This gave me an idea

This beautiful space gave me some true inspiration for my own yard.

 Can't you just see that recreated right there around where the yellow chairs sit? Will I actually do anything about it? Your guess is as good as mine at the moment. Maybe...one of these days...if I can get to it.

Color, taxidermy and other cool stuff that everyone should have to fill three houses

Just some eye candy from a piece on production designer, Ford Wheeler from like a year ago. I have been saving up some stuff to share with you or remind you about if you too read this stuff when it came out. I am a cutter outer. I am trying to convert my cutter outing electronically. It seems to be working.

This reminds me of Lucinda Williams house

Definitely want to figure out the faux on that dresser

Clowns are weird and this bathroom freaks me out

Love, love the painted floors and the bedspread

Beautiful floors, doors, candelabra, everything - nice.

Beautiful tile work, great butcher's block (love that color blue),
gorgeous carving on the cabinet to the right
and look at all that Mexican Pottery on those fabulous shelves. Love the tall ceilings.

More NYC loft than NY Country house here.
I am thinking he doesn't fry much so the painting works very well and his heart thanks him.

Impressionistic Kitsch? Love that wallpaper - very organic.

I dig taxidermy. What can I say? Doesn't look like anyone spends much time here though. I would fix that.

Adore this whole space. Want that chair with my whole being and the pillow too. Want.

xoxo

Mixing Mid Century with Georgian

I have been waiting since April of 2011 to feature this house from the New York Times Style Magazine. 

I clipped it out and waited to have a computer that wasn't really my daughter's so I could scan this place and talk to you about it. Maybe that is all some lame excuse but it is what it is (as I am so fond of saying and most people are so sick of hearing).

And how stupid am I? All the pictures are online. Oh well. I am using my scans anyway.

Let's just try and get past the clear picture that these people have more money than God. You don't live in a Georgian Mansion with six kids unless you are. 

The real questions are:

Do you love it? Do you hate it? Or are you like me... a mixed bag?

Check it out and decide for yourself even though I have my opinions and I am not keeping them to myself.

I love everything about this playroom, especially the red velvet couch that any sensible person would wonder how on earth they keep clean. It doesn't matter. If I had six kids and a Georgian manse, I would definitely put a red velvet couch right up at the crafts table. Totes. I also love that even if they staged that little house made from a cardboard box, it is awesome. I will never forget the day our manny (yes, we had a manny) Julian made the coolest cardboard airplane I have ever seen for my son out of a giant box.

I love this dining room more than I have words to express, except for that chandelier. I think I could have done better than that. It is weird - like space alien weird. The table and chairs perfectly blend with the fireplace, ornate gold mirror and ceiling trim, and the colorful inlaid bohemian chest below. I want that chest. The floors are cool too. This seems very, very practical to me. Easy to clean, no frills and perfect for a family of 8. I can imagine 6 children fighting over who gets to sit in what color chair 'cause I would want a pink one. The eggplant walls really seal the deal, no? Best seen in the third picture. Flove. I get why they took so many of this one. I think they ought to maybe put a bunch of cool kid art in this room though...maybe, just a thought.

 They completely lose me at this master bedroom. I love the walls but the bed is too much - maybe if it was not painted silver? I personally would have carried the mid century theme in here and the bed could work (even silver) with something else all together. And excuse me but where are the bedside tables? Sorry, not buying this. That bathtub is calling my name though.

This bathroom, very practical. Hoping there is lots of storage somewhere and that the little ones can reach that chain up there and that really tall sink but the two rolls of tp...people are clearly thinking. I like it. Wall paper is pretty cool too.

Nice digs, no doubt.

Not sure about this kitchen. I need to see more of it to decide. I like clean lines and again, it is practical just kinda weird at this angle. Not enough information.

 This is cool. Again I want more. I wish I could go tour this house. The whole thing.

TV anyone? Interesting. I don't hate it. I kind of really like it. I think. It is a little hard to wrap my brain around it. 

Nice view. Who needs TV? Go frolic kiddos!

A Few Of My Favorite Things - Fall 2012 version

Here are a few of my favorite things. Enjoy!

This is what I am listening to right now:

While I make something from this

Love these condiments - huge time savers, perfectly delicious

 And this

Add to avocados, mangos, jalapeno, red onion

 and admire

My new chair for my new computer

 where I peruse

one of my fav books - read it, make Genius Soup

 because

My eldest, home for the weekend, steals my bathing suit and takes her sister to the beach

Princess Parties!

Just because and

sleeping boy who wakes up and goes fishing with a little girl from the neighborhood

And diamonds, of course!

That and feeling better. I have been under the weather for too long.

Happy Labor Day my friends! xo

Tiny Beautiful Things

If you are my friend and you are reading this...if I die in the night or get cancer or a drunk driver crushes my body and I burn beyond recognition, I ask only that you give my children this book and you make them read it. Every. Single. Word. Skeptical?
Read this: http://therumpus.net/2011/02/dear-sugar-the-rumpus-advice-column-64/
That is all. Thank you.

Little Hollywood

Between Iron Man 3 in Wilmington and Safe Haven in Southport it really is like Hollywood has come to town.

