Thanksgiving.. happy

 

We are celebrating our second Thanksgiving here today (this one is from Saturday).  I was so excited to have a few hydrangea left in the garden to grace the table.  

Wishing you a wonderful day filled with friends and family!

xo

 

 

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The china cabinet

 

I spent most of the day yesterday trying to empty out my china cabinet and get ready for our new wood flooring to be installed and I started thinking about how lucky I am.  I have waited 4 years for the flooring I wanted, after pulling up some damaged wood when we first moved in, I am excited.  But I was really thinking more about all of the wonderful pieces I have accumulated over the years.  I LOVE dishes and when I was on a trip to Paris about four or five years ago, I found out how very much fun it could be to buy beautiful pieces while I was there and bring them home with me.  I fell hard for Astier de Villatte and my life has never been the same.  Each trip I have taken I have bought pieces and brought them home with me, very carefully.  I have a large collection now and although I don't use it as I should, each piece seems to hold a wonderful memory for me.  There are many other beautiful pieces in there too but each of these is like a little treasure to me.  

As I have been going through emptying out our kitchen and now the china cabinet I have realized something else too, I need to buy only what I love, not what is a good deal or something I may never use.  I have donated boxes and boxes of pieces over the last few weeks that have never been used or were still in the original packaging.  So this project or combination of projects has given me the jump start I need to spend more wisely and maybe just maybe start using those beautiful pieces I have been sheltering from my loved ones for fear of breakage.

Do you use what you have?  Do you save the best dishes and glassware for only special occasions or do you use them everyday? 

 

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Steamer Trunk

While cleaning out the attic in order to get ready for my move,  my Dad came across a vintage black steamer trunk. This is almost identical to the one we found, except the brass is in better shape on mine. I'm contemplating keeping it to use as a bed side table. I'd shine up the brass and stack it with books and an oversized vintage lamp. (Another thought is to use it in my son's room)  Here are a few other ideas for the trunk. I can't wait to find a home!! I'm staying someplace temporarily while I search but my head is SPINNING with ideas!! Here is a snapshot of the trunk we found, it obviously needs some love but could look cool cleaned up.

This fabulous Louis trunk is via Ivy and Vine.

A Bar

A coffee table

Layer it under a table - I would still stack it with great coffee table books and the one I have may be too big to layer under a table.

Although this isn't a trunk I love this shot. My thought is to use it in my office. It could house my favorite fabrics samples and be used during the day for drinks or simply as a working space!!

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chevron back splash

 

Hello, so we are sporting the new look and I am loving the change of pace around here.  It feels refreshing.  

We have an empty kitchen now and have seen the plumber, electrician, and cabinet maker in a matter of just a few days.  Today they will start putting in the new cabinets and I cannot wait to see it all in action.  I will try to update my instagram with some snap shots of everything if your interested.  I am still undecided on the back splash style, I love this chevron pattern but I am afraid I would get bored of it and long for something a little simpler.  We have chosen the Chenille Vein Cut Limestone for the back splash but the sizing is very modern at 36" long.  I think we will be cutting them down to 4" x 9" tiles and running them more like a subway tile.   Any thoughts?  What do you have in your kitchen?

image via

 

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A little of this..

 

Hello there, sorry for my absence yesterday... how quickly the days seem to pass.  Another busy week is almost ready to be put to rest and I am definitely dreaming of the weekend.  This weekend will be just us girls relaxing here at home, my daughter and me.  I am excited to take a little break from work and spend some time getting the house in order.  

We start our final round on the kitchen renovation next week and I am excited and anxious about it.  There are still many choices to be made, that is how it is works around here.  I did speak with my furniture maker yesterday though and we are going to put a contrasting color in the new piece that will hold all of my everyday dishes, now someone needs to pick that color please!

I have pulled a bunch of greys, and greiges to start with.  I will be sure to keep you up to date on all of the selections.  

 I am also working with the wonderful Shari from Little Blue Deer on a makeover for the blog, it will be fun to have a fresh new look around here don't you think?

