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Featuring: Life with a Dash of Whimsy. 4 Feb 2014 4:12 AM (11 years ago)

I always love reading The Everygirl blog, especially their home tours.  They feature everyday homes, which is always refreshing -- the rooms are always beautiful, but attainable and totally livable at the same time.  They featured one recently that really caught my eye.  I studied all of the pictures in great detail because all of the little touches were just perfect.

But what made the whole thing even more special was that the tour featured the home of United States Army Captain Katie del Castillo.  Someone who serves our country and can decorate the heck out of her DC place -- yes, please!  Katie has her own blog, which is great so be sure to check it out.

Pretty fabulous, right?

(As a total aside, as I was typing this post, Justin was playing around on my exercise ball.  I look over and he's attempting to balance himself completely on the ball.  I could see what was about to happen from a mile away . . . and you probably can too . . . of course, he started falling backwards (like slow-mo style) and fell on the floor.  Anyway, you just had to be here to witness the awesomeness of it, but I am still crying from laughing so hard.)

Nursery Thoughts - Big Picture. 29 Jan 2014 4:16 AM (11 years ago)

My thoughts for the nursery have evolved over the last 5+ months.  At first I was certain I wanted to do a dark navy nursery with accents of white, gold, and blush pink.  Something along these lines with dark moody walls . . .

Then one day I decided I really wanted a softer feel for the room.  Even though I still adore the look of a dark nursery, I thought as she grows up, maybe we can do something more dramatic, but she's a baby and maybe I should keep the nursery soft and light.  (And our bedroom, which I haven't shown on the blog, is Hale Navy so I hesitated having two dark navy rooms.)

So now I am thinking more along these lines, but I'm still liking the idea of gold, blush pink, and now light gray instead of navy as the main color (and possibly some navy in smaller doses).  





While the final color scheme is technically still up in the air, we've picked up a few of the bigger items for the nursery:

The glider (it's the West Elm Graham glider in dove gray):


The crib (the classic Jenny Lind crib in white).  This was really a no-brainer because both Justin and I slept in Jenny Lind cribs when we were babies.  Cue the awwwws.


The dresser/changing table (the Hemnes dresser from Ikea) with new hardware and


with anne overlays painted in gold:


Here's a sneak peek of the overlays painted gold (as well as a few other items too).  I think I may have a gold spray painting addiction!  


And Justin painted some test swatches on the wall this weekend.  Spoiler alert, we've picked the color (BM Shoreline), but it's not one of the swatches painted on the wall in this picture!  I'll do a more detailed post with all of the colors we tried since I think it's so helpful to see paint swatches next to each other.


So that's pretty much all of the big picture things.  It's so exciting to pull this room together.  Now on to all the fun details!  

Happy Birthday, Riley. 27 Jan 2014 4:11 AM (11 years ago)

This weekend we got a bunch of things accomplished around the house.  We picked a paint color for the nursery, assembled the dresser in the nursery, revamped a vintage chandelier, reorganized my closet, and a bunch of other things (more on all of those things later).  But the most important thing we did was celebrate Riley's 9th birthday.

After our sweet Riley was so very sick last year on his birthday, I knew I wanted to make this year extra special since last year I wasn't so sure he would make it.  So he got tons of extra snuggles today, we went on a walk, and he (and Zoey) got to enjoy homemade doggie cupcakes.

Riley's cupcake eating style is to delicately lick the icing off first, then devour the entire cake portion in one bite.


And because they both were being extra photogenic this weekend, I can't resist sharing two more pictures of the two of them riding in the back of the car and sunning by the backdoor.



I am totally biased, but aren't they just heart-melters?  Hope you guys had a great weekend!  

Home Tour: Front of House. 21 Jan 2014 4:05 AM (11 years ago)

On to the next part of our home tour.  In case you missed them, you can check out the changes we made in the formal living room and the powder room.  Today I wanted to show you the small changes we made outside to the front of the house.  The changes weren't major, but I'm really glad we made them.

(As an aside, I really hate the sego palms on either side of the door.  They need to be removed, but we are just waiting to figure out what to put there instead.  Suggestions welcome!)  But back to the pretty lights . . .



Aren't they just gorgeous?  All of the lights are handmade in New Orleans, and Bevolo's attention to detail really shows.  

FAQs About My Pregnancy. 13 Jan 2014 4:03 AM (11 years ago)

In case you missed the news, we're expecting a little girl in April.  It seem like I've been getting a lot of the same questions about my pregnancy, so I thought I would answer them here.  But first, here's a recent bump shot from about week ago (24 weeks):

  
1. How did you tell Justin? 

He was asleep when I took the pregnancy test. I woke him up and told him that I needed his help in reading the test (which I did because the line was super faint and I wanted to make sure I wasn't imagining it). Since I had to wake him up, he didn't really process what was going on and fell back asleep 2 seconds later.

So after about 5 minutes more of squinting and walking around to different lights by myself to see if the second line was really there, I decided to wake him up again -- this time with a different/more direct approach. I woke him up and said "I think I'm pregnant but I need you to confirm!" He got out of bed and looked at the test. He said "I do see a second line, but it's very faint, so I'm not sure." I told him that was all that was needed -- any line, dark or faint, meant I was pregnant. I was in shock.  

