House Beautiful

Tag Archive for 'bixby & ball'

Sunday Mishmash of Goodness

Sunday Morning | Covet Living

Gooooood MMMMORNING (!)  This post is not about The Bachelor, nor is it another Gone With The Wind-esque run-down of what’s popping over at Casa Covet Living.  Lately, I’ve been looking at an AutoCAD / Cabinet Vision screen and reading plumbing fixture & wood flooring reviews with a fervor that I think may’ve begun to make my eyes start crossing inward.  And sidebar – lemme tell you – I honest-to-goodness LOVE doing all of those things, and feel REALLY grateful to be doing them for a living (which is still such a funny and amazing concept to me), but it’s also been a minute since I free-balled it and did my absolute favorite thing… and that, my friends, is fiddling the morning away on Pinterest – while the coffee maker gurgles in the background and bacon cooks and Gus lays at my feet.  Which is what is happening right now (except the bacon is pappardelle), and it’s heaven I tell ya.  And it’s good for my soul – in the same way planting potted herbs and using my power sander and riding a beach cruiser and smelling saltwater and painting and spending the day at a flea market is.  So you can tee up my favorite Sunday morning mix if you wanna…

Sunday Morning Mix | Covet Living

…and then, hey.  Feel free to fiddle faddle with me – here are the things that make me REAL happy, and the things currently tickling my proverbial pickle these days:

Is it Spring yet?

peonies | covet living

This Easter-egg-amazing crochet ditty from Kiini

crochet boho bikini | covet living

Love me some Aloha.

aloha collection | covet living

PS: Get 20% off sitewide today with the code SPRINGDREAMIN.

This situation, which is a sultry version of my every-day wardrobe.

White and Denim | Covet LIving

This stunner, which – at this point if I ever wanna get married – I would probably wear.  On a warm saunty beach.  With a taco stand as a caterer.

Moda Operandi Alexis Dress | Covet Living

…or this:

simple sequin dress | covet living

Speaking of marriage and tacos, have you seen this?  Truer words have really never been spoken.

Screen Shot 2016-02-28 at 5.54.46 AM

I love this Gigi Stoll photograph so much it hurts.

www.gigistoll.com

www.gigistoll.com

Could I please get two claps for my big man GusGus for President?  I’ve never seen him not chase and/or have an absolute melt down when faced with a cat.  My friend Kristine graciously took (amazing) care of him while I was in Hawaii, and sent me this one day.  I was all kinds of jaw-on-floor for at least an hour.

bus

This striped blue fabric makes me weak at the knees in an English country house / It’s Complicated sort of way…

fermoie stripe | covet living

And while we’re in a blue period, so does this custom ottoman from Brooke Wagner Design.  She’s a designer out of Newport Beach, and I lovelovelove her work.

Ottoman by Brooke Wagner Design | Covet Living

That goes for these perfect blue and white pots from Bixby & Ball I saw last week at the John Robshaw event (remember when I diddled in my drawers when he kissed me on the cheek?  Then patted him on the arm LIKE AN A$$ HOLE and said, “Good job buddy.  Keep it up!”  Cuz I do.)

Perfect Blue & White Pots | Bixby & Ball | Covet Living

Last blue and white thing: I need this.

IMG_2146

Today, I’m delighted to be hibernating and working on my own business and I haven’t thought too much about it as of late… maybe I should, ‘fore my ovaries look like something from the Walking Dead… but someday, maybe this’ll be nice to have again.

love | covet living

The perfect weekend outfit..

sunday outfit | covet living

I wanna make luscious drapery panels out of this Zak + Fox “Sauvage in Raffia” situation REAL BAD.

zak and fox raffia | covet living

This goofy outtake is the only pic I have of it, but how gorgeous is the fresh jade lei Hope’s mama made??  PS have you guys ever smelled pua keni keni??  It’s this little flower that grows on a bush, and it is the most delicious thing these nostrils have ever encountered.  If somebody makes a pua keni keni candle, I’m buying stock.

jade lai

Um.  Schumacher took one of their most gorgeous wallpaper patterns (Feather Bloom) and came out with a buncha new color ways, including Fuschia.  Could you die?

feather bloom in fuschia | covet living | 5006076

My homegirl Priscilla Presley aka Adrienne showed me this last week and I basically did.

