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Category Fun Friday Finds

Boutique Homes provides a new way to plan a vacation: let the architecture influence the destination.

Boutique Homes showcases some of the world’s most stunning and architecturally interesting homes that are — get this — all available for rent! Featuring tons of photos of beautiful interiors and exteriors, you can search for your next vacation destination by style (rustic, simple luxury, urban, etc.), by exact location (Paris, Los Angeles, etc.), by type of location (mountains, seaside, country, etc.) or even by continent.

These boutique homes offer all of the luxury of hotel accommodations with added space and privacy, making them a great alternative for family travel. For those of us who don’t enjoy cooking on our vacation, there are even homes available with the option of a personal chef so you can kick back and relax without even leaving the property! If you appreciate a more adventurous vacation you can easily search for homes off the beaten bath. (A warning to potential travelers: like most beautiful things in life, these homes don’t come cheap, so be prepared to take out your checkbook!)

Even if you don’t have a luxury vacation in your near future, it’s still worth browsing this site for the spectacular architecture and beautiful interiors. If you happen to be renovating or building a new place, the detailed photos that accompany each listing will surely help inspire your inner designer and get the creative juices flowing!

So, vacation or not, check out this site for some seriously cool spaces.

The Chic Ecologist: Your New Must Read Resource for all Things Green

A couple of days ago I stumbled across the site The Chic Ecologist and was immediately drawn to the photos of the gorgeous silk wedding dresses. As an afterthought, I noticed the title of the article, “What is eco-silk?”. My sister recently got engaged, so I’ve been on the lookout for the perfect wedding dress for her, but I had never heard of or considered a sustainable alternative for the fabric….until now!

The Chic Ecologist Homepage

After being drawn in by the eco-silk piece, I continued to poke around the recent articles, which varied from eco friendly shopping advice to solar plane excursions, to detailing how the Gulf oil spill impacts you individually. I even found a story called “All Things Ethically Sourced” which mentions Brilliant Earth – where my sister’s ring also happens to be from – a great place to get conflict-free diamonds.

Conflict Free Diamond

Bottom line: I ended up getting sucked into The Chic Ecologist for hours because I found all of the articles to be fun, interesting and informative! Plus, there are some great green resources (sustainable shopping sites, green design sites, green blogs, etc.) in the “Green Chic Resources” section. I’m definitely adding this site to my daily “must read” list. Check it out and let me know what you think…http://www.thechicecologist.com

GE’s Augmented Reality Campaign Entertains as it Educates

GE recently launched a campaign to promote alternative energy resources, and their creative advertising strategy is just that. I know what you’re thinking – when not associated with the Super Bowl, the word “advertising” can conjure up thoughts of boring informational segments, particularly when associated with environmental causes. Trust me, this is anything but boring — you will have fun with it and you just might learn something too!

Virtual Windmill Scene

Virtual Desert Scene

So, here’s how GE’s special “Augmented Reality” works:

  1. Print out a simple black and white geometric design (provided on the GE site here — see the orange text under “Getting Started” instructions).
  2. Click on one of GE’s two augmented reality scenes (wind turbine or solar energy – the Wind Turbine is my favorite, but they are both fun to try).
  3. When the pop-up window appears, hold the piece of paper in front of your computer’s video camera. After a slightly awkward second of staring at yourself on your computer screen you will see a beautiful animated landscape scene unlock and come to life. Magic!
  4. When the scene is open, have fun twisting the paper around to get different angles of the landscape. Try blowing into your computer’s microphone and see what happens…

We love GE’s augmented reality because it’s so much fun that it prompts you to want to play around and learn more about an important environmental initiative. Check it out GE’s Augmented Reality now >

Also worth checking out on GE’s ecomagination site is their “Smart Meters” section. You can pull on a lever and see a fun animated graphic display what happens as more homes integrate the smart meter. As you will see, when more homes acquire smart meters, fewer cars are on the roads and CO2 emissions are reduced.

Speaking of CO2 emissions, there is also another informative section that helps visualize what will happen to CO2 as the power grid increases in efficiency. As you will see, even a relatively small increase in efficiency can go a long way – a 2% more efficient power grid can result in 12.9 million additional acres of trees.

Bottom line: this creative site is a really fun way to educate oneself about important environmental advancement efforts, so go ahead, check it out and let the fun begin!

Tesla Motors Cleans up our Streets in Style

Two years ago I was lying in bed flipping through TV channels when I stumbled across a show profiling Tesla Motors. I’m not a total car fanatic (like my dad and my brother), but the flashy car caught my eye and I heard mention of an electric engine, so I stayed tuned to learn more. Ever since, I have been totally intrigued by everything Tesla.

