He's Here!

Ladies and Gentlemen, please meet Reacher. We picked him up yesterday from a Vizsla breeder in North Carolina and we are all currently adjusting to the new addition to our family!

He enjoy cuddling, snuggling, sleeping and playing (alot). I know this must be a mother thing, but I think he just might be the most intelligent puppy ever. He slept 7 hours last night, walks beside us without a leash, and lets us know when he has to use the restroom.

The funniest thing is how much he LOVES to cuddle. He will crawl into my lap and fall right asleep and he has to be covered by a blanket or towel or he gets cold. Aww, love our puppy.

We are spending the day at home, working on potty training and getting to know our kennel. More updates later!

Wednesday Wonders

Today is a very special day for me and the hubs, but I can't tell you yet! I will show you tomorrow with some pictures! As I will be away from the computer most of the day here are some photos that have been inspiring me lately.

I love the combinations of this entry. The classic black and white floor, the decadent floral wallpaper, blue ceiling and the chandeliers. 

PINK door and shutters! Nate just informed me that he loved the way these vines are creeping up the front porch. 

I think this is pretty witty, the fish prints above the clawfoot bathtub. 

One of my all-time favorites. Wouldn't you just love to read in this room? Look at the beautiful beams and the sconces at the top of the built-in bookcase. I think all the details in this room are perfect, from the tray on the ottoman to the lamp.

Love the turquoise candles in the crystal chandelier. What a fun place to eat!

This vignette feels exotic, layered, colorful; like the owner has traveled the world and could tell wonderful stories.

Love the combination of the artwork above the chest with the more traditional paintings and drawings. Same goes for the blue lamp and tattered chair. Looks lived in and loved. 

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Paint Colors

Someone asked me what were the names of the colors used in our front entry. We actually had the helpful handy-men at Home Depot color-match two Ralph Lauren paints for us. We used Behr, which we loved, went on so smooth and very thick. Since they technically have no names I am just posting the labels.

This is the lighter stripe that was layered on top.

And this was the darker base (thats a 4 slightly disguised by paint).

Hope that helps!

Weekend Warriors (kind of)

This weekend one of my best friends (co-survivor of the school of architecture) came to visit me. It was so much fun to get to talk about interior design literally all weekend. We went to Ikea and I came home with two beautiful orchids, they were only 12 dollars each!

Then we spent the afternoon wandering about my local HomeGoods. In process we both picked up (and subsequently put back down) hundreds of dollars worth of steals. Talk about restraint, though I totally could see this in our home... Eileen goes so well with the genie lamp.

I did however come home with a new lamp that was on clearance for 35$ (he looks so lonely in the picture), a pot for one of my orchids, and some of Mrs. Meyers dish soap; I had to see what all the fuss was about. 

And I sewed two pillows like this. 

On Sunday Nate and I finally got around to painting his cornhole set (a groomsman gift from my brothers wedding in January). I, of course, did most of the work....

while Nate napped in the 70 degree February sun. :) 

All in all, a pretty productive weekend, though my second panel of curtains are watching me from the corner, waiting to be sewed. Rainy day project I guess!

Wedding Album Has Arrived!

A few weeks ago we received our beautiful wedding album from our photographers TJ and Michelle of Getz Creative Photography. We love them and their beautiful work! They were a pleasure to work with and captured the most moving and creative images from our wedding day.

These are just a few of my favorites that they posted on their blog. Especially the one above with us standing on the church steps, everything is perfect, the light, Nate's sunglasses :) One day soon I will post my top ten favorites!

If you are looking for someone to capture your wedding day or photos of your home and interiors (yes, they are jacks of all trades) then get in contact with them! Located in Greenville, but love to travel!

Happy Birthday

Master Bedroom Inspiration

While I am still percolating on our master bedroom there are a few images that I keep coming back to. I don't remember where it is from but the picture below is one of my all-time favorites. I love the dark, almost moody feeling with the crisp white bedding, the pops of color and the "layered look" as we call it in our family. 

Look at those beautiful colors in the one below. I am especially drawn to the combo of the oversized glass lamp paired with the mirror and the black and white print nestled on the side table. 

I will be making our own headboard from scratch when I finally find a fabric that strikes my fancy. Look at the beautiful grey paired with those nailheads. And the navy/grey combo. Is that paper or fabric on the ceiling? 

Wouldn't you just love to snuggle down in this bed? Looks so warm and cozy. 

