favorite find of the week 10.12

I am simply head over heels in love with Phillip Jeffries new collection of wallcovering! It combines a few of my favorite things...natural ground (linen, grasscloth), bold prints, fabulous colors!

There's a trellis print, a little chinois, a "China Seas"-esque print, just so much goodness!

 

via

dreaming of fall fashion

With fall in full swing and cooler temperatures, it has me drooling over leather boots, sweaters, and scarves. Oh, wait never mind, I live in Florida and am still sweating when I make the 1 minute walk to my car and wouldn't dare swap my flip flops for boots unless I wanted to have a complete heat stroke! I think all the other Floridians can agree...this is the time of the year when we are over the Sunshine State. Give us changing leaves and temperatures cool enough to want to be outside for more than 5 minutes!

Until then, here is some fashion inspiration to look forward to when the temperatures finally do drop!

 

via/via/via

PS...can you tell I have a leopard obsession?

impulse buy

 I just made a complete impulse buy just now for my daughter's room. Don't think I will regret this one!

via

Aren't these the cutest prints ever?!?! Perfect for my budding fashionista!

nursery inspiration

Here's a quick look at my color inspiration for the nursery! Since we are having a boy and a girl, I had to keep it unisex. My love affair with navy continues into their room where I paired it with green. I will post more pics as it comes along!

monday musing

 

via

kicking it into gear

With my due date set for January, I am trying to get as much done as possible on my decorating to do list before the barrage of holidays. I have been wanting to get window treatments up in my daughter's room since we moved in last November, and as usual, designers don't ever get to their own projects! But, I finally got moving and ordered fabric for new window valances and a throw pillow in her room.

Here's a link to my previous post about her room... changin-it-up

It is in a navy and hot pink color scheme, which I absolutely love! But, it is definitely lacking!

I preach to my clients all the time how window treatments can really change it a room and completely finish it off. So, I am taking my own advice! She has three windows in her room and I decided to do a faux roman shade in a fun navy and white geometric with a wide fabric border down the sides and bottom. I also had a pink greek key trim I was dying to use so I am going to have a little bolster pillow made for her bed with the trim along the ends.

 I am so excited to see this room come together!!! I will definitely post pics once it's all complete!

missing in action

July?! Has that really been the last time I blogged? Yikes!

I feel so out of the loop in the blogosphere and I look forward to catching up! I have a perfectly good excuse for missing in action recently! We are expanding our family, not by two feet, but by four! That's right, we are expecting twins!! You would think by the middle of my 2nd trimester it would have sank in by now, but I still feel shock as I type!

Lol, it definitely didn't feel like I had any superpowers the first trimester when I could barely move and spent most of my time in the bathroom! The second trimester is proving to be better with less sickness but the bigger I get, the more it takes to get me moving. 

I know there are a plenty of moms out there with experience with twins, so please any advice is much appreciated!!!

bringing style to my desk

I was approached by the ever so sweet, Kar' Lei from Sorting with Style, about using some of their great office products and telling my readers what I loved about them.

Sorting with Style is a great website that would make any working girl want to get her desk in order! They sent me a few items including file folders, note pad, pen, and the "Schedule It" sticky notes.

My favorite items were the polka dot notepad and pen.  I am an obsessive list maker and this notepad has plenty of room for me to fill it up with what I need to do everyday! I am also a bit of a pen snob and this pen passed the test!

There are soooo many great items on their website Their prices are great and shipping is always free! I know all of you guys will find something you need at Sorting with Style!!

monday musing

Definitely need to remember this while I am hammering away at work this week! I am leaving for High Point on Friday and I have a ton of stuff to do...with a smile on my face, of course!!

via

snapshot

 

Last week was very busy, I am deep into two big client projects and I spent all last week pulling fabrics, selecting furniture, and picking light fixtures.  I am soo excited to see these projects come to life! The craziness of fabrics everywhere, pics of furniture, inspiration images....that's the part I love about my job! 

I also have to share a picture of a little something I picked up this weekend at an antiques fair. It's a little alligator. Too bad it didn't bring any luck to the Gators basketball team last Saturday!!

 

obsessing...

Here are a few things that I am currently loving....

This tortoise shell iPhone case is bananas and just may be mine by the week's end.

via

Suzanne Kasler's fabric line with Lee Jofa is beautiful beyond words. Just reinforces why she is my absolute favorite interior designer! Her choice in colors and materials, linen, silks, and cottons, is by far one of the most beautiful collections I have seen in a very long time!

via

and the award goes to....

I rightly deserved an award on my blogging....it's the 'Bad Blogger Award'.

  

I looked at my timeline and the last time I posted was January 24!!! My head is hung down in shame. I have had things to blog about but I guess I have been downright lazy and haven't done it. It wasn't until I got an email from a loyal reader asking where I was and how she missed my posts that I realized I needed to get back to it. You know how it goes and the excuses can go on forever but I am not going to get into it. I have made a goal to blog at least 3 times a week. I know I can't keep up the 5 day a week postings that I used to but I know I can swing 3 days.

Keeping with tradition, I will leave you with my 'monday musing'....

help wanted

Ok, so I took the leap and bought a camera and I have no idea how to use it beyond "Auto" mode!  Can you guys please help? Any tips would be greatly appreciated!!!

changin' it up

Way before we moved, I posted an inspiration board for my daughter's "big girl room".  Here is a refresher...

I even bought all the bedding from Land of Nod and was all set until I bought the Mary McDonald book and I saw this...

via/ designer : mary mcdonald

I was obsessed with the navy and hot pink as soon as I laid eyes on this picture!  So, a whole new scheme came into my mind and I went with it!

