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Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. We sure did. I am still semi on vacation but have spent a LOT of time this week on my new website and shop. I feel like I’ve been talking about it forever….and it is finally getting to the stage where we are loading products and testing…..nearly there.
As I am pouring over catalogs and finding just the right items to feature in the new retail shop, thought I’d share a fun little lamp that has made the cut.
Fun….Brass….Lucite
Do you like it?
UPDATE: The Bird Lamp will be in my shop and is $472.50 with free shipping. If you are interested in ordering before the store is live let me know and I am happy to send an invoice.
Our guests start arriving tonight and by Saturday there will be nine of us together through the holiday. I am so excited to have my family here and while the house will be packed and chaotic, I couldn’t be happier. And, I doubt anyone will care that there are still presents to be wrapped and last minute presents to pick up. I am going to enjoy this time with my family (which will no doubt be bittersweet and hard with the massive absence of my mom who was the conductor of all family events. She left big shoes that will certainly never be filled).
So, I leave you with another little sneak peek from our house. Still needs work….but the framed intaglios arrived and I love them. Slowly but surely around here!
I wish you and your family a beautiful holiday.
I’ll be back next week after Christmas.
xoxoxo, Susie
I hesitate to show a completely unfinished room…..no accessories, chairs that still need recovering and more art to hang. But, the room has changed so much I cannot help smiling when I walk in there. Do you remember the room pre-remodel……I cringe.
Really, the only things we did to this room during the remodel were to remove the old built-ins and widen the openings to both the foyer (seen below) and the family room (centering them on the walls in the process).
Adding more french doors was in the plan at one point but ultimately lost out due to budget constraints. In reality, just lightening the paint, refinishing the floors and changing furniture made a huge difference.
I had my previous sofa recovered in a great Schumacher linen blend that has a hint of sheen. My favorite local upholsterer then built one to match. The drapes are Manual Canovas, a custom diamond sisal from the same mill that does them for Stark (something I’ve learned saves a lot of money—contact my buying service if you want more info), and my favorite part of the room, my painting by Kate Long Stevenson. I cannot tell you how much I love this painting.
I had found the perfect lilac wool herringbone fabric for the two Niermann Weeks chairs in the foreground (that I scored from a sample sale before we moved to Dallas) but it has now been discontinued. So, finding the right fabric will have to wait until after the holidays. Fortunately, I think Holland and Sherry has something similar. Finally, I have two huge mirrors on order for over the chests flanking the fireplace. I loved the lines of Oly’s sun mirror but the dimensions were off and I didn’t want the sun. So, I am having a pair custom made to work in our space.
In all, I am loving the space. It’s kid friendly, comfy and totally fits the style of our family. I’ll be sure to share professional photos once the room is “done.” Whatever that means. Anyone else like me? Scrambling to make things presentable before the holiday’s are upon us?
Have a great day.
Sorry I’ve been so absent. I have been racing around like a mad woman trying to get the house in order for our holiday guests, parties at the kids schools, adult holiday parties, holiday activities with the kids, lots of orders at Maddie G, continued work on my new website, etc. Plus, I have been sick since Wednesday and have officially lost my voice completely (kinda think the kids and husband are enjoying this….as I cannot tell them what to do!)
I’ve enjoyed a teeny bit of downtime this weekend….not wanting to turn on live TV this weekend with the kiddos around…..Maddie and I snuggled watching taped episodes of Ina Garten and Giada. (I even found Maddie watching an episode when I was off doing something else).
But, given what’s been going on in the world and the tragedy faced by those in CT, I feel more grateful than ever that I have these mundane moments to share with my family. I cannot stop thinking about, and praying for, those who have been touched by this tragedy.
I only cooked twice last week as we had plans out the other nights. One meal was a tried-and-true and one is a definite repeater. First, we had a cold spell early last week (today it was 75 here!) and I was craving some comfort food. I have been making Cooking Light’s Italian Meatloaf with Fresh Basil and Provolone for about 10 years now. I remember it being served at a cooking club I was in in DC way back and thinking….who the heck would serve meat loaf for a cooking club. But, this meatloaf is so easy and so delish. Sun-dried tomatoes (which I buy julienned so I don’t have to soak and cut per the recipe), smoked provolone and fresh basil make this such a great meatloaf. I serve it with mashed potatoes, peas, gravy and rolls. Also, I should note that we don’t even finish 1/2 of this so I freeze 1/2 of it for another meal when I am in a pinch. (If you don’t have a foodsaver….I recommend one….I think my husband about had a heart attack when I asked for one for my birthday a few years ago…..but we love it!)
The other meal I made was Ina Garten’s Winter Minestrone. This was pretty easy to make, very filling and tasted even better for lunches later in the week! It was good for the kids too because it was thick…..so I could just give them less broth to contain the mess! I served with crusty bread and parmesan.
image via moi
This week will be a crazy one with family streaming in Thursday, Friday and Saturday. My stepsons are visiting from Australia and we are looking forward to it. The kids love their big brothers and the eldest’s girlfriend, Natalie. So, please excuse me the next couple of weeks if my posting is sporadic (what’s new, right?) If I can get some good photos I’ll try to share some new additions around our house….the hard press has been on to get furniture, rugs and accessories in place before everyone arrives. And then in the new year…..I am so excited to share my new website with you.
Good luck to you all this week as you finish preparing for the holidays!
One of the homes on our holiday home tour last week was the home of designer Tish Key and her family. Tish is a well known designer from San Francisco who has recently moved to Dallas. Judging from the buzz I heard surrounding her house…..she’ll be a household name in Dallas soon!
photo credit, Rusty Reniers
photo credit, Rusty Reniers
photo credit, Rusty Reniers
photo credit, Kathryn Macdonald
What do you think?