I'm not sure he 100% believed me about the line, so while he was letting out the dogs, I remembered I had a digital test. I took it and almost immediately, it popped up "positive." I took it out to him, and said "well I guess this resolves any question we had." I could see it click right away with him and he hugged me and we were both so thrilled. Then, in typical Justin-fashion, he said "why didn't you just start with the digital test!?"

PS: I could never be one of those women who figures out some super cute way to tell their husband.  There is no way in heck I could keep that kind of news to myself for any period of time!  

Also, I really should do a separate post on what an amazing husband he has been (well for the nearly 10 years we've been married), but also throughout my pregnancy.  He has taken such good care of me, always complimenting me on how I look, always talking to the baby, and giving my belly kisses.  Even before we got married, I knew he would be the best father.  And I have no doubt he will be.  My heart melts just thinking about him holding our little girl.

2. How did you tell your parents? 

We had them over for dinner and put the dogs in cute t-shirts from Etsy.


Our dogs are like our children, and we thought it would be cute to have them in on the fun.  My mom knew right away what was going on. It took Justin's parents a minute or two longer to process it all. Once everyone knew, there was lots of crying (happy tears) and squeals of excitement.  Our baby will be the first grandchild on both sides, so she's kind of a big deal with our parents.

3. Are you going back to work?

Thankfully, I get a very generous 18 weeks of paid leave. Assuming there are no surprises, my intent is to return to work once my leave is over. By way of background, I'm a seventh-year attorney at a large law firm. While my job can be demanding, high-stress, and unpredictable at times, I absolutely love it. And I also really enjoy the people I work with. It's always hard to know since I've never been in this position before, but I really think I would miss the work, the clients, being challenged (I know there will be challenges at home, but work challenges are totally different), the adult-interaction, and the suits (ok, not really the suits).

I also (knock on wood) think I will have some flexibility with my schedule and the ability to work from home, which will make the transition back to work easier.  Justin also gets every other Friday off, and I think that time will be so special for the 2 of them to bond (and to come take me to lunch!).  

4. Were you trying or was it an accident? 

For starters, that's an extremely personal question -- and one I would never ask anyone. I'm not sure if people had given up hope on us (see number 5) or thought we would never have kids because of my job (see number 3), but people seem to be very surprised at our news and this seems to be a very popular question. To answer it (without directly answering it), let me just say this -- we have been happily married for nearly 10 years and I am a huge planner. So I will let you draw your own conclusion.

5. You've been married for nearly 10 years, why did you wait so long? 

Frankly, it's a complicated answer. I think mainly because we were being selfish. We knew we could do what we wanted, travel whenever and wherever, have our own schedules, work and not feel guilty, etc. We were (and are) fully aware that all changes once there is a kid in the picture. We are still young-ish (I'm 31 and Justin's 32), so we didn't really feel the need to be in any rush. We love spending time together just the two of us, and weren't quite ready to give that up. We've been together for nearly 15 years, so I think that says a lot about our relationship and how much fun we have with each other and how much we enjoy each other's company. We knew we always wanted a family, and at some point, we realized we were ready to share our love with a child.

I also wanted to get established in my career. I've worked at the same law firm since I graduated. I wanted to come in and prove myself as someone who's smart and hardworking and earn the trust of the people I work with before having a baby. I think (and hope) after 7 years, people know that about me. My boss was amazing to me during my first trimester when I was so exhausted and sick, and I'm not sure it would have been as easy to ask about working from home/a lighter schedule until I felt better, if I was more junior. I'm sure I will be saying the same thing when I need some flexibility and understanding once I return from maternity leave.

This may come across as crass, but I spent too much money and hard work in law school to practice for a year or two and then have a baby. (Now that's not to say you can't be a successful attorney and mom, but it's hard -- and I wasn't willing to do either half-assed; and wasn't confident enough in myself to know I could excel at both). And to be clear, Justin was totally on board with that plan and never once pressured me to deviate from it. That was our plan all along.  I have an amazing husband who is super supportive of me and my career and I am so thankful everyday for him.

So to round this out, we realized there was never going to be a perfect time for us to have a baby -- there would always be some excuse -- but at some point we just knew we both were ready (and thankfully, we were ready at the same time).  So here we are!  

I certainly don't want this blog to become all about my pregnancy (and it won't), but I do have some more thoughts on the above question and on feeling pressure to have a baby, which I may share in a different post if I can find a way to coherently put my thoughts together.

6. And on a less personal note . . . What food have you been craving?

Fruit (especially mangoes), Greek yogurt, Lucky Charms, smoothies, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cheese sticks, and Amy's ice cream.


7. How are you decorating the nursery?  

We haven't quite decided.  We have the dresser, glider, and crib, but it's all of the details that we are still sorting out.  I'm excited to share with you in a separate post what we are thinking.  

Alright, is there anything else you're just busting at the seams to know?  

Big News for the New Year. 2 Jan 2014 4:33 AM (11 years ago)

We are super excited (and a little scared too).  I'm thrilled to be well into my second trimester now.  I was not sad to leave the utter exhaustion and morning all-day sickness of my first trimester behind.  We've been busy researching all of the baby things we need (or what we think we need).  We've also had fun discussing the plans for the nursery.  I'll be sharing some of our thoughts on the nursery (and the current state of things).

