My first applique

A burp cloth for my newest nephew

(I think the ribbon I sewed along the bottom really makes it)

Our newest deck addition!! The Edison Chandelier

My cousin just bought a new house and this chandelier was in the dining room. She didn't like the light fixture, and gave it to me as a gift for all the design advice I've given her over the years.

It looks AWESOME on our deck!!

The roof is complete!

Well, the A-frame is, and then of course there are the shingles, but still...a cause for celebration!

Roof rafters

Just a little sneak peak on what's going on in our roof world...

"Go Big Orange" Centerpiece

Today is my grandfather's 93rd birthday, and he is a HUGE UT (Tennessee) fan. So, for his birthday party, my mom and I made these centerpieces with orange slices and curly willows.

Bonus: They smell great!

Cousin Camp

priceless

Memorial Day Weekend Project

Our living and dining rooms were open to each other, but not in a good "Open Floor Plan" kind of way. So, we decided to build some columns and small walls and put up a transom from the in-laws' old house and frame out the dining room space, giving the rooms a little more separation and functionality while hopefully adding a little character.

Here's the work in progress:

The deck (Part 1) is complete!

Finally, our almost 500 square foot deck is complete.

Well, almost. We still lack stairs, some finish details like stain and trim, and of course that small little addition called a ROOF!

If you're gonna be a bear, you might as well be a GRIZZLY BEAR

In my opinion, people's homes are moving away from places that truly and vibrantly express a person's unique design to places where design decisions are made based on "resale value."

Isn't it refreshing when you see a place where someone has boldly taken a design or color and created an amazing space?

I came across some pictures I took several years ago when I went with a friend to a small town to meet a guy who had just purchased an old school abandoned after integration laws were passed. The guy was going to repurpose the school and land as a sort of design community providing studio space for artists to visit and use for periods of time to work on their art. The guy had not yet begun his renovation on the school, though he had been working on his home, a large, open building beside the school that I think may have been the old administration building.

I love his bold use of color and crazy design elements that make the space uniquely his own style.

Sometimes I wonder whatever became of the school? Maybe someday I'll happen upon that town again and find my answer.