Tesla motors was founded in 2003 on the principle that people can be environmentally responsible when it comes to cars, without sacrificing performance or style. Based out of Palo Alto, these cars are built with electric engines (no gas needed!) that will help wean us off of gasoline-based transportation.

Tesla Roadster

Tesla is not only committed to producing the best electric cars in the world, they are now making serious strides to drive the luxury car prices down so that they are affordable to the average consumer. The first step in this process is the predicted 2013 release of the “S” series sedan.

Tesla S Model

The S model features room for 7 passengers (traditional five car seating plus two jumpseats in the back), storage in the hood (thanks to the lack of a traditional engine), speeds of up to 120 miles per hour, and acceleration of 0 to 60 mph in just 5.6 seconds. Furthermore, the S series can go 300 miles per charge, aka from Boston to New York City with 75 miles to spare.

The price of the S series sedan is a hefty $49,000 (and that’s for the standard, not the fully-loaded version), but that’s not scaring environmental car enthusiasts away. Although the car is still 3 years out and many of the details unknown, people are lining up to get one of these ground-breaking vehicles. Tesla now has a waiting list of over 2,200 people!

Tesla S Model

Tesla S Model

While I’m not ready to shell out over forty grand for one of these cars just yet, I do take my hat off to Tesla for their incredible contributions to solving one of our most daunting environmental issues and hope that they continue to dedicate energy and resources to perfecting the electric car and making it mainstream.

Design Sponge Has It All!

I’ve heard a lot about Design Sponge, but never took the time to dig through their website until my sister forwarded me the link raving about it. Design Sponge is unlike any other design site I’ve seen.  It tracks mini trends (one of which pays tribute to our Ombre rugs), includes city design guides featuring great home decorating stores (plus good area eats), has inspiring before and after room transformation projects, features gourmet recipes, and (best of all for crafty people such as myself), it has a great Do-it-Yourself section.

The DIY section is filled with fun ideas to spruce up your home without spending a lot. For example, my bedroom door is constantly slamming shut since I opened up the windows this spring, so I’ve been meaning to get a doorstop for some time now. I’m glad that I waited, because the sailor’s knot doorstop is absolutely perfect — and the materials to make it cost less than $10.00. I’m not very experienced with knots, but that’s okay because they have video tutorials to help me out!

Sailor Knot Doorstop

Wine Bottle Cozy

Another one of my favorite projects is the wine bottle cozy (pictured above).  The step-by-step directions should be easy enough for even the most artistically challenged.  Impress your next dinner party hostess by presenting wine in this absolutely adorable and inexpensive gift.  I have a feeling a lot of my friends will be receiving these…

Another section that you do not want to miss is the new recipe section. From desserts to soups to sushi, they’ve got it all. I can’t wait to make the Vietnamese Spring Rolls with Hoisin Peanut Sauce …I’m getting hungry just looking at them.

Vietnamese Spring Rolls

I’m glad that I stumbled on this blog on Friday, so I can now spend the weekend crafting home goods, whipping up new dishes in the kitchen, and redecorating my bedroom so it is worthy of Design Sponge’s before and after section…

Fun Friday Find: The Hempest Proves Sustainable Clothes Can be Stylish!

In my pursuit to be more environmentally responsible in all aspects of my life, I started looking into eco friendly clothing companies. After digging around online a bit I came across The Hempest. When I first heard the name I assumed that it would be sustainable but lack style. I haven’t worn Birkenstock sandals in years and was more than skeptical.

I am happy to report that I was pleasantly surprised that The Hempest is in line with our favorite Merida Home motto: “sustainability with style”. As the name suggests, all of the products on the site, from clothes to shoes to journals, are made with hemp. The dresses are my personal favorite since they are beautiful and unique. Here are some of my top picks:

Also worth checking out are the pictures of their signature Hempest van that (albeit not stylish) actually runs on hemp!

Sea Bags – Saving Sails One Tote Bag at a Time

I love just about everything Sea Bags!  From their founding philosophy of repurposing old sails and their dedication to giving back to their local Portland, Maine community, to their fresh and clean website, Sea Bags has it all.

Sea Bags saves old sails from dumpsters and turns them into coveted tote bags that (like sails) are durable, water resistant and authentic.  They appropriately finish their totes with hand-spliced rope handles for a look that is beach-chic and fantastic!  Bags come in three sizes and each is unique in color, texture, and pattern.

