Does Your Space Rise Up and Greet You?

For about a year Ben and I debated on whether or not to move. We struggled with the same things everyone else does. Can we continue to grow in our space, are we in a good school district, do we like the neighborhood enough to stay?  With it being a buyer's market, and feeling that we really wouldn't get the price we wanted for our house, plus the added expense of Catholic private school, we decided to stay put in our sweet little 3 bedroom / 2 bath house. Although relieved that we finally had a decision on the matter,  what came next was the following question; if we stay here, what do we want to change to make our home more us?

I love Oprah famed designer and cutie Nate Berkus' design philosophy about your home; "Your home should tell the story of who you are and more importantly, who you want to become. It should rise up and greet you each and everyday!" What a great perspective.  If you asked me right now if I thought our house told the story of us, I would tell you yes. It's a warm home filled with things we love like, art, books, music, family, comfort, and fun. That said, who doesn't love a good makeover?!

The room we probably spend the most time in is our kitchen.So we decided that that was the first space we were going to update. Our kitchen space is a decent size, with a U-shaped cooking area, and a sitting / eat in area.  Last year we added granite counter tops, allowing us to add a bar.  By far, one of the most amazing improvements of the space. In addition, it forced us to start using our dining room space as the place to have family dinners, rather than huddled around a counter top, or at a small bistro table.

Since adding the bar, the sitting space hasn't really evolved into anything other than a place to set stuff. At present, we have an armoir/ desk that holds our computer and TV, a small side table and lamp, my college chair, the kids easil and Ikea table, barstools and a rug. Our briefcases and backpacks crowd the other space on the floor. Color wise, the kitchen walls are wood paneling that has been painted a light tan color. The cabinets are white, with brushed silver hardware, and we have white appliances. 

When we decided to update the kitchen, our first order of business was laying hardwood floors. At the time we moved in the kitchen floor had just been replaced with a white speckled vinyl tile.  After more than seven years of wear and tear, and two kids, the tile was looking awful and was starting to break apart.

Original kitchen floors before hardwoods.

Our speckled vinyl tile was an improvement over what once was there.

When we were planning to lay the hardwoods in the kitchen, we wanted to make sure there was a seamless transition into the hallway and dining room where current hardwoods existed.  This forced us to have the floors in the dining room, hallway, and our son's room, refinished.  The guys that did our floors were fantastic and the kitchen / downstairs area has a whole new feel to it now.

Transition between kitchen and dining room. 

New kitchen floors.

So, now that we have these beautiful new floors in place, its time to start evolving this room into a more usable sitting / den space.  We've been talking a lot about the paint colors and the furniture we want to use. I'm blessed to have a husband that is a graphic designer by trade to collaborate with. Ben always has a good eye for color and space.  We both agree that we want something that is bright, comfortable and immediately makes us and our guests feel welcome.

I've been looking around at a zillon design blogs, and magazines, and have come to the conclusion that I like the idea of a yellow, white and gray palate. Ben seems to agree this is a good direction to point ourselves in, especially considering that we have black furniture in the kitchen.  These colors will be complimentary, without coming across as "matchy".   So, these are just some ideas I've come up with that seem to align with our budget. We haven't committed to anything yet. 

1.  Wall color (option 1)- Benjamin Moore  American Heartland
2. Ikea Alvine Ruta Flat woven rug (like the idea of the pattern, but am not dying to have this rug)
3. Ikea Vejmon side table
4. Wall color (option 2) Benjamin Moore Cornsilk
5. Ballard Design Wood Wall Pocket (4 piece)
6. Koen Table Lamp-Mustard yellow
7. Cabinetry and trim color (option 1)- Benjamin Moore Dune White
8.  Various fabric options for pillows and / or cafe curtain
9.  Ikea Ektorp Love Seat-Suangy Gray

We still have new doors, light fixtures, and art to figure out, but we're moving in the right direction and I am so excited!

I'd love to know what you think... Carla

Clutch

There have been several occassions lately where I've needed to take my keys, phone, etc but I look like a complete dork taking my purse. I need a clutch. I like this one. Marc by Marc Ozzie Square Bentley. I even like the name. If anyone feels the need to buy me a Memorial Day gift, this would be most appreciated. You can find it at Piperlime.-Shannon

Left, Right, Center

We (a neighbor and I) decided that we needed a monthly game night for the ladies in our neighborhood. Everyone's been in a bunco group --- and everyone's quit a bunco group. Bunco's like Pampered Chef party - there's no need to keep them going. So, we settled on Left, Right, Center. It was a ton of fun. Everyone stands around a table. 3 dollar bills in front of you. Roll the dice..... L = pass a dollar to the left, R = pass a dollar to the right, C = put the dollar in the center of the table (the "pot") and it's no longer in play, Dot = you keep the dollar. The last person with a dollar wins the game! We had 11 people, so the pot was $33. We played three rounds and I won the second round.

