Friday's Fabric Flame

My mom, a wonderful seamstress,  is visiting next week.  Therefore, I am stocking up on fabric so I can take advantage of her skills.  My project list is longer than a 6 year old's Christmas list and I have two kids, so who knows how much we will accomplish.  The top project on my list involves this amazing fabric (let's just hope the finished product looks as good as it does in my head.)  Yes, that's metallic leather appliques you see!

Cheers!
Elizabeth

"Since everything is in our heads, we had better not lose them."  ~Coco Chanel

Making An Entrance

This hallway is in perfect harmony.  The white walls, diamond pattern floors, and colorful/playful artwork and upholstery balance out the grand, traditional space. 

Kristen Kelli

 Just to clarify what I love about this space: the coffered ceilings, the glistening marble floors, the arched doorways, the millwork, the white walls, the colorful upholstery, the over-sized ginger jars, the artwork, all drenched in natural light.

Cheers!

Elizabeth

"Beauty of style and harmony and grace and good rhythm depend on simplicity."  ~Plato

Location! Location! Decoration!

Do you recall this staircase (by the Kristen Kelli firm) on the cover of the February 2011 issue of Veranda?  The magazine is still on the tray in my family room.

You can own this glamours Beverly Hills home for a cool $19.5 million.  Click here for the listing. 

Cheers!

Elizabeth

"Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not."  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Extra! Extra! Read All About It!

While we are on the subject of reading...  Many of you are familiar with the online shelter magazines, but if you are blissfully unaware you are missing out!  The following are on CDJ's must read list.

1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10

Oh, the best part is all (but one of them) are free!

Cheers!

Elizabeth

"Books can be dangerous.  The best ones should be labeled 'This could change your life.'"  

~Helen Exley

Book Wishlist

Books are my absolute favorite item to give or receive (or buy for myself).  A hardcover is a thoughtful and personal gift that one hand-selects and can personalize with an inscription.  Additionally, books make a wonderful souvenir from travel.

Books make a home come to life.  One can gain a reasonable amount of insight into a person simply by browsing their collection; where they traveled, their interests, etc.

I could NEVER have too many books... Novels, periodicals, fiction, non-fiction, cookbooks, art books, how-to books, travel guides,... the list goes on and on.  I frequent thrift stores and antique shops always on the lookout for vintage books.  You would be amazed by the selection and the deals.   Plus, I love to read used book inscriptions.  That in itself is a whole story.  And finally, I love the smell of books (and not because of Carrie Bradshaw).  The scent is intoxicating.  Perhaps it's nostalgia...

Literally, I have hundreds of books on my wishlist, but here are a few I am coveting today:

All available on Amazon.com.

A candle from the Paddywax Library Collection is the perfect compliment to a book.  The "Oscar Wilde" scent is a staple in my husband's office.  The masculine aroma is a mixture of cedarwood, thyme and basil.

Enjoy whatever you read today, whether a newspaper, a magazine, chick-lit, a classic, or my personal favorite, a children's book.

Cheers!

Elizabeth

"Good friends, good books and a sleepy conscience:  this is the ideal life."  ~Mark Twain

The Arts: Original Works

From the first time my oldest and I read Olivia he's requested to make "splash art."   Due to last week's insufferable heat we searched for indoor activities to fill après-camp time.  All options were quickly exhausted, so we headed to the paint store for supplies.  CJ selected the paint colors and we settled on the canvas size pictured below.  (Originally he requested a canvas twice that size.)  This was the prefect after dinner/before bath project.

Little brother even participated in the creative process...

...But it was short-lived.

 The masterpiece now displayed in the playroom.

Here is a close up.  I'm a proud mama!

Cheers!

Elizabeth

“It doesn't make much difference how the paint is put on as long as something has been said. Technique is just a means of arriving at a statement.”  ~Jackson Pollock

Casual Friday Cocktail Hour

Delighted by the balmy weather?  Don't melt away in this sweltering heat!  Grab a wide brim hat, slip into a tissue-thin jumpsuit or sundress, head to the coast and brew your own summer gust with a Dark N' Stormy.  Incorporate the following ingredients with good company too ensure a cool cocktail hour.

1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9

Cheers!

Elizabeth

"Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it."  ~Russel Baker

What is that... Velvet?

In a few weeks my neighbors are moving a few blocks away - likely to get away from the insanity and noise at the CDJ household two doors down.  Since I am a design junkie, I offered to help with the new home's decor.  The first task is finding a soft velvet sofa with clean lines.  While searching for ideas, I came across many glamorous spaces that incorporate the luxurious fabric. 

Both images above by Kelly Wearstler 

Elle Decor

Carrie and Big's condo in SATC II

4 images above via pintrest.com

 2 images via lonnymag.com

Frank Roop 

I think I need a little velvet in my life...

Cheers!

Elizabeth

"A throne is only a bench covered with velvet."  ~ Napoleon Bonaparte

Yet Another Project Idea

I picked up this Craig's List diamond in the rough for $49.  I think it's going in the office/guest room.

With these knobs...

...and a few coats of glossy paint, she will be a fox!  While I am considering bright white or black, a pale lavender is lurking in the back of my mind. Here is some of my inspiration:

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via

Ooooo... I can paint the inside of the drawers a fun color too. The possibilities are endless...

Cheers!

Elizabeth

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."

