remember that time we had a blog?!

well so it seems that kelley and I have fallen off the boat a bit. I'm not sure really why, perhaps the uninspired bad news in the world that is surrounding us right now. Anyway, to kick it back off I will show you a slide from a presentation I have been working on for a sales meeting. We are about to hit it big with Kelley Green and black and white in all our showrooms starting in High Point, throughout the summer. I was even more excited that it seems we are ahead of the trend as Valentino and Chanel just came out with the same colors for Next spring!!

From Top left: dress from Valentino, GV table, Scene from the Wynn Encore las Vegas, Store front of Club Monaco in NYC, Prada loafers, malachite boxes GV, magazine cradle GV, scenes from 2010 CHANEL fashion show.

Wallpaper Love

About a month and a half ago, when I got this new computer, I randomly looked for an image to be the new desktop wallpaper.  Not sure what I entered into GoogleImages, but somehow found this peach.  It's been my desktop both at work and at home since then - it is the perfect background.  Not too much going on, neutral palette, AWESOME image... And I'm sure it doesn't translate too well on blogger, but the resolution is really high in my version, so it still looks great on my laptop or my cinema display at work.  Love it.  Can't change it.  Let me know if you want the high-res version :)

Micheal Smith and his dream job.

Michael Smith has been dubbed the white house decorator. Although he isn't my normal taste, It oozes with what I picture East Coast style being. It makes me long for a laid back weekend at the Greenbrier and horseback riding, tea at my aunts in the woods or hanging out with my uber preppy outfit with my friends.

We all deserve to escape right? I think he will do well in the White House, you can follow the Micheal Smith saga at Domino.

spotted.

The lovely Heather sent me the link to find the faceted table. The Meteor table by Arik Levy. so cool. And the site she found it on is pretty cool design too. Thanks Heather!!

weekend work [apt]

complete! well almost.... bigger images on Flickr here.

hostel on the list

I am sooo pissed that I didn't know about this hostel when we went to Denmark in May. Featured on Apartment Therapy today this youth hostel [DanHostel Copenhagen] should definitely be on anyone's list traveling through Copenhagen. And then please write me and tell me how awesome it was.

The good news is that Gubi furniture is attainable and you too can get this look.

guest room

I have one more thing worthy of showing in the new apt. The guest room... well at least one view of it. I hope it makes you wanna come visit.

jumping on the bandwagon

and while we are on the subject of color range, I joined the trend of color coordinating Ben and my books. This is about the only thing I am ready to show in the new apt. everything is here! yay! but it is going to take a bit to get it all in order.

ps... has anyone seen cute/cheap barstools? I am on the hunt.
pps.... I got the kitchen rugs from Urban Outfitters.

kitchen rugs

I am on the hunt for some new Kitchen rugs... sorry mom, but it is time to move on. The new place we are moving in has wood (pergo) floors so maybe this is a chance to spice things up a bit.

Here are a few that I found:

from urban outfitters

and because of my obsession with Angela Adams...
LuLu in Dandelion

islands in moonstone

from west elm

and one from anthro

any thoughts?

ABC carpet and home

ok, so if you have been to this legandary place you know about the 6++ floors of brilliance in the two buildings. You also know that there is a lovely merchandising scheme that keeps you discovering new things around every corner. You are aware of the groovy merchandise from all over the world. But mostly you are wondering when you finally found this glorious land of things for home.... why you had never been there before?

This was the thought in my head as I went to ABC carpet and home while I was in NY. I felt like I was a kid in a grown up candy shop (substitute candy for lovely home and crafty goods and a few pieces of clothing as well!) And there is a kids section too... I am sure they would be just as delighted.

I floated from floor to floor and if I were rich with a place to put anything at all it all would have come home with me... or better yet I would have just moved in. but alas, I brought home a pretty cool wood-cut stamp to try out some new printing ideas from Lena Corwin's book that Ben picked up. How fab is that gieant bowl I dug through to find the perfect one.

[the mercer] kitchen

While I am on the subject of restaurants in NYC, I have to talk about our lunch at [the mercer]Kitchen. First of all the space was incredibly lovely. It was underground but the glass lights from the sidewalk above filtered in the most wonderful midday light. The colors were slightly subdued except the pops of purple grey booths and the orange menu. But the exposed brick and upside down umbrellas were just cool.

