someone has been up to no good in my house
it’s been a day full of trouble (of the under 4 feet sort)
so cheers readers for i’m already toasting you in front of the fire
with a big bold glass of red (or two)
loves til tomorrow,
jade
February 5th, 2010
but i love looking at it
found this little ditty at madison markets last week & i’m trying it out on approval. with a zinc top and an industrial look, the size is right & the price even better. i need large candles & fresh flowers (the power of fresh flowers) & baskets underneath.
this is the piece i have had my eye on for a year
but it’s 10 times the price! i need an entrance piece. badly. but should i just wait for the piece i reallllly want? o.k. need thoughts here
oh me oh my. oh me oh my. i am in love with this gorgeous home- truly sophisticated & stylish. found via black*eiffel, you can see all pictures here (drool)
today
i’m dreaming of outdoor parties with string lights
cold beer & frozen margaritas
laying on the beach in the sun
summer nights in the moonlight
sand & an ocean breeze
opening the windows & turning on the fans
today i am ready for spring & maybe even summer
today i am over winter
i want flowers & green grass & sun
(even in february, a girl can dream)
so my gorgeous friend sylvan recommended a movie to me recently. but know this- when sylvan recommends a movie, i usually roll my eyes. (no offense, love) it’s just that her all time favorite movie is HOT ROD. yes- hence the roll of my eyes. she’s got different taste in movies than i do. note that my taste is usually bad, uber romantic, lovey dovey mush. no, i do not claim to be a great movie critic. but i do know i did not like HOT ROD. so the movie she wanted me to watch was - the invention of lying - and it is now my favorite movie. and rick gervais probably my new favorite actor/comedian. i have never laughed so hard. then i a friend, kerry, posted me this link on facebook of his stand up called Animals & i’ve just ignored the dishes, and kids, and life in general and watched the entire bit in stitches. where have i been? how have i missed him? you must go see this flick asap- it is simply smashing
friday night we had our little girl book club meeting. a group of my mom & daughter friends are reading the classics together & meeting up once every while to discuss the book. it’s a brilliant activity that all of us love doing together and if you have a child around 7 or 8, i highly recommend you start your own. we are promoting reading, friendship, and spending time with our first borns. this friday our meeting was held at a local athens establishment one of the parents own & we had a proper tea party in a private room followed by karoke (cause you know, that’s how we roll - anne of green gables and then a jam session). some 8 year olds rocked out to keith urban, a few handled stage fright with a rendition of “who let the dogs out”. i was the only mom to hog the mike. i hip-checked a little girl out of the way to blast Bust a Move. i was rockin in my own world until my littlest one, grace, stole the microphone for a pretty good (although out of season) rudolf the red nose reindeer. yep. kicked off the stage by my own off spring. dang. it was harsh
today we watched EARTH (which i also recommend) & stayed in. tonight we’re on the fence. go out to friends house or stay in more. my vote is stay in. but as of 5:30, it’s 3 to 1. i think they may even go without me if i don’t rally soon
xoxo
jade
sometimes it’s fun just to be a girlfriend to your husband
to flirt with him, to send him cute text, to make him play list of love songs
valentines is a really good time to do all that- to remind him he’s yours
these are a couple of my fav etsy love day picks for your mister man
cause he really doesn’t want chocolate or a heart tie or boxers
he wants you to want him
love these naughty notes to tuck into his pocket, lay on his pillow or slip into his bag. to really spice things up, hit Hot ta-tas etsy store for something to make him sizzle
… go to her store to see what the inside reads… it’ll make you smile
two years ago, i wouldn’t have been caught D E A D in anything lilly pulitzer. in fact, i thought it was tacky & people who wore lilly- simply label lovers. but now! woo nelly! i’m stalking everything pulitzer. i’m craving one of her gorgeous scarves for spring & drooling over the genieva dress for summer (i only like the silk dresses, the cotton shifts are a little too tween pour moi)
i hope to get a silk tunic to wear with cropped white skinny jeans and metallic heels. i’ve even taken to ebaying it for the girls. the girls tunics are my favs- pair them with white short shorts & converse and i’m in little girl fashion heaven. it’s so funny how taste change & how quickly too. so don’t laugh at me my euro friends all dressed in black head to toe when you see my this summer in PINKS! and TURQUOISE! cause lilly is back IN my friend, at least in my book
mel over at life is good, better, best- a friend and client- just posted on her guest bedroom that i have sorda, kinda been helping her own. she hinted that i may need to give her a few more consultations to pull this room together. i worked on melaneys house for about six months the year before last- adding in new things, rearranging- and then we decided to work through consultation- an “as needed” basis. and by reading her post, i’m guessing it’s time to consult a bit. so here you go melaney, my advice for this room:
- the bed looks fantastic as does the bedding
- love the lamps & the sister in law who gave them
- you need an area rug, something with texture and very oversized and maybe a graphic pattern
- i suggest you grass cloth this room (or at least the back wall) in a very tight weave, call me for colors
- if you’re not up for papering (although i do have an excellent woman who is VERY well priced) i suggest we chose to make the headboard wall the focal wall with a dark color and come in to the rest of the room with the same color cut 70%
- finally, let’s add in a large mirror (you need some reflection) possibly matching ones
- and lastly let’s recover some vintage chairs. it’s a nice sized room so let’s make it very cozy & comfortable for your guest
i hope this helps- i’m happy to go into detail in person- but remember, i may only live down the street but i only go somewhere when INVITED!