Suitable for all ages, these bags make for wonderful gifts (a hint for last-minute Mother’s Day shoppers).  If your mom already has a plethora of beach bags, check out the fun nautical placemats and coasters in the “holiday” section of Sea Bags website.  I’m sure your mom will appreciate the creative re-use of old sails as much as we do.

Want to know more about this cool company?  Check out the “behind the scenes” link on the “the bags” page for a fun peek into the production process (bags are hand-cut and stitched!).  Also find short but fun bios in the “the crew” link under the brand section.   From pet rabbits to belly dancing mamas, the Sea Bags team is almost as much fun as the bags themselves!

Sea Bags Homepage

Fun Friday Find: Nama Rococo gives us wallpaper that can dance!

Our fantastic Creative Director Maegan Fee tipped me off to Nama Rococo… in visiting their website it was immediately clear why. Nama Rococo gives us a new way to hang art on the wall – and I’m not talking traditional paintings. Nama Rococo produces one of a kind, stunning hand-painted and hand-screened wallpaper that can instantly add edgy fashion to a room. The prints have a wonderful sense of rhythm and movement that are at once new and exciting yet familiar and soothing.

After checking out their impressive collections (I loooove Tokyo & Vine!), I spent some time digging around the rest of their website and was pleased to find comprehensive “about” and “history” sections. I always find it fun to learn about the journey that people take to achieve success. It doesn’t altogether surprise me that Nama Rococo founder Karen Combs’ story starts off with a wild-haired ride to New York City in the 70’s…

The most impressive part of the Nama Rococo website, however, is the fantastic job that it does in translating their high-end, unique and eclectic style to the web. From the punches of color found in the background flowers to the playful animated graphics, the Nama Rococo website does a seamless job of mirroring the sense of movement and rhythm seen in their prints.

Bottom line: This is not your typical classic high-end textile website. Whether or not you’re in the market for new wallpaper, this is a fun site to check out.

Nama Rococo Website

Fun Friday Find: Design a Reusable Tote Bag and win $2,000!

Exciting news for designers and fashionistas alike!  I just learned that Bloomingdale’s is currently running a reusable, green tote bag design contest.  We all love our reusable bags; I use mine to haul my groceries home from Whole Foods, to tote my gym clothes to work, to carry my books and towel to the beach, and – for the particularly cute ones – I sometimes even use them as oversized purses.  So, you can imagine how thrilled I am to hear that I can have a stab at designing my very own bag!

Worried that you don’t have the software to design something on your computer?  Fear not; you can create your design directly on the Bloomingdale’s website with their easy to use tools.  Draw a design from scratch with the pencil tool, use their pre-defined shape tools, or type a meaningful message with their text tool. Sound fun? You can get started here (the page may take a few minutes to load).

But, the best news of all is that the winner (selected by the fabulous Rebecca Minkoff) not only gets to see their design created and sold on Bloomingdales.com, they also receive a $2,000 Bloomingdale’s shopping card!  Runner up will receive $1,000.  You also have the chance to win design of the day ($100 reward) each and every day that the contest runs.  There are only NINE DAYS left, so, what are you waiting for?  Put your thinking cap on and start designing…

Planning to submit a design?!  Tell us about it here!  Here’s a sneak peak of my fun Merida Design… !

My Beautiful Merida Tote Bag!

My Beautiful Merida Tote Bag!

Fun Friday Find: Show off your Interior Design Skills with See My Design!

Warning: This site is addictive and may consume hours upon hours of your time in one sitting. Now that I’ve gotten my disclaimer out of the way, I have to share my newfound obsession: See My Design. See My Design features a blank floor plan that allows you to design and build a room – from scratch!

Perfect for novice designers and seasoned experts alike, this site allows you to select the type of room you want to design (home office, bedroom, baby’s room, etc.) and then add design elements to the room one by one. Select your furniture, area rugs, walls, plants, and accessories, size them to your liking and position them where you want in the room. You can use the corner with the three squares to spin pieces around. Make sure you do not miss the color picker on the bottom of the screen (hence my super pink baby room!).

Start with an blank canvas....end up with a fully furnished baby room!

This is a great tool to use if you’re designing or setting-up a new room and you already have some of your furniture or a Merida natural fiber area rug (wink, wink). You can enter the exact dimensions of your room and the pieces, and then see how they look to scale. Not building a new house? Play around with rearranging your current room layouts — and save yourself the back the pain of dragging heavy furniture from place to place to see how it looks.

If you already have plans tonight you may want to cancel them; your new found career as an interior decorator is calling…

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