Don't You Just LOVE A Great Handbag?

Well, if so you are not alone. Handbags have risen to the position of top dog when it comes to sales of fashion accessories, outpacing even shoes. We enjoyed looking at this trend in the new issue of House of Fifty...

And of course we had to include a mention of the elusive and ultimate fashion status symbol, the Birkin Bag.

But guess what? Just in case you don't have several spare thousands laying around for such a purchase, 

look at what I just came across? 

A paper version, for a fraction of the cost.

{and by that I mean just a few hundred. seriously.}

What do you think, are you ready to take one home yourself?

Have You Ever Wanted to Quit?

Have you ever wanted to quit something that was important to you? Of course you have, we all have. I guess it's what we do next that counts.

I won't bore you with all the complicated details but last week, for the first time, the future of House of Fifty Magazine felt like it was in question. This venture has proceeded without any major glitches, amazingly, so I guess we were long overdue for a challenge!

What happened? During a week when you'd think I'd be taking a break after the release of our latest issue, instead every working hour was focused on fixing a tech issue with the HOF app. Just a few hours after we announced the "early release" of the iTunes app, a few emails began trickling in from users saying that they could see text but no images. WHAT?!?! It appeared to be occurring for a minority of users, but to be safe we delayed our planned campaigns to announce the issue was live until we could figure out what was going on. What a rocky start to a launch! And to make things even more stressful, it took days to identify the source of the problem.

{And FYI, if you experienced this issue and didn't notify us, update your iPad user system to iOS 5.0, delete and reinstall the app, and voila, the problem will be gone. If you need further instructions, just send me an email and the step by step instructions will be yours! For those of you who did write, thank you. You were amazingly patient and kind while waiting for further information from us.}

Anyway, during the time the developers, designer and my husband and I were busy troubleshooting, I had to face the possibility of having to remove the app from sale, if we didn't figure out what was going on. This would have been a huge setback, as the sale of the app is one of the sources of revenue to pay contributors and others that work on the publication. Doing so would have seriously hampered the ability of House of Fifty Mag to move forward in a strong fashion.

Mid week, one night at dinner, I brought up the question: What if I were no longer able to publish this magazine, what would be next? I wanted to wrap my head around that idea and be okay with it, if worse case scenarios were coming my way. I was surprised by what followed. Isabella got pretty emotional, saying "You can't quit!" It was not the response I had expected. I didn't know it meant so much to her that I work on this venture and that she is proud of me and the magazine. I realized in that moment that quitting was not an option. Not only for me, but for her...and perhaps for some of you?

Luckily, the tech problem was identified soon afterwards, I didn't have to pull the app and we could resume getting the word out about the new issue. But what a week, with the events seriously hampering our focus and ability to market our latest issue! The feedback has been wonderful from those who have found it, but the launch has had a hard time finding it's legs. So, dear readers, if you have enjoyed reading House of Fifty, I would be thrilled if you would consider sharing it with your network - if you have a blog, facebook page, or with friends you know would enjoy it as well.

Tomorrow, back to the regular routine here at Isabella & Max Rooms, but thank you for letting me share a bit about what goes on behind the scenes and particularly what goes on behind the scenes when things don't go as you hope they will!

But most importantly, for each of us...here's to the power of not quitting!

Oh So Hip Bar Carts!

Deborah's article is one of my favorites in the new issue of HOF,

and I'd love to set up an outdoor beverage station like Valorie Hart did at her home in New Orleans.

And here are some favorite bar carts I've spotted lately...

Via

Via

Via

Via

Via

Via

It's a trend that has returned with more style than ever!

Getting Paint Right...It Isn't Always Easy!

If you've been reading along, you know my attempt at painting the walls in my kitchen a deep gray/blue was a disaster. {see here} So I immediately decided to go back to the original color, I didn't want to look at it for more than a day!

However, irritated at the idea of completely wasting the effort it took to paint the space, I decided to return to a lighter color using a series of washes, instead of just rolling on a new layer of the original color. Perhaps I could return the walls to their lighter state while retaining a hint of gray peeking through.

I'm not going to say it has been a quick process...

