House Beautiful

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2012, in all its glory… and Julia Sugarbaker

Hi guys!  We know it’s been awhile…  hope y’all had an AWESOME holiday (the emphass-is there is on “hol-i-day,” not “Christ-mas,” because remind me to tell you how many times I wished the *same* lady in December a “Merry Christmas!” after she told me like, 7 times that she was Jewish.  Shalom!  Whoops.)  But alas, isn’t it the merry sentiment that counts??  Anyhow.  Despite Kar Bear and I having full-time gigs (she as the Senior VP of a production company, me as a Medical Device Sales territory manager), this blog has always been such a wonderful creative outlet that feeds our little souls.  So, dang it.  We are ramping it up in this piece in 2013.  And before we start rattling off 2013’s resolutions & such, can we rap real quick about how totally outrageous 2012 was???  Here’s what went down on my end:

1 – TONS of quality girl time.  A Big Chill-esque birthday weekend in Venice Beach, CA with all my favorite people under one roof…  I nearly wet myself.  Anna Maria Island in November for Karrie’s 1st wedding anniversary, San Diego for work, etc.  Bliss.

2 – Got a job promotion and moved from my beloved Windy City to Columbus, OH, in June, where I shacked up in this sweet little Who’s-The-Boss lookalike, idyllic house.  Said casa came complete with a tons of character in the form of arched nooks and newly restored, limewashed-pine-looking doors, a Saturday Farmer’s Market at the end of my block, a cherry tomato plant growing like wildfire on the side of the house (this excites me to no end), a budding herb garden in backyard, and never-ending design projects inside.  Bliss.

3 – I became an (honorary) auntie to this little booger, whose nursery I collaborated on with his madre earlier in the year.  He’s so precious I could eat him with a spoon.

4 – I fell cuckoo-for-cocoa puffs (and I mean, game over) in love with this kid, and life has never been the same since.  We had one of those epic, no-holds-barred, 4-hour convos on our 1st date, after which I felt like I’d known him for a few years, not just a few days.  He’s totally ridiculous on a dance floor, totally smokin’ hot, bear-hugged my dad and sat in my mom’s lap the first day he met both of them, and has the best laugh of anyone I know.  He’s also the other half I never knew I had.

5 – SOLID vaycay time in Mexico, where I made plenty of bad decisions that my parents wouldn’t be proud of…  like doing shots while hanging upside down (1st photo, #3), partaking in a little harmless cliff-diving, and winning an obstacle course drinking contest at Mango Deck – a rip-roaring fun but not entirely savory beach front establishment.

6 – Hosted Thanksgiving for both my and #4’s families (and refinished that $40 table from Craigslist on Thanksgiving Eve.  My step-dad asked me if his plate was going to stick to the polyurethane – bahahha).  My favorite part of the day?  It’s a tie between watching our grandparents – both widowed – engage in a little harmless, G-rated flirting.  That and the random chiming-in of people around the dinner table with all the things they were thankful for.  Warms my little heart to no end.

7 – Moving is the WORST (!!%^#$&@!!), but the best part about it is getting to decorate a new space.  And so I did.  Yahtzee!

Here’s to a very Happy 2013 to you!  I hope it rocks your face off and is full of SO much joy and laughter and fun.  Thanks for reading our little labor of love over here still, you loyal little nuggets you.  And if you have a sec to weigh-in (oh I’d be so grateful if you could!), please let us know what you’d like to see/hear more of from us this year – DIY Projects, Recipes, Goodwill Hunting, Inspired DJ Playlists, Interiors, Entertaining, etc.??  And on that note…

We’re also kicking around the idea offering Design Services, including E-decorating packages…  would you guys be interested in something like that?  That’s when – instead of hiring an expensive decorator, you tell us what room needs tweaking, send us some pics and measurements, tell us what your favorite color is, all that good stuff…  and for a much more wallet-friendly fee, we send you back inspiration boards, floor plans, fabric/paint/wallpaper samples, and resource lists based on your budget.  Below is what I did for my living room in Columbus…

And the nursery I did for my friend Vani’s little peanut…

Does that sound like fun??  For more insight into what my design sensibilities (that sounds so suhnoh-bay, doesn’t it?) look like, here’s my COVET LIVING PINTEREST PAGE for the gandering.  PS:  Gandering is totally not a word.  Alas, below is a screen shot of one of my favorite boards, California Dreaming, which I usually bulk up every grim, frosty Midwest winter when I’m dreaming of easy breezy decor, salty ocean air, warmer days and casual living.

xoxo!