Here's what I have as of right now (it is definitely in the beginning phases, so be kind! And also please ignore the toys!Oh and the bed rails...I guess I am really keeping it real and not getting all that out of the shot!)--

 

My husband and I made the upholstered headboard over a weekend and everyone was right when I blogged about building or buying a headboard, building one really wasn't all that hard and wasn't too expensive! All it took was plywood, foam, batting, and a few yards of fabric.  The fabric was the most expensive thing we bought for it, only because I knew exactly what I wanted. I bought 3 yards of Robert Allen "Jaden" in the Ink colorway. It's a cotton blend and has a linen-like appearance. I am still in search of a pink & white graphic fabric to make a large sham for her bead. I am also planning on using the extra navy fabric we have  to make a bolster with pink Greek Key trim.  I also need to add some valances over her windows to dress it up a bit.


While bumming around the other day, I found this cute painting for over her dresser! The colors are right and she always talks about New York City and going there just like her mommy does :)

house tour

Ok, finally what you guys have been asking for!! A mini tour of my house! I am showing the rooms that I am going to be focusing on right now.  It's amazing how sparse our house looks! We only have the major furniture items, nothing on the walls, no lamps, etc.  It's driving me crazy but I know I really want to take my time and find the perfect pieces for each space. I want a layered home that looks truly cultivated with things that represent me and my family rather than a place that looks like I went on a one day shopping spree to Home Goods. Don't get me wrong, Home Goods is definitely a trip in my future!

I will start with the entry.  Right now, I have a console there and a mirror that I am still debating in that location.  Thinking maybe a cool piece of art would be really great right there. I also have a Jill Rosenwald runner I bought before we moved in. Again, not sure if that's it's final resting place or if I may move it to a hallway...

 

Lil' Miss Thang didn't want to miss her shot in front of the camera...here she is striking a pose at the front door.

Now onto the dining room...
We hung the clock that was in our old home and I like but I know it definitely needs more on that wall. I was thinking maybe hanging plates in a gallery-like fashion but not sure yet. Again, the clock may go when I start working on this room.  I do have a great pair of chocolate brown velvet draperies that I am going to try on the window.  I also need to explain the random linen chair in the corner. We bought two of those as host chairs but I made a rookie mistake and forgot about the trestle base not allowing me to push them all the way in. So, they kinda stick out and make it hard to get around the table. I moved one into the breakfast nook and this is it's mate, just hanging out in a corner.

The living room is at the top of my priority list! It needs a side table, lamp, and accessories. I have a few fabrics picked out for throw pillows and I am also debating adding white linen draperies along the french doors.  Ps...forgive the Christmas tree. I am happy to report that it is now down :)

And, yes in the background of the photo is my kitchen and breakfast nook.  The kitchen is probably my favorite part of the house. It was perfect for the holidays! I didn't feel left out while I was cooking and I had plenty of prep space. The nook is almost done. I just need a piece of art for the recessed wall and throw pillows along the built in bench.

I am proud to say there is one space that is done with the exception of a rug and some art adjustment...the guest bathroom! Hey, an accomplishment is an accomplishment!  I would like a small antique rug for in there and I need to move the pictures above the toilet up.  I want to add a shelf for above the toilet and the art is too low regardless. The pictures are pretty cool though. They are duck stamps that my husband's grandmother collected for him and I had them re-framed as a birthday gift.

Ok, so there's a peek into some of the rooms!  I absolutely love this house! It fits my family so well, not too fussy and it is warm and inviting the minute you walk in. I am so excited to see how I am going to be able to transform this place over time and truly make it my dream home!

One room you didn't see today will be up in a post later this week.  I wanted to save my daughter's room to have a separate post so stay tuned!

monday musing

 

via

This is a great "musing" and one that I am making my motto for 2012! I feel like I spent most of last year worrying about the things that don't matter and it took a toll on the things that do, family and friends.  I have a tendency to stress out about every last thing at work which can be good sometimes but it can't be every minute of my life.  I have made a resolution to keep work at work. No more email alerts, which keeps me from checking my phone after I get home. No more responding to client's text messages after work hours (which in turn creates an expectation that you are always available which we obviously can't be).  Ok, sorry for the rant!

Happy Monday ya'll!!  And, look out for tomorrow's post...a mini-tour of the new house!

i'm still here

Yes, I am still here! Even though I have been very absent on the blogosphere for quite some time!  Nothing could have prepared me for how much of a fiasco moving into a new home could be and throw in Thanksgiving and Christmas, and I was a million different directions! Needless to say, I couldn't have made it through without red wine...L.O.T.S. of red wine.

I thought I would give you guys a run-down of what I have been up to since I last blogged!

We moved into our new house! Yay! We got the certificate of occupancy on November 15th and it was full steam ahead to get moved in before Thanksgiving.  A brand new house doesn't mean it doesn't come with it's little quirks and problems and I think it's safe to say after almost 6 weeks of people coming in and out to fix minor things, the house is perfect!

And to make things crazier, I flew up to Memphis to run in the St. Jude Half Marathon the first weekend of December.  That has to go down as one of the best races I have ever run! Such a great cause and because my team and I raised money for the hospital, we got to tour the facility the day before the race. What an amazing place!! I could seriously go on forever about this place! A very worthy cause and I urge everyone to donate whenever they can!!!

December has been a complete blur!  My daughter was out of school for two weeks so I didn't get much accomplished on the work front but I thoroughly enjoyed being home with her.  Christmas came and Santa brought her a beautiful new swingset!  Santa had a very special elf that helped him a.k.a. Daddy and I am pretty sure we are never ordering a swingset for any present ever again! Took him a week of putting it together after work and he is definitely my hero for doing so!

I joined the club and got an iPhone for Christmas and I am in love with it! I also ponied up and bought a "fancy" camera so I can take better pictures for my blog. Which means I better get back to blogging!!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and I look forward to being back better than ever in 2012!!