RAMBLINGS: JENNIFER RAMOS

Along the road of my career and travels, I've been extremely fortunate to meet and work with an array of incredibly talented people. Ramblings is my way of picking their brain for more insight and juicy tidbits to share with you.
 
This week's Ramblings is with Jen Ramos, the proprietress of MadeByGirl, a little more about Jen:

"I'm Jen Ramos, a graphic designer who owns and runs an online shop called MadeByGirl, and the author of Made By Girl blog.  I love my job & creativity is everything to me. Hopefully, I can inspire and encourage others to follow their dreams of becoming a business owner. I have always wanted to run my own business and so in 2007, I launched MadeByGirl.  We create paper goods and typographical posters and sell them to customers all over the world from California to Australia to France.  Aside from the online shop, I also sell through Etsy and more than 30 stores across the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom.  MadeByGirl has appeared in several publications such as Inside Out, Marie Claire, Pregnancy, Lucky, Real Living Australia and more. My work has also been written about and featured on dozens of design blogs throughout the country. Launched November of 2006, I blog about interior design, art, food, fashion and pieces of my own life.  My blog is updated 5 to 6 times a week.  I am inspired by many things - creativity, typography, clean design, color and emotion - and I like to share them with my readers."

I've been a longtime fan of both Jennifer's blog and business, I'm excited to share her Ramblings with you!

What is your greatest extravagance?
Probably the shoes I purchased for my wedding....

What career would you pursue if you weren’t doing what you do now?
I have to be involved with something creative at all times...so, it would have to be a field where I get to design or decorate something. I figure I more than likely would have studied Interior Design.

Which living person do you most admire?
I would say my husband, he's a real survivor and gets so many things done. I call him superman.

What three things can’t you live without?
God/prayer, love in my life, and lastly... my iphone :)

What is your guilty pleasure?
Dark chocolate

What is your favorite color combination? 
I like turquoise and gold for decorating purposes.

What is the favorite room in your house and why?
My office...it has 2 large windows and they both look out into our private backyard, very pretty & peaceful.

What is the most memorable event you’ve attended and why?
I have to say when our President was campaigning and he came to Nevada. I, along with my husband and sister went to see him speak outside at a high school football field. It was so HOT out but everyone stood in the heat and waited for him to come out and speak to all of us. My sister got chosen to sit in the group behind him and she snapped a picture of him as he looked right into her camera.  There was so much energy and good spirit. I had never experienced something like that before....so that was quite a memorable day for me.

What would people be surprised to know about you?
That I hate having my picture taken.

What is your biggest pet peeve?
Bad drivers....

CAPTIVATED BY CAPRI

As much as I miss Italy, it's lovely being back home. I've started to tackle the monstrous task of sorting through the hundreds of photos I took during our trip to share with you - my apologies for the quickie camera phone pics I was posting during my trip!

Capri was the first stop on our cruise around the boot of Italy and it's competing with Hvar, Croatia to be my favorite destination on the trip.

This view of vibrant seaside dwellings and vintage boats greeted us from our ship. It was a stunning and surreal moment as I felt like I was being transposed into so many photos and postcards I've seen over the years as I dreamed of visiting Capri.

Getting the lay of the land from this handpainted mosaic...

The Italians know how to accessorize - even their entrances! Everywhere I turned I found a gorgeous statement piece, a skilled work of centuries old craftmanship or a cheeky bit of whimsy like this golden bull...

or this seating that seems hot off the racing track. I love the oversized topiary!

The rich color palette of the washed walls and accents were stunning and complemented the elegant archways. The exterior of each home was individual and distinct from its neighbor which creates a burst of life and style.

NEW ONLINE MAGAZINE: RUE MAGAZINE

A great big announcement from the incredible women of The City Sage, Plush Palate, Live Creating Yourself, and Sacramento Street: they're combining their talents to launch a new online venture, Rue Magazine! The magazine promises to provide decorating ideas, tabletop tips, printable goods and exclusive videos when it debuts in September.

Each has remarkable taste so I can't wait to see the original content they produce!

SO MUCH MOORE: LET'S GET PHYSICAL!

The topics of health and fitness are sticking points for a number of people, myself included! Maintaining my weight at the ideal level for me along with an exercise and nutrition regimen have long been a struggle but I'm determined to get myself back on track and I'm taking you along for the ride on this week's So Much Moore: Let's Get Physical!

