Monday, December 14, 2015

Charlie's First and an Announcement

She blogs! It's sort of funny, really. When C accepted his new job that required intense training in DC (keeping him away from us during the week), I actually thought I would have TONS of free time on my hands (no cleaning my house since we are staying with my parents, minimal cooking!). Really though, this whole single mom thing that I've been doing Monday-Friday has been kicking me in the butt. Kudos to you single moms out there who don't even get a break on the weekend, I'm even more in awe of you than I was three months ago. Yes, we've been here for three months, and have just another two to go. Then we are moving to…..(wait for it)…..Boston!! Aside from the fact that we are moving to Boston in February (hmmm….timing?), we could not be more excited. Send any and all recommendations!
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In the midst of all this craziness, my baby girl Charlie turned one this weekend. Such a mix of emotions, but mostly so incredibly in love with this girl and the joy she is to our family. My parents let me use their beautiful sunroom that was just completed last week for her party. I used my great grandmother's coconut cake recipe and went with a winter wonderland theme. This was the first birthday party where both sets of grandparents were present along with uncles and aunts and cousins. It was a sweet day. I was reminded how much I have missed creating and styling.
The precious birthday girl, I was surprised she kept the crown on!


Ps. Those edible pinecones (found on pinterest here) were super easy to make and I was so happy the way they turned out! That pretty milk glass cake stand is a family heirloom borrowed from my mother-in-law.



Wednesday, October 7, 2015

A modern take on a Tuscan bedroom

I had to actually look at the date of my last post to see the last time I had blogged. Not good, but not without reason! Life has been a whirlwind of activity including a new job for Connor, putting our house on the market, soaking up time with friends before goodbyes, cramming in those last minute doctor appointments, packing, relocating…..you get it. My days have been full- and all of that in a matter of a few short weeks. But here I find myself in the DC area for the next few months, and without my house to work on. I'm not sure if it was for her benefit or that she saw that I desperately needed a project, but my mother in law has come to my rescue and asked me to re-design her bedroom. (Speaking of which- I'm open for business in the Northern VA/DC area if you need a room designed or need some help with an unfinished corner of your house.)
About that bedroom- remember in the 90s when everyone's parents was going with a Tuscan theme for their kitchen which then seeped into their whole house? I'm taking about the FAUX PAINT guys. Remember that? Well, I'm shooting for something more authentic. I'm picturing a simple room with linen, natural elements, rattan, wood, leather, plants, and a lot of white. My in-laws prefer contemporary over farmhouse, so the room will reflect that. 
Here's my inspiration board for the room, and shoot me an email if you are in the DC area and would like some design help!
1. bud vase tray
2. nightstand
3. pillows
4. tray
5. rug
6. linen throws
7. lighting
8. leather chair
9. mirror


Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Green on a Tuesday

Typically, I'm drawn to shades of blue when it comes to adding color to my otherwise black and white palette. Occasionally, I'll add in a dusty pink. But lately I have been noticing myself pinning images and art filled with green. I'm going to blame it on this gorgeous wallpaper Emily Henderson is using for her baby's nursery- because ever since I first spied it, I've been thinking of ways to incorporate the color into my home.

This combination of the pink lounge chairs and the green water kills me:


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Wednesday, July 29, 2015

To Loaf

Every year around this time I try really hard not to think about fall and enjoy the remainder of my summer….and every year I fail miserably. I just love it all- the crisp weather, the colors, the layers….everything about it appeals to me. Normally I'm all about boots and booties as the temperatures start to drop, but this year I'm finding myself more and more drawn to loafers. Here are some of my favorites in all price ranges (the Vince ones being my favorite and out of my budget….but inspiration none the less):




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Monday, July 27, 2015

Perfectly Imperfect 60th Birthday Party

My parents both turned sixty last winter just weeks before I had Charlie, and my siblings and I decided we would take a rain check and celebrate at the beach when we would all be together (three of the four of us living out of town). So we exchanged numerous emails, shared ideas, and tried our best to put together a special dinner for my parents.  So that's what we did. We told my parents to get lost for a few hours and threw tablecloths over those rickety beach tables. In a way, this party was very symbolic of my point of view with this blog….to work with what you have and create something special out of something ordinary. We had ugly beach chairs to work with, battled the wind, and used blenders as water pitchers….but seeing my parents beaming faces when they came to the table and watching my mom sneak those cards (that we wrote favorite memories on) into her pocket, I was reminded how important it is to take the time to celebrate the ones you love . Happy birthday dad and mom, six months late:).






