Friday Crush

I have always been a lover of Quadrille's Climbing Hydrangea wallpaper and this design by Tilton Fenwick with the lavender colorway is just completely delightful. Lavender + green might be my favorite color combination of all time. And this composition is just perfect, perfect for a child's space with that adorable bunny lamp.

Happy that the weekend is here so I can catch up a bit on the mundane tasks of life after being away on vacation. Hope it's a good one for you...see you next week!

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Snapshots from the Beach

Sun, sand, and pimiento cheese can do wonders for the soul. We are back from a short but lovely trip to the beach in South Carolina and we are ready to go back! Here are some snapshots from our weekend (see how big Mac has gotten??):

Our trailer park is situated on a canal and at dusk, the egrets swoop in and settle into the trees for the night. It's quite the sight and a great excuse to get out for a post-dinner walk. This evening, AC was already in pajamas but that didn't stop us:

"Look, Tibi! A BIRD!!!" Tibi is Carter's mom. In the real world she is known as Janet. She makes the World's Best Pimiento Cheese TM.

We are relaxed and ready to get our summer going...here's to counting down the 8ish weeks until we're back at the beach for a whole week.

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Friday Crush

Design by Heidi Piron

My latest pin for The Mountain House (our vacation home in the Blue Ridge that has yet to exist but will). Although I've always been Team White Kitchen, I think gray cabinetry in The Mountain House would be amazing...especially when I see pictures like this. The Mountain House is going to have lots of white going on so a white kitchen might have things feeling a bit sterile...but a soft gray juxtaposed with warm woods might just be the ticket.

We are kicking off beach season this weekend!!! Heading to our little slice of heaven - a beach trailer in Garden City, SC. It will be Mac's first visit to South Carolina, so that's big news. And Ana Claire can't stop yammering about the beach so her dreams will be coming true. Additionally, Carter and I might self-destruct if we don't decompress a little...life has been nuts. Hope you have some lovely plans for the holiday weekend. I likely won't be back until end of next week...see you then!

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Catalog Pick: Parker Pom Pom Pillow

I love pillows with a fun texture, especially pom poms. Great in a neutral space where you aren't trying to infuse color but texture goes a long way.

And I particularly like the more "adult" look of the Parker Pom Pom Raffia Pillow from Ballard as poms can get a little too whimsical sometimes:

There is also a navy option whose photograph looks much like the black one. Don't you think the gray one would be right at home with beiges and winter whites? And that black one would do wonderful things paired with buffalo check.

Have you seen similar pom pillows around? I don't see them often and would love to check out more...

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Kiki Slaughter

With a name like Kiki Slaughter, you have to be cool. And methinks this Charlottesville, VA native artist is just that...cool and chic and everything you want your girl crush to be.

Kiki can wield a paintbrush to create beautiful abstract art, but what caught my eye were her textiles used on furniture. Feast your eyes:

I would classify her wares as the epitome of cool. Yes, it's paint-splattered furniture and I love it. Especially the pieces with colored welting. And just in case you were wondering, she's cute to boot:

Kiki now lives and works in Atlanta but I'll still claim her for Virginia. #virginialove

Check out her website here...

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Friday Crush

House & Garden U.K. via Chinoiserie Chic

Eye-popping arrangement. I caught this over on my daily read Chinoiserie Chic and it was a catch-my-breath moment. THE COLORS! Candy colors against a traditional wall and sofa...if I could, I would load this sentence up with heart emojis.

We are baptizing our sweet Mac this weekend. Of course, his first soiree landed during one of my busiest weeks at work so I'm a teensy weensy bit frazzled going into this weekend. We will be hosting brunch and celebrating with our family and I just can't wait to hold my darling boy over that baptismal font. Hope you have a wonderful weekend...see you next week!

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Castletown Line Coral On Sale

This fabric - Castletown Line Coral by Lee Jofa - has been in my favorites bin for some time. I just checked up on it and it's on sale, so time to share the goodness:

An exuberant floral in tones of green and peach...the colors are really what nab me here. With bold florals, I like to go big or go home. Hit up some curtains or a full upholstered sofa with it. Let it be the focus of a room and then sit back and admire your gumption for picking something so chic.

