We are not Irish

We are not Irish. This, however, is what I woke up to... 

Oh yeah, my kids are determined to catch this... 

A creepy cute red headed guy that clicks his heels a lot and lives to be 300. Did I mention that when we trap him, he is going to live with us and we are to raise him as one of our children? (I have no idea where they get this stuff). These traps were quite elaborate.

 This one is decorated (evidently for a girl leprechaun). Yes, it's decorated, right down to the bedding and wool rug. Oh dear, I'm afraid the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Please note: I had nothing to do with this. You can imagine my surprise when I got home last night from a birthday party to find this set up with a video camera to "catch" the little green imp. Try finding a leprechaun at 11 pm on a Friday night. To make up for the fact that we are not the proud parents of a little green person, I made a St. Patrick's Day treat for breakfast. 

....Green pancakes with rainbow sprinkles and green syrup. I could get used to this Irish thing.Happy St. Patrick's Day!


bye bye birdie...
~H

Famous American Day...

Yesterday was Famous American Day at Molly's school. All the first graders pick a famous American to study (past or present) and then  dress up and go on a school wide parade. My water baby  picked Bethany Hamilton. We made a surf board and dressed her in a wetsuit and explained it was ok that she had 2 arms because she isn't really Bethany Hamilton. But, Molly had other plans...so after I left her classroom and joined the  paparazzi (aka parents) lining the sidewalk waiting for the parade to begin, Molly had her teacher unzip her wetsuit and tuck her arm inside...

So as Ronald Reagan, Dolly Madison, and Martin Luther King Jr. passed I see Molly Bringing up the rear with a missing limb! I gasped, laughed and explained to the small terrified child beside me that Molly does infact still have both arms.

Happy Thursday...

Bye,bye Birdie,

~A

Flea Finds

Yesterday, I needed a pick me up. Sounds expensive huh? Not if you stumble upon a great little flea market! I visited Trash to Treasure Flea Market in Castle Hayne and will definitely go back. I went on a hunt for some bedside tables for a client and sadly didn't have any luck, but...

 And then there were 2! I bought the pair for $90 and am thinking about putting them on my porch. 

I could use them as side tables or put them together and use them as a coffee table? Should I paint them? They are iron and super cool. Let me know, I'd love your input. 

 I couldn't resist this Henredon faux bamboo mirror. Imagine it glossy white or a bright color...

Here is the same mirror at Circa Who, it sold for much more than I paid for mine! Plus, when I look at it, I see an "H" -- like it's calling my name. Maybe I should keep this too? 

I loved him, but he didn't make it home. A little too pricey at $250, but isn't he cool? He would be pretty under a console or in front of a fireplace. He is carved wood with a great patina.  And last, but certainly not least, one of my fave fabrics (retails for $42) is at Fabric Solutions, my favorite bargain fabric store.

  Pictured in the center, it is $7.99 a yard. Dwell Studio "gate" fabric is a steal and even prettier in person. 

Remember this wingback from Studio 123 in Raleigh? See here. Oh, the possibilities... Have a wonderful retail therapy filled day...
Bye bye birdie,
~H


credit to: Studio 123, Circa Who,   

The Highs of Lowe's

We are on a first name basis with the peeps at Lowes. I'm telling you, I could have a tool belt (it might be bedazzled, but still).Ann's dream job is to work at the paint counter.It's my favorite place to be early in the morning or late at night. The other morning with my first cup of coffee, I browsed the aisles looking for inspiration. Boy did I find it. 

Loving this for a playroom or kitchen wall. Plus, I'm a sucker for cute packaging. 

 Don't you just love the Edison bulb? This Allen and Roth pendant is perfect for an island or even a bathroom. I would love to hang a couple over my bathroom sinks. See here.

 This bronze axel chandelier is $164!!! 

This one from Currey and Company is $1170.  

This pretty mirror could hold it's own or create a killer wall design if you hung a bunch of them together. It's around $60 bucks.  

This one sold out quickly on One King's Lane for $499, but retails for $1200.

Jewelry for your floor. That's what this grate is when you replace your air vent with this beauty. My client just put this in a living room I finished. Great find! See the room here. 

 This wall paper is pretty great and would look killer just about anywhere. I love it in a bookcase like this one...

Obviously, the shot above is Imperial Trellis by KWID but the wallpaper from Lowe's would make a nice backdrop for some bright accessories.

