pretty pieces

my girls love to play dress up. so this christmas i’m getting them three vanaties (one each) full of costume jewelry, play make up, and fun girlly things. i found this vanity via domino & adore it. for sure its on my christmas wish list for my chick a dees

s has been delayed in his departure & he is here with us for seven more days so we decided to take advantage of our unplanned time together & try out new things. mainly, he’s been cookin’ in the kitchen. we’re making this tomorrow night. this blog is my new favorite thing..

i am so fortunate to say that currently i have really, really lovely clients
(still, i’d love to attach this to each proposal in the future)

this is such a great idea & i am so going to copy it

work & life have been cRaZy. all projects have taken up twice as much time as normal & the children in my house seemed to have multiplied over night. finally, here’s an update on one of my current projects, which i call, a family affair. we are just finishing off their large basement fit out & upstairs public spaces (living, dining, kitchen, & keeping room). more pictures to follow this week- think grass cloth, built ins, & shades of green. these shots are mid project

notes: lamps on kitchen actually go into the dining room, major changes in kitchen include adding in hanging large industrial pendants, the bar has a large piece of granite going on top, and the lights are being changed for smaller scale ones

oh its been months & months since i’ve been faithful to anything: my diet, my trainer, or my blog. but i’m truly getting back on track. this weekend i’m off to tate city with clients & family, hoping to replinish my spirit & my soul (or just drink loads of wine & be silly with friends).

upon my return, i promise to be a good blogger with L O A D S of yummy posts that will make you want to devour design once again … and maybe just maybe my new look will be up & i’ll have a fresh blog to blog on …

until then,
think of me fondly
xoxo
jade

i’m 30 & not too happy about it (more on that subject later when i pull myself out of this depression) but i did want to share my beautiful breakfast in bed ( o’connor family tradition on birthdays) served by my sweet husband & girls on our wedding china (the man knows me well) & this gorgeous quote from my friend & client, MS, which almost brightened my ever gloomy 30th birthday

“may your thirties make your twenties look like a dress rehearsal…”

i really really like the mix that tori & dean pulled together in their new hollywood home. i know so many people are anti tori but i’m not

two years ago in downtown dc, a boy from philadelphia rented an entire floor of his picky wifes favorite restaurant & treated his baby daughters & growing toddler & picky wife to a fantastic dinner & then took them on a champagne tailgate overlooking the lincoln monument. it was fun & fabulous & i’ll never forget it

merci, mon chere, for good celebrations
it’s what i live for

i conducted an impromptu photo shoot this weekend & am so pleased with how it turned out. the frameless frame connects it all, even if it is blurry- i like it

of moody songs from my birthday lunch

early this week i ventured to the atlanta market & was so inspired

by these chelsea house silk painted panels

over sized clocks in a vintage style

hand painted paper mache boxes

and this gold sprayed lounge with velvet cushions

what a grand day! attended by 11 beautiful ladies, we dined on heirloom tomato salad, rissotto, sorbet, cake and of course, champagne. each plate wore my initials in some creative, edible way & to top it off, i received a gorgeous chandelier as a present. borrowed straight from anna at absolutely beautiful things, each guest departed with a hand painted parasol. a wonderful way to enter into my 30s

(more pictures to follow tomorrow once i’ve recovered)

with stephen commuting from moscow - we get a lot of questions about the russian capitol. what’s it like? how many people live there? how are the people? the best way for me to describe moscow is that it’s new york on steroids. there’s a lot of new money & no middle class. the clash of cultures is curious. its hyper & wild & scary & big & loud. but in many ways, i miss moscow. i miss the excitement the city offers with great business oppurnities around every corner & the glam side: fabulous out-of-this-world restaurants & shops, incredibly expensive cars zooming by at every traffic light, beautiful women draped in jewels & furs - so gorgeous that they make me rethink my sexuality. i don’t miss the chaos, the smells, the feeling that everything at all times is uncertain. s sent me a link today of scenes from the metro. he usually hails a cab or walks to work but often he takes the metro. what i love about these pictures is that they are every day shots. nothing is out of the ordinary in moscow and on the metro with the masses, its often like the extras from a bad horror movie are on their way home still in full costume

this is uber cool but terribly wrong. a novelty gun hair dryer. cool

what a big week. i’m celebrating my arrival into my 30s & mourning my daughters entrance into first grade. her kindergarten year now seems like a blur of reading, writing, counting, and lots of recess. our summer was long & lovely. with two teeth lost, five inches of hair cut, one pair of penny loafers, & a new (monogrammed) backpack- we’re ready for first grade. rather she’s ready- i’m not. i was ready for her to go into kindergarten because it’s still sounds like little school but first grade is SO different. it’s real school with real grades, real expectations, and real issues. plus it is accompanied by more sass, more homework, and its a leap from little girl to young girl. next monday, the first day of school, i’m hosting a ‘mimosas for moms’ after drop off & i’m sure some moms will be cheerful- ready for a regular routine but i’ll be curled up in a ball crying my eyes out in the corner (with tall glass of champagne in my tear streaked hand)

how can i let this darling baby grow up? it’s all happening in a blink of an eye

this my little baby. then barely two. sweet as a cupcake. now she’s 46″ tall, wears a size 7, and weighs over 40 pounds. the once chubby cheeks are slim & her once full day spent only with me is shared with others. she’s on her way out the door & knowing her, she won’t look back once. she’s fearless & ready to take the world by storm. hell, if she can handle me as a mother, she can handle just about anything right? oh, sigh. i miss her already

this toy reminds me of my childhood. i snapped it up for the girls right away & they love it. i was happy to see them put down their play cell phones and dial on this old fav. found at target

oh no! PBS has decided to cut mr. rogers from their daily programming! i, like most of my friends, grew up in make believe land & i’m heart broken. go to www.savemrrogers.com to help keep this sweet show on for our children

now that is some serious dedication

i was searching my beloved etsy for peacocks because i’m obsessed with the bird & found this wild shop. i’ve never worn anything like this but find it so interesting. i think to really pull off the look you’ve got to (at most) a B cup. i am (sigh) not. if i ever did wear something like this for sure twirl factor would play in the decision making process. and i love these feathery ones. so fun for someone a lot braver than moi

what a pretty little mirror for a pretty little price
it’s a must have

i have a thing for painted floors & stairs. ever since this picture* in domino, i’ve been searching houses to find the perfect client to convince they must have a painted stair. now seeing this picture of these painted floors, i’m not sure i can wait much longer. the pattern is bold and large and adds so much to the space. oh yes, i am in love & must find a worthy space soon. (check out the other fun contest winners below on the link above from design sponge, if you can pry your eyes off the divine hardwoods)

*i adore these stairs. don’t you?

there’s a little boy on our street who rides a unicycle. he’s about 10, tall, lean, nothing but knees. he rides alone once the heat of the day has passed. he’s kind & well mannered & i find him fascinating. why did he chose the unicycle? why not a rad skate board or a cool bike? what makes him so different? r is outside now running with him as he pratices. i can’t help but think to ask if he’s training for the circus. which is unkind & wrong. but honest. moreover, i do admit that i like that he is apart for the norm. not afraid to ride a traditionally-odd one-wheeled device. he’s swimming against the tide & in a traditional southern town, full of football fans & southern belles, it makes me happy to see him roll past my windows on his little uni