Mid Week Mood Board - Love Is In The Air!

by Mari Robeson in , , , ,

It's that time of the year...Love is in the air! Our ELovePhants are here to make you smile! New to our Little Sister Site, Piccola Casa, our ELovePhant Print which can be personalized with your initials. We had a great time putting together this Mid Week Mood Board with adorable Elephant goodies from some of our favorite sites...Zinc Door, Rosenberry Rooms, Anthropologie, Jonathan Adler, and ETSY! Hope you are all having a fun time gathering treats for the ones you Love!

1 Personalized ELovePhant Print from Piccola Casa ETSY 2 Felted Elephant from Scratchcraft ETSY 3 Josephine Bla Bla Elephant from Rosenberry Rooms 4 Je T'aime Banner from Michiemay Paperie ETSY 5 Spire White Chair from Zinc Door 6 ELovePhant, Chevron, & Chaz Pillows from Piccola casa ETSY 7 Elephant Hook from Anthropologie 8 Utopia Elephant Lamp from Jonathan Adler

Mid Week Mood Board - Spot On Design!

by Mari Robeson in , , , , ,

There are a couple of things trending right now in design and I've fallen hard for them. First of all, I'm madly in love with all things spotted. Oddly enough, it wasn't the easiest accessory to find so when I came across this fabulous spotted cowhide rug over at Society Social I was beyond thrilled. In fact, let me just tell you, this is a fabulous site for designers and those who love design. The founder/designer Roxy Owens has really put together an incredible team with some serious design inspiration on her sites.

And while we are trending. Let's talk about Hollywood Regency for a bit shall we? It has always been my first love in design. Many of my textiles are influenced by the old Hollywood black and white movies I watched over and over as a kid. I remember being 7 years old and being mesmerized by the fashion and even the architectural details in these movies. Many of the borders on my pillows, like my Cherry Pillow here, are reflective of that time period. When I saw this crib over at Jack & Jill Boutique, I knew I just had to create a room around it. (More to come about this adorable website and the incredible designer behind it, Sherri Blum) This crib is gorgeous! Who says a nursery can't be sophisticated? 

Leave it to designer extraordinaire, Abbe Fenimore from Shop Ten 25, to have the hottest selections in lighting on her site. She finds the most unique and distinctive items like this amazing Tassel Pendant! 

And any room wouldn't be complete without just a touch of animal print. That's my "Good To Know" designer tip of the day by the way. Where else to find it but at Layla Grayce of course. Their Sophia Lounge Chair with zebra upholstery, adds just the right amount of chic to the room.

Last of all, let's talk about Walls. Another hot trend is Greek Key. I came across this super ETSY shop that makes a Greek Key Vinyl Border. You can't get any easier than that to dress up a room! Don't be afraid to go bold with color too. A few years ago I designed a restaurant in San Luis Obispo called Palazzo Giuseppe. The owners of the building thought I was crazy as I was painting all the molding and doors in a high gloss black and the ceilings, yes all of them, in a metallic silver, but when the last chandelier was hung and crystal placed on the table, they all said, Wow! The restaurant is still going strong and I highly recommend everything on the menu!

Here's one more "Good To Know" designer tip; whenever you are painting anything metallic (like the big gold heart on my Mood Board) it's best to rent a cup sprayer. Mask off your heart and spray the paint on. Otherwise you will have roller or brush marks. Of course you want to make sure that the room is well ventilated, windows open, etc. and you wear a mask too.

1 Original Heart Painting From Piccola Casa 2 Spotted Cowhide Rug From Society Social 3 Sophia Lounge Chair From Layla Grayce 4 Ivory Tassel Pendant From Shop Ten 25 5 Greek Key Border From ETSY 6 Beverly Crib from Jack and Jill Boutique 7 Black and White Stripe & Cherry Pillows from Piccola Casa

The Perfect Little Pouch!

by Mari Robeson in , , , ,

We're announcing some fun New Product into our Shop today! We had so much fun with our Lipstick Pouch that we've added two New Pouches to orgainize and protect your Sparkly Jewels and your Glam Shades! All three bags are created from my original watercolor paintings, lined with white satin, & have a hidden zipper closure. They are 5" x 8" and the perfect size to toss in your bag! 