What's a girl to do with thirty-three $1s? Buy ferns, of course! I've been looking for urns for months. My old urns (real ones from Smith and Hawken) are too small for our front door. They now look great at the back door. I have issues with anything faux but large urns are really expensive. Faux became my reality. Home Depot and Lowes have fantastic ones. But, they'd still be around $90 for two and I'm not in the mood to spend $90 on urns. I decided to move my old terra cotta pots to the front porch..... side story, I can still vividly remember buying these pots at Pike in Atlanta and they were $70 for the pair. It was '99/00 and I was fresh out of college - I had a sick feeling in my stomach for the rest of the day. But, it's 10+ years later and they're still around. This is my argument for not buying faux - the real deal always lasts longer........ -Shannon

Bird Plates

I'm really not obsessed with birds.  Really! That said, I was flipping through the pages of the West Elm catalog tonight and came across these cute plates.

I want eight of these for the summer.  We eat outside every evening that its not crazy hot and these seem like the perfect plate. They are made of melamine, cost $20 for a set of four, and are dishwasher safe. The idea of not lugging my expensive Apilco plates outside, and fearing my son will drop his on the ground, would really make my al fresco dinners all the more enjoyable.

I may just have to pick these up ASAP! - Carla

A Birdhouse Update

A few weeks back I showed you Phase I of my birdhouse decorating plans for Katy's room. Well, finally, after staring at my four cute birdhouses for more than two weeks, I made it over to Home Depot for paint and supplies.

Phase II is complete. And I must say, I think they look great. Eat your heart our PBK!!!

Phase III will be adding the letters of Katy's name to the front of each birdhouse and hanging them in her room.  So pumped...

And just because I love her so... a photo of my girl playing with the rocks. - Carla

An inspiring read....

The best gifts are those least expected. Geoff was in Boston for two days this week (researching young professionals --- apparently you need to go to Boston to do that?). He surprised me with a book that I've wanted for ages. If Carla remembers correctly, I tried to get her to go to the book signing in Atlanta.

Simon Pearce came into my life randomly. My co-worker and dear friend, Rose, was getting married and a money manager sent her a SP bowl as her wedding gift. I was smitten. It was breathtaking. My mom and I went to New York a few months later and she got me 2 of the Meriden Pitchers as a souvenir (remember their gorgeous store in SoHo? I miss it) --- the pitchers resembled the ones at Joe Allen -- they served glasses of wine in them. Anyways, the love affair continued with vases, lamps, candle holders, Christmas ornaments (I cherish my A.G. Edwards ornament), etc. Each time I'm in NYC, I bring something from Simon Pearce home. There's even the story of us all going to see Sweet Home Alabama and I made everyone stay through the credits so that I could prove to myself that I spotted SP correctly - which only perpetuated my love for his glass.

The book confirms that's he's a kindred spirit of Martha and Ina (my other loves) and he has a true yearning to live a quality and well thought out life. He enjoys making the simple things extraordinary. The book is gorgeous - the photography and writing are perfection. I'm in love with his house.....

Last but not least, Geoff surprised me with a new bowl. I wish I had 7 more so that I could serve my dessert for dinner club in them - one day! In the meantime, I'll appreciate it for it's simplicity and that it's absolutely extraordinary. -Shannon

The old workbench

Lovely table, right?! This is a hand-me-down from my grandfather to my dad and then to us. My grandfather (Pa-Pa) bought it on Redstone Arsenal --- I know he got 2 of them - maybe 3. This is the only one that we still have. It's always been in the garage at my parents and has been used and abused throughout the years. Geoff even broke a slat of wood off the top when we were in high school (I've never let him live this down). When my parents moved to Georgia, we ended up with it and it's served us well in our garage.

With all the renovation talk, I decided that I wanted to fix it up and bring it in. I studied Factory 20 and how their tables looked. Our table had major rust on the bottom of the legs and one leg was bent so that you could easily stub your toe and need a tetanus shot. It had to be painted. Researching our options, we decided that powder-coating was the way to go.