 I'm putting these in an office I'm working on. Not bad for a flush mount!

This one eventually ended up in a dining room Ann worked on. See here.

It is organic and retro all at the same time and is much cheaper than the Currey and Company one...

Don't get me wrong, I adore Currey and Co. It's one of my sources for lighting, but let's face it, the budget doesn't always allow for it. Good to know, there are some great priced options out there...and at Lowe's Home Improvement. What about you? Are you a Lowe's shopper or a Home Depot kind of girl. 


For even more inspiration, visit Lowes Creative Ideas Blog for DIY weekend projects and tons of great inspiration from our favorite store.

Bye bye birdie,
~A&H


credit to Lowes.com, Joss and Main, Currey and Company

A little chair help...please...

Look what I got! I know, I know, super traditional and not what you'd expect from me BUT I love it and my other pieces are going to accept it into our home with open arms.....

Its going in this room at the end where the little desk is now...

I have my Grandmother's chair there but I am thinking I need something else. It would all be very traditional if her chair stayed. (probably a little too much for me...)

So.... help! What do you like?

I love these honeycomb ghost chairs! I think one of these bad boys would look great...

 I could stay traditional and do this ghost chair? When I say traditional, I mean shape... though I am now considering lucite a classic...

 Another option would be to simply slipcover the chair I have in a pretty linen...

The secretary is tall and narrow... I might need some height...

OR... I might need a stool... this is my fave! And it was available on Overstock...holla! It's still available...in black. BOO! I want clear... The search begins..

What do you think? honeycomb, ghost chair, slipcover or stool? Help a sista out...please...

Bye, bye Birdie,

~A

credit: Southern Living, Overstock

I throw my hands up in the air sometimes...

Sayin' ayo, gotta let go....

How was your weekend? There is not a coffee bean in the world strong enough to get me functioning at a normal pace this Monday morning.... Saturday, we had 5 girls spend the night for Lindley's 9th birthday (2 weeks late... details, details...).

Anyhoo...

The birthday girl had a blast....

celebrating with her besties....

(Graham and Lindley representin')

Somehow, Jeff made it upstairs and to bed (after whipping his hair back and forth) while I danced the night away and finally crashed on the sofa watching Princess Protection Program...

Word has it, the girls partied til 1 a.m. and were up at 6:15 asking for breakfast (that part I remember!)

 I am tired. My body doesn't do that anymore- party or sleep on sofas. I like my pillow, my bed and my 10 p.m. on the weekends bed time. So, if you see me today... set the bar low.

Happy Monday!

Bye,bye Birdie,

~A

Big Girl Room

 Ann and I recently worked on a little girl's room together. I told Ann I would "help" again if she painted the wall. While she painted, I shopped and shopped and showed up at the end to help touch up and then oops, forgot I had to meet the bus. This is typically how we roll. Check out her amazing wall and this bright, eclectic room.

I love the bright pops of color. It looks like the we did the room around the rug, but I found it at the end of the day. Isn't it great?

 Ann's wall looks amazing (as always) and I love the yellow chair she talked me into getting via text. 

 Pier 1 has the most beautiful throws that look handmade. Check them out!

The walls are Beach Glass (Benjamin Moore). It almost reads as a neutral gray with a lot of depth which makes all of the colors pop. Did I mention the client is 7? When I showed it to her, I asked her if she liked it. She said: Like it?? I LOVE it! Our work here is done.


Bye bye birdie,
~A&H

Spring is here!

Spring has arrived (at my house anyway). To prepare, I have been doing a little Spring cleaning. Disclaimer: What you are about to see will (at first) be very annoying (in a good way) and make you feel like you must either:
1. Be incredibly unorganized or 
2. Convince you that I have some type of disorder. 

 I blame everything on Martha Stewart. She started this whole damn thing. I stumbled across her (very affordable) selection of labels at Staples while buying some computer paper. 8,000 chalkboard labels later and every glass jar at Homegoods, I tackled my pantry. 

