Home Sweet Seattle

Sweetness

2011-08-23T20:52:00.000-07:00

two of my favorite new people

Tick Tock

2011-08-16T21:00:00.000-07:00

Time is flying by!

Our sweet girls are three months now.

and my 'big girl' is ready to start another year of preschool

she was only six months when we snapped this picture

where did the time go?

Today's quick change

2011-08-04T17:02:00.000-07:00

I can't wait to blog about decorating again.

It will happen one day.

*sigh*

But the babies (and Betsy) have been keeping us on our toes.

(emily above, margo below)

I did, however, manage to squeeze in twenty minutes today

to change the rug in our dining room.

It was probably a bad idea since I threw my back out yesterday.

But I couldn't help myself.

This is still my favorite room in our house.

But it currently doubles as the twins' bedroom.

There's a diaper changing station on the buffet now.

We're glamorous, I know.

I had to make name tags to identify which crib belongs to who

(or is it 'whom'?)

Here's the new rug!

what do you think?

Our twins are 2 months!

2011-07-19T20:43:00.000-07:00

Wow. It's been two whole months.

We're still here, although some days I can't be so sure whether I'm here or there.

I found some cheap help (although she can't drive very well).

Our babies are smiling now. It's pretty darn cute.

They are also sporting their winter clothes in the middle of summer.

We're in Seattle for a few months.

Need I say more?

I will be back, but for now~ our hearts and hands are very full.

Our sweet babies are HERE!!!!

2011-05-18T13:50:00.000-07:00

May 12th was a very special day for us!!!

Our twins were born at 36 weeks.....

I can't believe it...

we've got two more sweet GIRLS!!!!!

Emily Brooks

12:29pm

5lbs, 2oz

We've always loved the name Emily! Brooks is my mother's maiden name and I somehow wanted

to incorporate it into our new family. Our sweet little Emily will definitely wear it well.

Margaret (Margo) Grace

12:30pm

5lbs, 15oz

Margaret was my husband's grandmother who passed away on April 11th. She was absolutely

one-of-a-kind, and we hope our little Margaret will be as funny, sweet and wonderful as "Mema" was.

Big Sister Betsy is taking her role very seriously and is doing a great job.

We are all at home, resting and enjoying our newest little McDs.

To say that we feel blessed is an understatement!

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-06T13:19:00.000-07:00

I think this sums it up best. Hope you all have a wonderful Mother's Day!!!!!!!!

Before I was a Mom;

I made and ate hot meals,

I had unstained clothing,

I brushed my hair every day,

I had quiet conversations on the phone,

I slept as late as I wanted and I slept all night long.

Before I was a Mom;

I cleaned my house each day,

I never tripped over toys or forgot lullabies,

I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous,

I had never been puked on, pooped on, spit on, chewed on, peed on, or

pinched by tiny fingers.

Before I was a Mom;

I never thought about immunizations,

I never held a screaming child so the doctors could give shots,

I never looked into teary eyes and cried,

I never felt my heart break into pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt,

I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.

Before I was a Mom;

I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put it down,

I never sat up late hours of the night watching a baby sleep,

I never got up in the middle of the night to make sure everything was okay,

I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.

Before I was a Mom;

I had complete control of my mind, my thoughts and my body,

I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside of my body,

I didn't know that having something so small could make me feel so

important,

I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache,

the wonderment, or the satisfaction of being a mom.

Before I was a Mom;

I never knew that something so small could effect my life so much,

I never knew that I could love someone so much,

I never knew I would love being a Mom,

I didn't know the bond between a Mother and her child,

I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much.

~anonymous

Babies, birds and a donut

2011-04-15T14:21:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday Friends!

32 weeks and counting.....

These babies are growing and KICKING like crazy!

Still on my feet, but now much slower.....

I stopped in at Starbucks yesterday for a donut. I haven't had a donut in at least three years. But I REALLY wanted one. The problem was, as I pulled up, three police cars did too~ and blocked the entrance when they jumped out of their cars and apprehended a shifty looking guy in an old junker of a car. I watched the scene go down but my concern was really centered on how I was going to get into the store for my donut.

I'm just telling the truth.

I weighed the options. Would I be able to run if something happened~ like if this guy went crazy and started a shootout, could I actually get away? What if he went into Starbucks and took hostages?

What if????

I think you know how this ends. I braved it all and stormed the joint. I got my donut.

The cops got their man.

Then I took a nap.

******

Now, onto another subject. A seriously great find!!!

i've got birds on my mind today. How cute are these plates?!

At first glance, I thought they were Anthropologie, but nope! They're West Elm!

And only $16 for the set of four.

Done.

Oh and they're melamine which means that my little miss can throw them around

and they'll still hold up!
(I think they'd look perfect with my next donut)

Cookie Monster Party complete!

2011-04-11T13:59:00.000-07:00

It's official. We have ourselves a three year old! Betsy celebrated with the help of all her pals one week before her birthday. I was excited to attempt a Cookie Monster theme, and I have to say~ for being 31 weeks pregnant, I was just thrilled that I was still on my feet for the big event!

homemade invitations

and treat bags

The cast of characters.

(take one)

(take two)

(take three). Over here guys!!!

special birthday crown made at school

I was excited to make these cupcakes for the party and her class

(and they were oh so easy!!)

and oh so tasty!

what's a cookie monster party without a cookie buffet?

Happy Birthday to my sweet little Cookie Monster!!!

Romantic Prairie Style

2011-03-29T11:34:00.000-07:00

I will start this post by saying~ I need a nap. More than I need water, air, or chocolate.

Today I need a NAP!!!!

And I was sure that I would get one... until the doorbell rang.

Waiting for me on my doorstep was a copy of Romantic Prairie Style~ and let's just say~

there will be no nap today!!!

Aside from the gorgeous front cover featuring Maria's home (Dreamy Whites~ who doesn't love her??!!), I came across these few pages which made me want to run off and buy a farm. Or at least an old farmhouse table.

Who wants pie?

Ahh, so lovely

photos by Mark Lohman

You can get your copy from Amazon.com!

Enjoy!!

Bumpdate~ 25 weeks

2011-02-24T12:54:00.000-08:00

My how they've grown! I posted a pic of my 21st week below.... and holy shmoly~ I'm officially huge!!

Hope you're all having a great Thursday!!!

This and that..... and getting BIGGER by the day!

2011-02-18T14:30:00.000-08:00

Hello Friends!
And a happy belated Valentine's Day to all of you. My sweet little Valentine had a party at preschool and this mama was in charge of the treat bags. I have to say, this is my favorite part about preschool!!!

My other two valentines are busy growing... and kicking! I'm officially six months along now, and getting slower and bigger by the day. The photo is from three weeks ago, but oh this tummy is certainly beginning to pop!

The only question that remains is... will I still be on my feet by the time my sweet has her third birthday in April??? I certainly hope so! I have been totally inspired to throw a Cookie Monster themed birthday party for my girl. This blog offered up some fabulous ideas!!!!! I am praying that I can pull it off. How adorable would this be?! All images below are courtesy of www.hostessblog.com

Me want cookies! And you will too after checking out this adorable Cookie Monster-themed Real Party thatStephanie Stach created for her son Alex’s 3rd birthday.

