Alright, it’s time for a relationship update with my new boyfriend. Okay, so, we are still dating and I will say it seems to be going pretty good so far.

Alright guys, we need to talk. As a designer I get asked to work with gajillions of companies and products but I have to say, as mid-western as I am in spirit, I am a total New York design snob when it comes to choosing my product/sponsor/commercial/corporate friends. That being said, it’s time to introduce you to my new boyfriend from HP. He is hands down the sexiest printer I’ve ever hooked up with.
His name? The HP ENVY100 e-All-in-One (“ENVY” for short) I know…a printer? sexy?! I’m not lying.

As a designer, I usually hide ALL printers in a desk drawer, cabinet or leave them out of a room for a reveal because they are terribly unattractive. Now, we have a true player who can be friends with the rest of the room.Let’s talk…..sleek black and grey finish with a mirrored finished top,no horsey paper hanging out, no big, flashing digital reader. It is incredibly chic and subtle. Think if your iPad and DVR had a baby, this would be it. You don’t have to be embarrassed to keep out your printer anymore. Is form truly married to function in this product?

Over the next few weeks I’m going to test drive this mister and see what he’s made of…word is that he has his own email address and I can send him (via HP ePrint) files to print when I’m away from the studio. Intrigued….

Dear Genevieve:

My partner and I bought a home in May 2005 and have been renovating ever since. We are collectors, and love to go to auctions. We have wonderful engravings and a few oils. We have a mountain of art work to hang on the walls and do not know where to begin. Most of the art is antique, so the question becomes what room is best for what piece of art – some of it is very good. The problem is compounded by the fact that there is wallpaper in all the rooms and halls. We did the dining room in Candace Olsen papers with silk drapes and sheers. The room is fantastic, but now how do we decide what do we hang on the walls. We hope that you will have some suggestions for us. I can of course have some photos taken to send you of the rooms if you wish.

Best regards, Michael & Bob

Hi Gen,
I am a big fan of Dear Genevieve as well as your new show Design Star. I recently saw an episode HDGEN-309 that was A Galley Kitchen Gets a Modern Cottage Makeover. You showed the couple three green knobs and they picked the rabbit one for their kitchen cabinets. Are these something that can be found. I really was attracted to all of them, but I have to admit I have a thing for rabbits too. Thanks for any help with this request. I have been looking on line to no avail. Laurie Hodson

We finally arrived in Oslo, Norway, 3 hours late, on Tuesday morning.  We were majorly starved, so the first stop, after dropping off our luggage, was United Bakeries.  Talk about delicious!  Amazing, butter-filled pastries and giant foaming lattes were exactly what two weary travelers needed to keep up the energy for a full day of discovery.  United Bakeries was just as charming as we had hoped; Gen found a beautiful cane chair that we fell in love with.  It was just as comfortable to sit in as it was to look at, and we can’t wait to pull this discovery into inspiration for Genevieve’s furniture line!  As the sugar and caffeine surged through our veins, we left for our next stop: the  open air folk museum!

We arrived in Oslo, Norway about 3 hours late on Tuesday morning and it has been non-stop ever since!  I know we are a bit behind in posting our discoveries for you guys, but we literally have been on the road, in the country, or conversing with the locals since the moment we landed.  We have beautiful pictures to share and stories to tell so get ready for them-because the story telling starts now!

So, I have a lot of learning and growing to do when it comes to traveling well.  I get motion sickness really easily, I have a hard time sleeping in moving things (cars, trains, airplanes, even boats) and packing appropriately is something I am still very, very far from mastering.  I am packing tonight for Genevieve’s design inspiration trip for the next two weeks and I am trying to keep everything to carry on size so that I can be as efficient a traveller as possible (we are hopping on many planes and trains once we are over seas, almost on a daily basis, so as to visit as many cities as we physically can-I do NOT want to be the girl who’s luggage gets lost).

I can remember one example of my packing problems when we were filming a show in Florida.  (Let me preface this by saying that I was going to WORK-ie run around like a crazy stylist on a TV set).  While staring at my wide open, empty suitcase the night before my flight, I started to think, “what if I want to go out one night,” or ” maybe I will be in the mood to wear that skirt that I bought 2 months ago and still have never worn,” or “what if I have a fat day.”  I ended up packing 5 pairs of tights, pleather leggings, 2 black cocktail dresses, a plethora of random skirts, 2 dressy tank tops, a pair of heels, a strapless romper, about 5 tank dresses, and only 1 pair of jeans (I swear I checked the weather and it was supposed to be in the mid to upper 70s).  IT RAINED FOR THE ENTIRE 2 WEEKS THAT I WAS THERE, AND THE TEMPERATURE DID NOT GO ABOVE 60 DEGREES!  I had to drive to Target by the 4th day for a 30 minute shopping spree so that I at least had some t-shirts and a jacket to work in!

How do I pack in ONE rolling carry on suitcase and ONE backpack for 10 days in 2 completely different countries, and remain fresh, clean, and stylish all at the same time??

xo Jessica (anxiously folding/rolling/stuffing my clothes into a suitcase as I write this)

It’s time!  The trip that we have been waiting for for months is finally here!  In two days we will be flying across the Atlantic en route to explore the absolutely beautiful country of Norway, on a trek across the globe for design inspiration.  As Genevieve is knee deep in designing everything from bedding to rugs to picture frames (in addition to her interiors), she is ready for travel to take her once more and show her who’s boss.  This time, Gen’s travels’ will take her to the countries of her forefathers and she will (quite literally) walk on the exact soil that her great grandparents once tilled.  The exquisite handicraft of the sami, free flowing rosemaling patterns, and stunning architecture, are only a sampling of everything we are about to see.  It’s going to be the trip of a lifetime and we will be documenting it all right here, so that all of you can share in the experience with us! And, just to keep it interesting…Norway is not the only country we’ll be visiting-stay tuned here as the adventure unfolds!