Tuesday, March 23, 2010

I am Southern

 I like being a Southern girl. I loved growing up in the South. I love Southern cooking (and baking!). I love friendly Southern people. As far away as I've traveled from my home sweet home of Texas, I still have a true Southern girl living inside me who likes to eat Tex-Mex, chicken fried steak with fried okra, and pralines. I digress...
But isn't this a cute quote?
via.

Speaking of Southern, I adore this guest bedroom from Southern Living! Talk about Southern comfort!

I stalked all the sources from the article and am posting them just for you. :)
If you don't have a vintage poster bed, try this or even a simple shape like this.


Just think how cute your room would be! 

xoxo,

Monday, March 22, 2010

Monday Inspiration: Today, known as iWant.

 I want to be here: Monaco, sunbathing beneath a red and white umbrella, sipping something chilly. 
Photograph via Hugh Stewart.
 

I want that necklace. I would rock that. 


 I want to live here... in J.Crew... the flagship store. Is that weird? It's so beautiful- Parson's table, Platner chairs, herringbone oak (?) floors, and that fantastic light fixture (anyone know what that is called?).

That's it for Monday.
Hope you have a great week!


**** Correction: My good friend Collin, alerted me that the fantastic light is a Gueridon fixture by Serge Mouille. Thanks, Collin!


xoxo,

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Kids

“We do not stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.”

~George Bernard Shaw





Cute Baby Rooms
 


 Little Girl Room, via.

Little Boy Room

Don't worry, friends. This girls not ready for kiddos. But I do like other people's kiddos. And kid rooms. :)

xoxo,

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Dreamy Kitchens

I like to bake. And I'm good at it. Does this make me sound conceited? No really, in one of my college art classes, we had an performance art assignment and I made my favorite chocolate chip cookies as my "piece." Ha ha! Anyway, I've really been wanting to putter around in the kitchen lately, trying out new recipes (hence the glut of recipes I've been posting) so I guess that's why all these kitchen images are speaking to me...


First, a DIY glass etching tutorial from Martha Stuart (via Simplified Bee). If you couldn't find a set of old-school vintage jars, maybe these or these would work.
More kitchen organizing tips from Martha here.

So back to kitchen organization....



I like the pegboards, baskets, and jars- everything looks so contained!
Would you be inspired to cook or bake more if your kitchen was clean, lovely, and organized?



These kitchens... just gorgeous. My favorite is the last one, with the industrial-frosty-glass cabinet doors.


xoxo,

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Southern Flourish: Knack Studios

Knack Studios is a home products company that specializes in furniture refinishing found objects. Not necessarily restored (as in, pieces are returned to their new condition), these pieces are revamped and redone into better looking furniture! I love the colors they use as well as the old worn edge technique.

 Of course, I would love this mustard colored dresser. AND that chair... (look familiar?)

 
 Southern Flourish did a great write up on them and even included a how to!
(Click image to enlarge)



Doesn't this inspire you to redo some thrifty furniture on your own? What is the best piece to redo... as in, what give the most bang for the buck? Sideboards, tables, chairs?

I think my vote is casegoods like these...

xoxo,

Monday, March 15, 2010

Monday Inspiration

Good Morning! I'm crossing my fingers for a fabulous week this week! Here are some pretty pictures to get the Monday happy/creative juices flowing:

 
Atelier AM has a lovely portfolio full of pretty images.

I really want to add this book to my design book collection.


 
SmittenKitchen posted this recipe a few days ago and I can't stop thinking about it. It could be healthy right? I think it would be much better as a breakfast-for-dinner kind of meal so it could be served with a salad... just sayin'.

 Still test-driving the red lipstick. Can you tell it's red?

xoxo,

Saturday, March 13, 2010

The Color Purple

Have you ever seen something as magnificent as this?
Pairs my love of mid-century modern furniture (love you, Mies van der Rohe) and the color purple... especially plum... sigh. 

I recently read an article in Real Simple about the color purple in interiors... which got me on a hunt for beautiful purple rooms. Beautiful purple rooms, do they exist, you ask? Why yes....

 Monochromatic color scheme- all varying shades of purples and greys.

A neutral room with a POP of fuschia/purple! Definitely my style. 


Isn't this fabulous? This pinky purple is so warm! I don't think I'd paint an entire room this color... 
maybe an accent wall or two. 
from AT.


Here's an example of the accent wall done well.
via AT.


I remember this image from the first time I saw it in Domino. I thought it displayed such good tonal layering. The gingham table cloth and vintage wooden dining chairs help too.
image from domino, via City Sage and AT. 




 So these monochromatic examples are cool and all... but I love punches of color....




If I had seen this color palette during the schematic design phases of the project, I would have been skeptical. How did they make powder blue, scarlet, lime green, and plum all work together without looking crazy-overwhelming? I dunno, but I love it. And I especially love that light fixture. Anyone know who makes it?
via. from here

The article from Real Simple had some great tips for Purple:

Best Dark Purple for a Living Room
Pelt 254* farrow-ball.com
"Serious drama. Great with moss green or lipstick red accents"


Best Dark Purple for a Dining Room
Poetic Purple 1010-5 lowes.com
“A rich color like this, with more red than blue, is gorgeous with dark wood furniture.”


Best Dark Purple for a Fireplace Wall
Academy Purple VM163 ralphlaurenhome.com
“It works like edgy art to bring attention to the hearth.”

Best Soft Purple for a Statement Piece
Purple Dahlia IB102* ralphlaurenhome.com
“A fun way to spruce up a flea-market side chair.”


Best Soft Purple for a Bathroom
Jasmine ML21 ralphlaurenhome.com
“A step up from white, it’s not overpowering but adds elegance.”


Now who wants to add some purple into their lives?! I do. Really, I do. 

xoxo,