From adorable cups, party hats, and cupcakes inspired by our favorite sugar-loving monster to cookie-jar favors and giant cookies on sticks, this party is loaded with tons of sweet & super creative details!

Read on for all the details, as told by Stephanie…

*****

“I saw the adorable cookie monster cupcakes on HWTM, and immediately knew that it would be the perfect theme for our son Alex’s third birthday. It was so much fun to use the inspiration board as a starting point and build a party around it.

To make things easier to coordinate, I chose to go with many different shades of blue… it isn’t that easy to find the perfect cookie-monster blue! I made blue pom-poms from Martha’s tutorial to hang over the buffet, found acookie monster pinata at the local Party City, and even found bright blue spider-mums at the local farmer’s market.

To add a little extra fun, I put the mums in a vase filled with Cookie-Krisp Cereal, and wrapped it in blue striped scrapbook paper.

I made cookie monster party hats that the kids loved by embellishing a basic blue hat with a felt mouth, googly eyes and a pom-pom and fuzzy boa (inspired found here).

For drinks, I made the Cooking Monster cups from the HWTM inspiration board by hot gluing cookies and googly eyes to blue paper cups.

The food was all chosen to resemble cookies… we had round cinnamon toast topped with cream cheese and bananas, sausage biscuits, blueberry scones, and mini pizzas on the main buffet; and a separate cookie buffet with oatmeal sandwich cookies, M&M cookies, chocolate crinkle cookies, triple chocolate cookies, and chocolate chip cookies on a stick.

The highlight was still the Cookie Monster cupcakes, which my local bakery, Sweet N’ Sinful, did a fabulous job of replicating.

For a craft activity, the kids each made a Cookie Monster paper bag puppet out of bright blue bags and white and black construction paper that I precut for them. The bags were perfect for taking home their loot from the pinata.

For party favors, each child got a cookie jar filled with an assortment of cookies.

I found the jars at the dollar store, and embellished them with scrapbook paper, a pom-pom, and a tag that said “Alex’s Birthday was brought to you today by the letter A and the number 3. Thanks for Celebrating with Us!”

It was a great party. Thanks so much for the inspiration!”

*****

The magic number is TWO

2011-01-10T19:46:00.000-08:00

Two has been a number that has had alot of meaning lately.

My favorite person is two years old.

We had two Christmas trees this year.

I've got two new Lancaster sofas for sale on my other blog (www.sofasavvy.blogspot.com)

and I've got two babies waiting to be!

That's right... we're pregnant with twins! I'm just about 19 weeks along, and feeling TWO times as big as normal. Ugh. But we are also twice as excited, and can't wait to welcome them in May.

So, my absence can be attributed to weeks of sleepiness, a bit of nausea, a whole 'lotta hunger, and general mush brain.

It's going to be a wild ride over the next few months. But we're ready!

Blessings to you all in the New Year!!!!!!!

A great day to meet W.

2010-11-17T18:38:00.000-08:00

I have to share with you all. I met Former President George W. Bush this morning! He was in Houston for a book signing and I happened to be one of several hundred who had a 'reserved bracelet' to get into the event. My opinion of Dubya has changed over the years. I didn't vote for him in either election. And up until rather recently, I didn't care for him much at all. However, I will always remember his speech in the days after 9/11... when he showed up to tour the horrific scene and meet the firemen and first responders. When he grabbed the bullhorn and shouted that he could hear the workers, and that the whole world was about to hear him (totally paraphrasing here).... I suddenly had a whole new respect for him.

I also absolutely loved Laura Bush's book and started to really like W as a person as I read her account of life with George. So by the time his book was released, I was sold. I also came to the realization that as a President, he made decisions that we could not possibly understand unless put in the same shoes. I do think that history will decide what kind of President he was (along with every other). But I was thrilled to meet him and see that he was a gracious and funny man, and a true patriot.

This will be my one and only political post, but it's not truely meant to be that at all. It was just a cool moment in time that I will never forget! If you haven't read Laura's book.... it was a wonderful account of her life growing up and leading up to life in the White House. There are some fabulous decorating secrets of which first lady decorated which rooms too, and how they've changed over the years. I couldn't put it down!

Hello Friends, It's been awhile!!!

2010-11-11T12:06:00.000-08:00

Ugh, I am the WORST!!! The past few months have been nothing short of crazy (CRAZY) busy... and I have totally neglected my little blog. The funny thing is that I totally miss it ~ and reading all of yours ~ when I am not staying active on it. But here I am again, resurfacing for some much needed blog time.

We've been baking up a storm 'round here. My little miss and I made some sweet little scarecrow cupcakes for Nana and Pop Pop when they came for a visit.

We also enjoyed our first official year of trick-or-treating. Oh to say it was a hit, would be quite the understatement! The night went a little something like this...

Now we are preparing for Thanksgiving! Grammy is coming to visit, and we are hosting our first annual "Big Hair Texas style Thanksgiving". That's right folks. If you want to eat, you've got to come with big hair and big bling. It should be fun. In the meantime, we are all carefully considering our hairstyles... my husband included. I know he'll bring his A-game.

Happy Fall and Happy early Thanksgiving to all! We feel quite thankful for where we are right now, with good family and friends, health and happiness!

A little bit of Fall... Houston style

2010-10-15T10:08:00.000-07:00

It's here, it's here... my favorite time of the year! Pumpkins, lattes, scarves and holidays. I really think this is a fantastic combination all around.

We hit the pumpkin patch last weekend and my little friend found quite a few keepers

She thought the bumpy pumpkins were rather hilarious.

After a day at the patch, we headed home to decorate. This was taken the next day after school. Betsy had to make sure that everything was just right.

Happy Fall to you all! Can't wait to see what costumes / decorations you have going!

lessons from Bill

2010-09-09T10:04:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been awhile! Time to dust off this old blog and get back to it. The funny thing is that I've really had nothing new or exciting to post recently. It's been strangely calm and quiet around here, which is just what I like. So, while things roll on, I'll leave you with this (which was posted on facebook and borrowed from kent summers below). I hope to have more interesting things to say next time. Or maybe not, but thanks for checking in anyway! I'm still following and reading all of your blogs out there!!!

Bill Gates speech: 11 rules your kids did not and will not learn in school

by Kent Summers on Wednesday, May 26, 2010 at 7:34am

Rule 1: Life is not fair - get used to it!

Rule 2: The world doesn't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3: You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.

Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.

Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

We survived the first day of preschool

2010-08-19T13:32:00.000-07:00

Well, it's official. We are back to living in the sweltering heat and humidity of Houston. We had only three days to adjust to the time change and prepare for Betsy's first day of school. I frantically went to work on unpacking boxes, re-washing everything and then ironing tiny little name labels into every piece of clothing that kiddo owns.

And then it was the big day.

My girl woke up feeling "a little bit nervous", which we explained was perfectly normal and that certainly every little boy and girl were also feeling a little bit nervous too.

She clung to Daddy's leg, not wanting to venture into her classroom alone. It was pathetic. Kids all around us were crying as parents proudly snapped their photos and tried to manage just a tiny little smile.

We gave our last hugs and handed her off...

and away she went, straight for the dollhouse.