First a layer of the original color, SW Universal Khaki, was washed over the SW Foggy Day. Hum. Too much gray showing through the color. So I went a step lighter, adding more layers using SW Softer Tan, the cabinetry color. 

                                                And the family keeps asking, "you're painting, again?!"

Yes. Yes I am.

But look, it's nearly there! I'll keep you posted.

You'd Never Know!

These are Rast dressers from Ikea...would you ever have known?

{see more here, page 134}

Weekend Reading!

Enjoy! {Click here to read}

You're Awesome...

You're Awesome...and you don't forget it.

{from the new issue of House of Fifty...thanks Mandi!}

A Kitchen Trend I'm Loving!

A trend in design that I've immediately become a fan of is tile to the ceiling in kitchens! 

Moroccan tile in a butler's pantry...

Interior Design by Tineke Triggs, Photography by Matthew Millman

...and a herringbone pattern in the adjoining kitchen.

Interior Designer Tineke Triggs predicts this is a trend we'll be seeing a lot more of in the near future. See  "Celebrating the Heart of the Home" in the new issue of House of Fifty to learn more about the above spaces.

And have you seen this one? It has been making its way around Pinterest, and is by Palmer Weiss.

And another favorite, a kitchen embracing absolute simplicity is brought up several notches by tile covering an entire wall, by Angie Hranowsky.

What about you, is this a detail you'd enjoy seeing in your kitchen?

Read The Latest Issue of House of Fifty!

The latest issue of House of Fifty is Live!

Click here to read.

And the biggest "thank you" to everyone who contributed to its pages, in both big and small ways.

Enjoy! Janell

p.s. to order a print copy or digital version to read on all your mobile devices, hop on over to MagCloud.

It's A Good Day When...

It's a good day when flowers are brought home to you, for no special reason at all!

"Early Release" - New HOF App Now Available at the iTunes Store!

The Winter/Spring issue of  House of Fifty is now ready for purchase at the iTunes store!
Click here to download.

And coming Wednesday, the magazine will be available to read online.

Subscribe here to receive a email notification, or look for a link from this blog...

Enjoy!

Still Loving This DIY Redo!

Last year, right about now, I finished up the redo of this console. 

With its new look, it is still a favorite piece in the house!

before

after

What did it take to complete this transformation? First the console was sanded, removing a thick layer of polyurethane.

To ensure a successful painting job, (one that completely covered the old finish and resulted in a durable finish) the console was then covered with a layer of Sherwin Williams Adhesion Primer. After drying for 24 hours the surface was lightly and quickly sanded with fine grit sand paper. And when I say quickly I mean it, it only took a few minutes to run over the entire console. If you doubt me ask my mom, I was on the phone with her the entire time. "What do I hear in the background, are you sanding?!" Multitasking at its finest in my opinion!

Then, prior to applying paint, the black hardware was transformed with the product of a thousand uses: Rub n' Buff. I suspected the black finish would look too stark against the new paint and this approach fixed the problem for under five dollars.

Afterwards the console was ready for its paint job. I had a can of Softer Tan mixed up in Sherwin Williams ProClassic paint formula, a water based paint that dries to a hard finish similar to an oil based enamel. This paint is a perfect choice for painting furniture and to make certain the paint went on with a smooth finish I added KIM Latex X-Tender, a conditioner which increases working time. Still, a key to painting furniture and cabinetry with success is to not over-brush.

Finally, the right brushes make all the difference. My favorite are made by Purdy, with my go-to brush being the Purdy Clearcut Glider three inch brush with an angled edge. It retails for around $13 and is worth every penny. These brushes help paint go on evenly, leaving a minimal amount of visible brush strokes and best, filaments don't begin to fall out while painting. (The 2 or 2 1/2 inch version is great for edging when painting a room.) If cleaned properly after use these brushes can last a very long time, which in the end makes them the affordable choice.

The inside of the console was already stained a beautiful chocolate brown, so I left it, simply painting up to the line where the stain begins.

I looked at this piece for two years while debating whether or not to paint it. The result is so beautiful I am now wondering what took me so long to jump in and just get it done!