Family Home

I had the pleasure of working on a project for my friend, Allison, last year.  The challenge presented was to turn a house that once belonged to her grandparents into a home for her and her budding family.  They were moving from a good sized home in the city to a large plot of land in the country with a house that once was cutting edge but by today’s standards could be considered simple.  As you can imagine, there was a lot of sentimental attachment to all elements of the house requiring much consideration for any decisions.  Each change had to fast forward the look of the home by 50 years and be a nod to the architectural style, all while keep the family memories made there intact.  This was like Christmas to me.  So many possibilities were available.  Do we go retro to suit the age of the home? Would elegant country be more fitting due to location?  How do we blend the needs of a young family with the space available in the house? My mind was reeling with ideas.  After weeks of various discussions, a plan was formed.  With the skill of many talented carpenters the space took on a new life.  Some of my favorite features include: 

                                                          (bottom photo is before update)
The tall cabinets in the kitchen.  No need to replace something that has good bones and can be updated with just a little paint, some nice hardware and beautiful countertops. (left photo is before, right is after)

                                                                               (bottom photo is before update)
The oversized family room that affords plenty of space for seating guests to watch TV and converse while the play area behind the sofa offers an easy solution to keeping an eye on their son.

 

Each furniture piece in the house has a story.  What I realized during the project was that this house and it’s contents were influential in shaping Allison’s personal style through the years.  She and her family couldn’t fit more perfectly in their new home.    

 

While I had a very small hand in the process, I felt so honored to be consulted and to help guide them toward what they have now.  When Allison shared photos of the home through her blog, she wrote, “Although I wanted to update things, my heart was a little heavy. What I kept remembering, though, was that both of them would have wanted us to give the house new life. Each time I was there, I could feel my Papa smiling down on us, loving the fact that we were making our mark on a place he loved. I only hope that while we are here, we can honor the memory of Mama and Papa and live a life of which they would be proud.”

Colors and fabrics excite me but words like that are what drives me.

A Lesson in Leadership

Driving to Indianapolis on Saturday afternoon I was pulled over by an Indiana State Trooper (or “the L.A.W.” according to my husband).  It goes without saying that I was less than pleased about this.  As he wrote the ticket, I kept my mouth shut so as not to aggravate the situation.  This was a difficult feat considering what the officer said to me.  When explaining that I was speeding (a fact I’m not refuting), he shared that his own speed was 75 miles per hour in a zone where 70 mph was the limit.  He went on to say that the reason I was getting the ticket was because I came up next to him and then proceeded to pass him.  The passing was due to cruise control so it was a very slow and steady passing, but I digress.    I was appalled!  He just openly told me HE was speeding and yet I was being penalized for doing exactly what this enforcer of the law did.  

Call me crazy, but I believe if you are in a position to enforce rules, you best abide by them yourself.  If I, as a citizen, am expected to obey the law, he as a leader and enforcer should without question have to, as well.   A slew of clichés come to mind- practice what you preach; do as I say, not as I do; and the like.  I’m aware that life is not fair.  And I know I was not in the right in this situation.  Those are not my points.  As someone who holds leadership roles in organizations from my own business all the way to community service groups I could never imagine asking someone else to do something I wasn’t willing to do myself.  In fact, it’s always been my opinion leaders should be held to a higher standard and set good examples for those around them.  Now more than ever I will be sure to examine my behaviors so that I keep myself in check.  While this officer cost me a little bit of money, I gained much more from him than he knows.  I got a valuable lesson in leadership I won’t soon forget. 

Exciting News!!

I can't believe it's been a month since I last posted.  The last four weeks have flown by and in preparation for the new year I examined all that I did in 2011.  I saw exciting achievements along with some things I want to do differently in the future.  One exciting change for 2012 is going to be this blog. We’re going to step it up a notch.   Posts will still provide design ideas, tips and trends but there will also be a flair of fashion and inspiration thrown in.  My goal is to share more of me with you and to immerse you in all things creative.  Periodically guest bloggers will offer their take on things and I have lined up a great list to kick off the first half of the year.  You will hear from insiders in the fashion industry, the world of television and experts in design related niches.  I am SO excited I can hardly stand it.  So be sure to subscribe to the RSS feed so you can stay in the know!

