BACK TO WORK

My productivity has hit a new low this summer. The kids, the pool, the gym, the this, the that...

I've been meaning to order a lumbar pillow for my client for weeks. Really. I have. I visited her today. She has been using this...


I have complete and utter decorator shame. Sorry. I'm on it.

These showed up, too. Vintage Widdicomb chairs from 1stdibs. To. Die. For.



Peter Fasano. My fabric crush. Jaipur in Persimmon. Will help. Them. Out.

RJ Exposed

I have been chatting with Patricia of pve design for quite awhile now...ever since the gracious and talented artist sent this surprise my way last month. Well, we got to chatting and I mentioned to her that I was helping a former recluse stage his second coming out party. If you know what I mean. I picked her brain a bit on invites and then we agreed upon this image. For the invite. Which reads:

RJ IS EXPOSING HIMSELF...

It's brilliant. The guy is iconic. Wallpaper and fabric to come next with RJ heads all over them. Get in line.

Hot Blog Love

Last night we had our second Blog Love meeting. It was 106 degrees out and I don't have air conditioning. My brick tudor was as hot as a pizza oven. The cocktails helped to take the edge off...barely. My Mr. bought us a mister from the local hardware store for the evening. Which helped. It was beyond entertaining. I admit...we chatted less about blogging than we could have... Next time we'll make Lisa bring her outline and she can reel us in. Here is a shot of the shiny sweaty and sticky founders of our small club (Liesel is not pictured...she was refilling cocktails).

Jen West of Jentrified. A knockout with a quick wit...okay. Enough.

Lisa Bruckner of Wasabi Nights. Lisa is a friend and consultant for Trunk Club. She is a virtual personal shopper for men around the globe who want to look their best. She takes the pressure off girlfriends or wives who want to bag their man's pleated pants and drop them off at Goodwill but don't know how... Lisa is the other woman. In a good way.

Mindy Lockard of Manner of the Month. Mindy is a smart and very artisitic friend of mine who has a successful business as an etiquette consultant. She does everything from teaching table manners to young children to consulting for large corporations. Don't be intimidated...everyone can use a tip or two. Ga dink a dink.

Liesel Brooks of Family Relish. Liesel is a friend and mother of four who knows the importance of spending time with food. I mean spending time with family and food. Her blog is in the final stages of development. Supporting local farmers, creating kitchen memories with your family and stalking celebrity chefs on Facebook are just a few of the things that she has to offer...

Just Beachy

I raced off to the beach for a few days to meet some old friends. Most of the girls hit the outlet mall. Erica and I hit The Little Antique Mall in Lincoln City.


Expect it when you least expect it. I scored 2 fantastic pieces of art...for nothing...at the Oregon coast. Who knew?


This one was $59. Strange and edgy. I know. Love it, though.


Which now resides at the end of my hall...cohabiting with a vintage $35 runner.


This one was $180... Nicknamed Moon Face. Different artist. Flokstro. Not on artnet so no need to order up that black Range Rover. Yet.


Moon Face now lives here...

Ouiji and Space

Sometimes clients become friends and sometimes friends become clients. These guys are our oldest friends in town...who then became clients. They are kind of the Royal Tenenbaums.

She is the one I call Ouiji. The only Reiki master I have ever met who carries a Chloe bag. He is really smart but we call him Space. The only straight guy I know who isn't afraid of a little hardware on his shoes.

Ouiji is on the left and Space is on the right. He is sitting next to my other friend turned client at my other friend's house...turned client. It's expensive to be my friend.

Fabulous Saarinen Womb Chairs, Toto Cube Lamp (used as a table) and a Kartell Bourgie lamp.

So...back to Ouiji and Space's house. Vintage velvet sofa. Pillows by Groves Bros. Big mean crow painting by Gaylen Hansen.


Floral cowhide rug from The Rug Company.


Yummy new bathroom.


Gorgeous mid-century chandelier from 1stdibs Paris that was impossible to get (and beyond expensive to ship). The French lady that I dealt with worked NEVER. What's up with France? Lucky or lazy? My theory after that experience is that they don't change their interiors over there for hundreds of years because they can't. Nobody works.


