Year: 2011

1970s interior design disasters

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I don’t know about you, but I don’t care much for the original 70s interior design or decor. I say original because since the 70s, we have been introduced to retro 70s design to consider incorporating into  today’s home decor. So, it’s important to understand I am referring to the original 70s sense of no style. With the remodel or revamp of the condo, I have pointed out some  items which must go and while I was compiling the list, I couldn’t help but wondered what the designers were thinking about back then? Here are some of my most dreaded items which we both agree to get rid of Can you think of anything else? If so, please share.

first stop: condo kitchen sprucing up

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First decision was to tackle the kitchen. His wish, of course, was to remodel the entire kitchen. Mine, was to reface, nip and tuck and voila a brand new look without spending the big bucks. Since the area is a small 6×9 galley style kitchen, I wanted to go with white paint for the cabinets in order to brighten up the small, dark space. However, knowing his taste in dark furnishing, I agreed to paint the cabinets a deep dark brown instead, using the below photo as my gage on how it will turn out once done painting. Stay tuned for photos of the before and after, coming your way shortly

condo remodel – d.i.y. project

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A funny thing happened to me or perhaps not so funny, depending on how I look at it. I inherited the project of renovating or sprucing up a condo for a friend, who intends to sell it as quickly as he can. Now, as we all know, the home prices have plummeted in the U.S. and we are still in the midst of the real estate crisis (even if we are told the market has picked up or is moving upward) it is still very difficult to sell or buy a home in the U.S. these days, condos are even worse. Based on this fact, his concern was, being able to renovate without putting alot of money into the condo, so that he can make a small profit, if any.  After finding out his budget, I gladly took on the project and  suggested we do most of the work ourselves in order to meet his financial commitment. He agreed 🙂 Based on this new adventure I have embarked on, I decided to  periodically share with …

as my mind travels to all good things paris

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I have to tell you, I just can’t help myself no matter how hard I try. The worst is that the closer it gets to summer, the more I get restless about taking a trip to Paris. The worst part of it is that most any travel website I visit or go shopping anywhere, there is always a reminder of my favorite city via a photographer of the famous Eiffel Tower. I never realized how impressionable the darn thing is in most everyone’s lives? The only other icon most of us are touched by, one way or another, is a  silouette of Mickey Mouse’s head. (I know you know what I mean) Anyway, back to Paris and some of my favorite reminders. Enjoy and happy weekend to you all.

happy blog anniversary to me

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One year ago, I decided to start a blog different than my other blog here. I dabbled at first at another blogger site and after a few entries and not knowing which direction I wanted to go, I opted to join the WordPress family to get inspired. Sure enough, within a week I knew what I wanted to write about and quickly imersed myself into the project. One year  later, here I am with over 50,000 hits worldwide and several hundred, subscribed loyal followers. Not bad if you ask me for a years worth of work. However, I hope year two will inspire me enough to keep the blog alive and fresh for my readers and for myself. I want to thank everyone for encouraging me to continue and praising me for a job well done. I can honestly say, if it weren’t for this blog, I  would probably be working at Starbucks to get my pop culture on 🙂 With sincere appreciation, your truly Manya

have you met fifi flowers?

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There is nothing like clicking away at my keyboard and accidentally stumbling upon a website or a blog which simply lights up my face. I did just that when I came across, fififlowers blog here. The first thing that came to mind is, finally I found the artist I want to design my first novel cover and after flipping through her artwork, I definiately know she will be the one to design the cover. Check out some of my favorites and then click here to  hopefully see some of yours.

best books written about paris or are they?

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In reviewing the Guardian UK the other day, I came across an article with their list of top 10 books written about Paris. Of course, you know that immediately grabbed my interest, so I decided to share their suggestions in my blog and ask my readers for their opinion. Are the suggested books the best books written about Paris? Has anyone read any of the books and what you thought about it? if the listed books are truly not the best, please feel free to make a recommendation.

travel recommend: cinque terre, italy

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This weekend marks the beginning of my official travel recommends.  As I stated before I get the travel itch sometime in March, but it doesn’t really flare up until about mid May when I discover my circle of acquaintances are planning their trips. In light of the fact, my first recommend is what is known as Cinque Terre in Italy. Located along the western coats of Italy, this area consists of five small villages which literally cling to the Ligurian cliffs. The villages are small  and close enough that you can actually walk from own village to the next within a matter of hours. The first time I discovered the area was actually when I coordinated travel plans for college students. I heard a group of them talking about buying a railpass and finding their way to the area.  That same year, I decided to take a trip to Italy and after locating Cinque Terre on the map, I chartered my course on how to incorporate Cinque Terre into my trip. To make it easier …

the inspiration of window seats in decor

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I don’t know what it is about window seats, but I love them. I suppose it is because I love to write and read and window seats are not only ideal for both hobbies, but they can be inspirational as well. For example, my favorite of course is the featured photo (above) but then again, I wouldn’t mind the rest below this section: