Ana Claire

Y'all...she's here.

Ana Claire...goes by Ana Claire. She is utterly and completely scrumptious. The best accessory of my home and life.

AC joined us a little early (her due date was today!) She joined us on Thursday, December 13th, at 11:24 pm weighing a darling 7lbs 5oz and measuring 19".

Life is different and we are just humming along, loving every second of our new family. I was so eager to share the news with you!! This picture is from this morning...hot off the presses.

Hope you've been well and gearing up for Christmas if you celebrate. We are so excited that we'll get to celebrate Ana Claire's first Christmas together.

XOXO, D

Le Jardin Chinois

Brunschwig & Fils' latest collection, Le Jardin Chinois, is nothing short of a Chinoiserie miracle. B&F, one of my absolute favorites, has centered their latest collection around some of their iconic Chinoiserie prints from their archives, reinventing them in color, fabric and texture. The result is the timeless Chinoiserie we know and love with gorgeous new twists to modernize them a bit.

Of course they introduced Le Lac in some stunning new color combinations and you'll also notice Les Touches is here in pink, blue and green. I want it all:

All images via Inspired Talk

Ummm...that is cut velvet. 

The collection is huge with classic Chinoiserie prints, tons of geometrics, patterns, animal prints, etc. I haven't figured out how to view just the new collection on the website, but the images I've seen thus far are ridiculously good. Definitely something us Chinoiserie lovers will come to embrace.

More on the collection here and here...

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Nursery Design Board

I know I've explained snippets of the nursery, but here is my design board that encompasses a lot of the look and feel of the space:

A disclaimer that not everything on this board is actually in the room...I chose some look-alike pieces to give you a good idea of how the whole space is shaping up. Here are links for pieces that I can actually point you to...if no link, then the item is vintage or a hand-me-down or I just don't have a resource for it...

Brunschwig & Fils Le Lac Fabric
Jenny Lind Crib & Changing Table
Pink and White Buffalo Check Fabric
Lilipop the Frog
Yellow Pillow
Block Print Rug
Paint Color: Haven by Sherwin-Williams
Laundry Basket
Etsy seller for watercolor art

The board makes it look a little busy/crazy...but as we put the finishing touches on the room it's turning out exactly how I had imagined. It's colorful, girly and full of Chinoiserie with traditional elements sprinkled throughout to make it feel classic.

I know you all want to see pictures...and I promise to deliver those at some point!

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Let's Make a Plan

While Carter and I are putting together our plan for baby's arrival, I think it behooves us (you and me) to also make a plan.

Because one day, I'm not going to show up for work...and you'll know that the nuggette is on her way. And I don't want you to fret about missing any posts OR wasting time by coming back to the blog every day to see if there is something new...that will get annoying.

So, there are two ways that you can set it and forget it...

1) Do you follow AO and all your blogs in a reader? Like Google Reader? If so, you know what you're doing and you're all set. And if you don't...well, you likely won't start the reader habit now so option #2 is for you.

2) Get AO via email...easy peezy. You can easily submit your email address in my sidebar and any time there is a new post, you'll get it in your inbox. And once we're back to some sort of pattern and you'd rather ditch me from your inbox, just unsubscribe and go back to checking the blog the old fashioned way...

(Look for this box in my sidebar...don't try to type in this actual box b/c it's just a pretty picture)

We're about 10 days from my due date. I don't feel any jazzy things happening, so I have a feeling we'll probably make it until then. And my plan is to blog per the usual until something prevents me from doing it...like labor. 

Enjoy your weekend...I need to pack my hospital bag! See you Monday!

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Sara Tuttle in Southern Living

I just finished the December issue of Southern Living and, per the usual, it was good. Really, really good. I'm trying hard not to just republish the issue. But one feature did make me particularly happy as it included a local designer, Sara Tuttle, and a house in Maryland that she recently designed.

You may have seen these images before (I spotted them on La Dolce Vita) but Southern Living decks out the spaces for Christmas and, as always, Laurey Glenn's mad photography skillz really bring a space to life. It's fun to see the same space styled two ways:

Via Southern Living, Photo by Laurey W. Glenn

Image via Sara Tuttle Interiors

Via Southern Living, Photo by Laurey W. Glenn 

Image via Sara Tuttle Interiors 

Via Southern Living, Photo by Laurey W. Glenn 

Image via Sara Tuttle Interiors

Don't you love how the tree and presents look with those vibrant green curtains in the first photo? And I really like the switch over to a large, round, skirted table in the second photo...not as practical since you lose seating, but very pretty for a picture - especially the large pink poinsettia centerpiece!

And Southern Living includes a little bit on Sara (I like that touch):

Sara's interiors are fun to tour - she's a master of the color mix. Check out her portfolio here...

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Claudette Chinoiserie Dinnerware

Hold the phone.

Are you aware of the Claudette Dinnerware Collection from World Market??? It's marvelous!

Beautiful Chinoiserie for your table in a buffet of colors...and really affordable. We're talking sets of 2 for under $20. This dinnerware would set a beautiful table...just imagine mixing in all sorts of colors and textures with this elaborate motif of florals, birds and butterflies.

And at this price point, buying a complete matching set wouldn't be out of the question if you were looking for a spectacular gift or just wanting to own another set of your own [as she raises her hand].

Click here to see the collection...

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Julia Knight Marrakesh

I bought a serving piece by designer Julia Knight many moons ago and it remains one of my favorite and most unique serving bowls with its varying tones of purple and mother-of-pearl inlay. One Kings Lane is currently hosting a Julia Knight sale and I fell in love with her Marrakesh Collection:

Talk about a great gift...any of these pieces would simply dazzle on a table and each one comes in 3 rich colors - azure, pomegranate or caviar. I always love receiving (and giving) unique serving pieces since I love to entertain but find that spending money on "unnecessary" yet special pieces is sometimes hard to do.

The OKL sale doesn't carry all of the pieces, but some are certainly available at a nice discount (not to mention lots of other pieces from other collections are available). If not, I found this retailer carries them all.

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Golden Crib

I came across this close-up of a golden Jenny Lind crib and fell in love with the stunning combination of bedding:

 Design by M. E. Beck, image via Shades of Chic

What a perfect execution of neutrals! I think what I love most is the mixture of silver/gray and gold - it keeps the crib looking modern but the florals and bows make it sweet and traditional. And that khaki seersucker stripe is simply delicious.

It kind of reminds me of Michelle Adams' bedroom as seen in Lonny:

Photo by Patrick Cline

Happy Monday!

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