one outfit: two rooms

the dress: from BCBG. the challenge: create a room inspired by this look



the results:

a bedroom by bryn


a living room by jamie

reconsidering...

lily pulitizer.

that peacock ain't so preppy. he's smoking!

looking at on ebay

wicker daybed, console table, vintage fireplace, pineapple lamps, pink and white striped silk drapes, white crocodile table (check out pics!), pink lucite club chairs, rattan chair, vintage book

good morning robert

desk of strong good looks

i have a bevy of strong positive feelings for this desk. i rip it out of the catalog every time it comes. i could possibly wrap a present in the pages i'm accumulating.

come again?

when did the going rate for a pretty pillow become $100?

there's not a single selection here for under $60. yikes!

bookcase of the day

and cloud light fixture - love it or hate it?

pretty patterns

from modcloth.

updates on lonny

here.

will it work for us?

staples

i must take a moment to report that i have yet to find a towel as soft and plush as thomas o'brien's from target. $9.99 for the bath sheet - and still puffy after lots of washes.

old navy v-neck pocket tees. add skinny jeans and a scarf = fashionable

$5.00 each

morningstar crumbles mealstarters

perfect for chili, mexican delight, omelettes and other alternatives to brian meares meatful dinners.

american eagle khakis.

they fit (unlike the evil thigh eaters), and they have pretty little bits on the inside, like ribbon and dots.

neutrogena calming make up remover wipes. brian meares uses them too - it's all very showy and dramatic, but he seems to enjoy them.

and done!

today was spent reupholstering chair cushions and a bench for a client in the ohsolovely home couture contessa fabric.

bookcase of the day

i'm wondering if...

you like this bedroom from domino

you can get a budget interpretation of a peter dunham-ish textile using this pattern from target (there's a coverlet - but no picture)

new website and something i didn't screw up

i'm not a good cook. when i try a new recipe it usually fails. hence my excitement when last night i tried a new combo and it proved edible, even ENJOYABLE. to brian meares!

rigatoni pasta
albacore tuna in the pack!
broccoli
shallots
white beans
red pepper flakes
crushed pepper

= a new delicious pasta dish we're adding to our regs.

and i found it through a new-to-me GREAT blog, the nutritionista.

this is not a reasonable way for a dog to sit

welcome to fall friends!

where i will do my best to wear orange, light blue and gray - all together.
remind me in case i forget.
coat from jcrew.

several things

women around the world are in a funk

are we?

read: Blue is the New Black

thoughts?

debating

tough call.

sassy side tables from smartbargains

$44 each
smartbargains.com

bathroom of delight

isn't it though?

welcome.

when the guest services division at my house gets it's ducks in a row, i'd like to offer these bath towels to visitors.

they're from kara weaves, a nonprofit that supports handloom weaving in india.

romper

in a fit of trendiness this summer, i bought a romper.

bad move.

nothing has ever looked worse on me. i put it on upstairs just now and looked in the mirror and immediately took it off and thought no one deserves to see me in this.

i imagine they're suited for terribly skinny people.

they are not suited to me.

bookcase of the day

local happenings

1) Daily TarcHeel: Five UNC Students Arrested
sucks for yal, but who didn't see that coming?
greeks take another hit.

2) visited elizabeth edward's new furniture store today in chapel hill. not to beat a horse while it's down, but to say i was disappointed is being friendly. it's maybe 400 square feet.

3) tyler's commericial filmed on franklin street

around the house - floral invasion

i'm gently easing into some florals in our house. brian is NOT a fan, to say the least.
it started with some custom pillows - the first step in the great pink bedroom redo of '09.
if you hate it, stay with me. this is only 24" of the room!


gorgeous purple silk welting. sump-tu-ous. the fabric is a hazelton house linen.

brian can't stand them - he had a freak out last night and said if i put them on the blog everyone was going to tell me how ugly they are and laugh at me. he's very supportive in that way.

and a towel. just 1 pottery barn towel. love the bird. he looks like a tattoo.


luxury bedroom furniture in metal and wood styles.

mouth watering: food as art

stumbled across food photographer and stylist melina howard's flickr stream today and had to share these gorgeous tables.

garden woes

last night i planted grass seed. again. we do this every spring and fall and we can't seem to get grass to stick around long enough to establish itself.

while i was toiling i came to the conclusion i would like a lantana bush. my friend caroline has one in front of her house and it says WELCOME. we are people who CULTIVATE our land and make things look INVITING. do come in!

my front yard says things are dying slowly here. welcome?

offerings

so i'm *probably* taking on a bigger than big new venture in the next little bit, so i'm trying to prepare myself mentally. i'm reading some pema chodron - she's a buddhist nun who wants us all to make ourselves happy first so we can in turn alleviate everyone else's suffering. easy peasy.

so last night, she told me about the importance of making offerings. offering things up is going to free me from the pain of self-absorption. she wants me to offer every sumptuous object that i enjoy. more from her book no time to lose:

"instead of desirable things becoming objects of greed, we turn them into vehicles of liberation by using them to make the best of offerings. we can luxuriate in wonderful fantasies and visualize sumptuous offerings not only for ourselves but also for all sentient beings. we can delight in our daydreams, and then give it all away! anything we offer uncovers our inherent good qualities cultivating this practice is a very straightforward, nonconceptual way to uncover our basic goodness."

alright, fabulous. here we go.

we'll start with fall shoes for internet friends.

betsy, hot off the offering. you get these delicious furry marc jacobs boots. enjoy.


decorno, these eff me louboutins = yours. offered from me.


nick, take these vans as i uncover another layer of goodness. they're snappy.


bryn, you get these slouchy stingray trim boots. i am SELFLESS to give these away.


jenny, i'm giving you these. you're all tall and long legged with that sassy haircut. delight in them.


and katie, pour vous. when you get home from portugal - a nonconceptual package on your doorstep. these lovelies inside.