Bring On The Blues!

It's only early June and it's already feeling like late July. We just had two 100 degree days! Whenever it gets really hot, there are certain colors I always crave and blue is one of them.

Two of the the best things about spring and summer is switching fragrances and cutting flowers for inside.

What scent are you wearing this summer ladies and gents? Please do tell!


The right scent is paramount, but I must admit I am very swayed by a pretty bottle! I wore Dolce & Gabbana's Light Blue last year and it was very nice, but the bottle is quite plain, so I went back to Ralph Lauren's Blue this year. This tiny sample bottle just came in the mail yesterday. I ordered it online from Amazon and now I have a collection of each size for my vanity.


These mop heads will get so much bigger, but I couldn't wait!

 Early this morning, I headed to the side of the house to clip some hydrangea blooms before it got too hot.


I've had this vase forever, but haven't used it in years.



Flowers and fragrance....hard to imagine life without them!


 
Have a great weekend!

Tuesday Tip

I have another insider tip for you today. One to assist while you are shopping retail. There are code words used when stores are having "issues" and need to move inventory fast. The most common is the "going out business sale" and typically that is what it means. Although there are occasions when it's a restructuring to roll out a new look, often with the same name. Sometimes it's called a "moving sale" and once in awhile you will hear "retirement sale". This last one is so hokey because they would like you to believe there is great hardship to the remaining owners. I assure you in retail (small/privately owned businesses are excluded here) this is just a ploy to have a sale and offer only a very small percentage mark down.

Basically, they are all the same thing. Here's why: retail stores must move as much inventory possible to avoid moving and storage costs. Think of the what the calculated costs associated with moving a fully furnished mansion and then double it. Same for storage. And, retailers fully understand the risk of storing items. They know pieces will sustain damage and they will incur the costs associated with repair or profit losses when damaged items need to be sold at deep discounts after a move. It is always in the store's best interest to deplete inventory as quickly as possible.

When you see these signs, know that everything is negotiable. By purchasing several items, you increase your negotiating power. Cash and carry (meaning you pay in cash and take the item with you immediately) will yield you the best leverage. But most stores these days see credit equally appealing. Think of it like an upscale tag sale. Important notes: mind your manners and don't be arrogant. I can assure you if you offend the floor sales person or manager, they will not be flexible.  In addition, unless there is something you must have or tears will ensue, don't buy anything the first week of the sale. However, do browse and note what is present so you are informed upon return of what inventory has moved. This will give you a bit of additional leverage when asking for a discount. And of course, you will need to do so in the politest way possible.

A few weeks ago, the Drexel Heritage store close to where I live put up signs saying "never before or never again sale" going on now. So based on what I said above, I understood some sort of significant change would  result in a departure/closing/relocation.  In this case, I knew that Drexel owned the lower end Thomasville. Recently, they had their own sale where I scored a leather topped table from Darryl Carter's line for under $500!  The original price was $1,125...60% off. Unfortunately and surprisingly his line did not do well and has been discontinued. I think it would have been a far better fit for the Drexel customer.



Rollins pedestal table by Darryl Carter

 So....I figured there was a correlation and it had the sound of "fire" sale to me. When I went to check things out, a sales person I knew told me that it was determined Drexel was not the right fit for this location and they were moving a Thomasville store that was struggling in it's current location into their space. Here is what it meant to me personally and a few lucky friends and clients I called: prints, accessories, books and furniture at 80% off!!!

One of the things I was so excited about acquiring were these books. Shocking, I know! I purchased the set of 14 leather books with gold embossed covers. They are actually journals and immediately they made me think of one of my favorite movies, Out of Africa. When my husband saw them, he said "those are amazing, what's the subject?" I informed him anything we want it to be! The books were originally just under $60 each. Yes, I paid a mere $11 and change for something that looks like it came from estate sale that had a grand library or a purchase from an antique book dealer. I purchased a few other things too, perhaps a post for another day. For now, I'll be fantasizing about travels to far away lands that we can write about in beautiful journals!

The Divine, Mr. Devine

It's been snowing here in Virginia, not like the 3 blizzards of last winter, but still when you have 8.25 inches of heavy wet snow dumped in a few short hours, it's just no fun. My Crape Myrtle was splayed out on the lawn once again like a giant spider. I think I've saved most of it along with my Korean Lilac, but the Bradford Pear is history and a few others are not looking too good. The back yard has so many fallen limbs, it's resembles a a giant game of Pick-Up Sticks! The snow is falling again as I type this.



This looks like the perfect fabric for a Midsummer's Night soiree.