We are really looking forward to our growing family this new year!  

Happy New Year. 31 Dec 2013 9:18 AM (11 years ago)

Winter Beauty Faves. 13 Dec 2013 4:07 AM (11 years ago)

Living in Texas hardly qualifies me to speak on harsh winters, but it's been cold down here (at least for this Texas girl).  My skin is used to the 100% humidity we normally have, so when it's cold and dry this time of year, I need some extra hydration.  I find myself reaching for these 6 products on the reg during the winter:

1.  Avene moisture mask:  I don't know why, but sometimes I just like the idea of using a mask.  I can get some redness on my face (and the winter certainly makes it worse), and this moisture mask always soothes and calms down my skin.  It has a light smell to it, which is delightful (and I'm sensitive to smells).  It's not greasy at all, and most of the time, I don't even wipe it off.  I highly recommend this.      

2.  Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse dry oil:  I picked a bottle of this up our last trip to Paris and am so glad I did.  It's a light oil you mist on.  I love using it right after I shave my legs.  It absorbs so quickly and has a nice scent.  It also leaves a nice sheen, but doesn't feel greasy at all.  I actually use this during the summer too since it's so light, while still moisturizing.  You can also use it in your hair or as a bath oil.

3.  La Mer moisturizing cream:  I use this every morning under my eyes year round, but find myself applying it all over my face during the winter.  It really is one of the few things that makes my dry flaky skin disappear.  It's expensive, but a small jar lasts forever.    

4.  Jack Black lip balm:  I'm a lip balm addict.  I have tubes of this in all my bags, all around the house, and in my desk at work.  This isn't going to give you any shine, but it's the most hydrating lip balm I've ever tried.  I put it on every night before bed, and when I wake up, I can feel that it's still on and working.  I've made the mistake of applying other lip balms at night and always wake up with dry lips.  Bonus:  it comes in tons of awesome "flavors."  I haven't tried one I didn't love.

5.  Trader Joe's lotion:  The first time I tried this, I used some of my friend's when we were out in California.  (Hi, Lauren!)  This body lotion is rich, but not overly heavy.  I like how it doesn't have a scent to it.  And it contains aloe, which helps soothe any irritated dry patches.  The best part about it is the price -- it's dirt cheap!  I would have to stock up when we were out in Cali since we didn't have a TJ's, but now that we have one, I can buy it whenever I need it!

6.  Sugar lip tint:  I told you I'm a lip balm junkie.  This lip balm is the perfect combination of moisturizing while also providing some color.  It's not at all sticky and just makes your lips feel soft.  This is my go to at work -- it sits on my desk and I apply it throughout the day.  It's great because I don't need a mirror when I put it on, but it provides a little color.  I like the plum tint, but there's a bunch of others (and a clear) that are also awesome.

Anything I should add to my must-try list?  And in case you need an idea, either of the lip balms would make the perfect stocking-stuffer!

Guest Bathrooms - Initial Thoughts. 13 Nov 2013 3:50 AM (11 years ago)

We've decided to go ahead and bite the bullet and redo our upstairs bathrooms.  One of them is off the guest room, and the other is a jack-and-jill bath between two other bedrooms.  Neither one of them is totally offensive, but they certainly lack any style.  It also really bothers Justin that they used wall tile on the floor.  I likely would have never noticed, but I could see how someone could go slipping and sliding on them, if they weren't careful.

Home Tour: Formal Living Room. 8 Jul 2013 4:31 AM (11 years ago)

First up on the post-renovations home tour, I showed you our powder room.  Next up is the formal living room.  I also refer to this room as the "sitting room" because I tend to refer to our main TV room as the living room.  Regardless of what you call it, this room is currently my favorite room in the house for any number of reasons.

Just to set the stage here, when you are in the entry way, this room is directly to your right and the formal dining is to your left.  Since it's one of the very first things guests see when they come in, I wanted the room to make a statement.  I decided early on that I wanted to stretch my comfort zone a bit and go bold in this room.

This is a picture of the room from the real estate listing.  It may be bold in its own right for different reasons.  (Obviously, we have slightly different taste than the previous owners.)

We started with a blank slate (well, a yellow slate actually).  And here's how the room looks today.


One of the reasons why I love this room so much is because it came together so easily.  I didn't really have a vision for the room when I started (besides bold choices and mixed prints), which is different than I how normally decorate.  But for whatever reason, my lack of a plan totally worked in this room.

I knew right away I wanted jewel tones in the room.  Every time I considered something else, my mind went back to jewel tones.  Then one day, Justin and I were at High Fashion Home and they had furniture displayed in various mock-up rooms.  One of the rooms was fabulous with a deep teal color, and as soon as I saw it, I knew that was the perfect color for the space.  Thankfully, the employee knew what color it was (Benjamin Moore Stained Glass).  And that's how the wall color was chosen!


