Happy Birthday Hutson and Flanner!

5 years ago today, we were blessed with two healthy baby boys. Today, they are all grown up, talking a mile a minute (mainly potty talk), wrestling, climbing everything that will stay still, getting ready for Kindergarten and bringing us more joy than we ever imagined. 
Happy 5th Birthday Hutson and Flanner! We love you so much!

Time Flies...

Nursery Part 2, It's done!

Remember this nursery? It is for my precious niece. We have some more pictures of the rest of the room and thought you might want to take a look at the finished product.... Ann worked her magic with this mural and played off of the rug.

This wool rug grounds the space and looks great on the heart pine floors.

        The bright colors really pop against the white walls.

  I'm loving this glam dresser with glass knobs with mirrored top.

 The mix and match bedding really works with the DIY headboard and is perfect for when I come and visit~

She kept her Caden Lane bedding from her other children and it really works. 

The fabric on shams has a vintage vibe which plays off of the more modern lines of the furniture.

We hung a Moroccan lamp over the rocker and ottoman (a killer Homegoods find).

It's all ready for baby girl's arrival. I can hardly wait!
Bye bye birdie...
~A&H

Yall been flippin'...?

Have yall been flippin' through your most recent West Elm? I mean hellooo? Is it just me our is this great little modern take on home furnishings catalog really getting good? I remember them from long ago with flimsy pages and some ok stuff every now and then but now I toss their parent company catalog aside and pour through the pages. Maybe I am just trendy ... I don't think so, I think W.E. has got something good going on.

like this... way good... and going on...

this speaks to the artsy intellectual (did I spell that right?) side of my brain...

This just speaks to the artsy side! You are good enough, you're smart enough, and ...

no more zig zag pillows please, but rugs?... STILL YES!!!!

no more owls? maybe... but I still want this one...

You had me at cowhide... yes, cowhide frames. I'll take all 3 for my birthday... in October... don't forget!... please...

Windsor + modern = LOVE...

Thank you West Elm for keeping me on your mailing list even though it's been a long time since this girl made a purchase. I do have a long wish list (just not a lot of cash in the pocket).

Happy Flippin'!

Bye, bye Birdie,

~A & H

credit to: West Elm

Diary of a College Weekend

There were eight of us that lived together in college (I'll spare you the college images), but we have all stayed in touch over the years and get together for girls' weekends as often as possible. This past weekend topped them all! My dear friend Allison (and old roomie) got married in Palmetto Bluff in Bluffton, SC. The entire weekend blew me away. It was the most gorgeous setting and we loved being there to celebrate with the happy couple. And boy did we celebrate. I have tried to make this funny, but I'm too tired and frankly, was funny all weekend, so I'm kinda funnied  out. At any rate... 

She got married at the Palmetto Bluff Chapel yesterday morning. The wedding was intimate and perfect. Tons of hydrangeas and peonies. They said "I do" at 11:30 in the morning which meant, you guessed it, we had all day and night to celebrate. 

 Some of the guests stayed here in the Inn at Palmetto Bluff, others rented cottages. You MUST visit, it's like going back in time. In fact, we thought we were back in college.

 We lounged (passed out) in the afternoon by the salt water pool. 

 We had a delicious low-country dinner in this club house last night and danced until the wee hours. Check out the exposed beams and teak floors. The only color is from the outside surroundings and tons of oil paintings from local artists.

It's like Pleasantville, only with slightly crazier people. 

... Like my husband (left) and BFF's husband (who look like wax statues). Strange I know. They were practicing new poses we learned from the photographer. It was just too good to leave off the post (and they think they are hot). 

 Here we are. Still young and cute (in our minds). Glowing bride in white. Doesn't she look amazing! We are all certainly much more mature, wise and still 21 at heart.  

 Me and the bride. In my mind, my dress was a little more blousey...a little less wife-beater. I was cute, (I swear). That's it! Kids are asleep and I'm off to bed, it's 8:00. I slight reminder that I am no longer in college. Congratulations to Allison and Jim! Thank you so much for including us! We love you!

Bye bye birdie,

~H

 credit to: Palmetto Bluff, Advil

Get out of my bed....

I am writing this blog out of pure frustration. It is 4 a.m. and I should be  R.E.M.'n in my bed. I'm not.... I'm up, my back hurts from sleeping weird, I can only turn my neck slightly to the left and I'm hot. There's a 4 year old in there and she won't leave. She's starting to say things like "our room", and "our bed".