The mail man didn't get here until after dinner, so I didn't even bother retrieving the mail until this morning.  After shoveling yesterday, I spent some time nursing my aching wrist and knee and reading some of my favorite blogs.



Stylish, sophisticated and fun!

 I was reminded I needed to send follow-up note of information providing additional details regarding some fabric samples. No need. Turns out yesterday was a really good mail day! In my box were the fabric samples I had recently contacted MDH about. His web site was being worked on, and I never got back to him on specifics. Instead he just sent me a wonderful sampling of the patterns I indicated I liked and plan to use for a current project. Excellent customer service and a little mind reading!




Samples of the collection at Maison et Objet, Paris 2008...
 add up to divine artwork!!! 

 Getting samples is always exciting, they're like getting presents....oh, and these were too...each one carefully wrapped in tissue, each one gorgeous! I am loving the collection, the designs are perfect for both traditional and modern interiors, hand made by local artisans.  Mr. Devine's fabrics were recently featured in Elle Decor as well as Southern Living. I won't tell you which ones I plan to use, I think it will be best to wait until it all comes together!

Have A Great Weekend!

Equestrian Inspired Decor

I've noticed lately equestrian inspired elements are making frequent appearances in fashion and decor. A look that has always appealed to me. It naturally conjures up images of picnics on plaid blankets, rolling fields, miles of fences, the smell of leather, the warmth of tweed, a love of horses and my childhood.



Hermes bottle opener



Growing up I shared a room with my  older sister. About the only thing we had in common was an  obsession with horses. We  had tons of plastic and flocked specimens lining the shelves and dresser tops of our room. We would ask for our own horse constantly. My father, under the constant barrage of begging, caved and for 3 blissful years while living in Oklahoma we had our own horse. His name was Prince. He was white and had a gentle demeanor and was the most thrilling thing in our young lives.



Horse studies-Susan Friedman for WSH



We moved and said goodbye to our beloved horse. I continued to ride very sporadically throughout most of my life, but now it's been years.  My daughter learned to ride when she was six, but due to costs and other interests, she no longer does either. But, the love for these beautiful and majestic animals has never diminished.


The stable in my "Dream House" via


Whether you ride or not, I think equestrian decor, artwork and fashion accessories can be an interesting addition to your home and your wardrobe!

Here is a sampling of some of the beautiful items I've come across:

Ralph Lauren door knocker



Wallpaper



Mary Sand bronze

Ralph Lauren wrapped stirrup bracelet



Gunnison chair by Hickory

Lladro

English table 1st dibs

Ralph Lauren stirrup watch

Horse studies-Tim Robinson for WSH

Hermes rare stirrup clock

Williams-Sonoma Home saddle stitch hurricanes

A glimpse of horse study prints by da Vinci in my dining room this past spring.

Fabric & Wallpaper: Gone to the Dogs!

I became completely smitten the first time I saw this fabric by Eric Cohler in 2006 aptly named, Unleashed! I tore these pages out and slipped them right into plastic sleeves the moment I came across them.  I love the fact the design is appealing for both young & old!!! I've yet to come across a dog themed fabric I like better!

Red

Blue

Orange

And, the selections in canine inspired wallpaper are giving a case of puppy love! I think it's so wonderful when good design doesn't have to be too serious!

Osborne & Little's Best in Show-black

Peter Fasano's Maxx

Peter Fasano's Calvin & Lewis

Peter Fasano's Bow-Wow

Thibaut's Best in Show-aqua

Birthday Blues...

Tomorrow I turn another year older and I am thankful it's not one of those birthdays where your age ends in 5 or 0 and causes a big fuss complete with cards and awful paper napkins displaying the number on atrociously designed squares.  No, this is one that I want to be able to slip into gracefully...until the next "big one" that I know will come soon enough.  Or at least that was the plan.

Gracefulness has eluded me lately.  Since we returned home from vacation, I have been limping and my old friend, aka the ice bag, is not stepping up to the plate as adequately as I had hoped or at least not yet....

In my twenties, I had knee surgery as the result of a car accident.  This accident  haulted traffic for hours.  If you were one of those people stuck for hours around Tyson's Corner that day long ago, sorry, but I did not cause it!  But, my soon to be new boyfriend was stuck and had plenty of time to notice the mangled cars.  A few weeks later, I limped to the apartment pool where I lived to lounge in the sun.  It was a weekday.  All the chairs, except for those being used, were in a tall stack.  There was a guy sitting close to the stack of chairs that I so desperately needed to sit in.  He didn't see me limp over and therefore seemed perplexed as to why I was asking for help. So I began explaining my situation and he said "That was you?"  Little did I know he would invite me to a party weeks later, become my boyfriend and that we would walk down the isle of a church a year later...sans the limp!

