In Love with Pink...Happy Valentine's Day!

Bold Pink...

Hillary Thomas Designs

Little Girl Pink...

Ruthie Sommers

All Grown Up Pink...

House Beautiful 

Pink Underfoot...

Via Shelter

Waking Up to Smell the Roses Pink...

Wouldn't a vase of pink roses bedside be a sweet thing to wake up to on Valentine's Day? 

Designer Crush & Wisconsin Native: Kristen Buckingham

I saw a blurb in the February/March 2011 issue of Elle Decor and was reminded of decorator Kristen Buckingham. She has a store in LA's La Cienega Design Quarter which features her debut line of upholstery, case goods, outdoor furniture and lighting.

I first saw Kristen's work in Elle Decor a few years back, when they featured the Brentwood home she designed for her family. 

Kristen was raised in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, so I'll proudly claim a Wisconsin connection to her.

The stunning living room of her home is familiar to many after the Elle Decor magazine spread and the subsequent coverage.  

Kristen cites that her philosophy is in part influenced by Albert Hadley's "chic suitability." 

I love her style, described by her husband as "traditional and edgy."

I secretly want to be more edgy... I'm taking baby steps.  

Love that she cited that she wanted her own home to feel "human scale," livable and authentic.  

Even her kitchen has the look of a home built in the 1920's with updates, not one from the last decade. Sigh, those floors!  That little alcove back there. 

Anyway....back to her "news"....Kristen's debut line has some beauties...

And can you believe this divine wingback chair is a part of her outdoor line? 

I'll take a pair of each, to start! 

Pretty, Kid-Friendly Dining Room Chairs

Via Material Girls 

I currently have a combo of white slipcovered chairs and Ikea's white Ingolf chair at our dining room table.  The pair of Ikea chairs came into play when I realized my little girls would be wiping their hands (and coloring) on the slipcovers more than even I could keep up with on the washing/bleaching front.  

The look remains classic and clean but still a girl gets to dreaming. Those blue and white bistro style chairs which I love, however, might just have too many crevices! 

I never thought I'd consider a dark brown upholstery like Katie Lee Joel's chairs in her Nate Berkus designed apartment, above, but maybe? And the kids could wipe their hands on the fabric and you... might not know? 

The Novogratz home - featured on Bravo's 9 by Design - had a similar style chair - upholstered in white pleather. Really pretty amazing idea, and with seven kids, they should know! Much more practical than just hoping a dark color "hides" the dirt. 

That table top looks pretty indestructible, too. 

Image via Made by Girl by Jill Slater

For now, I'll keep bleaching and the Magic Eraser is always close by. And in another ten years, maybe we'd be ready for something like this? 

Gwynn Duggan

Who am I kidding? More like twenty years....

Tuesday Blues-day

Image via House Beautiful


I'm feeling a bit under the weather today, which by the way, is cold, too cold.  I woke up in the middle of the night thinking about dreamy, beachy blues.

Love the lines of this sofa. The curtains almost blowing lightly in the breeze. The sun shining through those beautiful paned windows in the back room.

I'm there. Padding around barefoot.  My legs are tan. Fresh pedicure.
My girls laughter is floating in from the backyard.

I should make some lemonade for the BBQ tonight.

Hope you are staying warm! 

Ode to the Green and Gold! (Horray Packers!)

Image via Rue Magazine

Friday Love: Ruthie Sommers

Image via Ruthie Sommers  Photo by Grey Crawford

Wish you were here. Spending the weekend poolside. 

Wish I was, too. 

High Gloss Magazine Debut: Wednesday's Kitchen

Photographed by Grey Crawford for High Gloss

Another great new online magazine has launched: High Gloss Magazine.

Loving it, inspiration fills the pages. I've just been reading it over breakfast with my girls.

I loved Tia Zolden's Los Angeles home and that rug in the kitchen has me scheming.  I'm just not sure how practical it would be in my real life.

Regarding her quote on the photo...I don't think anyone would ever doubt my kitchen is lived in!
Ever.

Careful! Don't trip on that sippy cup!

P.S. Those pendants...they're hot right now, showing up everywhere...the Hicks Pendant by Thomas O'Brien...were just featured on one of my favorite blogs Shelter.