Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Eddie Ross, Vintage(ish) Dishes and How to Get Them for a Steal

 One of my Christmas presents from my boys (#truth I ordered it and gave it to them to wrap)
was Eddie Ross' new book, Modern Mix. I highly recommend it if you have a love of
 design, thrifting, entertaining, a colorful collected style, reading, looking at pictures,
you get it ~ it's fabulous for anyone!
And, as informative as it is FUN!
I was inspired by his beautiful collections of dishes and talent for the eclectic mixes
he creates. I started paying more attention to vintage dishes and glassware when I was
 thrifting, but hadn't come across anything that spoke to me, until...

Modern Mix: Curating Personal Style with Chic & Accessible Finds - Eddie Ross

...I was at my local World Market (not sponsored btw, I just love them)
  and noticed these salad plates. And, although they weren't vintage, they had the look.
A classic Chinoiserie style border, unique color combos, and my favorite, a good
 dose of pink. I thought they'd pair perfectly with something modern or antique,
 and can't wait to see what else I find to add to the mix.

World Market Shanghai Salad Plate 

If you're not familiar with World Market's Explorer Club, a free rewards program, you
may want to check it out, asap! You'll receive special coupons. I combined my birthday
 coupon ($10 off anything) and another coupon ($10 off a $30 purchase).
Making the total for six of these beautiful plates...$10!  
(Online they're available as a set of 4, at my store they were sold individually.) 


You're welcome. :)


Friday, September 11, 2015

My Early Fall Home Tour ~ 2015

Thanks so much for stopping by my Early Fall Tour, 
I'm thrilled to be included and thank you to Marty @ A Stroll Thru Life
for organizing such a wonderful group of tours. If you're coming over from
 Dimples & Tangles you've no doubt been wowed by my friend Jennifer's talent
 for creating a beautifully stylish home filled with color! 
  
Early Fall translates to no pumpkins or fall leaves to be found in Denver yet,
 which is perfectly fine with me. It seems we're all in agreement to savor every
 last drop of summer, so I'm easing into the transition of fall today.
   
If you're new here I live in Denver with Mr. Simple, our son and fur babies in a 
little cottage built in 1938. Come on in and I'll show you around, I'm sure it will
come as no surprise that I've changed a few things up since our Summer Tour. :)
  

I love creating new looks using what I have by moving furniture, art and
 accessories from room to room, it's easy on the budget and keeps my creative side
entertained. My inspiration for the updated color scheme was this rug I scored on
 Craigslist for a steal several months ago. I loved the global vibe and thought the
 colors would be great for fall. The cheetah stencil was a fun project awhile back to
 give my tiny entry some interest.  


I went for an eclectic look in our living room, a mix of French, vintage and global.
  A couple new pillows I made and changing up the artwork made me happy!
  I've had the hunting dog painting for years but hadn't used it and was thrilled it worked.
 By mixing in a couple DIY abstracts and other prints I had, along with the tie dye
 pattern pillow, it kept it from looking too formal and
 reminiscent of my gold and burgundy days. 


I spray painted some branches from our yard metallic gold,
since free, gold and a little glam is my jam. :)


My favorite new accessories ~ Chinese Calligraphy Brushes!
My dear friend happened to be living in Beijing for awhile and was sweet enough to
amass a beautiful collection for me. I couldn't love them and her more! 
Remember in my Summer Tour I showed you how I use any and all greenery from
 my yard, do you recognize the sweet potato vine? 


The big change is my vintage wingbacks are gone, not GONE, just in the basement
so I could bring up these bamboo chairs to enjoy for awhile. The white campaign chest had
 been on the opposite side of the room, I used it during Christmas last year as a bar set up.
You can see it in my Christmas Tour here.
The texture and intricate pattern of the chairs pop against all the white.    



On to our family room where we hang out most of the time. We're still fans of our Ikea
 Ektorp sectional, it's held up really well and of course the washable slipcovers are the best. 
I was inspired by this creative lady's awesome idea to pack our bookcase full of books.
I tweaked it a bit and put my own spin on it by adding some of my blue and white ginger jars. 
I got lots of raised eyebrows and eye-rolling from my boys for this one. Haha! 


