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Design Du Jour:

Self-Care Saturday: Transition, Completion, Closure, Replenish and Repeat!

Posted on June 15, 2013 by Tobi

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Have you been wondering where I’ve been? What I have been up to? Well it’s true I’ve been quite absent from the blog lately. And I haven’t just been lounging by the pool. I actually have been accomplishing a lot of things that have been on my to-do list for years. It feels SO good to see some things come to fruition that have been forever hanging out there. Completion and Closure…Two of my favorite words.

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And that brings me to what else I have been doing lately–Transitioning. In fact, 2013 feels like an entire year of transition. I guess some years are just like that. Remember late last year when I said “A change was coming“? Little did I know that CHANGE would define all of this year for me. Yes, that change is still happening. It’s not all fleshed out yet. And although I feel like I’ve given birth twice already this year to some HUGE ideas and it’s been a pretty painful process, I know that it is all because HUGE blessings are coming my way. I have to get all these ideas clear and on paper so I can take massive action to make all these dreams come true. And the good news is that I’m almost there.

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So THANK GOODNESS that today is a day of rest for me. It is time for some self-love and self-care to replenish all that energy I have spent accomplishing and transitioning. Life is good. My brain feels empty. My heart feels full. So today will be a day of relaxing by the pool, literally.

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Hope you are replenishing your energy today too.

Happy Saturday!

xo,

Tobi Signature

 

p.s. Like these summery pics? See them on my Pinterest Board here. Oh and are you DYING to own that double chaise lounger in the first shot? It’s from one of my favorite companies…Lee Industries. Check it out here.

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Let’s Talk Inspired Design!

Posted on June 11, 2013 by Tobi

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Hello, everyone!

Working on last week’s P. Allen Smith TV segments has me feeling inspired about everything from what makes a design personal to entertaining with style! In fact, working with people to create home spaces that inspire them and support their lifestyles really energizes me, and one way I do that is through my on-site intensive trainings.

Let’s say you’re an interior designer who is feeling drained by client demands or depleted of fresh ideas or approaches…

Or maybe you’re a homeowner who has a real gift for making your own home feel warm and inviting, but you want to take that design “sense” to a new level and start thinking outside the box about decorating your house…

Then again maybe you are a person who friends and family always seem to be asking for advice on how they should arrange furniture or what fabric they should choose for their drapes, and you want to know what a professional approach to interior design looks like to see if your gift is something you could cultivate into passion-driven career.

Pinned from lesliemyrick.com If any of these scenarios sounds like YOU, then you should really join me on October 8th through 10th for Design A to Z! In this hands-on training, I give you full access to my expertise on every step of designing a room, from furniture floor plans to creating a color palette to layering fabric patterns and choosing accessories that make your room design authentic and personal!

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For these three information-packed days, we do nothing but design and have nothing but inspirational FUN! I just love being in a room with fellow design lovers who are eager to absorb and share information, and I know you will too!

I’ll bring you more details about this one-of-a-kind session of Design A-to-Z in the coming weeks, including the names of our fabulous special guests!! But if you want to reserve your space in Design A-to-Z NOW, before it’s sold out, CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE!

Xo,

Tobi Signature

 

 

 

p.s. I just love these quotes from interior design GREATS throughout history!! I hope you do, too. Absorbing this kind of wisdom from designers who came before me has been essential to the development of my design perspective! For more design inspiration, visit my Pinterest boards!

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Posted in Design Camp, Design Resources, Design Summer Camp, Inspiration, Tobi Fairley Academy, Tobi Fairley Interior Design | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

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A.W.O.L. Blogger!

Posted on June 6, 2013 by Tobi

Hello, there!

I’ve been A.W.O.L. for a few days, but I want to give you a quick behind-the-scenes peek at my 12-hour day of shooting yesterday with everyone’s favorite garden guru, P. Allen Smith! We filmed some great conversations for his shows, Garden Style and Garden Home, and we also had a lot of laughs.

I have more to tell you about our shoot coming up soon, but here’s a taste for now!

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More soon!

Xo,

Tobi Signature

 

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Posted in Gardening, My Flowers, Outdoor Living, P. Allen Smith, Tobi's Friends | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

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Why “Faux” Can Be Fun!

Posted on May 30, 2013 by Tobi

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Now, you know I’m a champion for being totally authentic and transparent in life, in business, and in your creative work! So, no, “fake” isn’t one of my favorite words. But let’s get real, some of us wouldn’t have a green thumb if we painted it with my favorite shade of Kelly.

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So when it comes to flowers, artificial arrangements–or “floral reproductions”–can really give you the daily uplift of flowers without the constant fuss and maintenance. And though the great quality faux flowers are expensive, so is buying fresh at the store every week. So if you are like me and really LOVE what flowers do for your decor and your spirit, FAUX just may be the way to GO! Peonies are my favorite, and this one from NDI is a perfect substitute for the real thing when they are not in season.

I spoke about all this on KATV’s Good Morning Arkansas yesterday. Here’s the clip:

KATV – Breaking News, Weather and Razorback Sports

In fact, when my team gathered all of these arrangements in my office to bring them to the TV studio, I left them waiting to be loaded up and got busy working on something else in another part of the office. When I walked back into the room, it took a second for my brain to catch up and remember that they weren’t real! That’s how great-looking some of these reproductions are. Here’s another look at the examples I showed on the segment:

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And a favorite tip of mine for photo shoots is the tuck fresh flowers into the faux arrangement just like I did in the photo above. Then the artificial flowers take up most of the “space” in a large vase and you only have to buy a handful of the fresh to fool the camera’s eye. If you wanted to do this for a party, be sure to put the tiny vials of water on the end of each stem so it will stay fresh for several hours and your guests will think the whole think vase is fresh and gorgeous!

And some more arrangements to LOVE:

This one is a favorite mentioned by designer and blogger, Grant Gibson:

Love the drama of this red:

And if you like a more eclectic look, these are so happy:

So, yes, fresh is best, but if your life needs a little more flower power, consider reproductions like these for amazing impact!

Xo,

Tobi Signature

 

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Posted in Inspiration, KATV Good Morning Arkansas, My Flowers | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

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What Do You Want?

Posted on May 29, 2013 by Tobi

Yesterday I asked you if you know your signature style? Today I want to know what you want. I mean what do you want in your life? Things? Experiences? Balance?

I do have a point here. I have so much to bring to you in the coming days but until you know what you want and who you are, you won’t be able to put it all into practice in your life.

This week on Instagram someone asked me how I do it all. In particular, how I find balance. Well I don’t just find balance, I create it. It is a job but a very rewarding job and I will be bringing you my top tips for creating a life that you love.

But first you have to know what you want. Because how can you know how to get there if you don’t know where you are going.

And because I know you are here with me because you love all things design–for creatives like us, it isn’t just about creating a life of balance but rather a life of balance AND beauty.

Ahhhh…there’s where the style piece comes in.

So let me ask you again…What do you want? And what is your style? Write them both down and I’ll help you bring them full circle in the next few days. And if you are willing, share your thoughts in the comments below. This is exciting stuff!

xo,

Tobi Signature

 

 

 

p.s. This morning, I’m on KATV Good Morning Arkansas, sharing some ideas for incorporating very high-quality, artificial flower arrangements in your home along with fresh ones! I’ll be posting the video here tomorrow, so be sure to check back then!

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