Holiday Gift Guide: for Gals

…or Kwanzaa, or Hanukkah – ye know.  Hopefully, MY DEAR SANTA LIST and KARRIE’S DEAR SANTA LIST earlier this week may’ve given you a few good ideas for she-gifts?  If not, here are a few more universal gems to chew on:

NIKI QUINN BEST FRIENDS NECKLACE SET, $24.  I mean.  Let’s be honest…  when’s the last time you had one of these?  That’s right.  4th grade.  And your friend Sally Talksalot probably had the other half.  I saw this in the case at a cute, quirky little shop called Tigertree in downtown Columbus a few months ago and almost OD’d on nostalgia…  then I promptly purchased one and gave it to my BFF from college, Mary.  And then we jumped up and down in circles screaming and laughing for 10 minutes after she opened it.

INDIAN SUZANI PILLOW, $79.  I’ve maybe never seen anything prettier.  Who WOULDN’T love to have this as a pretty punch of color somewhere in their house?

THE LEMON CRATE, $99.  I’m only mother to Gus (does that make me Mother Goose??), but I’d like to please add this to my Christmas list as well, svp.  It’s a potted baby Meyer lemon tree!  Can be grown and harvested on a patio or in a sunny kitchen.  Hopefully come summertime it looks about like this:

AHAVA INTENSIVE HAND CREAM, $28.50.  I know my mom’s hands get super dry and chapped when it’s cold outside…  and on that note, so do mine, so do my dad’s, and so do Matty’s.  So it’s not just for Ma…  you might as well just take a squirt and pass it on.  It’s is the only product I’ve been able to find that goes on like BUTTAH and stays on so your hands stay moisturized.  SO, so worth the price.

LEATHER PANTS, $34.95.  (Pictured are not exact pants, but they’re close).  A girlfriend of mine wore these to dinner the other night, and my jaw hit the floor.  I would’ve thought she spent $200 on ’em, but they’re from H&M.  And then I sprinted out and bought myself a pair.  They fit like a tight pair of skinny jeans – the kind that suck you in and make you look like you lost 10 pounds.  Runs small (I’m a 6, but I had to buy an 8).  I honestly had no idea whether to put these on the gift guide for gals, or the gift guide for guys.  Cause honestly, everybody wins with these things.  Fellas……  You’re welcome.

POLAROID Z2300, $160 and up.  Girls love pictures, and girls love nostalgia.  So this thing is a slam dunk.

MICHAEL KORS SPARKLING PAVE DIAMOND EARRINGS, $75.  Super chic…  perfect for a black tie wedding, and perfect for everyday.  They’ll be the new staple in her (jewelry) wardrobe.

VOLUSPA LAGUNA CANDLE TIN, $16.  Little luxury that goes a long way.  I like this one *almost* as much as Saijo Persimmon, but I put Laguna on the Gift Guide list because it’s a smidge more subtle and realy soothing.  Smells lovely in a bedroom.

MOSSIMO JACQUARD SCARF, $20 $15.99.  Looks like it was made by Pendleton and feels so thick and nice that at that price, it feels like stealing.  Great winter staple.

BB DAKOTA SCOTLYN FUR VEST, $90 $65.10.  This girl certainly looks like she’s seen a good party or 12, but that rocker chick fur vest sure is sweet.  And would be super bad with the leather leggings above.  Also…  I’d like to feed her some Christmas cookies.

CYNTHIA ROWLEY FLASK BRACELET.  Ah nuts I lied, this bad boy’s not out yet.  Spring 2013.  But log it for future purchase.

SOFIA BLANC DE BLANCS 4-PACK, available at liquor stores the world over.  Champagne in a can with a cute little pink straw???  Love.  The bubbly itself is also very very good.  And the packaging is basically done for you.  BANG.

RENT THE RUNWAY GIFT SETS, $50-$100.  Rent the Runway is a site that lets you rent designer dresses and fancy get-ups for a FRACTION of the retail price, and for a period of either 4 or 8 days.  You can peruse pics of real women (genius) wearing each frock and read their comments on how it fit, what they loved about it and what they didn’t.  They send you a back-up size just in case, and an already-stamped return envelope to mail in back in for dry cleaning.  So easy it’s stupid.  Plus, I don’t know a girl who has a special occasion coming up and doesn’t want to wear something shiny & new for it.

STILA SELF-ADJUSTING PINK BLUSH, $20. AKA “Smart” blush.  This stuff looks hot pink, but it reacts to your skin tone and individual pH to create the perfect pink for you.  I’m on my 2nd one, so I can personally vouch for this one.  It also always makes my cheeks look pretty and fresh and natural and flushed…  not like I have blush on.

MANI/PEDI, MANI/PEDI, MANI/PEDI, $30-50. Especially if you need one more thing to round out her stack of gifts, or if you just don’t know what to get her at all.  I have never met a girl who didn’t love a good mani/pedi.  Plus, we could all use ’em this time of year when our hooves get all neglected and crusty.  Bud could even use one…  if only the salon had a belt sander on hand.  Just kiddin…  love you Papaw!

Happy (last-minute) shopping!

xoxo,

Steph & Karrie