By my thirties I had been para sailing (photo below), scuba diving, became an aerobics instructor and a dedicated gym member. Just before my 30th birthday I had my first child. But, even with 2 small children and a crazy breakneck paced career I fantasized about  jumping out of an airplane.  I never got the chance, somehow with no significant event, I managed to injure my knee again!  Another surgery.  Was it the high heels I wore everyday navigating the streets of Washington D.C.???

In my forties, I have become admittedly far less adventuresome. On our recent vacation, on the first full day, I was loading up my beach bag and turned to my husband and asked "should I bring the camera?" His reply, "No, it's our first day we won't need it." Yes, very bad blogging behavior, but trust me when I say it was all for the best.

I am not one of those women who does not get in the ocean water.  I was born near the ocean and spent high school summers lifeguarding at pools and a lake. As soon as we get to the beach, we quickly set down our stuff and head into the water.  On this particular day, the sand was scorching hot and I cut my foot on a broken shell.  I knew I had stepped down funny. The water was a  bit choppy.  The first wave came and it took me down.  I came up to see my husband standing there laughing.  Another wave, down again. Oh, thanks for the warning honey. This time I come up only to see that he is now bent over crying laughing.  Now, I start laughing too because we are the sort of couple who rarely witness each other being undignified.  Key to a successful marriage maybe?  But, I try to act mad and say what I always do in this situation "do you have anything to say?" (are you okay? and I'm sorry come to mind).  His reply...."sure wish I had the camera!"

And, because someone is not paying attention....I go down for the third time. Yes, it is beyond pathetic. Only this time I lost my damn sunglasses! My husband is still laughing and as I stand there with my sand encrusted hair I say "seriously...now what do have to say? Him... "you should have seen how funny that was, what I would have given for a video camera!"  Then I inform him I just lost my sunglasses.  He says "don't worry you can get a new pair in one of the shops here." My response "those were my favorite pair." My husband is still  laughing by the way, but senses he may need to smooth it over and says "you can have any pair you want".  I look at him and say "good...because those were expensive."   I turned to limp back  to my chair and I hear..... "well maybe I can find them here in the surf...." Over my shoulder I say "Yeah, honey you do that...."

So while I contemplate whether I will make it through my forties without another knee surgery, I will also be contemplating these:

My husband asked the best question last night. "Honey how to you want to spend your birthday?" Uh.....shopping and a movie.

This movie to be exact.  Here honey watch the trailer, your gonna love it!

Bye, bye birthday blues!!!

Live Beautifully Everyday!

Three words I am committed to incorporating in every aspect of my life.  The core of my design philosophy.  Words that fit into any budget or style.  Is this a new concept?  Hardly.  A forgotten one?  Definately.  I am continually amazed at the prospect that many people still subscribe to the notion that there are certain things that must be saved for guests and special occasions.

I was reminded of this again today, when chatting with a friend.  She mentioned that she had company for Easter dinner.  My friend said that her guests loved her china and she was so happy she unpacked it for Easter. And, that the table looked really beautiful.  She seemed almost surprised.  The idea that people deprive themselves of enjoying their own things is perplexing.  Do they not feel worthy of such little pleasures?

Well I am here to say, we are all worthy of using beautiful things and that each day that we wake up and take a breath is a SPECIAL occasion!!!  I encouraged her not to pack them up, but instead display them or relocate them somewhere more accessible.  I suggested she even let go of other items to make room for these dishes she clearly enjoys.  She said this had never crossed her mind!  Sound familiar?  For those of you nodding....I feel very confident your great-grandma would never say "Okay, the minute you hear death is imminent or that Armageddon is not just a movie, you can use the heirloom (fill in the blank) I passed down to you."

Still not convinced?  Consider this.  By using the items you deem special, not only can it improve the quality of everyday living and at the very least bring a smile to your face, but you will always be confident when sharing them with others.  Because: 1.) it didn't cause anyone to break out in hives. 2.) smell bad.  3.) fall apart.

Make a point to use those items you thought were special enough to buy, save and store away in the first place!  I'm talking about linens, dishes, chocolates and everything in between!!!  Otherwise, how do you know what you want to share or gift and what you really want to keep for yourself and use at whim?  Buy a duplicate if it turns out to be something you really love to use, but also want to share.  This way no one was deprived of enjoyment.  Except in the case of the unwanted house guest.  Find the best local hotel possible or simply skip worrying about number one!!!

Repeat often L-B-E!!!

images courtesy of Wedgwood, Diptyque, Williams-Sonoma Home, Lily O'Brien, Hermes