House Beautiful

Tag Archive for 'lee jofa'

iPhone Stream (of Consciousness)

I was just flipping back through my iPhoto; ye know how when you hook your phone up to your computer, it dumps everything in there, and then you forget about it?  I just took a trip back through mine and found a few gems to share with you guys…

Did y’all know Ali Larter has a blog?  She’s a domestic goddess of sorts.  I screen shot the above from her site because (le sigh) it reminds me of Fall – which I am currently yearning for.  And it gave me some Thanksgiving dinner table inspiration for this year, and made me wanna haul off to a few antique stores + Anthro and pull something all deep jewel-and-earth-toned-with-tarnished-silver together.

Can I be weird for a sec?  I’ve hosted Thanksgiving the past 2 years in my – er, what was our – sweet little house in Columbus.  There are a slew of reasons I miss that house, and hosting a gaggle of family and friends for holidays was one of em.  But having a blank canvas of my own place to decorate as I please was another.  Moving along…

At least the things I love most made it out here with me, into this itty bitty 10 x 10 joint (?) #silverlining

One thing I love about Cali?  The Corepower Yoga down the street, and the Hot Power Fusion class every weekday at 7:30am.  It’s 105+ degrees, 1 hour long, and I sweat my ever-living BALLS off.  But it’s been incredible for my beat-to-h*ll-from-college-volleyball joints.  It’s the only class I take.

Any calories I burn in yoga, I replace with Twizzlers.  This is what my desk looks like. Every day.  Oosie.

Rapid subject change: never have I ever seen a floral wedding dress, and I wish I remember where I saw this…  and I might love the bouquet more than anything else in this picture, but I give her props for branching out from the white strapless uniform.

How fun is this malachite screen I saw at an antique shop in San Francisco over Labor Day?

I posted up at a little French restaurant when I first got there – and it was a chilly, breezy Fall-ish day, and I had this.  Salmon-à-la-something-something, but it was heaven.

Cafe de la Presse was good for Sunday brunch – all bustly and charming, with a wall of newspapers and magazines to grab from.

Stumbled on some new John Robshaw bedding at a little boutique in San Fran…  I’ll be checking the local John Robshaw Mothership – Bixby & Ball (Solana Beach) for that soon.  So pretty.

We made wine tasting rezzies at this place – Del Dotto… which I was super pumped about, because I thought I was going to be transported to the French countryside for 2 hours whilst I sipped Pinot Noirs.  But careful if you’re in Sonoma/Napa – this shot is of the Del Dotto location in ST. HELENA, not in Napa.  So, we ended up wine tasting in a cave.  Which was also lovely.  But not as lovely as the pretend France I was hoping for.

They did have some gorgeous Fortuny light fixtures though, so I’ll forgive them for the bait & switch.

Roses I bought at the market while fiddle-faddling a few Sundays back.

Had to add this to my “Nostalgia” playlist on Spotify.  Because the late 80’s / early 90’s are the soundtrack to my adolescence.  That playlist also has Moon River from Breakfast at Tiffany’s on it, which makes me think of my Grandparents, which makes my heart ache – and smile – so much I can hardly stand it.

Went sailing with this big hooker in San Diego a few weeks back.  I’m REAL lucky I have her as a friend.  She is one of the sweetest, most hilarious, most real people you will ever meet.  If anybody needs a good b*tch slap in the face, or for someone to show up when you need them, Karrie’s your girl.

She sent me this care package last week.  Sniff sniff.

This is what she looked like as a kid.  Just kidding.  But not really.

My new Ted Baker cami I can’t stop wearing…  It goes with EVERYTHING – I wore it with jeans and heels to dinner the other night.  With that ballet pink pencil skirt to work last week.  It’s a gem.  I strolled into the Ted Baker store at Fashion Valley after seeing this chick’s get-up.

That pic before shows how amazing my black roots look with my blonde hair.  The jig is up.  I’m wondering if it’s not time to just go au naturel…  à la Julia Hengel.  But, my face doesn’t quite look like that, so I dunno… it might be about as smart as the time I wanted cut my hair into a Meg Ryan-esque pixie cut after I saw You’ve Got Mail, and forgot for a second that I have an afro.

Kristin and I saw this a few weeks ago at Bedrosians.  If you’ve spent a sniff of time on Pinterest, or ever wanted to renovate a kitchen or bathroom, then you’ve either seen or heard about Carrara Marble.  It’s the pretty white marble with grey veining popular the world over, and it’s in every French bistro and all-white kitchen from here to Kingdom Come.  It’s classic and it’s stunning – but it’s also supes expensive. The pic above is a gigantic porcelain panel engineered to look like Carrara… porcelain = much more forgiving/resilient than marble, and also much less expensive.  This isn’t the right application for a countertop because the edge profile would be jacked, but if you wanted to – say – panel your shower walls in Carrara marble, this would save you some serious moo.

Kristin – aka my boss lady – aka the Tile Yoda – just put this Skyline Polished 1-1/4″x6″ mosaic from Marble Systems in one of our clients’ kitchens as the backsplash, and it’s stunning.

I also helped her install a few things in a client’s home the other day and snapped this ditty.  Isn’t it pretty?

Beach shacks in Malibu I passed on a 7-mile trek down the beach (where I also passed Courtney Cox and Gabby Reece – neither are ugly in person).

Michael Kors score from TJ Maxx.