I'm going to try fun new ways of exercise as well as meeting with a registered dietician. I know for me, a key factor in my success will be to establish an area of my home where I can work out - giving me no room for excuses - so I'm going create my own home gym. If only I had Sue Sylvester barking at me on the treadmill!

WHAT I'M READING: THE DECORISTA

I love reading my new friend Ashlina's blog, The Decorista, which details her inspirational finds, interior design projects and current revamp of her home. Seeing how she's transforming her space has been one of the sparks to tackle my own projects that I have waiting for me at home.

She recently found a credenza - on her street! - that she re-invigorated with lovely luster! See how she did it here.

HAPPY HOUR: ORGANIC EL DIABLO

I'm finally home from my amazing trip and can't wait to kick off the first weekend of summer with my friends. Don't get me wrong - I will never turn down a glass of wine or pink Prosecco but sometimes a girl just needs something more.  On the hunt for something refreshing and naughty, I found this recipe for an Organic El Diablo at greenUPGRADER. Enjoy!

El Diablo

• About 1 cup ice cubes
• 1/4 cup (2 oz) organic reposado tequila
• 6 tablespoons (3 oz) organic ginger beer
• 1 teaspoon crème de cassis
• 1 lime wedge

Combine the ice and Tequila in a 10 oz glass and top it with the ginger beer.  Slow pour the crème de cassis allowing it to settle to the bottom, then squeeze in your lime, pop the wedge on top and serve!

DIY: FAUX BOIS CHAIR

As the weather warms, I'm less and less inclined to eat meals inside. In fact, I want to do everything I possibly can outside! It's what we Seattleites do -- the second the sun peeks out, we shun walls. This inevitably means that we'll be entertaining outside more, and no one wants to sit on a raggedy, ripped-up uncomfortable patio chair.

These lovely canvas fold-out chairs are inexpensive, classic, and easy to set up and stow away ... and they are, literally, blank canvasses for design. Here's a lovely faux bois finish I did recently for the Glamping piece, and not only did it turn out gorgeous but it was also super easy.

Tools you'll need:

1. The chairs -- I used these Bali Club Chairs from Cost Plus World Market. The canvas is sold separately from the chair, which is great because you can change it out whenever you're ready for something new! The set of 2 chairs is $58.98 and the set of 2 canvas covers are $20. They're sturdy, pretty and perfect for personalizing!

2. Wood Grainer Tool -- This can be found at most paint stores; I bought mine at local Seattle paint store Dalys for about $5.00

3. Gold Matte Medium -- This general purpose, easily pourable medium is useful for extending colors, decreasing gloss and increasing film integrity; basically, it's a magic in a jar. It works great as a base or primer; a fantastic replacement for gesso, indeed. You can typically find it in art supply stores.

4. Acrylic Paint -- I mixed this with my matte medium, which lightened the paint's color for that distressed finish I was going for.

5. Paint Brush -- A medium to large brush will probably be the most convenient for this project. I used an interior paint brush, but your typical "artist's brush" will be sufficient as well.

The process...

1. Tape down your canvas. This will keep it in place and give you a nice, clean border to work with.

2. Brush the canvas with a coat of your Matte Medium and allow to dry for 20-30 minutes; you now have a sturdy surface for your faux bois!

3. Once the first coat is dry, mix your acrylic color with some Matte Medium in a plate or tray. Going along the left edge, brush on a coat of the colored mixture about the width of your grainer tool. Then, drag the grainer from top to bottom of the colored streak, rocking the tool back and forth to create the wood grain effect. If you're unhappy with your "grain", no frets! Just brush over it with your paint brush and try again! Repeat the process until you've covered your panel in lovely wood-grained panels.

NOTE: If you feel your paint mixture is too thick, feel free to add a bit of water to dilute it; also, it definitely helps to practice on art canvas to get a feel for how the material interacts with the paints and materials.

4. Un-tape and let dry on a flat surface for 20-30 minutes.

5. Once dry, assemble chair as told in the chair's instructions. Sit back, relax in one of your new chairs and admire how beautiful the other one looks!

TROPHY CUPCAKES - NEW LEMON MERINGUE FLAVOR

In celebration of summer and So Much Moore, my friend, the amazingly talented Jennifer Shea of Trophy Cupcakes, has created an incredible new cupcake - Lemon Meringue. This new flavor is available only on Fridays through the end of July - you will not want to miss picking up a few or a dozen - at each of their three Seattle locations.

The other day, Jennifer welcomed us into her kitchen to share the details of her new delicious creation!

