You haven't heard me hum and haw over my dining room in quite sometime because I finally found my table match. Oh, and a new side table. I found them at a local antique shop. They are made out of reclaimed wood and I am smitten. My savvy smooth talking husband managed to get us both pieces for about a grand which was much cheaper than any other table that I remotely liked. My french antique chairs are finally back from the reupholsters and I could not be any more happy. I found them as a set of six on Craigslist for $250, Ellie broke one right after I got them and the break was in such a way that was not fixable. For now one of our stools will do and KJ has already deemed it his seat so all's good. We kept the old tables bench in the room for extra seating. I slipped covered it in a Robert Allen faux leather that I bought from the Designer's Attic. I wanted something big and more modern over the sideboard to balance out the furniture so I painted a piece completely inspired (copied) from Lindsey Bond's home in this months House Beautiful. Now the only thing left is to find the perfect lighting. Right now there is a fan, I know ugh, but I hope to find a big old lantern for cheap. I think I will be hunting for awhile though and I am okay with that. If you actually read all this then I am rather impressed. Today I am in a rambling mood I guess.
This & That
I just adore Seleta of Simply Seleta. I love her aesthetic, fashion sense, and most of all her mommy tid-bits. I also adore The ladies of Tracery Interiors. Paige I got to know a little better at the local blogger party that she and Doug hosted and I must say she is fabulous, Bess I go and visit at the Tracery Shop every time I am in Rosemary, and Anna Kay I hope to meet one day. Anyway The ladies and Seleta have teamed up for a monthly style session and I am smitten. This past month was all about vignettes and this one had me head over heels in love. It also happened to match my go to outfit for fall.
Harvest to Holiday
Mrs. French is hosting a rather lovely event. Hope you will join me! Should be fun.
Fall Fashion
Loving these looks from L.L. Bean Signature no less. Absolutely perfect for fall. This fall I will be living in long plaid shirts, leggings, and boots. How about you?
Mrs. French
Every Tuesday and Thursday I will be blogging over on Mrs. French. I will probably just end up linking here to there on those days so that way you will not have to have a double dose of me, ha! Hope to see you there.
Painting + Rugs
I have had quite a few requests on giving more details about my kitchen makeover. I personally hate giving advice on this subject, because I am not a painting professional and simply did what I wanted. Case in point I used a latex satin paint without any sort of lacquer after. I did not want any sheen so this is what I chose. So far it has held up well and has taken quite a beating from the kiddos and has cleaned up fine. In reality I know an oil base is best as is a semi or high gloss or a lacquer coating. For those of you who could not care less about the how dos you can just take a glimpse at my new antique rug find from ebay. I adore it. Okay now back to it...
-I used a latex primer after a really good cleaning and sanding. Then between each coat I did a light sanding. It took a total of one full evening and one full day from start to finish. It took one primer coat and two to three paint coats. For the framing of the cabinets my husband painted it all by hand with a regular and foam brush. For the doors and drawers I used a paint sprayer in the garage. It has become my new best friend.
-All paint was Sherwin Williams. The bottom is Warm Stone. The top was a Benjamin Moore color that I had matched by Sherwin William's, unfortunately I cannot remember the name for the life of me. In the image it looks a lot more white next to my wall color than it really is. It's more on the cream side. The formula is...
Bac Colorant 02 32 64 128
B1 Black - 2 - -
N1 Rawumber - 11 1 -
Y3 Deep Gold - 9 1 -
-My knobs are the same ones that came with the house. I really wanted these in antique brass, but were a bit too cost prohibiting for the amount we needed.
-My counter tops are Silestone in Minerva Cream. The benefits are huge and were what we wanted at the time which was something easy. They are truly easy and good looking.
Hope this answered a few of your questions. Let me know if I missed anything and I will answer them in the comment section. Have a great Day!
* This lovely lady from High-Heeled Foot in the Door did a great play by play of painting her mother's cabinets. Now that I look back it seems we went with similar colors, ha! Great minds think alike?
New York, New York
In the last few weeks I have actual had more than one request for outfit ideas for people going to NYC. Although I may not be the most fashionable I thought I would share what I would wear and as you know I love to be comfortable.
For days out walking the streets of New York and doing a bit of shopping my number one key piece would be a pair of leggings. Of course skinny jeans would work too, but nothing beats a comfortable pair of leggings. I would first pair it with a plaid long top, boots, and a purse that could cross over my body if I needed an extra hand. The second day a long top, pretty scarf, flats, and a cocktail ring would make me rather happy. I am sure the rest of my days would also be some variation of these two outfits. I know, I don't stray far from what I love.
A fun night out would be in order although I am sure I would be just as happy ordering room service and watching a movie in. A dress that could be worn alone or with an army jacket would be the way I would go. A belt to cinch off the waist would be a must with this one. A small clutch to hold my phone and a few cards would be all that I would need. Shoes with an edge and a good heel always make me feel just a bit more confidant. To top it all off a delicate necklace would add a softness to the whole ensemble that I would just adore.
* Also I want to say a huge thank you for all the support you all gave me yesterday with my new endeavor. I am so excited and so happy you are too! Have a great weekend.
