REFLECTIONS ON 2010 + CHEERS TO 2011!

I don't know about you, but I'm very excited to welcome a new year. 2010 was wonderful in so many ways, but 2011 will be even better. With a move to a beautiful new city and being in a very happy place with my life, I can just feel it.

I wanted to take this time to thank each and every one of you. As you may have guessed, launching Rue has been the defining event of my 2010. It's brought me to a place of great challenge, passion, gratitude, creativity, and growth, which is more than I could have asked for when the little seed of an idea popped into my mind last April. And it all started right here, with this blog, and with you.

What I love about blogging is that it levels the playing field. It gives us all an opportunity to be part of the conversation. To build friendships with other like-minded individuals near and far. To belong to a community that is kind, inspiring, and supportive.

So today, I thank you for being that for me. For coming along the journey with me. For your kind comments, encouraging words, creative ideas, and most of all, your support of my personal endeavors. There aren't enough words to describe how much your support for Rue this year has meant to me. At the least, I hope that my gratitude is felt and that my blog and the magazine will always be a place you can come to for a little inspiration.

I wish you each a very happy new year! May 2011 be better than the last. May it be filled with dreams, happiness, love, and continued self-discovery!

xo,

Crystal

MY 2011 NON-GOALS

Resolutions often point out all the things we're doing wrong and have a way of making us feel bad about ourselves. This year I've been so inspired by people like Erin and Bri who are posting what they love about themselves and want to keep. What a great new twist on the New Year's resolution! Because I believe in the power of putting your positive energy out into the universe and that we should all practice being a little kinder to ourselves, here's my 2011 non-goals.

1. Continue to base your decisions on courage, you've always been fearless and this has served you well.

2. You've cultivated a great ability to listen to that voice inside, however soft it may be at times, keep trusting that.

3. When things were tough last spring, you resolved to keep showing up for life and get through it with faith, I'm very proud of you.

4. You took a leap of faith and went after your dreams and passion this year, continue to nurture the gratitude and humility that are key to your success.

5. You've been stretched in new ways and confronted with new challenges this year, you should feel proud of the strength and focus you've shown.

6. You are so lucky to have the parents, brothers, and best friends that you do. Continue to thank them for their love, support, and care and remember that relationships are more important than deadlines.

I highly encourage you to write a similar list to yourself. I think it's so important that we remember to pat ourselves on the back for the things we are doing right in order to nurture that healthy self-esteem we all deserve.

*images via we heart it

SO FRESH AND SO CLEAN

Last night in search of simple, unstuffy spaces I remembered the Domino archive over at brides.com and found just what I was looking for.

There's not a lot going on here in terms of accessories and color, but it's amazing how finished this lofty New York space feels. Sometimes I think it takes more skill to decorate with less than it does juggling a complex symphony of pattern and color...wouldn't you agree?

DVF'S MANTRA OF THE MONTH

Diane von Furstenberg is a woman of strength, style, and great elegance. Which is why I love her monthly mantras over on the "Inside DVF" section of her site...when she speaks, I listen:

"Life is a novel, every word counts!!!"

*image via we heart it

MILES REDD: COLOR GENIUS

I may not be the biggest fan of primary colors, but I know good design when I see it, and this Miles Redd designed space is nothing short of genius!

One thing especially stands out to me in the bedroom: The way Miles paired bright yellow with subdued gray. The gray anchors the room and keeps it from running away with too much whimsy.

Clearly the home owner is playful and fun. You can see it in the art work he collects, which I'm sure Miles had a field day with. The designer is, after all, known for his theatrically inspired spaces.

Now we're moving into a space I could live with (though well designed, I'm just not a fan of color combo green and yellow). In an otherwise all black, white, and gray room, the jewel toned fabric on those chair is like a starburst of visual delight!

But what I love most about the entire apartment is undoubtedly the floor. Lately I've had an obsession with any floor pattern reminiscent of checkered and this three colored, diamond pattern just went straight to the top of my list!

And finally, more beautiful chairs. The real genius of this room for me though resides in the way Miles decided to ebonize the table and chairs in high gloss black, but leave the chest in its natural wood. It's a move that isn't intuitive, but when done, totally works. And when looking a little closer, the four black columns on the chest is just the right amount to still make it all relate and tie in.

*image via The New York Times

SAN FRANCISCO COOL: MR. GRANT K. GIBSON

Over the holiday weekend I spent some time perusing my favorite sites for design inspiration and ended up on Grant Gibson's portfolio. I've been a fan of Grant's since the New York Times featured his budget friendly, high style apartment in San Francisco and over time, have been lucky enough to get to know him. Grant's energetic, down to earth, and warm personality make him as endearing as the spaces he creates.