Tomorrow I will head out to the fabric store Mary-Jo's in Gastonia to see if I can find curtains and headboard fabric. They also have wonderful cowhide rugs there for really reasonable prices. mmm? What do you like to see in a bedroom? Do you prefer calm, clean, layers of white or the layered look?

Inspiration + Design Coma

My husband came home from work the yesterday and I was staring blankly at my new Benjamin Moore paint deck and he knew right away what was wrong. My mind had been taken over Blade Runner style by too many ideas. I was in a design induced coma. There is not room enough in our apartment for me to carry out my visions. When this happens I try to narrow my vision by flipping through my design files for something to strike me. I pulled this picture up like 7 times yesterday.

from Lonny Mag

I love how the bold color is carefully balanced out with the neutrals. I am so inspired by it I might boldly paint my reclaimed (from the parents house) bedside tables in a similarly bright color. Then I saw this built-in on Brooklyn Limestone painted in the most perfect shade of grey, warm and neutral: Benjamin Moore lacquer in Silver Fox.

And of course there is the silver leaf tutorial by Jenny at Little Green Notebook that I have been obsessing about since she posted it. 

What do you think I should do? Of course, once I get them painted there will be the whole issue of 2.8 million knobs that I love to choose from, but another day. Once I choose fabrics for the headboard, curtains, and bedskirt I think the answer will come. Have a lovely weekend!

Wowsers

Grace Bonney posted our front entry makeover on Design*Sponge!

Paper. Yum.

I love paper. Today I went to Paper Source to buy paper for resumes and I spent 30 minutes looking at letterpress cards, oooing over the rainbow of colors, dreaming of witty and colorful business cards. I forgot how many cute cards they carried! Unfortunately, I could not buy them all *sigh.* But I did get one birthday card and a v-day card for hubs. One of my favorite parts about our wedding was ours stationery. We had them done by the ladies at Pearl & Marmalade and LOVED the letterpress.

The yellow in real life is more golden than yellow (like the save the date). But you get the idea. Below is a card I saw today that made me giggle because Nate actually read them, and liked it.

The inside says "Eternally Yours." From Seltzer Goods available at Paper Source.

I agree with Arthur

Look what I just stumbled upon! How appropriate for today :)

Vintage Printables

Rain, Rain, Go Away

My rainy day activities have been to bake desserts for our CARES chocolate buffet that we are having tomorrow night. I am making two of my mom's very simple semi-homemade desserts.  Wouldn't Sandra Lee be proud? 

If only my kitchen was as immaculate as hers...first up is a chocolate trifle...mmm.

Chocolate Trifle

1 Devil's food cake mix

1 12 oz. Cool Whip

1 small instant chocolate pudding

1 1/2 cups milk

1/2 cup amaretto

Heath Bars

Bake cake in rectangular glass pan. Cut into squares. Mix pudding, amaretto, milk. 

Layer:

1) cake squares

2) pudding 

3) heath bars (crumbled)

4) cooooool whip

Layer again! Top with heath bar crumbs. 

My layers are not quite as pretty as my mom's layers usually are, but it will do the trick. 

Up next is a chocolate chip bundt cake. 

1 yellow cake mix

1 small instant chocolate pudding

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup oil

3/4 cup water

1- 8 oz. sour cream

1 cup chocolate chips

Beat together everything but the chocolate chips, stir in chocolate chips. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour for one large bundt pan or 45-50 minutes for 2 small bundt pans. Dust with powdered sugar.

I borrowed two small bundt cake pans for mine. So cute! We are also going to have a chocolate fountain with all the fixins for our party, let you know how it goes!

The Unofficial Pictures

I wanted to post a peek at my draperies. I have only finished one panel and it still needs some final touches:

I will do a full post and some pictures without the northern exposure glare when I finish the second panel!

Love me some Thursday

This has been such an exciting week!
1) Yesterday was my birthday...23 years old.
2) Yesterday I finished sewing my first drapery panel (picture to come once hubs hangs it (tonight)).
3) TODAY we get our wedding album!
4) I met with a friend and I am going to help design their master bedroom.
5) Tomorrow I am going to stop at Tony's Fabric outlet on I-85 on the way to spend time with my parents. Ahh, what a beautiful place. All the fabrics are 6$ a yard.
6) Saturday is wedding dress shopping day for a dear friend!

I will post pretty pictures tonight!
Until then check out these beautiful, bold and unexpected striped roman shades posted by Laura Casey.

I love that they are PINK!

Merriment and Mayhem...and a sneak peek

Look what we got this weekend!

and a sneak peek at what I'm working with in the living room...