belmont hotel staycation

I mentioned our staycation to The Belmont Hotel in my last post, but I wanted to share a little more about this awesome place because I'm constantly being asked where I recommend staying in Dallas. If you are looking for a fun, relaxed vibe close to downtown, then this is definitely a place I'd recommend.

This fabulous bathtub definitely played a huge part in deciding which room we chose.

We also loved that they were incredibly pet friendly so we could bring our dog child with us.

This is a view looking up to the window of our room.

We sat here enjoying some delicious drinks from Bar Belmont,

and taking in this amazing view of the city.

We'll definitely be back, and hopefully next time we'll have a little more time to try out their pool and breakfast!

instagram updates

Wow, I can't believe it's already been a week since I've posted! I've been super busy, and am very happy to say that I'm officially booked for my design services until the end of September. I'm starting a wait list, so if you're interested please contact me!

 I started my classes this week. So far it's been interesting to learn about the technical side of interior design and not just all of the fluffy, pretty stuff (even though that's fun, too!).

I just sold this giant 24" x 36" canvas to go in one lucky person's home. If the person who purchased this is reading the blog... please send a picture! I'd love to see it in your home!

Charlie's birthday was last week, so I couldn't resist adding a little flair to the house. Remember his decorations last year? I didn't do as much this year, but they are so happy I haven't taken them down!

On the night of his birthday we went to a musical downtown and had a little staycation at The Belmont. I'll have a post on the hotel tomorrow!

We were in the mood to stay in for dinner, and didn't want to leave Toby alone just as we got there, so we ordered room service from their restaurant Smoke. We shared the mac n' cheese and bbq fries... total comfort food.

After our staycation we drove up to Norman and I got to visit these two little cuties for the first time. I'm in love!

We also went to two wedding showers for my future in-laws. Love the mixed up china at this tea party shower.

Last but not least, our Summer's End Cocktail was featured as Foodista's drink blog of the day. If you haven't already, make sure you check out the recipe!

entryway reveal

I've been talking about finishing our entryway for months, but kept waiting for just the right things to make it complete. I'm happy to say it's finally finished! 

This is the poodle statue that I talked about here.

 

Her name is Shirley, and she's kind of my favorite thing in here.

The console is the cheapie Ikea RAST that I painted in BEHR Breath of Spring and finished with wood stain, clear gloss poly, and brass ring pulls.

Other Sources:

Rug

Curtains

Plant Pot

Tall Striped Vase

Medium Striped Vase

Poodle, Lamp, and Woven Basket were found at HomeGoods. 

Lucite Tray found on clearance at Pier1.

Coming up next week, bedroom and laundry room photos!

instagram updates

Here are a few instas from last week!

I completed our bedroom gallery wall with this mint + gold love print. I'm just waiting on a shelf to arrive and then I will share complete photos!

Replaced the hardware on our dresser with these colorful knobs.

Celebrated a friend's birthday at Stratos. This was our first time here and it was definitely a good time. If you enjoy dancing on the table, napkins flying, yelling Opa!, and dancing around the restaurant with complete strangers... then you'll love this place.

 We found a carnival behind the restaurant after dinner, but unfortunately we didn't get to stay. It wasn't in a great part of town and there were multiple gang unit officers and Dallas PD, so we took that as a sign that it probably wasn't a good idea for us to hang around too long!

 Took our dog child to splash day at the pool. 

He loved it as long as his feet were touching the ground!

This is my last week of summer so I'm soaking up as much sun as possible and trying to get the house totally finished before school starts. I finally finished our entryway and will be posting photos tomorrow!

accent walls: yea or nay?

I need some opinions here. I really want to paint a few rooms in our apartment, the only problem is that it says in our lease agreement that we may only paint one accent wall per room, or we get charged a pretty hefty repainting fee for each room. My question for you is: What do you think about accent walls? Are they outdated? Does it look like you are just too lazy/afraid to paint the whole room?

 [Rug Mag Issue 19]

 [photographer: Erica George Dine for Atlanta Homes & Lifestyle]

 [Marcus Hay]

[Ty Larkins Interiors]

Any thoughts or suggestions are appreciated!

laundry room redesign

Sorry to leave you hanging on my laundry room redesign from the fabulous Hillary Thomas. Things have been a little crazy around here, but I have been working really hard on it. Here are the not one, but TWO designs they so kindly sent over for me to choose from.

[design by Hillary Thomas]

[design by Hillary Thomas]

I'm kind of in love with them both, but one just stood out to me little more.You'll have to stay tuned for the final reveal to find out which one. I know, so mean right? It should be hopefully be finished in about a week. 

Which one do you think I'll chose?

summer's end cocktail (honey, lemon, spiced tea vodka, and st. germain)

I can't believe summer is already coming to an end. I always get a little sad to see it go, but I have the perfect cocktail to celebrate both the end of summer and the beginning fall. This drink was inspired by a cocktail that I fell in love with last year at one of our favorite restaurants, but of course just as soon as I found it, it was promptly discontinued. I search for something similar on the cocktail menu at nearly every restaurant we go to, but after not finding anything that came close, I decided to try and recreate it for myself.

