Magnolia

'Tis the season for magnolias and I'm loving it. 

{Every once in a while my husband surprises me with one}

There's something about magnolia trees that is just completely Southern & romantic.  They transport you somewhere wlse.   (Unless that is, if you're already at a gorgeous Southern antebellum estate.}

(image from arborday.org}

According to wikipedia and the University of Florida's website, Magnolia trees are one of the most ancient trees we have today, with fossils dating back to 36-58 million years ago.  They were originally native to the Asias & the Americas (particularly the East Coast) and Europe, but the Ice Age destroyed the ancient European forests.  The American Southern Magnolia was  reintroduced in Europe in 1731 when it was discovered.  They became extremely popular and are now the most commonly planted shrub/ tree around the world.  

I wish I had a magnolia tree.  One day. 

{photo via landscapeplantsbycliff.com}

{Steel Magnolias: Shelby "got" magnolias...  she planned to float them in her pool at her "blush and bashful" themed wedding, although I don't quite remember ever seeing the pool at the wedding in the movie.}

When I have my hands on a magnolia bloom, I'm weird with it.  I literally just put my face in it & breathe it in.  For a long time.  It's "Heaven" as my 3 (almost 4!) year-old says because he's heard me say it so much. 

{I even have my husband take pictures of me holding them}

 I sleep with it mext to my bed and I can smell it all night long when I'm drifting in & out of sleep. 

They make me so happy and their smell just sort of makes stress melt away.  This past week was INSANITY.  Work has been really busy for both me & my husband, and we had to take Justin (our 18-month old) to the ER because his fever got so high & he was having mini seizures & vomitting.  (I didn't know that's what was going on, I thought he was having odd twitches as he was trying to sleep in my arms, and although that was scary, I'm so glad I didn't know they were seizures at the time.)  His fever has been up & down all weekend and my parents watched our 3 year-old for us.  During one of the down points Saturday evening when Justin was aleep & we thought he was all better, my husband surprised me with a magnolia bloom.  It hung out with us pretty much all night.  I literally fell asleep smelling it, and I woke up to a completely brown & crunched magnolia underneath of me in bed.   ah vell!  You only get them for a little while.

It was for all of these reasons that I wanted to create a magnolia - patterned textile.  The vibe of magnolias is such a free, casual & relaxed elegance and I wanted to make a fabric with that feeling.  It really fits with the setting around here.  (Virginia & DC are filled with magnolia trees.)  I worked with my super-talented my friend,  Kat Wright, who painted this beautiful painting in oil from my very junky sketches:

{Isn't she amazing!!?)}

It then became this on linen:

I played with the colors and created 4 other colorways, including china blue:   

I'm working out the final kinks in pricing, fabrics, etc. and am hoping to have the fabrics available to sell in my online store July 15th.  Like I've mentioned before, creating high-quality textiles on linen in small runs is much more expensive than I'd originally guessed it would be.  Prices will be around $90- $115/ yard for linen and I'm looking into cotton options. 

Here's a peek at the banner for the new online store:

I hope you had a great weekend & if you have a chance, find a magnolia:

My husband's taking Justin to the doctor today so fingers crossed for my little Tootaline.

Also, my friend Jill Sorensen of Marmalade Interiors and creator of Live Like You is offering Pure Style Home Readers 10% off of her newest design personality, Earthy Modern:

Enter discount code: EARTHY10 for 10% off until June 20th!

 Jill has launched an online store where she has created room designs for different personalities & styles.  You can view the designs for free and purchase everything in the plans right at Live Like You.   Congratulations to Jill & her new venture & thanks so much for the discount!!

 

If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about our design services.

Thank yous!

I just wanted to send a little shout-out (oh wow, did I really just say "shout-out??" ) to my mom & my grandmother.  They ("Gramma Donna" and "Gramma Cracker") come over once a week every week to watch our boys.  They bring all sorts of toys & games & activities with them and the kids loooove their grammas.  I work in the office while they play & unfortunately, I don't really get a chance to be with them at all.  But today, when they left, I found this pretty little surprise on the table:

{Hydrangea from the garden; ignore the kid dinner in background}

I'm not sure which of them did it, but I love it.  Especially they way the leaves were wrapped around the stems.  Go Grandmother! (I think it was you who did the leaf thing.)

I know I don't get nearly enough time with either of you or get to say it much, but if you're reading this, thank you for all that you do and I love you.

