My First Floral Class

I have always wanted to learn how to make beautiful floral arrangements. I dream about making one of those gorgeous centerpieces that you find in an entryway, that has all sorts of stuff flowing out of the vase and artichokes sticking out. I don't consider that I don't even own an entryway table (yet), but the dream still lives. I had been looking for a class for some time, but had only found classes with the mega craft stores like Michael's - and then the classes were for silk flowers. It just was not quite what I was looking for. Lord knows that would not be good enough for Dorothy Draper or Kelly Werstler (just a few of my design icons).

Finally, one of my favorite little florist shops here in Minneapolis, Brown and Greene, hosted a simple floral arranging class. It just covered the basics - how to make a hand held bouquet with roses. This arrangement is usually used for bridal bouquets. It typically looks like a little round mound and is actually a quite versatile arrangement once you have the concept. We learned how to make the arrangement with simple roses. I know that the pictures do not really do it justice, but I think I did a pretty good job for my first time. It was more difficult than you would think holding all of the stems in place and twisting them around before tying off the bunch. I am excited to see how I can take this concept to the next level.

Interview with Jonathan Adler for Father's Day

(Incredibly talented Jonathan Adler)

I think one of the more creative people alive today is Jonathan Adler. I absolutely adore him. Not only is he a talented potter, but he is an excellent interior designer. I realize that some might feel his taste is a bit too wacky and bright, but that is why I love him so much. He does not take home decor so seriously and he allows himself to have fun with it. You might also recognize him as the lead judge in Top Design.

I stumbled across a very interesting interview on NPR.com with Jonathan Adler and his husband Simon Doonan (famous window dresser and author). They were discussing their father's and how they influenced the famous pairs creativity. I found it very interesting, especially Simon's bit. You should check it out.

Click here for Jonathan and Simon's interview.

New Family Room is Completed!

Phillip has finally completed the dining room to family room remodel project. He took down all of the box wood panels on the wall, painted the dark wood beams on the ceiling and baseboards. He insulated the wall with all of the windows, cleaned the wood (it was a real mess), repaired the windows, painted the radiator, sanded the walls and touched up damaged areas. We hung up the wall paper and put a decorative molding around it. I think that about covers it. It went from this:


To this:

It definitely is a lot brighter. We no longer feel that the space is some great big dark hole that is waiting to swallow us up. I still have some decorating to be done. I still have not found a chandelier that I like and can afford. I need some end tables and accessories (though I don't know where I will put the accessories since Parker can reach EVERYTHING). I am also working on making some drapes for the window behind the couch.


Some die-hards might want to pee their pants when the find out that I wanted the wood plate rails (above) taken down. Yes people, I do understand that respecting the house's age is important. But I also think it is important to decorate a house that reflects your family's personality. Create a room that you will actually enjoy and live in. If not, you might as well flush money down the toilet.


Phillip really wanted his big TV downstairs. Unfortunately, we only had one option as to where to place it. All of the walls had big windows or built-ins that would not accommodate his giant TV. This wall was the only full wall I had. I hated having to give it to the TV (I envisioned a huge painting on it), but fair is FAIR is guess (I say as I have my bottom lip pouting). I certainly did not want a big, black square screaming "Look at me, look at me!" on my only wall. This wall paper certainly helps take away some of the attention to the TV. Plus the print on the paper (Designer's Guild) is so french glam and modern at the same time. I love it! I am trying to decide if I want to put up some artwork on the wall as well - some vintage portraits or something. I also am trying to decide if I want to place a big animal head on the upper corner (of course not a real head. Don't you know me at all? I have a big bull head that is black plastic that was once a head to a bull you can ride on for practice. It is the coolest thing and by far my best garage sale find EVER!! Phillip thought it was silly to buy it, but I tell you that bull has started more conversations than anything else.)


Just a few little tid-bits. I love my Philippe Starck lamp (the man is brilliant, I swear!). I found this mantel clock at a great junk store here in town. You can not tell in the picture, but it looks like a jello mold with rocks in it. So quirky I had to have it.


The built-in bar before:


And after:
Believe me, I wanted to paint this whole wall white. But I let Phillip win this battle (for now). This built-in, though beautiful and rich looking, is so heavy and dark. It takes up just about the whole wall. Your eye is immediately drawn to it because it is so dominating. I think of it as visual pollution. As a result, we did not do much to it. I might place a paper in the upper cabinets that have glass doors to add a bit more lightness to it. I have not decided yet. Regardless, for as much as we like to entertain, it is nice to have the cabinet in the family room.

