loving the unexpected...

nothing makes my heart skip a beat more in design then being surprised by the unexpected. this kitchen takes the cake by introducing thrift store drafting tables for it's kitchen island. i just have such a love for bringing in vintage finds and incorporating them into the design of a home....especially when the results look so effortless! i hope y'all have a wonderful weekend! we sure are thankful to my mom for babysitting!! maybe i should send out a service announcement: watch out for new parents running kid -free!

shut up!!!!

I could not be anymore excited and honored to be picked by terri sapienza for the WASHINGTON POST'S blog of the week!!! i discovered it while watching the runway duel b/w rami and chris....i immediately started screaming and scared the heck out of my husband who was snoring on the sofa. he doesn't really get the "blogging thing" and fell back asleep. i needed someone to cheer w/ so i called my mom to tell her the news. she thought i was calling to talk about rami getting into fashion week (like i would call my parent's house at 11:00 at night to do that)! we cheered and i ran around the house screaming and then laid in bed w/ a huge grin on my face!! thanks terra for making my week! congrats to desire to inspire and my designing life for joining me in the honor!!

he said it.....

anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination- ocsar wilde....this quote popped up on ken faulk's website ...how funny and what a sassy slogan for designers!!

go "green"...

and look hot doing it. waterfall bath is a fabulous eco-friendly company that is supplying wonderfully hip bathroom vanities. check out all of their great stuff...it might have you drooling! i am in love w/ the pulls they use and the color finishes are so up-to-date!

see a penny pick it up.....

i am loving penny round tile!! i had a meeting fri to select the tile for the spec home i shared with y'all and we did this adorable tile in two of the bathrooms. i think it is a refreshing take on ceramic tile. it is definitely not limited to just ceramic- there are glass option, stainless steel, cork, etc. we are going w/ a coral/ gray palette in one of the baths and then a sky blue (pictured above) in the other- both will be flooring. i think this is something you will be seeing a lot more of.

MW rocks

madeline weinrib is hot(no wonder, checkout who she is the great granddaughter to)!! i don't know why it takes me so long to find these things but when i stumbled upon her website i was shocked. what great items...they have a very original quailty to them. i would LOVE two of the french tufted chairs. they have great fabric too. have a great weekend. i am going to spend mine curled up on the sofa with a box of kleenex, a zycam shoved up my nose, and a sick baby crawling all over me.

my outfit looks better then yours....

all of these outfits reminded me of a room so i thought it would be fun to do a little "outfit = room"....

shop bop = windsor smith
tory burch = david jimenez

tracy porter = w&r house of design

i love this quote...

"You can sit and obsess forever, but you'll always be happier if you just go for it. That's how you find your personal style." quote from domino by designer krista ewart (recently named one of next "kelly wearstler's") so are you an obsesser??

urban electric company

i love to find little jewels in my inbox and today i was greeted by the thomas light. urban electric is a local custom lighting company that i adore. they have so many fab designs and the look of the lighting is amazing. it is definitely a high-end company and they only sell to the trade. the thomas's roofline is inspired by the pagoda and i love pagodas so i give this two thumbs up...also the milk glass doesn't hurt the great look!

current project....

unfortunately i don't have a ton of time to do a post this AM b/c i am trying to get ready for a meeting. but i thought i would share w/ you one of the spec homes i am working on. it's on sullivan's island (hopefully i can win the lottery and retire here one day). i think the house has so much charm...i love the arched windows that the builder selected. yesterday i met w/ the cabinet peps and we created a super coastal kitchen. i think it is going to look great. when things start taking shape, i'll share more....right now i have got to get the exterior paint selections ready. have a wonderful weekend!!

i HEART barn doors....

well, if you are looking for a valentine's post reread mine from yesterday...that's all i've got. instead of telling you about how wonderful this holiday is and how awesome it is to get giant balloons that say i love you, i'm telling you about barn doors. i love barn doors. if i can ever afford to build a new house, this will be a major addition to it. it gives so much character to a space. i adore the first door and the track that it hangs on (remember i love wheels). this door was purchased from here and that is also where i found the second pic. the third pic is a fellow blogger, erika's office...as if i am not jealous enough of her space, she has an old barn door incorporated into her amazing office! alright, happy v'day for you love birds out there and for my sos!!

roses are red, violets are blue....

that over rated crap just won't do!!

i don't know about y'all but valentine's day is a lame holiday. i think once you are out of high school and past the teddybears and heart-shaped boxes of chocolate phase, it's just a silly day! so if you want the key to my heart don't waste your time or money on those creepy baby's breath rose bouquets...give me some wine(preferably over the $12 range b/c after all it is a holiday) and a mother truckin' cupcake to devour and i will be on cloud nine.....hint, hint valentine.

maybe its the weather (suppose to be 72 today)....