We had the Ethan Allen chairs that were in our old living room recovered in a neutral linen.  Since the walls are darker, I wanted the main furniture pieces to be lighter.  You can't tell from the pictures, but the chairs have a subtle pattern on them and tie in nicely with the couch, which is from Macy's.  I may recover the vintage ottomans (a craigslist find) at some point, but I am currently digging the rose pink.  I am also considering painting the lamps (a Homegoods find) that are sitting on the end tables (another craigslist find, blogged about here), but haven't been able to commit to a color quite yet.  In the meantime, the tan color is working just fine.  And see that awesome vintage brass pharmacy lamp?  I got 3 of them on craigslist for $25 total -- yes, all 3 for $25!  



The "brass" shelves are an Ikea hack that made its way around the blog world (i.e. the Vittsjo shelves spray painted gold).  It's probably not a great solution for something that's getting a lot of use, but these serve only one purpose: to look pretty.

The shelves hold all kinds of goodies.  Some highlights are my grandfather's books; Justin's grandfather's books; an antique print from a Paris trip; some other vintage finds, and of course, some Target gems.








It took us three tries, but we finally nailed the rug.  Surprisingly, this was really the only element in the room Justin had a strong opinion on.  He was definitely on board with the leopard, but he was pretty picky with the look of the leopard print.  Thankfully, he has excellent taste, and we found a carpet that we both loved and had them cut it to specific dimensions for the room.  It totally makes the room.



While I was taking pictures of the room, my two favorite helpers/modelers were assisting.



When we moved in, this room had no overhead lighting.  We added 4 recessed lights and a center fixture by Visual Comfort, which I have loved for a long time.  The overhead lighting makes such a huge difference in the space.


So, I think that's about it.  Did I miss anything?  One thing is for dang sure . . . this room has come along way from the floral couches it started with!  

Blueprint Surprise. 2 Jul 2013 4:33 AM (11 years ago)

The realtor who sold us our home stopped by today to drop off a little surprise.  The previous (and original) owners found the original blueprints for the house and sent them to their realtor to give to us!  How nice of them to think to send them along for us to enjoy.  And the timing is ironic because we closed on our house almost exactly one year ago today. 

Of course, we've loved looking the plans and seeing the minor changes that they made between the blueprints vs. what was actually built.  I should really take better photos so you get a feel for the actual layout, but the point isn't the actual floorplan, but just that we have the blueprints!

Here's the first floor.  To get you oriented, the front door is on the right-hand side of the photo a little more than halfway down.   The formal living room (to the right of the front door as you walk in) was slated to have a tray ceiling, but for some reason that never happened (and no overhead lighting was ever installed either!).  The lack of lighting situation has since been remedied.    


This next one is the second floor.  With the 100+ degree temperatures we've been having the past few days, I really wish they actually installed the ceiling fan in the gameroom, rather than the hideous boob light they picked instead.  And it looks like the previous owners decided to add in built-ins to the fifth bedroom (and the plans don't mention anything about the wood paneling in that room either).  All very interesting.  Well, at least to us! 


And this is the landscape design for the house (in both the front and the back).  Evidently, there were 2 phases of the landscaping.  They were going to install an awesome covered porch with ceiling fans in "phase 2," but I guess they stopped after phase 1.  It's a total bummer because we've always talked about how awesome having a covered area in our backyard would be, but at least we can see where they thought about putting it (and get some idea for what the landscaping looked like when the house was first built).  We're total suckers for historical information like that.     


So kind of an amazing, totally unexpected one year house anniversary present, right?  

And thanks for your comments on the powder room.  I will be sharing our formal living room next week.  Spoiler alert: the formal living room may be my favorite room in the house. 

Home Tour: Powder Room. 25 Jun 2013 4:47 AM (11 years ago)

Yikes.  It's been a while (thanks for your frequent reminders, mom and Ellen).  But let's ignore that and focus instead on the fact that I am finally getting around to showing you our powder room.  Who doesn't love a good before and after?

Basically, the before was a massive snooze-fest.  Complete with a bad brass and chrome faucet, a claw-like light fixture, pale yellow walls, two toilet paper holders (why?), and a toilet and sink that were undersized.  Needless to say, this room didn't do anything for us and needed some major help.   

     

And here's the after!  Bye bye snooze fest, hello gorgeous (if I do say so myself). 


Absolutely nothing from the old powder room stayed.  I'm all for re-using what we could, but in here, there was nothing worth even working with.  I knew right off the bat I wanted to do some bold wallpaper in this room.  If you can't be bold in the powder room, where can you?    


And for some detail shots . . .

My mom bought this vintage mirror and it was exactly what I was looking for.  She was sweet enough to let me have it for the space.  I love the detailing on the frame and the contrast the dark frame provides in the space. 


The light fixture proved to be more difficult than I thought it should have been.  Probably because I kept envisioning sconces in the space (that wouldn't fit) or a chandelier (which would require us to re-wire).  I also wanted to add a touch of brass in this room via the light, but wanted to keep it simple.  At the end of the day (and lots of searching), this fixture fit the bill. 


I struggled with what to put on the walls for two reasons:  (1) I didn't want anything to compete with the wallpaper; and (2) I was scared to put a hole in the beautiful paper.  I'm happy with my choice to go with simple black frame (that works with the mirror), which has a large white mat to provide some separation between the picture and the wallpaper (and only required 1 tiny hole).  Win, win, win!  The picture itself is one we took of a street in Paris right by one of the hotels we stayed in.    


