Yesterday's LoveMyHome Event

Last night I got to attend the LoveMyHome Event sponsored by HomeMasons.    Last night's lecture focused on Landscape Architecture and was held at the beautiful Charles Luck Stone Center (I want to move into this space!!) 

front entrance

So sorry that this post will be a series of not particularly fine photographs.  My camera wasn't behaving and I was trying to not be so obvious with all the picture taking.  Trust me it's stunning in person.

 side view from the stone yard

another side view

entrance/ lobby (LOVE!!)

entrance to conference room

conference room

conference room fireplace

look at that stone mosaic hearth!!  

floor transitions - hand scraped wood with white pebble border

The turn out was great and I'm really happy for HomeMasons for putting on such a great event.  I'm looking forward to the next lecture in the series. 

Bunnie worked especially hard to make things happen.  

She's standing in front of some of the stone displays.

 fearless leader Mason kicking things off

 I love the volume of the space

 Lots of light and space for all the guests

Did I mention that I want to move into this space.  I have already laid it out in my mind.  I didn't even get to take pictures of the break room and bathrooms.  STUNNING.  Here's a door leading out into the perfectly landscaped garden.  Love the peach velvet drapes with the circle patterned lining and the dark door and window mullions.  Love!

Oh, and here's a tip I learned from the landscape architect - boxwoods hate mulch (who knew!) They like their roots to breathe close to the surface and can be smothered by compacting mulch. 

And There Was Also Pie

My Sweet Husband baked me a pie (I'd rather have pie than cake)

Two delicious apple pies to be exact.

And my Mother-in-Law made this cake.

as you can see, she doesn't like to cook!

It was a very good birthday.  

I promise I will be back to design later today!  Hello Tueday!!

Birthday Flowers

My Sweet Husband brought home this lovely fall bouquet of flowers for my birthday.  It's a very dreary day today and I had a hard time finding a spot bright enough in our already dark house to take a picture.  The dreary day is the best gift too.  We haven't had rain in weeks and it's so nice to see a few drops.  Hopefully  we can continue to get rain for awhile.

Happy Monday !

Pardon Me While I Ramble....

I have been feeling a bit anti-design blog lately and needed to step away from the keyboard a bit.  Design is my job but it's also my hobby and it can be all consuming sometimes.  I have a great passion for it but sometimes it just feels like work and I need a bit of a break to regroup and to think about other things....though, to be honest, it's hard for me to stop thinking about the new sofa I want or the new kitchen I want or the new bed for the guest room I want, etc. etc.  It's not even about wanting stuff.  It's about dreaming of creating a home and spaces that I truly love.  I guess on top of it all I'm feeling a bit like the Cobbler whose children need new shoes. 

Aggh, to get back on track with the topic at hand,  I am trying to give my brain (and heart) a break by doing other things.  I taught myself to knit several years ago and for a very long time made lots of scarves.  It was something simple that I didn't have to think too much about and didn't have to even follow any directions.   Finally last year I decided to take it up a notch and learn some new skills.  I learned to knit in the round and made several hats.  Then I learned to cable and made this hat:

Who knew cabling was so easy.  It looks so complicated.  That taught me the valuable lesson that you won't be able to do it unless you try.  I tend to put the needles down in warm weather so I hadn't made anything lately until a few weeks ago.  I needed a distraction and I was inspired to make this wrap which actually turned out pretty nice (I still need to block it though)

 After finishing this I decided that I have the attention span of a gnat and needed something small to work on.  I've had varying degrees of sucess but I really like how these organic cotton dishcloths turned out. 

I found this excellent pattern from the Homespun Living blog.  The cotton is so soft and beautiful.  I doubt that it will make me want to wash the dishes any better though!    Now I'm making myself a pair of these. 

Fetching from Knitty - Summer 2006

Ah, for cooler weather and a calmer mind. 

 
 

Tudor in the Afternoon

 view from the back garden

Yesterday I got to attend a lecture on classical design and moldings at the Virginia Center for Architecture here in Richmond.  The lecture was interesting but even more exciting I got to set foot into one of my favorite houses on Monument Avenue. 