The bathroom makeUNDER before & after

2010-07-31T11:23:00.000-07:00

Happy Saturday to all!
I have finally managed to snap a few photos of the finished bathroom~ aka: the bathroom on a budget makeunder. I will remind you what it looked like before (much to my horror).

can you believe that we lived with this for two years?

ICK!!!

and now.....

classic and simple, and more 1908 than 1968

the shower curtain is from Anthropologie. I've waited SEVEN years to buy it.

I've got a little dressing table for this area under the window

but it's in our guest room for now

ahhhhh!!! It's DONE!

It's been awhile!

2010-07-26T20:42:00.000-07:00

I hate to think that summer as I know it is wrapping up.... but it is. Seattle has been such a wonderful (and much needed) break from the Houston routine. We've been enjoying our little Emerald City as if we are tourists~ traveling to different islands by ferry, hopping on the monorail to head downtown, and buying Space Needle snow globes, along with other silly little items to "remember" our home sweet home.

But come August 14th, we're headed back to Texas for another nine months. In the meantime, my posts will be short.... because I've still got a whole bunch of Seattle to enjoy before we go.

Oh... and the bathroom is done. Yay! Photo coming soon. Happy summer to you all.

It's my birthday! How much ice cream is too much??

2010-06-27T22:18:00.000-07:00

Hello friends!

I'm tired. No I'm pooped!! The laundry room is full of sandy clothes and suitcases. We left our bathroom under construction on Friday and headed for Cannon Beach, OR to celebrate my birthday (and escape the dust & noise!). Have you ever been to Cannon Beach? It's absolutely delightful!!! It reminds me of the very tiny town that I grew up in. And by tiny, I mean pop. 2300. It's much larger now.... I think they've hit the 4500 mark. But now I'm off on another subject.

Ahem.

Ok. Cannon Beach. It's quaint, picturesque, filled with adorable shops and restaurants, and the best (BEST) ice cream parlor. We went all three days that we were there. Ok, well~ on day 2, we realized that we hadn't had any ice cream, but it was far past Betsy's bedtime... so once she went to sleep, I snuck out (Tom was still in our hotel suite.... no need to call CPS), and got us both double scoops. Is that mean? We ate our ice cream in bed watching 48 hours Mystery while Betsy slept. It was after all, my birthday eve, and since I celebrate all month, I figured it was justified.

We also had a great time on the beach. The weather was perfect! A bit chilly and windy at first, but then, just GREAT.

We had to purchase the purple hat / mitten ensemble for our girl

Haystack Rock... quite a sight!

Plenty of sandcastles

and long walks

and this gorgeous sunset, a view enjoyed from our balcony

We have just returned home.... to a bathroom STILL under construction. But since it's my birthday, we had a bit more ice cream and it seemed to be the perfect ending to a perfect weekend away.

Have yourselves a wonderful week ahead!!

Bathroom photos coming soon!

Please meet my ugly bathroom

2010-06-17T16:08:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends! I hope you are all having a great week out there. What I'm about to show you is the source of our home's embarassment. But since you're friends, and not here to judge...

I present to you..... (drumroll please)
our.
ugly.
bathroom.

This is the one room in our house that we were too afraid / too tired / too worn down to tackle when we renovated our home a few years ago. Once we moved to Houston, it was a non-issue. But now that we are home for the next few months, I just can't let her look and feel so dated.

This radiator is my first project. Anyone ever painted a steam radiator out there? I hear it's quite a fun process. And by fun, I mean messy & stinky.

Next up... a new bathtub and surround. We're going completely classic and doing white glossy subway tiles. The flooring will be 1" white & black hex tiles. Let me tell you..... finding 1" white AND black hex tiles has proved to be like finding the elusive Bigfoot. But I've got 118 square feet on order, and I'm 100% thrilled.

This is a minimal makeover. A mini-makeover if you will, because I promised my husband that we wouldn't get carried away. So, no fancy chandelier, no taking the ceiling up to its original vaulted position, no new vanity. This is a freshen up (ie: keep the budget-low) makeover.

I can't wait to show you the results!

We are home! Come on in!

2010-06-09T12:43:00.000-07:00

Ahhhh. There is NOTHING better than leaving 102 degrees (with yucky humidity) in Houston for cooler days in Seattle. When we landed on Saturday, it was a rainy 51 degrees and completely freezing (comparitively speaking of course). So, after a quick trip to buy JACKETS, we came home and settled back in for two months of summer fun! There are so many projects that I can't wait to tackle. But here's a glimpse for now...

Circa 1908

I can't wait until it's warm enough to repaint the porch and freshen

everything up with flowers!!

Our living room... I've got big plans for this coffee table but for now, it's still doing the job. Oh, and the TV is tucked away when we are in Houston. It looks so much nicer hidden away behind those armoire doors!

When we bought this house it was a complete gut-job. But the fireplace was enough to make me want to stay.

Sofie the cat has claimed her spot on the sofa

another view

My favorite armoire, purchased for $200 at a San Francisco estate sale 8 years ago

I have a thing for vintage suitcases.

They are particularly useful for storing Christmas ornaments!

Pocket doors mark the entrance to our dining room

We boxed in the radiators to keep little fingers away.

The bonus is that kitty has extra lounging space!

An old shabby dresser works perfectly for wine & spirits when guests are here

I'm a huge fan of gallery walls for hanging photos.

I love the uniformity!

Welcome to our kitchen~

we took it down to the studs a few years ago and here's the result

We opted for store bought cabinetry over custom and I love how it turned out!

another view

The breakfast area~ where we spend most of our time

Needs a tablecloth, don't ya think? Maria from Dreamy Whites is having a contest
right now to win a lovely tablecloth & napkin set from Cabbages & Roses...
check it out when you are done here!

Fresh peonies straight from our little garden

I found the phone hidden away in the garage when we moved in

Now let's head upstairs!

I won this very cool canvas just last week from a giveaway offered by My Sweet Savannah. The artist Melissa, can be found at Momma Rhyne Designs. She did this custom canvas just for us, with our wedding date.

Here's Betsy's room. Another complete re-do!

There are two giant closets so I removed the doors from one to create a special little hideaway just for her

An old measuring tape finds new life as a curtain tie-back

the reading nook

special treasures

Raggedy Anne & Andy from my husband's childhood home

We ordered this decal years ago from France, and it hangs above the second closet in her room

another shot of the secret hideaway. I painted the wall inside with chalkboard paint and then used white paint to create a "frame"

she loves it in here..

Every girl needs some sparkle!

and onto the master bedroom

Our garden shed, which is completely covered in white lights..

a perfect backdrop for evening get togethers!

our little backyard "green" space

That's it, that's all.

Thanks for visiting!

Please excuse my drool.

2010-05-21T17:43:00.000-07:00

Hello friends!

Today I stumbled upon the most wonderful home (and blog!). I just love Brooke's design style.. and her bedroom~ oh her bedroom! Wait until you see it! She is one super talented interior designer who effortlessly mixes old and new. Check out her blog Velvet & Linen for more inspiration. But in the meantime, join me and drool over the photos below..

February 16, 2009

our home

Several of you have asked to see the inside of our home.
Although I have done several posts about parts of our home,
I have never given you a tour in a single post. So here it is...