Gorgeous new entryway with bling. Deco pendants from 1stdibs. Not Paris. Never shopping Paris again. They are all drunk.



Space makes good vinaigrettes...and vignettes. One of a pair of Tommi Parzinger lamps for Stiffel. They were too big for my house so they now live here.


Buffalo hoof lamp. Or hoove? Buffalo's foot lamp.


For Christ's sake...


Art by Johnny Friedlander.


More Johnny Friedlander. Han dog.


Anglo Indian inlaid chair.


Sculptures by Jonathan Tate.


Ouiji and Space. You guys are a little bit out there. Love that.

Decorating Upside Down

Stopped by my dream house today.


We decided that this will be going on the sofa...chocolate brown linen velvet by Great Plains.


I then threw out the most perfect Groves Bros. fabric for the poufs. My client said, "That would be good." Then he turned it over and said, "...but this would be perfect."


And he was sooo right.......................................

Merritt's Room

When I told my husband that I had ordered a big bed for our 2 year old...I wasn't kidding.


Extra tall upholstered bed with bow tufted headboard in a grainy green linen...from Kravet. Fretwork sheets from Serena & Lily. Duvet and sham from Matouk with my favorite font...Chopstick. Antique Indian elephant.


Settee from junk store...covered in Raoul Textiles' Perada in Plum to match the roman shade.


Settee at antique store before large investment.


Artwork from Ebay. I think I'll tell Merritt that this was her Great Aunt. Lucy. Great Aunt Lucy...who used to streak on the golf course just to get a rise out of the men. Great Aunt Lucy who used to drink gin at breakfast...but only on Saturday. Great Aunt Lucy who ran a small betting ring. At church.


If you don't have a colorful family history...buy one from somebody else. On Ebay.

Happy Birthday Merritt!

Our Just Okay Trip to Red Lodge, Montana

So...for the Fourth of July we headed to Red Lodge, MT. It is an historic town at the mouth of Yellowstone Park via the Beartooth Highway. My family has been going there forever.

There were a lot of guns...and even a little ikat.

Charles spent an hour shooting the belly of this old plane at the Denver airport with his nerf gun.



The town is nestled in this little valley. It is so gorgeous.


The mainstreet in Red Lodge. Population 2500. No street lights. LOTS of bars.
Which are full of the usual suspects plus a smattering of kids and dogs. Really.


Montana Candy Emporium. What a classic.




Maybe the only gun, holster, and salt water sandal combo in Red Lodge.


Watching the parade on Broadway.


You have got to love a parade that celebrates beer like this.


Bud Lite.


My stepmother's stepmother's brother (Kevin Sloan Studios/Dallas) sketched the parade.


There is even some good shopping in ol' Red Lodge. I loved these Old Hickory Tannery chairs in cowhide.


This chair was on hold for Joan. Buy it Joan. It's cute.


Yes. Even here. At the base of the Beartooth Mountains. Ikat chairs by Lee Industries. With really lovely purple ultrasuede throw pillows. Joke. Bad pillows.


The rodeo. This is the real deal, folks.


No. My dad is not holding a half case of beer...


It is a custom carrying case for vodka tonics. Montana style.


My dad's friend Pat Morris (Offensive Line Coach for the Minnesota Vikings) and his adorable wife Kathy stopped by for a bit. They say he's a big deal. More like a big teddy bear.



More guns. Plus, Kevin sketching the rodeo...


The local Episcopalian church. I want it. Badly.


The Yellowstone bus cruising through town.


More guns. Big NRA presence.


My family likes to eat. In a big way. Smoking the pig...


Imported crawfish from New Orleans.


...for the crawfish boil. In Red Lodge. Of course.



Small PETA presence.




Another Ham. Plus some smores roasters with smoke goggles.


Illegal fireworks headquarters in the neighbor's garage.


Illegal fireworks display that rivaled the big show downtown.


Sherriff. End of the illegal fireworks display.


Hangover cure. Huevos Rancheros at the Regis.


Bike riding in Red Lodge. These poppies were everywhere. Gorgeous.



Here is my advice to you. If you ever go to Red Lodge. When you come home...please tell people that it was just okay. We don't want to ruin it.