What I love about Grant's aesthetic is that it's timeless but never predictable and the space above is a perfect representation of that. I'm drawn to the rich, stateliness of the tufted velvet sofa as it speaks to the more modern, armless chairs in front. The sofa evokes thoughts of days past, while the chairs say hello to the here and now.

Raised in Los Angeles and a resident of San Francisco, Grant is a California boy through and through. And his designs seem to reflect that. Whether it's the cool aquas reminiscent of the Pacific Ocean or the light and airy feel of his work, Grant's portfolio is a beautiful interpretation of the quiet sophistication of West Coast elegance.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM ME TO YOU

Happy holidays my friends! I'll be enjoying a very low-key Christmas this year. One filled with rest, love, and packing - in short, a bit of quiet before the move that awaits me come January...

Wishing you all the best for this holiday season!

xo,

Crystal

PINK

With honeysuckle deemed the 2011 color of the year by the authorities over at Pantone...

I'm glad I'll be seeing a whole lot more pink in my life.

*images via Design Darling & Feather Love for Rue Magazine

PLUNGE INTO PATTERN

I'm usually a pattern phobe, finding it hard to commit to anything other than my beloved streamlined and uncomplicated spaces. But I need a little design spice in my life and after seeing these two dining rooms, I think I'm ready to take the plunge into pattern.

In small, contained doses of course: pattern on some lamps, in a painting, or even with a sheet of wallpaper. I think I can handle that.

As a space that doesn't get used on a daily basis, a formal dining room is the perfect place to experiment with too. Are you listening, future San Francisco home?

*images via House Beautiful and Domino

JIL SANDER ON THE EYE

While in Venice earlier this month, I was on a mad hunt for the perfect pair of new glasses.

I must have popped into about ten eyewear stores, and with each one I visited, Jil Sander frames kept calling my name. I'm loving the fantastic line of new colors (believe it or not, 'honey' was my pick!) and flattering, big frames.

On a side note - those Stylish Italians always seem to be about one year ahead of us when it comes to trends. If only I could do all my shopping in Italy!

ROMANCING IN THE BEDROOM

Is there anything more lovely than a cozy bedroom with a little touch of romance? These days - when rest is a bit harder to come by - I'd have to say no. But we often neglect our bedrooms when decorating and concentrate instead on the public spaces in our homes.

This bedroom, simple and romantic, shows me that it doesn't take a lot to create that serene oasis we all deserve: a warm coat of paint, black and white photographs in simple frames, a beautiful chandelier, uncomplicated bedding, and a soothing color palette.

And to seal the deal on this being my new favorite bedroom are the drapey curtains hanging from above. I can imagine enclosing myself in them at night, feeling enveloped in rest and calm. Aww...

*images via Domino via Dress Design Decor

SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT: NAOMI LYNN STATIONERY

When I received a sweet note in my inbox from Naomi a few months ago, I was delighted to be introduced to her beautiful contemporary stationery line. I immediately bookmarked her shop in my Etsy favorites and asked if she'd be up for making me some personalized stationery. It had been on my to-do list for months and I had finally found my girl.

I wanted something simple, classic, and monogramed; and Naomi's shop provided me with more inspiration than I knew what to do with! Fitting the bill to the t, we decided on this one and I couldn't be happier with the results.

Working with Naomi was such a pleasure too! Ever the perfectionist that I am, she didn't bat an eye when I had a few special requests for specific fonts and format.

So hop on over to Naomi's shop - I bet you won't be able to leave without finding something you love! And the best part is, you have all these pretty colors to choose from for a very customized look:

I loved too many so I told Naomi to surprise me :)

THE PERFECT PARTITION

When it comes to floor plans, open is a no brainer for me. Not only do sprawling spaces speak to my desire for breathing room, they make any home feel instantly bigger. But the challenge with open floor plans is creating distinctions between different ares of your space.

I love the way the furniture has been laid out here to tackled that challenge. By using a backless sofa as an unobtrusive and functional partition, the owner has created two living spaces that segue effortlessly into each other. It's much more welcoming than a wall or screen and says, "welcome," not "stay out!"

So next time you find yourself with a large space on your heads (shouldn't we all be so lucky?), try dividing it up into more intimate seating areas and living zone with something just like this!

*images via Mi Casa via The Decorista

MEET MACKENZIE

Christmas came early for me this year in the form of Mackenzie - Rue's most recent team member and my new editorial assistant! Mackenzie's internship officially started today and wow can I already tell she's going to be my new lifesaver and a huge asset to the magazine.

I first met Mackenzie last July in NYC while she was interning at Jonathan Adler after a few email exchanges via our blogs. We bonded over fondue, talked about our love for Europe, and of course gabbed about all things design. In short...kindred souls and fast friends.