The stacked cement pillars as well as the pathway are made up
of the broken concrete pieces that once were our old driveway.
I found the vintage gate and the pair of urns at a the
Santa Monica Flea Market.

Our little green dutch door allows us to open the door
without losing our pups. It also works well on Halloween!

Welcome to my home! It is a casual place.
We built it 7 years ago, but Steve and I wanted it to feel
like an old beach cottage. We incorporated many vintage
architectural pieces in the design including these old columns
and the blue corbels. Everyone in the family has their own "locker"
for their stuff by the front door.

There are actually 3 of these Murano glass ceiling fixtures
that illuminate the downstairs. I found them on 1st dibs when
Michael Bruno first started his wonderful site.
We have no recessed ceiling lights, so our whole home
is lit with ceiling fixtures, wall sconces and table lamps.

The living room is in the front of our house. It used to be all white,
but I wanted it to feel cozier. I warmed up the space by putting
grass cloth on the walls and painting the back of the bookshelves
Vert de Terre by Farrow and Ball.
The color matches the green stripes in my Bennison drapery fabric.
The bound sisal carpet with a small hook rug on top also added
warmth and texture.

Here is a close up of my Bennison pillows.
I found the painting on the wall at a flea market. I just love her.
I have several English bamboo pieces in my home,
like this book book case.

Behind the living room is my dining room.

Here is the another view of the dining room.
As you can see, our home has a very open floor plan.
It works well for a home this size and makes our home feel nice and airy.

The big mirror on the wall was once a church window, and the
ornate corbel came from an old home in New Orleans.
I found both elements at a flea market when we were building our home.

My kitchen is behind my dining room. We lit the kitchen with
school house fixtures and old holophane pendant lights.
The ceiling is covered with tin ceiling tiles painted white.
Windows behind the cabinets allow the light to illuminate my pink
depression glass. Cups and plates are displayed on open shelves.

The counter tops are honed Carerra marble, and the backsplash is
white subway tiles.

We paneled the refrigerator and used a Victorian screen door for the pantry.

The island is painted a light green and has a butcher block top.
We inset Carerra marble around the island sink to keep the wood away
from the water. My little desk is to the left, but it's always so messy
that it never gets into the pictures!

We used all green glass knobs and pulls on the cabinets.

I love my little skirted farmhouse sink.

Across from the kitchen is our family room.
My globe collection sits above the TV.
My 1920'a carnival chalk dog collection found a home in the shelves
by the window.

A little computer desk sits in a nook to the right of the TV.

The window seat to the left lifts up for game storage.

This enclosed garden room used to be my back porch.
We added all of the windows about a year after we built our home
when we realized it was too chilly to eat outside most of the time.
The farm table is huge and allows the kids to have tons of friends
over for dinner.

This cozy seating area is at the other end of the garden room.
It is a great place to sit and watch the kids in the pool or just read a book.
I keep dreaming of putting a little desk in here. I would love to work
and look out into the garden.

In case you were curious, this is what the back of my home looked like
before we enclosed the porch.

Time to go upstairs...

I recently did a post about my wallpapered laundry room,
but I will include a couple of images here as well since it sits at the top
of the stairs behind a pair of french doors with frosted glass.

Like the kitchen, the counter top is Carerra marble and the
backsplash is white subway tiles. All of our faucets in the entire house
are from Newport Brass.

For Leila, Steve designed a little bed nook with shelves for her books
and stuffed animals. We found some corbels to put in the openings.
I bought the lighting on E-bay.
We used lined match stick blinds in all of the kids' rooms.

Leila's bathroom was in the wallpaper post as well,
but it is too cute not to include in the tour.

Sorry, the boys' rooms were too messy for photos....

My bedroom is my favorite room in the house.
It really does feel as if you are up in a treehouse. I found all of the rugs
at flea markets, and all of the chandeliers were either purchased at
flea market or on Ebay. It was a wonderful way to furnish my home,
but an impossible way to furnish anyone else's home.
Because Steve and I are early risers, I was able to use unlined white linen
to cover all of the windows.

I found the mantle on Ebay as well
(again, something I could never do for a client).
The doors lead out to a small balcony.

My pretty little antique vanity sits on this side of my bedroom.
The wall is covered with Steve's beautiful drawings.

Thank you for stopping by!

Brooke

Wishing you all..

2010-05-09T13:19:00.000-07:00

a very happy Mother's Day!

It has been a relaxing day here.

just perfect in fact

Tom and Betsy are over at the pottery painting studio

creating something special

I'll have to wait 7 days to see what it is!

But she also made me this, with the help of a very kind babysitter

who found plenty of old stickers lying around our craft closet

Happy, Happy Mother's Day to all you great MOMS out there,

including my very own!!!

Pack your bags, we're off to New Orleans!

2010-04-30T13:44:00.000-07:00

Come along with me.... you don't need a thing.

Just sit back and I'll do the driving.

I should preface this by saying that I've never been to New Orleans. But I've always wanted to go.

I didn't know how dirty of a city it would be.

I didn't know that Bourbon Street was lined with "Gentlemen's clubs" and hobos.

I thought that all the streets would have cute little cafes and men in seersucker suits tootin' their horns and kickin' up their feet.

I did. I really thought that.

So when we got to New Orleans, I was confused.

There was alot of trash.

And unsavory characters.

But among the trash and unsavory characters, there was also the beauty that I was hoping to find.

It was in quiet places...

It was in architecture..

And in simple moments spent with this girl at the aquarium.

It was at Oak Alley Plantation

A place that was peaceful and beautiful, but also holds a history full of sadness.

The trees were over 300 years old

connecting past to present.

When the tour was over,

we were offered mint juleps.

But since we had our little Southern Belle with us, we opted for ice cream

and a cruise around the Garden District on the St. Charles Streetcar

We ran right into Sandra Bullock's house. She was moving in!

It's true. Her mom was there helping her and the street was lined

with moving vans.

No sign of you know who... his name rhymes with Messy Mames.

Back to the hotel

to take in the scenery

and enjoy some R & R.

It was a great mini-roadtrip!

I am oh so thankful.

2010-04-19T12:49:00.000-07:00

On friday, right when I finished up my last post about my favorite finds, a really horrible thing happened.

My little Betsy was supposed to be napping, but instead, she was standing in her crib waiting for me to rescue her. I could see her from our video monitor, and I knew that she needed to rest, so I avoided going upstairs until she got in a quick 20 minute nap.

But to my horror, she instead launched herself over the rails of her crib, and landed head first on the hardwood floor. The sound was the worst thing I have ever heard in my entire life, and surely it will replay in my mind forever. I rushed up the stairs to sounds of screams and scooped her up.

We sat in the rocking chair... her favorite...for a good few minutes until she calmed down. Right about this time I noticed a huge goose egg forming on the top of her forehead and we quickly rushed off to the Emergency Room.

The Doctor sedated her and performed a CT scan. My husband rushed over to meet us and we waited with a very sedated Betsy in our arms, to make sure that everything was ok. Radiology called to tell us that she would be fine. There was no bleeding on the brain, no fracture. It was just a really bad fall, with a really big war wound.

Life is so precious. It changed in just one minute on that afternoon. Thank God for the outcome, but it was very, very scary. For all the moments when I wished that she would nap just five minutes longer, and all the annoyance I felt when I wished she wouldn't throw her sippy cup across the table...... I am reminded that life is a precious gift than can be altered or taken away in an instant. Hug your babies tight tonight!

