Thank You and Have a Wonderful Christmas!

I just wanted to wish all of my friends, family, customers, and blog readers a wonderful Christmas and New Year. Living in Scranton has been such a blessing and the people that have supported me has been overwhelming. Four years ago when I began House & Life, it was such an uncertain time for me not knowing how it was going to be received by the community. I've been so lucky to have gained the support of so many people of this great city. Thank you!

And to the wonderful people around this country and world for that matter that have been reading this blog and commenting, you've made me feel like I really have a point of view that is fresh and interesting. I so appreciate it.

Please enjoy your family and friends this upcoming week and I wish you all the best in the upcoming New Year. I can't wait to start blogging again.

Holiday Fav!

I was able to find one 2t of this adorable dress featured in Gap's Holiday Ad campaign. Amanda Peet's daughter Francis looked so cute in it, so I searched for it. And I have to say, its worth it! The hood is lined and the quality is really there. Grab one if you can!

Brass Tax

Brass accents seem to be in the back of my head and in every designer's black book these days. My friend Pink Wallpaper has a great post on the resurgence of brass in home design, and how we all can't believe we are loving this "trend" (hardly!). Brass is back, baby! Think a sleek kitchen with that fabulous chicken wire on a painted hutch. Jen Davis, we've been cooking up a place to use that treatment for sure!

TA-DA!

Well here is the big reveal of our new project and home in Scranton. It's a lovely three story in need of some major TLC. So I'm asking for some color opinions. Right now I'm leaning towards a flannel grey body with some very creme trim, and a lipstick red front door! Please offer your thoughts and some other ideas for color. Gigi looks so sweet and relaxed in her stroller. She has no idea what we are in for! I'll keep you posted.

Skipping Hippos Ponchos

For our Scranton friends that read the blog, Skipping Hippos have just been replenished at the shop. And for those of you out of town, these adorable ponchos make for such a cute gift! They are so easy to get on and off, and the fleece make them really practical. Gigi has one in red!

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A Tiger (or Zebra for that Matter!) does change his Stripes.

A zebra clad hallway in decorator Ashley Whittaker's New York City apartment. Notice the transition from wow to calm waters. From Domino's April 07 article and photo courtesy of Peak of Chic
The adorable decorator Miles Redd in his New York City Townhouse. Photo from New York Social Diary


Do you have a love/hate relationship with animal skin treatments? They tread so close to tacky waters! But when it is done right, it is so chic and refreshing. Just a few loves in my file. The Rose Cummings paper above is just so gorgeous in a crisp blue. Such an unusual, fun approach to zebra. And Miles Redd paired classic zebra on the doors to his red and pink living room. I can just imagine pitching this to a client and seeing them cringe, but look it works!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I can't wait for turkey! Please have a wonderful day with all your friends and family and I"ll see you next week.

Fresh approach to Children's Bedrooms

I'm excited to have the opportunity to re-do my 18 mon. old daughter Georgia's bedroom over in our new house. Thumbing through some favorite saves, I thought I might post some fresh approaches to the traditional child's room or nursery. I love soft palettes mixed with sophisticated, "grown-up" fabrics. The built-in bed in a rich blue offers simple lines, but still inspirational for a young boy or girl. And I love the chicken wire on one of the cabinets! And notice the sophisticated nature of the zebra fabric on the twin headboards, but the mix of a playful fabric on the drapes brings it back down to a child's level of fun. It's the master of the mix!

David Netto, a children's furniture designer (and ex-husband to Ionie Sky) stated recently that people often feel they need to "dumb down" the furnishing in their kid's bedrooms, which simply isn't true. It's often a much more successful outcome in my opinion if you mix in traditional pieces with whimsical accessories. Skip the plastic, in everything for that matter!

Getting In the Mood

Ok, I know its a tad early for Christmas posts, but since I have a retail shop I need to start getting in the mood! I loved this article from last year's Cottage Living about Style Editor Heather Chadduck's 1930's bungalow in Birmingham Alabama. I was renovating our current home when I read this article, and it inspired me to do a chalkboard in our kitchen. I still love it. And now that we are getting ready for a new house (yes, we're vagabonds), I still plan on giving the new house that useful touch in the Mud Room. I loved Heather's whimsical touch to holiday decorating. She didn't have quite enough room for a tree inside, so instead opted for a porch placement. I just loved the big numbers on her tree. And I really liked the brown and blue treatment in the bedroom, just so PRETTY. That's ok to do now, ya know?

Felt fantastic!

Sorry for the felt kick, but I just am crazy for the hair clips for babies and toddlers. I can't wait to get these "Days of the Week" clips in this week at House & Life. They are darling and don't fall out to boot! I wish my mom had access to these. I had at least 10 years of bad hair days as a kid.

Little Uni tees

Little Uni tees make for an adorable new baby or toddler gift. I just love the playful animal shapes with the ability to customize with a name! I'm ordering my Gigi the chocolate brown with the pink elephant. This Chicago based business owned by two girlfriends seems to be gaining popularity. I know my friend Tricia will probably online ordering as soon as this post goes up. We always love the same baby clothes.

Anne Coyle

Ever since Chicago area designer Anne Coyle turned up in O at Home, I have been taken by her comfortable, colorful approach to decorating. She often treats unexpected colors as neutrals, such as lavender and orange.

I fell in love with Lulu DK fabrics at at the Kip's Bay Show house when I saw their iconic "Chant" for the first time on a roman shade, and Anne only reinforced my passion for it when she used in in her client and friend's dining and living room. I am so excited to be using Lulu DK's fabrics in my friend Kathy's gorgeous living room re-do. I hope she'll let me post some pics!

The last picture is from Cottage Living's 2006 Idea house, in which Anne did a beautiful job mixing soft colors with interesting metals.

(images are from Style Court post, originally from Cottage Living, and O at Home magazines)

Tribeca Treats

I was flipping through the channels the other night and there was a feature on this bakery, Tribeca Treats. Rachel Thebault opened her business after being in the banking world for many years. I was taken with her salt and pepper chocolate and YES, she ships! I think I'll be ordering some tasty treats for some of my friends for the holidays since the shop never allows me out.

Dagmar Daley

I absolutely love this children's clothing line. Dagmar Daley is a San Francisco designer that has created these beautiful frocks for boys and girls from 18 months to 8 years old. Dagmar, with a background in architecture, creates clean lines with a throwback to the past. The chemises are so adorable and practical for an extra layer of flannel to keep your little one warm under a dress. I'm delighted we will be carrying this line soon at House & Life.

The New House & Life

Here are some interior shots of our new location for House & Life in Scranton, Pennylvania. We renovated an old home to house our wares and interior design studio. I painted the walls a paper brown and the ceiling got a coat of Robin's egg blue. I just love it!

Cottage Envy

I was delighted that my Cottage Living came through my mail slot on this rainy night. Although "The Office Convention" here in Scranton ( yes, that Scranton) is going on down the Hill from me, my 17 month old Georgia has other plans for me. So I was happy to get some excitement from the article on Cottage Living's former decorating editor Fran Keenan's adorable cottage in Birmingham Alabama. I love her play on patterns and cozy approach. I just love her little girl's room with the giant, multicolor letters. I used that same giant houndstooth for a client's roman shades, so chic!

(images from Cottage Living Magazine)

coat that makes you smile

This coat from J Crew's holiday collection just made my heart skip a beat. The canary yellow and toggles are tough to beat. I think I'm going to put it on my wish list from Santa (aka, my husband Jerard).

Excitement

I'm excited to announce our new blog, House and Life. Thank you for tuning in.