Christmas Vacation

I'm taking a brief hiatus from blogging until the end of the year.  This is my time to relax and visit with family.  I hope you make time to do the same!  Have a wonderful Christmas and I will see you in 2012.

Unique Holiday Centerpieces

My husband and I hosted Thanksgiving for his family for the first time this year.  I loved it!!  One of my favorite parts of the hosting process was setting the dinner table.  Gorgeous pumpkins from a local farm adorned various parts of our house throughout October and November, so I gathered them at the base of a fun outdoor lantern stand.  (The stand might look familiar since I used it for a July fundraiser event.  For that tablescape,  I incorporated fresh daisies, appropriate for the summer season.)

The benefit of this lantern stand is that it is tall enough for the lowest lantern to hang above eye level when guests are seated at the table.  One element we often overlook when setting the table is the ability for our guests to converse freely.  It is important to select a focal point for the table that is low enough to talk over or tall enough to see under.  There is nothing worse than sitting down to enjoy a delicious meal and having to peer through the candelabra or flowers to chat with friends.

Here are a few creative ideas that can inspire you to make your own beautiful centerpiece for your Christmas table.

 A simple red cloth gathered underneath a grouping of silver candlesticks, hand-carved Santas and a vine of glittery berries makes a stunning centerpiece for a large table.

 Clustering pieces that vary in height adds dimension to a centerpiece.  Don't be afraid to turn items on their sides to make things more interesting.

 

For those who prefer something more traditional, gathering a plaid fabric around a beautiful floral arrangement makes any table gorgeous.

Spiffy Stockings

Some of my favorite Christmas memories include dumping out my stocking and finding chocolate covered coins, other candies and little trinkets come pouring out. Stocking have come a long way since the days of my childhood.  Here are a few of my favorites available now:
Pier One Regal Stockings.  This reminds me of William and Kate.  These stockings have a British feel and a regal color about them.

 

Pier One Striped High Heel Stocking.  For the funky at heart.  This stocking is soooo playful!

Ballard Designs Polka Dot/Leopard Print Stocking. A little bit of whimsy and style to adorn your mantle.

Happy stocking hanging!

Color Me Christmas

As with clothing and home fashion, colors come in and out of style for Christmas.  My mother- in- law (very traditional by nature) has started to take notice of the changing color schemes for Christmas and is getting a little bolder. She is venturing away from her traditional deep red poinsettias and gold ribbon for her tree and experimenting with lime green mesh.  

Lime green is still holding on as a favorite.  You can pair it with the traditional Christmas red and emerald green to create a fun color story for you tree.  Combining it with pink makes the decor very whimsical.  Silver looks beautiful with this shade of green, as well.  There is something about mixing an electric shade of green with a crisp metallic that feels very wintry yet chic.

Rose, white and gold.  I refer to this grouping as Victorian because of the feeling it evokes when I see these colors together. They look very romantic and feminine when used together.  Throwing in a little blue is a beautiful compliment, as well.

Turquoise and gold is a pairing inspired by the peacock.  When feathers started creeping in to Christmas decor, the richness of turquoise began to take hold.  Accenting with plum gives you a regal look.  The gold serves as a little bling to keep your tree from getting too dark.

Black and silver make great accents to any color scheme.  Ornaments or decorative stems in black add a backdrop for the bolder colors to stand out.  Silver can do a variety of things.  The color can bring a sense of winter when used with other metallics, blue, or citrus colors (like the lime green I mentioned).  It can also be used as an accent to beautify more traditional shades- red, rose, or emerald green.

Another mix of colors that has remained popular are the bright jewel tones.  I used electric blue, hot pink and purple on a black Christmas tree this year and it was gorgeous!  Those colors jumped right off the tree!
Over the past few years I've found it interesting that there isn't just one "hot" color or color combination but several.  This year is no exception! Be like my mother-in-law, lose your inhibitions about Christmas and go for a new color scheme.