In Living Color

You can do what you want to do. In living color. Anyone else miss the SNL Fox-produced step-child that was In Living Color? I so wanted to be a Fly Girl like J.Lo. Alas, that ship has sailed and so has the show. Let us all reminisce for a moment...

"Girl that nothin' I'm about two months over due. I just cross my legs and hold it in, cause I want me a Capricorn." - Don't we all. What I'm really getting at is my formal living room and all of its color. Not quite as hilarious but feel free to watch the clip again. This past weekend I finally purchased the light fixture that will replace the randomly placed chandelier that Hubs always whacks his beautiful head on. We have yet to install it but it is on the list of things to dominate this weekend.






Do you ever sit in your formal living room or is it for looks only? Or is it in "just in case the President ever comes over" status?

Pillow Talk

Don't fret, kids we aren't getting HBO-rated around here. My adorable mama worked her little hands to the bone and finished the floor pillows for the nursery! I never knew I could be this excited about pillows. Actually, that is not true. All lies, design and bedding are some of my favorite things so there have been many occasions for me to be overly stimulated by mere throw pillows. Please, don't judge me too harshly.


Dorffette's floor pillows match her super bold Suzani curtains. The fabric choice may not scream, "BABY!!!" but I think it is perfect for our eggplant. She kicked me as I typed that vegetable reference- probably offended her, she can be touchy.


That crosses one more item off of the nursery to-do list (even though I didn't do it). Hope that you all have a great Thursday. Keep it real but keep it clean. Thanks for the pillows, Mom!

It's Curtains for You

And it's curtains for my living/dining and family rooms. Our formal living/dining room has a large picture window that faces out of the front of the house, putting us on display for the neighborhoods distress or disturbing pleasure.

We didn't want to fork over the cash for Levolor blinds to match the rest of the house so we went with funky Ikea polk-a-dot panels and sheers. Sorry sweet neighbors no more free shows, but please enjoy the view of our funky drapes.



I did a happy dance when I found these Umbra double-hang rods at Bed Bath & Beyond for a super steal at $24.99. That is a pretty stunning price for rods that are over 120". "Huzzah," I said to myself (out loud)! The rods were easy to install, you can see me demonstrate here, from when I installed the same curtain rod in the nursery. The curtains and sheers all came from our Swedish friends at Ikea and where purchased by my God Mama and actual Mama. Thank you!




Next, I moved about 30 feet across the house to the family room where we had an even larger window that was creepy at night. The TV would reflect in the glass after dark making it look as though there were strangers bouncing around the backyard. I'm not totally happy with the way that it turned out but it is a vast improvement. We'll fix it later (much later).


The challenge came when I realized that the family room window was not the same size as the living/dining room window, which I thought they were. Thank goodness I had made a trip to Tuesday Morning and found a longer single rod. It was great because it was long enough but it was not a double-hang rod, nerds. This was problematic due to the fact that this window needed sheers to close for privacy in the evenings, going back to the disturbing reflections we talked about earlier. I didn't have an extra rod for the sheers so I went ahead and hung the curtains and sheers together on the same rod. The brackets block the sheers from closing; this is what needs to be fixed. Long, long story short, here they are for now!

Spotted

It's funny how one click on one blog can lead you down a rabbit-hole of fun. While perusing the blog, Lay Baby Lay this evening I saw an awesome pouf that was featured in today's mood board and clicked on a link to the Etsy seller. As I browsed the vast selection of eclectic patterned poufs I saw that one was constructed with none other than two of the very same fabrics from my nursery. Huzzah!



How cute, right? Now I wouldn't buy a matching pouf as I have already had large floor pillows made out of the large suzani pattern, but the Waverly Cross Section or a complimentary pouf might be just the trick. Loving the yellow Chevron and Ikat. Although, either of these would also look comfy-chic in my living room...



Keep up the great work AletaFae! Kids, keep following those links (if appropriate) you never know where they will lead you. I heart sounding like a closing line from Jerry Springer.