Schumacher wallcovering

I dig this bathroom – in all its rustic + unpolished brass glory.

rustic glam bath | covet living

I saw these at Country Floors last week.  They’re brand new and they SO PRETTY IN PERSON.

country floors | covet living

This tile is not new but it’s also not ugly, AT all.

country floors | covet living

This makes me so happy.

IMG_2397

So does this oyster chandelier from Lowcountry Originals, which I fawn over every time I see it at market.  I’ll take one for my beach house.  Thanks.

lowcountry originals lighting | covet living

Where was this number when I was packing for Hawaii?  Remind me to blog about that untouched fairy wonderland soon.  Or you can just scroll my insta feed from 2 weeks ago and you’ll get the idea.

Mikoh Belize Bikini | Covet Living

Speaking of suits, this Samudra situation is the best one-piece I’ve ever seen, and the colors are beautiful in person.  I have Easter Egg fever – can you tell?

samudra-splash

samudra-makena-palm-makena-palm-one-piece-makena-palm-product-1-028020813-normal

As things that aren’t ugly go, there’s also this:

white one piece | covet living

PS: I’m eating leftover Lupi for breakfast right now, and it is nothing short of amazing. #pms

pappardelle with lamb rage | covet living

Sigh.  Nostalgia.  This looks like the field behind my house as a kid.

nostalgia | covet living

Since I am currently on the custom cabinetry side of design, I notice gorgeous details – like the molding on these doors – more than I used to:

cabinet door molding | covet living

Love how these folks used a repurposed shop counter as a kitchen island:

reclaimed shop counter as island | covet living

Love an unexpected color-combo – like neon + beige.  Maybe I’d cut the sleeves off this guy though – or make it cap sleeved but backless.  Cuz, you know, I’m not a pilgrim.  As is evidenced by my affinity in recent years for crop tops, which I know my parents love.

neon and beige | covet living

I’d like to have that.  For breakfast. #pms

short ribs | covet living

Walker Zanger wonder.

walker zanger tile

Exhale.

pier | covet living

This Bolivian blanket is gorgeous.  These aren’t cheap, but man they’re stunnahs, and you can use them in oodles of noodles of ways… as a rug, thrown over a headboard… as upholstery for your dining chairs… or at the foot of the bed – à la Karrie’s guest room.

bolivian blanket | covet living

Um.  I saw this and then read it 7x, because it is as true a phenomenon as I’ve ever seen when it comes to SO MANY of my close friends’ relationships I know about, and my own relationship from a few years ago.  I don’t know if it’s a Peter Pan situation or what… but maybe not, because it applies in some of my 50-something friends’ relationships too.  And loving someone like that is so, so ****ing rare that it is truly the saddest thing in the world to let go of when the other person can’t get it together… but whoever wrote that is right – about the you must leave part & all.

walk away | peter pan quote | covet living

This chunky, nubby Boho coverlet.  Please get in my beach house.

boho coverlet | covet living

I am so about to paint my bathroom this dreamy, salmon-y dreamsicle color.  Don’t tell my landlord.

Coral Gables Benjamin Moore 2010-40 | Covet Living

My favorite print from Spoonflower.  Looks like Eskayel, but sans the price tag.  I just ordered this sample and it’s even more gorgeous in person.

Screen Shot 2016-02-28 at 6.28.10 AM

Love these antique pendants from Ann Morris, cuz seeing the SAAAAAAME usual suspects of lighting gets real snoozy real fast.

