Day 213's odd couple

In all of the excitement about the new house and potential kitchen renovation, I noticed a pattern. Wes and I were going through my dream kitchen images, it became apparent that I like the look of a Saarinen tulip table with a banquette and some funky chairs, just for fun.

Now this is exactly why I have so much fun looking at and hanging on to pictures from magazines and Web sites. It really helps me narrow down the styles I like and inspires future decisions and purchases. There are so many options for home decor that shopping without a clear vision or goal can be really overwhelming. It's much simpler to define your style as best you can and then hunt for pieces that fit your vision.

The best way to do this is to get your hands on as many images as you can, and store the ones you like. It's really fun to see patterns in those you keep (and occasionally wonder what in the world you were thinking when you cut out a picture). One thing I wish I started doing sooner is hang on to the source information as well. If you are dying for a chair but have nothing but a picture, it does you little good. Sourcebooks should be your best friend!

This unintentionally turned into a tutorial that most of you probably don't need. So, without further ado, my favorite breakfast areas:


This is where it all started. Cottage Living published interior designer Lisa Rowe's house last year (I think), and I put the entire home into my "favorites" file. She miraculously created a kid-and-pet-friendly home without compromising an ounce of style. I totally dig her charcoal-gray living room and (you guessed it) her blue bedroom. Her recommendation on the durability of a velvet sofa inspired one of our recent purchases.

But what I love most are these kitchen chairs! I will die of joy if I ever come across vintage beauties like these.


This image is from dominomag.com, but (sadly) that's all I know about it. I'm pretty sure Wes and I could build something simple like this, and just imagine the storage options! Stay tuned for that.


Cottage Living staffer Lindsay Bierman has got killer taste. You can't really see his Saarinen table because it blends so well in his fab all-white kitchen, but it's there. And it's nestled up to a ridiculously handsome custom banquette decked out in plaid wool that's to die for. Mmm yes sir.

Click here for a personal tour of his newly-renovated kitchen (don't miss the driftwood lamps!)

After my speech about sourcing, it's only fair that I help you out. You can find reproduction Saarinen tables at all price points at Design Within Reach and Ikea. Try Ballard Designs or Wisteria for chic Louis XVI-style dining chairs like Lindsay's.

And if I were a good little blogger, I would proceed to wax poetic about the history and relevance of Saarinen's furniture. But ... this post has gone on long enough, don't you think? Inquiring minds may click here or here learn more.

Day 212's wish

Happy Birthday, BA!

My sweet baby sister is 20 years old today, and I cannot believe it! She's currently in the middle east teaching English and we can't wait to celebrate with her and hear all about her adventures when she gets back in February. Love you seester!

{ Photo: here we are in reverse birth order - BA, Allie, me - on Thanksgiving }

Day 211's suburban nightmare

The house hunt was officially on this weekend. I've been apprehensive about this since the beginning, knowing that the odds were good we were going to come up short in terms of our dream home. Okay, it's our first house, I can deal with short. I can deal with Clinique-green bath tiles and ripping out some ugly flooring. I even welcome the chance to paint some walls and trim.

What I'm not sure I can deal with is suburbia. In the interest of getting "more house for the money," we compromised our original plan and extended our search further out of town. Not that much further, but still further than I ever, ever wanted to go (Vestavia Hills, for you past and present Birminghamians). And then we kind of struck gold. 1959 suburban rancher gold.

Most of the house is great. It has a big yard (that's even relatively flat -- remember the Hills part?) It's a 3-bedroom, 2-bath house, which is a great size for resale, and exactly what we were hoping for. The hardwood floors in all of the rooms look fantastic, and all of the walls are nice, neutral colors that we would happily live with until time and budget allowed a change. The public school system is excellent. The water heater and the H-VAC are all new, and the roof's in great shape -- at least as far as we can tell. There is the small matter of the seriously outdated and inefficient kitchen, the truly heinous kitchen floor (peeling linoleum tiles meant to look like parkay wood) and the pink and blue toilets. But, as aforementioned, we're not afraid of a little renovation challenge. Wes has been around the construction industry his entire life, and my family owns a home-building business. What we can't do ourselves we'll have no trouble finding a good contractor for. We even started dreaming up kitchen options on some graph paper last night.

So what's the problem, you ask?

