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If you're a regular reader of the "Latest News" section of Christine Schwalm Design, then today is when that finally pays off.  Mention this posting and receive 10% off any Home Staging, One Day Design or Accessory services.  You must book your services by Sunday, February 6, 2011 to receive this offer.
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I've finally tidied up my new office at the day job and wanted to add some art work to liven up the place.  Right now it is a sea of off white blah and this hardly incites creativity.  I found an interesting idea over at Camilla's site that shows how to get vintage look artwork for ridiculously cheap.  As with most good finds, it's a matter of thinking outside the box.
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It's pretty common knowledge that if you're looking for gently (or highly) used Ikea furniture, Craigslist is a good place to check out.  But if your taste veers a little higher end, well Craigslist is still a good place to start--just not the furniture page.
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Lately, I can't seem to flip through a design magazine without seeing some sort of horse motif in one of the rooms.  It's either a sculpture or a painting or a very large scale photograph.  Sadly no actual ponies.  This month's issue of House Beautiful featured 3 different homes all with a nod (and perhaps a whinny) to our equine friends. 

But I'm noticing a new trend.  One that seems restricted to the bath for now but may soon, ahem, spread it's wings and branch out to other rooms of the house.  Behold, the owl.
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One of my favorite pieces from Ethan Allen is this coral bowl.  I've had my eye on it from the day we introduced it.  I love the detail and workmanship.  It's elegant, interesting and would work beautifully in a variety of style of rooms.  It's also generously sized (18" or so in diameter).  Alas, at $659 it is pretty well out of my price range.
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Perhaps you've heard the phrase, "the signs are everywhere if you just take the time to look," or some version of that?  For those of us not so in tune with our spirituality, we may need something a little more obvious.  Especially if you're trying to keep that New Year's Resolution to eat a little better.  Thankfully, the good folks at Fishs Eddy have anticipated this need by creating their "Intervention" pattern.
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So Friday, after leaving the day job, I took myself on over to Ikea and Target to check out some frames for the art wall project.  I knew I wanted 12 frames total, but I forgot one very important detail: I didn't measure the book plates before heading out to do my shopping.  Oh, you mean you've done that, too?  Gotten so excited about a project that you forgot to do a simple thing like measure?  Yeah, it happens.  But the good news is I've found even better deals at Michaels and AC Moore for the types of frames I'd like to use.  And that trip to Ikea and Target wasn't a complete waste.  I got some excellent deals on storage containers to organize my closets.  So while my walls are still a little boring, my closets are looking excellent.
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On many a Tuesday night at 10pm you can find me watching "The Good Wife" on CBS.  I enjoy a good legal drama, especially when it comes with a side of excellent set design.  The picture here is of the dining room featured on the program.  Not much action takes place in this room, but the grid of botanical artwork on the right pops up frequently as the backdrop.  I've added another shot to give a better idea.
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A few months back, I received a random Ralph Lauren catalogue at work.  Okay fine, it was really for someone else who didn't work there anymore.  No harm, no foul, right?  Anyway, the images featured in that catalogue were so beautiful and inspiring, I still find myself paging through them for ideas.  And the one idea that keeps coming to me is, "I've gotta get me to that new flagship!" 
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I have what some may call an odd sense of humor.  My most favorite quality in another person, after loyalty, is cleverness.  Oh, how I love me some clever.  So imagine my delight to find these hilarious ads while trolling the internet.  We definitely live in a world where what's new and fresh today will seem out of date in about 6 months (thanks Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg).  But let's celebrate that fact with some good humor.
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