It's so pretty, I have stopped feeding my kids (just kidding). Can you stand it? I thought I was done until I came across a pic of chalkboard painted pantry doors on Pinterest. Of course, I need this. In the photo, the pantry goddess writes grocery lists and menus on her pantry doors. I can't write menus because I don't know what we are having until about 12 minutes before my husband walks through the door, so that's out. I am writing the grocery list on them for now. It works great. I get to the store and can't remember what I wrote so I just buy whatever looks good. My kids have started writing messages to me. Like: Buy candy. Still it's cool. 
Speaking of Spring... my house (on the exterior) was starting to look haunted with all of the dead plants, leaves and spiky dead things coming out of my planters so... 

Ann reminded me that they might freeze and it isn't really Spring. I'm sure I will bring them in when it's too cold out. In the meantime, I'm in denial and must go so I can address my disorders.
Bye bye birdie,
~H

A Blog Chain

Our blog friend, Kathy, from My Interior Life, tagged us in a blog chain. Kathy's blog is a great read and we adore her because she always leaves us comments. Thanks Kathy! We hate chain letters, chain recipes, you name it, but since this didn't promise bad luck -- just fun, we went for it. We decided to answer the questions separately because we are sure our answers will be totally different.


To the blogs we tag for the chain, don't break it and follow the rules:

RULES

1. You must post the rules!

2. Answer the 11 questions the tagger posted for you and then create 11 new questions to ask the people you’ve tagged.

3. Tag 11 people and link them in your post.

4. Let them know you’ve tagged them.

Kathy's questions to us:

1. Do you blog daily? Why or why not?

Hooper: I wish. Not enough time in the day. I love to blog and curl up and read other's blogs, but I'm lucky if we can get 3 in a week. Maybe it's the kids, maybe it's work or maybe I'm just unorganized. I so wish I could
Ann: Not daily, I love to blog when inspired our fired up about something I've seen, read or done.

2. Is blogging your day job, just a hobby or an off-shoot of your "real" job (which is what)? 

Hooper: Blogging is an off-shoot of my "real" job. I feel so lucky to be able to decorate people's homes. Blogging keeps me current and updated on trends, but also allows me to showcase my work and friend other bloggers, learn from them and grow as a designer. 

Ann: Def. an offshoot of my real job. I love to blog about things I've seen that I haven't done or used yet.

3. If you could pick one room in your house to have decorated by a famous designer, which room would you choose and why?

Hooper: My outdoor space. I have spent so much time working on the inside, I have neglected the outside. 

Ann: my bedroom.... this is the first room you should pay attention to. Your sanctuary but for me its always the last...

4. Which famous decorator would you choose to re-do your room (#3) and why? 
Hooper: That's tough. I love Amanda Nisbet. She wouldn't remember me, but I used to babysit for her when I graduated from college and lived in New York. I didn't know I was interested in design at the time, but remember loving her apartment and could (to this day) tell you all about it. Not in a weird stalker way, but because I was so inspired. She had wall to wall leopard carpet in the nineties. I knew then, she was a genius because her young children would never be able to destroy it. Genius.

Ann: Miles Redd- so different from what I could do but I love how closely he pays attention to art and it is obviously an important component to him in a room! 5. What are your favorite type of posts to write (DIY, sharing new finds, inspiration pics, etc.)?


5. What are your favorite type of posts to write (DIY, sharing new finds, inspiration pics, etc.)?

Hooper: Not DIY, that's Ann. I can't paint, glue, staple or anything of the sort. I wish I could.  I like to write before and after posts about recently done rooms or new finds -- I love a deal and love to share it on my blog. 

Ann: I love junk shop post, finding the old and seeing the beauty within. One of my fave projects was bringing my thrift store artichoke lamp back to life!


6. What have you learned/what have you gained from blogging?

Hooper: I have learned so much from other bloggers, but it has also helped my design business. It is a evolving portfolio and I'm thrilled people like to read it. My husband is convinced that Ann and I are the only one's that read our blog, but I'm telling you, traffic is picking up!

Ann:I love seeing others creativity and I love being able to share my passions. I have learned others like when we share our passions too!


7.  For someone just starting out in the blogging world, what advice would you give?

Hooper: Write about what you love -- don't write about what you think people want to read about. Just express yourself and don't take it too seriously.

Ann:Don't stress... blogging should be fun.


8. What is your biggest decorating pet peeve?

Hooper: Ann would say fake flowers. I'm going to have to say karate chopped pillows,

Ann:Hooper's right...karate chopped pillows are a close second.


9. What is a little-known fact about you that your readers would be surprised to learn?

Hooper: I have a gluten allergy and my real hair color is dark brown (mousey brown).