I had guessed it might end in disaster, but much to my surprise I ended up with an almost exact replica on my very first try! It's sweet without being too sweet, has a hint of spiced tea (making it an excellent transition into fall), and is strong without having an overpowering taste of alcohol.

You really have to try this.

You do have to plan ahead slightly, because the vodka needs to be infused with spiced tea. I know this might sound a little difficult but don't let it scare you. It's the reason it took me so long to try to create the cocktail myself, but it really couldn't be easier.

I used a pint sized mason jar, filled it with vodka and added one spiced chai teabag and a few cloves. Give it a shake a few times a day, and in about 24 hours you've got your infused vodka!

Ingredients

• 1 part spiced tea vodka
• 1 part st. germain
• 4 parts club soda
• 1 teaspoon organic honey
• juice from 1/2 fresh squeezed lemon
• fresh mint for garnish

Place all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until mixed well. Pour into glasses and garnish with fresh mint and lemon wedge. Makes two drinks.

Let me know if you try it, and please feel free to share any suggestions! I think next time I make this I'm going to put it in a sugar-rimmed glass with a splash of Grenadine.

bedroom gallery wall before and after

I wasn't kidding when I said our bedroom hasn't been touched since we moved in. This was our sad little corner just a few days ago.

I've been inspired by all of the lovely gallery walls I've seen surrounding TVs and other furniture and decided to take all of our "leftover" artwork and create one in the bedroom. Charlie wasn't home to help with the measuring/placement on the wall, and I didn't want to wait for him, so I decided to wing it and hope for the best. The gallery wall gods must have been shining down on me because I got the configuration right the very first time and didn't have to move a single frame. I have a couple more pieces that I'm waiting to get framed that I will to add to the right.

There are a few more touches to add, like pom pom trim for the curtains, a shelf for plants, and changing out the hardware on our dresser with these Lulu knobs from Anthro, but I think she's coming together nicely!

friday finds

This shop may be old news, but I stumbled upon jones and vandermeer 100% curious goods last night, and found some amazing fabrics that are incredibly affordable (most under $9/yard!). These are just a few of my favorites. They also have a number of fabrics that are absolutely perfect for the little ones, and I'll definitely be using in my next nursery design. Make sure to check out their website to see more.

1// Alexander Henry Africa Zahara (my favorite find!)

2// Liberty Wiltshire red/white

3// Nani Iro Melody Sketch ブレス

4// Liberty Japan Strawberries and Peach Flowers

5// Michael Miller Sarah Jane Balloons

6// Liberty Petal and Bud

instagram updates

Here are a few instas from this week. Keep an eye out next week for a cocktail recipe that I'll be whipping up. I've been infusing vodka with spiced tea for a drink I've had in my head for awhile.

 This fabulous box of goodies arrived from Shop Sweet Lulu. I'll be using the decor for Charlie's birthday coming up later this month!

 I paid a visit to the new Sprinkles Cupcake ATM. It was also my first time to have one of their cupcakes. I had the dark chocolate with chocolate frosting and let me just say... I get it.

I've now had to resist going back every day since. They're also opening up Sprinkles Ice Cream and Sprinkles Cookies next door. Things could get dangerous around here.

Our bedroom was the last room to get decorated in our old apartment, and it was turning out that way in our new place, too. So I've been spending some time getting her all spiffy. More pics will be coming soon!

turquoise, pink, and orange bedroom install

Awhile ago I did an e-decor consult to update a tween girl's room. She wanted to have a more "grown up" room and chose the turquoise, orange, and pink color scheme herself (see the design boards here). There are still a few additions to be made, but I wanted to share some of the progress with you.

I love the colorful update. It is perfect for a fun-spirited girl like herself. We updated her from a twin to a queen-sized bed, and painted this affordable dresser from Ikea to match her new bed.

art in the dining room

I've been moving some artwork around and want your opinion!

Should I keep our lovely Michelle Armas painting in the dining room?

 Or replace it with our Prada, Marfa photograph?

I can't decide which one I like the most. The painting brings in a lot of color, but I love the photograph and think it helps make it a little more masculine for the hubs. What do you think?

weekend fun

We've been so busy these last couple of weeks have felt like a whirlwind, and things will pretty much stay that way until September. But I'm not complaining, because we're just packing in as much fun as we possibly can. Here are a few shots from the past two weekends.

This weekend we got the opportunity to visit a friend's lake house and had a wonderful time.

Just a tiny sliver of our amazing view from the house.

The boys out on the lake.

 Charlie and I breaking it down at his brother's wedding last weekend.

The cutest brothers.

[dear okie photography]

I hope you had a wonderful weekend. This week I'll be sharing a couple of projects that I've been working on, so stay tuned!