Mid Week Mood Board - Everything Is Possible!

by Mari Robeson in , , , , ,

On this week's Mid Week Mood Board we'd like to introduce you to our little Flying Piggy! I hope you will agree that 2013 is the year of making things happen and our Flying Piggy represents just that!I love the quote by Audrey Hepburn; "Nothing is Impossible. The word itself says, I'm Possible!" So make this year be the year to achieve whatever goals you set for yourself. I know I'm going for some big dreams this year and I hope you will too! You can find my Piggy Pillows and Print in my ETSY Shop, Picciola Casa. The goregeous glider and lamp are from Rosenberry Rooms. You know I love this table by Bungalow 5 also from Rosenberry Rooms and isn't this sweet little piggy bank so adorable? Available at RigbyandMac.

1 Chaz Pillow In Turquoise from Piccola Casa 2 Piggy Pillows from Piccola Casa 3 Uma White Glass Lamp from Rosenberry Rooms 4 Anna Swivel Glider from Rosenberry Rooms 5 Flying Piggy 11" x 14" Believe Print from Piccola Casa 6 Jacqui Tea Table by Bungalow 5 from Rosenberry Rooms 7 Piggy Bank from RigbyandMac

Our Calendars On Curio Road!

by Mari Robeson in , ,

Do you ever have one of those days when your just going along doing your thing and then all of a sudden you get a really lovely email? I was so lucky to have been contacted by Sonali Bloom, Chief Merchandising Officer for CurioRoad.com a couple weeks ago. When I looked into their new site I was more than impressed!! Here is their mission statement; 

"As you’ve probably figured out by now, our mission as a company is to help you Live Beautifully. 

We are an ever-changing boutique of shops from creative artists, in categories like jewelry, accessories, decor and gifts.

We hope you will join us. Say no to ordinary. Create your own unique life. And above all… Live Beautifully."

I'm so grateful for all those out there supporting artsists and the handmade community!!! Thank you Curio Road! Please spread the word and shop CurioRoad! Happy 2013!!

An Overdue Thank You!

by Mari Robeson in , , , ,

Oh my goodness...it's the Friday before Christmas and I'm quite tardy on giving thanks to some wonderful blogging friends!

I just have to stop and take the time to thank a few fellow bloggers who were sooooooooooooo very kind to feature my product on their sites this month! First of all a huge Thank You to my talented friend Brett, over at IAmTheLab for including our Macaroon Calendar in his 2013 Calendar Picks. This guy is so wonderful! He dedicates so much time to supporting the handmade community and his blog is gorgeous! I do hope you check it out and get inspired. I also want to thank Interior Decorator, Abby Manchesky, of ADelightfulDesign, for including us in her Gift Guide For The Creative Home. She too, has a blog loaded with inspiration and ideas!

Last of all, a gigantic thank you to my sweet friend, Abbe Fenimore, of StudioTen25. Abbe does the greatest collections of home decor products in her Weekend Windows. In honor of Pantone announcing Emeral Green as the color of 2013, she posted this lovely collection including our Purse Print. I just love how she puts everything together! You can view all her picks here.

As the year is coming to an end, I can't help but feel so incredibly blessed to have the support from these lovely bloggers as well as all my family and friends. There is much to be grateful for this Holiday Season. I hope that you all have a very happy holiday as well!!!!

Washingtonian's Ultimate Etsy Gift Guide!!!!

by Mari Robeson in , ,

So it's been really crazy busy here. I have several Interior Design projects in the works, my daughters are in full-swing soccer season, and, oh yes, it's the Holidays! I haven't had a chance to hardly catch up on my "heart" projects, which are my two shopping sites MariRobeson & PiccolaCasa. In fact, I've hardly mentioned my new little Esty shop but for some reason, it's having a good soft opening. Thank you Lord! Today I realized that our 2013 Macaroon Tea Towel was Featured on Washingtonian.com's website in their ULTIMATE ETSY SHOPPING GUIDE!!!!!! Eeeek! Happy Dance! I'm beyond flattered and really appreciate it!!!!!!!!!!!! (Plus, what a Lovely website loaded with great content!) You can check out the feature and all the amazing Etsy artists here! Happy Holidays!

Monday's Mood Board - It's A Panda Party! -and- Introudcing Our New Junior Collection Now on ETSY - Piccola Casa!!!

by Mari Robeson in , , , , ,

Oh My! I can’t believe it’s the middle of October already!!! It has been so busy at our studio these days, I have to remind myself to take time to go for walks and breathe deeply! I finally had the opportunity to put together a new Monday Mood Board and this time I’m keeping it really colorful and really fun! We just joined the ranks of all the other talented artists over at ETSY and this weekend we opened the doors to our new Junior Shop, Piccola Casa. Piccola Casa means Little House in Italian and since I grew up in a large Italian family, the name just seemed fitting.

