Whoah.

We're heading to Puerto Rico tomorrow for my cousin's wedding.  I'm going to be her maid  matron of honor & we have SO MUCH to do between now and 6 AM tomorrow morning.  (Doesn't "matron" just sound so serious??  I think it needs to be said in a very deep voice.)  I cannot WAIT to get on that plane but going on vacation honestly isn't the same when you run your own business.  I've felt sick about leaving for the past couple of weeks because there's just so much to get done. 

On the wedding note, I referred my cousin to a seller on Etsy to make us custom bridesmaid dresses (For the 3 bridesmaids) and $450 later, they have not arrived.  Yeah. And we leave tomorrow.  SO...  we've all been racing around finding backups and I'm using something I had recently bought because there's no time.  It's this dress in a different color:

{Free People}

In this color:

{not taupe...  pale blue/ pinks}

Although when I was just on the free people website grabbing these pics, I came across this and kind of love it:

Anyway, the wedding's on the beach and my cousin is one of the most beautiful people I've ever met and she truly looks like a goddess in her dress.  (And her fiance is awesome.) I'll share pics when we get home.

So...  It's been craziness getting ready to leave.  We've presented a bunch of designs to clients:

{a recent design board} 

We're finishing up an installation for a client who's on vacation today:

{Here's what it looked like as of last night...  We're accessorizing & receiving the rest of the furniture today although we just found out the our SOFA is not arriving in time.  I feel TERRIBLE and if the factory wasn't closed for vacation this week I'd seriously be driving down to North Carolina myself to get it.}

The kids have been enjoying the packing supplies for the install:

We had a photo shoot at the house this week including my office which was all prettied up and now looks like this:

{yummy.}

Justin just wandered down to the office and he looks like this:

{Love the morning sleepy eyes & behead}

And we haven't packed.  BUT...  my husband did just drop off a plate of pancakes to me in the office so I am OFF!  I'll attempt posts but may just be out!!




ps- Remember my plants form the Fall?  Most of them are still alive & now they'll live thanks to our house sitter!!  (i think the dog will be okay to ;) ;)
If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about our design services.

Better Homes & Gardens Mag: 50 Ideas Under $50

Thanks so much to Better Homes & Gardens Magazine for including me in the "dream team" of designers, stylists & bloggers rounded up for their "50 Super Stylish Ideas Under $50" article in this month's issue.  (Some of my favorite people were included in the experts, including my friend Liz Levin)  

In the issue there are so many great ideas for style on a budget.  On the cover (above) I love the stenciled pillows the team at Better Homes & Gardens (Including stylist Jessica Thomas who did our BHG Christmas story a while back ) did using one of my ideas.   Royaldesignstudio.com is where I found the stencil for my living room wall & they really do have a beautiful selection of stencils.

A little while back I used a variation of  another one of my BHG ideas in my house.  I found a cheapie picture frame tray at Target...

(The only kind of DIY projects I truly anjoy are the ones that take under 10 minutes ;)

 ...I took out the pictures of other people's cute kids and folded up a vintage piece of fabric I had lying around & put it inside...

...And now it's a tray on my living room coffee table:

I can switch it out whenever I feel like it & it's a great place to get to enjoy all vintage fabrics & wallpapers I've picked up. 

To read all of the ideas, check out the July issue on news stands now.  To read some of the ideas that wouldn't fit into the magazine article, check out this online slideshow/ article at BHG.com.  I am completely head-over-heels- in-love with the vignette they created using homemade botanicals: 

Have a great day & enjoy!!

If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about our design services.

Happy 4th of July!

Hope you're enjoying yours!!!

If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about our design services.

Playing in the Creek

A couple of weeks ago, photographer Vy Koenig took photos of our kids.  Vy is a good friend of a client & friend of mine & offered us a complimentary photo shoot.  We were so excited for the opportunity, but I had no idea how awesome the photos would be.   

{Justin, 18 months}

We brought the boys in their rain boots & we all ventured into the woods for a hike to the creek.

{Christian, almost 4!}

They started out timidly, stepping on stones & splashing lightly in the water...  Vy had sailboats ready for them to play with and she even made newspaper sailboats which they looooooved. 

Their favorite part was the "pirate" ship that Vy's husband made:

{It was a flat boat front staked into the ground = so adorable... very Little Rascalish}

Once they got comfortable, the shirts came off and the real splashing began:

{Christian is so proud of this pic}

We all got a little wet...

Vy captured my little guys perfectly...

...And my big one too:

{Justin loves getting "eaten"}

It was honestly just such a fun time...

We got to spend quality time with each other & have a little adventure while Vy captured it all:

{Dave & I weren't planning on being in the pictures but I'm so glad now Vy got some of us with the boys}

 I really CANNOT believe I have a picture of my little guys being NICE to each other!!:

{Makes me happy}

...And nothing's better than this feeling:

I really can't thank Vy enough for this gift.  We will definitely be doing it again!!

If you're in the Northern Virginia area and are interested in Vy's services:

Check out her website here to book an appointment.  She's AMAZING!!!!!

(And if you're not in the area, check it out anyway... there are so many cutie pies on there!!!)  I was so excited to see all of the creativity & effort Vy had put into preparing the shoot & she's so sweet that the kids warmed up instantly.

If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about our design services.