Scout: Chena Designs Custom Monograms.....

Rare is the blogger that has not one time or another been enamored with the look of a beautiful Leontine Linen or other monogram..... me included.  I've mentioned before about my mild obsession adoration of monograms and I've long loved the idea of having one custom designed to be unique to our family.... I just haven't been able to find the right designer.... until yesterday when I discovered the talented Lindsay of Chena Design.

She works with her clients to deliver exactly what they want be it whimsical, classic or modern and delivers a digital one of a kind file.  From there, the possibilities are endless......

printed in a lovely hue and framed;

printed as a decal and used on a tray, wall, mailbox :).....;

printed on beautiful stationery;

embroidered on a chair back or cushion;

 or engraved on a silver platter or a necklace;

...... and it goes without saying a custom monogram would be a lovely core design element in any wedding.

Lucky for most, I'm not an interior designer or wedding planner or I would be busily insisting on suggesting one of these for every project!  

I will be working with Lindsay on my own design over the next few weeks and I can't wait to show you what we come up with!

Have a great Leap day!

Love Continued.....

...... so I know that Valentine's Day was officially over 2 weeks ago but Love is a worthy subject 365 days a year, no?  Over the weekend, I stumbled across an ad for a website designed by Tiffany dedicated solely to the subject: whatmakeslovetrue.com.  And let me tell you, I found myself tearing up while listening to the  love stories and viewing the uploaded photos of real folks in love.

Makes me think that Chris and I should record our "love story" for the girls to watch and have some day.

They've also come up with a splendid list of "tips" on true love.  Here are a couple of my favorites:

^NO.31
See the forest for the trees.
Try not to dwell
on miniscule details and

silly differences of opinion.

He can like Deco
and you can like Nouveau

and still be
MADLY IN LOVE.

In the grand picture
it matters not.

^NO.8

Light the candles.
Use the good china. And crystal.

When you are together,
put style in your life.

This is part of
LIVING WELL,
together.

This is romance.

It's all very sweet and inspiring, I think..... little blue box or not.

....and speaking of that certain intoxicating shade.... did you know that they have a rather large collection of handbags now?  I wouldn't mind carrying this one this summer:

The View from Here......

A Photo a Day:  Week 8 (aka Random goodness)

There's a Lorax in my backseat!;

Saturday morning donuts..... a tradition carried over from my childhood;

I devoured this recently....my new favorite design book.....The Perfectly Imperfect Home;

Currently on my bedside table;

My favorite Starbucks date;

.... or cookies..... my latest "HomeGoodness";

the Valentine's Day gift that keeps on giving...... from my 11 year old (yes, we call her "Mookie" and the misspelling of "encouraging" makes it that much sweeter in my mind) :)

Happy Monday folks!  Counting on you to fill me in on the Academy Awards last night.... I was too sleepy to watch! :)

Friday Fashion

1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9

........yet another feminine touch I'm seeing everywhere this season.... makes me want to watch "Breakfast at Tiffany's" this weekend.

I don't know about you all but a night in with take-out and a movie sounds pretty good about now.  

Have a good weekend whatever you do!

Interiors: Hats as Art

Lately, I've been thinking of creating a display of straw hats.  If you've been reading this blog for a little while now, you know that I am very fond of two things in my home:  things that tell a story and quirk.  Therefore, I think this might just be the perfect kind of display for me in which to marry the two along with function (an added bonus).  Here is my inspiration:

photo sources here

 I already have hats on display in other areas of my home..... 

a vintage jockey hat .... in honor of Kentucky where I live;

and a decorative hat of the metal variety that I have had for years and that makes me happy each time I see it.  

I'm thinking of creating a simple horizontal display of my floppy straw hats at the end of our back hall.  What do you think?

"Enough with the hats already and you are ruining the sight line!" 

or 

"You can never have too much of a good thing. Go for it!"

Thanks for helping this indecisive girl out! :)

Latte Da!

