MOORE TO LIFE: BACHELORETTE DRESSING ROOM SNEAK PEEK

 

This weekend on "Moore to Life," I'm going to show you fun and unique ways to celebrate the exciting time leading up to a wedding; whether you are the bride or an all important friend. On this weekend's episode, I show you a few projects that I guarantee will be a huge help during this time and also make your closet and dressing area the envy of all of your girlfriends. As a little tease, I thought I'd share with you some dressing rooms that I found inspirational.  

Who better to start with than the incomparable Jackie O. There are so many elements to this room that I just adore. I love the gorgeous hue of blue that is used throughout the room. The vanity and mirror are chic with its elements of silver echoed in the picture frames and chair. The chinoiserie screen is so elegant, not just visually but in the idea of it as well. The chaise lounge and occasional chair creates the idea of a retreat where she would secret away with friends.

I love the glam with a touch of exotic in this room with the mounted antler trophy above the mantel, the printed throw pillow and Persian rug.  

Another woman whose style I admire is Aerin Lauder, I can totally relate to having to incorporate a work space into a dressing area. The gold desk with marble top is absolutely stunning and I love the matching closet frame.

Obviously one of the key elements and advantages of having a dressing area is organization. Custom storage is ideal and can even be achieved through stores such as Ikea. I prefer to keep my storage open like in the room below so that I can visually arrange my wardrobe. I love the idea of a central island also.

 

Hope this excites you for ideas on how to create, organize and personalize a dressing space of your own.  Tune in to KONG Channels 6 and 16 at 10:30 am tomorrow. 

If you miss the show or don't live in the Seattle area, you can watch episodes and video clips on KING 5.

KELLEY'S CONFESSIONAL: IT'S FRIDAY!

 

It's Friday and I'm excited for the weekend!  I thought I'd share a few tips I learned on how to enjoy cocktail hour without ruining my regimen. 

It's Friday! from Kelley Moore Creative Media on Vimeo.

WHAT I'M READING: THE CITY SAGE

The City Sage has totally inspired me to begin organizing my own collection of vintage housewares and to expand on the color range of the pieces I currently have. I've always loved the hunt of discovering little out of the way antique shops here in the Northwest or stopping at those recommended by locals when I travel. The experience of finding the object always adds to the enjoyment of it once its placed in my home or given to someone special. 

I love the variety of shapes and hues of this little gathering of glass. I can imagine using them during a casual springtime cocktail party.

I really like the idea of creating a vignette in a dining room or breakfast nook to display the pieces; to be able to house the whole story in one place.

Anytime I visit the Seattle Art Museum I'm inspired by what I like to call the Dish Room.  The above room totally reminds me of it. I love the intricate custom display shelves for the beautiful porcelain collection, it perfectly adds to the cozy country charm.

MOORE TO LIFE: LUAU INVITATION & DECOR TIPS

It's the middle of the week and I'm already looking forward to the weekend. Thinking about my plans reminded me of the luau we hosted recently so I thought I would share with you a few more of the details.

Every party begins with the invitation.  For the luau, I went to Bedrock Industries and bought pieces of tumbled glass that I then inscribed with the event details.  You may think who wants to mail a rock as an invitation? Trust me, it's very easy to drop the smooth piece of glass in a small box or padded envelope - remember that the invitation is how you introduce the event to your guest, you want to make it unique and memorable just as you hope the event will be.

I began by decorating the buffet table by covering it in a barkcloth linen that I found at the Hawaii General Store. I then poured white craft sand from Michael's down the center, using my fingers to make subtle designs. To add a sense of fun, I placed small wooden tikis on the table. Instead of using traditional plates for my buffet, I provided my guests with bento boxes from Cost Plus World Market, which are small circular boxes made from bamboo and decorated them by placing banana leaves on the bottom of each. 

I was lucky enough to have Nisha Kelen of Fleurish visit to teach me all about orchids and to choose the perfect plants to accent the table.  The orchids were essential in adding that lush tropical feel.

   
Hope this gets you thinking about your next fun gig playing hostess!

GLAM DAME DIANE VON FURSTENBERG LAUNCHES HOME LINE

 

Very exciting news has just been announced! One of the most glamorous icons of the fashion world, designer Diane von Furstenberg, is launching a home decor line.  I've been a longtime fan of the patterns and textiles she uses for her sexy signature wrap dresses and her general aesthetic just oozes laissez-faire chic so I can't wait to see what she'll bring to her home line. It will include bedding, bath, tabletop and decorative items. 

Recently, she partnered with the Rug Company on a collection that featured rich colors and intriguing patterns, giving us a little taste of what we might expect.

Unfortunately, we'll have to wait until January of next year when the products will be available in stores and on her website, DVF.com.   

WHAT I'M READING: CURBLY

Curbly is a blog that I read on a daily basis.  It's a community where you can share pictures of your own home, get inspired by design ideas or get advice from home improvement experts. It's motto is to be a community for people who love where they live and its one that I can relate and aspire to!