As a bonus, here's a before shot of the hall that leads to the laundry room and garage with the powder room off of it (the door on the right). 


And here's the after.   You can't tell from the photos, but the wood floor and the handrail were all stained a darker, richer color.  And we replace the ceramic tile in the powder room with some fun black and white mosaic tile.  We still need to paint the laundry room, but that's a subject for a different post.

Oh!  And we added the chandelier in the hallway.  I mean, why not?  Since we didn't want to redo the electrical to put it in the powder room, we did the next best thing . . . we put it right outside the door.  It's actually perfect there.  I love the way it totally glams up the hallway.  Some things just work out.  (In case anyone's curious, the wall color is Benjamin Moore Silver Chain.)


If it's something that would be helpful, I will do a post with the sources.  So what do you think?  Much better, right?        

Long Time, No Talk. 8 May 2013 3:44 AM (11 years ago)

Hello. 

Obviously I haven't been the best blogger.  And you know what, I'm ok with that.  I've had a bunch of things going on at home and work that have kept me from blogging.  So rather than spreading myself thinner than I already was, I made the decision to forgo blogging.

On the work front, we moved offices, which has been crazy.  And oddly enough, they still expect you to work while you clean out/pack/unpack!  You don't realize how much crap you accumulate over the years, but it's nice to get a fresh start at getting organized and sprucing up my office a bit.  And I'm digging my new view . . .  

And on the opposite wall, I put one of these beauties in my office.  The larger one is in my office and the smaller one is at home.  I don't have the greenest of thumbs, so I'm hoping I can keep these fiddle leaf figs alive.    


On the home front, we are hosting my firm's summer associate welcome party at our house this month, which means we've been busy trying to get everything in order around here.  There's nothing that motivates you to get things done faster than the thought of 35+ attorneys from work coming over! It's good news and bad news -- there's been lots of progress around here, but we are super busy, I haven't had time to document all the changes.  But as soon as the party is over, you better believe I will be sharing all of our hard work (can I just say I am totally loving our formal sitting room?). 

Hope all has been well! 

New Door Hardware. 11 Mar 2013 4:41 AM (12 years ago)

It's not only a Monday, but the Monday after the time-change.  Such a double whammy!  Regardless, happy Monday!  

We had a fun-filled weekend installing some new door hardware around the house.  To be fair, I installed the easy ones and Justin was in charge of the more complicated ones.  Here's the fun that was waiting for us on Friday evening when we got home from work.      

This was the before situation on every dang door.  It's not terrible, but those levers do nothing for me and the finish wasn't nice looking at all.    


Remember how I said that "good" brass is back?  Well I mean it.  Here's what our doors are adorned with now.  It's the Emtek Turino lever in French Antique with the regular rosette.   



One of the things I've known since day one in this house is that I wanted crystal knobs on the master bath doors.  Lucky for me, Emtek also offers beautiful crystal knobs and I could get them in the same finish with the same rosette as the levers.  These are the Old Town knobs.    


When I woke up yesterday (the first day after we installed them), they were the first thing I saw and they brought an immediate smile to my face.  And isn't that what decorating is all about -- making decisions that make you smile?  


In case you're curious, most of our other hardware (all faucets, kitchen hardware, etc.) are polished nickel.  It doesn't bother me at all to mix finishes.  In fact, I really like it.  I love the warmth the brass brings to the table.  

The hardware is even more beautiful that what I thought it would be.  In case you're in the market, I ordered them through Simpson's Hardware.  They had the best price by far and the customer service was great.  For the record, they don't know who I am; I just wanted to pass along the website in case anyone else is looking for new door hardware.  Oh, and Emtek has no idea who I am either.  I am just one very happy customer. 
 

Craigslist Loot. 7 Mar 2013 4:20 AM (12 years ago)

I mentioned in my last post that I scored some cool finds on Craigslist last week.  But pics or it didn't happen, right?

First up . . .  a sweet pair of end tables.

Yes, I realize this picture doesn't include the pair, but, take my word for it, the other one is exactly the same.  They are flanking our couch in our formal living room.  And while we're on the subject of the formal living room, the whole room is coming together!  I'll share my design plan for the room with you shortly (let's just say it involves leopard, floral, dark teal, and brass).

Next up . . .  the matching bad ass (sorry, that's the most fitting term for it) credenza.  The piece is in amazing condition and deserves some fabulous styling.  I really hate that the light switch is smack dab in the middle of that dang wall.  It really puts a cramp in my style.   


Look how pretty she'll look when she's all dressed up.


But that's not it . . . I also found a vintage chandelier from 1913.  The coolest part about it is that it was from a landmark hotel in town.  As of right now, the plan is to hang it in the master bathroom.   


And last but not least . . . I found a pair of nightstands for our guest room at an estate sale in the neighborhood.  P.S. Could this room be any more boring?  You can kind of see a tiny sneak peek at the color I'm painting the room in the upper right corner (it's Wild Aster by Benjamin Moore).       


