Friday, June 29, 2012

I love these!

I am crazy about treillage!  You?  These examples from Accents of France  are inspired by 18th century French designs and they make me want to re-decorate!


Their treillage designs are out of this world!


I love the blue and white!

Blue and white treillage
The have a wide array of fun planters and obelisks. I have a few placed around my pool!


They are also known for their beautiful furniture. Their designs are so unique!


Tuesday, June 26, 2012

The Southern Suite at the CMT Awards

Have you ever wondered what goes on behind-the-scenes at an award show? Check out this exclusive look at the Southern Suite by Southern Living at the CMT Awards!

Monday, June 25, 2012

Summer Reading List

Well, I love whittling down the pile of books that collects on my nightstand in the summer.  Here are a few of the books on my summer reading list.  Please comment and let me know what is on yours!


I just finished reading Shanghai Girls by Lisa See.  It was fantastic!  I started it on the plane to Shanghai last month and, even though I knew I needed to sleep on the ride over, I didn't want to put the book down!  It was a quick read and, honestly, I didn't want it to end.  I promise you'll love it!

In 1937 Shanghai—the Paris of Asia—twenty-one-year-old Pearl Chin and her younger sister, May, are having the time of their lives. Both are beautiful, modern, and carefree—until the day their father tells them that he has gambled away their wealth. To repay his debts, he must sell the girls as wives to suitors who have traveled from Los Angeles to find Chinese brides. As Japanese bombs fall on their beloved city, Pearl and May set out on the journey of a lifetime, from the Chinese countryside to the shores of America. Though inseparable best friends, the sisters also harbor petty jealousies and rivalries. Along the way they make terrible sacrifices, face impossible choices, and confront a devastating, life-changing secret, but through it all the two heroines of this astounding new novel hold fast to who they are—Shanghai girls.

Were you as caught up in Downton Abbey as I was?  I went into withdrawal after the season ended so I ordered Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey and started to read about the real lives of the family who lived in the beautiful home.  It is written so beautifully by the current lady of the house, The Countess of Carnavon.  If you like Downton Abbey, I promise you will love this book.  

Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey tells the story behind Highclere Castle, the real-life inspiration for the hit PBS show Downton Abbey, and the life of one of its most famous inhabitants, Lady Almina, the 5th Countess of Carnarvon and the basis of the fictional character Lady Cora Crawley.  Drawing on a rich store of materials from the archives of Highclere Castle, including diaries, letters, and photographs, the current Lady Carnarvon has written a transporting story of this fabled home on the brink of war.
This rich tale contrasts the splendor of Edwardian life in a great house against the backdrop of the First World War and offers an inspiring and revealing picture of the woman at the center of the history of Highclere Castle.

I am now in the middle of Mrs. Kennedy and Me and I can't wait to steal a few minutes away everyday to keep reading!  It is so fascinating and endearing to read about the iconic first lady from the perspective of the secret service agent who spent so much time with her.

For four years, from the election of John Fitzgerald Kennedy in November 1960 until after the election of Lyndon Johnson in 1964, Clint Hill was the Secret Service agent assigned to guard the glamorous and intensely private Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy. During those four years, he went from being a reluctant guardian to a fiercely loyal watchdog and, in many ways, her closest friend.
Now, looking back fifty years, Clint Hill tells his story for the first time, offering a tender, enthralling, and tragic portrayal of how a Secret Service agent who started life in a North Dakota orphanage became the most trusted man in the life of the First Lady who captivated first the nation and then the world.
Filled with unforgettable details, startling revelations, and sparkling, intimate moments, this is the once-in-a-lifetime story of a man doing the most exciting job in the world, with a woman all the world loved, and the tragedy that ended it all too soon— a tragedy that haunted him for fifty years.

On my bedside table and in my beach bag:

Seating Arrangements

Maggie Shipstead’s Seating Arrangements is a stunning debut, an irresistible social satire that is also an unforgettable meditation on the persistence of hope, the yearning for connection, and the promise of enduring love. 
Winn Van Meter is heading for his family’s retreat on the pristine New England island of Waskeke. Normally a haven of calm, for the next three days this sanctuary will be overrun by tipsy revelers as Winn prepares for the marriage of his daughter Daphne to the affable young scion Greyson Duff.  Winn’s wife, Biddy, has planned the wedding with military precision, but arrangements are sideswept by a storm of salacious misbehavior and intractable lust: Daphne’s sister, Livia, who has recently had her heart broken by Teddy Fenn, the son of her father’s oldest rival, is an eager target for the seductive wiles of Greyson’s best man; Winn, instead of reveling in his patriarchal duties, is tormented by his long-standing crush on Daphne’s beguiling bridesmaid Agatha; and the bride and groom find themselves presiding over a spectacle of misplaced desire, marital infidelity, and monumental loss of faith in the rituals of American life. 
Hilarious, keenly intelligent, and commandingly well written, Shipstead’s deceptively frothy first novel is a piercing rumination on desire, on love and its obligations, and on the dangers of leading an inauthentic life, heralding the debut of an exciting new literary voice.