Let me introduce you to one of our new designs, Panda Party! Over in our new shop you can find my Panda Party pillow and art print as well as lots of coordinating items. I have many more items to add to Piccola Casa so I hope you will check back often.

Now on to our Monday Mood Board!! Check out this amazing Regency Youth Bed I found over at LaylaGrayce. It comes in many colors and I am loving how fresh and new this design is. Of course you know I’m a fan of anything from Bungalow 5 and this perfect, modern Piedmont Side Table is available on their sister site, ZINC Door. Have you had a chance to look at the lighting collection over at Shop Ten 25? She has so many great selections over there it’s hard to pick one. Do you not love, love, love this Pagoda Lamp?!?!

When I’m painting these little watercolors, I let my mind wonder. I don’t really know why I painted circles on the ground but it seemed like a fun idea and kid’s rooms should be fun! Wall Decals are so popular these days, like these from Pottery Barn Teen….walls, ground, where ever!

So let the Panda Party begin!!! Please check out Piccola Casa and send me your ideas or suggestions. I’d love to hear from you!

1 Black & White Striped Pillow from Piccola Casa 2 Panda Party Pillow from Piccola Casa 3 Panda Party 11' x 17" Art Print From Piccola Casa 4 Bungalow 5 Piedmont Side Table from ZINC Door 5 Bubble Dot Decals from PBTeen 6 Regency Youth Bed from LaylaGrayce 7 Orange Pagoda Lamp from ShopTen25

Time For A Glam Give Away!

by Mari Robeson in , , ,

Time for a Give Away! A couple weeks ago I announced that I was thrilled to have my product in one of the classiest and most colorful shops on the net, ShopTen25. The shop is an extension of talented Dallas Designer, Abbe Fenimore. I really adore her aesthetic and design style. She has an eye for picking out great product (a –hem) and I know you will enjoy browsing and shopping in her shop!

But back to the Give Away!!! You must go check out another incredibly talented decorator and design blogger, Emily A. Clark. You can read her blog here and see all her terrific DIY projects and gorgeous décor inspiration. ShopTen25 is a sponsor of her beautiful blog so this is where you’ll need to go to enter. Make sure you also head over to her Facebook page and Like it because that’s where she’ll be announcing the winner on Wednesday! Since you’ll be on Facebook anyway, make sure you Like ShopTen25’s page and my page too!

Have a terrific weekend everyone!!!

Check Out Studio Ten 25's Weekend Window!

by Mari Robeson in , , , ,

It's always a Happy Friday when someone you admire and respect gives you a Shout Out on their blog! Especially when it's another designer who's work you really admire. I've been so fortunate to meet the stunning, Abbe Fenimore, proprietress of Shop Ten 25 and blog, Studio Ten 25, via the Blogsphere. From the day she asked me to create a few watercolor paintings for her new on-line shop I knew this would be a great friendship. Her excitement and love of design is contagious and I'm so grateful to be part of it. I'm super happy to say you can now find my product in her lovely shop! If you enjoy design like we do, I know you will appreciate her thoughtfully curated collection of home decor items. You can read our feature in her Weekend Window here. Have a terrific weekend everyone!!!

Introducing Our New "Kiss Me!" Lipstick Pouch!

by Mari Robeson in , ,

Having three daughters running around in this lovely house of mine is the greatest thing because I have always been a bit of a girlie girl and so are they. I don't even want to show you my kitchen table but let's just say, where most people have salt and pepper, I have bottles and bottles of nail polish. My oldest daughter (17) was the one who told me I should take the watercolor of the lips I painted and put them on a pillow...well, she was right, as that pillow landed on the TODAY Show...ha ha...so I've just been running with it.

Adding to my Kiss Me Collection, we are introducing our NEW Kiss Me Lipstick Pouch! I love little pouches that I can use to separate things in my purse and because my lipstick always seem to get lost in the bottom of my purse, what better than this?!?! It's now available in my shop and makes a super gift!!!! Muah!

Introducing Glam Damask!

by Mari Robeson in , , , ,

I've had a lot of fun this summer making over my daughter's bedroom. We changed the baby pink walls to a deep, rich coral. I painted New Art for above their beds, New Fabric for their window treatments, and New Pillows to accent it all. This is actually how I started designing textiles. About three years ago, I noticed in my Interior Design business, I couldn't find certain art peices or fabrics so I decided to create them myself. In this case my girls love the Kiss Me Collection so I moved forward with adding pieces to it that would compliment and make the collection strong. If you take a close look at my New Glam Damask design you'll notice some familiar shapes, well that is if you love make-up and perfume! My Mod Medallion fabric has a mix of a glam and retro feel and I added in a bold black and white stripe to make it all pop. You can check out all my new designs in my shop!