The artwork on the mantel was in the living room gallery wall the last time you saw it. 
I've had a couple old columns for years, I keep them out in the garden. 
See those gold leaves ~ I brought the car to a screeching halt as soon as I saw them and
 hopped out to grab them from a tree on the side of the road.
 I can't wait to change out the large urn for bright fall foliage.   



 I found this orange pillow at Ross ~ great textured twine and gold beading create
the pattern. I kept our coffee table styling super simple.


Here's a little peek at our dining room, I set the table with some of my favorites, bread,
 tomatoes, herbs and Black Eyed Susan from our yard.   




I have to share this with you guys, during the time I've been prepping for the tour
we've had repairs being done on our 80 year old windows and some new siding. 
The crew's table saws, ladders and tools were just outside our dining room French
 doors. I was trying to be patient but every day there was a surprise waiting for me,
boarded up windows, taped windows waiting for primer and then paint. 
I couldn't take any photos for days! 
I just about lost it one day, my room was all finished and I walked in to them using
 the electric sander around the window frames. Mr. Simple intervened and I heard 
something about blog, which I'm sure they clearly understood. 
I can only imagine the stories they told their wives about this lady that spent her
 day fluffing pillows, cutting branches off her shrubs, setting a table with food that
 sat there for days, oh and the books!  



 Our girl Rio ~ because I couldn't end with those ugly photos!


It's been a pleasure sharing our home with you, thank you so much for stopping by. 
If you'd like to keep up with the never ending projects over here I'd love you to 
follow along:

Next up on the tour is the lovely Sherry @ No Minimalist Here, I can't wait to see
 her beautiful home decked out for us. 

If you'd like to catch up here is the tour line up for the week.

Monday, April 20, 2015

Segreto Style


Hi guys, hope your Monday is off to a great start. Our weekends always begin and end
 on the same note pretty much every week. Our tradition for as long as I can remember
 is dinner out on Friday nights, 75% of the time it's Mexican and 75% of the time I order
 fish tacos. :) Sunday evening we go to church at 6:00 and get home and finish up homework
 (truth be told - start homework)! We had a track meet, birthday celebration, work around the
 house, sports practice, a Costco run, all good stuff, just busy like everyone. It was a huge
 treat to carve out a little time to peruse the most beautiful book - and I couldn't help but 
style it on our coffee table. 

Segreto Style by Leslie Sinclair   


I jumped at the chance to review Leslie's book when she asked, I'd heard it was 
gorgeous, but it was so much more than I expected. 
A stunning over-sized coffee table book with 300 pages of exquisite photos
of homes, detailing the finishes that give them a classic timeless style. 


My biggest surprise was in addition to the information and techniques on finishes 
it's a book I'll reference over and over to analyze design details. 
(Also invaluable sources for all paint colors and furnishings throughout the book) 
Just take in the eclectic mix of pattern, artwork and styles in this home, layered perfection!  


Chic, effortless style ~ French and Italian antiques combine seamlessly with modern pieces.
The finishes in this contemporary home were thoughtfully chosen to make the biggest impact.
One of my favorite white paint colors - Benjamin Moore Dove White is shown here.  


Inspiration at the turn of every page! 

"Whether using paint, carpet or tile, creative flooring is a great way to add personality to
 a small space, as evident in this home office with its charming reclaimed concrete tiles." 


 Reclaimed wood beams and plastered walls add warmth to this casual den. 


The small footprint of this living room created a design challenge. The solution was
a daybed that allowed one to see across the room without any obstruction. 


The book also includes some latest design trends ~ this painted bookcase and paneling and
 trim are a beautiful background for vibrant artwork.    


This stunning home is a new build, the homeowner wanted it to feel as though it had
 been lived in for many years. The plastered walls and ceilings create the perfect backdrop.


One of my favorite gifts to give is a book along with a magnifying glass
tied to the package with a satin ribbon. 
This would be perfect for Mother's Day!  

You can find Leslie's book on her website HERE, Amazon HERE
or her blog, Secrets of Segreto HERE

Leslie is as inspiring and beautiful as her book, the mother of three left a successful
 marketing career in the corporate world to start a plaster and decorative finishes
 company, Segreto Finishes. Located in Houston, TX she employs a staff of over 30
 artisans, her company's work has been featured in numerous publications
including Architectural Digest, Veranda, Traditional Home, and House Beautiful 
to name a few. 