Every morning when I wake up, one of the first things on my mind is coffee.  There's nothing quite like the smell and that first sip!  I like a traditional coffee with a splash of coconut or soy creamer most days but I also love lattes for a special treat..... which has me thinking of this......

I've been eyeing these darling latte mugs at Target for a while now;  

add to it this 

 using this (which I thankfully already own and I've been thinking about adding to my "life-changing" list):

and a sprinkle of this;

and you have taste bud heaven!

  I even tend to like a few "non-drink" coffee accomplices too; like these:

upcycled coffee table

coffee art

customizable coffee spoon

personalized stationery

What's your take on coffee?

Bliss or Blah

The View from Here......

A Photo a Day:  Week 7 (aka Sweet Home Alabama)

Hey ya'll! :)  I hope everyone had a great long weekend!  I was lucky enough to spend the last few days in one of my most favorite places: the South.  Here are some of the highlights:

A sweet tea and warm peach pie a'la mode snack at our favorite road-side farmer's market.  If you are ever traveling I-65S; you must stop at exit 205 (crazy I know the exit number but it's THAT good!);

dinners with extended family and old friends;

Chris and Ashtyn running the 2nd annual Critter Crawl 5K;

Marlowe discovering a new love........ hushpuppies!;

a BBQ and movie date with my guy; 

no internet connection for 5 days (gasp!);

seeing my girls blissfully happy;

and most importantly, celebrating a very special birthday; 

 my mom's!

  

Let Them Eat Cake......

...... or use the cake stand for something else!  Cake stands are just one of those things in life that bring me delight (especially when a yummy cake is sitting atop).... it's just not necessarily great for the waistline.  That's why I love these ideas for other ways to enjoy my collection without any guilt.

 1/2/3/4/5/6

Best wishes for a great weekend everyone!

Fashion: It's A Wrap!

...... dress, that is.  If I had to choose a favorite dress silhouette, the wrap dress would always win out.  Equal parts girly and sexy; I always feel great wearing one.  Here are a few I wouldn't mind adding to my wardrobe this Spring.

1.  DVF; 2. ASOS; 3. Banana Republic; 4. Nanette Lepore

Oh, and I might have to pick this up for my girls; the tale of a little girl who loves her favorite dress so much that she just can't part with it.  We've all been there, haven't we? :)

anthropologie

Sorry my images aren't as crisp as they could be.  I've been having trouble with fashion sites lately.  Anybody have any tips?

Thanks!

Interiors: Phoebe Howard Bedrooms

I was awakened last night by little footsteps coming across the hall and standing next to our bed at 1:30 AM........ if you are a parent; you know what that means.  The rest of the night was a blur and needless to say I'm at home today with a sick 6 year old and a 2 year old with a terrible cough......poor babies.  Which is why I'm thinking about bedrooms........ and how important they are for rest, comfort and refuge...... (and, oh how I can't wait to get to mine tonight).

Alas, today's inspirations come by way of the talented designer Phoebe Howard:

If you take a moment to examine the collection of rooms as a whole you'll notice a lot of consistencies which in my opinion are what make them so compellng:  a simple color pallet for serenity, a lovely rug underneath for interest, matching lamps for symmetry, a down comforter folded at the end of the bed for extra comfort, a mirror or art grouping for beauty, and typically four decorative throw pillows to finish off the look.  Doesn't seem that impossible to tackle finishing off my bedrooms when I think about measuring my current decor against these design elements.

Mrs. Howard does, however, flex her design muscle sometimes in slightly different directions to produce these stunners......

Here's to a good night's sleep!

sources

...... and speaking of dreamy...... I owe a big THANK YOU to Pam over at one of my favorite blogs, simple details who featured little 'ol House of Marlowe yesterday in her Valentine's Day post.  Pam inspires me daily with her creativity and great eye for design.

..... which also reminds me of this blog where Andrea never ceases to amaze with her latest project as well!