source

TO YOU and if a kitchen could say the same, this is it below…hello red lantern and brass hardware!

source

God bless you all in 2012!  And a personal thank you to my readers, clients, referrers and advertisers!  You make it possible for me to have my dream job AND be home and I am thankful!

Scroll to Top

 I love this artist from here I first fell in love with this print but now i think the milton above may be my fave in her collection. Such amazing talent on etsy!

I feel excited about 2012, do you?! Tell me abotu your hopes and dreams for the new year!  

QUICK QUESTION..if anyone is reading from the Houston area let me know if you are aware of any fun kid events this week…i would love to take Drew to the museum or a performance.

t

The latest issue is available here.  It is colorful and fun and jam packed!

Thanks Janell for posting my wrapping ideas..i love kraft paper as yall know…

 The issue is full of color and ideas..i am really getting excited about Christmas and wanting to rerun my fave inspiration photos soon…

.in the meantime check out the cute Kym Miles from Hgtv!

As usual House of Fifty is perfect..every page..Janell is doing a great job..i mean just look at this shot!

Have yall heard the buzz about the Annie Sloan chalk paint…

I am a little slow to the show but apparently it is awesome… This client i posted about earlier in the week has transformed several pieces for her home.  She says it is “no fail.”  Those are words i like.  I also like phrases like “no sanding!  no priming!” Apparently the waxes and brush are really cool. AND there website says you can mix with their recipes and create even more colors (or colours as they say) or layer colors..pretty cool.

Then i visited this blog and was amazed at this kitchen table transformation…

and after

she even did her island!

See more on the Estes Family Blog (I met this blogger at the Rachel Ashwell luncheon..so nice!)

The possibilities are endless..i think my fave is the idea of red with duck egg blue..love that combo!

FYI here are some more great tips for this blog on using this paint. And you can find tutorials on youtube this one looks especially helpful!

this girl is so talented..her kitchen

which was featured in Country Living recently,  is one of my all time faves….

below more from her tea party shoot…such a stylist!

check out her blog and etsy shop..it is all so charming and creative!

To enter the contest just visit her site and leave a comment saying you are from Holly Mathis Interiors!

Have a happy monday!

I love this little bed in Rachel’s room,

 And yes those blue walls..original…and i love that she had to have them haul in an extra air conditioner so she can sleep at night!

 Antique baby gate..swoon.

Outside at the “prairie” ..Rachel said her property here in Texas, aside from being a bed and breakfast, will also serve as a gathering and distribution point for her goodies that she finds at Round Top and then needs to disperse to her stores for displays etc…

I love how she added her touch to this old truck..the logo is so perfect..casual and easy not contrived just like Rachel.

I just kept touching the samples in her store…such a medley of sweet vintageness!

 Love the Texas pillow of course…wish i had bought one!

 Again, i love how the samples are displayed on these cornices.

 So many other bloggers did such a good (better i admit) job capturing the day..great post HERE if you want to see more..

All in all it was a delight! can you tell by the goofy grin on my face here i was slightly enjoying myself!;;;

A friend of mine recently ordered cards from minted.com and i fell in love… they have some great designs..i love the variety and ways they will customize..if you a tutor, seamstress, SAHM, whatever..they have a card for you!  When i was a kid i loved to play store/shop and make my own business cards so no surpise these float my boat!

You are good enough, you are smart enough, doggonit you are professional and bona fide.. you deserve a business card!  ENJOY! This also would make such a great gift for someone you want to encourage!

Poor Drew..he was born in October and he is boy so that means every party i throw for him includes burlap, orange and pumpkins…actually the first party was vintage cowboy and blue and brown..darling and he doesn’t even remember.  Good thing i have an entire mini scrapbook devoted to the “event”..nowadays mommy doesnt even print photos..what things i do have printed of henry are in a paper bag waiting to be put into a baby book..hey at least i ordered the baby book right?!

{He is growing and changing way to fast, i can hardly stand it}

So this year we are doing an army party because…it is what Drew wants…he wanted to re-enact a Civil War OR Vietnam battle but neither feel particularly festive to me so we are sticking to general “army” he is cool with that…here is some inspiration from Pinterest..not exactly army but the onstacle course/boot camp feel although i know he has a “battle” in mind..mercy!

from Ashley Ann Photography

HE LOVES i cannot stress how much he loves army men…they are on his invitation

SO the take home for each kid will be a  little kraft box full of army men…the moms will love me when they step on the long guns in the middle of the night!

Frankly all of this violence and army stuff makes me a little uncomfortable..my stomach drops everytime he says “mom i am gonna be a soldier” BUT boys are boys and we have to let them be little wild men..i firmly believe this..you know the whole peanut butter and jelly sandwich thing…in fact when he was two i saw him take a small easel (like for a small frame or plate) and turn it on its side and go “pow”… so natural. I hate to encourage violence but also dont want to emasculate him before he is ten!