Meet the Harcourts of Chevy Chase, Maryland. A respectable middle-class, middle-age, mixed-race couple, Harold and Forsythia have four eminently marriageable daughters—or so their mother believes. Forsythia named her girls after Windsor royals in the hopes that one day each would find her true prince. But princes are far from the mind of their second-born daughter, Elizabeth (AKA Bliss), who, in the aftermath of a messy divorce, has moved back home and thrown herself into earning her PhD. All that changes when a Bachelorette-style reality television show called The Virgin takes Bliss’s younger sister Diana as its star. Though she fights it at first, Bliss can’t help but be drawn into the romantic drama that ensues, forcing her to reconsider everything she thought she knew about love, her family, and herself. Fresh and engaging, Imperfect Bliss is a wickedly funny take on the ways that courtship and love have changed—even as they’ve stayed the same.


The story begins in 1962. On a rocky patch of the sun-drenched Italian coastline, a young innkeeper, chest-deep in daydreams, looks out over the incandescent waters of the Ligurian Sea and spies an apparition: a tall, thin woman, a vision in white, approaching him on a boat. She is an actress, he soon learns, an American starlet, and she is dying.
And the story begins again today, half a world away, when an elderly Italian man shows up on a movie studio's back lot—searching for the mysterious woman he last saw at his hotel decades earlier.
What unfolds is a dazzling, yet deeply human, roller coaster of a novel, spanning fifty years and nearly as many lives. From the lavish set of Cleopatra to the shabby revelry of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Walter introduces us to the tangled lives of a dozen unforgettable characters: the starstruck Italian innkeeper and his long-lost love; the heroically preserved producer who once brought them together and his idealistic young assistant; the army veteran turned fledgling novelist and the rakish Richard Burton himself, whose appetites set the whole story in motion—along with the husbands and wives, lovers and dreamers, superstars and losers, who populate their world in the decades that follow. Gloriously inventive, constantly surprising, Beautiful Ruins is a story of flawed yet fascinating people, navigating the rocky shores of their lives while clinging to their improbable dreams.


*all bios courtesy of Amazon.com

Friday, June 22, 2012

Currently Obsessed: Lapis Pearl Soap Baubles

Lapis Pearl Soap BaubleTM Necklace is hand created to duplicate a real Lapis gemstone. Handcrafted in glycerin, these jeweled necklace-shaped soaps add a touch of instant glamour to your bath. It is a great hostess gift too!


This beautiful Lapis Soap BaubleTM necklace is strung on an inch and a half satin ribbon and boxed ready for gift giving. Each Soap BaubleTM is scented with the finest fragrance blends.


 Fleur Frutage:
Fleur Frutage is a fruity floral fragrance with notes of nectarine, green apple, and mandarin orange combined with jasmine, and lily of the valley and a warm honey finish. A very feminine seductive scent with the perfect bouquet of fruit and floral.

Here are some more of their wonderful products!






Visit the website to see what other fun things they have to offer or, if you live in Dallas, stop in to Highland Park Village's St. Michael's Women's Exchange and pick some up.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

I Heart Blue and White - Stationery

My all time favorite stationery is from The Printery.  Justin and I took a trip out to Oyster Bay, NY to see their amazing workshop a few years ago, and I was so charmed. The business is family-owned and they are so great to work with.  They create our Easter Egg Hunt invitations almost every year, and they did our wedding invitations too!





 I love love love blue paper with white ink.  Don't you?  

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Dallas and the Famous South Fork Ranch

I was flipping through some old magazines the other day, and look what I found!  Finally, my inability to throw anything away has paid off!  (I mean, how many people do you know who still have magazines from 2002 sitting around?) With the return of DALLAS on TNT, I thought it might be fun to take a little stroll down memory lane and see the interiors of Texas' most famous house's Southfork's interiors.  
D Home Sept/Oct 2002
D Home Sept/Oct 2002
D Home Sept/Oct 2002
D Home Sept/Oct 2002

Love the "Texas Topaz" blue!

D Home Sept/Oct 2002


I watched the re-make last Wednesday with my mom and sister and we loved it! Did you miss it? No worries; you can watch the premiere here.

Watch Dallas on TNT Wednesday nights at 8pm CST.

For a more modern take on where to go and what to do in Dallas, check out Southern Living's Insider's Guide to J.R. Ewing's Dallas.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Tablescape Tuesday: A Bright Luncheon

Did you see Kim's tablescape that was recently featured in Southern Living? Talk about a gorgeous spread of bright, fun colors!

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Inspired by the hues of peonies, daffodils, hyacinths and ranunculus, Kim created a palette of pink, yellow, blue and orange, punctuated by lush centerpieces and new tablecloths made of ikat fabrics. 

