Thursday's Room

This is a room completed by Mica Ertegun of MAC II published in Architectural Digest. I gravitated to this room because of its dual purpose. This is dual purpose done well. Not only is it a lovely dining room but it is a library. What better dinner conversation than the stories in the books that surround you? The art piece of the far wall begins the the story for me. From is flows the palette. Even the placement of books flanking the art work expands the experience. I love the detail of the crown molding. Its fitting for a library. I also like the fact that the room it light and bright painted in a white hue that does not compete with or drown the books. The only change I would make is the ceiling color. I would love to see a soft green that mirrors the upholstered chairs below. Nothing loud, nothing heavy but a little bit of depth. What perplexes me is lighting. There is no chandelier or visible portables or sconces or pin lights. Hmmm?? I am sure it is lit in some interesting way and perhaps if I read the article I would find out :) Still ~ love the space. Thoughts?

Timeless Tuesday Number Twenty One

Welcome to Timeless Tuesday #21! Wow, Timeless Tuesday can legally drink alcohol ~ sounds like a martini night for me!!

Seriously ~ you may have noticed the lack of posts lately. So sorry! I have been very busy with work AND the Gala. What Gala you ask?? Take a look at yesterday's post. It is very rewarding and very time consuming.

Today I am posting about the ever classic art. What type of art? It really doesn't matter. Art is in the eye of the beholder just like beauty. For me designs can be inspired by a piece of art or they can complete the design with their presence. I posted about my bedroom that was inspired by a wonderful Victor Klauss piece.


That is a passionate design.

Even in my my tweens' rooms, art plays an important role. The art I selected reflected each girl's personalities and likes.

I know I only represent wall art in this post but art is vast and in many forms. For me ~ a room in not complete without the art. It will always be a timeless need for me ~ always.

Now it is your turn to share your posts about classics or trends you hope become timeless...

1) Add your permalink below ~ not your blog's address in general but the specific post you want people to visit. To obtain the actual post link, click on the title of your post once you have published it and copy and paste the URL into Mister Linky.

2) Leave your name and say a couple of words to describe your post (e.g. "Coco Chanel suits" or "Classic interior design for children" or "Delicious meals in a snap."

3) Copy and paste the Timeless Tuesday logo button (on my right sidebar) to your Timeless Tuesday posts. This is a sure way for your readers to know you have joined in the party.

4) Link back to the host blog, that's me ~ Paula Grace Designs Blogspot Timeless Tuesday ~ so all the bloggers that joined the party will receive many interested visitors.

With a Little Help from My Friends

Today I bringing you the news of the Loudoun Abused Women's Shelter (LAWS) Gala 2010 occurring October 16th, 2010 at 5:30 p.m. I am very excited about it! First let me tell you a little about LAWS.



Loudoun Abused Women’s Shelter was founded in 1984 by three Loudoun County women, incorporated as Loudoun Citizens for Social Justice and otherwise referred to as LAWS for business purposes. LAWS is a private, non-profit agency with a volunteer Board of Directors that provides leadership, oversight, fundraising, advocacy, and accountability.

Over the past 26 years, LAWS has grown from a small, shelter-based emergency response entity to one of the most comprehensive and holistic domestic violence and sexual assault programs in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Today, with an annual operating budget of $1.1 million and through a dedicated team of 29 staff and more than 70 volunteers, LAWS provides essential services to hundreds of children, families and other individuals in need. These services include:

Legal Services
Domestic Violence Services and 24-Hour Crisis Hotline
Shelter Services
Youth and Children's Services
Sexual Assault Services
Teen Violence Prevention Program
Nurturing Program (educational prevention groups and counseling)
The Resourceful Woman Thrift Shop (women and children in our services receive clothing though the shop)
The Child Advocacy Center (law enforcement, legal, and psychological services work together to assist children of abuse)



I am very proud to be affiliated with such a stellar organization. I came to be involved with LAWS after a family loss due to domestic violence. Jim's young cousin was murdered by her ex-husband. I am sorry to be so blunt but there really isn't a way to sugarcoat that. That tragic event rocked my family to the core. After conducting my own research on domestic violence, I learned the very sad facts about its prevalence. I knew I had to get involved. Some of you may know that I am Vice Chair of the Board for LAWS. I also inherited the Gala Chair this year.

