Grandma and Gramps's House

After my trip to DC, we road-tripped down to my grandparent's farm in Fayetteville, North Carolina. The same farm where my both my grandmother and dad were raised. We had fun fishing, relaxing and shootin' the breeze. However, my trip to the farm is best summarized by listing what we ate - Grandma Miller (quite possibly the sweetest person on the face of this earth) had a steady line-up of biscuits and gravy, fresh squash, roast, collard greens, homemade banana bread and obviously a lot more where that came from. 

DC Trip

For Memorial Day Weekend (4 1/2 months ago), I met up with my parents, brother, and sister-in-law in DC. I had never toured the Nation's capitol before, and aside from the 100 degree weather and 100% humidity, it was an absolute treat. Seeing the sites, shopping in Georgetown and eating at Ray's the Steaks were certainly among the highlights. the With every corner oozing with charm and history, I know I will be back again soon. 

Didn't You Hear?

We're having a little McGee in February! I am 18 weeks along and we find out in 2 weeks if we are having a girl or boy. Although Syd is rooting extremely hard for team boy, I am completely split. Regardless, this whole waiting game is testing my patience. It may be the hormones talking, but my eyes get a teensy bit watery every time I think of snuggling that babe of ours. 

Here I am at 16 weeks.

Step by Step

Little by little, our house is coming together. We finally had everything painted and it feels so good to be surrounded by colors that make me happy. We had a little mishap with the paint in the bedroom (it happens to the best of us), but we got it on the second try. We ended up with Benjamin Moore's Silver Song. I love it because it is a chameleon color - sometimes green, sometimes gray or even a little blue.

I have wanted a wingback bed for a long time and finally designed it and had it made right before we moved into our house. I found the antique suzani pillow at Juxtaposition Home and kept talking and dreaming about it, but never purchased. Syd sweetly surprised me with it for Christmas! I wonder how he knew...

There are no other pictures of our bedroom because there is nothing else in there. Literally. Well, that's a lie. There is pile of dirty clothes in the corner.

Happy Memorial Day weekend! I'm hoping to eat lots of grilled corn on the cob, and if I'm lucky, a couple of popsicles.  

Happy Mother's Day, Tam Tam.

When I was in 5th grade I switched schools and felt very lonely. I confided in my dad that I didn't have any friends. He sat next to me on my bed and kindly suggested that perhaps my mom had been my best friend all along, I just hadn't seen it yet. 

He was right. 

And for that, I am eternally grateful.

Love you, Mom. 

A snippet.

For quite some time now I've been helping people with their houses - pick out a sofa and chair here, pillow fabric and paint there. Going back to school to hone my craft and pursue a career in interior design was one of the best decisions I've ever made. Most recently, I've officially started taking on clients! And it is so exciting to see these projects come together. I can't wait to share the finished results, but until then, here is a snippet of the bookshelves I recently designed and styled: 

Where I've been

Here I am. Don't mind me, I'm just in the guest bathroom making a salad because we haven't had a kitchen for a month. We are only doing construction on the weekends because it's the only time we can be home. Things are coming along swimmingly - we just need paint, new lighting and a cute little roman shade over the window. Then... bam! We'll have brand spankin' new kitchen.

The Great White Kitchen

It's official, the house projects are just about to be in full swing. These things take time and prep! I've been running around like a crazy person comparing subway tile, pieces of marble and choosing bevel details on cabinetry. If you don't want to hear about house projects and decor, I suggest you stop reading this blog. 

We're starting at the heart of the home. The kitchen: 

Yes, it is a perfectly good kitchen, but there is a lot of brown and I hope to lighten it up a bit. 

Well, a lot actually.

Here is a snippet of what it will look like in about a month:

Did I tell you about the time?

We moved into our house a week before Christmas and our cute little tree was a casualty in the process. On December 23, at 8 p.m. Syd set out to find a replacement. After all, what's Christmas morning without a tree? 3 lots later, with a little bit of begging at the Home Depot, and we had ourselves a tree. We set it up and began trimming. Meanwhile, Syd took a few shots of NyQuil and I found him fully clothed and immovable. And then our tree fell over. Dirt clumps and needles were everywhere. It took all three of us (mom, dad, me) to get it upright again. In the end, all the ornaments were removed and the only things keeping it partially upright were the wall and a piece of plywood. Merry Christmas!

Home.

When Syd and I were first married, we set a goal to have a little piece of California to call home. We saved. And we saved. And we saved some more. After months of looking, waiting and saying many prayers...we did it! We feel so blessed. 

So here she is at the end of a cul-de-sac, deep in the heart of San Clemente suburbia. 

We moved in the week before Christmas and are still in boxes, but I can't wait to show all the "befores"...and believe you me, I have a lot planned for the "afters". 

This year

This year, our Christmas tree is going in a basket. 

I already have the basket, now we just need to get the tree! 

Images from an old issue of Cottage Living.

Au Revoir, Paris!

Did you know that the Eiffel Tower sparkles at night? Neither did we! Every hour the entire structure twinkles and people cheer. It is magical. We just sat on the steps across the street, ate crepes and maybe stole a smooch or two. 

Around the city

A peek inside The Louvre

The Louvre was definitely one of our favorite adventures while in Paris. We scheduled a guided tour and then they left while I was in the bathroom. The museum is so large and there are so many people we thought it would be impossible to find them again...luckily we did. 

The entire experience was awe-inspiring.  

Jardin des Tuileries and the Musee du Louvre