Beautiful Stuff

I get so excited over beautiful office supplies, desk organizers and stationery! My nightstand is literally overflowing with gorgeous stationery I’ve picked up at TJ Maxx, Target and a local stationery store upon its sad going out of business sale.  Apparently, my love for stationery is no secret as friends and family members frequently present me with a box of beautiful cards or note paper every birthday and Christmas.

For a long time, I’ve been addicted to Wedding Paper Divas.  I even use their creations as inspiration for DIY projects and publications at work.

Their fresh, fun eye-catching invitations have me coveting something fierce! While I consider myself relatively traditional, it’s hard to resist such colorful beauty in a wedding invitation.

Wedding stationery isn’t all they sell (thank goodness for those of us whose weddings aren’t quite on the books yet); they also have beautiful note cards, holiday cards, party and shower invitations and personalized stationery.

Another of my favorite stationery sites is Red Cap Cards. Their quirky drawings are fun and whimsical and most certainly memorable.  The best part? You don’t have to order them online! Click here for a list of retailers to find one near you.

I’ve also recently become quite enamored with Organize[dot]com, specifically, their office supply store.  Their motto is Clean.Neat.Easy.  I love that!  I’d probably be a lot more organized if I had some of these babies:

I just know that if I had these beautiful organizational tools, my desk would never be messy, I’d come up with brilliant, creative ideas each day and I’d be the most efficient worker ever born! Or, and perhaps more realistically, I’d be so overwhelmed by all the organization that I’d just sit and admire my pretty new treasures.

Anybody else love stationery and office organization as much as I do?

Doggie Ice Cream

If this blog was a baby, I’d be arrested for neglect!

I had a most fun weekend! I dogsat for a friend who has two giant Golden Retrievers and they were the sweetest, snuggliest things! Here they are chilling out after a long walk.

In other dog-related news, if you’ve never taken your dog through the drive-thru at Bruster’s, you need to go right now! Bruster’s gives a free dish of doggie ice cream to any dog coming through the drive-thru and I’m here to tell you, it’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen! Me, Susie and Mama took Tater through this weekend (after she laid down in the shade five minutes into her walk) and you’ve never seen a happier dog!

Look at that silly tongue!! Mama was “spoon” feeding her with the milkbone that comes in the dish.  When we got her back to their house, she licked the dish clean and dry and brought it in the den to tell us she wanted some more.  What a darling angel!!

I don’t know what they put in that doggie ice cream but judging by Tater’s approval, it must be delicious.

I had a dream

I had a dream last night that I painted my dining room table a rusty, barn-like red even though I actually just finished painting it cream.  I wonder if it was foreshadowing? I’m pretty proud of the current finished product:

But I couldn’t help but wonder (Carrie Bradshaw style) if it wouldn’t look great later down the road like this:

I’m sure a red pedestal table will fit right in when I live here:

Of course, I also dreamed that I was abducted by John C. Reilly and had to shoot him multiple times with his own pistol because he wouldn’t stop chasing me. But I digress…

On a happier note, I found a new website to stalk and peruse when I should be doing other things.  Farm & Cottage Holidays is similar to Cottages & Castles except it features only homes for rent in Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Dorset, UK.  So, if you’re looking to rent a cottage like the one Kate Winslet had in The Holiday (see below), this is the place to go.

Tell me about your crazy or funny dreams.  Have they ever led you to do anything ridiculous?

My Dream Vaca

A few months ago, I discovered Cottages & Castles, a website that displays teeny farmhouses and grand castles for rent in Scotland.  I fell in love and became obsessed! I couldn’t stop look at them and trying to figure out how many pounds it would cost me to pack up today and stay in a castle for a month.

My favorite is Easterhueghs Castle Abedour Fife.  It houses ten people and boasts a rich history:

Easterheughs Castle is situated high above the Firth of Forth and enjoys a dramatic and breathtaking location. The far reaching views incorporate Edinburgh Castle, the Forth bridges and the Pentland Hills. The tower holds many architectural surprises; it is only 70 years old and was caringly rebuilt with timber gathered from many historic sites across Fife including Burntisland Castle where Mary Queen of Scots once stayed. As a result the castle has been given grade A listed status and although only 70 years old the property is immersed in history. To add to the prestige the castle was once the home of the famous Scottish painter Jack Vettriano.

The interior of the castle is immaculate and full of character and the accommodation is excellent and although the bedrooms are small and accessed by traditional atmospheric steep twisty stair cases, they have the most amazing views, and the bathrooms are light and modern. The master bedroom has sole access onto an outside turreted terrace complete with cannons for protection! The grand drawing room has a cleverly hidden false door which leads to a small movie cinema with a projector screen and comfy theatre seats this will enthral young children and is the perfect place to while away a wet afternoon. The timber lined dining room is charming and lends itself nicely to formal dinner parties or even a Scottish ceilidh.

