee table and I don't care who knows!

Stephanie's "Orange & Turquoise" Room - This entertainment room is almost a bit futuristic, with that bright orange feature wall, but it works well with the paired down furniture and minimal decor. I can't imagine how long long it took to make the wood cutout for the main wall but the attention to detail is impeccable.

Cathy's "Always Sunny in Portland" Room - The art above the sofa caught my attention immediately, it ties the colour scheme together perfectly and I'd love to have it in my own home. The yellow pain is extremely cheerful and the neutral furnishings complement, instead of compete with, the walls.

I've linked the titles back to each original room so you can snoop some more.

Enjoy!

Calli

The Results are In - 2011 Room for Color Contest

Well it's all over but the crying... 

Voting for the 2011 Apartment Therapy Room for Color Contest has officially closed, at least for the International Entries - voting will begin for the US winner tomorrow. 

Although I didn't win, or even crack the top five, I'm considering my 7th place finish a success. I cleaned my house long enough to snap some good photos, put myself out there to be judged, and overall the entire contest was extremely positive. 

Thank-you again to everyone who threw their support behind me - if you haven't had a chance to check out the contest yet I really suggest popping over, there are some amazing rooms.

I'm also hoping to share some of my favorites in the coming days so stay posted. 

Happy Monday!

Calli

Room for Color Contest - Update

Hello, I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! I will admit that I spent a significant amount of time tracking my room's movements through the standings for the 2011 Room for Color Contest over at Apartment Therapy. 

As of right now (this very second) I'm smack dab in the middle of the standings in 8th place. Although I'm still ecstatic about being part of the contest, my competitive side is itching to move higher and higher everyday. 

In order to do that I need votes. Now I'm not really one for shameless promotion or begging but I really, really, want to win (or at least move into contention). So... if you want to throw in your support or tried but were scared away when they asked you to register I'm here to let you know that...

1. it's easier than it looks

2. you will NOT be inundated with junk email

3. the whole process should only take 30 seconds! 

To prove it I've compiled a little cheat-sheet of the process. I may have also registered a second email address to vote for myself twice... Yes, I am a bit ashamed.

Step 1: Clink this link to the contest page 

Step 2: Scroll down until you see this box and click sign in

Step 3: Choose "Register" in the top right of the page.

 

Step 4: Enter an email address, a display name, and a password. Select Register.

Step 5: Now that you are registered you just need to vote! Select the Contests link

Step 6: Select the 2011 Room for Color Contest

Step 7: On the main contest page, scroll down until you find my room. Click on it, scroll down, and "add to favorites".

Thank-you  in advance for any votes you may send my way. Also, if you have some time, check out the other rooms, some are quite spectacular!

Enjoy!

Calli

Apartment Therapy 2011 Room for Color Contest

Oh my goodness - I am so excited right now I'm practically shaking! 

Every year, Apartment Therapy holds an epic Room for Color Contest and this time around I decided to take a leap and enter. 

I'd submitted a few days ago but when I didn't hear anything right away I thought I'd been passed over. Apparently patience isn't my strength because early this morning I received an email letting me know my room had been selected!

It really is cause for celebration, especially when I think of how popular Apartment Therapy is and how many thousands of entries they have to sift through for a limited number of spots in the contest.

Since I'm outside of the US my room is in the international category and there is some stiff competition - I looked. Also, the submission has been open for weeks and I'm only now slipping in so the top rooms have been collecting votes for awhile and I need to play catch up.

Here's a sample of my entry - if you like what you see and want to check it out, including tips for using colour and how I find inspiration you can visit my submission at Apartment Therapy here. When you're there, please feel free to vote for me by "liking" my room!

The voting is open until November 21st at noon (EST). I'll let you know how it goes and thanks in advance for any votes you may pass my way.

Have a great weekend!

Calli