Before I was a Mom;

I made and ate hot meals,

I had unstained clothing,

I brushed my hair every day,

I had quiet conversations on the phone,

I slept as late as I wanted and I slept all night long.

Before I was a Mom;

I cleaned my house each day,

I never tripped over toys or forgot lullabies,

I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous,

I had never been puked on, pooped on, spit on, chewed on, peed on, or

pinched by tiny fingers.

Before I was a Mom;

I never thought about immunizations,

I never held a screaming child so the doctors could give shots,

I never looked into teary eyes and cried,

I never felt my heart break into pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt,

I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.

Before I was a Mom;

I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put it down,

I never sat up late hours of the night watching a baby sleep,

I never got up in the middle of the night to make sure everything was okay,

I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.

Before I was a Mom;

I had complete control of my mind, my thoughts and my body,

I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside of my body,

I didn't know that having something so small could make me feel so

important,

I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache,

the wonderment, or the satisfaction of being a mom.

Before I was a Mom;

I never knew that something so small could effect my life so much,

I never knew that I could love someone so much,

I never knew I would love being a Mom,

I didn't know the bond between a Mother and her child,

I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much.

~anonymous

Friday finds!

2010-04-16T12:35:00.000-07:00

I was driving home from tennis today when I spotted a sign for an estate sale out of the corner of my eye. With just twenty minutes left to "beat the clock" and get home before the babysitter left, I made the executive decision. Drive quickly, look quickly, explain later.

Sho' nuff..... in the next ten minutes I found myself racing up the driveway of a great old Houston home, knowing that just beyond the next wall would be a couple of things that I couldn't live without.

Jackpot!

Here's what I found..... and what my hubby had to haul home for me on his lunch hour..... because he's just THAT great!!!!

These wrought iron chairs don't photograph well, but let me tell ya....
I love them!!!

With a bit of dolling up (ie: shabby cushions), they will be just perfect.

Even more perfect? the entire set, including table & ottoman~ $25

you can't get these kind of details without paying a fortune!

Love these chairs.... and only $20 for the pair

Six new and unique bottles..

I've got to spruce them up with some flowers, but let's start with this and I'll update later.

A whopping .50 each

Aside from the chairs, I also found this adorable little table.

Never mind the tray on top. I just threw these things in the bedroom until

I can figure out what the heck I'm going to do with my new treasures.

table~ $15

Happy Friday everyone!!

Have a great weekend!

Two Years of Sweet Betsy Jane

2010-04-11T18:17:00.000-07:00

It's official! We've got ourselves a two year old.

We had a wonderful Strawberry Shortcake inspired party on Saturday...

lots of cake, lots of friends, lots of fun!

It started with homemade invitations, in all different styles

and ended with plenty of sugar!

and in between, there were giggles & squeals

and smiles....

and wishes....

with all of our new Houston friends

I think she had fun!

and after it was all over, I sat down and remembered those first days

and first vacations

first holidays

and some of those crummy tears

but mostly smiles

and lots of laughs...
because this girl has our sense of humor

and it made me feel very, very thankful to be her mommy.

Giveaways, giveaways!

2010-04-08T12:55:00.000-07:00

My very talented sister-in-law is doing a GREAT giveaway of one of her original watercolor paintings! Have a look and tell all your friends! Here's a little sample of her work and a link to her blog...

Cielo Azul Jewelry

Make sure to stop by her neck of the woods. Aside from this giveaway, she's also got a wonderful line of jewelry and crafty cool crocheted brooches, among other things.

Guess who else is having a giveaway? My Sweet Savannah is offering up the hands of time! Check out her blog~ it's wonderful! And Home and Harmony is giving you the chance to win some delightful drinking glasses~ they are the bees knees!!!!

Good luck everyone!

The big number 2...

2010-04-01T12:54:00.000-07:00

The party committee of one (me!) is gearing up for a momentous occasion. My sweet little Betsy Jane is turning two on Sat, April 10th. It seems like just yesterday that she was born. But now..... TWO! Where has the time gone?

It's gone to learning new words, like "alligator" and "vitamin"

It's gone to hours spent playing with baby dolls and puzzles

It's gone to middle of the night cries & mama rocking her back to sleep

It's gone to first giggles, first steps and first milestones

So this girl deserves something special for the big day. Our theme has shifted from Rodeo to Strawberry Shortcake. Turns out that a trip to the party store was all it took to remind her how awesome that little redhead & her friends are. So.... here we go.

The party planner is going to be busy this week and next. But it will be well worth it. After all, you're only two once.

All farm photos taken by my incredibly talented friend Jen Tsung, who definitely needs to turn this hobby into a career.

So wanting and missing this view!

2010-03-22T13:58:00.000-07:00

Just browsing our Seattle real estate market today, as I often do, and wondering just how this poor economy will affect the resale of our house when the time comes. It's funny. When we bought our house, we were newly married and it seemed just perfect! I loved the character and the history. Our house was the original home from 1908 that was part of the Magnolia Dairy Farm in Seattle. It's by far, the oldest home on our block. I loved the style~ a true Dutch Colonial, with its door set off to the side, and a great sloping roofline.

The house was purple when we bought it and needed a GOOD facelift. Being naive and blissful as newlyweds, we added up numbers in our heads and assumed that we could make this thing over in a few simple steps. HA. We were wrong. But after countless contractors, countless mishaps, countless over-budget conversations, we were just about finished. The result was a home that we loved. And still do! Don't get me wrong.

Here's what we've done to make this house a home:

http://share.shutterfly.com/share/received/welcome.sfly?fid=4dca0d357c620e639a16dcf07a6807f9&sid=8Qbt2LRw5aMKO

But the problem is, now that we have a family, we are discovering that our dream home has more of a funky layout (only 2 bedrooms upstairs, and one bath) than once mattered. So, aside from putting our future children in the basement, the only solution will be to eventually find another house.

One of the things that I absolutely love about Seattle are the views. My husband is a 'water guy', but I am more of a 'sweeping skyline' sort of girl. This house, that I just found online, seems to offer both. Can't you just picture an evening on the deck, with sun setting over the Space Needle? I can!!!!

http://www.windermere.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=listing.listingDetailUpdated&listingID=67364951

The home itself looks ok character wise... but what I'm really loving are those views. Granted, it's probably too small, offers no backyard, and would be entirely impractical. But just for a few minutes, I'm going to dream of that deck.... a cup of Starbucks in hand (yep, Seattle = Starbucks = happy girl), hubby by my side, and a lovely Seattle sunset.

Any Charleston lovers out there?

2010-03-12T13:44:00.000-08:00

Of all the places we could go for a long weekend, the only one on my mind is Charleston. I've dreamt of visiting this sweet southern spot for many years now.. but since we are living in Houston for the next year(ish), now is as good of time as any!

photo cred

But where to stay?

photo cred

what to see?

photo cred

Half the fun of planning a vacation is really in the planning stage, isn't it?

When the possibilities are endless?

photo cred

I see that I am asking alot of questions here.
But what I'd really like to know is~

Have any of you been there? Where are the best shops, restaurants, etc?