So even though they are in no way styled, I'm super excited about these pieces!  And a shout out to my wonderful husband who is the one that has to do all the heavy lifting (literally) when I find something on CL that I can't live without.

5 things . . . 4 Mar 2013 4:14 AM (12 years ago)

We are in the process of finally getting our official office set up at home, which means it will be tons easier for me to edit real pictures (as compared to the "fake" ones from my iphone).  In the meantime, here are 5 random things:  

(1)  This video of Jamie Foxx and Channing Tatum on Jimmy Kimmel after the Oscars is freaking hilarious.  Justin and I have been singing the song for the past week.  It's so catchy.  Oh, and watching Channing at the end isn't bad either. 


(2)  When searching the interwebs today for a mint green paint color, I some how stumbled on this amazing baby mobile.  I have no need for a baby mobile at this point, but if and when we get pregnant, this may be the first purchase I make.  She has all kinds of different breeds, but of course I'm partial to this one.  Riley and Zoey are in favor too!     


(3) We are going to New Orleans soon and a trip to Leotine Linens is definitely in order.  I won't be able to afford anything, but I can drool at all the eye candy anyway.  



(4)  This amazeballs print from Black Crow Studios is totally happening in our dining room.  I can't wait to have it stretched so we can get it up on the wall.    


(5) I have found some incredible things from Craigslist and a nearby estate sale.  I'll have a post with pictures of my finds, which include end tables, nightstands, a buffet, and a vintage chandelier.  Thank you, Craigslist!   

Hope y'all had a wonderful weekend! 

Happy Valentine's Day. 14 Feb 2013 4:08 AM (12 years ago)

Happy Valentine's Day, y'all!  I hope your day is filled with lots of love and lots of red and pink!       

Brass Is Back (duh). 12 Feb 2013 4:16 AM (12 years ago)

It's certainly not breaking news that brass is back, unless you've been living under a rock.  I've also fallen for its warmness (especially paired with the grays I love) and have been totally embracing it in our new house.  To be clear, I like the good, pretty kind of brass -- not the ugly builder's brass.  We spent good money getting the ugly brass removed from the house during the renovation.

Justin wasn't sure about all this brass at first.  But he's totally coming around.  I knew I would break him eventually.  He said today, when talking about door hardware, and I quote "brass it up!"  Yes!  Brass it up is right.  Glad we can finally agree.  See, I always knew I had the best husband.   

Regardless of his initial hesitancy, I've pushed forward with bringing brass into the house anway (I knew he would come around, and if he didn't, I didn't care.)  Here's a few brass snippets from around the house:  

A black frame I've Rub n Buff-ed to gold perfection.  The picture still needs to be secured (obviously), but you get the idea.   

Our new dining room chandy.  I love it.  Lots.   (Don't worry, the yellow walls aren't staying.)


The powder room light.  The light + the wallpaper = a happy potty space. 


Cabinet pulls for the living room built-ins.  I think the modern pulls help to balance the traditional millwork on the cabinets.  And who doesn't like surrounding themselves with bars of gold?


And I've recently acquired 3 pretty brass finds from the Guild Shop (a local thrift store).  The first is this pretty shell.  This brassy goodness is bigger than my hand (it's probably the size of my face) and  was a whopping $3.00. 


My new brass donkey.  I don't know why, but he spoke to me.  And I brought him home.  But he really needs a name.  My friend Lauren has suggested it's something "regal, but foreign."  Any ideas?


And last, but not least, a pair of brass cranes (which could use a little polishing).  I saw them at the Guild Shop a year ago and passed them up.  I've often regretted that decision.  Then lo and behold, last time I was there, they were back and I didn't hesitate this time!


What are you thoughts on brass?  And are you as sick of just these little bit and pieces of our rooms in iphone pics as I am?  I'm fixing that real soon.  Promise.

5 things . . . 4 Feb 2013 3:47 AM (12 years ago)

Here's 5 things that went on around here this past weekend:

(1)  Some demo in my master closet.   There used to be built-in shelving unit, which wasn't the best way to store my shoes.  Justin offered to change things up to make it work better for me.  Of course, there will be a proper before and after post once it's complete.  But don't worry, the leopard carpet is staying.  Obvs. 

(2)  Enjoying some awesome coffee at a new place in town.  It's legit.  I can totally get on board with any place that sells coffee, sweets, and wine/beer. 


(3)  Picking out a color for the master bathroom.  I need to make up my mind.  Like yesterday. 


(4)  Drooling over this dress (but not the shoes). 


(5)  Spray painting an ikea bookshelf.  I picked up a pair of these to go in our formal living room.  Like the closet, I promise a proper post once they're all finished and styled pretty.  


Hope y'all had a wonderful weekend!

Riley Is Home. 28 Jan 2013 8:17 PM (12 years ago)

Our sweet Riley is home!  His liver enzyme levels are still elevated, but are headed in the right direction, so the vet was comfortable with us bringing him home.  Zoey was so excited to see him!  I thought her tail was going to wag off!       

With his new haircut, it kind of looks like he's wearing shorts and Ugg boots.  So stylish.  

As soon as I sit down on the couch, he's on my lap.  It's made for a rather unproductive evening, but work can wait.  I've missed these sweet snuggles more than you could imagine.  He's sleeping in my lap as I write this post, while my laptop is teetering on my knees. 



