sweet container

My pretty new sugar container arrived last week .  I am pretty obsessed with all things terra cotta at the moment so when I saw it, I knew I could put it to good use in my kitchen.  

Plus, the bold statement, "Ideal at home, or on Safari" had me picturing myself as Jane in Tarzan.  A very civilized, long skirt wearing woman in deepest, darkest Africa with my pretty sugar bowl along for any baking needs that may arise.

Cat most definitely does not have a sweet tooth, opting for anything tuna instead.  Nor does she have a desire to go on safari {that I'm aware of anyway} but she approved of the box and packing peanuts it came packed in.

Thymes

We carry Thymes at Noble House and just got a shipment of Naia, Mandarin Coriander, and Lavender products in this last weekend to supplement our best selling Frasier Fir.  

Naia is my favorite because of the mild natural scent, though I'm really loving the Mandarin Coriander as well for the spicy freshness and like the cleaning products in this scent. 

All of their lotions are very light and not greasy at all.

and that is my shameless product plug for the day. =)

blustery blossoms

I spotted rows upon rows of pink blossoms swaying in the wind this morning on my way to work and as impulse had me swerving to the curb, I consulted the dashboard clock to see if I even had time for a diversion to go quench my compulsion to capture them in my little silver camera.  No luck, but later, most definitely.

Instead I walked into work on time and was welcomed by some chairs who showed up from Lee yesterday during my mid week weekend.  They are absolutely divine.  And while I love a neutral chair, the first thing that comes to mind when I see a pretty one is usually, 'What color will I use with it to make things interesting?'

So I chose the cherry blossom pattern today even before I made it back to the selections to see if I agreed with myself.  I do. And it'd be fun to create a whole space around this fun fabric, going either way with the spa color way or the blossom red. 

It is another blustery spring day out with giant gray clouds and I'm the last standing lunatic I'm sure that can't get enough of the crazy spring weather. 

the perfect lamp

I have a client who is reupholstering her desk chair and she has taken a few different fabric options home for the weekend to see how it looks in her room. We also talked about some table lamps that would work with her selections.

Lamps are a great way to set the tone so I paired her selections with lamps I thought played up the pattern of the upholstery.

So many possibilities, what is your favorite?

{lamp source}

Market Monday: Deco MOD Walls

 I don't believe at all in coincidences so when I met Ann last week I knew it was the perfect time to launch my idea for a series called Market Monday featuring talented people and their wares.

I was at a very dear friend's home last Thursday evening about two bites into my delicious Cafe Rio salad and ready to start a movie when the door bell rang.  It was some family stopping in with birthday wishes for her and when she unwrapped her lovely home made gift  I really hoped this girl had some kind of shop set up to sell her goods because I wanted one too!

Lucky for me, and for you, she has not one etsy shop, but two!

Deco MOD Walls was my first stop when I got home and jumped online to check her out and ideas immediately started forming of ways I could use this fun product.

{possibly the 'tween' room I've got in the mix? I could see these pretty flowers on her wall below her wall mounted flat screen.}

The second shop, Annzania, is dedicated to her folk art that I almost instantly fell in love with one of the prints she had called 'Nesting'.  I say she had a print because it is now on its way to my house and I can't wait!  If you're local and have ever gone to the Art Market in Sugarhouse you'll recognize her work.

Then I found her blog {I think I went a bit blog stalker}and she does family portraits too!  Her talent seems limitless.

And the good news for you?

She's offering my readers 20% off this week!!

Enter SPARROW20 at check out.

Happy shopping and be sure to become a follower to hear about upcoming market Mondays and other fun things going on here.

PCA SKIN

What does skin care have to do with design?  Not much but I was just online here ordering product and love this stuff so much I thought I'd share the love with you.

I've struggled with blemishes for years and nothing helped.  I won't list everything I've tried over the years, but believe me, I tried just about everything.  I was obsessed and even considered becoming an esthetician at one point because I was so enthusiastic about finding a remedy for break outs.  That is when I met Linda, a very talented esthetician who was as passionate about solving the mystery of bad skin.  I became her test rat and we started a journey using only PCA products and my skin got better so of course I'm a big fan.

Do you have a product you love for your skin?  What is it? {I'm still a geek for skin after all!}

3form

 

I went to 3form for an IIDA lunch this week and had a great time learning more about their products, especially lighting options and their reclaim program.  

I'm also the proud new owner of the bowl pictured above.  The first six people to rsvp for the event got to make one.  {Early bird gets the goods!}  I made it by placing the square of 3form material in an oven for a few minutes then placing it in a mold as it cools.  Easy as that.  And the coolest part is it's recycled product an oh so pretty.  Thnx 3form!

 

obsessed with bedding

I can't explain it, but I have been obsessed with bedding lately.  Sheets, pillows, comforters... I dream of creating the perfect bed.  I've had some beautiful pillows made and maybe it wasn't the smartest way to approach the project but I didn't exactly have the end result figured out.. No, not smart, but exciting.  I love mixing and matching and taking risks.  I love them so I'll be able to blend it as I come across the perfect parts needed. 

Until then, I've been enjoying the hunt and my mismatched bed urging me on to make things right. 

Images borrowed from the latest online issue of Lonny, one of my favorite sources of inspiration.

running wild

when I'm putting together ideas for a client I keep a running concept page as I play with the possibilities.  At the same time I keep a separate page for those things I run across that pull at my attention that have absolutely nothing to do with anything.  Letting my imagination run wild while I'm honing in on something is the only way I can stay on task.

Today I've been on a bunch of sites and the above is a compilation of some things that caught my eye but wouldn't fit into any of the projects I'm working on right now.  The round chair comes in a red finish that would be perfect for this room fun room.  

Ok. Back to it!

