Happy Halloween!

The top finalists in our Halloween Costume Contest were a Chick Magnet, Snookie and Half Man/Half Woman and the group prize went to Noah's Arc, I was thoroughly impressed by the creativity. Have a super spooky weekend!

Chic in the street for the trick or the treat

What to bring to the Halloween Party

Vodka in a crystal skull bottle. Dan Akroyd makes this stuff. And it is filtered through diamonds. I'm going to venture out there and say it is better than that awful Indiana Jones 4 and the Crystal Skull bizness. BECAUSE IT'S VODKA. In a crystal skull bottle, and the vodka is filtered through diamonds.

Black toilet paper. Of course it is European. Why not? If you went tp-ing with this stuff nobody could deny your stylish mojo.

My measly little pumpkins...

Stephanie's Brooklyn Limestone Halloweeen 2008

Got nothin' on Stephanie's Halloween theme decorating abilities. GIRL GOES ALL OUT! Stephanie of Brooklyn Limestone must have Martha shaking in her *black bottomed Christian Louboutin heels. *Did you know that Martha makes an intern take a Sharpie to those famous red soles and color them in because Martha thinks the red is obnoxious!

Back to Stephanie, she takes and theme and absolutely kills it. Can you imagine walking by this in your neighborhood, the kids (and the adults) must be dumbfounded. What really impresses me is that Stephanie doesn't recycle her decorations from year to year. Oh no, she gets the wheels turning in her genius decor mind and comes up with a new theme every year! Then she incorporates it into her exterior and interior decor and party theme. For shame lady! Plus, she works full time and I'm guessing she doesn't have a whole department at her disposal who can create and execute the projects. Amazing. If you haven't gotten hooked on her blog yet go over there now.

Brooklyn Limestone 2009

Brooklyn Limestone 2010

Black Kitchens

It's the week of All Hallow's Eve- let's kick it off with some dark, moody, black kitchens.

Only Miles Redd could do a mirrored backsplash and countertops (sooo not practical) The star and border on the floor are amazing

Sleek and purrrr-dy

Please note: Crocodile upholstered kitchen stools

This is Gwennie's Hampton House Kitchen from the now defunct House&Garden magazine

Black cabinets and black floors? Notice they kept the ceiling white, the countertops look like a dark wood, and the appliances are stainless steel.

Like that pop of green

See ya Monday

I mean seriously?

This is quite the playroom. Sea grass wall covering, custom carpet and drapes, INCREDIBLE storage, flat screen, wide open play space and a view. I'll take it!

Accessorize! A modern safari room

Start with this Zimba fabric for pillows, curtains or upholstery

These have absolutely no function except for being decorative, say piled in a bowl or basket. They will inevitably become flying objects for your children to hurl so I guess they count as toys too.

Stumps as side tables. Bring nature inside, that's not what mama said but you know, it works these days.

Shine some light on the situation - these orbs are versatile.

Patterned, tribally rug- check.

Driftwood coat rack- to hang your hat

Newspaper trophy animal head

Periwinkle and Pattern

Proof that you don't have to do pink for a girl's room, periwinkle and babyish blue are great alternatives. These rooms all have another element in common and that is the use of a pattern, a pattern that is shapely and feminine. The painted patterned ceiling and the chandelier are pretty impressive as is the monogrammed/piped headboard!

Cuddly Costumes

These Halloween costumes - adorable. Find them here.

Ikes- Yikes- STRIPES!

When I went on to YouTube to search for this commercial I was doubtful that it would be there. Sheer joy when the search results popped out this baby- from 1991! Whenever I think of stripes this little jingle pops into my mind so now you all can suffer along with me. Anyone else remember this? Thought it was a good way to top off our week of stripes- there are still more inspiration images but I can't seem to load them so you get this instead- have a great weekend!

Stripes for small spaces

Still scared to try them out- you can always experiment in a smaller space like the bathroom or a powder room.

.99 Pumpkins

At Whole Foods today only- GO! They were also having all these other crazy deals today.

Coloring within the lines

Stripes in the nursery are a fantastic way to add a graphic punch. No need for teddy bear or duck wallpaper and matching border here. Stripes add a sense of playfulness to a room which is why they are perfect for nurseries and kids rooms.

Stripey

These don't scare me. It's not too bold. They are PERFECT! Look at how many different ways there are to play with black and white stripes: in a conference room, in a kitchen, in a powder room, in a bedroom, in an office, in a living room and in an entryway. Thick stripes, thin stripes, horizontally, vertically, wallpaper, paint, with an accent or without. Notice that there are lot of mirrors pictured here that add to the optical illusion and break up the wall and all those stripes. I love black and white with one bold accent color but there are also great examples here of the stripes as a key component of an eclectic room where other patterns are in play. Go forth and find inspiration in these images!