They sent him home with his cute birthday sign . . .


And a ton of medication.  Riley will be taking a bunch of different pills for at least 4 weeks.  Most of our evening was spent trying to figure out a way to disguise the pills in different types of approved food.  He's quite a persnickety eater and will do anything to eat around the pills (no matter how small you make them).  One thing is certain, he is not a fan of cottage cheese.  If anyone has any tips for getting a dog to take pills, I'm all ears.  We aren't looking forward to giving him 10 pills every day! 


Thanks for your sweet comments and thoughts and prayers.  I really appreciate it!  I'm so thankful he's back at home with us.     

A Not-So-Happy Birthday. 28 Jan 2013 4:24 AM (12 years ago)

I had big plans to get a bunch of stuff organized around the house this weekend and pick out some remaining paint colors.  But all of those plans were derailed by our dog Riley . . . 

Justin and I were up a lot of Friday night with Riley, who was shaking, throwing up, and drinking and peeing like crazy.  I called the clinic where we normally take him right when they opened on Saturday, and they squeezed him in.  Saturday was Riley's 8th birthday.  Sadsies.  Not too long after we dropped him off, I received a phone call from the vet telling me that based on his blood work, something was wrong with his liver.  She called the big emergency pet hospital here and told them to expect us shortly.

We immediately headed over there.  (Side note: I've known about this pet ER place for forever.  It's well known in the area for being the very best for sick animals.  Every time I pass it, I always get a little sad for the animals and families inside because, if you're going there, you have a very sick pet.  I dreaded having to pull into their driveway.)  Later in the afternoon, after more testing and an ultrasound, the vet there didn't find any masses and confirmed Riley's liver enzymes were extremely elevated from either some toxin or infection.  Everyone thinks it's more likely an infection since we don't know of him getting into anything toxic to dogs (e.g., sego palm, ibuprofen, sugar-free gum).  To put into perspective how sick he was, one of the common liver enzyme levels that is tested is based on a scale from 10-100.  Riley's was 1800!  No -- that's not a typo with an extra 0.  His was 1800.

They kept him Saturday night to give him IV antibiotics and to monitor him constantly.  It was so hard to leave him there, but we knew he was in very good hands.  They even made him a happy birthday sign for his kennel before we left.  How sweet is that?  The people at the clinic are wonderful with dealing with crazy (and emotional) pet parents, like myself.   

Thankfully, we were able to go visit him Sunday morning.  Things are improving!  He's able to eat now and his levels are headed in the right direction.  It warmed my heart to see him walk into the room and get excited to see us!  I missed my little guy!  He looked so much better Sunday than he did when we dropped him off . . . well, except for his new haircut.  His poor belly is shaved and he looks very goofy with a portion of his legs shaved.  But we don't care -- he's still as cute as ever.      

It was hard to leave him again, but the vet thinks he will be able to come home today!  Hooray!  I am keeping my fingers crossed that his levels continue to go down.  Not only do we miss our little snuggler, but his sister does too.  Zoey has been moping around ever since we came back to the house without him on Saturday.  Look at her sad face.  


So please keep Riley in your thoughts and puppy prayers.  We hope he comes home today (and that his levels are normal when they retest him next week).   Once he's home and back to himself, we are going to throw him one heck of a birthday party and spoil him rotten (even more rotten than normal, if that's even possible).

I hope your weekend was less eventful than ours!  Happy Monday! 

        

This Week Was Bananas. 18 Jan 2013 3:41 AM (12 years ago)

It has been one heck of a week!  Between preparing a brief in record time, speaking at a client seminar, and appearing at a court hearing this week, I'm totally worn out.  I am so thankful it's Friday and I'm off Monday for MLK day!  Hooray!
 
This is totally random (except for the "clever" tie in with the post title), but it's too good not to share.  Thanks to Corporette, I came across this banana slicer on Amazon.  The 2,000+ reviews are incredible and provided many laughs this week when I needed a little comedic relief.   

Here are some highlights from the reviews: 

• I was disappointed that this banana slicer only comes in one model. It works like a charm for bananas that bend to the right, but it utterly useless for left-bending bananas. I end up having to eat my left curved bananas un-sliced like some kind of animal.  

• What can I say about the 571B Banana Slicer that hasn't already been said about the wheel, penicillin, or the iPhone.... this is one of the greatest inventions of all time. My husband and I would argue constantly over who had to cut the day's banana slices. It's one of those chores NO ONE wants to do! You know, the old "I spent the entire day rearing OUR children, maybe YOU can pitch in a little and cut these bananas?" and of course, "You think I have the energy to slave over your damn bananas? I worked a 12 hour shift just to come home to THIS?!" These are the things that can destroy an entire relationship. It got to the point where our children could sense the tension. The minute I heard our 6-year-old girl in her bedroom, re-enacting our daily banana fight with her Barbie dolls, I knew we had to make a change. That's when I found the 571B Banana Slicer. Our marriage has never been healthier, AND we've even incorporated it into our lovemaking. THANKS 571B BANANA SLICER! 

