Charlotte & Ivy Sale!

I'd like to welcome back Charlotte & Ivy as a sponsor of this blog and the timing couldn't be better.  They have expanded their line of Custom Furniture and some of the chairs you've seen me feature before are now on sale here.  If you're ready to spruce up your house for spring, this would be a great time!

Here's a versatile piece that caught me eye - it fits well with traditional decors but would be great contrast piece in a more contemporary room.  I love it with the gold detailing but it can be ordered without as well. Farmington Cocktail Table Custom Painted (custom size and color)

The Migiana Star Mirror is a fabulous shape and is a great buy at $249.

Finally, it was great to see Charlotte & Ivy is now offering jewelry and gift pieces too. These  Mother of Pearl Necklaces are fabulous, perfect for dressing up a simple sweater or shirt.  I think everybody looks great in these necklaces -  3 strands $89, 6 strands $118.

Hope you have a great weekend!

Tablescape Inspiration

Last week's Project Design Coffee Table has me thinking about tablescapes.  Hope you find inspiration in these.  First up, from the master of tablecapes, Anna Spiro - 2007  

via pinterest here

A large grouping of votives, perfect.  via pinterest here

from my friend Lori's house - love the pairing of the covered dish w/the books and cream and black of the ottoman.

via Mark D Sikes -(I've misplace the exact link)

Project Design: Style Your Coffee Table

It's Friday, yeah!! After an awful bout with the stomach flu I'm happy to be ending this week on a high note with Project Design and the coffee table styling challenge.  Thanks to Mary Ann of Classic Casual Home and Cindy of Rough Luxe Lifestyle for inviting me to participate.  To be honest, I found the glass surface a bit challenging - my goal was to "warm" it up and add in layers while still leaving enough free space for setting down a drink, etc.  Below is a reminder of the state of my living room coffee table with this keeping-it-real snapshot from this past Sunday.  Here you can see there's just messy layers... 

I went with the classic tray approach and added in a few practical elements - candle, matches and cocktail napkins.  Drinks perspire on the glass and create that suction effect so it's nice to have the napkins to prevent that.   The Caribbean Islands book is vintage and full of interesting photos.

I also included a bowl with snapshot proofs of my son's photography from senior year in high school. Akin to a deck of cards,  I think guests would feel comfortable reaching over and thumbing through them.  

I've changed out the green for pink with Anna Spiro's gorgeous Absolutely Beautiful Things and a blush colored Glassybaby. I like the pink with our gold sofa.  Yeah, I should have pushed that cushion down!

In these shots I have a Celtic Cross on the napkins but I prefer the gold shell instead.

Here's a late night shot with one more version of the tray, this time with an extra book.  I'm liking the shell on it's own.

Update - OK, 1 more, lol.  After looking at all these pics this morning I realized I should have pushed the groupings to the center of the table a bit more for some balance.

Now join me in heading over to these bloggers to check out how they've styled their coffee tables - I'm sure there'll be tons of inspiration!

Carla Aston Designed

classic•casual•home

Cottage and Vine

Emily A. Clark 

La Dolfina

My Notting Hill

Rough Luxe Lifestyle

Savvy Southern Style

Simple Details

T & G Interiors

The Enchanted Home

The Relished Roost

Project Design: How to Style Your Coffee Table

Come back on Friday, February 20th to learn the secrets of how I, along with these bloggers, style our coffee tables

Carla Aston Designed

classic•casual•home

Cottage and Vine

Emily A. Clark 

La Dolfina

My Notting Hill

Rough Luxe Lifestyle

Savvy Southern Style

Simple Details

T & G Interiors

The Enchanted Home

The Relished Roost

A big thanks to Cindy of Rough Luxe Lifestyle and Mary Ann of Classic Casual Home for including me with all these great bloggers!  Here's a picture of the coffee table in my living room that I'll be styling.  I took the photo as it was on Sunday - although I did remove the cough drop wrappers from underneath.  Can't wait to see how everyone styles theirs!

In the meanwhile, here's a beautiful room by Orlando Diaz-Ancuzy I came across while searching for inspiration. 

designed by Orlando Diaz Azcuy via House Beautiful

Large Scale Bathroom Tile

Note to self:  large scale tiles and clean lines are perfect in a bathroom.  Love the movement in the pattern on this tile. (via pinterest here)

Always Top Notch

Love the indoor outdoor connection in this space by Designer Jeffrey Alan Marks  (via C Home here)

and the combination of furnishing in this room.

Custom Memory Pillows - Huger Embroidery!

I had the immense good fortune of being contacted by Sarah Gibson Wiley of Huger Embroidery.  A former interior designer, Sarah now pours her artistic talent and love of embroidery into creating beautiful custom pieces for her clients.   She transforms artwork, photographs, letters, along with an understanding of the meaning behind them, into embroidered memories.  

When she offered me a chance for my own memory pillow, it took me weeks to decide on the subject.  Actually, I knew what I wanted in an instant but I couldn't imagine how it could be recreated.  In the end, I went with my first inspiration and sent Sarah a picture of my favorite place on the planet - the house without a roof in Lameshur Bay, St John USVI.   I mean, just look at this photo! - how could it be translated into embroidery?  Well, you can see from my pillow that it was!

The detailing is spectacular and the incorporation of different fabrics into the piece is perfect.

Notice how the blue water shows through the windows - not to mention how the stitching recreates the three-dimensional aspect of the roofless house.

I am beyond thrilled and know I will treasure this wonderful memory pillow always!

Here are more examples of Sarah's custom pieces.

Children's Drawings

Announcements

Custom Pet Pillows

Special Memories

House Portraits

Custom designed monograms - napkins, towels and more. For those seeking a special gift for a bride & groom, add the date of their wedding.

When you work with Sarah she will sketch out the design to ensure it captures the look and feel you want. When she emailed my sketch I knew right away it was perfect.  So, if you have a special memory that you want to bring to life, or to give as a treasured gift to someone special, contact

Sarah at Huger Embroidery   

(p.s. notice the Gibson girl pillow?  Sarah's great-grandfather was Charles Dana Gibson, the creator of the Gibson Girl and her great aunt was the renowned Nancy Lancaster of Colefax and Fowler.)

Fabulous Coastal Door Knockers

These fabulous coastal inspired door knockers come from Colby Smith, a Swansea MA firm founded in 1976. Each piece is sand cast in solid yellow or red brass, hand finished, assembled and lacquered for tarnish resistance.  I've never seen a horseshoe crab knocker - love it!   (above image via Sidney by the Sea)

This one is the Quahog - which always makes me think of Rhode Island and my grandfather.  He loved stuffed Quahogs!

Colby Smith also offers other beautiful knockers too.  Do you have a favorite?