The LAWS Gala is bigger this year than is previous years. It has to be to meet our needs. The Gala is the largest fundraiser for LAWS. It needs to raise enough to continue the services they offer. Grants and other monies available to LAWS is not enough to cover the costs for this comprehensive not-for-profit. Why is that? Because some monies available to organizations like LAWS is transient. Grants may be awarded on a time-limited basis and public monies may evaporate. Often times when the money leaves, so does the service. Not in LAWS case. They have managed to keep the services that are crucial for the welfare of women and children though fundraising.



A critical need has arisen in the past couple of years ~ the need for a new emergency shelter and transitional housing. The emergency shelter is available for women and children in imminent danger or that have been made homeless by the domestic violence. Last year we had to turn away more than 40 women and their children because there simply was no room for them at our aging 12-bed facility. That meant we had to say “sorry” to one out of every three women who had come to us looking for somewhere to sleep and feel safe. LAWS helped them is other ways of course but still to be turned away at that juncture is beyond sad.

The emergency shelter is designed for a brief stay so that others may be served. Often these families have no place to go to begin resurrecting their lives. That's where transitional housing comes in as there is the capacity to stay longer. During this time the women work with staff to secure permanent housing, get finances in order, and stabilize their children's worlds. Currently their is no transitional housing dedicated to these women and children.

This year's Gala is entitled Raise the Roof. This is to signify that all remaining money after supporting the current programming will be dedicated to building or buying a new shelter with transitional housing. Our goal is to have this available to our clients by 2012.

The Gala will be held at the lovely Lansdowne Resort in historic Leesburg, Virginia. You can make a fantastic night of it by staying at the resort and enjoying all the amenities Lansdowne has to offer. For every Gala attendee that stays the night, Lansdowne will give a donation to LAWS! How wonderful is that?!

There will be fabulous entertainment! Gregg Karukas, the extraordinary jazz pianist, will tickle the ivory first. Then the premier Washington, DC based dance band, Diamond Alley, will take the stage so all may dance the night away.

Our emcee for the evening is the critically acclaimed CBS Evening News reported Sharyl Attkisson.

Wonderful food and drink, fantastic entertainment, dance the night away.... all for a great cause.

How can you help? You can help in several ways! You can help simply by attending or having your company become a Sponsor or by donating an item or service to the silent auction or by making a donation to LAWS. Sponsors and auction donors will be featured out the LAWS Gala website!

If you would like to donate an item for the auction, just email me at paula@lawsraisetheroof.com. I'll be very happy to help get your donation to the Gala! All donations for the auction are tax deductible!

If you have any questions I can answer for you, leave a comment or drop me a note. I look forward to working on this with you.

I want to thank all my blogger, Facebook, and twitter friends who have graciously agreed to spread the word ~ Sherry & John, Cheryl, Jeanette, Katrina, Kristin, Julia, Sarah, Crystal, Cassandra, Janell, Roséline, and Karen! Your support means a great deal to me :)

If this event moves you, please join in the Facebook and twittering of the post.

Together we can do this! Thank you very much!!

Make a Difference

Today I bringing you the news of the Loudoun Abused Women's Shelter (LAWS) Gala 2010 occurring October 16th, 2010 at 5:30 p.m. I am very excited about it! First let me tell you a little about LAWS.



Loudoun Abused Women’s Shelter was founded in 1984 by three Loudoun County women, incorporated as Loudoun Citizens for Social Justice and otherwise referred to as LAWS for business purposes. LAWS is a private, non-profit agency with a volunteer Board of Directors that provides leadership, oversight, fundraising, advocacy, and accountability.

Over the past 26 years, LAWS has grown from a small, shelter-based emergency response entity to one of the most comprehensive and holistic domestic violence and sexual assault programs in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Today, with an annual operating budget of $1.1 million and through a dedicated team of 29 staff and more than 70 volunteers, LAWS provides essential services to hundreds of children, families and other individuals in need. These services include:

Legal Services
Domestic Violence Services and 24-Hour Crisis Hotline
Shelter Services
Youth and Children's Services
Sexual Assault Services
Teen Violence Prevention Program
Nurturing Program (educational prevention groups and counseling)
The Resourceful Woman Thrift Shop (women and children in our services receive clothing though the shop)
The Child Advocacy Center (law enforcement, legal, and psychological services work together to assist children of abuse)



I am very proud to be affiliated with such a stellar organization. I came to be involved with LAWS after a family loss due to domestic violence. Jim's young cousin was murdered by her ex-husband. I am sorry to be so blunt but there really isn't a way to sugarcoat that. That tragic event rocked my family to the core. After conducting my own research on domestic violence, I learned the very sad facts about its prevalence. I knew I had to get involved. Some of you may know that I am Vice Chair of the Board for LAWS. I also inherited the Gala Chair this year.

