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Saturday, December 29, 2007

My Favorite Posts of the Year

As I was reading my People magazine this morning, with its year end recap and the favorite movies, music, and shows of the year, I was inspired to come up with my own year end favorites list of blog posts (I did not discover design blogs until this summer, so the list only reflects postings from June-December).

These are a few that come to mind right away, without any research or review. There are many blogs out there that I read every day, and all of them are inspiring in so many ways. The following posts are but a small sampling of the many wonderful posts I have read this year.




Patricia Gray Interior Design did an amazing post on the color gray, which is so chic right now. Not only did she have wonderful and varied pictures, but she also explained the psychology of the color and other practical ways to incorporate the color into one's decor.






Brilliant Asylum did an amazing post on the stately home that served as one of the sets for the movie Atonement. I had seen the movie the day before she did the post, and it was very much on my mind. I am also an Anglophile an an architecture buff, and love to tour the stately homes in Britain that are open to the public. BA's post really struck a chord with me.




Me, Myself, & I did an amazing post on the color turquoise. Her examples were varied: art, jewelry, accessories, fabrics, interiors, architecture. It was truly a magnificent post, and probably took a lot of time to create! Well done, Me, Myself, & I.



La Dolce Vita did a great post on the Sex and the City girls and the decor of each character's apartment. She combined two of my favorite things: Sex and the City, and interior design! I loved this post SO much.


Miranda's apartment, Sex and the City




The Peak of Chic
did a great post on something that I have seen in homes, but never knew the name of: the jib door. Read the post to learn more about this intriguing architectural element.





Peak of Chic also did two fantastic posts on tablescapes - part I and part II. I liked these posts so much that I did my own tablescape post this week!





Maison21 did an informative post about the proper lighting for a successful party. I truly learned a lot reading his post, and when thinking about all of the holiday parties I attended this month, realized the truisms that he shared.




I thoroughly enjoyed the post that Jackie Blue Home made about 'snaking': the process of copying a design in its entirety. Jackie posted pictures from a Domino feature on the home of Barrie Benson, then posted pictures of the original design by Tom Scheerer. The comments on this post were so entertaining!




I could not pick just one entry from my favorite blog, Cote de Texas, so I picked three! One of my favorite posts was on sconces. I had begged Joni (via e-mail) to do a post on sconces, because so many of her own designs had such wonderful sconces featured. She did an excellent post on the topic!


The second post that comes to mind is the slipcover post. I truly saw slipcovers in a whole new light after reading this post!


Finally, I loved the post on the hallmarks of true French style. This post had such a big influence on how I see French stule, and I am thankful to Cote de Texas for sharing her vision.





Mrs. Blandings did a wonderful post about the first impression of a home: the entry. In the post, she had some beautiful and unique pictures of the entries that have inspired her through the years. It was the right post at the right time for me, and was possibly nudge that got me to refocus on my own unfinished entryway.





Another post that had a great influence on me this year was from The Inspired Room. It was a post on 'Authentic Living', and in the post Melissa says, "One of the things I crave most of all in my home is a cozy atmosphere for my family. A respite from the outside world where we can be together. I like comfy places to sit down with a book, places to light a fire or a flickering candle, inviting places to dine together and play games. Yet even if I find the time to create those surroundings, the reality is I need to set aside time to actually use them. That is the heart of authentic living for me. I need to create the spaces I want to use, and then I need to carve out the time to live in the moment. Otherwise the moment will pass on by in the blur of my to do list". Great words to live by.


From The Inspired Room




Edit: How could I have forgotten Style Court's magnificent posts as a guest on Design Sponge? They were among my favorites!!! I loved the post on Betsy Burnham; it was great interview with a great designer, written and researched so beautifully. (The Louis XV post was also fabulous!).



Finally, my favorite post from my own blog this year. I would have to say the art and design post, because art and design are two of my favorite topics and I love it when the two are combined beautifully. The pictures in this post are so inspiring to me, and I remember being particularly proud of that post.

Thank you to all of the readers out there who take the time to read my blog! I hope everyone has a happy and safe New Year's Eve, and best wishes for health and happiness in the New Year.

21 comments:

  1. What a great year end tribute you have done. Quite a few of these posts also rank amongst my favourites. Thanks for including me!! Best wishes for 2008 to you and Happy Blogging.

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  2. What an awesome post, I remember many of these same posts! And to be included, well, I am humbled and honored. Thank you.

