Tired mind? Keep your bedroom light and airy...

Ugh. I went to bed with a migraine and woke up with one. Nothing but time in bed can give me relief, but deadlines loom, so this bedroom eye candy will have to do...

Keeping a bedroom light, both literally and emotionally, help me feel calm and restful
via Gatherings Magazine
 

 Great light in this bedroom, and the mirrored closets help magnify the light.

via Heart Home Mag 

via Maison Interior

via Design With Christine

Primrose

While in the grocery store today, I literally stopped to smell the flowers.  They had some hyacinths there that smelled like spring.  I didn't pick one of those up, but I did get this pretty Primrose for only $1.98.

It is such a pretty flower.

I love the red color with the pop of yellow in the center.  Very cheery.

One. Dollar. Ninety. Eight. Cents.

Well worth it don't you think?


p.s.  don't forget to enter my County Home Magazine Giveaway.  You will find it, here.  Giveaway ends Feb. 2nd.

a busy first day

Well, our first full day was a busy one to be sure!  We shopped and shopped and shopped and then finally sat down for a delicious meal at one of our favorite spots to eat, the Spotted Pig.  We are off for more fun today, but thought we would share a few pics we snapped while out and about on the town all day yesterday!  Here's to another good day!

Any suggestions of somewhere we shouldn't miss while we are here?

Which would you choose?

Hi all...another post I prepared in advance, thankfully I had the gumption to think ahead as my brain has turned to mush lately:) I think the most exhausting part of the move is over and I am pacing myself and taking it slow, thanks so much for all of your kind comments,emails and messages! Its great to be home!! (and yes to many of you who asked I do have help, thanks)!

Well hello there! By now you know the drill...I set up a little scenario and you get to ponder and think about which one room you would most love to be in and would suit you best. Remember how everyone moved out to the patio from "that party" to carry the party outdoors? Well, its in full swing and there is no end in sight! In fact all those inside have decided to join you. Its a beautiful night under a clear moonlit sky but its getting nippy so your darling hubby suggests lighting a fire in the outdoor fireplace and roasting marshmallows....what a guy!! So.....you know what to do, pick your outdoor fireplace seating room! This is not an easy feat as there are so many lovlies here, good luck. Can't wait to see what you choose. I have my eye on two, and will be happy as a smores to be in either one of them! Here we go....
WARNING- Proceed with caution and at your own risk. Viewing these has been known to induce SDTMS (Sudden desire to make smores)!!
CHOICE 1

                                                                   CHOICE 2

                                                                 CHOICE 3

CHOICE 4

CHOICE 5

CHOICE 6

CHOICE 7

CHOICE 8

CHOICE 9

CHOICE 10

CHOICE 11

CHOICE 12

Tough choice, don't you think? I can't wait to see who the big winner is though there is truly something fabulous about each and every one. I would be thrilled to be in any of them hanging out with friends and family until the wee hours of the morning! Now its your turn tell me which would you choose? Have a marvelous day!

House Tour: The golden age of Hollywood, a glamor girl's dream...

Home feeling a little lackluster? This space by Sarah Gilbane should inspire some ideas for adding a little glam back in your home...

The glossy stripes on the wall add glitz, while the grasscloth on the ceiling warm the space up a bit...

The pendants are feminine, but not too girly

Some garden stools add a bit of Chinoiserie to the more restrained library space.

The bedroom's color palette is what really makes the room traditional Hollywood glam.  Pink, black, and white...what's more starlett than that?

Is this space too feminine and glamorous for you, or would you be right at home here? via Tradhome Mag

New York!

We landed in New York yesterday and are already having the greatest time!  We will be finding lots of wonderful things to bring back for the store (and maybe a few for ourselves), as well as eating our way through this great city!  More to come...

Country Home Giveaway

So, it seems I am not the only one with cabin fever, based on the comments in my last post.

Let's shake things up a little with a giveaway.  Nothing cures cabin fever better that the postman bringing goodies to your door, right?

Remember Country Home magazine?  One of my favorites.  I happen to have 12 older issues dating from 2000 to 2008.

Would you like to have them?

I just flipped through them this weekend and they are still filled with amazing articles and photos that hold up to today.  

No hoops to jump through here.  Just leave a comment saying you would like to be entered in the giveaway.  I will pick a winner using a random generator on Groundhog Day, Feb 2nd.

Good Luck!

Coming up for air and a moving update!