Facebook, Twitter and my email are hopping with celebrity encounters. I haven't met anyone yet but here are some fun pictures of what is going on around here.





GP getting a cooking lesson from Keith Rhodes at Catch.
http://catchwilmington.com/





Spotted outside of Manna in Wilmington with Style Girl, Jess James.
Mannaavenue.com
stylegirljessjames.com





In Southport, a picture of the new set for Safe Haven, from the water.
(Picture courtesy Captain Betsy)





Josh Duhamel and Julianna Hough.
And no, I had no clue who they were until someone told me he is married to Fergie and she dates Ryan Seacrest.(Picture courtesy US Magazine)
Here are some close ups of the set that I took this weekend. Filming has started in earnest so I'll keep you posted.

I guess the market is going to be a gas station too

Entrance to the "market"

Adorable herb garden in a wooden boat



View from the set

Zooey Deschanel's boyfriend is one of the screenwriters so she was here for a while. I didn't run into her either but I really don't get out much. She signed the wall of my favorite coffee shop, Moore Street Market.



She stayed at a local B&B and the owner asked her if she worked.
Her reply was, "I play piano" - both true and kind of sweet. It has to be pretty refreshing to hang out with people who have no idea who you are.

It is just a matter of a week now before this onslaught.



The fairies came in the night to bedeck and bedazzle.

They are supposed to be filming the parade for the movie so we've all been roped into particpating in the Parade by the possibilty of being on the big screen (yawn). By all I mean some of my co-workers and my children.

I guess this is ours because someone sent me a picture of it. We will share it with a 5 year old beauty queen so that should be good times in 100 degree heat. I may just throw the kids on there and wave from the shade.
Bring on the little fans with misters. I'll probably be there with my camera pointing right back at the crowds. It should be totally over the top this year. Our little town could have as many as 50,000 people here for the day.
Thank goodness we can walk wherever we need to go because one thing about the coast, there are only a couple of roads out of town and they are sure to backed up for miles and miles.

Happy Independence Day!
xo

Mother's Day

I woke up this morning...crying. I know, horrible right? I miss my grandmother. My middle child (who reminds me the most of her and is therefore a comfort at these moments) was at a sleepover and did not want to come home because she feels she has an annoying little brother. Sigh. He is pretty annoying. I did not let on I was sad and needy. I played it cool.

So then I had another good cry, got a sympathetic hug from Jack who was then out the door for tennis. I spent a good part of the morning trying to cheer myself up. I looked at some of these funnies and I did laugh out loud a few times.



I would really like to say that about 20 times a day. It WOULD save a lot of time and besides, it is mostly true.


This makes me happy. I began to feel better. I don't know that woman but I love her.



Amen. No need to go to church after reading that one. Check.



Okay, maybe it was good middle child was having a nice peaceful morning somewhere else.

Then eldest daughter woke up and she'd bought me a nice funny card and an Amy Winehouse cd (Frank), and some gum which was thoughful because middle child always eats my gum. I go to get a piece after lunch and end up exclaiming, "Sadie" like Jerry says "Newman." The presents had a bow and everything!

We laughed over the fact that her boyfriend got his mother a card in Spanish (she does not speak Spanish) and he ate half the box of chocolates he bought her. I hope she is taking notes but it was funny. She then went to work but we ate cake together for breakfast first - just because.
I think I have done a fairly good job as a parent so far.



I am not a fan of forced holidays like this. I wanted nothing and I had no expectations.



It would be nice if they remembered though. My son, unsurprisingly, completely forgot, wanted me to take him shopping and acted like I was that witch with the flying monkeys when I said no but that SO wasn't going to happen. Next outing I do plan to see if this book exists in the 9 yr old version. ;)


I started to feel a little blue again but we tried a game of old fashioned Scrabble. It was okay. He has the attention span of a gnat sometimes (or maybe that is my patience span - so hard to call it) so I sent him outside.


First I thought I would start to read my favorite biography in the world, "The Last Lion," again for some entertainment and inspiration but I started to fall back asleep.



This is funny, come on....


I then downloaded "David Sedaris Live." On a day like this, instant gratification is such a really positive thing. I laughed a bunch and then still kept trying to fall asleep.



Oh wait...Yes, I am probably depressed but it is okay. It happens. Life is particularly laden with heavy responsibility right now and what the hell, I miss my grandmother like crazy today. I am laden with thoughts of tomorrow and all I have to do and what I could be doing now to mitigate it but instead am choosing not to because I worked about 70 hours last week and I am tired.


I know the drill. And I have a lot to be grateful for. Jack is making shrimp and some argula salad for dinner later. At some point I might get off my bum and take an hour power walk or not, depending. Middle child will come home and everyone will be together for dinner - for better or worse.

In no time at all I will back to my normal self. I always do get over these blues.



In the meantime...


And for real...


Because tomorrow it is back to this whether I feel it or not.


When I will be sure to be...



Everyone deserves a day to just be however they feel and today I am just so...



And am wanting so much for the world to have no expectations of me either. That is the best Mother's Day gift I can think of at the moment.






xo