Thank you for sharing your book with me Leslie, it was a delight to have
the opportunity to share it with my readers!



Sunday, February 8, 2015

teach me your ways sarah richardson


I've been pouring over Sarah Richardson's new book, Sarah Style, dissecting
her design. She's long been a favorite, and after analyzing her portfolio I can say
my favorite element is her fearless mix of styles.
I'm sharing a few photos from her book (which I love) along with my
old school thoughts and why I assumed the design wouldn't have worked.    

*************

Old school thought:
Detailed chairs and table bases would compete with each other.



Here she mixes a variety of table styles
Old school thought:
Industrial coffee table paired with the french style side tables wouldn't work.


While I was checking out the tables I happened to notice the four upholstered chairs.
Old school thought:
This end of the room feels heavy and unbalanced vs the opposite end with
only the two small stools (scroll up to see).


This room is so interesting, six tables (including ottoman, consoles and coffee table
in bottom right corner) such a varied mix, and the two consoles are similar.
Old school thought:
Too much going on and too many styles mixed.    


Such a pretty corner.
Old school thought:
Mix any two of the three styles, but not three different styles and wood tones.


Stripes and more stripes, so unexpected and it gives this neutral room some pizazz.
Old school thought:
 Choose a geometric, floral or ikat instead of two stripes.


I kept noticing these stools again and again, and finally figured out they're in her line
 of custom furniture. She says, "No room escapes them, they're the perfect
 18" x 18" x 18" size and fit in every room and every scheme."





 
 

Do you love her style as much as I do?
If you have her book, what did you think?

All photos from Sarah Richardson Design
Her book can be purchased here.


Monday, October 27, 2014

elements of style book giveaway


It's your lucky day! Remember the fun girl's room I just revealed, well, my sweet
client gave me a thank you present ~ Erin Gates' newly released book,
 Elements of Style,
but I'd already received my own copy I'd ordered. Of course, the gift was special and
 I wanted to keep it. It took me about two seconds to decide what to do with my copy.
You guys are truly the BEST,
thank you so much for reading and the encouragement you send my way every day!


I thought I'd style my coffee table with Erin's book, but got carried away, and for
 fun I shopped my house and found elements she used in the vignette on the cover of
 her book.



I haven't had a chance to read much of the book yet, but so far Erin is an absolute
 delight, incredibly talented and inspiring!

Here a few posts from the past where I chatted about her...

Erin's black cabinet on the front of her book showed up on our Craigslist,
I went to see it, and passed. :(

My favorite knock-off Frye boots were a recommendation from Erin.

DIYs in the photo above...

Craigslist Hutch in Annie Sloan French Linen here
DIY Leopard Tray from $2.99 Ikea Tray here
Coffee Table Transformation here
Greek Key Chair Reupholster a $10 Garage Sale Find here
(forgive the last two, the posts were my second month blogging) :)


And finally, the giveaway... 
a Rafflecopter giveaway


Good luck and thank you, friends!


Tuesday, March 11, 2014

erin gate's cabinet on my craigslist...

Yep, it's true! It was early January, I immediately recognized the piece in the Craigslist ad
 as Erin's of Elements of Style. She's one of my favorite designers and I'd recently been
 captivated by her striking Christmas decor. Coincidentally, 'the cabinet' that anchored that
 stunning room showed up on our Craigslist. I went and saw it and passed :( it was in ok
 shape,  but needed some repair for a door to close properly and was overall in worse condition
 than I'd hoped for. I'd forgotten all about it until yesterday when I saw it on the cover of her
 new book, Elements of Style Designing a Home & A Life (to be released in October).
I'm just kicking myself!!!      


Would you have recognized it? They had a funky piece covering the top.
Btw, I think it was around $100 and the seller asked what I'd be willing to pay when I
 balked at the condition. : ( 




Her cabinet through the years, with different interior colors... 




And her infamous Christmas decor... 


I'd say it's my biggest Craigslist regret.
Do you have one? 


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