feature friday on 6th street design school

Today is an exciting day for me as my little cottage is on Feature Friday over at 6th Street Design School. Kirsten was one of the first blogs I got hooked on and I've always loved this series. Head on over and check it out.

Happy Weekend!

santa's work is done

I know at this time of year there are more gift guides than Justin Bieber tweets, but you can stop the hunt. to & from has the very best one. Remember when the Sears catalog would arrive in the mail when you were a kid and you'd go thru each and every page of the toy section? This is just like that, only way better stuff.

All images via to & from

Check it out. It covers absolutely everyone on your list.

to send or not to send

...that is the question.

Hey everybody! First off I want to thank you all for your sweet comments and emails about the living room. I'm so happy to have accomplished everything on my list. You'll notice that I didn't say the room is 'finished' as there is always more I want to do, but we won't go there today.

We had a great time with family in Chicago over the Thanksgiving holiday and I also got a chance to visit with some very good friends whom I don't get to see often enough.

Such a good time was had in fact, that it made me think about Christmas cards. Well, the visit and the fact that every other car we passed on Sunday had a christmas tree on the roof.

Last year I didn't send out Christmas/holiday cards (gasp) and I have to tell you, if felt pretty damn good. It was on my list, but I simply just ran out of time. But after the initial guilt wore off, it was rather nice to have one less thing to feel obligated to during this crazy time of year.

Big but though, I LOVE getting Christmas cards. I'm an enigma I know. I love seeing how much everyone's kids have grown (even though I see all of that already thru Facebook) and I'm thrilled to get something in the mail that isn't a bill or a solicitation. And, they are just so damn cute!

Tiny Prints: Chic Colors

Tiny Prints: Gingham Grosgrain

Shutterfly

Shutterfly

Shutterfly

So, what do you think? Are you sending out holiday cards this year? Are they necessary in our social media world where we know all of everyone's everything? Do you have a method or place to get them from that removes the stress? Do I need to save you a seat next to me in 'I didn't send out Christmas cards' hell?

thankful living room updates

In honor of those getting ready to give thanks tomorrow in the US, I want to give thanks for finishing my living room list and cleaning it to snap a few pictures. Some are only iPhone pics, but you get the idea.

Black ball fringe. My new favorite thing.

LOVE my Pink Pagoda prints.

Finally found a coffee table, down in Florida. The proportions worked out perfectly with the couch.

Now to change it all for Christmas!

Have a wonderful holiday weekend for those celebrating. See you all on Monday!

make new friends but keep the old

...one is silver and the other gold. If I knew why that song was in my head, I'd tell you. But I have no explanation  I've also got Flock Of Seagulls in my head so go figure.

I've been in a mixing mood lately. Maybe it's the crispy gold of fall, turning into the icy silver of winter (woah, can i get a holla for that line of poetry?) but I'm way into silver and gold. Living in harmony, just like ebony and ivory. The odd songs flow, what can I say.

I'm especially loving it in the kitchen. Which really is stainless and brass, but you get where I'm going with this.

Veranda Interiors

The Long and Short of it via the Everygirl

Amy Meier Design

White + Gold Design

Traditional Home

Makes for a very glam kitchen. It works best, I think, when it's tempered and subtle but when it works right, it is oh so good.

So what do you think? Do you mix you metals? Do you mix your cocktails? Thank goodness for a short week ahead!

you light up my elephant

That is the one and only time I will ever reference Debby Boone. Promise.

As I discussed the other day, my youngest has quite a love for elephants. She's so in style these days, I know. So of course when I saw this Shirley Fintz lamp I thought of my daughter's infinite happiness.

via West Elm

Oh how she would love that in her room. But I could never seem to pull the trigger on the $250 for someone who isn't yet 2 and has a habit of breaking pretty much everything in her path.

The goddess of restraint rewarded me though when my mom and I found this little dude out on the town.

Clearly not exactly the same. He's more of a lone wolf than the West Elm clique but as my 5-year-old would say, "same difference". And he was $18 so wahoo!

He did come without a shade. This one is just a temporary fix from the basement, so clearly he needs something more...fitting.

He's got the cutest little face.

I also think I want to do something to spruce up his pole thingy... whatever you call that part between the lamp base and the light bulb. It's too long and plain. OK, this is going in the wrong direction.

The point is - cute lamp. Cheap lamp. Blue and White. Good times. Expect to see this little dude spruced up soon.

Score any good finds lately? Doing anything exciting for the weekend? Want me to come over for dinner? I always bring my sparkling wit and usually some good liquor.

winterizing the kitchen

I was baking cookies the other day and as I waited for the timer to ding I stared at this.

I'm over it.

Not the shelves, but the white. Ever since I added my lovely new rug by the sink, I've been thinking the other side of the kitchen needed some blue as well.

This is where all of those purchases of blue and white come in handy. Proof to the hubs that you can never have too much blue and white. 10 minutes later...

Voila. Much better and a bit cozier for winter. We'll consider this my 'winter kitchen'. If you can't have a winter home, you can at least have a winter kitchen.

