The Penelope House Project

I was recently introduced to Marcy Simmons the founder of The Penelope House Project, via Instagram.  The Penelope House Project is a fundraising campaign created to help put a stop to domestic violence.  Marcy designed a line of clothing with meaningful printed messages to convey the importance of hope and peace not just to domestic violence victims but to everyone.  100% of the profits are donated to the Penelope House, a battered women's shelter in Mobile, Alabama.  The Penelope House helps victims of domestic violence and their children by providing them with a safe place to stay.  I bought this T-shirt with the message Only Hope and had my assistant, Kendall, model it for us.  I'm truly touched by what Marcy has created and hope you are, too.  Please support her campaign here! 

These are just a few of the designs.  For more choices and styles go to The Penelope House Project site. 

A San Francisco Office Space: Inspired By The Gold Rush

For the past few months, Cocoon Home has been decorating a San Francisco office space for a venture capital firm with a Barbary Coast/Gold Rush theme.  The building is located the part of the city that gave birth to the Barbary Coast, which in its heyday was known as a red light district.  This was also the time the California Gold Rush of 1849 began bringing thousands of miners looking for gold and opportunity, hence the combination of the two themes.

Wanting to pay homage to the area's history and California's entrepreneurial spirit, the partners wanted the space to reflect a bit of its colorful past.  Careful not to go overboard with the themes, Cocoon Home used reclaimed wood, a mix of metals, steam trunks and art that reflected the era as well as modern accents and vibrant botanicals to lend the offices a contemporary feel. Take a look:

Fund Raising Design: Lafayette Juniors Kitchen Tour May 14, 2016

It's that time of year again when Lafayette Juniors hosts its annual Kitchen Tour.  Last year, the non-profit organization featured our newly renovated kitchen.  It was an honor to be part of such an amazing fundraising event. Not only does one get an chance to view some amazing kitchen designs to inspire one's own, but it's also an opportunity to support one's local community.  The proceeds from the ticket sales benefit local organizations that provide exceptional support for families, children and seniors living in the Contra Costa county areas. This Saturday, May 14th, is the group's 17th tour.  

Tickets are still available.  For more information click here.  In the meantime take a sneak peek at two of the five homes featured this year. 

Get a group of your friends together and join the tour.  It's a great way to spend a Saturday and give back at the same time!

Botanical Inspiration: Fancy Foliage

For this week's Botanical Inspiration, I'm sharing Calathea, a fancy foliage plant.  Having admired my mother-in-law's Calathea for some time now, I decided to buy one for our place.  Its intricate foliage pattern and color makes it a stand out botanical in any space, but one that's not so easy to care for.  If you tend to over water your plants, Calatheas may be a perfect fit for you, but if you're like me and let the plants dry out between waterings, they may not be the botanicals for you.  They require bright indirect light and evenly moist soil.  Even the most attentive plant person may be challenged by this one. Do you own a Calathea?

Calatheas are so pretty, it's absolutely worth it to give them a shot in your home!

The Cass Clutch: A Campaign Retrospective

During the past 3 weeks, The Cass Clutch Kickstarter campaign received an amazing amount of support.  It stemmed from contributors, fellow bloggers, magazine and newspaper articles, Instragram posts and many, many fb shares.  I'm so grateful for every little bit of it!  Having spent the last year and half working on its design, production, manufacturing and marketing, it's hard to believe that the final phase of the project, the Kickstarter Campaign is just about done.  I'm excited for what lies ahead. 

With just 4 days left, I'm confident that together we'll make our goal and that everyone who pledged any amount will receive his or her reward and love it.  All contributions, be they big or small, were and are deeply appreciated.

At this time, I would like to share some of the images that have been taken of The Cass Clutch during its campaign. Styled and modeled in different ways, The Cass Clutch proves to be the handbag for any woman and any lifestyle.  Take a look:

   WomnMag  Photos:  Memry Anderson

Photos: Jon Kingston Model:  Natalia Protopopoff

Kellee Bachour

Gingercaftan and model Tanya. 

Beverly Jane Peatross for The Cass Clutch video. Videographers:  Noisy Savage Photo: Jayson Carpenter

and me, ready for a night out with The Cass Clutch.