I really adore design that is a bit tongue in cheek and today on Curbly I discovered this amazingly detailed - and incredibly cheeky - rug created from foam carpet padding!

At first glance, it certainly appears to be a luxe fabric but nope, it's yucky padding recycled into a gorgeous Persian-esque rug.

KELLEY'S CONFESSIONAL: GET MY BODY MOVING!

Started my day off on the right (and left foot) with my trainer Kelly Singer! And I discovered some motivating thoughts and iPhone apps to keep me moving. I'm sticking to my new nutrition strategy and feeling much better.

Get My Body Moving! from Kelley Moore Creative Media on Vimeo.

HOME LIBRARY REDUX - THE RESULTS ARE IN!

You'll remember that two weeks ago I posted my plans for the redesign of my home library.  Here's a quick refresher:

After installing the custom built bookshelves, I began assembling the room - painting the walls, rolling out the rug, moving in the porter chair - and I realized it wasn't quite working for me. So then began a game of musical chairs...and tables...and paintings; shuffling furniture and decorative items from room to room.

*Here is where I should mention that my husband is a saint, a very patient, very strong, very forgiving saint whom I adore and who only looked at me funny once during this whole process.*

When I placed the vintage porter chair from Area 51 in the room, its velvet looked wonderful against the wall paint, however the piece is so striking and unusually shaped that it was dominating the whole room. And although I want this to be a retreat, I still want to be able to entertain in the room so a seating change was necessary. I swapped the porter chair for a pair of red upholstered wing chairs from my living room. I really liked the contrast in color and added a few graphic throw pillows for extra punch. Don't worry the lovely porter chair now lives in my living room near the fireplace, it's very happy and gorgeous there.

The next thing to be changed was the rug, the versatility of the Tarnby rug from Ikea is great but I just loved the way the white hide brought an added English manor element. The pop of white also complements the molding and the regency detail carved into the base cabinets of the bookshelves that were made by the incredible team at Unique Carpentry (253-606-8366.) I like having the hide as an element that ties various pieces together.

On the bookshelves themselves, I added the gorgeous clothbound Penguin classics from Anthropologie that I had mentioned previously. Though I love the cover imagery of books, I wanted to try something different that was cleaner and evocative of a PMS scale. So I removed the jackets from a selection of books from my collection and arranged them in hue families. Along with the books, I added in treasured framed photographs of family and friends and a vintage typewriter with my husband and my initials next to it. I paired much loved horn candlesticks with my collection of Roald Dahl books and an antique pitcher with coffee table books. On various levels of shelves, I placed a number of ceramics from Jonathan Adler - including a cheeky banana.

Inspired by our recent trip to Hawaii, my husband and I fell in love with the idea of a saltwater reef aquarium. That meant an additional request from our custom woodworkers who had to reinforce the shelves to secure the immense weight of the tank.  It was absolutely worth it however as we now have our own underwater world to nurture.

We brought the Tommi Parzinger style white lacquer bar in from the dining room.  Incorporating bling with the nickel pulls and mirrored service tray.  We finished the top with World War II era barware and two vintage lamps restored in red lacquer.  And, of course, I had to bring in the ceramic wiemeranier from the living room to stand guard by the liquid treasures.

A few years ago, I had the amazing and unusual opportunity to sit for world-renowned painter and portrait artist Mary Veronica Sweeney.  Unexpectedly, she gave me the painting upon completion. I was overwhelmed by the gift and thoughts of where to place it. The library seems fitting as the room certainly makes me feel like the lady of the house.

Phew! I'm so excited that we now have our library and the time to enjoy it finally! 

KELLEY'S CONFESSIONAL: LATE NIGHT CONUNDRUM

Wow, another hectic day of important personal errands, work and shooting a segment! My eating habits are starting to suffer, not happy about that.

Late Night Conundrum from Kelley Moore Creative Media on Vimeo.

MOORE TO LIFE: BRINGING HAWAII HOME - KALUA PORK RECIPE

This past Saturday on "Moore to Life" we featured a staple of Hawaiian cuisine, the plate lunch.  In case you weren't able to jot down Kauai Family Restaurant's delicious recipe for Kalua Pork during the show, here it is:

Kalua Pork

(serves 8)

2 to 4 pounds pork roast
soy sauce
2 cups water
1-1/2 tablespoons rock salt
1 tablespoon liquid smoke
Chili pepper "water" which is fresh, frozen Hawaiian chilis soaking in water.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

1.  Score pork all around, about 1/4" deep cuts.  Rub meat all over with soy sauce.

2.  Wrap meat in heavy foil; place into a roasting pan containing 1-inch of water.
     Cover over all with foil.

3.  Place into oven, checking meat for tenderness after 3-1/2 hours.
     Bake 1/2 hour more if it is not yet tender (it should shred easily).
     Shred meat and set aside.