The LAWS Gala is bigger this year than is previous years. It has to be to meet our needs. The Gala is the largest fundraiser for LAWS. It needs to raise enough to continue the services they offer. Grants and other monies available to LAWS is not enough to cover the costs for this comprehensive not-for-profit. Why is that? Because some monies available to organizations like LAWS is transient. Grants may be awarded on a time-limited basis and public monies may evaporate. Often times when the money leaves, so does the service. Not in LAWS case. They have managed to keep the services that are crucial for the welfare of women and children though fundraising.



A critical need has arisen in the past couple of years ~ the need for a new emergency shelter and transitional housing. The emergency shelter is available for women and children in imminent danger or that have been made homeless by the domestic violence. Last year we had to turn away more than 40 women and their children because there simply was no room for them at our aging 12-bed facility. That meant we had to say “sorry” to one out of every three women who had come to us looking for somewhere to sleep and feel safe. LAWS helped them is other ways of course but still to be turned away at that juncture is beyond sad.

The emergency shelter is designed for a brief stay so that others may be served. Often these families have no place to go to begin resurrecting their lives. That's where transitional housing comes in as there is the capacity to stay longer. During this time the women work with staff to secure permanent housing, get finances in order, and stabilize their children's worlds. Currently their is no transitional housing dedicated to these women and children.

This year's Gala is entitled Raise the Roof. This is to signify that all remaining money after supporting the current programming will be dedicated to building or buying a new shelter with transitional housing. Our goal is to have this available to our clients by 2012.

The Gala will be held at the lovely Lansdowne Resort in historic Leesburg, Virginia. You can make a fantastic night of it by staying at the resort and enjoying all the amenities Lansdowne has to offer. For every Gala attendee that stays the night, Lansdowne will give a donation to LAWS! How wonderful is that?!

There will be fabulous entertainment! Gregg Karukas, the extraordinary jazz pianist, will tickle the ivory first. Then the premier Washington, DC based dance band, Diamond Alley, will take the stage so all may dance the night away.

Our emcee for the evening is the critically acclaimed CBS Evening News reported Sharyl Attkisson.

Wonderful food and drink, fantastic entertainment, dance the night away.... all for a great cause.

How can you help? You can help in several ways! You can help simply by attending or having your company become a Sponsor or by donating an item or service to the silent auction or by making a donation to LAWS. Sponsors and auction donors will be featured out the LAWS Gala website!

If you would like to donate an item for the auction, just email me at paula@lawsraisetheroof.com. I'll be very happy to help get your donation to the Gala! All donations for the auction are tax deductible!

If you have any questions I can answer for you, leave a comment or drop me a note. I look forward to working on this with you.

I want to thank all my blogger, Facebook, and twitter friends who have graciously agreed to spread the word ~ Sherry & John, Cheryl, Jeanette, Katrina, Kristin, Julia, Sarah, Crystal, Cassandra, and Karen! Your support means a great deal to me :)

If this event moves you, please join in the Facebook and twittering of the post.

Together we can do this! Thank you very much!!

Fun (Knowledge) Friday ~ Solar Energy

Today I have a guest writer ~ Barbara Young ~ from the blog 12 Volt Solar Panels. Meet Barbara...

Barbara has a passion for...


Solar Energy. Specifically, she is educating all of us on solar power and how it will help preserve our precious Mother Earth. When Barbara contacted me to ask about being a guest writer, I said "show me what you got." She did. Immediately. I read through it and learned myself. I am all for that! I cannot verify all that she wrote but it sounds convincing to me. Give it a read and tell me what you think! Take it away Barbara...

Here’s an easy approach to learn the way solar panels work

What's solar power?

Solar energy is radiant energy which is produced by the sun. Every day the sun radiates, or sends out, an immense quantity of energy. The sun radiates more energy in a single second than people have used since the beginning of time!

The energy of the Sun derives from within the sun itself. Like other stars, the sun is a big ball of gases––mostly hydrogen and helium atoms.

