i hate your vacuum.....

its so funny how things in your life effect you....when my husband and i got married we had to do counseling w/ the church for what seemed like months (we had 10 lessons we had to attend). at first it seemed rather uncomfortable sitting there w/ the preacher talking about why we loved one another but as the weeks went on, it actually taught us a lot about each other.

each week, we had to read a chapter in this book and do a worksheet afterwards. one week we had to a lesson on how we were raised. it was like a questionnaire with duties and then columns on each side labeled mother, father, both. this was probably one of the most valuable lessons b/c what you had to do was circle which person did that specific duty in your family a.) your mom, b.) your dad, or c.) both. b/c that was what your perception on that specific duty would basically be going into your marriage. for example...it would say who takes out the trash.... my answer was b. my dad (later i have learned that my mom does it a lot more) and in our marriage, warren generally is the garbage man.

anyways, what i have realized in my 4 yrs of marriage is how you are raised has a huge effect on "your life"...not that i need a book to point that out. well, the reason i am writing this in a round about way is because of a simple thing called a vacuum cleaner...my loving husband was raised on a canister vacuum cleaner. you would think something as simple as a vacuum cleaner wouldn't have that much effect on your life but i was raised on what i consider a normal vacuum...the upright kind. i HATE our vacuum cleaner, in fact, i love to blame that stupid thing on why i can't vacuum. it is the heaviest thing ever!!! it has these wheels on it that is somehow suppose to make the thing easier- give me a break!! i am sweating my butt off from vacuuming the house. i have to constantly tug on that thing, pick it up b/c it runs into the walls, add different parts to it...it sucks- literally!! i almost took out my child this AM...one swift tug and she is history.

my mom can second my opinion...she hates that evil vacuum too (when i was on bed rest for a life time she helped out and tried vacuuming with that stupid canister)!! so to make a long story short...i wasn't raised on that evil canister vacuum...i am here to say my vacuum (the normal kind) is WAY better and so i think i need to boycott vacuuming until a normal kind arrives at our humble abode. no disrespect to my in-laws who are the best thing ever; i just dislike the vacuum you raised my husband on!!

so i didn't vote.....

so i think i need to confess...i am obsessed w/ so you think you can dance. its inevitable that i love this dance show considering i danced from the age of 2-18. my parents had to go to dance recitals for 16 yrs. and then on top of that, in high school, i did 4 yrs of dance team so they had to go to all of the school's preformances. my mother is even more obsessed then i am...it's actually really funny. i think its because she is still upset that my grandmother made her quit ballet to do piano lessons (thank god, my mom didn't make me do that). she hasn't gotten over it. she goes way beyond just watching the show...she goes online and reads the blogs about it and you tubes it....that makes me laugh. i can't believe she hasn't already called me this AM to talk about the upset last night...will got voted off. she will probably die that i am letting out her little secret!! my grandmother is really passionate about politics; my mother is really passionate about so you think you can dance- she will talk all day about it (only to me though...no one else knows until now)!!

i know that this is suppose to be a design blog but sometimes i just need to write what's on my mind (maybe i should have gone to the shows blog) and i cannot believe that one of the most technically trained dancers was voted off last night...i can't believe the two guys that were actually in the bottom two...i love both of them. but here i am ranting on about it and i don't even vote so i guess i can't really say much when it comes to who leaves the show!! anyways, i just thought i would make a confession....have a great weekend...will, you will be an amazing dancer and i can see alvin ailey in your near future....

i want that rug!!

i know that madeline weinrib has been blogged to death but i just cannot tell you how wonderful their rugs actually are. i had a chance to see them in person for the first time in atl (no one carries them in charleston which is a sad, sad thing). i was left drooling. and the cotton collection is relatively inexpensive as far as high end rugs go. and while the store didn't have an extensive collection, they said that madeline weinrib will send you thread samples of any rug you are debating between. *sigh* i want to own one. the problem with being a designer is that you are constantly surrounded by FABULOUS stuff but unfortunately your wallet can't always afford it...so you just live vicariously through the fab stuff you put into your clients' homes!

charts...

things that make my heart putter...wall charts. i love the idea of the scroll and how it hangs. it's like you need a yard stick so you can point out the elements in the picture like the teachers use to. and they are usually fairly large so they are a great way to take up a lot of space on a blank wall. they are now making reproduction botany/ zoology charts from jung koch quentell...i just purchased the butterfly one for a client. it has such great colors! also, you can still find vintage ones around- ebay is a great source for them. i'd love to win the bid on these 1900 german biological chart on ebay right now....

cha ching...

shopping can be tiring...i'm not asking you to feel sorry for me...but it can be hard, especially in atl and that town's insane traffic; i need to do a little shout out for my neighbors who lent me their gps...i don't know what i would have done without it. i LOVE that thing...but its kind of scary...i don't pay a bit of attention to my surrounds and i put all of my trust into this computer generated women to guide me all over town...it never once crossed my mind that she could be telling me the wrong place. but luckily, she was right on and i had a successful shopping trip in the big city. i can't go to atl w/out stopping at pieces; *sigh* i could live in that place...its so wonderful and beautifully color coordinated with amazing taste. yea, i am going to have to do another *sigh* on that note.
so i'll touch on some hot spots i experienced...bedding- i still think that it is really hard to do bedding...maybe b/c my bed consist of a white duvet b/c i can't figure out what i want to do in there. however, i went to this amazing place, belle chamber- loved it. i was greeted by a woman who looked just like charlotte on sex and the city but w/ shorter, curly hair. she was sporting her pearls and a perfectly pressed pleated shirt. she was so much help. i think charleston needs a bedding place like this one. they have so much gorgeous stuff...all the lulu dk samples (which is a huge help when you are trying to match things with existing fabrics in a room). and so many other brands that i hadn't found online. the only draw back is that luxury bedding comes with a luxury price tag. so i am still in limbo.
okay, this is getting super long so i am going to speed this up...LOVE bungalow classic. the store is just so tastefully done and has the most beautiful lamps. and the way they display their furniture is just wonderful...all upholstered in linen, coffee tables had sparse but right on accessories, bedding was classic, and fabulous rugs. you should totally shop here...stocked up on some lamps for a client.
i am multi tasking by writing this way too long post, talking to my brother, and eat the rest of taylor's peach. i am going to run!! have a great weekend!! tay and i are going to play at the pool today...much needed relaxation after all of that shopping :)

trash to treasure....