I'm not sure if I can even put it into words. The neighborhood is just lacking a little something -- an element of charm that starts with good, classic taste and adds adds a few decades of life. I've always envisioned my 30-year-old self jogging around a quaint little neighborhood full of eclectic architecture, huge, mature tress, and then stopping for a cool beverage at the local corner store. Now, the neighborhood in question is totally jog-able, which was high on my priority list. And it's not bad to look at. It's not exactly picturesque, but it does seem to be on the upswing, as far as updating the exteriors go. And it's safe, which isn't always the case in the more charming, but affordable, Birmingham areas.

I really cherished the time I spent off-campus in Auburn. I shared a drafty old house with four others girls, and it was awesome. We could walk to class, to eat dinner, to shop downtown, to get ice cream, to buy books, to go to the bars, -- to do basically anything you'd want or need to do. I guess I just so desire that kind of lifestyle again. I'm not even completely convinced that we can get all of that in Birmigham, but this house, as wise an investment as it may be, just seems so, so far from that dream.

In my head I know that we at least need to make an offer on this house. It's basically an offer we just shouldn't pass up. I even know that I would come to love and enjoy the house. And though we'll be paying out our lease until June, the market is just too prime to not take advantage of right now. Ahhh decisions, decisions ...

Thanks, Ron Chapple, for the lovely image.

Day 208

It's freezing here, and all I want to do is curl up in front of a fire and read a book.

Happy Weekend!

Day 206's blog crush

I realize it's basically counter-productive to send you to another blog, but, run, don't walk, over to Simply Breakfast: The Art of Breakfast and tell me you don't love it. It's so ... well, simple.

I'm feeling list-ish today, so here are my thoughts after scrolling through a few pages:

1. I should get up earlier. Instead of pop-tarts on a paper plate I could have this.
2. I need a new kitchen table. Mine wouldn't look as cool as her's (wow, am I 13 again??).
3. Is the February issue of Real Simple on the newsstand yet?
4. Where can I take a photography class?

**Update: check out her Etsy shop

Day 205's goofy cat

I'm sure none of you care, but I was going through the pictures from the weekend (more on that later) and found these. I was making dinner last week and Peepers the Cat was going crazy running around the house. We think he only likes to play when he has an audience, so he gets pretty wild when we come home in the evenings. Anyway, he was determined this night to explore the vast world behind the washing machine and water heater. Not so vast a space, as he found out.


His meows were pretty pathetic, but I must not have been too concerned, as I snapped quite a few pictures (what else am I going to take pictures of on a Wednesday night?).


Don't you worry, he's fine. And about 6 minutes after I rescued him from certain death, he was trying to figure out how to get back there again. Stupid cat.

Day 205's flirty finds

I don't really consider myself super-feminine. I like to decorate with blues and grays and dark finishes, and I love kind of manly pieces of clothing like well-tailored suits and navy peacoats. Which is why my affinity for most things ruffled is puzzling. I think this anthropologie shower curtain set it off. I need to just break down and buy it, even though my shower is curtained.


Pretty, but restrained, ruffles are appearing for spring, which makes me quite happy. A graphic print and ruffles? Yes please.


I know that Wes will never, ever ever go for this, but I'm attracted to it, nonetheless. Maybe in 40 years for grandma-me.

Day 201's trip

We're headed to the north Georgia mountains to spend the long weekend with some pals, hot chocolate and hopefully, some SNOW. The threat of a winter storm has the entire southeast waiting in anxious anticipation for some of that lovely white stuff. Or maybe that's just me. In any case, road condition permitting, we might even make a quick trip to North Carolina and do a little skiing. I'm so excited I bought some Under Armour on my lunch break! Not that I've ever had my feet in a pair of ski boots ...it should be interesting, to say the least!

Happy Weekend, hopeful snow bunnies!

Day 200's knock-off

Look familiar?


It's not Kelly Wearstler, but it is $39.95.

Day 197's exciting/scary prospect

Wes and I have a bonafide appointment with a realtor to look at a house this evening, and I'm already sweating about mortgage payments. I mean, we still have 5 months on our lease so this is really just to start testing the waters, but still.

The house is about three blocks from our apartment (which rocks because we love our 'hood) so I noticed a "open Sunday" sign on a drive-by last week. We made a appearance yesterday, but the sign must be old, because it was definitely not open. We walked around - it has a really charming little back patio, though the rest of the yard could use some work - and were pretty pleased with what we could see. It's definitely a fixer-upper (hooray!), but the price reflects that, and we can't really afford our dream house at this point (pictured above ...sigh ...).

It's all very exciting, and very scary at the same time!