Super Heros

Over the weekend I received one of the most moving emails from a reader. Her 2 year old son James is battling cancer like a champ. They quickly became an inspiration to me. Inspiration to just do life better. As the kiddos and I prayed for sweet James and his family we thought it would be fun to do a little something special for James. Ellie and KJ decided to draw picture of them all playing together one day. KJ says you are a super hero and Ellie says you are prince, I think they both are right. James that's you...

Finding Peace

{via}

Something about this image makes me stop and stare. The neutral palette, the woodwork, that door, and of course the mix of modern and traditional are all things I adore. Oh, and lets not forget the the thick floor boards, just beautiful. The simplicity of the space makes me yearn for the simple things. I think this would be a perfect spot to catch up on some blogging and then grab a nice hot cup of tea and curl up with a good book.

I know I have been scarce from blog land and I have a few emails to answer also. I do apologize and hope to catch up on both very soon. I want to thank you all for your more than generous comments as of late. I read every one and they brighten my day. It seems with my desire for simplicity I become a chaotic mess. Thankfully I know this too shall pass and I will find my peace...


Worry never solves tomorrow's problems. It only robs today of its peace. 
 Matthew 6: 25-24

Home Tour That I Adore

You know how one click leads to another here in blog land, well my search led me to this local and gorgeous home. It is the home of Graham Yelton a photographer and a brilliant branding and design artist.  Her home was designed by her and her husband and I could not be any more inspired...












As soon as I saw this image of her dogs I soon realized I am friends with one of her friends that own the other part of this dog family. They are some of the most beautiful dogs I have ever seen.



Oh, and let's not forget to mention the before of this amazing home. I can hardly believe it.


I find myself looking at the images over and over and noticing new details every time. Thank you Graham for allowing me to share your beautiful home and images.

Here is a list of where she found some of her gorgeous finds. I love that there are highs, lows, and pieces they made...

Bedding: White Linen Duvet by Matteo Bedding

Headboard/Bedskirt: homemade, fabric is from King Cotton
Bed Sconces: Pottery Barn (via ebay!)
Curtains: Ikea!
Jute Rug: west elm outlet
armless chair: Abode Knoxville, Tn (just closed)
chandelier: vintage, found at Retropolitan in Nashvile, Tn
TV armoir: Scott's Market Atlanta

Posters: Hatch Show Print in Nashville
Frames: Ikea
Sofa: Bernhardt "Taylor", At Home
throw pillows: Ikea
coffee table: cb2
rug: Hannah's Antiques 
bertoia chairs: Scott's Market Atlanta

bathroom mirror: Scott's Market Atlanta
vanity: jay made this with the heart pine wood
sink: Ikea
faucet/fixtures: Kohler

stool: At Home
woven baskets: discontinued pottery barn
chandelier in closet: found on ebay

hallway letters: ebay

planters on porch: ikea

living room rug: ikea

"fresh" sign: At Home
ceiling light: At Home
Chairs & Table: Pottery Barn (Outlet!)

Birmingham Magazines

It seems January was a good month for both the Mr. and I. I was chosen as one of the top trendsetters & Tastemakers for the Birmingham area in Birmingham Home & Garden. I was humbled to be paired with my friends Marianne, Doug and Paige, Brooke, Jennifer, and Megan among a few others. (Click on the image to make larger)


We then got an email from one of our past brides and she let us know that her wedding was featured in the Birmingham Magazine. We could not have been any more excited. Loved seeing Kellen Jacob Photography in print. Ha! (click on the images to enlarge)



So Fun, right?

*oh, and don't worry I am still over on Mrs. French and sharing the images that inspired my choices from yesterdays post. Love being inspired.

Making Choices

I have been thinking for quite some time about having a new style sofa in our keeping room. It also acts as our home office when we have potential clients over for a meet and greet. Not that I did not like the light gray one we had, but it was rather large for the space. So I pitched the idea to the husband and he gave me the go as long as I sold the current one. Thankfully it sold quickly to a dear friend who happens to have a larger home than I. At first my heart was set on the english roll arm sofa...

Even though it is the same size as our old one it feels smaller due to the smaller arm proportions. I could also see it as our main sofa in our next home, but that may still be years away. Here is somewhat of an image of my old sofa in the room, just so you all can get an idea of the feel of the space. I then came across this lovely lady...

She is a bit more tailored and comes in a 72" option which would give us tons of extra room and open the room up even more. It also reminds me of this beauty in which I have had my eye on for quite some time. As I said our sofa sold and I still haven't even ordered the next sofa so I moved the chairs that were on the outer edge of the rug back to where the sofa once sat. I could even face this new sofa towards the windows with a console/storage behind it if I didn't move the chairs back. Just a thought.



Then again I rather like how moving the chairs opened up the space. This then got me thinking that maybe I could just add one new chair by the piano. Loved how the other chairs somewhat hid all the toy baskets.  The only downfall is that at times we have a lot of people in this small space and it is my favorite place to lounge with a magazine and I do love to lay out. I think a chair like this would work if I went with this idea though...

Then of course choosing a fabric is the next big decision...

I LOVE all these choices. I know pink would never actually happen for this space, but it would be fun. Maybe one day. You know how I love a pink sofa. I was thinking the natural linen for the english sofa and the more gray tones for the more tailored sofa. As for the chair I have no idea as of yet, I could possibly even do a pattern here.

I would love your thoughts and ideas. It can be kind of like a vote, but in the end I truly decide. Ha. I am the one that has to live with it after all.I do value your opinion greatly though.


*all my choices are by Robin Bruce an extension of Rowe. I like that it is an eco friendly line that also happens to be in my budget.