so i have been doing a little shopping for a client of mine. they are moving into a new house and they sold everything with their previous home. so they have nothing to add character- no books, no accessories- everything is starting new. hence, me and my shopping excursions...best job ever by the way. the home has lots of bookshelves...which can seem a little daunting when you have nothing to put in them...so i have been out and about at every antique store in charleston and the surrounding areas. you know antique shopping is not always glamorous...in fact, i chuckle when i go to one of my favorite places here- a salvage yard. its hot as hell in there; there is no AC in the building and it is a place you have to dig. you really have to want it...and i crave the find! i can't picture my old boss in a place like this...digging for a client...but that is one of the things i love...and the perks of being a young, hungry designer. so here are some of my goodies thus far...i will be moving them into the home in about a week and i'll be sure to take some pics...but before that all takes place, i am off to GA again to add to my collection of goodies and dig through their piles of junk!

so what if i'm a stalker...

i am not going to lie, i stalk my favorite designers...i go to their websites and drool/ study/ dream over all of their interiors. needless to say, i was excited when i went to steven gambrel's this am and found new pics to occupy my time with..he just kicks you know what- love him!

here they are....

so sweet courtney took the time and got all of the pics i wanted to share w/ y'all yesterday and emailed them to me!! wasn't that so nice? i wish i had a mac b/c apparently that is super simple...but unfortunately i have a PC so i am stuck hoping that one day it will die and i can upgrade to what the cool kids have!! so here are the pics of the beach houses i loved...top 3 are laid back beach house; bottom is FL one!! hope you have a wonderful hump day!!

so i don't know how to show y'all...

these adorable beach houses on country living b/c they are in the flash pic slide show thing....i suck when it comes to understanding the ends and outs of computers but if you are interested in seeing some great beach houses check these out....both the FL one and the laid back beach house are totally my style...and they are completely different....i adore the vintage finds like the coffee table and DR chairs in the FL home and i love the DR and pic w/ the tortoise shell in the laid back home...sorry i can't post the pics....

* the pic above has no relevance to the houses i am talking about...it is just the only pic i could get off of country living...but its real cute! love the adirondack chairs...

rise and shine....

i use to think my mom was crazy b/c she woke up at 5:30 in the AM....now i am that person. for the past week, i have been waking up at 5:48 randomly. and once my eyes open, my mind starts racing...it's crazy. i look at the clock, then at warren, then try and close my eyes and think happy thoughts like you have a whole hour to sleep uninterrupted (gosh, that use to be the best feeling...waking up and then discovering that you still had time to sleep before heading off to school or work). but my mind has another agenda...things to do. its like my to-do list is running thru my head. i'm not stressed out; if anything i am excited. i actually love my job and what i do.

so there i was in the bed thinking instead of that one hour of sleep that i use to long for, how nice it would be to get up and have an hour of peace and quite without interruptions...coffee, internet searching, doing my blog, starting my "to-do list"...and so here i am- great cup of coffee, 10 yr old faded sorority shirt, hair in a half bun/ ponytail, zit cream still plastered on my face, eyes barely open, and huge grin on my face b/c i have 30 minutes just to myself.....

happy 4th!

so today is the official start of the holiday...at least here at pinkwallpaper. taylor and i began the morning w/ a trip to ABC where we feasted on muffins and coffee (tay opted for a sippy cup). now, i have to finish packing and then the fam is off to the mountains....usually on the 4th we are at the beach but this year we decided to mix it up and go see our new addition to the family, our nephew who was born on the best day- my b'day :)...anyways, i hope y'all have a wonderful and safe 4th! i hope to get into some antique shopping- they have the best ones there! and i can't wait to eat ribs- a tradition that i have grown up doing...and maybe get in a little time at the pool...ta ta for now!! pic is MS living...who else has time to create a spread like that?

it was quite apparent he had a 'south of broad' address....

so i don't know why this man stuck out in my head so much as he was walking across the street downtown yesterday...maybe b/c of his attire, well, i know for a fact it was b/c of his attire...he was very well color coordinated...and in my head i thought "only in charleston". i swear the man's outfit came straight from ben silver, one of the classic charleston stores for fine men's (and women's) apparel. you know when you can just tell....well this man screamed ben silver...purple (yes, purple) seersucker pants, a white summer oxford shirt perfectly pressed w/ the sleeves rolled up just above the wrist, a purple and navy blue bow tie that coordinated w/ his pants perfectly, and a pair of cream suede bucks...all he needed was a pair of these tortoise shell glasses (signature style for any well dressed ben silver man) and he would have won a gold star.....isn't it funny how a town has an "attire" to it. like seersucker pants and charleston....its a guaranteed attire at any cocktail party, museum opening, or church function. if you are born and raised in charleston, i think its a right of passage that you have to own a seersucker suit. and if you are of the younger generation, you generally sport them with your rainbows. i don't know why i felt like sharing this today...i just thought its funny how a "style" can lend itself to a town....i mean, i don't know if that man would have been considered as "stylish" in say the the midwest part of the country....