The hydrogen atoms in the sun’s core combine to create helium and generate energy in a process called nuclear fusion.

During nuclear fusion, the sun’s extremely high pressure and temperature cause hydrogen atoms to come apart and their nuclei (the central cores of the atoms) to fuse or combine. Four hydrogen nuclei fuse to become one helium atom. But the helium atom contains less mass compared to four hydrogen atoms that fused. Some matter is lost during nuclear fusion. The lost matter is emitted into space as radiant energy.

It takes an incredible number of years for the energy in the sun’s core to make its way to the solar surface, and then just a little over eight minutes to travel the 93 million miles to earth. The solar energy travels to the earth at a speed of 186,000 miles per second, the velocity of light.

Only a small part of the power radiated by the sun into space strikes the earth, one part in two billion. Yet this volume of energy is enormous. Daily enough energy strikes the USA to provide the nation’s energy needs for one and a half years!

Where does all of this energy go?

About 15 percent of the sun’s energy that hits our planet is reflected back into space. Another 30 percent is used to evaporate water, which, lifted in to the atmosphere, produces rainfall. Solar energy is also absorbed by plants, the land, and the oceans. The remaining could be used to supply our energy needs.

Who invented solar energy?

Folks have harnessed solar energy for centuries. Since the 7th century B.C., people used simple magnifying glasses to concentrate the light of the sun into beams so hot they'd cause wood to catch fire. More than a century ago in France, a scientist used heat from a solar collector to produce steam to drive a steam engine. In the beginning of this century, scientists and engineers began researching ways to use solar power in earnest. One important development was obviously a remarkably efficient solar boiler introduced by Charles Greeley Abbott, a United States astrophysicist, in 1936.

The solar water heater became popular at this time in Florida, California, and the Southwest. The industry started in the early 1920s and was in full swing just before The second world war. This growth lasted prior to the mid-1950s when low-cost gas took over as primary fuel for heating American homes.

People and world governments remained largely indifferent to the possibilities of solar technology prior to the oil shortages of the1970s. Today, people use solar technology to heat buildings and water and also to generate electricity.

How we use solar power today?

Solar energy can be used in several different ways, of course. There's two simple forms of solar power:

* Solar thermal energy collects the sun's warmth through 1 of 2 means: in water or in an anti-freeze (glycol) mixture.

* Solar photovoltaic energy converts the sun's radiation to usable electricity.

Here are the five most practical and popular methods solar energy can be used:

1. Small portable solar photovoltaic systems. We see these used everywhere, from calculators to solar garden products. Portable units can be used for everything from RV appliances while single panel systems can be used traffic signs and remote monitoring stations.

2. Solar pool heating. Running water in direct circulation systems through a solar collector is an extremely practical solution to heat water for your pool or spa.

3. Thermal glycol energy to heat water. In this method (indirect circulation), glycol is heated by natural sunlight and the heat is then transferred to water in a hot water tank. This process of collecting the sun's energy is much more practical now than ever before. In areas as far north as Edmonton, Alberta, solar thermal to heat water is economically sound. It can pay for itself in three years or less.

4. Integrating solar photovoltaic energy into your home or office power. In many parts on the planet, solar photovoltaics is an economically feasible solution to supplement the power of your own home. In Japan, photovoltaics are competitive with other kinds of power. In America alone, new incentive programs make this form of solar energy ever more viable in many states. An increasingly popular and practical way of integrating solar energy into the power of your home or business is through the use of building integrated solar photovoltaics.

5. Large independent photovoltaic systems. For those who have enough sun power at your site, you might be able to go off grid. You may also integrate or hybridize your solar energy system with wind power or other kinds of alternative energy to stay 'off the grid.'

How can Photovoltaic panels work?

Silicon is mounted beneath non-reflective glass to produce photovoltaic panels. These panels collect photons from the sun, converting them into DC electrical energy. The power created then flows into an inverter. The inverter transforms the energy into basic voltage and AC electrical power.

PV cells are prepared with particular materials called semiconductors such as silicon, which is presently the most generally used. When light hits the Photovoltaic cell, a particular share of it is absorbed inside the semiconductor material. This means that the energy of the absorbed light is given to the semiconductor.

