Blog Awards and Other Musings

The Miles Redd skirted table that started the debate: skirts vs. no skirts.

This week I was pleasantly surprised to receive news that Cote de Texas had been awarded the "Best Blog of the Day Award" by the Blog of the Day Awards group. Lana, who writes the newly launched Topsy Turvy blog, nominated me for my "Skirted Tables" entry. Who ever knew that a story about a piece of fabric atop particle board would be worthy of any mention, much less an award? Thankfully the judges behind the Blog of the Day Awards did. The spirited and sometimes raucous debate between my readers and Decorno's readers caught the judges' eyes. Regardless of the merits of such a materialistic discussion, I'm thrilled to have won! Thank you!

And while I'm patting myself on the back, I just learned that Claudia from the Ferret and Hound blog has named Cote de Texas' entry on - what else - skirted tables, to her Top 5 Posts - January. She also cites my "Meeting of the blogs" about my trip to Dallas with blogger Patricia Gray, as a favorite too. Thanks Claudia - I feel so honored to be named twice!!! And be sure to check out All Things Bright and Beautiful for an interview with me on blogging. And just when I could start to get a bit of a big head from all this adulation, I only have to go check my stats at Technorati who rank my blog at a measly and embarrassingly low #73,982!!! Not exactly numbers to gloat about. Ah, well, you can't win them all.

Picture of my family room, shot for Houston House and Home magazine.

All this exciting news has made me stop and think about how much Cote de Texas has affected my life. When I started this blog around nine months ago, it was purely on a lark, something to do to amuse myself and maybe a few friends. I barely even knew what a blog was. I certainly had no clue that Cote de Texas would directly change my life - and for the better. Its effects have been phenomenal, and all the more so because I had no expectation of change, and certainly, no motivation drove me to create the blog. Cote de Texas was borne out of a desire to share my love of design, pure and simple. My family and friends have been very supportive, yet skeptically surprised that I am able to write in an informative and somewhat entertaining manner - something I am not so sure of myself! But, it has been the support from the nameless and faceless readers that has been the most surprising and fulfilling. Those very first comments I received remain the most thrilling ones of all. At this point, I realize I no longer write this blog for just myself, I continue it for the reader and I hadn't anticipated having this feeling of loyalty.

And there are more tangible ways my life has been enriched from the blog: I've heard from editors of favorite magazines who state they actually enjoy reading me. Imagine. My home was published in a local magazine after its editor read my blog. And recently, two national magazines have expressed interest in publishing my home, and, more importantly, my clients' homes. I've reconnected with friends I had lost touch with, and was even reacquainted with a former sister-in-law. I've received gifts from readers, unsolicited and unexpected. I've had art work commissioned for me from friendly bloggers. I've gotten new clients both in Houston and from the far reaches of the globe who seek my advice for their home via emails. I've made so many new friends through the blog - my inbox overflows. It's been rewarding to talk with people who share my love of design. And the most fun has been taking these cyberspace relationships further, meeting other bloggers in person and making lifelong friends in the process. So now, as I look back over the past nine months, what I do know is that through the power of the written word and the magic of the digital camera, what I've gotten back from you, the reader, has been so much more than what I have given. And for that, I am most grateful and thankful.

Cote de Texas meets up with Patricia Gray, Inc. at the Dallas World Market this January.

Un encuentro esperado

Seguramente alguna habéis visto en mi otro blog que hice un curso este fin de semana de scrap. Pues bien, la emoción aún si cabe más que hacer algo con otras scrappers ,era conocer en persona a Helena , con la que ya he mantenido algunos intercambios y que no hace mucho he mostrado. Nos estrenamos juntas haciendo un curso de este hobby y pasamos el día estupendamente.
Mis piropos personales ya se los he dicho. Es un encanto de mujer, natural, cálida y dulce. Esa fue mi impresión. En fin que esto promete ..... y encima coincidimos en tener una hija del mismo nombre... Por suerte las dos vivímos en Madrid y será fácil vernos.