So we are having an army party complete with this nailed to a tree..his idea.

frankly now that i have two sons i am a bit uneasy with this poster it makes me nervous.  see how conflicted i am.

So we will try to encourage adventure and play…and IN the meantime, this is about as army as i get…that is right..i want a swiss army pillow or blanket!  crazy i can weave a pillow into a post huh?!

I can’t believe all of camo junk i bought from Oriental Trading..with all of the good money i spent on that stuff i could have bought the swiss army pillow!

The things we do for our kids right!? Lucky Tessa is doing an adorable Woodland party for her little guy..she even created these tents..check it out.. Enjoy the woodland owls and vintage cowboys while you can moms of boys…

It’s all Star Wars and guns and butter down the road!;;  But don’t feel too bad for me..I am sure i will work in some chalkboards, burlap, kraft paper and twine somewhere!;;;

What is your fave boy party idea??? 

 But with the exterior paint and abscence of the red door i am trying to embrace gardening, colorful blooms and being outside more..both for myself and my boys.  I figure if I spend a fraction of the money I spend on clothes that don’t look that good on me or Starbucks that I don’t need, I can slowly buy some plants and learn to tend them.  I am a country girl after all.

So here is what I am obsessed with…growing an Espalier on my bare garage wall…think big right?!

and a mini trellis over my barren garage door end of the house…

and boxwood..obsessed with the mini little gem boxwood… there is a reason the cutest lunch place in Houston is called Tiny Boxwoods right?!

My yard has a lot of shade and partial sun which means i cant do a lot of roses or Sage..i love, let me say LOVE the pink salvia..too me its both cottagey and Texasy..but i dont think it will work..but my other fave is the pot vine and it will work..that color is like an amazing pillow in a room of blah.

Don’t worry, this won’t become a gardening blog…it SO will not become a gardening blog BUT i might need to add a gardening category.  For now I will place it under INSPIRATION!

What are your favorite gardening tips and partial sun or shade plants?? And yes that is a new Swedish box on the porch!

Happy Weekend!  Don’t forget the BROWN SHED SALE  this weekend! It’s outside! Check the Brown Shed site for weather updates and changes if any!

The food (by Royers Round Top Cafe of course) and atmosphere were amazing! 

The luncheon was full of old friends and new…and I have been known to put a bow on taxidermy at Christmas or even a pictureframe around one’s neck but Rachel truly edified the Texas deer mount to a new place! 

It was great seeing Annalee, one of the sweetest bloggers out there and niece of my bff Camille! I love Annalee’s post on the event too!  Check it out!

My new friend Vikki and I had a great time riding together and hanging out! Click on her post about the day..she tells some great stories that Rachel related to the group about her anxiety and journey to shabby-fying the place.

And hearing about Dwell with Dignity..a portion of the proceeds from the event went to this fab charity in Dallas! My friend Christi, Rachel Ashwell and Bud Royer are listening to the ladies talk about how they furnish apartments for familys in need down to two pairs of sheets (peacock alley no less) and food in the crockpot.  Very inspiring.

 Oh what fun…great food and company and getting to meet an amazing author and designer and entrepenur PLUS tour her 1880s home and couture store and hear about an inspiring charity..yep one more thing and i might have bust!

And that is when it happened!

The battery on the camera went DEAD, this is a blogger’s nightmare..yep see me looking down frantically trying to figure out the camera my friend Christi grabbed out of her car for me…I missed some shots but she led me snag some off of her blog. THANKS CHRISTI!

Her shots are better anyway! Don’t you love the blue trim on the house!  Built in the 1880s!

Below, one of the most beautiful things i saw the entire week of Round Top..thanks for capturing this Christi, i did not even see it the day of the tour! Love this image.  Sums up the day..simple touches, not overdecorating just adding your touch to the natural beauty of a place..maintaining history and integrity…good stuff.

 Finally, Holly Mathis Interiors photography is back up and running just in time to snap a photo of an antique baby gate! Love that blue patina!

I hope to share more shots later this week, including the Couture store on the prairie…It is small but packed with beauty as you can only imagine!

Thanks again to Kelly Copeland of the Hidden List blog, Tara Royer and of course Rachel and her staff for hosting us..what a special day! And also to Texas Live Magazine and others for the swag bags and Tattered Style for the amazing name tags!

IN THE MEANTIME IF YOU WANT TO SEE MORE EYE CANDY OF THE DAY, click over here!  Amazing photographer Keely Marie Scott really captured the day as did The brown shed blog!