Fall Entrances

After a glorious October, it finally feels like fall in the Bay Area. I have put away Halloween, but the pumpkins are still here. How does your front door welcome you home? Here are a few pots and ideas.

The black pot really grounds this fall arrangement. You can plant the ornamental cabbages and just add fall berries as color.

 Source: thepuregardener.com via Alison on Pinterest

Another great black urn, this time with hydrangeas. Just plop the 
pumpkin on top!

Source: ciaonewportbeach.blogspot.com via Alison on Pinterest

Are your hydrangeas dead? Then use what you have. Fall leaves 
create this amazing arrangement. (Again, the recycled pumpkin!)

Source: fancyhouseroad.com via Alison on Pinterest<

Terra Cotta pots filled with ornamental grasses

Source: flickr.com via Alison on Pinterest

If where you live plants are dying. (or if you are skilled at plant 
annihilation like myself) the twigs are always a good choice. 
Their structure and color can make a simple and elegant front door.

Source: deborahsilver.com via Alison on Pinterest

Fall does not always mean orange! A single color statement provides 
wow. The white pumpkins underneath brighten the pot.

Source: deborahsilver.com via Alison on Pinterest

I know. I should have called this post 'The Black Urn.' They do make 
create a fantastic shape and base for just about any planting. 
Happy fall!

Source: deborahsilver.com via Alison on Pinterest

When in techie overload ... buy lamps

The Design Bloggers Conference is amazing with more information than even I can fit in my 'DADD' head. (That's Design Attention Deficit Disorder.) So while my head reels with terms like: feedburner and authentic content, cloud bookmarks and permalinks, I take a break. Have you seen these lamps?

Mottega lighting allows you to select your shape, your color, your shade. And they offer a two week delivery! I can imagine these in bright yellow pairs in your living room, or peaceful blue on bedside tables. I'm placing my order this week!

Design Bloggers Conference!

I'm off to the Design Bloggers Conference in LA!

You may be wondering ... why? I haven't posted since last summer. We moved out of our house in June 2010 for a 'remodel', which turned into a 'rebuild.' Don't you just love old foundations? Ten days after moving out, we left for 5 weeks in Spain. My husband took a mini sabbatical. It was a huge gift to our whole family to spend so much time together! And I returned refreshed and inspired by all the beautiful architecture, both old and new!

And I returned to 10 billiondy decisions. And even though I am a designer, and even though I knew the decisions were coming, I have struggled to fit it all in. (And I am mom to three kids!) How do I do this??

So, I am headed down south to find answers to my questions.

1. How does blogging fit into my design business?
2. What does my design business look like?
3. What inspiration can I find from the amazing bloggers I have been following for the past two years?

Wish me luck! I might be on to a whole new path.