The impressive castle grounds have been beautifully landscaped and boast an area of timber decking which overlooks the Firth making it an ideal spot for a barbeque. The surrounding three acres are composed of mostly well kept lawns and there is a private path which connects with the famous Fife coastal path. The property is perfectly situated for exploring Edinburgh with its internationally renowned historical sites and events such as the famous Edinburgh Festival. The quaint and interesting Fife coastal villages are near by and offer a contrasting experience as do the magnificent glens of Perthshire and Angus.

Easterheughs is beautifully positioned for those wanting to stay somewhere special for the British Open Golf at St Andrews in 2010 as it isonly 30 miles from the course and yet you remain close to Edinburgh – a mere 20 minutes away – to enjoy the best of both worlds!

The only problem with visiting is that I may never come home!

However, if Easterheughs is booked, I would consider staying at Castle on Loch Dunoon Argyll.  It’s about double the cost but sleeps up to 42 people! If I ever get married, we might just have to make it a destination wedding.

Castle on the Loch is a magnificent building with views across the sea, set in it own delightful gardens and perhaps the star of the show – it has its own a magnificent indoor swimming pool. (Please note that the published price does not include the heating and use of the pool for which an additional £500 is charged). This is a house seemingly designed for enjoyment, with the wonderful heated pool, large billiard room, toy room, big conservatory, outdoor play area and plenty of public space so it will easily cope with the large numbers it sleeps.  When you realise that the front hall has space for an open fire, seating area and a grand piano, you begin to understand the scale of this house. Built by James Hunter, Castle on the Loch had the same architect as nearby Dunoon Castle (David Hamilton). This beautiful house can be taken for smaller parties of 30 people. Please enquire for price.

The bedrooms are all very comfortable and modestly rather than luxuriously furnished but all have en suite shower rooms which is a welcome facility in a large house such as this. You will love the magnificent ceilings, carved doors and stunning staircase in this lovely house and children will enjoy exploring the many corridors, stairs and levels throughout the house. The public rooms are spacious and numerous. The large drawing room even has a bar and the double doors to the small drawing room can be opened to provide one very large room, perfect for large gatherings. With its many public areas, Castle on the Loch suits large parties perfectly as there are areas to find peace and quiet as well as places to enjoy gathering.

Outside there are lawns and beautiful trees and delightful views across to the seas as well as a lovely patio area. The area is readily accessible to Glasgow and the airport is only 50 minutes away. Try the ferry across to Dunoon to give yourself a sense of journeying and a chance to enjoy the views or take a daytrip to Wemyss Bay and Bute and Rothesay. The immediate area is rich in Scottish history and beautiful countryside that is a joy to explore. Nearby you can visit the Younger Botanical Gardens with their spectacular trees and planting or for the more active there is golf, swimming, clay pigeon shooting, sailing, fishing and quad biking all within reach.

Sigh. Until I win the lottery or find a sugar daddy, my dream vaca will just have to wait.

What’s your dream vaca?

Color Me Turquoise

Turquoise is such a fun, versatile, summery color!  With so many variations in its shade and saturation, it pairs nicely with corals, oranges, reds, yellows, browns, blacks and greens.  With its cheery, eye catching hue,  turquoise is perfect for jazzing up any outfit or room.  Throw on a pair of turquoise earrings or a turquoise cuff with a pair of jeans and a white top or add a turquoise throw pillow to your coral sofa for an unexpected shock of color.

How do you incorporate turquoise in fun or unexpected ways?

1. Target, 2. Nine West, 3. JCrew, 4. Target, 5. &6. Etsy, 7. Vintage General ,8. Susannah Mae Designs ,9. Classic Vespas, 10. Reba Luggage Collection, 11. Susannah Mae Designs, 12. PVE Design , 13. Comfortable Market, 14.& 15. Neiman Marcus, 16. &17. Phoebe Howard, 18. & 19. Amanda Nisbet, 20. Suzanne Kasler

Designer Dogs

Martha Stewart featured photographer Amanda Jones and her book A Breed Apart:A Celebration of the New American Mutt on her website today.  The book is a sweet look at what wonderful pets mutts can make.  Who could resist these faces?

