Casting Stephanie Plum!

I am a voracious reader.  As I said in my Weddingbee profile, my life has been known to come to a screeching halt when in the middle of a great book!  I am a member of a fun, yet serious (we actually read the books & talk about them!) book club and have been introduced to so many incredible books over the years.

That being said, I have a soft spot in my head for Ms. Stephanie Plum.  Heroine of the Janet Evanovich numbered books (One for the Money, Two for the Dough...all the way to Explosive Eighteen), she is one of my favorite girls in fiction literature.  I was really, really hesitant to start reading these book because I was certain I wouldn't like them, but one of my best friends kept telling me I would like them & she was right (she is right a lot)!

 The books are a fun, light read that I always enjoy.  Stephanie and her love triangle with Ranger and Morelli, her bounty hunter antics with Lula - I love them all!  So when I heard that One for the Money was being made into a movie, I was excited yet hesitant.  Who would play Stephanie Plum?

Katherine Heigl.

No. Just, no.  I even like her & think she can be funny, but she does not fit the description of SP.  I do not agree with this casting decision, so I decided to cast the movie myself.  *Note* I did not look at the rest of the cast!  I still haven't, but I may by the time I am done with this post.  Okay, I really need to stop with this words and get on to the pictures!  Without further ado, I give you my One for the Money casting...

Stephanie Plum - Jennifer Garner

When reading these books, I always picture Stephanie looking like Tori from Saved by the Bell. 

Curly brown hair, 90's-ish (the first book was written in 1994, so I definitely think of this style when picturing her), Trenton NJ, has a pet hamster named Rex.  I mean, right?  

I know this isn't a realistic casting decision, so I've gone with my back-up - Jennifer Garner.  I'm showing (what I assume is her) high school picture as well, which solidifies my decision.  This was a really hard decision for me!  Sandra Bullock is also really high up there.

Lula - Loni Love or Sherri Shepherd

Loni is a hilarious comedian who could nail the voice of Lula.  I also think Sherri Shepherd is hilarious as Tracy Morgan's wife on 30 Rock & fitting for this role as well!

Joe Morelli - Mark Wahlberg

Again, maybe it's the 90's thing that is still stuck in my mind, but I think Marky Mark would be the perfect Morelli.  

Ranger - Dwayne Johnson

Yes, the Rock.  I didn't want to type that out because I'm not talking about the weird eyebrow raising, caricatured wrestler/actor.  I'm going on looks here, and I've pictured him as Ranger since One for the Money.

Vincent Plum - Matt Dillon

Vinnie is Stephanie's smarmy, man-whorish uncle who runs the bail bond company.  Matt Dillon is perfect for this!

Connie - Marisa Tomei or Constance Zimmer

Again, I can picture both of them in the role of Connie, the Italian, mafia connected office manager.  Constance Zimmer plays Dana Gordon on Entourage & she is loud and can hold her own against Ari.

This post has absolutely nothing to do with design, but it really was so much fun to write.  And we're totally seeing the movie when it comes out, Katherine Heigl and all.

*edited to add*

I looked at the cast (woohoo for Sherri Shepherd!) & realized that I picture everyone a lot older than who is in the movie :)  I still like mine better, although Ranger IS pretty spot-on (if a little young).  

p.s. There is even a Facebook page dedicated to "Against Katherine Heigl Playing Stephanie Plum"!  Funny.

p.p.s.  Just saw that KH is the exectuive producer on the film - no wonder she was "cast" in the role!

Mountains of Old Books become Mountains and Landscapes

Someone on Facebook (I can't remember who!) recently posted an article about this artist, Guy Laramee, who takes stacks of old books and carves them into gorgeous mountain ranges and landscapes.  

I would love to see a video of the artist while working, as I am curious how he gets started on each piece.  I can't even imagine the hours of work that goes into these incredibly detailed works of art.

I think this one is particularly breathtaking.

I love art from an unexpected media!

Before & After: Wicker Park Master Bedroom

My clients have such a beautiful home.  Their master bedroom was the last room to be completed, and it now flows seamlessly with the rest of the gorgeous house.  Finally, it was time for the parents to treat themselves to the master bedroom they've always wanted!

Before, we had a queen sized bed that was just too small - scale wise & for their family!  Dated window treatments hung under the dormer windows, which didn't provide the light blockage needed (this room gets a TON of daylight).  Bedding & lighting were needed to add a better sense of style & design.

The only existing furniture that stayed was the dresser, bureau and mirror (which we flipped on its side in order to fit in with the scale of the room).  A new king sized bed was added, along with a great tufted, leather upholstered headboard (i.e. easy to clean with little kids jumping around!).  We wanted a combination of masculine and feminine elements and this was successfully achieved.  Dramatic, glam crystal column lamps sit nicely beside the gridded headboard, soft color blocked bedding and dark accent pieces.  

Adding a large rug was perhaps one of the most important steps in the room design.  Rugs help ground large rooms and keep it from feeling like the furniture is just floating around the space.  If that makes sense (it does in my mind!).  We selected this GORGEOUS slate Dash & Albert rug, which again fits into our masculine/feminine design.

My clients also wanted a small seating area & due to the size of the room, it was easy to find a spot for this swoop armed chair.  A pillow in a coordinating bedding color completes this corner.

Due to excessive amounts of light coming in through their wall of windows and doors, we added ceiling-to-floor, wall-to-wall silk window treatments the filter the light without completely blocking it.  They're around 3 inches longer than the height of the wall, which gives us this nice pooling effect.

I've featured this design on my portfolio page, but hadn't properly blogged about it.  I am excited to share another "After" bedroom design!  Check out another dramatic before & after bedroom design here.

Giveaway Winner!

Congrats to Amber - "Ooh, just found your blog. Love it! - I've never smelled these candles, but I'm interested now."

You'll have to stop back and let us know what you think of the Capri Blue Volcano candle awesomeness.

Teeny-Tiny Side Tables

oomph is a cute online retailer that has several lines of little side tables that I've been crushing on for some time.  They also have bright, fun pillows...and we all know how much I love pillows.  But I am here to talk about tables! They come in a variety of shapes, sizes & colors (lots & lots of colors) and are just so sweet that I can't help wanting one of my own.  I am especially drawn to the tini ii & just may have to invest in one some day.

Did I mention the colors?  The colors!

They range in price and are definitely worth checking out!

No, oomph did not pay me to write this post or gift me a tini ii side table!  It would be nice, though. ;)