BEHIND THE SCENES: BIG TOP PARTY AT RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE

On tomorrow's episode of So Much Moore, it's party time as we bring the big top to the kids at the Ronald McDonald House here in Seattle! I had such an amazing time creating the candy emporium and loved seeing their faces light up when Nate Jester, the Ace of Illusions, performed.

The days spent there as I prepared for the party once again affirmed how easy it is for us all to give a little time and how much that can mean to both the organization and ourselves. As you heard from Dianna Finnerty earlier in the week, the Ronald McDonald House of Western Washington & Alaska is looking for volunteers in all areas of the house and offers a flexible time commitment. I'm sure once you meet these kids in today's episode, you'll be inspired to help!

Here are a few behind-the-scenes pictures of the creation of the party.

Making simple paper medallions to hang.

The circus tent candy boxes ready to be decorated by the kids.

Future designers hard at work.

Creating the marquee light board.

Double-checking each bulb on the light board.

The final table...

Digging in!

Nate Jester wowing the kids with Henry as his assistant!

GLAMPING

For this month's Seattle Magazine, I decided to share my take on glamping (glamorous camping.) I am not a hike-up-the-mountain camper, but I do love all the friendly banter, campfire food and stargazing that go along with camping in the Northwest. If you share this feeling, set up a beautiful campsite retreat in your own backyard with a chic outdoor bedroom and seating area for drinking wine and playing games. At this campsite, a real bathroom is mere feet away.

Pops of gray, scarlet and raspberry fabric accent a simple canvas tent. Inexpensive tree-patterned window panels add a rustic, chic feel—as do round cuts of logs from the yard, for use as coasters or décor elements. Rather than drag a mattress outdoors, I placed gray linens on top of simple camping cots, pushed the cots together to make a bed and polished it off with a fabric headboard hung by fishing line. (The cots can be pulled apart for families with children prone to flailing in their sleep.)

Set fold-up canvas chairs around a vintage trunk table so friends and family can play cards, gobble whoopie pies or enjoy some great wine. A fun DIY project: To create the pine-knot effect on the chair canvas, I found a tree-motif roller stamp at Daly’s Paint & Decorating in Wallingford and painted the plain canvas with a contrasting charcoal gray color.

Resources:
Tent exterior:
Canvas 10-by-12-foot Centennial wall tent, $1,115, Rainier Industries
“Damast” lantern for block candle, $24.99, Ikea
White vintage trunk and brown travel chest, Fremont Sunday Market finds
Binoculars, Deluxe Junk find
Hardcover books, Goodwill.

Tent Interior:
"Anno Unni" tree-patterned canvas window panels, $29.99, Ikea
“Knappa” pendant chandelier lamp, $29.99, Ikea
Red and raspberry headboard fabric wrapped around plastic frame, Seattle Design Center.

Bed:
Folding cots, $69.99 each, REI
gray sheets, $29.99, shams, $19.99, Target;
Inhabit "Field Grass in Arctic Sky" pillows, $60 each, Velocity Art & Design;
Scarlet velvet throw and fuzzy pillow fabric, Seattle Design Center.

Bedside tables: 
Wooden box side tables, Fremont Sunday Street Market find
Red lamps, Goodwill.
Dauphine candlesticks, Rosanna, Inc.

End table: 
White vintage trunk, Fremont Sunday Street Market
Papier-mâché peace bird, $45, Revival Home & Garden
Log cut from tree in yard
Vintage book, Goodwill
Roost ceramic vase, $75, Tonfisk Designs warm gift set in oak with cork lid, $168, Velocity Art & Design;
Scroll green tray, $9.95, CB2
Zebra and sisal rugs, Goodwill.

Seating area: 
Bali club chairs, $59.98/set of two, matching canvas, $20/set of two, Cost Plus World Market,
Painted with faux-bois pattern roller, $5.99, Daly’s Paint & Decorating
Thomas Paul Perch violet linen bird pillows, $60, Velocity Art & Design
“Alseda” stools, $29.99 each, Ikea
Large vintage trunk, Deluxe Junk find
Jordan wine glasses, $4.95 each, Crate & Barrel
Snoqualmie Vineyards Naked Merlot, $12.99/bottle, Snoqualmie Vineyards Wine Shop

RAMBLINGS: MARIA FE

Along the road of my career and travels, I've been extremely fortunate to meet and work with an array of incredibly talented people. Ramblings is my way of picking their brain for more insight and juicy tidbits to share with you.

