Comfortable Decor Tips

William Sonoma has a pretty good enews letter that often features tips to the trade on decorating. This news letter features my favorite designer Bunny Williams, love her decorating, love her advice, love her style. Isn't it just like Bunny to say leave the newspapers around.

I see it all the time - customers using family photos to decorate a room. Remember they are not an accessorie to cover all spaces, they also are not art. While designating a wall to display family photos framed in a similar style can be a fun look, having a 2' x 3' portrait of you in your wedding gown over the sofa can be a bit tacky.
This is it for today as I need to continue following the Royal Wedding. What an upper!

I Bought Yellow shoes.

Emerson made flower pins
I really want one and so does Christine.


I was sooooo excited when I saw these yellow shoes, just had to have them. They made me happy. I was looking forward to sunny days to wear them with jean shorts and a white tee. Maybe I would pair a Emerson Made red flower with them, if I was feeling funky. Then my sister made fun of them &#***&^. Was I crazy? Were they too young? After all they are just plastic..... What did I see in them? I'll tell you what I saw, I saw summer, and lazy carefree days, tan legs and shorts. Jumping up in the morning and throwing on flip flops and a sun dress. Grilling steaks for dinner and eating at 9 pm so as not to waste any daylight. Lazy boat rides down the river ( with a cocktail in hand) sitting on our porch having cocktails with our friends. The smell of sun tan lotion, sandy towels, and the cool ocean flowing over my head. They were more than just yellow shoes to me !!!! And I think I will get my sister a pair. Besides Jacob Lusk wore yellow shoes on American Idol last night.

If I were to paint my walls a bold summer color It would be: Benjamin Moore #312 crowne hill yellow it's a yellow with orange undertones. If you need to play it a bit safer go for #297 golden honey, it still will warm you up but has just a bit of gray in it so is easier on the eyes. Remember- if you feel like screaming when you first see your room painted "OMG it's so bright, so dark so intense" be easy on yourself. When you put back the furniture and wall art some of the color is absorbed and it is less intense. Just what you wanted.
I would love to drive a yellow car
Think of how boring this room would be without a touch of yellow
Or this room
Or this room

And on
And on
And on........

They are back

These creatures are incredible. I put out my feeder and sure enough they have returned. I make up a mixture of 1 part sugar to 3 parts water and feed them spring through the late fall. I never tire of watching them dart around. Did you know they can fly up, down, forward, backward, sideways, upside down, and up to 60 miles an hour. They can be aggressive, I have watched then chase big birds away from their territory. They feed constantly, some summer days I use up to two quarts of sugar water. It's important to keep the mixture fresh, changing it every four or five days. I am jealous of their high energy level. I bet they have all their projects done.

It was so nice to wake up to the sounds of spring this morning, thinking that I would be carried down river with all the rain last night. I opened my eyes to bright sunshine and listened to the sounds of birds. Whatever horrible, self loathing, pitying thoughts I had about my life, work, family, ability to get things done, messy closets, unfinished projects, not started projects, were instantly gone. I now had visions of lazy summer days. I was tan and 10 pounds lighter ,serving cocktails and hors d'Oeuvres on my porch. Kayaks paddled by and Jack Johnson was playing softly in the background. My gardens were in full bloom, and I had created a beautiful circular herb garden with a bird feeder in the center. My work was all caught up and I could spend the next day painting along the river. " GET UP Michele " said B.C.. Oh, no, was I dreaming? But I peaked outside and it was sunny and they were back - the hummingbirds.

Ahh, Nature Decorates

We all know I'm a woodsy kind of girl, always dreaming of the perfect life.... Living in a cottage by a river ( O.K. that I am) , collecting fresh eggs every morning for the frittata I am making ( B.C. wont buy me chickens), picking fresh produce from my exploding garden ( I am getting some lettuce now) having the time to work and still do all this ( we need 48 hour days). But anyway I still was excited to see a trend of nature in home decorating. So maybe I can steal an hour to take a walk and fill my home with nest, shells, and twigs, so it's as pretty as some of the showrooms at the High Point N.C. furniture market.
Lots of nature in the art shown, this is a collection of antique prints re-colored for today's market.




I am always attracted to layered art, but the simple branches just sends me.



While not exactly natural, I find him kind of funky, yup I'd hang him in my house.


I would love to see this table mixed with linen in a more formal setting.


Tired of tile or wainscoting on the front of your bar ? Try logs!


I think they are making fun of antler mounts, but I love them...



I am painting this over B.C. bed.


Pine cones, branches, shells, rocks, it all works to bring nature in.


Don't forget the power of green, plants I mean.




Sweet little birds.


Bark on walls.
Bark on furniture.

Lilly Pulitzer Furniture

Since 1959 Lilly Pulitzer has been giving us a reason to sing with her colorful shift dresses and playful prints. Now the same fun colors and floral designs can turn up the volume in your home.
Lee Jofa has the fabrics and HFI furniture is representing the upholstered and case good lines.
This is where we entered HFI's showroom in High Point N.C. furniture market. With all the emphases on brights in ready to wear I can see this line playing an important part in home fashion. Not sure I could take an entire room of Lilly Pulitzer but I am in love with a few pieces.
This cocktail table (removing all the sweet colors from around it) maybe mix it with linens and one print that contains a LITTLE pink and it could be a statement piece.
This chair drives me crazy, I want one just not in pink.... It is available in ivory but I think it loses it's punch. Maybe they would make me one in turquoise. Just one!
The bedding in all white, and let the walls stand on there own. Maybe I would add crystal lamps and natural wood nightstands.
I could handle this with linen colored walls and ditch the hot pink matting on the pictures. Also go down to one etagere.
I think I would use the chairs with a weathered wood table or the table with upholstered chairs. Not both together, just too matchy.
So I love color, love Lilly Pulitzer designs, but please not a full room of them. Pick and choose, pick and choose.......

I'm Back On Track !

We are off to the spring High Point N.C. furniture market. It was a successful, motivating time. Just what the doctor ordered for me. I needed a shot of inspiration to get me moving as I have been in some kind of funk for the last several week, I guess you have noticed NO BLOG for two weeks. Well I am full of trends, colors and lots of ideas just swirling in my head, so I'm back baby and ready to report.


My favorite thing at market: shin warming chairs in lamb from Lee. I want to do two of them flanking a large coffee table. Any takers?



I am loving print upholstered beds, getting a little sick of linen.


The Lee Industries showroom was great as usual, just full of inspiration. I always want to run home and redo my house.



Maybe it was this creature who jolted me back to reality. Either way I am ready to start reporting on all the newest trends starting tomorrow.