The Tudor Revival house was originally designed and built by the architect John Russell Pope in 1919 for the Branch family.  It's design was inspired by Compton Wynyates, a 15th/16th century English manor.  It is now maintained by the Virginia Center for Architecture as a museum and their corporate space.

  the front door

The very first time I came to Richmond on vacation with my parents many years ago my friend Nick picked me up from the hotel late that night and drove me  around town showing me the highlights.  Of all the gorgeous homes on historic Monument Avenue this is the one that I remember from that night.  It was so much fun to finally take a peak inside.  Sadly, I didn't take any pics inside while we were on the tour but I hope to get back there soon so you can take a peak too.  

   entrance detail

another view of the rear

a view of the front

In general I've always loved Tudor architecture.  Richmond actually has a couple of really great examples; one being an actual 15th century Tudor home that was dismantled, shipped to the US and reassembled here in town in the early 1900s (Agecroft Hall - another one of my favorite houses)  I need to be a better tourist in my own town.  Maybe we can go to Agecroft another day (also seeing Shakespeare in the courtyard of a house built during Shakespeare's lifetime is AMAZING)

Happy Friday!

Bad Dog!!

Our sweet puppy (well she's actually a year and a half now) loves to sleep in.  She likes to sleep in even more than me!  She usually stays in bed while we go about doing morning things such as taking showers and catching up on email.  Lately though she's decided that snuggling under the covers isn't enough for her anymore.  We discovered this over the last few days.

Then this

Ugghhh!

She's never been a chewer/destroyer of things that weren't her's to chew.  There has been the rare but random article of clothing.  That happens.  But my bed is so sad now!  Not the way I wanted to start my day. 

Procrastination Prevention: The Kitchen Gallery Wall

I am the Queen of the almost-finished project.  You know the kind.  The ones where you are about 80% complete but something happens (you run out of time, supplies, inspiration, etc).  Then one thing leads to another and weeks, months (who am I kidding) YEARS sometimes pass before you get around to finishing it.  In an effort to shame myself in to actually finishing something I thought I'd lay it bear for all the world to read about.  Make fun of me as you see fit.

First up is the kitchen gallery wall. 

 
I love a gallery wall and I worked hard to get this one looking just right.  I searched high and low for the right mix of frames and mats.  I made templates for all the frames and taped them to the wall until I got the exact look I wanted.  I even made little gesture drawings to note what was in each photo.   I got ALMOST everything framed and hung.

(notice the two remaining placeholders?) 

It's been over a year now and I still haven't had mats cut to fit these two pics.  One is not a standard size picture and one is not a standard size frame or picture.  Now it is time to finish this project!!  I'll keep you posted on my progress.  If it works I have plenty of other things to add to the list.

Don't even get me started about the space below the chair rail!

Is It Too Early for Pumpkins?

Saw this last night in the latest issue of Country Living Magazine and wanted to run out and buy pumpkins.  I know it's a bit too early for pumpkins but this makes me want to do a bit of planning....What are you doing to get ready for fall?  Happy Friday!

Creatures from the Deep

Lord Bodner's Octopus Triptych via Urban Nest

I just saw this octopus from Natural Curiosities over at Urban Nest and am completely in love.  I wasn't familiar with Natural Curiosities and can't wait to really check them out.  The piece is based on the original copperplate engraving by Lord Bodner published in 1826.  Love it!  

I've gone a bit overboard with the overscale and odd pieces lately.  I don't know that Lord Bodner's octopus will be coming home with me but it really is lovely...and odd in such a wonderful way.

LoveMyHome Event

If you are in the Richmond, Virginia area I wanted to let you know of a great event coming up hosted by my friends at HomeMasons.   HomeMasons, Inc. is a design/build firm that does truly beautiful work as well as occasionally hosting really great events.  This is the first in their “LoveMyHome” series.  It’s Free (although attendance is limited to the first 50 RSVPs) the evening of September 28^th at the wonderful Charles Luck Stone Center Studio (seriously, I want to move into their beautiful design studio).  The topic:  Fabulous Garden Design ideas, presented by David Gerstenmaier of Higgins and Gerstenmaier.  If should be a great event and I hope you can check it out.

 Happy Friday!

Which Way Will Earl's Winds Blow?

via weather.com

I spent most of childhood vacations on the Outer Banks.  It was a beautiful, uncrowded slip of sand that I still love today.  I also have friends/family that are vacationing on the North Carolina coast this week and choosing to stay and ride out the storm.  I hope they are all safe (my friends and the beaches that I love).  We're not supposed to see a drop of rain from the hurricane here in the Richmond area.  Truthfully I wouldn't mind a few sprinkles.  It's been a dry summer.  I hope Earl can behave himself!