"Even with a big group, you always want it to feel intimate and personal," says Kim. To dress the tables, Kim combined three different place settings of family china and her own monogrammed napkins and flatware. The result was a cheerful luncheon focused on friends and family!
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Anchoring each arrangement is a handcrafted blue pottery bowl bursting with pink peonies. A random mix of colorful vases filled with daffodils, ranunculus and hyacinths surrounds the bowls. She placed each kind of flower in a separate vase instead of creating mixed bouquets. "My other sister, Krystal, and I raided everyone's cupboards looking for vases," says Kim, laughing. Getting each centerpiece grouping right was a matter of trial and error. "We kept moving the vases from table to table until we had just the right combinations," says Kim.

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Personalized patterned lipstick cases stand in as place cards. The Left Handed Calligrapher, Nicole Black, helped Kim with these cases, but you can do it yourself using a paint pen from a crafts or hobby store. "I love the handwritten casualness and the addition of more color and pattern to each place setting," Kim says. "The lipstick cases double as favors to take home to remember the day."
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Having similar looks on all three tables creates a festive setting that's sophisticated and cohesive. Key elements stay the same, but the colors and specifics are varied. Floor-length tablecloths made of a graphic Ceylon et Cie ikat fabric in three colorways form the base. 

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For the place settings, Kim repeated the following elements: china dinner plate, monogrammed napkin, and casual flatware.
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"This approach allowed us to mix and match our family pieces," Kim says. Rented rattan chargers and folding chairs offer a consistent thread from table to table and balance the strong colors.
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So fun!

Monday, June 18, 2012

Monogram Monday - Nautical S

OK...I know the photo is really bad but I couldn't wait to share these fun anchor glasses that I got for my parent's lake house.  The house has a nautical look and, obviously, the S suits their last name so they are perfect for them!  My parents are impossible to buy for so I love finding vintage treasures for them.  I kind of want to copy the monogram and have it embroidered on to some robes or towels for them!  What do you think?

Friday, June 15, 2012

Currently Obsessed: Irving and Fine

Take a look at these new pieces from Irving and Fine. I absolutely love their collection!  I live in their breezy tops and caftans all summer.  

Not only do they bring their fabulous style out in their pieces, they have made decorating an art as well! 
Here are some photos of life at home with Carolina Irving and Lisa Fine.

Below are a few shots of Lisa's amazing apartment in Paris from Elle Decor.  The apartment is incredible and, what the photos don't capture, is the love and warmth that Lisa gives to all of her guests. Her sweet Southern personality brings the place to life!






I love how Carolina is wearing the blouse (below) with a sharp pencil skirt but it could also be thrown on over a pair of jeans!




Remember when I wore this pretty blue Irving & Fine top at the Easter Egg Hunt that was featured in Southern Living?

Here I am, at it again, in another Irving & Fine Ikat top:

photo by Werner Strube for Traditional Home


Thursday, June 14, 2012

GIVEAWAY: I Heart Blue and White - Jack Rogers and The Hamptons


clockwise - sitting room, tablescape, bed, bottles,  formal living room, curtains
Wouldn't it be fabulous to just pack up and head to the Hampton's for the rest of the Summer?
Not without our Jack Rogers of course!

We are so excited to announce that we have teamed up with Jack Rogers, and one of our lucky readers will win their very own pair!
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Navajo sandal


Jack Rogers is proud to introduce this exclusive Memorial Sloan-Kettering Navajo! Support this wonderful organization by wearing a bold royal blue and white sandal, and 20% of proceeds will benefit the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center! 

Here's how you win:
1. Comment on this post and let us know where you would wear your Jack Rogers
2. Follow this blog with Google Friend Connector by clicking "Join this site" on the right side of the blog

For additional entries (one vote for each one that you do):
"Like" Kim on Facebook
Follow Kim on Twitter
Follow Kim on Pinterest
"Like" Jack Rogers on Facebook
Follow Jack Rogers on Twitter
Follow Jack Rogers on Pinterest

The giveaway is now closed.

CONGRATULATIONS TO LINDA STEINFELDT! 
You have one your very own pair of Jack Rogers sandals! An email has been sent to you for follow up information.


Thank you to everyone who participated!

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Tablescape Tuesday: Father's Day


Father's Day is just around the corner!  I have received more comments about the Father's Day Table from my book, Tablescapes: Setting the Table with Style, than almost any other in the book! 


We made the table cloth from inexpensive houndstooth intended for a man's suit.  The overlay was made from neck ties that we purchased at the Salvation Army. 


The napkins are made from men's dress shirt pinstripes and were folded like to resemble a pocket.  


Gifts were wrapped in the stock pages of the Wall Street Journal and we used elegant silver candlesticks in the center of the table.  



What plans do you have to celebrate Father's Day with the loved ones in your life?


 

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