Me obsequió por sorpresa con el número de verano , del año pasado, de la revista que tanto me gusta, Sampler And Antique Needlework ( SANQ ) .Hacía tiempo que no tenía ningún número y me hizo mucha ilusión , además de venir un divino cojincito bordado en la portada, que es toda una perdición.
También añadió una puntilla con cinta ya incluída y que recordó cuando una vez le pregunté por ella. Para el final quería dejar estas preciosas tijeras ¡ que no tengo ! y a las que hizo un adorno con cuentas de una tienda que tengo apuntada para visitar y que se llama " The Bead House " en la calle Infanta Mª Teresa ,nº 18.



Me encanta la tonalidad de las tijeras.



Y así de contentas estabamos de charlar y compartir la misma afición.


Gracias Helena por " estas " menudencias " como tú dices. Tenemos pendiente terminar el trabajo que quedó a medias, y nada mejor que hacerlo en compañía.

Bolso elegante

Una vez más me he liado la manta a la cabeza y he participado en otro intercambio .Esta vez se trataba de hacer un bolso organizado por Lenna en su blog. Fue precisamente con ella con quien hice los adornos de San Valentín que enseñé hace unos días.
En cuanto vi la convocatoria me lancé a ello, primero escogiendo los tejidos y luego haciendo el diseño que más me llenara.
No lo puedo remediar, me salió de mi estilo como muchas dirían. El caso es que cuando lo terminé ayer mismo, pensé que era de los más bonitos que había hecho. Me ha costado desprenderme de él .
Las telas son especiales, de fantasía , como sedas, , gasas con nacar ( no lentejuelas )......era imposible no hacer un bolso elegante con estas preciosidades.


Esta es la parte de atrás . Tuve que colocarle un fondo porque transparentaba esta especie de tul de fantasía .



La tela verde con adorno fue bastante difícil de coser a máquina, creí que la aguja se partiría ,pero encontré una forma de coserla . Aún así se soltaron algunas bolitas que luego reutilicé para adornar el tocado de la dama . La rodeé la imagen con una puntilla de guipur .





En la parte superior recogí la abertura con dos cintas que anudé con un lazo.




Para adornar coloqué unos abalorios en cristal en blanco que me trajo mi hermano de Bruselas . Ya os he comentado otras veces que los vendían al peso.



El interior está forrado con una tela que tenía hacía tiempo, de la tienda de retales de la ciudad. Nunca se sabe cuándo algo puede ser útil.



Y aquí voy directa a meterlo en su sobre para que vaya de camino hasta América. Good Bye my sweet bag !



Estas fotos serán mi recuerdo.

MODELOS DE COCINAS

Algunos modelos de cocinas para que puedan ambientar su hogar, los modelos de estas cocinas son super practicos donde puede ponerse de todo, se puede agregar mas muebles para poner mas cosas o artefactos.

DORMITORIOS JUVENILES MODERNOS

Dormitorios Juveniles Modernos
Estos dormitorios y muebles juveniles lo encontre en internet. Cada diseño se pueden adaptar a los nuevos espacios y segun las necesidades, creando ambientes minimalistas pero a la vez alegres y divertidos debido a su gran variedad de formas y colores. Claro, todos estos muebles dormitorios son una idea de como podemos diseñar los nuestros.

DORMITORIOS ELEGANTES Y MODERNOS CON CAMAS AMPLIAS

Dormitorios Elegantes
Otros modelos mas que encontre en internet, ustedes puedes modificarlos o agregar mas detalles a estos dormitorios muy elegantes.
Dormitorios hechos para crear ambientes únicos y personales, en confort y diseño podrá elegir el dormitorio que más se adapte a sus necesidades, modelos para todos los gustos y estilos.

