Let them eat cake!

(Image via The World According to Jessica Claire)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MATERIAL GIRLS!

Material Girls is growing up way too fast (tear) ;(

I remember when she was only a twinkle in my eye....or (more specifically) a thought in my head

Did I say my head? Ok, ok...I admit- it was my boyfriend Ben's bright idea to start this design blog one year ago today...I was convinced no one would ever read it (except maybe my mother) but after him trying to coax me into it for a whole eight minutes, I became convinced that with my love for writing and design, this blog had to happen...even if no one read it, it would be a way to document my design finds, express my creativity and sit at the computer more than I already did (which I didn't think was humanly possible).

Weeks went by with just moi as the sole author of "Dear Designer" (our previous name that we've since changed due to its use on other blogs and publications) and I began to think that "Dear Designer" needed another voice- one whom I knew quite well.

Enter: Lauren

Lauren was my friend from design school back in the day (and by back in the day, I mean a little more than three years ago). We had kept up since school and she thought the blog was a great idea- so we decided that it would be a lot of fun for her to contribute to it. So as Lauren started "contributing" more and more, she became a regular and we decided to move forward with a new name. About three months later, the MG name and new blog header finally took effect.

Why Material Girls? We both decided that we love fabrics and materials (that was a given)

{Image via Robert Allen}

and we needed a name that was soo original and one that no one had ever ever heard of before....

ok, maybe not- Enter: Madonna

{Madonna, the original Material Girl, performing as Marie at one of her concerts}

I envisioned our mascot, "Material Girl" to be a Marie Antoinette type figure from 18th century France- a time when decor was luxurious, ornate, full of fabrics, pattern and materials to the nines (at least in the palace it was!)



The authentic palace at Versailles

Months went by and a few more posts later, we had made a ton of great blogging friends on here and realized that the Interior Design blogging world is really small and such a nice, close group of people that we learn a ton from each and every day...it's amazing to "meet" other people halfway across the world who share the same kind of passion as we do for Interiors. Blogging has been such a great experience and has since become an addiction that I hope to never give up!

This month we have added a few other blog-ees to Material Girls and that would be Jill from LA, Susan from NY, and Crystal from Chicago...we are looking forward to some other great posts from these ladies and finding out their "go-to" places for design all over the country!

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And now that the sappy part is over, it's party time and you are all invited to MG's virtual birthday celebration!

First, we'd pick a swanky venue to host the party at. We wouldn't want the party to be too Marie Antoinette "themey" so we would go in the opposite, more mod direction (but still using Marie's colors as accents-pinks, golds, turquoise, blues, yellows, greens) to complement the black and white decor

We would need the location big enough to accomodate our closest friends/family/MG readers/fellow bloggers/clients but small enough to keep the party intimate and laid back. The venue would have to be at a home (since that is what Material Girls are all about)

We'd probably see if we could rent out Scott Joyce's home in the Hollywood Hills- it's in a great location and the modern, glamorous decor is a Material Girls favorite.

His entry foyer had us at hello- the metallic cowboy boot on the console table reminds us of Material Girl's birthplace (Texas) and we quickly decide that this has got to be the party's location (after Scott consents to it). Chandeliers, metallic accents, mirrors, graphic prints, and floor to ceiling windows draw us to the space.

But wait! We need decorations before the guests arrive! Again, we don't want to go too French themed on you here, so we will stay stylish and current- to coordinate with the black and white scheme in the house, we will add some accent colors that Marie would like- such as yellow! A really trendy combo right now in fashion and decor, but who cares- there's always next year's party to decorate too and I'm sure we will be so over yellow and black by then anyways.

Of course we will need Sarah of Toast and Tables help- we would want her expert advice on where to go for table settings, invitations, party decor, florals, etc.

Ok we are set- time for guests to arrive- the front courtyard with floor to ceiling windows give guests full view of the party as they get there making it easy to locate

The home has a great open floor plan and various seating groups that would work well with lots of party mingling

Gorgeous furniture wrapped in luxe fabrics throughout the space does not go unnoticed...guests take in and appreciate all of the stunning surroundings (especially our fellow design blogger guests- we know they appreciate a beautiful home just as much as we do!)

Guests can also feel free to go explore the house during the party- some of the more private areas in the home are must sees!

Such as this up-to-date charming bedroom that I think a modern day Marie would have appreciated

A gorgeous view and comfortable lounge seating on the patio cause the guests to start to meander outside.

{Images via Point Click Home}

After the meal (which will not be planned by me, as I am the worst cook/hostess ever- I'm surprised this virtual party has even gotten off the ground!) guests will feast on Sprinkles Cupcakes for dessert (this blog post is really making me hungry!)

As it gets darker outside and the number of guests start to dwindle, we wrap up the party and hope to do it again next year.

Can't believe a year has gone by and close to 300 blog posts later, we are still as interested in design as ever! Here's to another year of blogging, new friendships, design gabbing, and much much more in store for Material Girls! Stay tuned and thanks for always feeling up to chatting design with us!