It's Friday!

 

 via 1, 2

I heard the world is ending tomorrow?! Better make today count. Have a great weekend!

Retail Interior Design

We should never overlook the interior aesthetics of retail design- the visual appeal of a store tends to encompass the overall style and feeling of the product-line itself.  Tory Burch, Merci, The Detox Market and Billy Reid are some of my favorite store interiors.  Tory Burch: glamorous and chic

Merci: industrial and rustic

The Detox Market: clean and organic

 

Billy Reid: antique eclectic

 via 1, 2, 3   

Wanna Buy It Wednesday: 1514 Jefferson Avenue, New Orleans, LA

 Renovated in 2001, 1514 Jefferson Avenue embodies both modern elegance and New Orleans charm. With 6 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, the home's 14-foot cove ceilings, large rooms and expansive windows make each space bright and inviting.  Rarely can one find the original doors, stained glass windows, and grandiose columns that this home features. And, the gorgeous backyard and pool couldn't be more perfect for a garden party! Besides the ample entertaining space, one of my favorite features is the library located directly off the master bedroom. With just under 5,000 square feet, 1514 Jefferson is on the market for 1.35 million.

  

Street Smart

 

The sky is supposed to bottom out today in DC. Stay dry, Washingtonians. 

This Week in Books

via 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
 I forgot to mention in my post yesterday that I read Fitzgerald's This Side of Paradise while in Florida (think The Great Gatsby meets Catcher in the Rye). The book depicts themes of the American dream and the lives of the nouveau riche in the twenties, along with protagonist Amory Blaine's quest for love and identity during his younger years. I thoroughly enjoyed the novel and in addition to both Catcher and Gatsby, think it has one of the best last lines I've come across.
"I know myself, " he cried, "but that is all."-F. Scott Fitzgerald, This Side of Paradise

“Don’t ever tell anybody anything, if you do, you start missing everybody.”

 -J.D. Salinger, Catcher in the Rye

"So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past."
- F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby 

Florida Weekend Recap

I had such a great time in Florida this weekend visiting my family! It was a much needed break from my hectic work and school schedule. Here are a few highlights from my mini-vacation:

I got to spend some quality time with the "family mascots"- Leroy, Diana, and Dominique:

Took a canoe ride on the bay Saturday morning:

Enjoyed my parents' blooming flowers and trees in the backyard:

Survived a random 15-minute flash flood:

Spotted both a heron and manatee in the back canal:

And was treated to a delicious dinner of grilled vegetables and wild-caught scallops courtesy of my lovely mother:

What a great weekend! Hope you had a good one, too.