  
******** Text and photo heavy.....have another cup of coffee******



PART 1-  (written a few days ago very early am)

Hello.....wow I must admit I had a few moments (or hours) not long ago when I started to think I might never get my energy back or enough time to put together a post I could be proud of. But alas here I am. Now lest you be thinking that I am so together, so organized that I am already back to my blogging schedule translates to endless hours of being footloose and fancy free on my comp . I feel obliged to tell you you are wrong. Way wrong. For here I sit in my small but cozy office  which at the moment, is a complete and utter mess amidst heaps of bags, boxes, books, pictures, torn out pages from design mags, fabric and paper swatches,etc..... But we all know you need to know when to listen to your body and when its time to put everything down, and just take a deep breath and do something for yourself. Hence my being here right now. Trust me, me writing this post has as much to do with my being near done unpacking and 'setting up shop" as going au natural is for Joan Rivers. (sorry Joan but you are an easy target). So here's the lowdown.....

I am beyond thrilled to finally be home. Just ecstatic. My favorite times of the day are when I get up around 5:30 up until 7:30 when the chaos starts raging, that means driving my son to school and the workers that are still working here (less every day) start knocking on the door. I dream about when the end of the day comes, and when I can really enjoy the house to myself again but truth be told by that time, I am wiped and utterly exhausted beyond description and I have been going into bed at the ungodly hour of 8:30! By that time I truly have expired. Moving is seriously exhausting in more ways than one.
About 30% of the house is still being worked on so the kitchen, the breakfast room and family room and bedrooms are only rooms bearing any semblance of being "done" (and when I say done I mean a room having a few chairs to sit on or the beds). We have moved some of our previous furniture into the house which looks pretty good, but for the family room we have ordered new furniture, bedding is on order for bedrooms, wall to wall for  master backordered,  etc......mind you this is all in a temporary state and excuse the mess but anyone who has moved knows what its like! So enough talking, come have a look........

Beautiful new chandelier for vestibule off foyer

Don't pay attention to our Chicken pox walls, this is the last area still to be painted

Chandeliers in living room hung!

Love them.....

Love this antique Chinese bowl 

Love my little french men fruit bowl, looks great in this kitchen

Breakfast room

Close up.....

Slowly slowly, paper is coming off the stair railing!

Love starting to find a place for my little treasures

Forgot how much blue and white I have!

And some more.....

And more.......

Yep I think this is a good start!

And we are starting to unpack my crystal, silver and china for the pantry

A work in progress.........

Love the breakfast room on a sunny morning, and of course a cozy rainy morning and forget the snow....it was so beautiful!

Love a pop of yellow against the white and black in the kitchen

That big bowl over to the right is an antique Chinese bowl, its huge 2 1/2 feet wide and so beautiful.....was thinking it would be beautiful to fill with orchids. The beautiful tulips someone dropped off yesterday

Missed my crystal

And all the little pretties......

Temp display of blue and whites, will have to "play"

For now putting my pillows on the sofa...the colors work

PART 2- Update as of 2 days ago, who was I kidding? As soon as I took a deep breath 5 days later I actually was foolish enough to start thinking, except for that first day or two, this really wasn't that bad. Then..........(jaws music here), the second round arrived yesterday! Oh boy, I had forgotten just how much I really had. How much had been stored away. It was such an exhausting day that by days end I literally could not walk, it was bad. My feet fell like they were literally detaching from my body and I was spent. The only bright side was the  opening up of some of my boxes revealed forgotten about goodies, like all my blue and white, and some beautiful collectibles that I love even more now that they are in their final resting place. So bear in mind this is a major work in progress and will be for a long, long time but below are some more recent highlights........

Coming back from other house to find a newly arrived orchid from a friend was a sight for sore eyes!

A pretty pair of French chairs hubby bought at auction will probably eventually end up in living room

More boxes.........

My beautiful painted chest we bought in France for my bedroom

Bedroom with my old furniture, got the new chandelier up! 

Beautiful french desk...we have to figure out where we are going to put it

Seating area in family room

Looking into breakfast room

Full view of the room.......

Another shot

Love the night time lighting.....

Just realized the Charmin kind of detracts...oops!

A beautiful French chest in guest room

Art waiting to be hung, they might be waiting a while!

More boxes!!!!!

Our lone pair of Winterthur chairs needs a home! These are very special chairs and one day I might just do a post on these chairs. 

Only furniture in living room so far, our pair of two French chests from our previous house

Close up....sorry for the grainy pictures

Photo quality not so great.....blame it on the iPhone and my lame photography skills

So folks, that's a brief recap on whats been happening over here this last week. Its been one helluva week, my calf muscles, feet and back are so sore. Today I think I am going to christen my bathtub with a long soak. Fun, exciting, exhilarating, titillating, and exhausting all rolled into one is how I would describe moving. But make no mistake, it is great to be home at last!!!!!!!! Will be back when I can, wishing you a wonderful Sunday!