Ann: I was to scared to take painting classes in art school so I never did... (wish I had)


10. Who do you most admire in the blogging world and why?

Hooper: Sissy from My Blue Hydrangea is a friend of ours. She told me about her blog one day and I was hooked. She is the one that turned me onto the whole blog world and convinced me to start a blog. I don't know that I would have done it otherwise. Oh yeah, and also Ann. She is a great blog partner:)

Ann:Love Sissy! Love her blog... def always inspiring. And Hoop- she too is a great blog partner!

11. What is a trend you still love (even if it's overdone, you just can't help yourself)?

Hooper: Geometrics and zebra. Love it, can't get enough.
Ann: Lucite... I consider it timeless.

Thanks so much Kathy for thinking of us. Now it's time for us to tag our favorite reads:

LIST THEM:

Flourish Design + Style
Coco + Kelley

The Newlywed Diaries

Absolutely Beautiful Things

Apples & Rubies

Gramercy

Chattafabulous

Chinoiserie Chic

Made By Girl

Matters of Style

Pagoda Press

Now fellow chain bloggers: Here are your 11 different questions:

1. If your house was on fire (depressing I know), and you got your loved ones and pets, and sentimental stuff to safety (slow fire), what one piece would you take with you?

2. What is your favorite paint color?

3. What is the most favorite post you have ever read on someone else's blog (we won't get mad if it's not ours).

4. What made you want to start blogging? 

5. How often do you post and why?

6. Do you find, when reading other blogs, that you prefer to see the work they have done or inspiration photos?

7. Do you write the post the night before or do you write them in advance of when you plan to post them?
8. What "hot item" out there are you most drawn to at the moment? It can be a color, piece of furniture, style...
9. What is the biggest design dilemma you have ever encountered?
10. Anyone want to guest blog?

Check out these sites -- you will be inspired!

Happy Monday...

Bye bye birdie,

~A&H

A Chinoiserie Before and After

The room I have been telling you about is finally finished! As much as I adore color and fun wallpaper, I absolutely love a client who totally trusts me and is willing to take risks. This client did just that! I'm starting with the "after" picture because when I showed it to my husband, he thought I had done the before ( hand-me-down pink chairs and floral sofa). 
Needless to say, it will all make sense if you read on...
Here is the BIG REVEAL...

This is what it looked like BEFORE...

I opted for a new sofa and coffee table, but kept the rest of her pieces. See the lamp in the far right corner? He was my inspiration for the room. 

 She got a pair of them as a wedding gift and we instantly hit it off:
Dear cute Chinese man, you helped me design one of my favorite rooms. I know you will feel right at home here. 

 The wallpaper is "Summer Palace" by Osborne & Little. It's divine in person.

 The secretary was moved to the wall opposite the sofa and we added two new chairs on either side, plus a cool gold sconce I stole from a friend's garage.

I love the detail. I added a little zebra (I'm thinking it should be my trademark??)

 The coffee table is an Indonesian bed. I just loved the color and the woven top. It adds another texture to the room (bonus: it can hold a small person). 

The Kensington goose neck chairs got a total make over with a Vervain fabric I found as a remnant (SCORE!). 

I love how they turned out. They are much prettier with a pattern that plays off of the curves of the chair (an improvement on the solid rose fabric).

I mixed in custom pillows with store-bought. Can you guess which one came from World Market? 

 Accessorizing was easy with her pretty things and silver tea service. 

 I added cobalt blue silk to the base of graphite gray draperies to add a punch to the windows. 

I loved her silver pheasants, so I place them front and center. 

 Look how the wallpaper just glows when the lamps are on. So pretty. I've saved my best find for last. Yes, my friends, this bamboo mirror was the SCORE of a lifetime.

I found it (because I am evidently very lucky) and because I scour Craig's List daily. Met the guy in the Panera parking lot to load it into my car, and paid full price...A whopping $225! It is solid wood and weighs as much as my 8 year old, but truly makes the space (with the wallpaper of course). 

Oh yeah, and it was already this color. 

(I couldn't make this stuff up, plus it annoys Ann so it's fun to blog about my luck).

So what do you think? Please tell me, I'd love to hear. A little wallpaper goes a long way, don't ya' think? Oh how I love a makeover...

Bye bye birdie,
~H

P.S. The World Market pillow is the one in the center.