Maria Fe was born in Lima, Peru and raised throughout  Latin America. She moved to the US to attend college in GA. After receiving a degree in Communications & Graphic Design she decided to start the style and decor blog Layers of Meaning. "My blog is a reflection of everything I love, from interiors to art, music and fashion. You can find a little bit of everything on my site."

I so often find great inspiration in Maria's blog, especially her posts documenting the redesign of her lovely home!

What is your greatest extravagance?
Candles! I love candles. I don't care how much they cost if I like the scent I will get it!

What career would you pursue if you weren’t doing what you do now?
This is completely different from what I do now, but I would love to be an investigator or forensic scientist. I'm obsessed with shows like Forensic Files & the First 48.

Which living person do you most admire?
I hope this is not cliche but my mom. She is the most selfless person I've ever met. She has devoted her whole life to her family.


What three things can’t you live without?
Internet, magazines & blogs!

What is your guilty pleasure?
Definitively magazines, I subscribe to about 20 of them plus I just can't ever seem to throw them away. I like to think of the as a collection.

What is your favorite color combination?
Gray and yellow is my current favorite. I have those colors throughout my home.


What is the favorite room in your house, and why?
My living room. My husband recently painted a chevron wall, and it looks amazing. It was a lot of hard work but definitively worth it!

What is the most memorable event you’ve attended and why?
With out a doubt the birth of my niece Sofia. There is nothing more memorable than being a witness to the birth of a child.

What would people be surprised to know about you?
I've lived in hotels (a la Eloise) for the first 18 years of my life.  My dad worked for high end hotels and we had an apartment inside the hotel. Needless to say it was a dream childhood. Never having to make your bed or clean the dishes!


What is your biggest pet peeve?
I can't stand bad/rude drivers! People that don't use their turn signals completely irritate me.

WHAT I'M READING: EDDIE ROSS

I was fortunate enough to work with Eddie Ross on HGTV's Halloween Block Party last fall and we've kept in touch ever since. Luckily, in this era of new fangled technology, it's easy for us all to stay in touch and I love checking in on Eddie's blog to see what he's been up to!  I love duelling antique store finds and tabletops with him and his immense talent is always a source of inspiration and spark.

The tabletops he did for his recent Color & Candlelight event were gorgeous!

GIVING BACK: GIVE YOUR SOLE

On June 26, runners will take part in one of the most scenic running events in the west when the starting gun goes off on the Seattle Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon & 1/2. As runners race through the amazing sites in and around the downtown Seattle area, a local non-profit organization will be busy collecting moderately-worn athletic shoes for the Seattle Union Gospel Mission and the less fortunate in the area.

Give Your Sole has once again partnered with Competitor Group’s Rock ‘n’ Roll event and will be at both the finish line and pre-race expo collecting shoes. Runners who offer their shoes after the race will be given a pair of flip-flops as a token of appreciation.

Founded in 2009 by Brett Byrd, Give Your Sole is a non-profit organization dedicated to collecting moderately worn athletic shoes at organized race events, and distributing them to the less-fortunate in the local community. A runner himself, Brett came to observe while participating in various races, that after a limited amount of miles, athletic shoes lose the maximum efficiency for runners’ specialized needs and tend to be discarded, though they still remain a totally viable pair of footwear. Establishing a presence at marathons and half-marathons in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Diego, San Jose, Phoenix, and so on, Give Your Sole has already collected thousands of pairs of shoes.

SO MUCH MOORE: GIVING BACK UNDER THE BIG TOP!

My time as a social worker firmly rooted in me the importance of giving back in every project. Wanting to do something new for one of my favorite charities, The Ronald McDonald House, I was inspired by the first event I ever designed and planned - my 5th birthday party - so I'm going to throw a circus themed party for them!

This week on So Much Moore, watch as I bring the big top to the kids at the Ronald McDonald House.

COUTURE SCENTS IN FLORENCE

Today, we set off for Florence and I couldn't be more excited to visit a town so intrinsically tied to art and beauty throughout the ages.

One of my missions for the day is to set an appointment with Lorenzo Villiresi - a world-renowned perfumier who creates scents for large companies such as Armani and Fendi but also works with individual clientele as well.

You usually have to make an appointment in advance and I hope I am lucky enough to see him in his private workshop where he works with you to make your own scent. It takes as long as it takes because you get to create your own fragrance from scratch.

Perfume is one of my favorite accessories and my current scent is Chanel Mademoiselle.  When I first met Keiran, my husband's son, he used to smell my scent somewhere and say "dad it smells like Kelley," thinking of that still makes me smile!

Is there a scent that you are known for?