Need a little weekend bloggy house stalking…a friend just sent me this and I am dying..had to share!

{love the wallpaper and monograms! looks like it is a duogram with Ashley’s name first}

Have y’all heard about this house?? The owner/desinger is Ashley Putman of Houston. I had not seen it until my friend kept sending me emails about it…she loves the dining room and it is great but i wasn’t in love until she showed me more.  Now i am officiallyobsessed and get the mania. Apparently this home was featured in May 2010 of Lonny (I wouldnt know because I rarely read Lonny, there i said it) Maybe i should because this is good. AND  I am sad i missed this on the home tour in Houston this fall (I am thinkibg this house is in West U?)  I love all of the books and clutter and how it is chic but lived in too!  Thanks to the Semi-Designed Life blog for attending the home tour and taking photos!

The nursery. love.

And big boy room.  love.

Enjoy!

Oh and if you figure out why the kitchen window doesnt have a bamboo blind like every other window, let me know…there is probably some ultra-chic reason or maybe its just on order and hasnt arrived!?

First off, sources…

Yes I nailed holes into my freshly painted walls.  Many of these frames and prints are from my bathroom and master bedroom collage(s) including the nude sketch;;

I must say, when HGTV’s online editor contacted me about this project I tactfully said “this project (creating a headboard) isn’t for me” because I have limited sewing skills and NO carpentry skills.  But then I thought if i could find a simple enough bed i could do an easy very easy pillowcase style slipcover. NO STAPLES and NO BATTING.  I also know that good looking fabric and a monogram can go a longgg way so I committed to the project.  Lucky for me, my friend Robyn  had just bought a CUTE little bed she found at a thrift store..THANK YOU ROBYN..this was 2/3 of the battle. I almost cried when I saw it, i could not have imagined a better bed for this project..and it is twin so it was easy to haul around and set up here and there when i had time to work on it…

Cute huh? I love the little cabriole legs on the footboard!

 Notice above, the chalkboard says FIVE days before Christmas! I’m not complaining but does anyone know how hard it is too sew with an 18 month old man child running around…its interesting.

OK it was a mess, i mean just look at the huge playmobil pirate ship and Christmas decorations in the background. Remember “outside the lens” there is often chaos..at least when it is at my house! But thankful my mom came and helped with the kids the weekend I tried to knock out the project…here she is modeling a sewing technique neither one of know much about..making ties! Actually she was pretty good at it…

The linen option below is linen not burlap..you can tell by the wrinkles..i love the monogram font..its similar to a fishtail font. 

I tried moving the bed in front of the window to get better light but i just did not like the angle. It was a gloomy day when i shot most of this…i thought i might have to set it back up another day but it worked out i was able to get enough shots.

There is the cute footboard leg peeking out from under the chipper slipcover…

I am not going to lie, this was a crazy project to tackle over Christmas but the people at Scripps Networks are so nice and it was fun.  Thanks to my mom, friends who sew and photography friends who answered numerous questions, and my husband for helping me pull this off..

Oh and my number one photography asst.. He was enamored with the tripod!

Click here to see the entire project.

I did this project during Christmas break and used some of my favorite fabrics showing two different options/looks for the same bed!

Remember the chipper fabric that was going to be drapes? Well it went to another use-at least some of it!

I will be back later in the week to show the “glamorous” behind the scene details. Of course the other option had to be linen, the monogram was done at the Monogram Shop on San Felipe in Houston, Texas.

What room do you think i used to stage this project???? That’s right, my hard working dining room! And you probably notice some of my favorite  things pulled from around my home to stage this “room”…crazy!

of course originally this house did not have an indoor kitchen, not until the 1940s was one added that was actually attached to the house (you know fire hazard etc..yall have all heard these bits of social history i am sure) but WOW there is certainly a kitchen now..who cares that the floors dont match the beautiful heart of pine in the entry and beyond.

…this should make everyone feel better that has different tone or type wood floors in one house..who cares?!

see more of this amazing restoration here…and if you are lucky, maybe you will still find a copy on stands or at your mother-in-law’s house on Thanksgiving…”borrow” it, she wont mind!

Oh how i love this house..the walls, the floors, the entry light, the Audubon prints, the sideboard, the kitchen, the BEAUTIFUL monograms on linen and burlap, the mix of modern with antiques…YES it is a historic home but there is so much inspiration for a new house. swoon…

Good job Southern Living, NEW SOUTHern Living..yall are doing a great job lately!

I knew when I turned the page and spotted THIS darling Christmas tree..could it be??? YES, i saw her name I WAS RIGHT it was Juliet and couldnt wait to see the rest. The best thing about Juliet’s article is the theme/tone/angle..it is all about a FEW DECORATIONS and more SIMPLE holiday decor…I love her philosophy.

I first fell in Juliet’s home in 2001 (I believe that was the year, it was the year we moved in to our current home)i cant find copies of the images or my copy of the article but it is such a pretty layout…she had a coral painted bedroom..silhouettes of her chilren (one of which is name Henry and is now in college i believe!) around her white painted bedroom fireplace. I modeled the dining room after hers in fact…with pine hutch, brass (yes i said brass) light and lots of blue and white and staffordshire figurines.

and you know what else, I sat down after reading the article and i wrote her a note. yes i did, googled her address in Seattle (am I freaking you out yet?) and just wrote her a little note. Do you ever see people in shelter magazines and feel like you know them…notice their children have grown..maybe it is just me but if not, tell me about it in the comments.

SO, check out the 2009 issue of BHG’s Christmas IDEAS to read the rest of the story on Juliet, Debbie and others..good job BHG!

AND if you love the look of the silhouette tree..check out this cute blog. They have a great tutorial on making silhouette ornaments to achieve a similar look.