Art that looks like interiors...

Bedroom by Unknown, Dining Room by Jay Jeffers, Hallway by Tirry Cindy and Tom Callebaut

- Lauren

Art that looks like interiors...

Bathroom by Irina Graewe, Living Room by Unknown, Living Room by Deborah Wecselman

- Lauren

Argh...

So the kitchen floor is coming together, but sadly will not be done until January. We have some issues to work out with the back doors to the future deck, and it doesn't make sense to do the floor until all of the traipsing around the kitchen is over and done with.  So be on the lookout for that in the new year. 

In the meantime I've been busily dealing with all of the paperwork involved in applying for a variance for our backyard deck.  Thank goodness it's winter and we're not missing out on valuable outdoor time.  By the time I'm done filling out all the forms, making the ten thousand copies, getting everything notarized, sending the certified letters to all of the neighbors within 250 feet, and placing a notification in the town paper, it will surely be springtime.  Our backyard looks like this at the moment (with a little less foliage and a little less driveway).

Hopefully by spring (or cross your fingers, sooner) our contractor will be able to start building something that will look like this.

Art that looks like interiors...

Living Room by Ronald Bricke,  Dining Room by Doug & Gene Meyer,  Living Room by Kathy Hackman Hutchinson

- Lauren

The kitchen floor....

So, I finally decided on the Shipibo Allover Stencil from Cutting Edge Stencils for the kitchen floor.  Right now the space looks like this.

I colored up the stencil and I'm liking the deco feel with a little bit of an encaustic tile look. 

I can't decide though if I want to add some black to make it more contrasty

Or even a little bit of rust (or does it start looking to native american?)

The good thing is that I can paint it and live with it for a while and make a decision. I'm so excited to get going on this project next week.  And if I have a little bit of extra time I might even treat you all to a little photoshop rendition so we can see it before the real thing.  Which version are you leaning toward?

Art that looks like interiors...

Bedroom by Lázaro Rosa-Violán, Bathroom by Joseph Dirand, Bedroom by Unknown

- Lauren

Living Room Update

The built-ins are almost done, and the overlays are in.  And they look fab.  Thanks Danika!  And my Schoolhouse Electric sconces are a new fave as well.  A few tweaks to the doors, adding some shoe molding to cover our speaker wire on the mantle, and then a major dusting and I should be on my way to filling those babies up with coats and accessories.  And a wall mounted TV means I get to put some accessories below it on the mantel.  I'm not a big tech person but we have this new infrared remote thing that allows us to hide all our components and use our iphones and ipad as remotes.  It is SO cooool.  Oh, and I'm waiting on the hardware. I'm thinking one of my items that's still in prototyping will be what we end up using.  More on that later... And we got this great jute rug from West Elm that I'm excited to get down on the floor. All of the look of sisal but SO much softer.  Eventually we will have to figure out a better solution than our IKEA lack coffee tables but they work for now (sadly, our octagonal coffee table from LA is too large and will be relegated to the basement rec room).  Can't wait to update you on the kitchen floor stencil situation next.

Stylin' Mammas: Holiday Hostess-ing

The good china is back in the cupboard for a few weeks and the debate rages on about the best weekend to get our tree (is the 2nd too early?  is the 9th too late?).  And of course, the holiday entertaining dates start to stack up.  There are the work happy hours (two, in our dual-income household), the school Christmas Pageant, the random holiday-themed auction benefit event, the annual gingerbread house date with our best buds, the downtown decorations wander followed by pizza with the grandparents and cousins...not to mention the Big Day(s) itself: church, Christmas Eve supper, Christmas morning brunch, Christmas dinner.   Each and every one of which calls for an outfit.

Stylin' Mamma is (if nothing else) a busy mommy.  Gone are the days when I could devote an entire afternoon to primping, from the blow-out down to the pedicure.  Dressing up has become a streamlined process, crammed into the 25 minutes between when the babysitter rings the bell and the dinner reservation kicks in.   Needless to say, some day-to-night planning is in order -- particularly for entertaining in the home, which we do quite a bit this time of year.  A gal needs a look that will take her to the farmer's market in the morning, withstand any stray splatter from the turkey baster in the afternoon, allow for some park time to help the kids blow off steam as the evening approaches -- and then a lightning quick-yet-elegant change-up for dinner on the good china.

For day, I like a soft pair of boyfriend jeans (love the flap pockets on these!), and because I'm always cold (you can find me on the ottoman closest to the fireplace, thank you very much), some sweater-on-sweater action: one tongue-in-cheek pullover for padding around the house , plus a cozy coat-like topper for a chilly walk to the park. Corduroy Toms add a pop of color, and a quirky cooler basket lets me carry my organic produce in style.  

Because we barely leave enough time to change for dinner, I like to keep dressing simple, festive, and unfussy: an easy, comfortable dress; a statement ring; and a great pedicure should do the trick.  With a glass of bubbly in hand and a bowl of mixed nuts on the table, I'm ready for action.

Frutto Probito

So, one of my favorite rooms in the house (and one that is the most done) is the powder room. I decided to splurge on a Cole and Sons wallpaper called Frutto Probito. I love how it has a traditional bent and that the colors tie in to the palette in the rest of the house, but that it's playful at the same time.  I have a little monkey figurine that I can't wait to dig out and put on the back of the toilet.  The pendant is from Rejuventation (which has so many great vintage-style fixtures) and the mirror was an antique find for just $60!