Antique Pendant Ann Morris Antiques | Covet Living

And this Scottish lantern.  It’s a cool $5k, but hey.  Great for inspo.  (*COUGH* – you can also have things like this custom-made, which is not inexpensive but not as $$ as you’d think)

Scottish Lantern | Ann Morris | Covet Living

Speaking of knocking things off… y’all know from this post that Sally King Benedict (former fellow Charleston-ite) is my favorite artist, ever.  And then she shared the Dream Beach House thing I put together on her Insta and I nearly shat myself.

Stephanie Ballard Covet Living | Sally King Benedict

ANYHOW, the ditty below which popped up in her Insta-feed recently is one of the most gorgeous paintings of hers I’ve ever seen… but she’s become SO POPULAR in recent years and her pieces are now so valuable that there’s no way in hockey sticks I’ll be able to afford one – at least not for the foreseeable future.  And so my right hand woman Karrie is painting me something similar.  I accidentally saw it hiding in the guest room when I was there last weekend and it was already so beautiful I almost died.  I cannot wait till it’s done.

sally king benedict | covet living

Love this dreamy exterior.  We’re using it as inspo on my Modern Farmhouse project in Ohio.

beatiful exterior | covet living

This is goofy and I love it.

ruffle off shoulder bikini | covet living

On a more covered up note, this I love so much it hurts.  It speaks to my I would’ve also loved being born in the 1940’s sensibilities.

off the shoulder | covet living

This pillow slays me.  I don’t know what’s so different about it than alllll the batik and mud cloth situations I’ve seen 9 trillion times, but something is.  I think I might buy it for myself for my birthday, like the slut that I am.  Nothing haunts you like the things you love and didn’t buy… or so they say.

chairish blue pillow | covet living

Preach sistah.

life is tough | covet living

Je love.  And je don’t know why je love things like that and then je wear sweatpants in real life, but c’est la vie.

black feather skirt | covet living

Anyway – it’s Sunday before 7am so imma go hike with Gus then take my pasta-from-last-night-filled buddha to the beach, then watch the Oscars.  Which makes me feel like this.

freedom | covet living

Sees yous latas!

Steph's Scanned Signature

Holiday Gift Guide 2015: For the Gals

Holiday Gift Guide 2015: For the Gals | Covet Living

Helllllo darlings! Happy frickin’ Friday. We so hope you’ve been feelin’ our Gift Guides every day this week. Today we’re gonna be wrapping it up with our Holiday Gift Guide For the GALS. Where would you be without your best friend? Your mom? Your cousin who’s like a sister to you (what up Cori aka Mildred!)? Probably in a ditch somewhere, or crying into a Danielle Steel novel and a glass of boxed wine. The women in our lives are tantamount to our sanity (sorry, men) and it’s time to show them some extra love this holiday season. So here goes:

1 – MAX WAGNER, COUNTY LINE, One Kings Lane, $189-289If Mom or Aunt Trudy can’t be close to the ocean, bring the ocean to them with this luscious print, one of several gorgeous and tranquil prints on Max Wanger’s site.

Max Wagner County Line

2 – DYLAN FEDORA, Yellow 108, $108This hat is longing to complete a summer sun dress outfit for lunch with the girls, or a cute trousers/white shirt combo. Either way we’re feeling the female Indiana Jones-vibe.

Fedora

3 – SHIRT & PANT PAJAMA SET, Asos, $69Not sure if it’s the soft fabric or the masculine-sexiness of this pj set, but something tells us we’d never want to get out of these, like ever. If we owned these we might Hugh Hefner it up and wear it 24/7.

black and white pj's

4 – CORNFLOWER SHIBORI VELVET PILLOW, Furbish, $175.  Steep, we know… but tie dye on velvet?  So dreamy.

Shibori Velvet Tie Dye Pillow

5 – STRIPED ‘LEIGHTON’ TOTE, Sole/Society, $45.47This screams Mom. Why? Cause it’s not only adorable and uber versatile, but it’s the perfect size for her to store the beauty/hardware/art store that is her purse. I.e.: I’d bet $100 that my mom probably has a pair of scissors, reading glasses, Halls drops and a paintbrush in her purse at this very moment.