My husband has his sights set on long days spent at the beach.
But I get too antsy.

I want to stroll..
and check out that beautiful historical architecture..
and do some shopping!

Any suggestions?

This just in... GIVEAWAY WINNER!!!

2010-02-26T16:39:00.000-08:00

We just enjoyed a delicious 'dinner' of breakfast on this Friday evening... pancakes, turkey bacon and eggs. We really live it up here, don't we?

And then.... it was time for the big giveaway drawing. My little friend here, all amped up on syrup, was the official picker (sounds bad, doesn't it?!).

The anticipation builds.

The crowd waits with bated breath.

who will win? and what prize will they choose?

the winner is chosen. But wait, this girl can't read!!!

"you want the truth?! you can't handle the truth!!" she sort of exclaims.

Congratulations LuLu & Co! You WON!!!

Send me an email with your address, and your gift of choice and it's on the way.

Have a very happy weekend everyone!! Thanks for entering!!

a bunch of thanks.. and last chance to enter my giveaway!

2010-02-24T05:19:00.000-08:00

Good morning all! I'm so excited about my new friends & followers here. Thanks for visiting my little neck of the woods. I've read all of your blogs and am so happy to meet you!

Here's my touch of spring on this cold February morning. I found this cute little burlap sack over at Vintage Junky.. How great is this?

Today's agenda includes a trip to the gym... where I will pretend to be a contestant on the Biggest Loser, and work out until my knees give out, my vision goes blurry, or I have a Dick Cheney style heart attack. I've got a new motivation and it's called ~ BAD PHOTOS.

Have you ever seen a picture of yourself and thought.... "nooooo. I don't look like that. I couldn't possibly look like that!!". Well, I just saw one of myself that made me a bit~ shall we say~ crazy?! Ok, it was actually more like 10 photos.... all shot at the same bad angle, all highlighting the flaws that I am most uncomfortable with.....all captured and put into an album and exposed on facebook.

Gulp.

Now, I don't think that I am an especially vain person. Once I had my daughter, I really had a priority shift. There are many days when I find myself covered in applesauce, my hair has shifted over to a bad side ponytail, there's cat hair on the back of my sweater.... I can deal all that. But for some reason, seeing a double chin, tired eyes and bad roots captured on film and preserved forever makes me want to take action.

So, you'll know where to find me today.

But while I'm there, you still have a chance to enter my giveaway! It looks like the burlap clutch is the fan favorite (mine too). So, tell your friends... and enter, enter, enter! Drawing will take place on FRIDAY at 6pm!

Oh, and speaking of giveaways! My very talented sister-in-law has a brand new blog Cielo Azul Jewelry and is doing her own giveaway to bloggers and FB friends. She's got a gorgeous jewelry line and is also quite the crafty knitter!

A 'tell all your friends' giveaway!!!

2010-02-18T13:37:00.000-08:00

Well, here we are! This is my very first giveaway. I'm sure that I should be waiting until I have 100 followers or something, but I just figured~ what the heck! Especially since I just won a giveaway, there's just no better reason to pay it forward.

Sooooo....

I bet you want to see what you may win? What's that? You do? Alrighty then. But let me say this first... I am offering you the choice between TWO different prizes. I liked them both, and since I couldn't decide which to give away, and which to give to a friend for her birthday (I don't think she's a blog reader), I'll give the choice to YOU dear friends!

Here's the first choice~ this adorable clutch! So cute, I had to buy one for myself. And guess where I got it? Guess! Can you believe that I found it at Old Navy? It's true! I sooo wouldn't lie. And it combines the things I love most right now.... burlap and shabby flowers.

Next up, choice number two~ a few cute items from Anthropologie!

First, we have this adorable coin purse. I don't know about you, but I always seem to have loose change (and raisins) rolling around in the bottom of my purse and it drives me mad. MAD I tell you!

Now you can keep your raisins... or coins... safely tucked away

But that's not all folks. Along with this coin purse, you'll also get an equally fancy hand creme

(the scent is peony & lily) which is small enough to actually FIT inside said purse...

and you'll also get this adorable SAVON soap dish. It's hard to see the details, but they're there.

I promise.

So, if you'd like to enter my little giveaway, leave a comment. Better yet, become a follower! If you do become a follower, or if you link to me on your blog (thank you very much!!), you'll get two entries. Just let me know that you've done it, and I'll enter ya TWICE.

The drawing will be held on Friday, February 26th

When you comment, be sure to tell me which item(s) you'd like to win!

Your odds are quite good since my blog is so new!!!

But with every comment, I meet new friends. And neighbors. And cool moms.

And that's what this is all about, right?

So, spread the word.

And thanks for entering.

And thanks for reading :)

A lucky day indeed

2010-02-17T07:12:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning to sunny skies.
It's frightfully COLD, but sunny.

Then I checked my favorite blogs, and guess what? I'm a giveaway winner! You would think that I just won the lottery with the amount of excitement I am feeling. I don't win anything!

*But let me tell you, I could use a bit of cheer and spring right now*

Jill at Forever Cottage hosted this giveaway, and she chose the most perfect items! I will soon be the proud owner of....

these adorable Pottery Barn mini nests

and a bag of large natural eggs...

And a set of three adorable mini bird candles!

oh they are so cute!!!

Well, that inspires me to do my own giveaway.

More details to come in my next post!

one chair, nine lives

2010-02-15T13:38:00.000-08:00

This chair has many meanings to many people. But it also has a great history. My mom scored this find about 30 years ago at the dump for 5 bucks. It was upholstered in a tan chenille and was in great condition. The chair lived in our small house, in good times and bad, for the next 20 years.

When my parents divorced, it was given to my Uncle and his family. Unfortunately, the chair was thrashed over a period of years. By the time I saw it again, it had basically been destroyed. I was heartbroken. After negotiating a deal, I managed to buy the chair back from him and had it shipped to Seattle. This five dollar investment needed a good makeover, and it was time.

When we moved to Houston, we brought it. After many months of moving, waiting, upholstering mishaps, more waiting, cushion problems, leg problems, and more money down the tubes, it's finished. I present to you...

the chair.

It's finally home again!

Love the ones you're with!

2010-02-13T05:35:00.000-08:00

It's Valentines weekend, and we've got big plans here.

image courtesy of the Graphics Fairy

Betsy & Mama are headed to storytime at Barnes & Noble this morning, where the story will focus on Chinese New Year. It's a great time to get out of the house and escape the RAIN....

and someone gets to eat a cookie while the story is being read.

I call that a win-win.

Last week, she was given a chocolate graham cracker and I was completely unprepared~ having left the wipes at home. By the end of the story, she looked alot like this....

but with a smile!

yep, that's more like it.

This morning, I surprised my Valentine with a day off. He doesn't have to do a thing, except get a massage that I scheduled for him... and have dinner with me at a fancy shmancy restaurant that we've been eyeing for the last few months, but haven't gotten around to trying.

Betsy & I will be making cupcakes and cookies today

to give to the Nanny and our neighbors.

I think it's going to be a great day.

I am a very lucky girl.

I've got two great Valentines.

xoxo

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend, with plans big or small. Love the ones your with!

It's complicated

2010-02-10T13:44:00.001-08:00

Quick! Name this movie!