On insidefabric.com (where I found it) - it's usually $75/yard, which is what I like to call a "pillows only" price. But it's now on sale for $24/yard! That moves it into "kinda expensive upholstery and curtains but maybe I could swing it" pricing. Though, the minimum is 5 yards. But since you're going to do something ballsy with it, you'll need that much anyway.

Go forth and save.

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Lantern Planter Entry

Anyone know image source?

Today, I bring you an image that caught my eye due to the:

1) Awesome, large-scaled planters. Ferns + hydrangeas = eye-pleasing arrangement. And the heft really makes them statement pieces.

2) Beadboard porch ceiling.

3) Copper lanterns. Especially the wall-mounts with the slight pagoda nod.

4) Transom windows above a stately door.

5) Door's moldings in general.

One day, one day, I hope to have a lovely entry like this. Nothing crazy...just something classic and welcoming.

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Friday Crush

image source

We've been exterior-focused on the house as of late. Not that we are doing anything about it...just a lot of talk of how things could be improved outside. Our petite estate does not need a fence, but if it did, isn't this one just lovely? I love it when careful detail is brought to outdoor, functional components. I would especially love this fretwork fence outlining my horse farm in Albemarle County, Virginia.

We have a packed weekend of family fun that I am very much looking forward to. I hope you have a lovely Mother's Day, be it as a child or a parent. Enjoy your weekend...see you next week!

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Flower Box Online Source

The petunias went into our flower boxes this past weekend. Every time we plant those little guys I thank heaven for our flower boxes...they make SUCH a difference on the exterior of our house.

If you don't have flower boxes, have you thought about it? Because if you have, I think you should pull the trigger. And maybe your house could look like this:

Photo by Van Chaplin for Southern Living

Being the DIY couple that we are, we definitely thought about making the boxes out of wood, painting them, etc. But then Carter realized it would take eleventy million weekends to finish them AND the wood option is a bit more high maintenance than the snazzy PVC versions out there.

So we went online and found these boxes - aptly named "Charleston Window Boxes" -  and they have been fantastic. 

Scale is great and the low maintenance PVC construction means they will last the home a bit longer than wood - and you can't beat the smooth finish. And I think the investment in ready-made definitely paid off for the immediate wow factor.

We took this picture two years ago - the first Spring that we had the boxes - and the petunias kind of took over:

But I think the flower boxes and paint transformed our house overnight. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Check out lots of other box styles here (I love the lattice one)...

Hope you are enjoying some Spring touches around your home. If you have flower boxes, tell me what you do in the fall and winter months - I'm always looking for ideas!

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Krista Ewart's Home

Y'all, THIS. HOUSE.

It's been a while since I've seen a full mag feature where every space has killed it for me. Now, that might be because my magazine reading kind of came to a (temporary?) halt in December of 2012 but I do remember back when I read magazines cover to cover, it was rare for me to love an entire home.

But I just saw this feature (online) of designer Krista Ewart's California home for House Beautiful. And I love it alllllllllllll....

Photography by Douglas Friedman for House Beautiful

The last two little girl bedrooms might be my absolute favorite. And then there is that living room and the Chinoiserie mirror moment. IT'S ALL SO GOOD.

Why has Krista Ewart not been on my radar before this moment? Did we all know about her and no one told me? I think what I love about this house is I see my own style reflected back at me - except done extraordinarily well...and it's what I want my house to be...but isn't quite because I don't have this kind of talent.

But it's an excellent home to file away and come back to over and over again for inspiration. I'll be pinning every single picture. Full home tour (with a couple more pictures) here...

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Friday Crush

Are  you aware that Hopewell Workshop exists? Crafting textiles with a nod to modern Americana. It's beautiful stuff, though I've found it hard to hunt down for actual purchase online. Doesn't mean we can't look - like this adorable rainbow quilt that I can't stop staring at. Sorry that it's a bit of a tease as it's sold out, but a great inspiration piece nonetheless.

Happy May! How did that happen? In preparation for summer, Ana Claire hits the pool tomorrow for her first swim lesson and although it's usually a daddy/daughter activity, Carter is otherwise engaged so I'll be hitting the pool with her. Yay, bathing suit! Hope you have some fun activities planned. Enjoy your weekend...see you next week!

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