    I too am new to design blogs, finding out about them as I started my own blog in July. I couldn't have been more excited to find out they existed! Where was I? I guess my nose was stuck in a magazine. A wondrous new world has opened up to me, online magazine-blogs where I can interact with the people creating them! Where we can share common inspiration, and be challenged to see design through new eyes. So exciting! I am so inspired by all that is out there, and your blog is among my favorites. Thank you for all you do to inspire.

    I look forward to new inspiration from you and each of these fine blogs, in the year to come.

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  3. Nice picks! I love all of the blogs you mentioned. Have a Happy New Year!

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  4. what an honor to be included amongst the great posts on your list! you just made my weekend!

    wishing you a great '08!

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  5. I'm so thrilled to be included in your favorites list and so honored to be mentioned with the other blogs you chose. They are all so wonderful and I share your admiration of the posts you chose. I've enjoyed so many of your posts and look forward to reading what you have to say in 08'!

    All The Best in the New Year
    Jackie

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  6. I am so honored to be a part of your list. Having my blog listed in the same ranks as these other better-known blogs is quite a compliment. Thank you so much! I can't wait to go back and read, or in some cases re-read some of the posts you have featured here.

    I must say that your blog is most definitely one of my favorites and a source of inspiration for me. I am looking forward to reading more entries from you in the new year. :)

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  7. What an amazing post and being able to reflect back on some of the blogging world's hightlights. I am so honored to be part of your list. You blog is definately one of my favorites. Best to you in 'o8 and thanks for including me. I am among WONDERFUL company.

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  8. Thank you so much for the kind comments, everyone. I am so glad that I kept on doing my blog, even when I felt discouraged, and felt as if no one was out there reading it. Blogs have definitely become my favorite hobby, and I get so much inspiration from all of the amazing creativity out there!

    I wish I could have mentioned dozens more posts that have inspired me over the past 6 months. I have thought of more since I did this post!

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  9. You have listed some of my all-time-favorites as well as a couple I am excited to check out. Thank you so much for including me in your list. It so nice to be a part of a group from which I learn so much!

    Happy Holidays!

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  10. Sarah: wow! three? are your sure there weren't even more? hahah! What a nice surprise, very very shocking as a matter a fact. I don't even know which French piece of mine you are talking about - I'll have to go look that up. I feel honored to be in such great company. Like I told you the other day - I'm loving your blog - it has a consistent look and feel and it's wonderful. Total eye candy - always! Keep up the great work. Thanks again, and have a wonderful 2008! ps. I want to do a list too!

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  11. I am oh-so-flattered to be included. Many of these were among my favorites as well. Thanks so much for being a part of the crew - have a happy new year.

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  12. Dear Things - what a great idea - posts of the year!! I like that!! :-) All your choices are lovely!

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  13. Being very new to the blogging world, I am so bowled over by the wonderful idea for this year-end post. I will be spending some time working my way through your intriguing choices for favorite posts of the year. What a great recap! Thank you Sarah for all your encouragement and inspiration. I'm looking forward to even more great things from you in 2008. Happy New Year!
    Julie

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  14. absolutely love all the sites that you mentioned! thanks for showing me a few I haven't been aware of. Keep up the great work. I can't imagine how much time it must take to do all the research that you do for your blog. I truly appreciate every minute.

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  15. As most of you can relate, some posts take a while, some take no time at all. Mostly, though, I find that my blog is quite therapeutic and gives me a reason to research things I am interested in (which keeps my brain from atrophying!), and clarify my thoughts on things that I have been pondering. Even though it is very challenging at times to come up with an idea for a post, I have really enjoyed finding an online community that shares some of the same interests as me, and I love the input from each and every comment!

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  16. Sarah, I'm so flattered to be included! It's always wonderful to be appreciated, and I'm glad you enjoyed that series.

    Happiest of New Years to you and your family!

    Cheers,
    Courtney

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  17. Oh and I thought all your picks here were great!

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  18. Thank you for this post! I missed lots of these favorites (didn't join the blogging world until fall) and can't wait to go back and read them. I've so enjoyed reading your blog (and of course love it when you mention Gossip Girl, People, SATC!). Happy New Year!

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  19. Thank you for all of your wonderful posts, particularly the ones about architecture. I always learn something new from those!

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  20. Dear Things - what a great idea - posts of the year!! I like that!! :-) All your choices are lovely!

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  21. Its really a decorative blogs quoted with fantastic snaps and designed ideas.

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