~ Eleanor Roosevelt

Furnishings: Daybed

The hunt for a daybed (for my husband's office) is on!  Not only will it compliment the decor, but it will also provide additional sleeping space.  Since all of our family is out of town this is a necessity.  I've scoured Craig's List, local flea markets and antique shops, but no suitable options discovered as of yet. Either of these would work brilliantly!  However, I have a sneaking suspicion they are not in my price rage.

Bella Mancini Design

Image via cobistyle.com 

Cheers!

Elizabeth

‎"Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest we take between two deep breaths."          ~ Etty Hillsum

Smile Though Your Heart is Breaking

Have you ever had a weekend that started with high hopes, but ends with you feeling totally defeated?  Well, that's the kind of weekend I had.

Here are the low-lights:
Many projects started, nothing completed.  Hence, the house is in disarray 
One of our cars broke down.
My youngest son pulled over a plant stand and broke one of my favorite pots.  (silver lining is he did not get hurt)
I was minutes late to an antique mall and missed out on four vintage faux bamboo yellow Henredon chairs, at a marvelous price.
Drove 30 minuets to a supposedly great flea market.  Literally the biggest waste of time in my life.  
I paid a visit to the local urgent care place for a UTI - sorry if this is TMI. I've never had one before, but super painful!

The Highlights:
My amazing husband sanded and primed a bed I am going to paint.  In addition, he helped me rearrange some furniture.  Plus, he arrived home early from a business trip.
My boys had a marathon dance fest to that song"You're Unbelievable", they giggled for 15 minutes pushing around a laundry basket, and countless other moments that made me smile or laugh.
Scored a giant vintage lamp, a pair of mid-century brass dancers and 2 1/2 yards of the fabric below, all  for under $75:

I have not found a home for these, but the possibilities seem endless.

This giant navy and cream lamp is going on my husband's desk, for now.

I am going to use this fabric to make window treatments for the playroom.  It looks fantastic with the Benjamin Moore "Polo Blue" walls and the zebra print rug.  

I'll admit, this post's title is a little melodramatic. Now that I look at the weekend pros, it does not seem so bad.  Sometimes a girls' just gotta vent.  Here's to a new week and a cheery disposition!

Cheers!
Elizabeth


"The robbed that smiles, steals something from the thief. " ~William Shakespeare, Othello

...next she'll want to buy some fabric

Below is the Fabric in consideration for my bed throw pillows. It's gorgeous - the picture does not do it justice!  The sample is from Williams and Sherrill , but hey do not provide the manufactures names because everything is direct from the mills.  It's pricey at $105 per yard, but everything is 20% off through the end of July.  How do you think all the color will look against an all white bed?

Looking forward to a weekend full of projects and family time!

Cheers!

Elizabeth

“There is no pillow so soft as a clear conscience”  ~ French Proverb 

...which will prompt her to call a stranger

Believe it or not rearranging my bedroom led to a delightful phone conversation with a complete stranger.  Here is how it happened...

While scouring Craig's List for a Chippendale style chair (for the desk pictured below), I came across a seller with two.  There was no email address, just a phone number.  Promptly, I dialed the number to inquire.  A friendly voice answered and provided me with all the details.  Finally, I asked for specifics on her location. To my dismay, she is in North Carolina.  We ended up discussing her collection of Hollywood Regency style furniture, selling it on ebay or Etsy and my blog.  Funny how things transpire!

Later in the afternoon I finally checked out my area's newest HomeGoods.  The grand opening was nearly 2 months ago, but life's been keeping me busy.  It was a successful trip if you do not account for my little one breaking a bottle of Pellegrino in the linen aisle or my older one professing his love for everyone through a voice changing machine à la Home Alone II.  However, it did result in the purchase of a silver leafed floor length mirror, a fantastic Ralph Lauren mirror (pictured below), and few other odds and ends. 

Please note that this was taken with my Blackberry and this is the work in progress bedroom - The price sticker is still on the mirror and the desk needs to be styled up.  It's not black, just a very dark finish.  The other mirror's location is TBD.  

Another Blackberry photo, so I apologize for the quality.  Just wanted to share the Friday night project  wall gallery, also a work in progress.  I should have taken the time to straighten the pillows and put away the shoes before I took the picture, but that's what you get when you put things off until 11 o'clock at night.  

Random post, but this is a pretty accurate picture of what my life is like. Oh, there was also soccer, violin, a doctor's appointment, a nap for the baby, a haircut (not for my hair which is looking dreadful) and 3 square meals to prepare.  I seriously need an assistant, but don't we all?

Cheers!

Elizabeth

"Don't be fooled by the calendar.  There are only as many days in the year as you make use of."  ~Charles Richards

...then she'll rearrange her bedroom

Shockingly, I am back tracking on my to-do list.  What I failed to mention in Monday's post is the very strange shape of my bedroom - dormer, sloped ceiling under the eaves, a radiator in front of a window, tiny built-in bookshelf...   The bed's been positioned in three different spots, but currently resides in front of a small window.  Many would think that is a faux pas, but check out these bedrooms where it's totally working.

Domino

Lonny

Greg Natale

The shape of this bedroom resembles mine.

Pictures via Decor Pad

Note: this post is late, because instead of writing last night I moved furniture around my bedroom.  When my husband arrived home from the airport around 11 PM he just shook his head and laughed.  Yesterday, I also selected some paint samples for the dresser and fabric swatches for the throw pillows and table skirt.  Where will today lead me...  

Cheers!

Elizabeth

“As a well spent day brings happy sleep, so a life well spent brings happy death.” ~ Leonardo da Vinci