Weekender

6 – CRAFTED Dreyfuss Glasses, Revolve, $100.  Um, we’re pretty sure these are the coolest sunnies we’ve ever seen.  A little retro, a little J.Crew vintage, a little coolest-kid-in-school.  And that ivory tortoise color is AMAZING.

Komono Glasses

7 – S’WELL LOVE WATER BOTTLE, Leif, $35Isn’t this just about the cutest bottle you ever did see? What’s even better is the bottle never sweats, and your drinks stay cold for a full day (!) or hot for 12 hours. The cutest accessory for the gym or office. We love.

Swell Bottle

8 – LIMITED EDITION GOLDEN MONOGRAMMED MUG, Anthro, $10Who wouldn’t love ingesting her morning cup of Joe in this limited edition mug.

Gold Monogram Mug

9 – CREEMESHEEN LIP GLASS IN ‘BOY BAIT’, MAC, $24.98Put simply, this is the greatest lip gloss that ever existed, and that special glamour puss in your life deserves it.

MAC Boy Bait

10 – HAND-SCULPTED CUFF, One Kings Lane, $269This one’s a bit of a splurge, but you know what else is a splurge? Raising your a@% for 18 years. Get this for your mom if she’s on the elegant side and would appreciate the showtopping-ness of this piece. Or better yet, get it for your bestie who you can steal it from for years to come.

Hand Sculpted Bangle

11 – “IN THE LOBBY” NAIL POLISH, Essie, $8.50Winter is now upon us, and this cinnamon-plum polish is the p-e-r-f-e-c-t shade for the gut wrenchingly-cold months ahead.

Essie in the Lobby

12 – PINK/RED JULIAN CLUTCH, One Kings Lane, $198The prettiest/sassiest accessory, made from “buttery Italian leather with an organic cotton lining”.  We love the unexpected design element of the wrap-around leather ties. Only two left.

Julian Clutch

13 – WISHBONE RING HOLDER, Domino, $45.99.  It’s like jewelry for your nightstand to hold your jewelry.  Totes adorbs.

wishbone ring holder

14 – TUBEROSE HAND CREAM, The Soap & Paper Company, $18.49Hmmm… what do we love more: the very pretty chinoiserie-meets-midcentury-modern print, or the deliciously-scented jasmine scent? Super rich and moisturizing, Mom or Mom-in-Law would love this.

tuberose lotion

15 – SET OF 4 LAYERED NECKLACES, Etsy, $98If, like us, you’ve been searching for that perfect mix of dainty necklaces to layer up over the years, look no more! This “pre-made” but interchangeable set comes in gold, rose gold, or silver and is basically perfect. We love how dainty all of them are and think your galfrayand would love it.

Layered Set

16 – ‘EVERY MOTHER COUNTS’ TOTE BAG, Clare V, $45. It’s safe to say this tote will get your gal major compliments for its cuteness, but we love that it was created in partnership with Every Mother Counts, a non-profit organization dedicated to making pregnancy and childbirth safe for every mother, and 100% of the proceeds from the purchase will go directly to supporting this cause. 

Maman Je T'aime

17 – GOLD-DIPPED DALMATIAN JASPER EARRINGS, Pigment, $28We’re slightly obsessed with these unique earrings and don’t know whether to get for a loved one or to snatch up for ourselves. Maybe we’ll do both. All we know is, these (relatively inexpensive) earrings are statement earrings, while being neutral/can-go-with-a-ton-of-stuff-type accessories.

Gold Dipped Dalmation Earrings

18 – VINTAGE BRASS BAR MONOGRAMMED BRACELET, Bixby & Ball, $34Pretty sure we’ve rapped about this bracelet in the past, but look at it: It’s so sweet and cute and a delicate little touch of pretty brass. One of us owns the ring and the other owns this bracelet and we wear them all.the.time.