Monday, July 13, 2015

House Tour: In Black & White

There are few home tours that feel more "me" than this one. From the moment I saw it featured over on Design Sponge ,  I felt immediately right at home. The mixtures of modern and charm, midcentury and Parisian, Moroccan tile floor and marble backsplash, and all that matte black….you know that had me instantly. Coincidentally, I've also been on the lookout for some old theater seats like they have in their entryway and I'm fairly certain that is the exact chandelier I originally wanted for our dining room (before I had to settle on a DIY). All I can say is, this brownstone is a dream….and I tried to boil it down to just a few favorite shots and I couldn't, so here you have it:  



Friday, July 10, 2015

Friday Favorites

You guyssss, I've been in summer mode over here. Aside from the fact that all I've wanted to do is explore and enjoy the summer with my family, I've also had a major lack of inspiration. I don't think it benefits anyone for me to blog when that happens, but the good news is that I'm feeling my creativity returning, and I have a couple projects coming up that I'm excited about. Thanks for hanging around, and here are some of things catching my eye this Friday!

This beautiful staircase transformation

This pretty bathroom (and you know I love the black tub)



and these links:


This will make your feet tingle
DIY printed pillow covers
This tissue crown 
Black doors
This party shop
These ceramics
Pear crisps with gorgonzala & walnuts
Genius (maybe OCD) tool for packing underwear
This roundup of online kids shops
I bought this kaftan for the beach and absolutely love it





Monday, June 15, 2015

Artist Crush: Heather Day

I recently stumbled across Heather Day via instagram, only to realize that I had pinned a number of her pieces on pinterest. Social media has a way of doing that- looping back around and showing you what you are really drawn to. I love that each of these pieces are unique yet you can tell they are all done by the same person….I suppose that's the mark of a true artist eh?  Check out her site to see more of her work, I seriously love every piece.




Tuesday, June 9, 2015

DIY party Clouds

On the off chance that you are interested in the clouds from R's birthday celebration, I thought I would share this quick and easy DIY with you. It only requires string, white balloons of various sizes, double stick tape, and stuffing.

1. Group white balloons together of various sizes and tie together with string.
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 2. Once they are all attached to one piece of string, start coating with strips of double stick tape followed by stuffing. I found after the initial part of adding stuffing it was helpful to hang the clouds from the ceiling to see any "bald spots"

3. That's it! So easy. Here they are again, a finished product.




Monday, June 8, 2015

Let's Go Fly a Kite

Reese is turning three and we had her best friend over to celebrate. Knowing that in the future, there will be plenty of birthday parties with lots of kids, games, and goodie bags- I've embraced the idea of keeping things simple while I can. So while this weekend's festivities could hardly constitute a party (with just one friend), I did want to make Reese feel special. Since she is obsessed with Mary Poppins, I thought I would go with a kite theme and made kite decor/bought kites for the girls to fly at the park near our house. Connor and I stayed up until 1 am the night before getting things set up, and when Reese came downstairs that morning to see the kites on the wall and clouds hanging from the ceiling, she let out a breathy "Ooohh WOW". And just like that- it was so worth the extra effort.
(I had to laugh when I looked over and saw her chowing down on chips while she waited for her friend to arrive)




Wednesday, May 27, 2015

An Eclectic House Tour

I've been following Amber for almost as long as I've been into this whole design blogging thing, and I have to say this house might just be my favorite of all her work….so much that I had to share. The white walls with matte black interspersed, the textiles, and the mixture of mid-century and global furnishings all of me head over heels for this place. Check here for more as well as the before pics!