{via flikr}
2011? …Really? Just saying that number aloud sounds cuckoo for cocoa puffs to me. It sounds like the year I thought we’d be flying around in Jetsonmobiles. And wearing metal underwear. But alas – 2011 is underway, so probably best to jump on board. But before we do, let’s recap the oldies but goodies of 2010:
1. COVET LIVING is born on April 14, 2010. The spawn of two bi-coastal high school besties, and a platform for sharing our zest for life and all things inspiring, gorgeous, hilarious and delightful.
Columns like “Goodwill Hunting” – Steph’s how-to-repurpose-thrift-store-trash-into-treasures column, and “White Oprah” – featuring Karrie’s pearls of wisdom – would follow.
Homage would oft be paid to our small Midwestern hometown…
{via BSU}
…and posts would be dished out with candor and unabashedly inappropriate verbiage – to the tune of “HO-LY TESTICLE TUESDAY!” Because sometimes, we get really excited, and “oh boy!” doesn’t always hack it.
{via HBO}
2. We flew to NYC to surprise our other bestie – Melissa – for her 30th Birthday, and whooped it up big time in the Big Apple. A weekend of insanity ensued, and great times were had. Click here for a recap and wrap-up of some choice NYC spots.
{via flikr}
3. Karrie got engaged (!) To a really sweet guy named Tim. I wonder if he’s seen her first thing in the morning when she makes the Chewbaca face yet? Bless his heart.
4. Steph did her first Designer Showhouse room in June. Right down the street from where Jake Ryan, Samantha Baker and Long Duk Dong once filmed an epic little flick called Sixteen Candles in the picturesque suburbs of Chicago.
5. We oooh-ed and ahhh-ed over the following interiors, BIG time, because they represent what we love most – design that is chic, unpretentious, and inviting.
{Set of It’s Complicated}
{One Day Bedroom Makeover – Amanda Nisbet for House Beautiful}
{Designer Kristen Cox’s Charlotte home via Better Homes & Gardens}
{Rita Konig via Domino}
{TEOT via Style At Home}
{via Domino}
{via Roseland Greene }
{via Making It Lovely}
{via La Dolce Vita – more of this home to follow in High Gloss‘ 1st Issue}
{via House Beautiful}
{Meg Adams via House of Turquoise – further coverage here & here}
6. We traveled far & wide for work, weddings and such.
{Charleston, SC – Steph’s Other Home}
{London, England – which Karrie frequents for her job}
{Western North Carolina – Steph’s Southern Roots}
{Rome, Italy – Karrie for work, Steph for play}
{Maui – Karrie’s engagement venue}
We also returned to our Midwestern roots this summer…
…to rendezvous for some much needed R&R at the lakes.
{photo by Erin Murray}
7. We received an incredibly gracious and flattering email from Newell Turner – the Editor in Chief of House Beautiful – who called Covet Living, “Fresh, Fun and Original.” Uhhh, we couldn’t have received a nicer compliment from a more amazing source. A few short months later, Covet made its first appearance on the glistening pages of said magazine’s November feature “101 Party Do’s & Don’ts”.
8. These little nuggets were born into our families, melting our hearts and giving Gerber babies everywhere a run for their money. Helllllllloooooo, Rainer & Hailie Grace!
9. HGTV‘s casting scouts came a-knockin, looking for a new TV host. Stephanie made it all the way through the on-camera interview stage – during which, she drew air hearts and used words like “fire breathing dragon” to describe former nightmare clients, and before which I’m fairly certain she had to throw back a shot of liquid courage called vodka.
{Sitting Room by Stephanie Ballard}
10. New Year’s Eve was spent as it should be – at house parties with great friends. Because after spending years at fancy parties in big cities with fancy cover charges, we’ve discovered that it’s not about what hoity-toity party you post-up at, but who you’re spending it with. Plus, duh. New Year’s Day is where all the fun’s at.
Thank you so very much to all of you who have been so incredibly encouraging and supportive of our new endeavor – we love you more than any words in our made-up vocab could possibly convey. Look for CL to crank it up a notch in 2011 with more Giveaways, more Before & Afters, more Profiles (Summer Thornton, Ondine Karady, Mally Skok, a celeb hunk, and more!) – and – (drumroll……….) an E-Decorating launch!
Giddy up,
