Happy New Year....

Funny, my trainer texted to check up on me...  I  texted back telling him that I would be going to the gym  today before the NYE festivities. Oops.  Honestly, couldn't be bothered. My excuse is that my i-phone wouldn't sync to i-tunes, and my old playlists aren't cutting it.  After all,  a girl needs work out music to stay motivated.  I'm walking to the party I have to go to tonight,  so that counts as exercise, no?

I guess it's time to get back on the treadmill, just like these Corgis.  Here's to keeping resolutions of all sorts and a fantastic 2011!    xoxo

Neststyling...

I've decided to take the plunge and putting a serious bid on a loft apartment for sale.   I've been talking about doing this for at least 5 years and decided 2011 is the year to do it. GULP.   Since I put the bid down, I've been scouring all the shelter blogs  for design inspiration.   I'm leaning towards a mix between rustic and contemporary design. Here are few images that caught my eye:

But maybe these images are a little too one-note?

I really do like the idea of a minimalistic, all white, neutral color palate,  but realistically that style is too  austere and  dull for everyday life.  Perhaps adding pieces or objects that add an element of color here and there will give the spaces above a heartbeat:

Just thinking! 

Looking for Sliding Doors

....not the Gwyneth Paltrow film, but  ACTUAL sliding doors. I like these Modern Farmhouse-y, restored barn doors..

Via: Re-nest

Wishing you a...

Blood From a Stone

Tonight, I caught Blood From a Stone, a new play about a dysfunctional, blue-collar family trying to overcome the personal and economic hardships of  daily life and the attempt to shed the interpersonal baggage that each member has endured over time. I have to say it started it off a bit slow, but  the show hits its stride midway through the first act. What really propels the story along, is not the action or events , but  really just watching the characters on stage together and seeing the history of grievances and familial allegiances revealed.  Watching the dynamics between brother and sister, brother and brother, father and mother, mother and son, etc....play out is pretty intense. The anxiety on stage was palpable!  (The scene between Natasha Leone and Ethan Hawke, as brother and sister,  is notable.)

Written  by  Tommy Nohilly, this play stars Gordon Clapp, Ann Dowd, Thomas Guiry, Natasha Lyonne, Daphne Rubin-Vega, and Ethan Hawke, as the lead character. The performances were amazing. Try to catch it, if you can....

Ethan Hawke ---yay! 

My Reco---The King's Speech

If you are in need of some royal inspiration, or experiencing supreme difficulty in articulating what you need to say, check out  the new Weinstein film, The King's Speech.  It's about King George VI, played by Colin Firth,  and his long and ardent attempt to overcome his severe stammering.  Geoffrey Rush plays his charming and unconventional speech therapist, who teases out the psychological  junk and childhood anxieties at the root of the problem.

The performances are bold, the casting is phenomenal,  and the storyline is moving--yet sometimes a wee bit manipulative.  Overall, I recommend it!  




...and for some jolly fun, I've added an original recording of King George VI, addressing the British people  in 1939,  at the outbreak of World War II. Colin Firth masterfully replicates this momentous speech in the film.