Summer is almost really here and we've been crazy-busy with some exciting new projects at work.  Meghan, my design assistant, has been amazing & just turned 23 yesterday!!  (Happy Birthday Megs!!)  And my best friend, Frammy, just turned 29 this week too!!  (Happy birthday Cheese if you're reading!! I love you!!)

Also, thanks so much to Linda Merrill for the mention in her online magazine, which you can read here:

Surroundings

And finally, thank YOU so much for reading. 

I truly appreciate it and I look forward coming here because of you.

If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about our design services.

New Irregular Blog Series: "Love" Houses

If you've been following this blog for a while, you might have picked up that I'm not very good with doing regular blog series.  (And if you're new, well, I'm not good with doing regular blog series.)  I like to write about what floats my boat on any given day, so I'm better with irregular posts.  BUT in my mind I like to have some sort of organization so one of the new irregular series I'll be doing around here will be "Love" Houses.  These are the houses that have been featured in magazines or online that I just can't get over.  The articles I go back to for staring at time and time again.  The ones that I feel disappointed about when the text runs out.  The ones that get me dreaming & excited.  Some are old, some are new, but these houses are my favorite and go in the "love" pile and I thought it might be fun to share some of them on the blog.

My first favorite house/ estate is called Cherryfilelds (yes, it has a name :)  and belongs to John Dransfield and Geoffrey Ross (of Dransfield & Ross) and was featured in Elle Decor's July/ August 2010 issue.  Text is by Peter Tersian.  Photography is by Simon Upton & it was styled by Carlos Mota.

{I dream of having a massive living toom large enough for multiple interesting groupings.}

Dranfield & Ross actually traded for this house with its owner, Nancy Pine AKA "Princess" (an "outrageous" fabulous widow in her 80s.)   They foudn the house but it wasn't on the market.  They would stalk the house until they finally made an appointment to meet with Princess.  "They made a deal on the spot" and just needed to wait until Princess could find a house to move to.  They waited months while she searched and finally she asked them what type of house they had.  It was an 1806 farmhouse and they ended up swapping houses.  They think of her as their Auntie Mame and she visits when they're out, leaving notes.   My favorite part is that Princess says "The best time to visit someone is when they're not at home."   

"The building is long & rambling but it's only one room deep, so all the major rooms have light on both north and south sides."---- ummm, a-mazing. 

{You know I loooove these pools}

I love the conservatory-feel in some of the rooms:

{love their pup!}

...And find myself more & more drawn to black.

Light & airy yet dramatic at the same time:

I love that the house has a combination of airy rooms & moodier rooms. 

The kitchen is so charming.  Again, it's got that fresh-deep thing going on that I love.

I love this shot of the butler's pantry: 

{Heaven}

Everything feels so authentic & collected.  It feels carefree & relaxed yet elegant.  It's a laid-back formality that's really refreshing.  I just want to be there when Iook at the pictures.

You can view the article online at Elle Decor here and I'll be posting more "Love" houses every now & then!

I'm off for the day, but hope you had a great weekend!!  Only a couple more weeks until school's out for the summer & I can't wait!!! (my husband's a teacher)  I have the window open right now & have to be honest that I'm finding it harder & harder to buckle down in the office.  Outside's calling!!  eeeeeeeeeeek

If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about our design services.

Dear Sun, I Am So Glad to See You Again!

I am so happy to report that we finally got nice weather this weekend!  And it wasn't a minute too soon!  This was the rainiest May on record in our area.  We even had snow on Memorial Day!  Where's that Dislike button??

So I'll take you on a stroll through my yard.  Many things are not blooming yet, but some are and after trying to be patient for so long, I had to show some pictures.  I'm sure once things are blooming like crazy, I'll be taking you on another stroll.  :)

These tulips were in bloom a couple of weeks ago.  They were just beautiful. 

These pansies were in full bloom a few weeks ago.  I went out one morning and they were all eaten by the deer.  But, they've come back nicely.  I had to get a picture before the deer figured out that they are available again.

 A friend gave me the burlap bag.  I love it and love the smell of lavendar by the front door.

The columbine seems to be doing ok in a hanging pot.  I know it won't last for long, but right now it's looking good!

The snapdragons, cosmos and candytuft are starting to bloom. 

There's a nest in this birdhouse and the cutest birds making their home in it!

I love lupine!  Here is a  plant that is ready to explode with blooms.  I can't wait! 