One glimpse at the photos and surely you'll guess "Something's Gotta Give".

In fact, I'm sure you've seen these pictures a thousand times. But I never tire of seeing them. So much inspiration, so little time.

designer: Beth Rubio

So where have I been for the last two hours?? Watching "It's Complicated" the newest chick flick by Nancy Meyers. I initially did not want to see this movie, thinking that there could not be a more unbelievable couple (Merryl Streep & Alec Baldwin.. really?). Again I say, REALLY? But I was pleasantly surprised. I should've known off the bat! Nancy Meyers never disappoints (nor does Steve Martin). But the real star of the show was the HOUSE. I wanted to freeze frame so many moments in the movie just so that I could have a better look. Next three photos are courtesy of Melinda Sue Gordon.

all

Now

All pho

I may just have to see it a second time! Plot shmot.
I'm there for the house.

And let's keep this to ourselves, but I'm smuggling in my own popcorn.

And maybe a diet peach snapple.

I'm wild like that.

Hooray for new friends

2010-02-08T19:50:00.000-08:00

Just a little note to say THANK YOU to my new blogging friends, who have so thoughtfully commented on some of my posts, or just stopped by to visit. If we lived closer, I'd invite you over for a glass of wine..

and I'd probably be the first to spill it on one of these marvelous little numbers....

and it's quite possible that I would trip over my own shoelace on the way to the kitchen for a dish towel...

all photos: Country Living

but since you're my friend, it wouldn't matter.

Here are a few of my new peeps that are always welcome here!

The wonderful LuLu from LuLu & Co, who became my very first follower, even though I didn't know her, but I loved (LOVED) her blog upon first visit..... and I must say that she is one of the nicest people I've ever met!

Heather at Also in England, who inspired me to start this darn blog in the first place! And who's recipes, talent and craftiness are so beyond my reach that I just have to live vicariously through all of her great stuff..

Maria from Dreamy Whites, who also took a chance on this girl from Seattle (and now.. sort of.. Houston). She has turned my love of white upside down!

Christina over at Full House because she is not only a mother of 5 (F.I.V.E), but also because she is showered, dressed and beautiful.. still has time to blog.. manage an etsy store.. and did I mention her 5 include a set of twins and a set of triplets? Awesome!

And to my two friends who just started blogs~ Carol, my friend & sis-in-law at Cielo Azul Jewelry and Natasha, my great Seattle running pal at Cup of Tea and a Slice of Life

Thanks ladies!!! I hope to meet more of you, and your friends, very soon!

In a nutshell

2010-02-06T20:16:00.000-08:00

where I'm from..

where we'll stay...

where we were hitched..

on a perfect October day..

Where we live..

where we play...

But for now...

we're far away..

with skies that are blue..

no napping today (!)..

Not too shabby...

at least until May.

The most dreamy little bedroom

2010-02-05T10:11:00.000-08:00

Just have to say that I found the most adorable bedroom over at Dreamy Whites. It would be every little (or big) girls dream come true! Here's a sneak peek!! Can't you just imagine the late night giggles and nail polishing sessions that will go on in here? Many more photos of this room on Maria's blog!

Seeking teeny tiny condo inspiration..

2010-02-04T17:10:00.000-08:00

I am so excited to say that my mom is movin' on up.. out of her house that is a bit crumbly and is too much to manage for just one person... and into a picture perfect condo in an active adult gated community. It's like 55+ heaven. Really and truly, this is a great move for her. It's cute and maintenence free, the community shares a 6000 square foot clubhouse, two lakes, pool & spa, and... wait for it... a shuffleboard court.

But downsizing, although a good thing, comes with certain challenges. This condo is a 2bd, 2 ba~ 800 square foot unit. And oh do I have my work cut out for me! The guest bedroom will need to double as an office, and lemme tell ya~ business will be booming. My mom is a funeral director, or as I like to call it~ an 'event planner'. And with an active 55+ community at her fingertips, she will also be meeting with lots of potential clients, if you catch my drift.

I'm thinking of this for the living room color palette. She hasn't even seen it yet, so if you're reading this Mom, I sure hope you like it!

I was so excited, I didn't even trim my pages before scanning.

Sorry type As.. but sometimes I'm a messy little page ripper outer

Better Homes and Gardens

The browns / blues continue in the bedroom. It's such a cute look~

not overly cluttered, just clean, simple and classy.

I'm going to add a lovely small shabby chandelier that I found too

Better Homes and Gardens

I love this bottom photo. It just proves that you can cram a bunch of furniture

into a tiny little space and still make it look appropriate.

I'd love to sit down on this couch and read US Weekly

My mom totally deserves this new place. She is such a hard worker... I can't wait to turn this into her own little retreat.... somewhere cozy and safe where she can come home at the end of the day and not worry about fixing a broken garage door or mowing the lawn. It's all for you Mama! Love, your #1 Grill.

A room to call her own

2010-01-30T13:01:00.000-08:00

Betsy's little room has been such a work in progress! We're in a rented house, far away from home sweet Seattle.. and far away from the comforts of home decorating (my favorite stores & fremont sunday market!!). When we moved to Houston, I left behind all of my favorite things. I don't know why.. I think it was because I knew that I would eventually come back to them, and seeing them in their perfect little places would make me feel like I was HOME again.

But that was a dumb idea. Because now I'm far away, and I miss my stuff. My vintage suitcases that I fill with christmas ornaments.... my collection of white ironstone.... my favorite and totally cheap spatula (I can't find the same one and it's driving me mad).

Anyway, the one room here that I really wanted to get right was Betsys. She is almost two and I'm sure she couldn't care less... but I tackled this room first. I mean, how could you resist pleasing this face??

Everything was done and fine, but one wall remained. I couldn't find anything that I liked for it, so last night I made my own little masterpiece (errr, pieces).

I started with five "butt ugly" frames, as my mom would say....

Then I got a little crafty

and a little messy

and here's what I came up with

I also added this cute little hook combo that I found (on another wall)

The americana print is from my husband's childhood home

every girl needs a place to hang her hat

after a long day of roundin' up raisins and ropin' dollies

Her royal sofa..

2010-01-25T12:30:00.000-08:00

photo credit: Robin Stubbert. Country Living Magazine

Check out this gorgeous english roll arm sofa! Ever so "in" right now, a version of this sofa can be purchased by little old ME. Here is ours below, shown in

"Rubino Flax", but also 100% customizable.

www.sofasavvy.blogspot.com for details

Marburger Farm

2010-01-18T15:31:00.000-08:00

I was just being a nosy neighbor, checking up on my favorite blogs, and I noticed over at Sweet Pea that the Marburger Farm antique show is coming up. After quickly mapquesting where the heck Round Top Texas is, I found out that I am just 1 hour and 45 minutes away. I googled Marburger Farm and found all sorts of wonderful photos from past years.

I am really excited to add this to my calendar! Mark the dates if you live in Texas... March 30-April 3rd. And please don't take all the good stuff. With a stroller, I'm just not able to run as fast as I used to. But I can use it as a weapon if need be, so watch your heels. Shelley from Sweet Pea will be in Tent H and I can't wait to meet her in person.