The other big dilemma was the top. Should we polyurethane over the existing finish to seal everything in? Or, should we sand and stain it? We decided on sanding and staining. Geoff wanted to stain it cherry and I wanted mahogany. We ended up going with his pick and used General Finish stain (this has become our go-to stain -- it provides a fantastic finish).

Now, the big debate on stools. My thoughts were to go non-industrial and get something more polished. I think we could have gone either way. I struggled between the Pottery Barn Tibetan Stool and the Lyon Industrial Stool. I ended up with the PB stool but Overstock has stools very similar to the Lyon and they stack - these would be a great option for having enough to seat 8 and store when they aren't being used.

  

The finished product of our table adventures turned out just as I imagined. It looks fantastic and will be a great spot for laptops, school projects or eating a meal in front of the TV. For as excited as I've been about this project, it's been fun watching Geoff and our parents get equally excited. It's definitely a conversation piece. - Shannon

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

I love Mexican food. When I say love, I mean LOVE! We have it at least once a week in a variety of forms; tacos, enchiladas, rice and beans, quesadillas (my son's favorite), etc. I enjoy a good beverage with my Mexican food as well. Anything from a carona, to my husbands awesome homemade mojitos or margaritas (courtesy of the Jimmy Buffett bar book). I promise to share those recipes another time.

That said, I'm always looking to change things up a bit. So a few weeks ago I was perusing Foodgawker.com and found a recipe for these lovely, delicious, and easy Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos.

These will easily be my new recipe of summer. They are FABULOUS, fun to make (my son even helped assemble them) and best of all, the whole family shared my exuberance for them.

So here are the details on what you will need and how to assemble the taquitos.

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos
total time: 45 minutes  Qty: 15 Taquitos


15  flour tortillas
1/3 C (3 oz) cream cheese
1/4 C green salsa
1T fresh lime juice
1/2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t granulated garlic, or garlic powder
3 T chopped cilantro
2 T sliced green onions
2 C shredded cooked chicken
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, optional
nonstick cooking spray
kosher salt

• Heat oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray it lightly with cooking spray.
• Heat cream cheese in the microwave for 20-30 seconds so it’s soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic (you could use taco seasoning mix if you don't have all of these ingredients). Stir to combine and then add cilantro, green onions, chicken and pepper jack cheese.
• Wrap 3-4 tortillas at a time in damp paper towels and microwave for 20-30 seconds so they are soft and pliable. If you find your tortillas are cracking when rolled, use damper paper towels and increase the microwave time.
• Place 2-3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture on the lower third of each tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges, and then roll up.

• Place seam-side down on the baking sheet in a single layer. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or brush with vegetable oil. Sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt on top. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.

 

 

• Cool for 5-10 minutes and then serve with Sour Cream and Salsa Verde. Enjoy!!! - Carla 

Why is May so crazy?

The last 2 weeks are a total blur. I'm sure everyone feels this way about May. With activities and school winding down, it seems like our calendar is packed full. We were lucky to have both sets of grandparents in town to see dance rehearsal/recital, swim practice, gymnastics, field day, and the craziness of our day-to-day life. The kids were in heaven. -Shannon

Agecroft Hall

I've got shoe envy

There is a classmate of Katy's named Charlie, whose Mom is super nice and has a closet I would die for. Her style is amazing, and I love how she pulls outfits together. Anyway, this morning at drop off I was chatting with her and looked down to see these:

I heart these! So perfect for the spring / summer.

And while I was browsing on Tory's site to find that wedge shoe, I've decided that I really need a pair of these for the summer. -Carla

My favorite everything

My favorites are constantly evolving but I think it's fun to compile a list. Don't give me credit for this - I totally swiped it from House Beautiful. I re-read HB like most girls re-watch Sex and the City. I adore this magazine.

Lamp - Simon Pearce (I own) and Jonathan Adler (I want)

Alarm Clock - Sony Dream Machine (thinking of upgrading or just using my phone)

Everyday dishes - Apilco

All purpose glass - Bormioli Luna Rocks

Sheets - Barbara Barry (but I'm dying to get Pratesi)

Toothpaste - Original Creste

Vacuum - Miele

Color - Totally Tulip by Sally Fretwell

Comfort Food - Anything at Comfort (best southern food in Richmond)

Picture Frame - Pottery Barn Modern Silver-Plated

Pen - Sharpie Retractable

Another favorite of mine is Plum Sykes. I've enjoyed her books but I really like the articles that she writes for Vogue. They're always witty and insightful. Tory Burch featured her on her Mother's Day Issue blog post. Enjoy! -Shannon

Seersucker

I don't get to read fashion magazines much, unless you count the 10 minutes at the grocery store checkout, so I'm no expert on what's in and out. Another fabulous reason why I have Shannon in my life. She always knows these things and provides thoughtful insight. Anyway, from what I can tell, seersucker is making a comeback this summer. WOO HOO!!