"Move her" -you say. I do... she comes back. She shares my pillow and wakes me with her hot little breath. Her toes fit perfectly between my ribs and I often get slapped in the face with a flying arm. She has a room...

not bad, right? Maybe if she had one of those beds with a tent and slide she'd stay in it...Maybe it's time for a room re-do...

hmmm... something a bit more sophisticated but still fun?....

Could she need something a little  more free to be you and me?

(or do I just need those floors...)

 Perhaps something with an international flare would keep her from relocating every night...

Will I ever sleep again? Will the dark circles go away? Will I always need 3 cups of coffee before its safe to make eye contact with other humans?

It's the third one that is causing my troubles (cute, eh?)

Your comments and suggestions are welcome...Join my mission- "Get the 4 year old out of the bed!"

(we have been known to bungee cord a door shut but that's another story for another day...)

Good night, or Good morning...

Bye, bye Birdie,

~A

credit to: Addie for my sleepless nights, Amanda Nilsbet, Jonathan Adler, Decor Pad

I drooled on my keyboard...

I drooled on my keyboard when I saw the most recent Lonnymag online... I am sure you all saw it but I have to play by play it for you anyway...

My house looks nothing like this one, but something about this look draws me in every time. The designer describes this house as casual luxe. hmmmm... I would describe my house as hand me down random! The designer also stresses good design uses lots of JUXTAPOSITION (that's Hooper and my word of the month) That would explain the Victorian lawn chair with the skull above it... but seriously, it does work!

I LOOOOVE the living room and the hanging bubble swing chair. Arc lamp, wallpaper, cool art randomly hung, tons of light... I'm packing my bags now!

So I did scratch my head over the kitchen a bit. I love the painted ceiling, the light and the yellow dishwasher. But practically speaking- I was not that into the fabric around the island. My kids would see that as a giant hand towel and wipe EVERYTHING on it. But on the flip side they would no longer use their shirts as napkins so we might have to sacrifice the island skirt to save the shirts. hmmm....

Ok, so for years I have wanted this Graham and Brown wallpaper. It has been in the Land of Nod catalog forever. I have always wanted to use it but never trusted that it would be cool up. Thought it had the potential to get trashed but I am really diggin it here. It is so fun and looks great with art and such displayed on top. So I am officially re-thinking this wallpaper. (not sure for where...)

So when I (virtually) turned the page to see this nursery I gasped. My mom's room growing up had this pattern on curtains. When we sold my Grandmothers house I took the curtains and have kept them hoping to do something with them. It's amazing as wallpaper. This nursery is so fun with all the modern elements surrounded by that vintage paper. (cute baby too...)

I saved my favorite for last... The old laundry cart bar and the trailing plates. My only concern is that bar has wheels and a lamp on it. We had an ottoman with wheels once... It was ridden and crashed into everything  imaginable. That lamp doesn't stand a chance...

So rush off now and check out Lonny... It never disappoints Happy Monday!

Bye, bye Birdie,

~A

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, Off to Disney We Go!

So tomorrow we leave for Disney World! My very generous in-laws are taking the entire family. Check out the shot of me above when I found out. Ok, so that's not really me. She looks a little awkward and I'm much more graceful than that, plus she isn't wearing yoga pants and is in a field which looks buggy, so... 

 At any rate, I can hardly contain myself. The last time I went to Disney they were building Epcot. I'm thinking it's changed a little... Plus, surely that wasn't that long ago. 

Oh wait, the kids... So they are excited too and are on their best behavior because I have Mickey on speed dial (seems to work better than Santa). I say things like... you must not want to go to Disney...why don't I call a sitter that can keep you while we are in Disney... and the kicker...if you feel too bad to go to school, you must feel too bad to go to Disney. 

I'm sure you are wondering what this all has to do with interior design (this is not a blog about bad parenting). Well, 

The Rug Market has taken a cue from the amazing drawings of Walt and created some killer rugs.

(This one is even outdoor!)

(This one is outdoor too!)

(Isn't this one incredible?) 

 The rugs reflect the vibrant colors, depth and pattern from the original Disney artwork...beautiful and not at all contrived. Check them out here. For those of you that have been to Disney (since they built Epcot), please send me your favorite stops and suggestions so I  er um the kids can have the time of their lives.


Bye bye birdie...
~H


credit to: The Rug Market, Walt Disney