Notice the lion's paws on the side table? I love this little table.
The cutest dog, EVER! I love you Pete.

My Birthday, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day and Anniversary present all rolled into one! I love this chair!! Missoni make the best fabric. It has every color I could ever want.


My cabinet and pottery pieces. Don't you just love the big, ugly baby lock on the cabinet? I hate that I have to do that. More visual pollution (Heavy sigh.)

So that is the room in a nut shell. I still have little decorating things I need to do. When I get around to it (and the money for it), I will share it with you.

More photos will come soon of the kitchen cabinets that we just finished as well as the front yard project we are working on.

I swear it is never ending.

The Never Ending Quest for the Perfect Light

(Venini Glass Chandelier)

I found a light on 1st Dibs that is almost 100% of what I am looking for. It is large enough to hold it's own compared to my other large light fixture in the adjoining room (18" h x 24" w). It is ornate, but not too feminine. I am sure it is out of our budget. Lights like this usually are...that is the problem I am running into. The larger the light, the more it costs (naturally). But it never hurts to ask, so I am waiting to hear back from the shop and see if maybe I am lucky and the dealer is pricing this light below what his competitors are pricing. I am not holding my breath.

(Brass Sputnik Chandelier)

I found this light on 1st Dibs as well. Again, I have no idea what the price is yet. If the first light is too much, I might inquire about this one. It is completely different from what I really want, but I think this sort of light could achieve the aesthetic that I am looking for. I have to think about it for a while.

I just can't believe how many lights I have looked at. I have looked EVERYWHERE - Craigslist (all boring), eBay (reproduction chandeliers...a route I can go when I am ready to give up my quest) - I still haven't made it to local antique shops, which I have been told are great around this area. It is hard to shop in those sort of shops with a stroller. Sooner or later, I will get to that if I need to. If you have any suggestions, please share.

My Early Birthday Present!

(Astrid chair in Passiflora Missoni print)

Oh my God! I am sooooooooo excited! I have been drooling over this chair for about a year or two now, ever since I saw it. I had made up my mind that this chair would be perfect for our home. It has every color I could possibly ever want to have in our decor. I have been watching it like a hawk for at least a year, waiting for it to go on sale. Well kids, the heavens have opened up and the light shown down on me because it finally happened. The chair is on sale, more than 50% off! I begged Phillip to let this be a ridiculously expensive birthday gift and he agreed!! I have all ready ordered it and it will be in my home soon!! I can't wait!

Great Fabric from Cicada Studio

I am loving the new graphic designed fabric from Cicada Studio's Etsy shop.  So graphic and fun!  I only wish there was a black and white fabric, especially in the zig zag.  It is just the right amount of modern print that I want to add to my black and white medallion print wallpaper for the family room.

Cicado Studio's Earthly Delights series also has some nice prints in it.  I like the light blue and green in the two above.  I think the above two fabrics would be adorable as a little apron or something.

Perfect Little French Chairs

(images from Fabulousmess's Shop on Etsy.com)

I am loving these chairs on Etsy right now. So vintage, so French, so different. They probably are not the most comfortable chairs to sit on, but does that really matter? I can easily see them in our house! The problem is, I all ready have way too many chairs (4 chairs that need to be recovered), so the last thing I really need to spend our money on is more chairs I don't know what to do with. Still, these chairs are so sculptural...I love them. Check out the other items at Fabulousmess' shop on Etsy - lots of vintage items and reupholstered items.

Searching for...

Well, I am trying to find a light for the family room that Phillip is currently working on. Right now, there is a cheap chandelier that came with the house. I absolutely hate it, it is so generic looking. Besides, now it has to be replaced thanks to some overly enthusiastic boys on Parker's birthday (Thanks boys! Now Phillip has to agree that we need a new light.). Since the light in my living room is very modern, I want the light in the adjoining room to be completely opposite, but I can't seem to find one that I like. Of course, while I have been searching high and low for this light, I have found lighting for every other room in the house. I have particularly fell in love with the light below.

It is SO different from any other light I have seen. It would be great in my entry way. I found this light at 1st Dibs, a great antique site that has some great items. Unfortunately, this light has a very HIGH price tag. So I can only lust after this light.

If any of you have any lighting suggestions for my family room, please share. You know how to contact me.

