Meet My Crew :: Group Shot

Here's a visual of the group from last weekend!

Photography Credits: Jessica Rawlings

(She's one of the thirteen. And is SO talented. And we love her.)

I'd like to live in a fabric house.

I'd like to live in a house made of Madeline Weinrib fabrics. I stumbled upon her beautiful textiles while glancing through this blog! Her fabrics are simple, punchy and classic. Madeline is the great grand daughter of ABC Home & Carpet's Max Weinrib. Quite a legacy to follow!

Whoa baby!

Just back from a weekend in South Carolina with my college friends to watch the First Time Design Episode that I was a part of. We sat down to watch the episode, Diet Coke's and Puppy Chow in tow. I was nervous. Like sweaty hands nervous. I mean, I remember the experience being GREAT! But what if I fabricated this wonderful experience in my head? What if the room didn't look great, and my outfits looked weird and I said 'like' and 'y'all' too much?? Thankfully I was surrounded by a bunch of out of control encouragers and made it through the episode.

How cute is Lisa?


If you missed the episode, you can watch it right here!

To all those who watched, emailed, prayed and encouraged

THANK YOU
THANK YOU
THANK YOU

I could not and would not have done it with out you.

More pictures to come!

!!!!

I've started this post a few times. Writing some epic and lovely synopsis of life is just not going to happen. So lets try bullet points...

• I'm SO excited for this weekend
• Can't wait to have all of my college friends under one (very large and fabulous) roof
• Anxiously (the good kind) waiting for tomorrow's First Time Design
• Tickled about my sweet home town, Plano. Thanks for this and this!
• I forgot Harry Potter 6 at my apartment so I'll just have to people watch at the airport
• I'm craving giant cups of coffee, puppy chow and salsa. Thank goodness for this weekend!
  
• I'm feeling scattered and jittery and a little restless, so I think this is the last bullet.

That's all for now. Check back in with you later!

Meet My Crew Update: Laura's Engaged!

Laura is our professional cake baking dietician friend who lives in Birmingham. If you check back to her Dating Pool status, you'll see she was most recently turning flips. She's now seen exiting the deep end of the pool hand in hand with her fellow Hand Stand Competitor, Ryan. Well done you two!

Since most of the 13 couldn't be in Auburn for the post engagement party, we did the only thing left to do....

Made her a video showing our reaction, of course.

All of the 13 are getting together this weekend.

Holy cow. I'm so excited!

January 23rd, 2010

A couple of months ago I had the ridiculous (in a good way!) opportunity to try my interior design skills on the new HGTV show, First Time Design. To say I had a ball would be an understatement. I loved everything about that whirlwind week in LA - picking out paint colors, strolling through the aisles of Ikea, running errands like a crazy lady.... you know I really didn't even mind the camera crews following me around either! (I unpacked the emotions of the experience a little here if you need some context.)

All that to say, if you're looking for something to do on January 23rd at ohhhhhh say 2:30pm eastern time, then you might want to watch HGTV to see how it turns out!

You can read more here, if you like!

Uh Oh.

There is a new thrift/furniture/good will type place by my office. 47th and 10th, if you're really interested. I'd been wanting to stop in this hodge podge little place for a while.

Tonight, I finally did.

Can I just say.... JACKPOT!

This gunshot style no-name store has more delightful finds then 10 piles of New York City give- away-trash on the street. And you know how much I love furniture off the street. There were handfuls of gaudy gold frames hanging on a brick exposed wall. A dozen unique and fabulous mod lamps and shades. Unbelievable dressers and side tables and desks with styles ranging from vintage to country to full on antique. Plus, more sets of classic and playful chairs than I knew what to do with! I even saw an upholstered ottoman in good shape! Everything was so reasonably priced too! Dangit.

Now the disclaimer to all of these ridiculous finds: Almost every item I was so in love with needed a good coat of paint. Some need gloss laquer brights, other need flat muted neutrals. I just love unrefined beauty in need of a little tweaking. Something about all the potential gets me! Sure I love the integrity of natural wood, but I'm so not that girl who's afraid to liven things ups with paint, fabric, etc.

Wow. This post is letting you in on not only my quirkiness, but also my love for a good before and after. This store was LOADED with 'before's". If only I had room in my tiny bedroom to put all of these finds! Maybe I can squeeze a few pieces into the rest of the apartment. My poor roommates....

Friends, I feel a very crafty before and after phase coming on.

**This is probably such a boring post to read. Didn't even include pictures. Ha.

Kate Spade says...

"how many shades of red lipstick do you need?" they asked. she said, "that question is complex and intriguing."

I was given a clever little Kate Spade cosmetic bag for Christmas. Thanks Santa!

In it was the above quote. How very Kate Spade.

Which led me to her website.

Which led me to these sprightly wardrobe pieces.

Wrappin' it up.

One of my New Years Resolutions:

To hand make all the gifts that I give.

I think I'm up for the challenge. I'll just ease into it.

I've started with the wrapping on a last minute Christmas gift.

Here's what you get when you add 2 kraft boxes.....

with some ribbon....

and a few fabric swatches...

Waa la!

A handmade package!

Oh, but wait. There's more. Flip that sucker over.

With or without a note?

Definitely with a note.

There is always beauty to be found in the ordinary.