Then, I asked Mackenzie to do some writing for Rue Issue Two and she completely blew me away. Not only with her knack for words, but with her enthusiasm, professionalism, and speedy turnaround. As we grow, so does our need for a bigger team and I asked her if she'd be up for an internship at the mag and - thank you lucky stars - she said yes! So, please join me in welcoming Miss Mackenzie to Rue! (You're going to love her as much as I do!)

In related news:

*We have a graphic design internship open as well. Click here for all the details!

*Smilebooth pictures from the Rue/HGTV/StudioM party in Atlanta are up on the Rue Facebook page! Help us tag people!

Mesmerized by Mirrors

Last night I took some time to flesh out my plans for the San Francisco apartment I'll be moving into next month (!!!). I'm trying to make sense of the myriad of images piling up in my inspiration folder and streamline them into one cohesive design story for my new home.

And this stunning wall of mirrors caught my eye (along with that beautiful green) as a real contender for my future dining room. It's glitzy and glamorous, which means it's exactly what I'm looking for. Not only does it work as a fantastic conversation starter and source for light, it satisfies my never ending quest for wow factor.

And then I saw this. Even better. A ceiling covered in large square mirrors. It's a little more subtle but equally effective. Besides...a home should be full of little design surprises just waiting to be discovered. So don't be surprised if you see something similar pop up in my new apartment.

*interiors by Kelly Wearstler

HOLIDAY TABLETOP INSPIRATION: CALIFORNIA STYLE

If you're still looking for tabletop inspiration for that holiday dinner party, look no more. Last weekend Leila Khalil of Be Inspired PR produced this gorgeous party with the help of her talented friends in the events industry in their native Los Angeles.

A slight departure from the predictable yet classic red and green holiday color scheme, stylists Cortnie of Canvas and Canopy and Carissa of JL Designs decided to put a California twist on their palette using mint green paired with beachtown accents: succulents, coral, balsa wood flowers, and tillandsias. The result is festive not stuffy.

And of course no party is complete without a stationery suite to help graphically brand your event. Leila enlisted the help of Rachelle of Wiley Valentine to create the invitations, name plates, menus, and various signs throughout.

A designated drinks table decorated with the most adorable Christmas trees made of succulents. This is an idea I'm immediately filing away in the inspiration pile. It doesn't get more creative (or cute) than that!

Leila's party got me thinking actually. We should all throw parties like this more often! Why wait for a wedding or a birthday? Let's try and bring a little more beauty into our everyday lives - after all, nothing is more beautiful than the satisfaction we get from entertaining the ones we love or the look of their happy faces.

Have a beautiful weekend, loves. See you Monday!

xo,

Crystal

*photography by the talented Leo Patrone

RECAP: Rue / HGTV / Studio M / Lavish Party in Atlanta!

As you may already know, the Rue gals were asked to be on a panel last weekend at the lavish! conference in Atlanta. Between a warm welcome at the W Hotel, making new friends, informative conference sessions, and a Ryan Reynolds sighting, we had an amazing time! And to show our thanks to all the attendees, we decided to throw a big party!

Here we are - Cassandra, myself, Anne, and Bri - posing in front of the gorgeous furniture Room & Board sent for party guests to have a comfortable place to lounge. Thanks to the kind people at Coach, we're all sporting bags from their new Madison collection. You can't tell from the photo but the ruching on my clutch was to die for gorge!

We were so very fortunate to receive co-sponsorship for the party from our friends at Studio M in Florida, pictured above busting a move. Michelle and Eric are two of the kindest people you'll ever meet and we're thrilled to be able to call them colleagues and friends.

Our good friends at HGTV (above) also helped sponsor the event and brought lots of goodies! Guests had fun playing around with Emily Henderson face cut-outs and being all around silly.

My good friends Arlene and Brandon, the impossibly fashionable duo behind TwentyThirtyForty, also made the trek to Atlanta from Chicago. Anne had fun trying on Brandon's glasses and taking photos :)

Of course, we couldn't throw a Rue party without our favorite DJ, Michael of The Flashdance, pictured above with his beautiful wife Elizabeth of The Littlest. They made the trip out from LA, along with our videographer Brian (not pictured) of Sharkpig and totally rocked the party!

And after a fun night of dancing, mingling, and posing for smilebooth pictures, Anne and I took a moment to soak it all in and shimmy to the dance beat :)

If you'd like to check out more pictures from the event, we've posted them to the Rue Facebook page. I'd also like to give a special shout out to our talented event stylist, Christina of Anora Grey and photographer Becky of Becky Hill Photography. We couldn't have pulled off the night without our fabulous team of talent!

A big thank you to our sponsors and everyone who came out to the party! We can't wait to do it again!

P.S. There's still time to vote for Rue in the CasaSugar poll - your support means the world to us!