My Window Shade Project

As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, I had a momentary lapse of insanity and signed up for a How To Make Your Own Window Shade class. I was originally planning on making shades for the room that Phillip is currently working on. But once I tried to come up with a design concept and fabric choice I started to panic. I could not come up with a plan that I was happy with and I felt all sorts of pressure to hurry up and make a decision in time for my next class (class is every Wednesday night for 6 more weeks). I finally decided to make a shade for the library nook in our home. Keep in mind that Phillip probably won't even be able to work on this room until next winter, but I have all ready decided to wallpaper the small nook in one of the papers I was considering for the family room we are currently working on. With that decision made, a fabric choice and design came pretty easy. Now hopefully I will be able to make it look like a custom piece and not some cheap thing...we will see.
This wallpaper is designed by Nina Campbell. I love her designs, so traditional and very English...perfect for a library nook! With the black background on the paper as well as all of the dark wood molding from the fireplace and bookshelves, the space will be quite dark and cozy - completely opposite of the rest of the open main floor with the light blue walls and black and white wallpaper. The paper will be one of the first things guests will see upon entering the house, which will eventually set the tone for our home (once our house is done...someday...).

The shade fabric is from the new Amy Butler line. I am a huge fan of Amy's and have mentioned her a few times all ready on the blog. The fabric is actually light grey and white (not so creamy like on the above picture). I think this fabric will lighten up the darkness of the rest of the room - especially since the window is about 56"wide x 75"long! Directly under the window will probably be a mirrored vanity desk, which will also reflect a lot of light.

Goodness, I all ready have most of this room designed and furnished, and I haven't even begun the room Phillip is working on or finished the living room yet. It is so hard to focus on one room at a time...I am such a Gemini!

Finally Decided on Wallpaper...

Well, it took a while for me to decide, and truthfully and am still wavering, but I have come to a final decision on the wallpaper I want to use for the family room. I went with one of my first choices, the Designers Guild wall paper. Hopefully the print will be big and bold enough that is will help take some of the "eye sore" out of Phillip's HUGE TV that will go on this wall. I think the black and white will look nice with the light blue on the walls. The paper definitely has both a traditional and a modern feel to it...perfect for my decorating aesthetic.

Sad Goodbyes...

Hello Everyone!

First I want to thank you all that have contacted me to express their sincerity of the passing of my Grandmother Hazel. Many of my friends have heard the stories of my grandmother and her sometimes crazy and eccentric ways. I love her for all of those memories and will truly miss her. I was blessed with the chance to have one last conversation on the phone with her the night before she had passed. I thank God for that chance.

Another goodbye that makes me sad, though doesn't EVEN COMPARE, is the farewell to Domino magazine. This is old news by now, most of you probably found out about this news while I took last week off. It is true though, Domino will run one more issue before they forever close their doors. I am shocked that this happened since I know how so many people love this magazine. It is the only American magazine that is focused on realistic budgets and great decorating ideas, not like Elle Decor or Metropolitan Home, which have VERY HIGH DECOR BUDGETS. I have been a huge fan of Domino from the very first issue, and I haven not missed one single issue. I would get so excited when my Domino showed up in the mail every month. It was always a "good mail day". Sadly, with this weakened economy, Domino just could not get the advertisers they needed. Hopefully, with this door closing, another one will open soon.

I Must Have Been Smoking Crack When...

I decided to sign up for a Window Shades Class.  That's right.  I, who have just barely learned to sew a straight line, signed up for a "How to Make Your Own Window shades Class".  The class is designed to help you learn how to create Roman, Balloon, London, and other various types of shades.  We can bring our projects to class with us and the instructor will help us create them.  Depending on how much time we can devote to the project on our own, we should be able to complete 2 or 3 shades (I have 4 for the room I am focusing on.  The same room that Phillip is working on right now).  Actually, the project will not require a sewing machine - everything is hand work.  YIKES!  I can barely sew on a button...and it certainly does not look good when I finish.  This is going to be interesting to say the least...

I guess I better hurry up and decide on my fabric story.  Which means I also have to hurry up and make a final decision on the wallpaper.  I have to have all of this decided and the fabric purchased for the shades by next Wednesday evening's class.  What have I gotten myself into??