I'm pretty happy with the pond area.  We just put it in last year, so the perennials are still fairly new.  The sweet william are about the only thing blooming right now.  Daisies, coneflowers, daylilies, peonies, salvia, and rose of sharon will be flowering soon.

Here's another view of the pond.  The thyme is starting to fill in nicely between the flagstone.  The mesh across the pond is to keep our dog in his shallow area and not where the koi are.  It works.  :)

The people who lived here before us did an excellent job of planting ground covers all around the rocks.  I love the look of it cascading down.

Now it's time to sit and enjoy the good weather! 

Thanks for visiting!

Pam

I am linking to the following parties:

The DIY Show Off's Project Parade

Debbiedoo's Newbie Party

Dittle Dattle's Amaze Me Monday

Between Naps on the Porch's Met Monday

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia's Tuesdays Treasures

DIY By Design's Swing Into Spring Party

Savvy Southern Style's Wow Us Wednesdays

No Minimalist Here's Open House Party

Fishtail Cottage's Cottage Flora Thursday

My Romantic Home's Show & Tell Friday

DIY Curbing for the Backyard

Since we moved in to this house almost two years ago, we've added a lot more plants and trees.  There is a vinyl fence around much of the backyard which is very nice for privacy, but vinyl fencing is kind of ugly and harsh to look at!  I knew it needed to be softened up with some plantings. 

This picture was taken in early spring of 2010 before I'd planted anything new in the backyard.  It also shows how horrendous bare things can look in the winter!  :)




So off I went to Home Depot to get several arborviteas.  I was happy with the look of them, but knew I needed some edging to keep the grass out.  The rest of the yard was edged in curbing.  I called several places and the minimum for any of them was $150.  That was certainly more than I wanted to spend for 30 feet of edging!  I originally used some extra pavers, but the mower would hit them and move them around.  It wasn't the long term look I was going for. 



So last weekend, in the middle of all of our daughter's Graduation activities, (yes, we are crazy!) we decided to tackle the curbing job.  We used bender board that my husband cut into four inch strips for the back and three inch strips for the front.  We had to be careful not to make the planter too wide, as there's a wall on the other side and needed room for the lawnmower to fit through.

We needed to make sure to keep the width consistent, so used these pieces of wood as guides before screwing the stakes to the bender board.

Those 80 pound bags of concrete mix were lifted into the wheelbarrow and mixed by me.  Yes, that's why there aren't any pictures of me doing this project.  I was the 'brawn'.  I can't wait for a project where I get to be the brains!  haha

Lots and lots of smoothing of the concrete.

And it's done.  It really transitions well with the old curbing.  I mowed yesterday and there's enough room to get the mower through there.  I consider the job a big success, especially since it cost us $30 instead of $150!

Thanks for visiting! 

Pam

I am linking to the following parties:

At the Picket Fence's Inspiration Friday
My Romantic Home's Show & Tell Friday
The Shabby Nest's Frugal Friday

Easy Crab Feast

Last weekend we had a little crab feast with some of our friends.  At our house (probably like at most houses) we like to use parties as an excuse to tie up all of those loose ends around the house.  (see my last 2 posts ;) 

We finally had an excuse to mulch our gardens & break out all of that wedding drinkware. 

We strung up hanging lanterns & set out a couple of folding tables in the grass.  Here's a pre-party pic:

For a quick & summery arrangements, I filled old ironstone pieces with sunflowers for the tables:

We packed the kids off to visit "Gramma" and their playhouse shed turned into the bar:

I loved having this massive drink dispenser for the margaritas:

(I'm kicking myself for taking this pic before I'd set out the rock salt and hid the tequila to make it look pretty but oh well ;)

I made a couple of different salads including my chick pea one.  (recipe here)

 

We covered the tables in newspaper & topped with sunflowers & crabs:

My husband steamed the crabs in the oven using a roasting pan and they were easy & awesome.  I loooove Old Bay seasoning and sprinkled it on top and then we served the crabs melted butter, extra old bay & lemons.

It was soooooooooo yummy and I want to do it again right now. 

I love how the lanterns looked at night, lighting the patio for games:

I really loved having this party because getting it together was actually pretty easy.  It was a lot of effort but it was pretty planned out, which made it simple.  Food & friends  is always a good time, especially when the weather's perfect & you're outside.  

 

Of course I forgot to get pics of us.  (Fellow bloggers, I know you understand.)

...And I definitely did something to my hip dancing.  I think it was the kip-ups.

xoxo,

lauren

If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about our design services.