Please, Enter

My entryway is naked. It's like encountering a streaker when you enter my house. There is just not much going on and that makes me sad. There is so much potential for this space. For example, I would like to do one of the following things on a possibly smaller scale.

modern entry design by los angeles photographer David Lauer Photography

eclectic entry design

entry design by birmingham architect Studio C Architecture & Interiors

A wonderful drum light would also change up the look of our current drab entryway.


Or maybe something a little different.


Either way we will eventually get around to doing something. Maybe after the nursery is finished. By then I won't care.

Magic Carpet Ride

After having lunch with a friend I popped over to Tuesday Morning to see if there were any good deals to be found. Strolling the aisles I was shocked to see that they actually had some larger rugs that were quite lovely and quite inexpensive. In the cart one Waverly stunner went to be tried under our dining room table.

Poor table. Look how sad it is floating there on the naked floor. I had to put a table cloth over it because it was embarrassed by all the nakedness. I debated back and forth between buying the 8'x10' rug and the 5'x8' and after much blank staring (pretty sure the sales lady thought I was having a stroke or had fallen asleep, standing up, with eyes open) and after sending many photos to my mama, I decided on the 5'x8'. Not only was it half the price of the larger rug but I figured it would fit better in the room.

Showing too much rug is like showing too much leg; it goes from good to bad in a quarter of an inch. We can't all be Daisy Duke.

I'm need some serious feedback - what do we think of the rug, kids?

Texas Living

Over Labor Dabor BF and ispent some time at the lake with friends and spent the evening at their cabin. This place is the perfect Texas house.

The white stone house is set on 200 acres overlooking a tree-lined bluff.

I took a few pics. Please enjoy the view.












Last, but not least of this uber long photo show are Bonnie and Lucky.


--Post From My iPhone

Well-Traveled Table

Once upon a time there was a Scandinavian coffee table. It lived with a very nice couple for years before being adopted by my parents in the late '80s.

After years at home it was finally time for little Scandy to go to college. Once there he lived a pretty wild life: lived in a frat house, had many relationships with beverages - without the safety of a coaster and eventually graduated.

Alas, he found the perfect girl for him and went back to school. As most girls do, she tried to change him. After living a few hard years he was covered in rings and scuffs. Bad shape. So she lovingly buffed, painted, primed and styled him until he became the lovely piece that you see today.

Notice the vintage trunk labels. Before it lived in BF's house it had vintage post cards from the French Riviera under the glass. Tres chic.

The entire table used to be the same color as the legs but not nearly in as good of shape. The top was painted black and a piece of glass was purchased at Pier 1. The stamps were picked up at a great museum shop here in D.C. If you haven't been to the Decatur House Museum and its fantastic museum shop, you are missing out.

I wish that I had some before photos but I don't. Have any of you refinished old pieces of furniture? If so, please send photos!

Kappa Alpha Theta Girl

Back in college I was a sorority girl. The University of Oklahoma is one of the biggest Greek schools around. I was a Theta, a little KAT. All through high school I used to go and spend weekends with my brother at OU. Luckily I didn't have to stay at the frat house (he was a Lambda Chi) or the "Flood House" that was shared with 5 other boys. My dear friends, I stayed at the Theta house.

Call me biased but the Theta house was the most lovely house on campus. It was like living in a fairly tale setting. The house slept 89 girls and was beautifully furnished and decorated. I always loved the French style of the house. It is nearly impossible to get a picture of the entire house because it is so big that you can't fit it all in the view finder.

This is just the front door and isn't even a 1/3 of the house.

845 Chautauqua Avenue became my home the second semester of my sophomore year and remained my home until my senior year. The house is big but the pledge classes were even bigger, mine had 93 girls in it. You could only be accepted to live in the house based on grades, points (earned by volunteering and participation in events) and attendance to chapter meetings. I figured that after living there for a couple of years it was another girls turn.