Dakota the Iggeraner (Weimeraner + Italian Greyhound)

Ralphie the Neanard (St. Bernard + Neapolitan Mastiff)

Spike the Russenji (Jack Russell + Basenji)

Savannah the Spanieletter (Spaniel + Setter)

Vasco the Pit Bullet (Pit Bull + Basset Hound)

Our family has only owned mutts rescued from shelters and I can say with great certainty that they make the most wonderful pets! They have hilarious personalities and oftentimes the quirkiest faces and bodies.  Each pet adopted from a shelter is truly a unique creation and with so many sweet custom creations out there, there’s bound to be one who fits your family.  There’s no reason not to adopt a mutt! :)

All photos by Amanda Jones.  To view the entire album, visit Martha Stewart[dot]com.

To adopt a sweet shelter doggie in need of a good home, visit Petfinder[dot]com or if you’re in the Atlanta area,  Atlanta Pet Rescue[dot]com.

Have a look at some beautiful photography by my favorite dog photographer at Leesia Teh[dot]com.

Hutker, Hutker Burning Love

Last week, Erin at Elements of Style introduced her readers to Hutker Architects.  I checked out the website and fell in love!!  Just look at some of the shots from their interior design portfolio.  They’re all so sunny and bright!

Love the reclaimed barn doors as pantry doors!

A bedroom hidden behind a secret bookshelf passageway?!  This is what childhood dreams are made of! It’s like every episode of ScoobyDoo ever but with fabulous furnishings.

I love everything about this!! It’s perfection from the ceiling to the floors.

This kitchen reminds me so much of the one from Frasier!!

Sadly, this is the best picture I can find of Frasier’s kitchen.  Either I’m a bad Googler or pictures of the Frasier set haven’t made their way onto the internet yet.

5/21/09 Here’s a slightly better picture I found from a video clip.  It still doesn’t show the back wall very well but may give a better idea of what I mean.

If I ever have vast amounts of disposable income, I’ll definitely be calling up Hutker Architects.

Recent Projects

As promised, here are some before and after shots of my gold chairs:

Before

In Progress

Finished product with table

I painted the table in the same cream enamel paint as the chairs (I was too impatient to take any before pictures.)  Here’s sort of what the table looked like before:

Here’s another after shot.

SOOOOOOOOOOOOO much better! (I need to iron my placemats!)

Do you notice anything hinky about the chairs? They aren’t actually a pair! I didn’t realize it until I was painting them but they have completely different legs, button detail and fabric! I guess I was just blinded by a good deal.  Oh well, maybe nobody else will notice :)

In the den, I had an old sewing table of Mama’s (repurposed as a side table) that was begging for a makeover.  Again, I was too impatient to take before pictures but this is sort of what it looked like.

Here’s a poor-quality in progress camera phone shot:

And the after:

I just sprayed it with super shiny black spray paint and changed out the hardware for a total cost of $4! (eek! I need to learn to vaccuum and stage pictures before I put them on the internet for all to see!)

See those cords? UGH! I hate them being there.  I would love to hide them behind the TV cabinet/entertainment center but this is what I’m working with right now:

Lovely, I know.  Also, that TV is a hand-me-down from like 1992.  This is definitely my next project.

I think I was born in the wrong era

How delicious and adorable is this dress pattern?!

If I had my own team of sewing mice, I would totally make this dress! The pattern would also be darling framed in a sewing room or dressing room.  Hmm…

Why don’t we dress like this anymore?!

I’m now officially weeping at my computer screen.  This does give me an idea though… I’m going to ask Grandmama and Mama if I can have some of their old patterns to frame.  The envelopes are so pretty and if I can’t have the dresses themselves, I can at least look at them everyday.

More loveliness:

* All images from various Etsy sellers

Current Obsession

I wish I was one of those people who doesn’t watch much TV.  I really do.  However, I don’ t have enough in my life (husband, kids, soccer games, etc) to keep me busy every night so I turn to television to fill the parts that are lacking in excitement. (Does that sound sad and desperate? I’m really not, I just enjoy tv)

One of my favorite shows has got to be NCIS.  New episodes come on every Tuesday on CBS at 8 but every night for 3 hours, USA shows reruns and on Monday nights, ION shows two episodes.  I cannot get enough!!

First of all, who can resist Mark Harmon?

Oops… that picture’s a wee bit outdated.  Here’s what he looks like on the show:

Then there’s Michael Weatherly.  Sigh.  Despite our sixteen year age difference, I’m pretty sure our engagement announcement will be appearing the paper any day now.

My favorite character has got to be Timothy McGee played by Sean Murray.  So adorable!

If he wasn’t already married, I’d crush on him too.

The writing is witty, the plot lines are twisty and the characters are lovable.  Here’s the rest of the cast.  This picture is super corny and looks a lot more serious and moody than the show really is.

I hope this post doesn’t make me seem like a complete geek who gets giddy with excitement when her “story” comes on but hey, if the shoe fits…