And if I decide to change it again in the Spring, I know it will be quick and easy.

Have you made any quick changes around the house? Have a collection that moves from place to place? Have a winter home you'd like to share with me?

lonny is good. real good

Happy Monday all!

I've got a crush. I'm going to get a poster to hang on my bedroom wall. I might even get an airbrushed t-shirt to wear around town. I'm in mad love and his name is Lonny. (sorry hubs) I've always thought he was cute, but until the November issue, I never realized how in love I was. Makeovers, Sister Parish, Heather and Jenny. It's just damn good, and that's all there is to say. Oh Lonny.

all images via Lonny

It's cold, dark and rainy here. The perfect day to cuddle up with some pretty pictures. And if you aren't having the same weather I am, just pretend you are and enjoy some time with a good publication.

Speaking of the weekend, how was yours? Do anything exciting? Don't tell me about RHOA, I haven't watched it yet!

if i had a million dollars

I went hunting again. Not for anything in particular. Just for relaxation. I take great pleasure in walking quietly thru a huge warehouse of eye candy with no one pulling on me, whining at me or asking if we can leave.

This trip seemed to have a chinoiserie theme. I found a million and one things that I wouldn't mind adding to my pad. But again, just looking. Here are just a few.

Let's walk, shall we?

This chair was in excellent condition. It had the original fabric but that would be easy to replace. All the little details on this thing - the curved arms and legs, the swoop in the seat. Die.

 My youngest is all about elephants. Think this is too much for a 20-month-old?

 This picture does not do this screen justice. The colors in this thing are amazing and the condition was like new. This whole thing was hand painted, which I guess was why it was mucho $$. Hell, if I had painted that whole thing I would probably demand a cool million.

 Beautiful twin beds for a chinoiserie bedroom. Killing me.

I have a version of these dudes in blue and white but I'd never seen them in such crazy colors. I think the dude on the right will be pleased with the new law passed in Colorado and Washington. He looks...happy.

Fabulous coffee table.

 And then. I saw these. A PAIR of the most wonderful sconces I ever did see. And let me tell you,  I've seen my share of sconces.

I considered chaining myself to them and refusing to leave until they were gifted to me. They would go to a good home and would be petted and massaged daily. I would give these sconces anything they wanted. Except for the money they were asking. And if I want to be responsible about the whole thing, they were really big and I don't think I have anywhere that they could go. Except my dining room. Or the living room. Or my sconce room. It could happen.

How I love my little antique mall down the street from my house.

Done any window shopping lately? Ever had something you would throw yourself on the floor for? Wanna go in on the sconces? We can share them.

happy blog birthday

This is a glimpse into me, and a perfect example of my non-blogging life. I forgot my blog birthday. It was two weeks ago (better late than never). I am not at all good with dates and not big on birthdays.

But I DO want to take a minute to thank all of you. I had small but specific plans for this little blog - a chance for me to get back to writing and a photo album of this house that I love so much. I know everyone says this but it is true - I really didn't expect anyone, except my mom, to read this.

However it has turned into far more. I have made some great friends and met so many wonderful and TALENTED people. You all keep me inspired and I thank you.

So happy blog birthday to us! May the next year be full of great ideas, fun projects and all things wonderful.

via Real Simple

it's a marathon, not a sprint

I never said I would be quick about this whole living room update right? Good. Because it is painfully obvious that I'm taking my own sweet time with this room seeing as I first posted about it in August. The beginning of August.

So I could apologize for my laziness and give all sort of excuses as to why this little room is taking so long, blah blah blah. Or, I could just get on with it and given an update. An update you say? You are so positive, I knew I liked you!

Now if you are anything like me, you will need a refresher on the original to do list.

1. Paint walls, ceiling and trim (not in that order)

2. Paint and recover chairs

3. Figure out room layout

4. Get artwork

5. Sew pillows and curtains

6. Clean rug or Get new rug?

7. Find/Make coffee table

8. Address window seat

9. Lighting

10. Paint 'other' items as needed

11. Couch finishing touches (half way done)

And actually, now that I'm looking at it, I have gotten a lot done. Go me!

The walls have been painted one of my very favorite colors - Arrowroot by Pratt & Lambert. And the ceilings are a very pale blue (I can't remember the name at the moment) that seems to change color several times throughout the day, which I love.

In addition to the walls, I painted some furniture as well. If you saw my guest post at The Pink Pagoda a while back then you saw this. 

And I have a serious crush on my prints from The Pink Pagoda as well. That little lady looks so good! And so does her hubs, hanging on the other side of the room.

I'm still playing around with pillows and some other little things.

But I do have some help arranging flowers.

Curtains were hung last night and the trim on a new seat cushion is complete.

Now I just need to clean the place up a bit and snap some pictures. Easier said than done in this gloomy weather. But progress has been made! I have not forgotten nor abandon the living room. It lives!!

Do you have any projects that you can't seem to get around to finishing? Any lingering lists? Want to come over and help me take some pictures?