Today I have more amazing photos from the Seaside Design Home I toured last week.  My jaw hit the floor when I looked up and saw the open loft area… bananas! Tomorrow, I’ll take you on a tour of the bedrooms and a few other goodies I found along the way!

P.S.  See the painting of Tower Bridge in London… yeah, that’s mine now!

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Lauren

Seriously?!  Are you not drooling over this design house in Seaside, Florida.  I could move in, not change a thing and be perfectly content!  Today’s blog is part two of the amazing tour I took.  Tomorrow we’ll head into the living room and see more designer delights!  Enjoy!

P.S.  See the little side table next to the tub… It’s mine now.  It is happily sitting in my living room waiting for a cocktail!

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Lauren

Last week, I attended the 2nd annual Designer Show House for the Arts in Seaside, Florida, benefiting the Cultural Arts Association.  It happened to be a rainy day on our vacation and I’m always up for a good cause and some design inspiration.  While it seemed like a perfect solution to a sunless day, my little adventure turned into an incredibly delightful and entertaining surprise.  I instantly fell in love with this house and  I walked around for hours… soaking in all the carefully selected details, marveled at the homes architecture and drooled over each and every room.  I instantly started snapping photos on my iPhone (please excuse the poor photography) to document the fabulous-ness I was seeing!  The result was a worn down phone battery and hundreds of photos to sort through which I will blog about over the next few days.

The house, owned by the Davis family (founders of Seaside), serves as their guest home.  Yes, that is not a typo… I said, guest home!  While some of us would die just to have a house like this for our main quarters… the Davis’ use this home for friends and family visiting their pristine ocean town.  Ummm… excuse me Davis family… if you are looking for a new friend, sign me up!  I’m very loyal and buy good gifts! Anyway, I digress… the Davis family graciously packed up all their belongings for a few weeks and allowed fifteen fabulous designers to showcase their talents (you can find a list of designers after the images).

Lucky for me, I was able to walk through the house on the last day of the tour… unlucky for my husband, I came home with a painting, a new side table and a list of things I want to do in our home.  First thing… bead board our living room ceiling!  Good thing my brother is a contractor… bad thing he lives in New Jersey.  Looks like we’ll be flying him down for a weekend of physical labor… did I happen to mention our living room has a two story slanted ceiling …  I love you big brother!

Designers:  Melissa Quinn Bartlett, Bohlert-Massey, Holly Shipman, Libby Baker, Seleta Hayes Howard, Dale Trice, Kati Lockley and Tina Vital of Design Services of Florida, Eastern Lake Nursery, Dragonfly Designs, Vera Bradley with Baekgaard & Lynn Nesmith, Rachel Craige, Bill Musso & Todd Falconbury of Musso Design Group, Pizitz with Shabby Slips, Tammy Massey and Paige Schnell, Anna Kay Porch & Bess Marshall of Tracery Interiors

Dear Lindsey Lohan,

Tsk… Tsk… Tsk!  It seems your hard partying ways have finally caught up to you!  But have no fear… prison stripes are totally chic!  So embrace it… rock the jailhouse look and wipe that nasty manicure off your fingers.  And maybe next time, write “I heart judges” on your middle finger and keep the expletives to your yourself… silly, silly girl!

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Lauren

Living Room photo via Blount Design, Bikini, Dress, Room with Blue Mirror, Umbrella, Hook,

For some reason, I am constantly ripping out photos of beautiful office spaces.  I’m not talking cubbies and windowless caves… I’m talking inspiring rooms that would make me want to create and design.  Most of us spend the majority of our day at our desks… so why shouldn’t they be as comfortable as our homes.  And while, many of you may work in a cubicle, I encourage you to take tidbits from inspiring spaces and make your cubby the best cubby of them all… add a lamp, pin frames to your fabric room dividers… then kick up your feet and get to work!

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Lauren

Pepto Pink Office via Domino Magazine, Wire Chair Office via Lolina.com,  White Photo Gallery office via Houzz,  Dark Photo Gallery office via Houzz,  Peacock Office via Houzz

Having your own store does have it’s perks.  For one, many times when I buy merchandise for the shop, I do a little “one for me and one for you.”  And when it comes to Russel and Hazel, my habit gets magnified 100 percent.  I mean, how could I not want to line my shelves in yummy colored binders outfitted in the latest and greatest index tabs and paper pockets.  So, yes… I am in business to make money, but when it comes to Russell and Hazel… let’s just say breaking even is a good plan!

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Lauren

There is a little something you should know about my childhood.  First, I may not have been the kid who ate the glue… but I was the kid who smelled the erasers.  Second, I never wanted to share my box of crayons, because the other kids would just peel the paper off and make them look unsightly.  So, when you asked me to borrow my Laser Lemon crayola… I heard you, I don’t have a hearing problem.  Third, I enjoyed emptying the pencil sharpener at school…  the smell of the fresh pencil shavings would make me giddy.  And last, but not least… I was the one who took all the paper clips and made the garland… it looked so pretty dancing in the light.  And while I may have traded my crayolas for the french colored pencils… I still don’t want to share because you’ll just break the point or not put them back in the box in the perfect color order.  And yes, I heard you this time.  Get your own desk candy!

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Lauren

Variety of Colored Pencils, Erasers, Animal Paper Clips, Yo Yo’s, Embossers, Yo Yo’s, Swing Bird Glue Tape available at Rock Paper Scissors – Rubber Band Ball, Bulldog Clips, Pewter Stamp Holder, Letter Opener and Magnetic Bird available here.

I have a confession… I am a pinup girl!  No, no, no… not that kind… no fishnets and stilettos here… well, maybe with the right outfit, but I digress.  I just happen to have a thing for cork boards, bulletin boards, inspiration boards… whatever you may call them.  These little framed wonders, happen to be the window into some one’s world… an unexpected piece of a soul that you normally wouldn’t be able to see.  It’s the bits and pieces they needed to save… the reminders of things to come… hopes and dreams and things that inspire.  Don’t believe me… take a look at yours, what does it say about you?!

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Lauren

Photos via Houzz

I hope your long weekend has been filled with sipping lemonade, lighting sparklers and wiping ice cream drips off your chin.  I’ll be back tomorrow for a week of office inspired fun!

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Lauren

Images via Country Living Magazine

On days like today, when there just isn’t enough time or hours to get everything done… I’d love to slap an airmail stamp on my forehead and ship myself to Europe.  You know… forget about all the work sitting on my desk, not worry about returning phone calls or type any e-mails and simply mail myself to the Italian Riviera.  There I would sit… sipping Bellinis and throw my iPhone into the water!  Oh, and honey… you’re invited too… maybe we can get a bulk postage rate!

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Lauren

Vintage Airmail Envelopes, Airmail Cotton Tape, Linen Fabric, Airmail Japanese Masking Tape, Pillow, Airmail Stickers,