Something New
As I am sure you can tell I have been a poor blog reader as of late. Not trying to make excuses, but it was all in good reason. I have a new project and today it is finally launching. I have become part of the French Market Antiques & Galleries team. The owner Laura Waldrip brought me on as the official blogger for her most fabulous shop. My favorite part? Well, I get to visit the shop any time I want and take as many pics as I want without being the random girl with the camera. I must say I am smitten with Laura and her shop! Needless to say I would love for you to visit me over on Mrs. French today and any new blog love would be greatly appreciated.
*Oh, and Two Ellie will remain up and running just as always.
Adding Green
I found my self highly inspired by Jennifer's fall post the other day. I have been wanting some fresh flowers, but haven't made my way to the store yet, so I thought I would take Jennifer's route on adding green to my home. On our nightly family walk I decided to bring along my clipping shears and collected some lovely foliage also known as pretty weeds for our home. I am rather pleased with the way it all turned out and love the free price tag even more.
A Neutral Territory
As I am sure you all are well aware by now that I love neutrals. Needless to say then if I had my very own library then a neutral territory it would be. After a long day at work, okay playing with KJ, I would come in and throw my pretty tweed jacket over one of my four lovely club chairs that all sit in a circle. In the center of that circle my pendant light would shine an ever so lovely glow. Of course the walls would be lined with bookcases filled with many of my favorite designs books this one and this one would sit happily at the top of my many piles.
Trade Day
This weekend the kiddos and I headed up to Trade Day in Collinsville, AL with some friends. One of those friends happens to be the daughter of the owner so we got to use the good bathroom. Huge blessing when you have two tots in tow that drank so much fresh lemonade they should just float away. It was our first trade day experience and we had a blast. We got to see true country living at its finest. Our favorite part was the abundance of animals. KJ loved the chickens and Ellie loved the bunnies and of course the puppies were a hit with all of us. We even saw some farm animals on leashes. The food was delicious and the kiddos got to experience their first corn dog. Even I had one they were so good. We came away with a huge pack of strawberries for a dollar, the kiddos got some new shades, and I partook in some Amish cheeses that I can't wait to break open. Oh and lets not forget the biggest pot of mums for only $12.00. We can't wait to go back only next time I am going to bring the wagon so I can buy more plants.
Gray + Green
Last night I attended a blogger party at the home of Doug from Tracery Interiors. It was so fun getting to meet new people and spend time with the ones I already know and love. Doug's home is absolutely stunning, so stunning that many of us were ready to go home and do a bit of rearranging ourselves. I will be sure to post more on the party soon, but for now I will leave you with what I wore and huge thank you to Doug for opening up his home to us. Tracery also announced some pretty big and exciting news today!
Jacket: J.Crew
Dress: Target
Shoes: Nine West
Necklace: a gift
A Favorite
Today I am sharing a few of my fall essentials on Cool Kids. This army jacket is just one of my favorites and I am thinking of wearing it over a silk gray dress, paired with suede gray heels and topped off with my favorite bib necklace to tonight's design blogger party hosted by these most fabulous peeps. I am rather excited to say the least.
A Local Mid Century Modern
Sometimes I think I have design ADD. I have a deep love for a cottage style home and featured them many times before, but every once in awhile I think I could do something completely different. I honestly think I could even do a mid century modern. This one is local and going for $450,000. What I love are the clean lines, the incredible space to entertain outdoors, the wall of glass, and of course the dressing room. Although I would like to decorate it like this, now that would make it gorgeous.
Do you know your style 100% or can you at times do something completely different?
A Wedding
A few weeks ago we had the pleasure of shooting Katie & Justin's wedding. Let's just say they were quite the inspiration. They were laid back and took every moment in a blissful stride. Every detail fit this couple ever so perfectly and I must say I was smitten. To see more from this wedding you can go here.
HAPPY
Today I am guest posting over on Bridget's sweet blog. I am sharing an inspiration board inspired by my newish pouf that I had yet to share. I rather love the touch of glamor it adds to my more paired down living room. It also happens to make for a great spot for the kiddos to play around on. Hope you join me here!
*Giveaway winner announced below!
WINNER
Melissa from Veranda Interiors is the winner of the MINTED giveaway! Her fave was Simple Joy. I adore it too. Melissa hope I get a Christmas card sent my way! To see more great choices go here!
This & That
The other night Kellen did a photo shoot for a dear friend who is about to have a baby. We had fun and all played around. Kellen happened to get a few shots of me. Fast forward a bit and while doing a bit of blog browsing on Splendid Willow I came across a home that I had once featured before and am still completely smitten with. What does this have to do with that? Well, my odd self quickly realized that my outfit fits ever so perfectly with this home, especially the dining room. You might just say it was meant to be...
dining room via Style at Home
outfit: Scarf Banana Republic, Top J.Crew
MINTED: a giveaway
I honestly don't do too many giveaway's. Not that I am opposed, but I like to only give what I believe my readers will adore. This is one that I truly adore so I hope you do too! MINTED, a very hip design on paper shop, is giving one of you a $200 dollar credit towards your Christmas cards this year. The only catch is you must order by Black Friday. I know that every year we try to get our cards out the week after Thanksgiving so I think the catch is not such a big thing. Their designs make me giddy, above are a few of my favorites. Clean + Fresh = Perfection
How to Enter:
1. Let me know which new Christmas 2010 card design you adore most on MINTED.
2. Check back on Friday to see if you won. That's it, you are now entered. A happy dance may ensue.
3. If you would like an additional entry then let me know you are or have become a follower of Two Ellie in another comment. That way you should have 2 comments for this one giveaway.