Three Days




Not sure if you had heard, but Alabama had quite the winter fest. I have lived here for 14 years and have never seen this much snow here. The down fall of never having snow here is that the state is not prepared for such things so the whole state just shuts down. The first day was fabulous. We made make shift sleds out of plastic bin tops and had hours of fun outdoors. Well, the next two days turned to nothing but ice which makes it no fun to go outside. So we made forts, painted, and I just let the kiddos destroy the house. By day three I must say the kiddos in all their hyperness were driving up the wall, ha! Yesterday Ellie was back in school and I managed to do a few fun errands and clean the house. It's so funny how much the state of my home effects my mood. Messy = chaos / tidy = peace. I am so odd.

Change


This is an old pic of my living room. A few things have changed, but not much. Today I am over on my other blog, Mrs. French, sharing a change that would make my heart skip a beat.

Design Crush

Do you remember this image from Better Homes and Gardens that inspired me ever so much? Well, it's from the home of Amy Meier. This past week I somehow came across her blog and was in awe of other snippets of her home. This is one from her bedroom. Isn't is lovely? The simple color palette has such interest with the use of different patterns. That checked chair is something I so want to recreate.


I then took a peek into her portfolio and instantly new she is my design match. Her traditional design takes on such a fresh and young feel with her use of color, texture, and patterns. What I love most is that every space looks livable even if you have small children like me. I would be ecstatic to have any of these looks for my own home.





A Pillow


Last week I gave you a peek of this David Hicks fabric that I got from Shannon. It is going to be used as a pillow for my bedroom. When I came across this image I knew that this is exactly how I want it to come out. Isn't she pretty?

Classics





On our little Atlanta adventure we went into Bungalow Classic. The shop was gorgeous. Again I really do wish I had my real camera on me and next time I will be sure to have it, but for now again with the blackberry. All the raw wood, linen, and gray paired with white had me head over heels. The stair case looks very much like the color I painted our master dresser in so of course I had to snap a photo. The small doses of color scattered about mostly in pillows never felt overwhelming. Maybe, just maybe I could do color, but I will have to start slow or will surely chicken out.

Ann Mashburn Obsessed

While in Atlanta we did a bit of exploring and before I knew it I made my way into Ann Mashburn. I posted a couple of pics of her home here and was smitten with her use of pink. Well, her shop did not disappoint and mimicked her home beautifully. My only regret is that I did not have my real camera on me so the blackberry had to do.


I adored the white walls paired with a dark gray and brass knobs. This is going in my inspiration file for our next house.


Of course the clothing was right up my alley too. Rather simplistic with great use of color and pattern.


Another photo for my files. I am thinking recreating this look somewhere is a must. Oh, and the sisal carpeting is stunning must have too.



I even saw Ann Mashburn in her shop and only had the guts to say hello. She was adorable in white jeans, cowboy boots, a simple black top, and a messy up-do. I also saw and actually spoke to her daughter, but happened to leave out how much I love their home, ha! I am sure they would have thought I was crazy.

* Bryn was sweet enough to share a link for knob look a likes. Now I am thinking of where I could put them in our current house!

Opulence




I came across this home that has been fully renovated by McAlpine Tankersley Architecture. You can see more of this stunner over on Mrs. French. Really it is one that can't be missed!

A New Year

I hope you all had a wonderful New Year. On New Years eve eve we stayed in Atlanta. Out of all the activities the hotel was the biggest hit for the kiddos. We intentionally stayed high, but we seemed to have misjudged Ellie's fear of heights. She prayed hard that the building would not fall down, ha!  KJ on the other hand would have hung out the window if we let him.


One of my favorite New Year beginnings is starting the year out with a new budget book. Sounds ridiculous, but something about jotting down the numbers and expenses gets me giddy and keeps us debt free. Every year I get my books from bubbo's etsy shop. Love her penmanship.

The fabric in the background I got from Shannon of the Designers Attic. I could not be anymore giddy about it and can't wait to have it made into a pretty pillow for the master. Yes! I am branching out and adding a dose of color to my neutral haven. It's a new year so new things can happen, right?

A Perfect Pair


I always get so excited when I see a piece at the French Market that reminds me of rooms that I adore. This home from Cottage Living has been a long time favorite of mine and well, so has this chair. I am over on Mrs. French sharing a few more pairings and have a French Market annual sale announcement.

The family and I are heading to Atlanta for a little over night adventure. I Hope you all have a wonderful New Year and I truly can not wait for a new year to share with all of you. I am sure 2011 will be quite grand.

Baking





Ellie and I made these sweet pumpkin pie custards in mason jars for a few of the neighbors on Christmas eve. I got the idea from Black Eiffel who listed a few great links on how to's. I went with inchmark's how to who used the recipe from Martha Stewart's Everyday Foods. I could not find the tiny mason jars like she did so I went with the 1/2 pint jars and doubled the recipe which made eight. It also increased the baking time to almost an hour where it only took inchmark 35 min. I would just keep an eye on it. I then topped it off with homemade labels. Oh, and it really is just a pie without crust, hence I call it a custard. We will most definitely be trying this again with other pie recipes, so fun!

A White Christmas








This year I was able to host Christmas and it could not have been any more fun. We spent the morning watching the kiddos open gifts, relaxing, and cooking the main course. Christmas eve day Ellie and I began the festivities with quite a bit of baking. One of my favorite traditions is baking Jesus a birthday cake and this year we went with the Sprinkles mix, so good. Ellie then was sure to let Jesus know she was going to save the best one for Him, but He would have to multiply it if He wanted to share with everyone in Heaven. I set the table using my late grandmothers dishes and it made my day when my father walked in and said it looked like a table my grandmother would have done. Oh, and the best part? It snowed for the first time on Christmas day since I have lived here.  That's 14 years! Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas also.