I love this black seersucker dress for work and play! 

 Can you guess where its from?-Carla

The day I didn't meet Eddie Ross

My excitement couldn't be contained when I noticed on Eddie Ross's website that he'd be at Ivy Market. I love his blog. I love that he's a Martha alumni. I love that he's a House Beautiful alumni. He's a celebrity in my book.

Long story short, I mentioned my love for ER to my dear friend Betsy. Of course, she knew who he was and had already heard him speak at the Tuckahoe Women's Club. So, fast forward to Thursday. Audrey (another dear friend) and I went to Ivy Market after our Cinco de Mayo lunch. We hit all the booths and saw tons of gorgeous things. Not wanting to seem like a complete dork, I completely downplayed being within spitting distance of ER. Inside, I was completely freaking out. It would be like seeing Martha --- Carla and I have often dreamed of bumping into Martha in Maine but what would we say!?! We wouldn't have a CLUE! So, we finished Ivy Market -- I went home --- end of story. Well, that's the end until I see Betsy.

At the bus stop, Betsy asked if I saw ER. Of course, I told her that I was completely star struck and it was like looking at the sun - I couldn't look directly at him. Betsy, being Betsy, had all but invited him to Christmas dinner! They are 2 peas on a pod. Long lost soul mates that have been reunited over their love for all things glorious in life. They swapped emails, took a photo together and made promises of meeting up in the Shenandoah Valley for shopping and exploring. Needless to say, I was kicking myself for being chicken. What was I thinking?? I should have been a dork and professed my love and gotten a photo!

An hour passes and Betsy knocks on my door with a brown bag. My mother's day gift (Betsy's thoughtful like that). Inside ER has SIGNED a copy of Southern Living to ME and has GIVEN (did I say GIVEN?, yes, GIVEN) me a beautiful milk glass bowl. He's also said that I need to join them for dinner when they do their Shenandoah trip --- I WILL NOT CHICKEN OUT! This would be a dinner dream come true.

The moral of my story goes back to the premise of this blog. Never underestimate the value of great friends. I don't deserve the ones that I have but I'm so thankful they're in my life. -Shannon

Kate, Tory, somebody,help me!

I know I'm going to catch all kinds of grief regarding this post, but I'm perplexed, and I've got to figure out an alternative.

This is my current handbag; Black Kate Spade bag. Ben gave me this for Christmas 2008 or 2009. I can't remember. Nonetheless, I've been carrying the same bag for 2-3 years.

And this is what I put in it.

Wallet, sunglasses, keys, phone, work badge, baggu, lipstick and gloss, address book  (which could probably be eliminated with my phone), and stain stick (I'm messy and I have kids).

All things I feel I need.  My trouble is,my handbag cannot hold all this. I do have other beautiful designer handbags, but they are all even smaller, and I want a BAG.  A BIG BAG. One that can hold all my stuff comfortably. One that  I can close and it not look ridiculous.

So, I'm on a quest for a larger, more stylish bag.  HELP!

I like this from Tory..

 and this from Kate..

Got any ideas? Or, better yet, do you know anyone that will give me $400 for a new bag? Anyone..

-Carla

My Guy

Just thinking of my Big Guy today. Today is Evan's oral surgery at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. From everything they tell us, this is routine and he should be just fine. Still, this sweet, handsome boy is 5 and I'm his mom. I'm allowed to not sleep and worry. Besides, I feel like I'm asking a lot of this guy to be so brave.

Godspeed little man... I love you.

Surprise Mail

I LOVE Surprise Mail!!
The good kind of Surprise Mail!

The kind that makes you can't stop smiling. 
 And bonus, this mail is from Shannon!

And look what it is... dresses for Katy. Eliza's dresses. So sweet.  I remember Eliza wearing the whale dress during our first trip to Maine.  Thank you so much!! I cannot wait for Katy to grow into such cute dresses.

An awesome mail surprise! Carla