4.  Boil 2 cups of water, add the rock salt and liquid smoke; cook until dissolved.

5.  Combine mixture thoroughly with shredded pork.  Season with chili pepper "water" to serve.

Serve with side dishes of short grain rice, macaroni slad, lomi salmon and onions seasoned with Hawaiian salt.

GIVING BACK: HAITIAN RELIEF

 

I'm sure by now we've all given what we can to aid in the relief effort in Haiti following the horrific earthquake disaster.  I wanted to find other ways I could contribute to the ever increasing needs of the dire situation such as donating medical supplies, clothing or basic necessities.  However, in my research it was made clear that as efforts on the ground are still desperately trying to organize that monetary donations are still the most crucial.  The Huffington Post has created and is maintaining a frequently updated list of organizations, including a description of the group and the specific efforts that your donations will be supporting.  I hope this is helpful.

MOORE TO LIFE: BRINGING HAWAII HOME

 

 

Don't forget "Moore to Life: Bringing Hawaii Home" airs tomorrow morning!  Learn the secrets of a Hawaiian plate lunch from Chef Peter Buza of Kauai Family Restaurant with his scrumptious, succulent kahlua pork recipe. Nisha Kelen of Fleurish drops by to help me add a touch of the islands to my bedroom with orchids. And of course, my fabulous luau that I teased you about last week!  Don't miss the fun. Aloha!

FRIDAY FROLICKING

Just a quick little post to start Friday off with a bit of fun. Here are a couple of things I've come across that I'm trying to justify buying because I think they are clever and cool.

Much beloved LEGO is launching LEGO Architecture, now we can all channel our inner Frank Lloyd Wright and build such iconic buildings as the Guggenheim Museum and Fallingwater Residence.

How adorable is this iPhone charger? And I love that it is constructed with real wood.

 

This Sun Jar lamp is composed of an old fashioned glass mason jar with a solar powered LED light. It gathers power from direct sunlight while you're at work and welcomes you home as a precious little lamp. I think it's a clever idea for patios or gardens.

KELLEY'S CONFESSIONAL: WORK OUT INTERRUPTION

So after all of the encouragement I received yesterday, I was feeling better about my next workout. I won't say looking forward to it, but feeling less apprehensive.  And just as the momentum starting rolling, it hit a roadblock. Voice-overs needed to be recorded at the last minute which meant missing my workout, argh. I really could have used Kelly Singer kicking my butt this morning as I geared myself up to shoot a segment in dangerous, and oh so yummy, enemy territory - Trophy Cupcakes. Here's the scoop.

Work Out Interruption from Kelley Moore Creative Media on Vimeo.

ST. REGIS PRINCEVILLE RESORT

When I was lucky enough to visit Kuaui before the holidays, I stayed at the St. Regis Princeville Resort.  The gorgeous property recently completed a $180 million renovation. I marvelled at the overwhelming number of beautiful pieces and inspired details that could be found around every corner. I would catch my breath from one impressive feature and then have it taken by another.

Here's a view of the rear of the hotel and the 5,000 square foot infinity pool which slopes into the lush landscape.  I love the repetition of the cool turquoise throughout the exterior grounds which echo the blue of the pool, sky and ocean.

A subtle water feature that blends well with the sloping pool sides.

With all of the beauty outside, it would be easy to be unimpressed with the interior design.  However, that was far from the truth. The rooms were stunning! I absolutely love the glam factor of the wallpaper, mirror and lush fabrics while still incorporating organic elements such as the lamps constructed with shells.

The glamor extends to the suite's dining area with the bold chairs and lovely Murano glass chandelier.  And the view's not too shabby.

How can you not look beautiful in this bathroom? Blue Brazilian marble is used on every surface with more Murano glass, here used as sconces.

A view of Hanalei Bay from the bathtub. *Sigh* Yes, soaking in that tub was everything you would imagine it to be: simply divine.

The use of wood throughout the property was evocative of the surrounding environs and employed in several ways: decoratively, to divide space and to add layers of texture. The above screen welcomes visitors in the entryway.

Gorgeous slats of blond wood used to create the booths in the Kuaui Grill.

These carved screens are throughout the hotel.

This stunning chandelier is comprised of falling glass hibiscus flowers that linger into LED lights that change hue.

Continuing on the theme, natural hibiscus flowers are pressed in between panes of glass to create the walls surrounding the Kuaui Grill.

This unbelievable chandelier hung in the lobby, it's difficult to choose a favorite element of the resort but I was continually awed by this piece.  Absolutely stunning - so delicate yet commanding.  The glass baubles bringing to mind the foam of ocean tides.

The St. Regis Princeville is truly a gorgeous tropical escape, inspiring in its unparalled natural beauty and the luxurious style of its design.  I am eager to make plans for my return!