Rug Sale at West Elm

Rugs are so expensive, so I thought I would make sure you knew about the rug sale going on at West Elm - in case you needed a rug. The sale is 20% off all rugs. They have a few styles, mostly modern and ethnic in styling. But with a bit of imagination, at least one rug in the selection will probably work with your decor. The ones I selected below are some of my favorites from West Elm's selection.
The Alhambra Rug has a great modern Moroccan look to it! This is the type of rug I want to use for our master bedroom (when and if we ever get to that project! Sigh!) This style can be used in so many different types of decor - modern country, south west, modern, eco-chic, ethnic...
I am a firm believer that EVERY home has a spot that could use a zebra print rug. This style will go with EVERYTHING! I would snatch this one up if it was available in black and white as well as the brown and white you see above. I plan on using a zebra rug when we work on the guest room that will be decorated in pinks. The room will be ultra feminine, so the zebra rug will help tone the girlishness down a bit.

The Andalusia rug's design will also work with many different styles. I particularly think the red color is very nice and can think of a few friend's homes that the rug would look nice in. This rug also comes in the classic color palette brown and white.

If there wasn't so much snow outside my front door right now, I would consider this indoor/outdoor braided rug for our front porch. Phillip will be finished with the front porch project by the end of summer. With any luck, we will also have the front yard landscaped! But there is too much snow to think about this right now...

I am seriously considering this zig-zag rug for the upstairs hallway. I wanted something that had a zig-zag or chevron print. It has been difficult to find one that is small enough for the space I have. I also need one that is a flat weave since I have so many doors that open out into the hallway. The doors won't open over most rugs with a thicker pile. This rug would be perfect for me if it wasn't trimmed in red. I think it will still work though, seeing how red is my favorite color and I can't seem to help myself by adding pops of red in every room somehow. I really don't think I will find something better for the price. I will think about it over-night...

If you think you need a rug, check out the sale!

The Wearstler

One of my favorite designers is Kelly Wearstler.  This woman rocks!  Not only is she an awesome designer, but the woman is fearless when it comes to putting together an outfit -a trait I admire and envy...just watch Top Design (the only reality TV I watch religiously) and you will see what I mean.  I found an article about Kelly that I thought I would share with you from one of my favorite sites, 1st Dibs...check it out!  It gives us a bit more insight to Kelly and her beautiful rooms...and she likes The Cure!  A woman after my own heart!

Wallpaper - What Do You Think?

I mentioned in the post below that I plan on wallpapering the wall Phillip's monstrous TV will be on. Hopefully, the paper will help prevent the TV from looking like one big black hole (or at least not so obvious). I thought that a printed wallpaper would cause a nice distraction to the TV...or perhaps a black background paper to help hide it. I don't plan on papering the whole wall - just framing a large section (maybe 10 feet or so) with picture molding like a large piece of artwork.

It was fun looking through all of the paper books, though I had a good idea of what I was looking for. I have narrowed it down to 6 possibilities.

This was the only paper from a line that I had not heard of before and unfortunately can not remember the name right now to share with you. The picture does not do it justice. The print is actually textured with some sort of foil that changes color as your perspective moves. One moment it is black on black, then blue, then green and here copper. This is by far the most masculine paper I selected. As suspected, it is one of Phillip's top choices so far. I thank the sales guy to suggesting it to me or I would never have found it.

I love this print because it is so busy. With so much going on, the TV will have to "fight the competition"to stand out-plus it uses a lot of the colors I am incorporating in my design on the lower level.

This is one of the papers I preselected before I went to the paper shop. It is from Designer's Guild. I am a HUGE fan of everything DG. Tricia Guild utilizes all of the traditional Rococo styling and mixes the prints and colors in such modern ways. In this paper, the little dots are a light gold. I think this paper would look so crisp against the light blue of our walls. Phillip really liked this paper as well.

A beautiful traditional looking paper from Nina Campbell. I thought with the black background, the TV would get a bit lost. Also, the white flowers lends to the crisp black and white feeling,but in a more subtle way than the previous paper. I also like the moss green in the leaves as I intend to incorporate that color with fabrics throughout the house.

Another Nina Campbell paper that I had preselected. This image is from the Domino Decorating Book. (By the way, I STRONGLY recommend getting this book if you spend any time decorating your house, no matter what your design level is.) I like this paper for all of the same reasons as the above paper, except this one has more light blue in it. That is nice since the walls of my living room and the family room are light blue.

This picture is very misleading. The background is black as well, but with more of a brown/red undertone. There is also silver foil in some of the flower leaves. I actually just added this one into the mix at the last minute, but I was surprised that Phillip has this listed as one of his possibilities.

I should get the actual samples in a week or so. Then we can actually hold them up to the space we will use them in with the wall color. Hopefully we will make a good decision. What are your thoughts? I would love to hear them. Email me or comment here on the blog.