DORMITORIOS MATRIMONIALES

DORMITORIOS MODERNOS Y SENCILLOS
Estos diseños de dormitorios encontre en internet. Espero les sirva de mucha ayuda a quienes estan buscando ideas de decoracion del dormitorio. Estos dormitorios tienen una composicion de lineas rectas y moderna y la otra es un modelos mas sencillo en acabados en chapas naturales. Bueno se ven muy bien y los comparto con ustedes.

DORMITORIOS MATRIMONIALES

Dormitorio Matrimonial hermosos y amplios

Aqui les comparto estos diseños de dormitorios que encontre navegando en la red. Todos estos modelos de dormitorios tienen un exclusivo acabado y muchos detalles para el deleite de todos, los acabados son en chapa naturales wengue, roble, cerezo. Asimismo en colores arena, chocolate y lacas en rojo ferrari, gris y blanco.
Los dormitorios son amplios modulajes tanto en camas, mesitas, tocadores, xinfonier y marcos de espejos.
Bueno les comparto todo esto porque a mi en especial me encanta todo tipo de diseños y decoraciones.

John Alexander

Texas claims three giant sons of the modern art movement of the 20th century: Robert Rauschenberg, Julian Schnabel, and John Alexander. Of the three, Alexander is the least known, and possibly, the one who remained closest to his Texan roots. Born in Beaumont and educated at SMU in Dallas, Alexander ended up in Houston, a professor at the University of Houston during the 70s. And although he's been in NYC for 30 years, his Texas ties remain strong and show up time and again in his art work. Affable and endearing, Alexander's art is known for it's humor and societal commentary. Not easily categorized, he is as famous for landscapes and nature studies as he is for his satirical commentaries on everyday life. Recent works of birds resemble a modern day Audubon, and his flower canvases rival any 18th century botanical study.

A retrospective of John Alexander's work is now underway in Washington D.C. at the Smithsonian's American Art Museum through March. After that time, the show will be on display at the Houston Museum of Arts, a fitting place for one of Texas' prodigal sons. The New York Social Diary today featured a recently held celebratory party given at the museum for Alexander. The reception was filled with the high society names that support the arts with their pocketbook. There is one major dissenter to all the rave reviews the retrospective is getting: the Washington Post's Blake Gopnik panned the show in a scathing review here. Despite this, Houstonians are anxiously awaiting the arrival of Alexander and his paintings. His fans here are legendary, as are his friends. Below are images of paintings by Alexander, some for sale and some sold in auction recently.

John Alexander on the right with Caroline Kennedy and her husband Edward Schlossberg at the reception for his retrospective at the Smithsonian's American Art Museum.

"Hiding from the taxman," 1986

"Man with two lives," 2007.

Recent nature study, influenced by Alexander's country home on Long Island, NY. I love this painting.

Oil by Alexander.

Early landscape by Alexander.

"Wine and roses," 2006.

"Fires of Xanadu," 1991, recently sold at auction for $17,250.00

"Christina's world," 1986, recently sold at auction for $19,550.00

Alexander's haunting "Topsy Turvy"

"The great horned owl." Recently sold at auction for $12,650.

"Troubled waters"

"Salwatch in the bois de boulogne." Recently auctioned off for $26,400.

"Keep your feet close to the fire."

Alexander and the singer, Paul Simon, at the reception in Washington.

Photo from the retrospective. You can get a feel for the size of the some of the canvases from this picture.

The famous painting, "Melon fields" from the retrospective.

A close up detail of "Melon fields."

The catalogue of the retrospective can be purchased from Amazon books.

And, finally, a bit of fun: native Houstonians may remember Alexander and this piece of gossip - he was once rumored to be the boyfriend of Houston's widowed, long-time mayor Kathryn Whitmire. In actuality, they were probably more friends than lovers. Whitmire was famous for her big glasses, power suits and neckties, and a peculiar resemblance to Dustin Hoffman's Tootsie.

Former mayor of Houston, Kathryn Whitmire, aka Tootsie. Long time friend of John Alexander's.

Today, Whitmire no longer in politics, lives in Hawaii. Obviously, she's also thrown away her powers suits and grown out her hair. Thank God!