YIPPEE!!!!! Today is George Bush' last day! Tomorrow morning at 9 am pacific time we will have a fantastic new President! So glad those last 8 years are over…….CONGRATULATIONS PRESIDENT OBAMA!!!

It’s time for a fresh start and what better way for a fresh start than with a fresh new color? Pantone the global authority on color and provider of professional color standards for the design industries, just announced PANTONE® 14-0848 Mimosa, a warm, engaging yellow, as the color of the year for 2009. In a time of economic uncertainty and political change, optimism is paramount and no other color expresses hope and reassurance more than yellow.

"The color yellow exemplifies the warmth and nurturing quality of the sun, properties we as humans are naturally drawn to for reassurance," explains Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. "Mimosa also speaks to enlightenment, as it is a hue that sparks imagination and innovation."

Best illustrated by the abundant flowers of the Mimosa tree and the sparkle of the brilliantly hued cocktail, (mmmmmm…..cocktail) the 2009 color of the year represents the hopeful and radiant characteristics associated with the color yellow. Mimosa is a versatile shade that coordinates with any other color, has appeal for men and women, and translates to both fashion and interiors. Look for women's accessories, home furnishings, active sportswear and men's ties and shirts in this vibrant hue. I have some great yellow accessories arriving in the next few weeks—you should stop by and see if you can add a little sunshine to your interior with this super fun and cheerful color! See you soon!

Please let me introduce myself.....

HI THERE! Welcome to my very first blog entry! My name is JJ De Sousa and I am an interior / garden designer from Portland, Oregon. I also have a cute little retail shop on NE Alberta street in the Alberta Arts District. It is my intent to blog on pieces for your home and garden that I find interesting with hopes that you will too! I always like to know the history or the story of a piece – where did it come from? Who made this piece, when and why? I hope to share information with you and learn something myself in the process.

A little about me: I live in Portland and I love it. It is the coolest town and I am very lucky to be here! I love to travel a lot and bring things back from wherever I go. I try and get out there as much as possible and tend to get cabin fever quickly. I love music, and I have been playing guitar since I was 7. I have played in a band until just recently named Secret Squirrel. I believe in color. I believe in eclectic interiors and gardens. I believe that it is important to get out into the world. I believe in Hello Kitty, great handbags and shoes and finally I think things will get better in this country with Barack Obama at the helm! YAHOO!!!!!

So off we go……

I have a new obsession. Rain boots. Rubber boots, garden boots, whatever you want to call them. I have been trolling the web for the perfect pair for about 2 months. And at last, I finally found them. YIPPEE!!!! Actually, I am not sure if I really found the perfect pair or if I just got completely sick of looking for the perfect pair and just settled for a pair that was great, but not perfect.

If you have been even remotely paying attention to women’s shoe and women’s fashion for the last few months, you can’t help but have noticed that anyone who is anyone is wearing hip and fashionable rain boots for more than just going out in the rain. They have hit the mainstream and are showing up everywhere. It seems wherever I go I see some hip chick in a great pair or rain boots. Some great places to look for your perfect pair are www.dllrainwear.com; www.shoes.com; www.zappos.com and www.dsw.com . That being said, I did not find my new boots at any of these sights. I was looking for a short pair black patterned of rain boots to accommodate my short legs and it has proven to be a pain in the butt! But yesterday I achieved relative success! I found a pair of super cute London Underground short shaft black & white rain boots! I really wanted the Ed Hardy “Love Kills Slowly” boots, but none were to be had in my size – heavy sigh. After I purchased the London Underground pair, I found another pair, so what the hell, I can just have two pairs. I guess if less is more, then more is better! Both pairs I found were under $40 each so for less than the price of the one pair of Ed hardy I originally wanted, I got two pairs. My second pair will actually be used in the garden so they have a Royal Horticultural Society (England) garden vegetable theme.

In England, a land that is far more wet and rainy (if you can believe it!) than here in Portland, the rain boots are called “Wellies” The Wellington boot, is a type of boot based upon Hessian boots. It was worn and popularized by Arthur Wellesley, the 1st Duke of Wellington and most fashionable among the British aristocracy in the early 19th century. Wellington boots are waterproof and are most often made from PVC. In the past they have usually been worn when walking on wet or muddy ground, or to protect the wearer from heavy showers. But lately, they have taken a whole new spin, just open any fashion magazine and see! They are generally just below knee-high. Check these out…..

So there you have it, my very first blog! Thank you very much for listening and I hope to see you again!