or the fact that i live 5 minutes from the beach but i think the stuff at beach dwelling is great. they have a very calming and relaxed feeling in their style of furniture and accessories. i LOVE the tideline dresser- the pulls are fab and the fact that it is on wheels makes me like it even more (i have a thing for wheels). the ella dining chairs remind me of the ones in the suzanne kasler tourquiose dr...the room w/ the mixed, matched chairs. they are super cute. and this woven blanket makes me want to curl up on my sofa after a day at sullivan's island spent laying out (i know its horrible for you) and then heading to poe's and getting a tuna taco and a margarita...ok i am totally day dreaming of a life i use to live- pre- kid.....

he does have quite an eye....

this designer is best known for his role in a team of makeover guys, but his talent goes way beyond helping a poor soul update his apartment or bachelor pad. i was shocked at how awesome his interior design portfolio was...not b/c he isn't talented but i was use to seeing small renovations on tv shows vs. beautiful "unbudgeted" interiors!

what's your flavor of the day....

i am totally a ben moore gal...maybe b/c the designer i worked under for seven years only used them and b/c its the only paint brand that gave me two complete designer sets to take to appointments. i could never do paints by purely using a fan deck. i thought i had my paint colors nailed down...got to the house i am working on and the yellow undertones in the preselected tile totally didn't feel right w/ some of the colors...back to square one. what are y'alls favorite colors right now?? i am leaning over to the colors w/ grey undertones but unfortunately that palatte won't work in this house. looks like paint will again dominant my day! have a wonderful weekend!

*my spell check no longer works when i write the post (kind of scary)...has this happened to y'all??

* i didn't stage that picture...and you are probably thinking what kind of designer is she...that tile is only in one tiny bathroon and its broken up into smaller tiles b/w big 18 x 18 ...got to go my daughter is using the blue prints as her new toy at this very moment!!!

are we there yet??

i am currently working on a very nice spec (7,000 sq ft) home. and i am battling w/ the lighting....i want to know if the general public is there yet- are you ready for bronze/ antique brass to be back in your home? it is definitely coming back in a large way but are we ready for it? i think there is some great stuff out there right now and if i commit to putting it in this spec home is the general public going to know that it's making a big come back or are they going to view it as dated.....and then, say i do introduce it as the kitchen pendants and the DR chandelier am i commited to do every bathroom fixture in that finish...

you are so beautiful to me....

so you know when you become obsessed with something...well this harlequin decadence paper is my latest obsession. ever since ruthie sommers's office was featured on style court, i can't get it out of my head. when i was in ADAC, i went straight up to ainsworth-noah to make sure i left with that wallpaper sample....and i did. and i am in love. the sheen of the paper is so beautiful...like what a satin paint gives off. i think i am also obsessed w/ the fact that ruthie (i talk like we are on a first name basis) papered the ceiling.....

* the second pic is a better representation of what the paper actually looks like...please forgive harlequin for the awful bedding and pillows that cause a complete distraction to my beautiful paper....i think it was a momentary lapse of judgement on their part :)

mecox gardens....

do you ever run across something and you are like "where did this come from?" well, that is exactly how i feel about mecox gardens. and i have to say, i am still stumped by what exactly it is....but it has some kick butt furniture and lighting and just a mecca of inventory on this website; the variety is insane. i had to share some of the awesome stuff...i think that the cara burlap pendants are really cool. i also love the fact that they are made out of a potato sack. i love the shape of the ipanema rope console. and these cut velvet pillows are gorgeous and would look amazing on any sofa. basically, if you see something you like in elle decor, mecox gardens will most likely carry it.....

i'm back.....

and all i have to show are some random fabrics and a matchbox from pieces. i wish i had some great pictures to share w/ you from my trip to ADAC and pieces but i don't. it was a really quick trip. i was semi disappointed at ADAC b/c i really didn't see much "new" stuff. i found some great wallpaper from schumacher but it is being mailed to me b/c i didn't have time to wait around for all of my memo samples. victoria hagan has some great furniture additions...and i am obsessing over some wallpaper that ruthie sommers has in her office (its not new though....just new to me). when it gets here, i'll share them.

pieces was great. i was sad b/c lee wasn't there and i would have liked to have met her. i wanted to take a picture in there and i asked the guy working and he didn't seem too down w/ it. so unforunately, all i have to show is this matchbox. i think one of my fav parts about the store was the handles on the doors...huge lucite ones. i would love to get my hands on some of those. the store is amazing...everything organized by colors- yellow, kelly green, etc. i will say, if you can't make it to the actual store, the website is a great representation of everything she has. i kind of felt like i was in my computer b/c i have stared at her inventory for so long!!

so i am sorry i can't share more but like i said the "atl" part of my trip was very quickly done....also i have caught some kind of funk going around and am not feeling the best. hopefully, tomorrow i will be better....ta ta for now.