Benjamin Moore for iPhone®!

This is so cool and almost makes me want to trade in my Blackberry Storm® (which I hate anyway) immediately for the iPhone®; no matter what the cost!

The ben® Color Capture™ app for iPhone® lets you capture any color that catches your eye - anytime, anywhere. Benjamin Moore has made color matching easier than ever with its new ben Color Capture iPhone application. Take a picture of anything that has the "perfect-color-you've-been-looking-for" with your iPhone, and with your new ben® Color Capture™ app, tap the "match" key. In just seconds, a strip of colors pop up under your photo with the closest paint color match highlighted. Give your phone a simple shake and your ben app will give you four coordinating colors that create a perfectly harmonizing palette based on your original color choice. Your color favorites can be saved and enlarged to the size of the iPhone screen for easier viewing.

The ben app let's you access the full spectrum color wheel, too, which you can expand or contract by fingertip control to zoom in on your whatever color interests you. Another tap and you'll have that translated into a Benjamin Moore color that's saved to your favorite file.
Once you've found that perfect color, you won't have to waste a minute getting started on your project; the app connects to your iPhone's GPS to locate your nearest Benjamin Moore retailer from wherever you're at.

Download your free ben Color Capture app from the AppStore Web site, http://www.apple.com/iphone/appstore; appstore ; search for ben and select to install. Then get busy capturing any color that catches your eye - anytime, anywhere. The AppStore also has the Home Sizer app, where you enter the name and dimensions of each room in your house and let Home Sizer calculate usable square footage. Great tool for shopping.

How cool is that?! I want it!

The Perfect Holiday Party!

Yes, for those of us who like to entertain during the holidays, it's time to start planning! While perusing the Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Christmas House 2009 website, I came across this announcement under the general info. section and thought, 'how much fun would this be?!!!'
"PERFECT FOR YOUR HOLIDAY PARTY! The Christmas House will be available for corporate and private party rentals from November 14 until December 5, excluding Thanksgiving Day. For rental information, please call Lindsey Hardegree at (404) 733-4615."
Ah yes, in my next life right? Until then, I just have to plan my visit between November 14 – December 6 and imagine my perfect holiday party in this gorgeous house. The exterior architecture is so enticing, I know the participating designers will do it justice. See you in Atlanta!

Mrs. Howard Brings a Gem to Charlotte

I was fortunate enough to fly down to Charlotte, NC yesterday to attend the grand opening of the Howard's newest store location, Mrs. Howard and max & company. WOW (for lack of a better, more accurate phrase)! It was everything I expected and more. I have to admit, first and foremost though, that I spent more time looking up at the beautiful millwork, mouldings, palladian windows and amazing wall coverings and flooring than I did anything else. I could not get enough of the pagoda style moulding above the door in one of the bedroom areas, the dentil moulding with the full 3d balls (yes, I know "spheres" is a more technical term, but they looked like little playing balls! So cool!) in the foyer area, and what appeared to be plasterwork moulding in another area -- truly amazing and so unique. The Howards and their team divided up the old Charlotte Women's Club, under the careful eye of Mr. Howard, into separate rooms of design with amazing limestone on the foyer walls and a floor mosiac upon entering that takes your breath away - almost too beautiful to walk on. Mrs. Howard's designs were, as always, perfection. Every choice of trim, fabric, piece of artwork, down to the tortoise shells on the tables was perfect. I even found that all of the items, which were marked with very small and tastefully done tags, very well priced. If it hadn't been so crowded, I would have jotted down a few item numbers of the artwork that I fell in love with and wanted to take home! It was an amazing experience overall and one which I did not regret flying down and returning the same day to attend. Congratulations to the Howards and their team for doing such a beautiful job in bringing a true gem to Charlotte and I wish them huge success with this endeavour and all others! Brava!
Now, to book that flight to the 2009 Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Christmas House!

photo courtesy of Mrs. Howard Personal Shopper.com

Garden Wall Adornments

AKA trellises, trellises, trellises! I love these outdoor pieces and cannot get enough of those at Yardiac.com. As summer is nearing its end, I am getting my garden in order for next year and beginning to make plans for future outdoor projects. After six years of tinkering and planting and experimenting in my gardens, I decided it was time to get serious and figure out what I really want out of my backyard. While we have a beautiful paver patio and surrounding borders of boxwoods, hydrangeas and seasonal flowers, I think its time to bring in the professionals. So, my husband and I will be getting a master plan from Peter @ Fort Hill Estates here in Huntington next week and I am so excited! In addition to our quest to add a pool, we realize we need someone who at this point can provide us the big picture - a master plan if you will. Peter is the perfect landscape designer for this plan and our yard. I would love to have him work in some of the trellises from Yardiac and am in love with this one in particular that I saw out in Southampton two years ago. There has got to be a place for this somewhere don't you agree?