Thinking Outside the Box

The main reason most people stay in the box is because it is oddly comforting.  To step out can be scary.  I think it can be scary because generally people can be judgmental.  But here's the news flash - people will be judgmental regardless of whether you are in or out of the box.  So, think about that the next time you are considering stepping out as it relates to your home.

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If you do venture out, you may find it to be completing liberating!  But you don't have to jump straight away into the deep end.  With my clients, I usually provide little "pushes" that still work with the rest of the pieces in their home.  Just remember, stepping out takes practice.

The trick is to take small steps on occasion.  Then, the occasions will become more frequent; and before you know it, you won't remember where the box was or why you wanted to be in it.

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So, for those who need some suggestions.  Here are just a few ideas to try this Summer.  Let's get your feet wet.  Shall we?

Step 1

Host a gathering, and set the Bar up using your kitchen sink.  Try it, it'll be fun.

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Step 2

Add one unexpected Pop of color - maybe the color of the year?  

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Step 3

Host a dinner party and invite two couples you've never invited to your home.  Don't just stick with your besties on this one - step out.  

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These days most people got out for dinner.  So, believe it or not, the rare occasion when someone invites you to their home becomes very special.

Step 4

Rearrange your family room so the TV is no longer the main focal point!  

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I did this in my own family room last summer, and we never seemed to watch TV.  The main seating area was on the opposite side of the room.  So, we usually hung out and talked or played cards - very refreshing change for the summer.

Step 5

Consider restyling your accessories for the summer.  

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It's fun to go out and pick up some inexpensive accessories and then blend those in with your other things.  Or, look around your closet for something interesting to use - even a sun hat can be interesting!  I love switching up my accessories for the summer months.  Then, when Fall arrives and I pull them back out, they feel new again.  This also forces you to try them in new and unexpected places.  

Who knows?  If you step outside the box, you may create something wonderful. 

Have a great day! M.

Eye on Art - Liza Hathaway Matthews

I was recently introduced to the beautiful abstracts of Liza Matthews, and I've been smitten ever since.  If you're looking for a bit of a Wow factor, look no more!   I'll let the art do the talking today.

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I hope you have marvelous day! M.

Curb Appeal - Before and Afters

Who doesn't love a good before and after? Am I right?!  And what better way to kick off Memorial Day than with a great example of the power of paint (and a little muscle).

Here's where the journey began.  My cute clients purchased this house about a year ago, and it looked like this . . . 

First, they enlisted the help of one of my all time favorite landscape architects here in Birmingham, Randy McDaniel.   His plans focus on highlighting the positives, downplaying the negatives and never allowing the landscape to upstage the house itself.  A very tall order!  Since this house sits on a corner lot (the other street is to your right in the photo), Randy worked hard to create primary and secondary focal points in his landscape design plan.  My clients are still working on installing the landscaping material; but here is a picture of the house following the clearing to ready the area for the new plantings.  

As an aside, my clients did a lot of the work themselves, but when it came time to cut the trees, they brought in the professionals.  The day before, they did this to the trees!  People driving by were stopping and looking in total confusion.

Then, for the paint.  Once we were really able to see the house, we got busy selecting paint colors.  It was clear it needed to be lightened up, but selecting an off white can be very daunting.  Too white and it feels stark and blinding.  Too warm and it comes off yellow.  A very fine line.  We narrowed the field to two Ben Moore colors for the body of the house.  In the end, here's the color we selected - China White.

 Then we selected a Farrow and Ball color for the front door.

If you notice, one of the issues this house had was two doors on the front of the house.  Here's a picture of it again for you to see.  People would have trouble deciding which door to go to when visiting the home.

The main door (to the right in the image above) opens into a gorgeous vaulted foyer, and the door to the left opens into the mudroom area with the kitchen beyond.  So, we decided to paint the secondary door the house body color so that it would disappear, giving the main front door all the focus.   I think it worked - paint is an amazing thing.

Also, notice we have removed the railings from the front entrance.  It looks so much bigger and more inviting with these removed.  The lighter paint in the alcove of the front door is also more welcoming.   The plan is to include some large planters on either side of the door, but patience!  All in due time!   I will post pictures once the front yard is complete.  You will not believe how pretty it's going to be once everything is installed.

Don't forget to hug a Veteran today!  Their sacrifices are the reason we enjoy the freedoms we do in this great country.     M.  

Summer's Here!!!

Finally.  FINALLY - the hamster wheel has ended.  School's out!! 

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No more end of the parties/projects/presentations/exams.  It is done, and I'm thrilled about it.  

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That last week of school almost kills me every time.  I say every year, I'm not going to book anything that last week so I can juggle the end of the year stuff.  But, alas, I never learn.  No matter, I survived.  It's done, and summer has arrived.  

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On my agenda tomorrow - sleeping in!  Then, late morning coffee on the patio with the iPad digging into the brand new Spring issue of Trad Home! It's a doozie.  Here's a tiny sneak peek . . .

There is also the coolest video interview of Amanda Nisbet and Joe Lucas - such a great feature of online magazines!  To see the entire issue - click here.  Enjoy your kick off weekend to the season.  M.

Non-Art Art

If you've worked with me on a project, you know how important it is to me to come up with some clever artwork ideas.  I really think artwork is one place where you can save some money while creating some very unique interest in a space.  Here is one great example of this.

 

I was in the Village Framers in Mountain Brook last week and saw this fabulous pair waiting to be picked up!  I took these pictures with my iPhone, so please excuse the poor quality.