The energy unfastens the electrons, permitting them to run freely. Solar cells also have one or more electric fields that act to compel electrons unfastened by light absorption to flow in a specific direction. This flow of electrons is a current, and by introducing metal links on the top and bottom of the -Photovoltaic cell, the current can be drawn to use it externally.

Do you know the benefits and drawbacks of solar power?

Solar Pro Arguments

- Heating our homes with oil or propane or using electricity from power plants running with coal and oil is a cause of global warming and climate disruption. Solar power, on the other hand, is clean and environmentally-friendly.

- Solar hot-water heaters require little maintenance, and their initial investment could be recovered within a relatively limited time.

- Solar hot-water heaters can work in nearly every climate, even in very cold ones. Simply choose the best system for your climate: drainback, thermosyphon, batch-ICS, etc.

- Maintenance costs of solar powered systems are minimal and also the warranties are large.

- Financial incentives (USA, Canada, European states…) can reduce the cost of the initial investment in solar technologies. The U.S. government, for instance, offers tax credits for solar systems certified by the SRCC (Solar Rating and Certification Corporation), which amount to 30 percent of the investment (2009-2016 period).

Solar Cons Arguments

- The initial investment in Solar Hot water heaters or in Solar PV Electric Systems is higher than that required by conventional electric and gas heaters systems.

- The payback period of solar PV-electric systems is high, as well as those of solar space heating or solar cooling (only the solar hot water heating payback is short or relatively short).
- Solar water heating do not support a direct in conjunction with radiators (including baseboard ones).

- Some AC (solar space heating and the solar cooling systems) are expensive, and rather untested technologies: solar air conditioning isn't, until now, a economical option.

- The efficiency of solar powered systems is rather influenced by sunlight resources. It's in colder climates, where heating or electricity needs are higher, that the efficiency is smaller.

About the Author - Barbara Young is the author of her personal hobby blog 12voltsolarpanels.net. Her efforts are centered on helping people save energy using solar power to reduce CO2 emissions and energy dependency.

Do you feel enlightened?

Thursday's Room(s)

Today for Thursday's Room(s), I am featuring the work of David Mitchell, also a DC area based interior designer. I was perusing one of my favorite sights, Home & Design, and literally stumbled across this project. I studied the pictures for a bit, formulated some thoughts, and then read the article. Here are some more photos...

Here are my thoughts... what I love about this work is the soft palette which allows the individual pieces and elements to shine. But that is not what caught my eye ~ the juxtapositions did. If you read my blog, you know that I adore juxtaposition in designs. This element allows maximum interest and almost never allows redundancy (aka boring). He's masterful at this. The very first picture boasts this so well ~ note the traditional wood chair next to the contemporary side table ~ the connection?? ~ the curves! Understated voluptuous is what I would call it. Is that even possible? Yes, yes it is. The marriage of old and new find its way into each segment of his design. In the dining room, the contemporary buffet appears effortless in the traditional space. He kept the chandelier simple which amplifies the palettes airiness. You can read the article for yourself. It was fun to read after forming my own impressions. I like his philosophy which the homeowner also appreciated. My hat is off to Mr. Mitchell this Thursday. Well done, David. Well done.

Timeless Tuesday Number Nineteen

Welcome to Timeless Tuesday #19! Today I am celebrating the little black dress. I have several little black dresses. I have work type little black dresses, formal little black dresses, and even ones for in between. They're fool proof!




Of course, shoes and a bit of bling help...


I know I made the bling bigger but can you blame me??!!

Seriously ~ one my look sexy and elegant at any age in the right little black dress...


All images compliments of Harper's Bazaar

So there you have it ladies ~ Timeless Tuesday belongs to the classic little black dress.

Now it is your turn to share your posts about classics or trends you hope become timeless...

1) Add your permalink below ~ not your blog's address in general but the specific post you want people to visit. To obtain the actual post link, click on the title of your post once you have published it and copy and paste the URL into Mister Linky.

2) Leave your name and say a couple of words to describe your post (e.g. "Coco Chanel suits" or "Classic interior design for children" or "Delicious meals in a snap."

3) Copy and paste the Timeless Tuesday logo button (on my right sidebar) to your Timeless Tuesday posts. This is a sure way for your readers to know you have joined in the party.

4) Link back to the host blog, that's me ~ Paula Grace Designs Blogspot Timeless Tuesday ~ so all the bloggers that joined the party will receive many interested visitors.