Not a lot of words today, enjoying the last day of vacation with my wonderful family.  But, I stumbled across this image and it instantly made me smile.  This Hamptons cottage was designed by the homeowner, Leslie Klotz.

photo by Laura Resen for House Beautiful

Wow, love the Louis XVI-style chairs with the yellow leather with coral printed backs.  And, the seahorses….brilliant.  If I had a beach home…..this would be at the top of my inspiration files.  The design is so far from my typical style….but I love everything about this cheerful space!

Enjoy the tail end of the long weekend!

My family and I just spent the last week in glorious South Florida.  The resort where we stayed holds special meaning to us, as my parents were beach club members when I was young and I learned to swim here.  The pool I learned in is long gone but the memories remain (along with many new ones).

This was the view off our balcony early this morning.

We have family nearby and spent the first weekend of the trip with my parents and sister down here with us, with family visiting and lots of catching up.

During the week, my husband and I had fun playing with Maddie who loved the beach and made new friends in the pool.  I may share more photos this weekend if I can find any where I am not in a maternity bathing suit!!!!

Now we have the long weekend to get back into the swing of things at home.  As much as I love vacation, getting home always feels great!  No matter what your plans are this holiday weekend, I hope they are safe and happy.

Sorry for the lack of posts this week….I’ve taken the week off and have really been enjoying hanging out with my family.  It’s been the perfect recharge we all needed with everything going on on our world.

But, in advance of Memorial Day weekend, the harbinger of Summer days, I thought I would do a quick post about a new line of Hawaiian print fabrics due out in July.

Suburban Home (a division of Duralee Fabrics) has licensed a number of prints from Alfred Shaheen, the pioneer in the chic Hawaiian print movement of the 1950′s and 60′s.  Here is a sneak peak.

I am excited to see the full line when it is available in a month or so….  To me, nothing says summer better than a good Hawaiian print!

I have recently been working on organizing my office.  One of these organization projects has been to sift through my stacks and stacks of shelter magazines….getting them organized and put away.  Of course, being the addict I am I’ve had to leaf through them as I go along, making the project take much longer than it needs to take.

The below image is from Beautiful Homes Magazine, Winter 2007.  I love the simplicity of this room.  And, I especially love the cane backed chairs.

Photo by David Cro

The chair is the Beaufort Chair by Hickory Chair.  The chair cushion is “Carlton Velvet” by Robert Allen.  This 100% cotton velvet is available in 57 colorways.  The back cushion is “Candlewood” by Stout Brothers & Co. and is available in four colorways.

I now have these chairs on my list of potentials for our family room.  We have a large sectional and these would be a nice way to break up the upholstery and give some variety.

For information on any of these products, feel free to contact me.

A couple of weeks ago an email arrived in my inbox letting me know of the availability of William Yeoward’s new Aranjasa Weaves for Designer’s Guild.  In the words of Mr. Yeoward:

Below are a few images of the fabrics in use.  First, the “Barcelona” pattern is a linen blend that comes in nine colorways.

The striped fabric is the “Esporles” pattern, available in three colorways.  Incidentally, the floral type pattern is also a William Yeoward fabric from the “Ranakpur” Collection. 

Next, and perhaps my favorite of this collection, is the “Manacor” design, available in four colorways.  For some reason it reminds me of the feed bag look that is so popular at the moment, but it looks soft and comfortable at the same time.

The cotton/wool blend “Aranjasa” pattern is available in two colorways….looks to be a workhorse of a fabric….perfect for an active household.

I really like this “Loretta” design as well.  Available in two colorways, it almost gives off a Ralph Lauren vibe.

You can see the full line of William Yeoward Aranjasa fabric for Designer’s Guild (along with material composition, colorways and pattern size/repeats) here.  What do you think?  I quite like this line.  I like the organic feel and I could envision these fabrics making their way into a comfortable home suitable for everyday living.  I’d love to hear what you think.

In the meantime, have a great weekend!

Ok, I am not going to lie….before I started getting into design blogs, I barely knew what a “Foo Dog” was.  A quick google search clued me in to the fact that they are said to be Buddha’s guardians in ancient Chinese folklore.  And now, of course, I see them everywhere and they’ve grown on me! 

I’ll do a proper post on these little guys when I have more time to research…..  But, I wanted to share an image from the June 2010 House Beautiful that caught my eye.  This home was designed by Jean Larette.

photo by Reed Davis

I love this lamp….and had to find the source.  Of course, the sources in the magazine led me to a shop with no online inventory.  But, a quick google search led me to this lamp at several different online retailers.  Of course, a little more sleuthing and I had found the source…..these lamps (which are sold in a pair) are by Barbara Cosgrove.

Note how there is a distinct “left” and a “right” of this pair.  I am thinking these would look perfect as lamps on our bedside tables.   Our current ones are dinky and off scale….these have the weight we are missing.  So, a quick couple of emails with this company and my account was established.  Cannot wait to order my new lamps….and can only hope the husband shares my appreciation!

PS–The dresser in the House Beautiful image above is from Victoria Hagan Home…..I could do another post on this piece….love it!