Sorry it has taken me half the day to get a post up today, it is a bit crazy around here at the moment.  If you have time, please pop over to Tonia’s blog “Chic Modern Vintage” where I am guest blogging today about my mom’s collection of vintage birdhouses.

I discovered Tonia’s great blog earlier this summer and am excited to have found such a delightful blogger hailing from my soon to be new home of Dallas.  I am looking forward to meeting her in person soon.

And, while you are here, do not forget to enter my little giveaway…..I’ll draw Wednesday evening.

Yesterday afternoon, I got a fabric idea into my head for my son’s nursery project and spent a while looking for fabric in the right pattern and colorway (I’ll share my inspiration soon).  In the meantime, I stumbled across the site “Spoonflower.”  Has anyone heard of it?

Spoonflower reportedly makes it possible for individuals to design, print and sell their own fabric designs.  It seems like it is almost an etsy for fabric designers.  According to their website, the Spoonflower community now numbers around 70,000 individuals who use their own fabric to make curtains, quilts, clothes, bags, furniture, dolls, pillows, framed artwork, costumes, banners and much, much more. The Spoonflower marketplace offers the largest collection of independent fabric designers in the world.

Here are just a handful of fabrics for sale on the site.

The site offers six fabric weight options, ranging from quilting to upholstery weight.  You can order fabric weight swatches for a nominal fee.  You can also order a swatch of your fabric design (or the one you plan to buy) before you commit!  And finally, if you are going to be designing your own fabrics, you can purchase the color guide….so there is no worry about computer screen distortion. 

I have to admit I have not spent a ton of time on their site.  I’d like to understand how they (if they do) ensure people are not ripping off other designers’ work.  But, I’ve got to say, the site looks fun and the FAQs make it look like the average person who is not well versed in photoshop/illustrator, etc. can design their own fabrics.

If you have had experience with the site.  I’d love to hear about it.  I’ll be sure to share mine if I decide to take the plunge.

With summer entertaining and parties about upon us, my mind has thought about stocking up on hostess gifts.  A bottle of wine is always nice, but sometimes you want to arrive with something more original and lasting.  I love pretty tea towels and napkins and thought I would share a company I just stumbled upon this weekend, Ortolan Organic.

Owned by two sisters, this small company specializes in luxury textiles with a flair for beauty and simplicity.  Their designs are printed on woven, never dyed and never bleached, organic cotton.  Here are a few of my favorites from their line.

Bird Napkins (set of 4)

Double Embroidery Napkins (set of 4)

Waffle Weave Tea Towel (set of 2)

You can visit Ortolan’s website to see their full line which also includes pillows, t-shirts and bags.  It goes without saying that I receive no compensation from this post, nor any affiliation.  I just think their products look fun for elegant, yet casual entertaining and I plan to stock up to pair with that bottle of wine next time I am in need of a hostess gift.  What about you, what do you like to give as hostess gifts.  I am always looking for unique ideas.

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.

Hope everyone had a great weekend.  Ours was spent doing odds and ends around the house, meeting with a realtor, scouring school websites and real estate listings in Dallas and making endless lists of what needs to get done in the coming months.

We did manage to make it over to my parents’ last night for homemade ribs and some relaxation.  We also finally got skype and Maddie was able to skype with her Grandma, Aunt, Uncle and Cousin in Australia.  She is still talking about it this morning!

However, despite the busy weekend and too much to do…..my mind has turned to summer entertaining.  We’ll be here all summer most likely and love nothing more than spending our weekends out by the pool.  I spotted this idea in the current issue of Southern Living over at my mom’s yesterday.  I forgot to bring the magazine home but luckily found some similar images online to share.

Why not buy some plain/inexpensive barware and paint a section with chalkboard paint so that glasses will not get mixed up.  An alternative to the wine charm….

image via Pier 1 Imports

image via here

So, despite the low priority making these would be in the grand scheme of things (you should have seen the look on my husband’s face when I came home from Michael’s and the nursery yesterday with the makings for moss and seed balls) I think I am going to give it a try next weekend.  Maddie’s obsessed with sidewalk chalk at the moment and would probably have some fun with these….buying the adults a little extra time to chat amongst themselves!

If you do not feel like making your own, I’ve seen them available at Pier 1 and Etsy.  A google search indicated they used to have them at World Market….so that may be in an option as well.  I am thinking a nice mojito with crushed strawberry would look perfect in one of these numbers.  Or, in my case at the moment, a nice glass of lemonade!

Hope you have a great week.

My husband loves wine.  He is constantly lobbying for a wine cellar and I joke that there is no point, because wine doesn’t stick around in our house too long.  The local wine shops know him as the Aussie who is always looking for some obscure Australian vintage.  It is his retirement dream to buy property and grow his own grapes and craft his own wines someday.  A hobby that would be a labor of love.

A community college not far from us runs classes on viticulture and enology at the local Virginia wineries.  For Christmas, I registered him for a class on Vineyard Management.  He’ll get his own row of vines to tend to throughout the class (which runs on various weekends).  I hope he enjoys getting out and exploring his hobby.

image via Chalk Hill

As I am couped up inside working today, I find myself dreaming of one of my favorite spots in Napa Valley.  As much as I love Virginia, I sure wish I were here at the moment.

image from Auberge du Soleil

I really hope to be back to regular posting soon.  I am working on updates to my site and they seem to take quite a bit of time.  But, I have lots to share.  My dining room is almost complete, the rug arrived this morning  and I love it.  The chandelier is due in this afternoon and, fingers crossed no issues, the electricians will be here in the morning to install it.  A few more touches and this room will finally be done.  I can hardly wait.  Have a great afternoon. 

It has been a long and busy week here at Maddie G Designs.  I am so thankful it is the weekend and that we’ve likely escaped the snow here in DC (although the howling winds outside are slightly disturbing).

If the world were perfect I’d be curled up on one of these chairs watching golfers play past, with a good book and a glass of lemonade (or wine if the hour was acceptable).

Ah, how I long for spring!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Recently I was reading the blog of a high school classmate.  She runs a successful paper goods shop in Houston, LLH Designs,  and does amazing work.  Anyway, she recently went to the Urban Market antiques show and noticed that many of the women were wearing cute rain boots, apparently this is a new trend at least in Houston?

Yesterday, while wearing my MK zebra print flats to check the mail, I may have looked cute but I probably looked more stupid as I slipped on the pile of snow still impeding the entrance to our mailbox.  So, with up to three inches of white stuff predicted for today and tomorrow, I thought I would consider getting some more appropriate footwear for errands and romping in the yard with my daughter.   It will be months before our ground is dry, for sure!

I haven’t seen much of this phenomenon around the DC area.  Hmmm, I wonder if I will get some looks if I am wearing them.  In any case, here is a roundup of some of my favorites.

From Left to Right: Chloe via Zappos, Garnet Hill, Burberry via Nieman Marcus, Celine via Bluefly, Hunter via Nieman Marcus, Liberty of London for Target via Real Simple Blog.

And, last but not least, Nieman Marcus has thought of it all…..socks to go under your rain boots. 

Welly Socks via Nieman Marcus

So, what do you think?  Has this trend hit your city yet?  I am still trying to figure out how I would drive in them.  But, I suppose if this is my biggest problem at the moment, I am one lucky girl!  Have a great day and I promise to be back tomorrow with something a little more design related!