Also, a little bit of a delayed THANK YOU to Leaf Magazine for including some pieces from the shop in their current issue!

 

 

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Relaxing.. in So. Cal..

 

Just a little of what we have going on this long weekend..  Flea markets, relaxing and reading, lazy doggies and setting up vignettes around the house.

I hope you are having  wonderful weekend!

images via

 

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The kitchen island..

 

We are knee deep in our kitchen island remodel and I am hoping that I love it when we finish!  It is hard to feel the love mid project.  I know it will be beautiful but it is a BIG change for the room.  It is just big in general.. bigger than I am used to.  We took out the existing island and added to each side to accommodate more storage and make it more useful in the space.  I am getting excited to see it all completed!

 image via 

 

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a little kitchen inspiration...

 

I have been hording images for months and after getting the green light on the kitchen remodel I have had to finally narrow it down.  So here they are most of my favorites...

Above is the beautiful kitchen from the home of Loi Thai from Tone on Tone.  Pendants love them and they seem pretty similar to the pair that I purchased last week for my kitchen!  Cabinets- beautiful color so soft and clean and just not quite white (well in this photo- I am not sure if they are in person).

 I love this glass front cabinet for dishes and glassware with storage on the bottom.

Something similar will go where our really large pantry is now.

 

Beautiful island love the cabinet color..  Our island will be a light grey to match the colors in the backsplash which will be a vein cut limestone (my color starting point).

 

I love the base detail on this piece and of course the color is super cool.

 

We will have a similar cook top- I am leaning towards the Kitchen-aid version with a griddle.

Yes please.

 

I love this cabinet too for dishes just deciding on the style.  Mine will have a dark espresso finish.

 

I love the huge molding detail on the top of the cabinetry in this space and the storage on the island.

As well as the amazing pendants!

Also, thank you for all of your sweet comments and emails about my last post!!  Keeping those fingers crossed for me always helps!  Off to start a wonderful week...

images via pinterest

 

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inspiration a week in review...

This is just a bit of what my week was like...

Amazing Lemon Tart from Rocq Cafe..

 

A little bit of shopping...

 The final days of my peonies and my Penelope..

 

 Framing some amazing vintage finds for our next One Kings Lane Sale

I was the winner of this sweet signed copy of Finding Home from the Finding Home blog of Greg Tankersley and Bobby McAlpine.  Thank you very much!

 

 Finally.. I sent off some pictures of my very messy home for consideration in publishing... a girl can dream right??

all images via greigedesign on instagram

 

 

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Kitchen pendants

 

So I am in the beginning design stages of my kitchen remodel.  Which I am super excited about but there are many very important decisions to make.  The sooner the better considering the lead time on some of these pieces!!  The first thing I had to figure out was my cabinet colors and the counters..  done there just need to get all of the pricing together (I will post those as soon as I make the final final decisions based on the cash).  But I have quickly moved onto lighting.  I love lighting!  So there is a small nook area that needs a chandelier and then we need to add pendants over the new island. 

My first choice on the chandelier is below..  this one if from Arteriors but I might have to adjust considering the price... (oops I always go based on looks for myself first then try to figure out pricing- it can be easier that way sometimes but in this case it is not really going to work).  Aside from that isn't she beautiful!  Another choice is the hand made piece above from Cleveland Art.  I have several pieces from them in my house (they made the amazing lights in my master bath) and I love them as each is a unique work of art.

 

So I like this one for a pendant but I am not sure about cleaning the shade and it may not be quite right but it sure is cute!

  This is one of my all time favorites from Cisco Brothers!  Love but it may be too small for there..

 

Another contender but it might be over done.  I have seen these in all kinds of kitchens...

 

I love this piece from Arteriors- new and fabulous!

 

Another Arteriors piece very similar to the Cisco piece but a bit larger...

This is fun and new from Arteriors too..

 

 Then there is the large bling that I decided half way through this post might work over the table in the nook too... 

 

Any suggestions?  I like the idea of mixing something a little fancy with something more industrial.  Lighting is the most visual accessory in a room next to artwork and I like to keep things interesting!

 

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