Artistic pillows

 One of my favorite artists to follow in the blogosphere is Geninne because she comes up with some of the coolest, creative projects and she takes beautiful pictures of everything she does.  I love getting a glimpse into her life and her gorgeous blue house in Mexico.  

Imagine my delight yesterday when I checked in to see what she'd been up to over the weekend and I found that she was showing off some of her latest creations: pretty pillows!  Remember my plans for updating my bedding?  I changed plans midway through {because I'm the client now and I can change my mind all I want} and thought the new plan called for a little something pink.  Her cosmo pillow {image borrowed from her site}could be just the ticket.

She sells it on a great website with a bunch of other artists called Envelop.  I thought I'd share a few that jumped out at me.

shameless product plug: Arteriors

 It's market time again and as I've been dreaming about the possibilities for new inventory, I've been browsing some of my favorite sources for inspiration.  Arteriors never lets me down.  I love this line!

 Gorgeous lamps.  I can't pick a favorite, although the one made out of mussel shells is pretty great.

 Super fun and unique accessories.  I can think of lots of places for these, {and some of them would actually make it to a client's home too}.

distracted by long leggy bar stools

I started out searching for bar stools this afternoon for the kitchen remodel project I'm working on, but ended up getting distracted by some that I wouldn't mind for myself someday. 
The more traditional ones for my client, the others for me.

You too can go searching for your favorite bar tables and stools here.

under foot

 Searching for a rug this mornings for a client who is all about color and pattern and mixing styles.  My source for rugs with great pattern and texture:  Chandra.  A boutique rug company with loads of selection and their prices are reasonable. 

{to the trade, contact me for designer pricing}

GIVEAWAY! Fall Flags

 For someone who hates to procrastinate, I'm feeling pretty bad that it has taken me this long to show you my AWESOME pillow I won this summer on 6th Street Design School. 

When I got the exciting email from Kirsten I immediately went back to the Be Still site to make sure I picked the right pillow.  

Oh the fantastic choices! 

Sarah is so talented and picks great fabrics for her pillows.

 I decided to stick with my original choice and I'm glad I did.  I wanted to go crazy with color and pick one of my other favorites {shown above}, but I knew the zebra would be my kind of classic.

 Finding the right spot for it hasn't been as easy as I thought.  I knew I wanted it for my bench and I have the perfect pillows in mind to go with it but that project just hasn't happened yet.

In the mean time I'm sticking with neutrals and living it up for fall.

to continue the fun of a giveaway - I'm giving away the FALL flags hanging in the first photo of this post.

Become a follower, leave a comment with your contact info, and

I'll let you know who wins soon.

chair vision

Great poster for the mid century modern lovers out there.  Find it here.

project: room to grow

 I love doing teen rooms, especially girls rooms.  

Items left on the list of things to find: twin beds with storage, a reading lamp, and a rug.
The bedding has been ordered from Eastern Accents and while it looks really Asian in the catalog we are toning it down with walls painted a soft grown up pink, Beloved {by Kwal} and splashes of pink in a few accessories.  Our young clients {sisters} loves dance and cheer. 

+ Note! + Sign up to follow design sparrow to be eligible to win a fun kitchen gadget very soon.

introducing: Lee

Our first shipments of Lee furniture are finally here!!

No sooner had the first sofa hit the showroom floor we sold it and have custom orders for more.
I have loved the beautiful lines of Lee furniture for years without knowing it was Lee. You might have been loving them right along with me since their super comfortable and stylish pieces show up in all our favorite magazines regularly. Not to mention durable and family friendly fabrics!

Check out their site here. I like the free fabric swatches {up to 10 every day}.
Or come see me at Noble House, we have Lee fabric here.

brighten the corner

This little lovely showed up in my inbox today and I had to share. I don't know who to give credit to, but it is perfect right down to the Van Gogh in the background. I've been feeling a bit under the weather today and this completely brightened my day.

If I could have one wish today {besides a Red Mango frozen yogurt magically appearing in my hands} it would be to curl up in this chair, eat my pretend frozen yogurt and finish watching 'Lost in Austen' streaming from online Netflix. Have you tried that yet? It is a blessing to sick days. Did I mention the free trial? Try it! 'Desk Set' with Kathryn Hepburn or 'Shades of Ray' with Zachery Levi are two other favorites of my day sequestered to my bed.

inspired by: brett zamore and the 'shot trot'

in my search for great {and affordable} design I was loaned a couple of files that were full of great ideas. As I made my through them I took note of things I wanted to research more when life slowed back down to a normal pace.

Dogtrot - two separate spaces joined together with a breezeway down the middle. The open space creates pressure and circulates the air. {don't lean on me for scientific reasoning, it just does.}

Shotgun - the rooms are lined up in a row with a hallway running front to back, the hallway doing the same thing the breezeway does in the first style.

I mention these two housing styles because Brett Zamore mixed the two into something I consider very cool, the 'Shot Trot'.
{An article in Dwell if you'd like to read more about him and his reasoning behind mixing the two southern housing styles.}

I spent some time at Zamore Homes picking out my favorite floor plan {option 3} and the accoutrements to fill my kit home right there on the website.

While part of me likes the idea of picking every last detail from the vast sea of possibilities available; there is a certain appeal in the idea of picking from a select few given by a builder. {Yes, I really just said that and designers are probably all gasping in horror at my submission.} Simplicity. I can't help but be pulled in by it.

It goes back to the games I played as a kid {ok, still play} driving down the road: If I had to drive just one of these five cars around me which one would it be. If I had to live in just one of these houses on this side of the street... and if I had to pick between living in one of Zamore's homes that has been proven to have the lowest utility bill around while being stunning at the same time, with a rather nice price tag... or a regular energy sucking home that doesn't come with stilts...?

Well, it seems like a no brainer when I put it that way doesn't it?