The best part about the house was the food, living in gorgeous quarters with your best friends and the Pink Couch. The Pink Couch was where you would wait for your date to pick you up. It was where you chatted with said boys after your date (no boys allowed upstairs). Countless conversations were held on the couch with your best girlfriends. It was a Theta staple. I have no idea how old it is or who bought it for the house but I loved it. And apparently it is leaving!

Two fellow Theta alums went to the house recently to pick up our beloved couch with their little legacies in tow. These two girls were the prettiest, sweetest and coolest girls in Theta and I can think of no better place for the big Pink Couch to live than in one of their houses. Here they are picking it up to take it to its new home at Sarah's house. They are still the prettiest girls around.

Pink Couch and Friends.

Thanks to Sarah and Taryn for saving the couch and for blogging about its fate.

Ghost Chair Giveaway!

AllModern

Happy Thursday!

One of my fav blogs, Adventures in Renovating a Brooklyn Limestone, is hosting an itty bitty Ghost Chair giveaway from AllModern.

Brooklyn Limestone

Here is an example of a growns up Ghost Chair in Brookln Limestone's office. Love everything about this office but the chair is perfection.

Look at the cute chicness of it all...

AllModern

The mini version comes in a variety of colors. Perfect for a little one's room.

Terri Smith Photography

I don't know which is cuter, the chair or the baby ballerina...

To enter to win simply click here and comment on Brooklyn Limestone's post. Good luck!!!

Baby Shower

In addition to driving to Philadelphia on Saturday, my girlfriends and I hosted a baby shower for our dear friend, Sara. It was such a fun day full of baby talk, pink frilly things, champagne and food. Oh my, was there food.

This event was too cute not to share with you all. Sweet Sara is expecting her first little bundle of joy next month. We are all excited for her and her hubby. They will be wonderful parents. You can follow their new adventure in parenting at finlaysister.blogspot.com. Finlay is their Westie and he is looking forward to being a big brother.

Time for the party breakdown: We served some home made mac-n-cheese served individually in cupcake wrappers (thanks, Jodie), Amanda put together a delicious chicken salad and those gorgeous fruit "cocktails" you see on the table. Don't you love the pretty spread?

The flowers were my attempt at being as good as Amanda's award winning florist sister. At least the food and tablecloth saved the day! The quilt was made by my great-great grandmother and the lemons in the flower vase were a stolen idea from The Knot.

But the fun didn't end there, everyone's favorite appetizers were in attendance; hummus, veggies, and gourmet cheeses with crackers. For dessert we provided cupcakes, home made chocolate chip cookies (thanks, Jodie), a beautiful pink candy bar (thanks, Amanda) and the best chocolates in town from Edward Marc. If you have never had their chocolate you have to check them out at http://www.edwardmarc.com/. The event was hosted at their DC office.

We also served a very tasteful cake. First class all the way.

Just kidding! Like we would really serve this. Well, maybe we would just because it is so incredibly hilarious and gross. This cake pic was provided by http://www.cakewrecks.com/. Who would seriously serve something that makes you cut into a pregnant belly of fondant? Ewww.

I have to include the invitation, it was pretty adorable. We got them at http://www.tinyprints.com/.

To keep everyone entertained during gift opening we played Baby Bingo. Each woman in attendance had their name put on a Bingo card. Whenever our little mama opened a gift she would read off the name of the gift giver. Our players would then fill in the square with that woman's name on their bingo card. We gave out prizes to 15 winners! It was a great idea that Amanda shared with us from her wedding shower.

We also put out an empty scrapbook with pens and notecards for the ladies to leave a little wish for the new baby. Once they wrote down a message they could stuck it in the self-adhesive pages that the baby can have to look back on later. So sweet! (Book and cards from Target)

Cute girls, good food and killer dresses. Could you ask for anything more?

Jodie, Amanda and I had so much fun planning and executing this event. What a treat to throw a party for a beloved friend. Love you, ladies!

Now allow me to share some eye candy from the party. Don't think for a second that I was able to stay away from the candy bar Amanda created. I still have plenty of time to fit in my wedding dress, right guys? Guys?