Our First Ever Catalog Is LIVE!

by Mari Robeson in , , ,

Well things have gotten very interesting around here lately! Ever since out feature on Bobbies Buzz on The TODAY Show all kinds of wonderful things have been happening. Some things I can't talk about just yet and other fun collaborations I'll be posting about this week. In the middle of it all, we are so happy to share with you our first ever Home Decor Catalog! Please take a look and let me know what you think! This little company is spreading it's wings and I appreciate all the wonderful support!!!!

"Kiss Me" Collection Now In Our Shop! And Other News!

by Mari Robeson in , ,

Well this has been one of the craziest weeks I have had in a long time. Yes, it's true, I was selected as one of the Finalist in The Today's Show "Made In The USA Style" Contest. I submitted 3 pictures and a short essay of my quest to make my product eco-friendly and in the USA....then I went camping... (yup, with no reception...) I barely was able to check my messages when I saw they had selected me as a finalist! I over-nighted my "Kiss Me" Collection to them and crossed all fingers and toes. They shot the segment today but I have no details about anything. I would be thrilled to have 10 seconds of air time!!!

But here's what is so wonderful about it all. I've been working hard for a few years now doing the best I can to help revive a sewing facility here with a colleague of mine. I've also come to the conclusion that I would rather make my product here and see the people it benefits. I can inspect everything and feel good to put my name on it. Even more than that, when you purchase one of our products you are literally helping to put food on the table of people in our community, you're helping pay for their kid's soccer lessons or dance lessons. It's a great flow and I believe it's how we can bring this country back. I appreciate all the kind words from my friends on FaceBook and elsewhere...it does feel good to know that if someone like me can get recognized, then just think what You can do!!

So with that....here are some pics from our new product. "Kiss Me" now available in our shop. If you would like to receive our catalog please email me and I'd be thrilled to add you to our list!

Model: Kali Pengilley Photography: Jenny Malott

You can go to Bobbie.com for updates on the Today Show segment. Airs June 13th on the Kathie Lee & Hoda portion of The TODAY Show.

 

Monday's Mood Board - Snuggle Up!

by Mari Robeson in , ,

Today's Monday Mood Board is all about a cozy place to snuggle up and read a good book. Most of my clients will tell you that I am not a fan of hallways.

I try to avoid the long bowling alley effect as much as possible but sometimes due to the shape of the land and the positioning of the house, it can't be avoided. But there are always solutions to charming up that hallway. When designing my clients house, I had suggested putting in a window seat but my client took it one step further by creating a deeper reading nook area. I loved it! It's deep enough now that you can actually put a twin mattress on it. Pa-lease! This is where I would want to spend all my time!!!

In California we design a lot of Spanish style homes. Largely influenced by the beautiful and historic Missions that line our coast. The architecture makes you envision warm earth colors mixed with cool ocean blues. So today I am sharing with you some of my favorite finds for both! Although I didn't find this gorgeous mirror until after I had painted my Mood Board, I included it as a beautiful alternative to the art on the back wall. Just stunning in sapphire and gold by Bunny Williams available at Zinc Door.

I love, love, love this Flame Stitch Rug from Shop Ten25. Talk about adding a little pizzaz to your hallway!

For the fabrics I picked a few from Fabricut and Highland Court. They are a nice compliment to this decorative throw pillow from ETSY.

1 Sapphire Mirror from Zinc Door 2 Flame Stitch Rug from Shop Ten25 3 Various Fabrics from Fabricut & Highland Court 4 Decorative Throw Pillow from ETSY

Monday's Mood Board...My Summer Wish List!

by Mari Robeson in , ,

Summer time is here and this week I'm touching base on my Summer Wish list. First on my list is a really cool beach cruiser. As the crow flies, we only live about 2 miles from some of the most incredible California beaches. We have beautiful bike trails here but I have been in need of a new bike. When I came across Lilly Pulitzer's Beach Cruiser, I fell in Love! I have been a fan of Lilly Pulitzer for many, many years. I have always loved her bold and graphic prints. This bike is just too cute in her Pink Chum Print! You can see it here. Check back later this week for more of my summer must haves!