Monogram Bracelet

19 – AUTOMATIC NUT MILK MAKER, Soyabella, $110As we’re getting older we’re noticing the not-so-great effects dairy is having on our bodies. Case in point: the hives one of us got the other day after eating mac and cheese on Thanksgiving – huh? So, finding substitutes is something we’re looking into, and this nut milk maker, recommended by our girl and autoimmune guru Megan McGrane, is simple to use and clean up. Your girls’ tummy will thank them.

Soyabella Automatic Nut Milk Maker

20 – TOCCA FLORENCE CANDLE, One Kings Lane, $20Ahhhh we love the sweet scents of Tocca candles and this one is infused with “elegant floral notes of centifolias rose and iris root”. Which Mom needs to translate, since she’s the one with the green thumb.

Candelina Florence

21 – A MASSAGE, priceless. Our guess is your mom, your sister, or your best friend could really, really, really use an hour of uninterrupted solitude as someone kneads away at their sore muscles. Whether overworked at the office or at home, the selfless women in your life are silently asking for this gift.

massage

22 – NEON LIDDED FLOOR BASKET, Indego Africa, $149.99Having to choose a favorite basket from this company was like having to pick your fave child. Their baskets and handwoven goods are delightful! Oh, did we mention that ALL profits fund educational training programs for the women who handcraft their products?

neon floor basket

23 – BLACK ‘MERMAID’ SPLASH PROOF POUCH, Aloha Collection, $26. These were on the list last year and they’re back this year for good reason: they’re AMAZING. Say the folks at Yahoo: “Throw wet bathing suits, dirty flip flops, or sweaty clothes — basically whatever you want to keep away from your clean, dry stuff — in this 100 percent coated Tyvek waterproof pouch.”  We own a whole buncha Aloha Collection bags and goodies. These bags aren’t just cute – they’re practically indestructible! Mom: You cannot destroy this bag. I don’t care if you have your butterfly knife (true story: my mom has carried one since I was a kid) or your numerous shades of lipstick in there, they’re safe. FUN FACT: they donate 5% of their proceeds to Hawaii conservation.

Aloha Black

24 – ‘WEE HOURS’ PLANNER, Anthro, $34Organize your thoughts slash life in this pretty 17-month planner that’s small enough to fit in one’s purse but big enough to fit all of your thoughts and to-do’s.

Wee Hours Planner

25 – “WELL WHY THE HELL NOT” PRINT, Etsy, $14There’s something about this print that speaks to us. Maybe it’s ’cause one of us quit our job two years ago and moved across the country, or maybe it’s ’cause we both try to live by this every day (key word: try). So we’d love to gift this framed reminder to the women in our lives who could use this motto staring at ’em in the face every day (and we know a few who could!).

well why the hell not

26 – STADIUM-CLOTH COCOON COAT, J Crew, $350Yes, it’s $$$$, but how happy does this make you feel looking at it? The cold, grey, soul-breaking days of winter ain’t got nothing on this ditty. Now picture wearing it. Italian-made, it’s cozy and sleek, comfy but super stylish. It’ll also be around for years and years.

Pink Coat J.crew

27 – FUJIFILM INSTAX INSTANT CAMERA, Urban Outfitters, $100A UNIVERSALLY LOVED GIFT – we repeat: EVERYONE will be giddy upon receiving this. Take it from us (owners of one). Whipped out at parties, or on vacay, everyone will be transported to the good ol’ days of Polaroid. And will pose for hours.

Fujifilm Camera

28 – FLASH DRIVE VIBRATOR, Crave Luxury Toys, $349We’ll let the website do the talking: “Although it features 16GB of storage, a USB plug, and a sleek, discreet design, the Duet Lux is not your usual flash drive, by any means. Instead, it provides pleasure to the modern sophisticated ladies who aren’t afraid to try something innovative. Part flash drive, part vibrator, this waterproof, 24-karat gold-plated toy makes for an excellent travel companion for solo women on the road.”

Jump Driver Vibrator

Happy Shopping everyone! And if you haven’t seen the Gift Guides we curated all week long, be sure and peruse them, stat.

B*tches before snitches,

karrie and steph signature