• "Wait, this is a BANANA SLICER??" Oh man, I thought it was a modernistic ladder for a parakeet. My "Timmy" loves the way it curves so he can get to that right perch without doing that big awkward hop. 

• I can't believe I have wasted the first 35 years of my existence on this earth by not having this wonderful banana slicer. All this time I have been standing there at the kitchen counter like a complete IDIOT wasting countless seconds slicing my bananas with a knife. A KNIFE!!!! Can you believe how foolish I was? Listen. This banana slicer will change your life. After slicing a banana, or two, or three (hell slice as many as you want - it takes no time at all)you will feel like you have honey badger blood flowing through your veins and have Charlie Sheen DNA.  

I have no clue how or why there are so many sarcastic reviews, but it's hilarious.  I likely have a very immature sense of humor.  But I'm ok with that.   

And these two cuties always offer some stress relief.  I mean, just look at those sweet faces.


Happy Friday! 

The Perfect Flat + Another Birthday. 10 Jan 2013 2:59 AM (12 years ago)

I recently got an email from Ms. Kate Spade alerting me of her new items.  How nice of her, right?  Of course I had to peruse them.  And look what I came across . . .  

The trixie flat (or the most perfect flat ever designed).  I wouldn't have named them "trixie."  They should really be called the "emily" since they are basically my personality exemplified in a shoe -- practical (flats); likes a touch of bling (glitter toe cap); girly (bow); simple, but not boring (black and white stripes).

The terry flat is also totally baller.  But not as much as the emily (er, trixie).
 

Which one is your favorite?

-------

And happy birthday to my very bestest friend.  If I was a good blogger and blogged every day, I could have given her a shout out on her actual birthday, but since I'm a slacker, two days later will have to do!  Lest you think I'm a bad friend, I did get to facetime with her and my "nephew" on her special day!  And stay tuned, last time we were at their house, I took pictures of Henry's amazing nursery to share!  Happy birthday, Lauren!      

Planners + Happy Birthday. 6 Jan 2013 9:36 PM (12 years ago)

I know we are already into the second week of January, but let's talk planners . . . 

There was a period of time when I didn't use a written planner -- I just put everything into my Outlook calendar at work.  And since I always had a blackberry or iphone with me, I would just refer to my electronic calendar for everything.  But there were a couple of issues with that method that didn't work the best for me:  (1) my assistant can see my calendar, which is awesome for work stuff, but not so cool for personal things (I don't need her knowing who I'm going to dinner with on the weekend or when I need to go to the store or pick up a prescription); and (2) I found myself making tons of lists on paper for stuff that didn't "fit" nicely in a calendar appointment that would just get lost in my purse.

So last year, I got an Erin Condren planner.  This was the one I got for 2012 (it had my name though, not the hollinger's, but I'm sure they're a lovely family).     

I really liked how colorful it was and the thick pages were super nice.  But my biggest beef with it was it's size.  At least for me, it was just too bulky to throw in my purse.  If I was just leaving it at home all day on my desk, it would be perfect.  But I like to take my planner to work everyday and to carry it with me in my purse on the go, so if something comes up, I can immediately write it down (rather than trying to remember later what it was I needed to add).  I carry enough other crap in my purse, so I didn't have a extra room for a big planner (and my shoulder appreciates a lighter load).

When we were in Paris in September (which I am planning to recap shortly), I came across a more compact planner at merci (aka the best store ever). 


The merci planner is much lighter and tucks easily into my purse/work bag everyday.  While I miss the brightness of my other planner, pulling out this planner always reminds me of the great time we had in Paris, which is more fun than any bright colors can provide.

The downsides are that it doesn't include the US holidays, but I could easily add them myself.  The paper is also thinner, which is my biggest complaint.  But it works out -- I just use pencil instead of pen, which prevents any bleeding through to the other side.  And now when I tell someone I'll pencil them in, I really mean it.  Ok, I'm done with the cheesy jokes.     


I like that, in addition to little pockets in the front and back flaps, it has a zipper pouch in the cover, so I can easily store lose papers/paper clips/etc. in there.  I still make notes on paper, but I can easily store them in the planner.  (Side note: This was my errand list from this past weekend -- let the organizing commence!  I'll share some of those projects!)      


So I'm curious, do you use a paper planner or are you solely electronic?  

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And most importantly today, I want to wish my mom a very happy birthday.  She's such a wonderful person and I'm so blessed to have her has a mom and a friend.  I love you, mom!

2013. 1 Jan 2013 7:51 PM (12 years ago)

Happy New Year!  Hope y'all had a great start to 2013.  We had a wonderful time ringing in the new year with our friends in Austin.

2012 was a great year.  Before I leave it in the dust, here are some of the highlights from last year:

• We sold our first house;
• After quite a search, we bought and renovated our new home (and lived to tell about it);
• I turned 30 (and lived to tell about it); 
• My best friend and her family moved back to Texas from California;  
• We were able to go on some great vacations (Colorado, California; oh, and Paris too!).

I am excited to see what 2013 has in store.  I haven't made any resolutions (gasp!), but I hope to keep these quotes in mind.  As someone who is totally Type A (which is probably an understatement), these certainly resonate with me. 







So . . . how was your new years; did you make any resolutions?