Who's in Charge?

I don't know who is in charge over at World Market, but they've got it goin' on.  For the past year this store has been my go-to for great home stuff.  Here are some of my current furniture faves from the website:

Great affordable version of the industrial coffee tables I've seen lately



Love the hammered finish!



Classic shape and small size make this piece really versatile



You can't see it here, but there is nailhead trim deatil at the edge of the upholstery



The buttons are covered in multicolored fabric.  This would be great at the foot of a bed.



I would lounge and read in this (if I didn't have a 3 year old)



Love the unusual shape of the headboard

They also have some great baskets for toy storage so your living room doesn't get taken over by plastic toys from Fisher Price.

 These wall baskets would be great to store books/coloring books

I bought these, they will hang in the kitchen and hold my mail

There's also lots of great stuff in the store that can't be found online.  Go get you some. 



Old Stuff

I've always liked old stuff.  I think I get this from my uncle who is, in essence, a picker, although he never sells anything. He just takes it all home with him and every once in a while I am lucky enough to get some great old stuff from him as a Christmas present.

Anyway, while hanging out with my Mom as she recovers from surgery, I visited JD's Old Stuff & Antiques located on Highway 72 between Huntsville and Scottsboro, AL.  I have been in several times over the years and have scored some good finds.  Here are a few things that caught my eye while I was browsing:

Vintage license plates

that could be used like this:

via

or this:

via

 Antique trunks

that would make great coffee tables like this:

via (check out this blogger's post on decorating with trunks)

 

Vintage kitchen utensils

to place in a crock on your counterop like this:

Antique pie safe

in a bold mustard yellow.  This piece could be used to store towels in a bathroom as shown here: 

via

 

These old wash basins

could be spiffied up for your laundry room like this:

via

 

If I had a boy's room to decorate, this pedal tractor would have gone home with me.

Old crates are a great way to store books, magazines, or toys.

 You can check out JD's Old Stuff & Antiques on Facebook here.



Madeline's Nursery: Part 1

 

That's right, we have a name!  Baby Shaw will officially be known to the world as Madeline Ann Shaw!

So, we have a baby girl, a name and now we need a nursery.  Where to start?

I have a Chinese Art Deco rug that was my husband's grandmother's and this piece will serve as the inspiration for the room.  Here are some not so great photos of the rug:

 This rug has been in storage for a while because, although I think it is beautiful, I had no idea what to do with it.  Until I found these images:

Jonathan Adler

Tyler Dawson

Think pastels, jewel tones, velvet, goldleaf, and maybe even a little lepoard.

The Plan

So I have a new plan for my life and career.  Here it is:

1) Become a famous super model

2) Marry a rock star

3) Launch my own line of textiles for Calico Corners

The inspiration:

IMAN (she worked this plan also)

Things I am lacking:

1) A super model face and body

2) Access to rock stars who are potential husbands (I'm also already married so that could be a problem too)

3) Although I could probably design textiles, Calico Corners has no clue who I am because of my lack of super model status (see #1)

Seriously, I was browsing through the fabrics in Calico Corners the other day and ran across Iman's fabric collection.  I think it has been out since last year but I had not seen/heard of it yet.  The fabrics were so rich, exotic, and beautiful and I was impressed.  I wanted to decorate a room around them.  Here are my picks:

These are all on sale right now at Calico Corners.



Daphne's a Lucky Girl

I don't know Daphne or her Mama, but she is one lucky little girl. 

 I stumbled across her fabulous nursery on Apartment Therapy the other day.

I love how this room is sophisticated and whimsical all at the same time!  These images will definitely be inspiration for Baby Shaw's nursery.  Here is the link to the full article with all the details about this space.

Back to the Blog

I have emerged from the dark dungeon of the first trimester of my pregnancy and am ready to blog again!!!  In the meantime I quit my full time job, traveled to Spain, found out we are having another baby girl, and my Mom's knee surgery has gone extremely well (praise God).  I can now read design blogs and magazines without getting nauseous and I actually feel like decorating my house again so I am back to the blog and we have lots to catch up on!