Then there was the food, and the presentation. If you like the process of eating (which lets be honest, I love it!) then you will love this place. I got the tomato soup which sounds ordinary but they pour it over lightly grilled sourdough with Parmesan cheese at your table. Delightful.

conveyor belt sushi

The restaurant, conveyor belt in the middle booths surround it

Probably one of the coolest concepts ever! I just got back from NYC and got to do the conveyor belt experience with my brothers who as luck would have it were in town too!

The conveyor belt

Mark (our traveling buddy from Denmark) also happened to Live in Japan for a while and now lives outside NYC so he was the conessieur to take us on the adventure.

Basically the premise is that you sit in a booth (or at the bar) and a conveyor belt circles around with colored plates of 2-4 pieces of sushi on each one. You grab a plate as it passes by you and then are charged by the color of plate that you choose. nothing is really labeled so you kinda have to go on what looks good but is a great way to try new things.... like sea urchin... but that is a whole other story.

our plates at the end

Apparently they have karaoke booths upstairs too... if you are into that. ;)

home sweet....

I am in Vegas right now longing for my own apartment. Or this one....on design*sponge sneak peak from Shauna and Stephen of Something's Hiding in here. If you didn't see it yesterday, you simply must check it out. It is glorious.

surprise!

I am just getting back to Dallas from another jaunt to Atlanta, but it wasn't all work and no play.

Although it was a work trip, we were graciously given 4th of July off (believe me, this is a BIG deal) so I decided I would surprise my family by driving up to our farmhouse where they were having a big bash (found out later this was on sat. not fri.) but still got my immediate fam visit in.

Rental car keys in hand, I do not recommend the Chevy Aveo, I drove to Charlotte that night and then on to the farmhouse for the day on the 4th then back to Atlanta early saturday morn to work.

The only one who was truly surprised (as I had o give up my plan to dad and the brothers in order to see them) was my mom and aunt. It was good. Here are a few pics of the newly and wonderfully renovated farmhouse.

selina rose

design*sponge just covered this, but I was so in love with it that I had to share, as well! selina rose has a collection of 'textile surface design,' my favorite part of which is the water-cut felt products. These rugs are so, so cute- some day, when I have a loft with these giant brick walls, I'll have the money to buy one of these (not today, especially with the dollar/euro exchange rate..) and will hang it on the wall so that the brick shows through... ahhhh well... just a dream for now!

I'd never throw something like that on the floor- I have a feeling the puppy would destroy it in a matter of minutes.

happy to leave it behind...

yay! its the weekend, well 30 minutes and counting. This is the view of my desk. Although I have filled it with things I love, like my antique glove holder from my aunt, green and blue sticky notes and lovely calendar from my cousin Joslyn, I am happy to leave it all behind.

enjoy your weekend!

jewelry organization

After some great inspiration via Blueprint and Design Sponge, I decided to do a lil jewelry organization overhaul.

I had these antlers in my living room for a while and decided they needed new life. So I drilled 2 holes in each set (a very smelly process) and then I mounted them to the wall to use as my necklace hanger. This was much more appealing than my row of unsightly nails I was using before.

Then after an afternoon trip through the neighborhood, I saw these bracelets displayed on a collection of vases at forty five ten. I didn't have a bunch of vases laying around but i dod have this collection of science beakers. So i put them to use for my bracelets.

a catchall bowl i bought at an antique store and a martini glass for brooches and I was set. I still need a groovy place fior my earrings... i'll keep ya updated as to what I come up with.

nursery wall

Here is my fave entry from the January Jumpstart contest at Apartment Thearapy. It is simply amazing, impressive and very cool!! read more here.

final result

I finished my chair late sunday afternoon... the trim was the hardest part! but I used my good friend the glue gun to help me out on that one. It was a pretty quick project, my 5th or 6th re-upholstery's project and I am pretty happy with the results. If anyone has a better way or hiding staples... PLEASE let me know.

I ended up with a cute little button detail on the back to hold the backing on.. Thanks to Shannon for that brilliant idea.

saturday afternoon activity

This is my great great grandmother's chair that not only has been around a very long time but been passed through many hands including my cousin JoLynn where it thankfully survived (along with Jolynn and John) hurricane Katrina. It has been through alot and as you can clearly see needs some work.

So this afternoon I took on the craft project of reupholstering it with the fabric I found in Las Vegas. In a perfect world I would have painted it a glossy white too, but by the request of my mother, given it is a family heirloom I am keeping it the original warm wood tone. I ran outta ribbon that I am doing the trim in... so I will post the final result when I am done. Does more ribbon count as an essential so that it can go with my no buy rule?

Here is the fabric.