Chalk talk

2010-01-14T12:09:00.000-08:00

I am really missing my favorite flea market in Seattle right about now. It's always around this time, after the dawn of a brand new year, that I'm inspired to buy a hunk of junk, save it with a facelift and bring it back to our 100 year old dutch colonial. But this year, we are in Houston (until May.. so the countdown begins now!) and I just can't seem to find a comparable flea market. I've found a few junk markets. And a few markets where I think I brought actual fleas home.. but no shabby chic sellin', vintage suitcase findin', flour sack buyin' flea markets. If anyone out there knows of a place, please share.

I'm desperate..

will drive far

can bake you cookies...

Last week, I stumbled upon a review for the Texas Junk Company. If you live near Houston, you should probably check this place out. It wasn't quite all I hoped it would be (because it was dirty~ and I do mean dirty), but they have a ginormous selection of used cowboy boots in all sizes which is quite a sight, along with more frames than you can ever dream of.

Unfortunately, the place was cash or check only~ and of course, I had only nineteen dollars in hand, but I was lucky enough to come away with this, before I used the remainder of my chump change (is it chunk change or chump change? I like chump) for an emergency Starbucks run on the way home.

30 x 40 with great details

and a burlap inset which made me do a jig in the middle of the junk

So, what to do with this little lovely? Only one thing of course. Chalkboard!!!! We went over to Home Depot on Sat and bought a piece of cheap birch plywood and had them cut it down to 30x40. I primed and then spray painted the board using chalkboard paint. Several coats later, I realized that I hate spray paint. It makes me feel sort of out of control and I don't like relying on a tiny ball in a can to regulate my paint distribution.

Anyway, once the board was dry, I prepared the rest of my supplies.

The snapple seems irrelevant, but it was considered necessary.

The process was as follows:
tape, prime, paint. Paint, paint, paint. Sip.
Check on sleeping baby. Still asleep.
Wait. Watch paint dry.
Sand.
Secure back with hinges. Swear a little.
Remove hinges and start over.
Sip.
Secure wire on back to hang.
Hang on wall and admire work.

Here it is!

A nice big board for this nice bare wall.

with hints of the grey peeking through

please don't fall.

Favorite things

2010-01-06T09:15:00.000-08:00

This new dresser in my favorite shade of grey

shabby chic goodness

symmetry
except...what is this I see??
top row, #4...do you see it?
oh it's going to drive me crazy!

a comfy cashmere throw..

a quilt which doubles as a tablecloth.. just because it can

This girl

A Christmas dinner do-over on Jan 5th because I was sick on real Christmas

our master bathroom, with separate his and her walk-in closets..

"hers"

Baby Jennifer makes her comeback

2010-01-02T18:31:00.000-08:00

In 1977, I was given a Vogue Doll, which many of you will remember. My grandmother picked her out just for me because she said that the doll looked like me. Naturally, she was bald and so was I (at 16 months old). I named this doll Baby Jennifer, after myself of course. Baby Jennifer and I were inseparable for many years. She went to the grocery store, the doctor, the dump... everywhere we went, Baby Jennifer went. She tells a story of once being left at Mervyn's department store (back in the day when Mervyns was a pretty big deal). My dad had to drive the 40 miles back to the store to retrieve her before she found her way to the trash. Oh the things she's seen in her lifetime.

Years later, Baby Jennifer was stashed away in a drawer. She was missing a leg and had been very well loved and worn. What she needed was a nice long sleep.

Fast forward to Christmas of 2009. My mom retrieved Baby Jennifer, had her repaired and given the once over by a baby plastic surgeon, and gave her to my daughter Betsy (20 months) for Christmas. Betsy immediately took to her. Maybe it was the blinking eyes of the little old cherub face, but it was such a treat to see her excitement with her new (32 year old) baby.

Sweet Christmas Sentiments

2009-12-19T05:37:00.000-08:00

Let's talk tradition. I love it!! I love everything about it!! Growing up in a teeny tiny family, as an only kid, I can tell you that I longed for brothers and sisters and a great big family who had TV like productions on the holidays. I wished for "a kids table" at dinner, and Aunts and Uncles in festive holiday sweaters... but it didn't really happen so poetically. Instead we had a mush pot of friends, family, lonely neighbors, stray acquaintances, you name it... Everyone would ultimately gather around our holiday table for dinner. My mom would slave away in the kitchen, making Christmas favorites, along with traditional Russian recipies, and whenever I'd ask her who was coming for dinner, she'd just shrug her shoulders. No one ever knew who was coming to dinner~ they'd just show up.

Over the years, we had some very memorable Christmas dinners. Some were great, some were not so great, but I was always excited to see just who would show up. Now, some twenty years later, we've adopted the "just show up" tradition to our Thanksgiving dinner. And I love it!

My wish for Christmas tradition came true when I married into a gigantic Irish Catholic family three years ago. It was everything I ever wanted in Christmas! A full house with lots of kids running around, my mother-in-law wearing the festive holiday sweater, a game of touch football in the backyard... I wouldn't change a thing. This year, our daughter Betsy Jane is 20 months old. I cannot tell you how excited I am to share this Christmas with her. Our favorite traditions have become her traditions now. Here are a few of my favorites that we just can't go without...

Getting our Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving. I simply couldn't sleep the night before we bought our tree this year. And Betsy thought it was absolutely hilarious that we put it on top of the car to transport it home. This year was especially great because Grammy was here from California & got to spend her birthday and Thanksgiving with her first grandbaby.

Decorating a Gingerbread house. As you can imagine, this takes on a whole new meaning with a toddler. I decorated and she fed her baby the tiny bags of candy.

Buying a new ornament for our daughter (and hopefully more children in the future) each year. This tradition was started by my husband's grandmother "Mema". Last year, we were given all of Tom's ornaments from the time he was born until now. We still receive a new ornament each year from his mom, and now we've started the same tradition for Betsy.

Christmas Jammies! It wouldn't be Christmas without a new pair of pjs. Nick and Nora had the absolute cutest pajamas this season. Yay for Target and saving a few bucks.

Christmas gatherings, whether large or small, with friends, family or neighbors, are what you make of them. From our house to yours... Merry Christmas! It is the smallest things that we do for others that embrace the spirit of giving. Inviting someone to "just show up" may be the biggest gift of all this year.

Home is where the heart is.. y'all

2009-12-15T20:17:00.000-08:00

This is our first Christmas in Houston. Three months ago, we packed up our belongings, the dog and the cat, and headed south for the winter. We will be in Houston until summer, when the weather warms to ridiculous temperatures and only the bravest of the brave can survive. We cannot. But for now, we are enjoying the balmy days of December. It's hard to believe that Christmas is just ten days away! But here we are... wrapping gifts and explaining who Santa is to our now 20 month old daughter. She is confused but mystified by this "Santa" that we speak of. She's perfected those three little words.. Ho ho ho. It's almost time little Betsy girl!

This year, in my quest for the shatterproof, toddlerproof tree, I took to crafts table to create memorable little ornaments for friends and family. The results were quite shabby and chic, if I may say so myself! The best part is that Betsy gets a kick out of finding Lulu & Grammy in the Christmas tree.

Happy Holidays to all! Please stop by again soon. This blogging thing is a bit new to me, but I've really come to enjoy reading the creative and thoughtful entries by so many wonderful writers, moms, shop owners and friends.