Yesterday was my Birthday

...and my husband is out-of-town. No one to help with the kids, no one to let me sleep in, no one to treat me to the grand fiesta I so deserve. SO I thought it my duty to throw myself a little retail pity-party. I'm hoping to do some sofa revamping in the near future, so...

I bought these - for the trade price. I feel good about it.I never had my fill of this pattern, so please don't go negative.

...also bought these one-of-a-kinders via this Etsy lady.
As to the first, any suggestions on another pattern/pillow set to go-with the Chiang Mai's?

My Little H Spot: Jill of Good Life for Less

Not much hits my own H spot more than a great little accessory - especially if it sparkles, if ya catch my drift. So, I was more than delighted to see Jill of Good Life for Less shares my love of all things bling.

Hello MLHP readers! It's Jill here from good life for less and good tots! - today I am going to share my little "H" spot... I'm so thankful Alison invited me here!

On my dresser in my bedroom is where I keep all my girly goods... yummy candles, baubles, bracelets, color inspiration and more... this is where I get to play dress up!

A vintage mirrored tray holds this and that...

A large piece of decorative coral is draped with earrings and bracelets...

This simple jewelry tree from IKEA is smothered in fun necklaces...

All of the textures and colors combined are so inspiring...

Another vintage tray holds stacks of bracelets...

A ceramic egg tray holds rings and earrings...

This is for sure my most favorite and most playful area of the house... I love that it's mine all mine and it always inspires me to look my best each morning!

I feel sad...

....for the person who shucked out almost $900 for this tray table....

...For it's a dead-ringer for the one my sister picked up for about 1/3 that price at RoundTop....

I can help you spend your money more wisely, people.

First thoughts on Tyler's Kitchen of the Year for HB?

I don't know about you, but I would certainly, most definitely want a cook to design my dream kitchen. If it happened to be one of my Chef crushes, as is the case with Tyler Florence, then it would be the proverbial icing on the cake.
Just caught these first glimpses of the Kitchen of the Year he designed with House Beautiful, and so far, so goooood!

I can totally feel the unpretentious-yet-serious foodie-ness that Florence captures with his recipes.

I'm pullin' up a chair!

Almost...but not quite

Well, I'm back home in Brazil, and I'm bummed to say we weren't quite able to wrap up my sister's dining room. It's coming together so beautifully with the glam hot pink velvet on the chairs, but the matching buffet situation gave us fits.

The Ikea chest we planned to hack was out of stock for a few weeks, but we did end up snagging a couple. Then, our paint selection came back more peach than the coral we envision....

However, check out hardware yumminess!

**A few people have asked/commented on the hardware. We bought it from a local antique Co-op that carries reproduction pulls, knobs, etc. It is heavy brass, and stamped "Made in India" if that might help you.

Coming soon....coral glory!

My Little H Spot: Daniela of Aesthetic Oiseau

My jaw dropped when I spied our next guest's H spot! Anyone else out there go batty over great art? Welcome Daniela of Aesthetic Oiseau (oh, and try not to stare!)

Hello MLHP-ers! When Alison asked us to share our H Spots, mine was a clear choice. Hands-down, one of my favorite things in our home is this fantastic painting by Alexandria, Virginia artist Murney Keleher.


As you can see, it is a vibrant hue of orange with the most lovely touches of turquoise and blue - and the subject matter is chairs! Perfect for this design lover. I positively adore Ms. Keleher's interpretation of this chair arrangement and am honored that such a beautiful piece from a local artist graces the walls of my house.

The painting sits in a very prominent position right as you walk into our house and living room. It's definitely a focal point and I find myself staring at it often. It's also the first piece of "real" art Carter and I purchased, so it has taken on sentimental value.

Thanks for letting me share a little piece of our house Alison!

My Little H Spot: Lauren of Pure Style Home

You just might recognize the following designer/blogger's house, as it has that quintessential fresh style that she's known for (it's also been published in a glossy!) Please welcome Lauren from Pure Style Home.

photo by Helen Norman

I have a set of dishes that I've collected. My grandma used to use a mish mash of china in her cottage for daily use and I remembered one pattern (wild clover) so vividly from when I was a little girl. She died when I was 8. Fifteen years later when I got married, there was only one dish left and I decided to start collecting a set and have found pieces online & in antique shops so that I now have a full set myself. The wild clover pattern on the plates is just so special to me.

I can't think of a sweeter H spot than one full of sentimental value. Thanks, Lauren!

My Little H Spot: Jane of Modern Jane

Many people dream of beautiful kitchens, Jane from Modern Jane actually has one that was a labor of love - check it!

I'm Modern Jane and I'm super excited to be sharing my little happy spot with you today. I feel like my yard has been my happy spot this week with the great weather and the pile of yard work I've been doing. Although, it's mornings in my kitchen that make me most happy. It always feels so bright and fresh. I love standing in there in the morning making my stove top cappuccino. Ahh.. life's simple pleasures.

I especially love my kitchen because it was a labor of love. My brother built all of the cabinets. I primed and painted them. He even made me the counter top I dreamed of, out of pine boards. It's gotten a little banged up here and there but I think it adds to its charm.

The floors were covered in black and white tiles that we chiseled away one by one. Then, my Dad and I, punched all the nails from the sub floor back into the floor so that it could be sanded. I still can't believe that it came out as well as it did.

before:

after:

When we started out on the construction, I didn't dream I'd love it as much as I do. I appreciate the help so much and smile every time I'm in there:)

Thanks so much for having me today Alison! It was fun!

My Little H Spot: Lindsey of Stay Young. Act Foolish. Be Happy.

Hola, Peeps! Did I mention every time we take a trip to the States, we are unbelievably swamped? It's been so great having this time with family and friends, but this woman needs a vacation from our vacation! Last week fell into some kind of time warp, so we'll be doubling up on our "guestesses" this week.

First up is Lindsey, who blogs at Stay Young. Act Foolish. Be Happy. but who also happens to be one of my e-decorating clients. Linds and her husband upgraded to a larger home earlier this year, and she's been busy trying to make it cozy. We worked together on her grand family room, and it turned out amazing, but I'll let her tell it in her own words!

Hello everyone! I'm thrilled to be guest posting on MLHP today. Alison's little happies are always a treat and this series of the H Spot is nothing short of pure happiness.
In the last year we have welcomed a baby into our family, moved houses, and I've turned 30. All of those things have put a burr under my bonnet to re-do, re-vamp and re-fresh around our home. Currently, we have five rather major projects in the works and lots of loose ends to tie up. This one is just about complete, and I hope it makes you as happy as it makes me!
Here is a shot of our living room just before we purchased the home. The windows needed some attention and the room was lacking overall color.

We started with the fabric for the 18-feet curtain panels and then began layering and layering from there. It's not 100%, but I think it's looking much, much better!
This pair of wing back chairs were my parents from the 90's. They were quite a site in all of their Hunter Green glory and sadly, a before picture wasn't captured before their drop-off for a needed make-over.
They've been sitting in storage for a number of years, and I have finally convinced the mister that they would look fabulous in the new living room in a fresh white. As I look from my kitchen sink towards these windows, I love seeing these chairs sitting in front of the curtain panels and a family piece of furniture. It's just happy...

Thanks for having me, Alison!