Talk about a great non-art art piece!  These are simple fishing lures.  It's hard to tell but they were huge (the frames came up to my waist) while propped on the floor. 

What I love about this idea is the lures themselves were probably not expensive, but when grouped together like this, man do they have some major impact.  Wouldn't these be fantastic in a lake house or even a boy's bedroom.  Loved them.

This goes to show you any item can be framed.  You are only limited by your own imagination (or ability to search Pinterest)!  The trick is to find something inexpensive and group it for some Wow.  Have a great day. M.

 

Weekend Entertaining

So, do you remember the post I did recently on preparing for a party during the "sweet spot."  As luck would have it, around that same time, a representative for Ball contacted me and asked if I would be interested in doing a product review of their new Heritage collection of blue Ball mason jars.   My initial thought was "I have too much on my plate to add canning to the list." But I took one look at those jars and had to have them! They are a throw back to the vintage jars you sometimes see in antique stores.

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Once I had the jars in hand, I did what any girl would do - I started planning a party!  Any excuse right?!  My husband's law firm invites law students to clerk during the summer months (just to get a feel for what it's like to practice law), and we love to have several over for dinner.  So, after pulling together a guest list, I started working on some fun items to create a summertime table setting.  I found a set of eight cobalt blue water and wine glasses on a trading site (you may have these sites in your area  - it's like Craig's list, but on Facebook in your neighborhood) for $50.00.  So, I nabbed them.

Then, I picked up some wrapping paper - this is a very fun, easy way to change the feel of your table.

  I picked a teal/green snakeskin pattern for some contrast.

I got it locally at Smith's Variety (btw, it comes in tons of colors).  I cut it in half with a decorator cutter to create a runner.  Then, I dug through my stash of party supplies and found a wider burlap runner (just to layer under the paper) and some velvet ribbon.  Based on what I had, I decided to contrast rustic elements like the mason jars and the worn linen tablecloth with formal (and a bit modern) elements like the cobalt blue glassware and the snake skin paper.   Look, you need to use what you have.

As I was running errands this week, I ran in to pick up some limes and ginger beer for a very fun signature cocktail to start the party, and a beam of light came down (just kidding) in the flower department of Whole Foods on these . . . 

Peonies are hands down my favorite flower on the planet.  I still remember the first time I saw one - I was working in Atlanta (yes, I was grown!) and a secretary at my law firm came in with the biggest bouquet of them and plopped it down on her desk.  She had cut them from her yard.  For weeks, she would bring them in - just stunning.

Peonies feel old fashion and sophisticated all at the same time.  So, I knew they would be perfect for the Ball jars.  If you are intimidated by creating a huge flower arrangement, consider doing lots of smaller arrangement down the center of your table.  The repetition will give you the same impact as one larger arrangement and it's much easier to tackle.  Also, if you choose a inexpensive container, like these mason jars, you can get that wow factor on a budget!  For these arrangements, I added two peonies (cut fairly short), a creamy berry (not sure what it is but picked up at the grocery), and one stem of greenery cut from my yard to each jar.  That's it!

As an aside, these jars have the vintage "Ball" logo on one side and on the other a history of the Ball jars!  Very cool.  Also, if you want more inspiring images of how to use mason jars in different ways, you must check out Ball's Pinterest page.  Their page is chocked full of projects, flower arrangements, table settings, lighting and other clever DIY projects using mason jars!  It's worth a look see. 

So, now for a few details about the party.  Here's the menu. . . 

Starters

Asiago Breadsticks (from Savages)

Moscow Mules (signature cocktail)

Main Course

Wood Grilled Chicken Skewers

Caprese' Pasta
(Linguini with fresh tomatoes, basil and parmesan cheese tossed in olive oil)

Grilled Asparagus

Fresh Bread

Dessert

Lemon Souffle' with fresh whipped cream

My plan was to set up the cocktails in our living room for a fun change of pace, and to set up dinner outside in the garden.  But, mother nature had other plans, so I opted for cocktails in the family room and dinner in the formal dining room.    I've said this before, but I think it's interesting to mix things up for a party.  If you have a room people tend to walk through and you want that to be a gathering spot, set up a bar in there and see what happens!  Here's the Bar area.

 I picked of the driftwood placemats at the Lamb's Ear in Crestline.  I was initially looking for a large tray, but after talking to those clever girls, I realized these placemats give you lots of options on how you can set up a bar.  So, I was sold!

 

For the signature cocktails, I used this recipe and found this amazingly yummy ginger ale as the mixer!  I thought the little bottles were so cute - but boy do they pack a ginger punch!  Yum.

In addition to the Moscow Mules, I made a nonalcoholic Herbal Iced Tea.  It's always a good idea to create a nonalcoholic specialty drink for those who are not indulging.  Then, here's the final table setting . . . .

And a close up the flowers in the Ball jars.

One more close up - earlier in the day, I had rolled my silverware in the napkins (since I was assuming we would be outside for dinner), and decided to keep it for the dining room.  

I think it lends to a more casual feel of dining.  I just took some velvet ribbon from a previous project and looped it through for one more pop of color.  Sorry this picture is so dark, it was overcast the entire day.

And, just for fun, a few attendees . . .

It was a fun evening.  I hope you enjoyed your weekend too! M.

PS: the entire meal was catered by a dear friend of mine who is a professional caterer in town.  She has catered huge events with hundreds of people as well as smaller more intimate dinner parties like mine.  So, if you live in the Birmingham area and would like her information, let me know!  I would love to share it with you.