love you like a sister,
jade
i blew out a tire, got into a disagreement with my husband, messed up two client orders, misplaced a bill, got a very unpleasant surprise in the mail
and it’s only tuesday…
today
i should have gone to spin class
i should have jumped on the trampoline with the girls instead of paid bills
i should have not had that really, truly fattening cookie that wasn’t even worth it
i should have gone on a walk in our gorgeous neighborhood in the sunshine
tomorrow i may do it right
yes, tomorrow i will take over the day
own it
i may even actually make it to spin class
no
tomorrow i know i will
tomorrow is (afterall) another day and one step closer to friday
image from a new found lovely blog- bright, bold, and beautiful
i have a new love
this has got to be my new favorite blog out there
i so feel this way. since i started spring cleaning early, the cabinets, the playroom, drawers, and even the garage is looking better and better every day. & my work is steam rolling ahead at an incredible pace. but me? wow. i need a hair cut, a manicure, an eyebrow wax, and a day with a face full of make up. i’ve got to get out of this town for a day & spend some time on moi
do you ever get the feeling that you would love someone famous even if you don’t know them? i just know that tina & amy & i would hit it off big time. is that odd? maybe. but in any case i totally have a crush on both of them. add my famous ms e to the mix & i’d die
we took the doors off of amelias closet and we made theater drapes for the inside. looking at the picture this morning, i’ve decided it needs a little something. i am thinking a turquoise trim that’s funky and large. something that matches the color of the bed (not as shown) and brings it all together. instead of the drapes, i think i’ll add the trim to the valences (thanks for the idea mom)
yesterday we decided to incorporate this gorgeous throw which will be folded at the end of the bed & now i want in add in these pillows. remember it’s not the first hundred dollars you spend that counts, it’s the last five dollars that makes a room (paraphrasing here)
what a day. 5 hours spent on site installing and meeting and rearranging. i’m having a little glass of wine to celebrate. amelias room is coming along beautifully. i think we’re just about ready to shoot it. moreover my clients love love love it. so here is one of my favorite shots of where we are today. by the end of next week, we should be just about done
oh and here’s her room before i started working on it …
call me old fashioned but i love love love a swing on a front porch. especially on a porch like mine. the girls play our front most of the day & i want a comfy swing to sit and watch the chaos. if i had my way, i’d have this gorgeous piece made tomorrow
pottery barn carried something similar last year but i don’t think they are going to do it again this year. should have bought one when i could have (story of my life)
but instead of going for something super fancy, i’ve decided to go plain then i’ll stylize it with my favorite fabrics. this sweet swing is only $119 with free shipping
i am also thinking of changing the chains to a heavy rope- i’m not such a fan of the link chain. i can’t wait. once we get this going, you can find me sippin a glass of wine at sunset or drinking a cup of tea in the mornings. hell, i may not even come back inside
this is what we do on sunday night at our house when we’ve been inside too long (due to really unpleasant weather) & when we need to burn some energy
we think of wacky ways to entertain ourselves. human pyramids. tag. dance parties. and a good game of hide and go seek (or three). no matter what mood you’re in, after you’ve played tag with my gaggle of giggling geese- your spirits are just lifted & the whole world seems brighter
it’s good to be young
and in summer i will be living in this number
a client of mine decided to go with different lamps for her guest bedroom leaving two of these large beauties for sale. retailing for over $400, i am offering them for $200 each. they are in perfect condition. the white linen shades are still wrapped. the lamp height is 27 1/2″ & the diameter 16″. they are very very big and perfect for the right space. email me if you are interested
in each kitchen i complete, i try to add in a banquette. i love the concept of a built-in booth in your kitchen. it’s a cozy place to gather. it’s a nook that holds memories. sunday breakfast, friday game night. the first thing i did in our new home was to have a banquette put in. a throw back to a diner booth, a banquette can transform a cold kitchen that is stark to a welcoming hangout. a well placed banquette is essential to a good kitchen design in my book
*image from coastal home
this is the master bedroom of one of my clients. don’t you love it? more beautiful shots to come soon…
i’ve got a really big install tomorrow. panels and panels of drapes that will basically complete my latest childrens bedroom- ms amelias room seen in its pre-finished state here and here. i am so excited! it’s going to really pull it all together. tonight we’re off to dinner with my mom & some of her closet friends. & tomorrow night we will attend the january release party at Square One for Southern Distinction magazine. stop by if you can from 5 to 7:30! it’s going to be a hoot
{ps right now my 3 helpers are unloading the dishwasher and water plants together singing songs as they work. it’s a sweet moment in the o’connor house}
you are looking at the coffee maker that has changed my life. seriously. how? for starters, i am not going to starbucks anymore and i’ve already saved myself $3.50 a day! plus i am staying home more which means my house is more together, my children more content, and my work done faster. while i am not a fan of plug in gifts for christmas (a gift like that screams desperate housewife), i am sooo happy santa put this under the tree for me. with this beautiful machine, i can make espresso, cappuccinos, lattes, or just plain coffee. i can make a short coffee, a regular cup, or fill a large to go cup up which is super convenient on school mornings. the k cups are individually made so that everyone in the house can have their own chose- tea, hot chocolate, anything. also- it makes my coffee instantly. no waiting at all. i think it’s just about the happiest little thing to happen to my kitchen ever
one day we will build a pool house/ guest house/ office/ something in our pastor. this collection of lovely cottages makes me want to do it today!
from a lovely blog called - a life’s design
