The staining begins...

The weather is FINALLY nice and I'm going to start staining my new dining table today, yay!  

Here's what she looks like now...

Found on Craigslist for $300.  Solid wood and 84"!

Includes a lazy Susan...

Here's the bottom...

Love her legs!

I'm staining her DARK WALNUT

Can't wait to show you the results!  

Little happy things for a dreary Monday

It's gloomy and overcast in Houston today....too cold to stain my new table...too yucky to get outside with the kiddos on their day off.  Here's a few little things that make me smile on this dreary day...

Pierce sleeping in on his day off

Frilly pillows

Rudy lounging on frilly pillows and that's okay

Rudy dog 

She's growing into her paws

Little puppy pads

Turquoise feather wreath...girlie sassiness in a house full of testosterone

The bottom of my new round table, still sitting in the garage.  More on that to come...

Happy Martin Luther King Day everyone!

Shades of Gray

I have like a ZILLION other projects that are more important, but I'm stuck on re-doing my dining room.  This is the way it looks right now...

This is such a BAD picture, all yellowy, but my lazy butt doesn't want to snap a new one so I pulled this from an earlier post.

Everything is going away, except the dining room chairs and this...

I could never get tired of my drippy chandy!

So, I want to paint the room GRAY.  This is the color I'm thinking about..

{Benjamin Moore}

I think it will look really pretty with the white crown moulding in the room. 

I found my big round table!  Those of you who follow me regularly know that I've been looking for one for the last year!  I'll post a picture of it later, but I found it on Craig's List for $300.  It's 72" and solid wood and it's sitting in my garage waiting patiently for me to stain it!

So, here are some fabrics I'm looking at for the chairs and possibly curtains...

{from Ikea.  I'm not sure if the pattern will work for chairs, but I think it would make really cool curtains}

{There's that Ikat fabric!  This one is from West Elm}

{Dwell Studio at fabric.com}

{Gray Leather at fabric.com}

I would love to find a thrift store dresser to paint and use as a buffet, kind of like this one...

{photo courtesy of Cococozy}

I'll be posting more on the dining room as it progresses!

Gypsy at heart?

Yesterday I talked about my obsession with Suzani. I also love Ikat. I think maybe I was a gypsy in a former life. It's funny because my home is currently pretty tame safe traditional in style, so I'm not sure why I'm drawn to these two looks, but I'm planning on adding some Suzani and Ikat items to jazz things up a bit.

Ikat is a method of weaving that uses a resist dyeing process, similar to tie-dye.  The dye is applied prior to the threads being woven to create the final fabric or design.

Here are Ikat home decor items that are currently being offered by some of my favorite sources.

{Ocean Ikat Prints at Neiman Marcus)

{Throw Pillow, Dwell Studio for Target}

{Henning Sofa at Anthropologie

{Sheet set at Anthropologie}

{Graphic Ikat print fabric by the yard at Pottery Barn}

{P. Kaufman fabric by the yard at Amazon}

{Blue and Spice printed pillow at World Market}

{Blue and Gray pillow at Etsy}

{Rug at Neiman Marcus}

Oh Suzani!

Well, in trying to live up to my NY resolution of blogging more than every 6 months (hehehe) I want to share my latest obsession...

Suzani! 

Okay, I know, I know; this isn't anything NEW or earth shattering, but I've been known to show up late to the party (I'm also infatuated right now with turquoise!)

I'll be "bringin' it" with some projects soon!

So, what is SUZANI?

The literal translation is "needlework", but to collectors it is more specifically the embroidery from Uzbekistan. Now if you are like me, you are wondering where in the heck is Uzbekistan?! (or maybe geography genius here is the only one!) Uzbekistan is north of Afghanistan and sandwiched in between some other "stans", namely Turkmenistan and Kazakstan (Borat fans rejoice!)

Many retailers are carrying Suzani "inspired" items.  While they aren't the "real deal", they are a beautiful alternative for the rest of us!  I love the beautiful, vibrant colors and the bohemian feel.  What a way to liven up your home decor!

Bohemian deliciousness!

{Suzani Lily Coverlet & Sham at Acacia Lifestyle}

Dress up your white dinnerware!

(Table Linen Collection at World Market}

I love the color combination.  I would put this on my chocolate velvet sofa!

{Throw Pillow at Pier 1 Imports}

Beautiful colors!

{Art from Z Gallerie}

A bold & sassy chair

{Parker Chair at Crate & Barrel}

A fun alternative to a coffee table

{Footstool at Wisteria}

{Fun throw at Anthropologie}

{Placemats at Horchow}

{Fabric from fabric.com}

{pair of Suzani inspired prints from Lamps Plus}

Stay tuned for my feature on Suzani's little friend, Ikat!  Coming soon...

Back to Blogging!

Well hello there friends! I've been on hiatus for awhile now getting my photography business started. I'm pleased to say that it's really taken off and the holidays were CRAZY shooting family portraits. Things are slowing down now and I'm back! So excited to see what's been going on in blogland while I've been away.

Here's what's been keeping me busy all this time:

Just to name a few...

So...I may not post every day, but I'll do better than posting every 6 months! haha Drop me a line friends and catch me up on what's been happening with you. Looking forward to visiting with everyone and Happy New Year!