Helmut Lang mini sweater-skirt I tried on at Bloomies, which I would totally wear the Michael Kors kicks with.

Look at my sweet, jolly Poppa, Stevie B, playing with Gus (his favorite thing) while he was in town to help me pack up my C-bus house earlier this year.  This pic makes me so happy.  I miss home…  can you tell?

Hilarious texts – 2 of many – that I got almost immediately after the news broke that Ryan Gosling had knocked up Eva Mendes.

Subtle stunner of a rug on the right – or rugs, I should say – at the Kravet Showroom in San Diego.

Some REAL wise words…

The best white shirt I’ve ever owned (Vince from Nordstrom Rack) – I love it best paired with an itty bitty mini.  PS.  Again with the roots.  Fer *$#&’s sake.

I made Karrie’s BBQ meatballs last week, but instead of the cheesy-corn-quinoa, just made cauliflower rice (you grate a head of cauliflower with the grater, then sauté it in a pan…  I baked mine, though, with some butter, cilantro and cumin.  It was heaven.)

The prettiest little lace jumpsuit, ever, as seen on A Cup of Jo.  Joanna knows a good thing when she sees one.

Calligraphy I die over.  Why can’t this be a font on my computer?

Sunset in Del Mar last Friday.

Gus at that same beach during the day… (look at that majestical creature!)

Gus after.  Spent.  Don’t you just wanna spoon him?

xoxo!

Home Improvement

If you read this post or this post, you know I’m on a mission to get our sweet little rental house spiffed up for summer, and for my own sanity.  I’ve had 99 unfinished projects just hangin’ out since I moved in last June.  So, last night’s weeknights consisted of a lot of painting, sewing, rearranging and tweaking.  You’ll see these pics and think I spray painted my entire house in gold and decorated in lilac, but they’re just accents.  The walls are all pale, airy colors with a neutral upholstery.  Here she blows, en photos:

GUEST ROOM

Wall Color: Sherwin Williams Opaline

Floral Pillow: Schumacher Pyne Hollyhock Print in Tobacco ($92 a yard?  Yeah right!  I just used the $5 swatch I ordered and made an 18×18 pillow.)

Otomi Fabric: This was a table runner I got in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.  Cut it in two, backed in linen, made into 2 oblong pillows.

Charcoal & White Shams:  Calico Corners Cross Section Charcoal – $17.99/yard

Bench:  I reupholstered this guy I’ve had for awhile (reupholstered = staple-gunned).  Gold spray paint.  Lilac Fabric from eBay.  Duvet from Goodwill, $2.

Bedskirt: eBay burlappy-linen I’ve had for years that I just tucked between the box spring and mattress and hand pleated it.  Idea via Rachel Halvorson.

COFFEE TABLE UPGRADE

I snagged this sweet gold tray at the Eclectiques Antique Mall for $25 bones in my ‘hood.  She’s PERFECT with peonies in a Ball Jar and plenty o’literature.  PS, look who just haaaad to be in the shot.  What up, Gus?!

DINING CHAIRS, RE-DID

Antique Louis XVI Dining Chairs: purchased YEARS ago in Charleston.  Gold spray paint.  Cestlaviv Lattice in Raspberry Linen, $27/yard.  I cheated and didn’t *fully* reupholster these guys; I just upholstery-pinned them in, since I think I was still pinning them as weekend guests were rolling into the driveway.  #whoops

DINING ROOM PILLOWS SEWN…  FINALLY.

(Is it sewed or sewn?  …ah whatever.)

Pillow Fabric: Lee Jofa/Threads, via Shannon Darby at Designer’s Attic.  I made (2) 18×18 pillows out of 1 yard for $50.  Wanted to use it EVERYWHERE.

Rug: Rugs USA Windsor Overdyed in Violet.  50% off right now, and also awesome in Turquoise.

Settee: World Market Hayden Linen Banquette.  Got it on super sale a few months back.

Wall Color:  Benjamin Moore Hushed Hue.  It’s a good, pale greige neutral with the faintest, palest hint of green.

OUR FIRST BIT OF PRESS, FINALLY FRAMED.  IT’S ONLY BEEN 3 YEARS.

I will never forget the day in 2010 when I got the most gracious email from House Beautiful Editor-in-Chief (and now Hearst Design Group’s Editor-in-Chief) Newell Turner.  I don’t think I let out a little pee, I think I let out the whole tank of pee when I saw it in my inbox.  He proceeded to say that he’d just spent 45 minutes perusing Covet Living, and thought it was “fresh, fun, and original.”  Then I proceeded to ask him to keep us in mind if they had any upcoming features we could contribute to.  And so they did (!)  That entertaining spread is MONEY – 101 genius ideas from Celebrity Party Planners like Colin Cowie, Celebrity Designers like Kelly Wearstler & Miles Redd, and then Blogger Muggles, like us perched at Tip #59.  I still keep a copy of it in my kitchen cabinet.  READ ‘EM ALL HERE.

ENTRY TABLE

A sweet little addition to the entry table, with the happiest photo ever taken from a wedding last year.  Notice our tongues are out in unison.  What a coupla nerds!

Frame: Preppy Patterns Jodie Picture Frame from Joss & Main

Lamps: Vintage Gerald Thurston for Lightolier

Curtains: I made these out of this fabric I saw on Young House Love.  I called the store and scored the rest of the bolt for $9.99/yard.

It’s gettin’ there!  Hope you guys have a great rest of the week – Happy Hump Day!

xoxo,