summer reading - growing vignette

I wouldn't call my summer reading pile "academic" by any means.  But I would call it fun.  After reading seminary books for 3 years I'm needing something a little less complicated and something way more funny!

On Thursday on my way home from work, I stopped off at Burke's Books in Cooper Young.  They have a fabulous $1.00 section.  Yes, that's right $1.00.  At that price, I wish they were peddling more than books.  I went in the store with the intention to pick up The Paris Wife which is a little less fluffy and left with (as the cashier guy said) "a big pile of pink books".

My stack of "pink books" is starting to grow into a little more than a summer reading list.  It's starting to look like it's own vignette in my living room. 

Some of these books I've just purchased, or I've had, or I've read before and decided that they were interesting enough to read again. 

I bought the Starbucks book a few weeks ago because I'm wildly fascinated with the fact that this country has totally embraced the idea that they should buy a $5 cup of coffee each and every day.  

I include myself in this statement. I don't buy one everyday, but I do throw down probably $20 per week.  And now, I've paid $25.00 to read their book.  What's the world coming to? 

The Devil Wears Prada and the Starter Wife are shows I could watch again and again. There's no guns, nobody is bleeding...they're little light shows as my Mama calls them.  And as Weiser said in Steel Magnolias, "You know if it's any good they're going to make a mini series out of it." True story.  

Moving on.

I don't know what to say about my Lauren Conrad book other than the girl has made a career for herself. She's my age and by golly I'm bound and determined to pick something up from what she's putting down. There's got to be some lead to pick up from her success, right? (I'm grumbling as I'm typing because I'm also trying to convince myself of this.)

The Savvy Chic book I bought on sale at Anthropologie quite a while ago. (Are you laughing at the irony?) I've been thumbing through it for a few months (yes it has been that long) and I'm going to read this puppy. It wasn't a $1.00 but it also wasn't free. 

Both Savvy Chic and LC's book are on fashion.  If you think you're to good to read a book on fashion, it probably means you should read about 30 books on fashion!  Again, a true story.  Take example from Andy in The Devil Wears Prada. Live it - Learn it! 

I've never heard of May Kay Andrews but her book looks great.  It's about a gal who's fixing up a house. I read the title and it fit with my other pink books so I decided that it sounded good to me.  

So with a vignette full of books, the summer reading process begins.  

That is...If I can stop reading blogs long enough to do it! 

some more chairs.

My ability to name this blog post today is void. 

Chairs, you understand the topic, right? 

Okay.

I've had this photo in my "LOVE IT" folder for a while.  I wouldn't say forever, but I would say a while.

This space is a lovely hotel designed by a woman who needs no introduction.  

So I'll just type her name instead.  K-e-l-l-y W-e-a-r-s-t-l-e-r (period). 

There are a log of things I like about this space. And as far as her spaces go, this is really tame. 

The colors are great, and the shape of the chairs is what really drives home this design for me. 

The chairs, that's why it went in my file. 

So...

3 weeks ago, guess what I found on craigslist here in Memphis.

Very similar shape, check, and yes. 

So I set up a time to go visit the chairs. 

When I got there I realized they were not green as I had it in my mind but instead they were...

TAN.

The phone conversation went like this:

Me: Hello sir, I'd like to set up a time to come visit your green chairs that you have for sale on craigslist.

Sir: Well....ummm....yes okay...but I must go ahead and tell you that they are not green they are brown.

Me: Long pause. BROWN?!?!?! Really? Okay I'll be there in 3 minutes. 

Sir: Thatsfinebye.  (he was quick to get off the phone)

This is another example of a craigslist purchase I envisioned recovering. So the fact that they weren't green wasn't really a problem to me. After all, how often is it that you buy something on craigslist that isn't a "project". 

When I got there, they were better than I ever could have dreamed.  Perfect condition. 

I shook the man's hand and said, "I'll be back!"

Initially, these were perspective pieces to go to the store. 

Once I saw them, my dreams of having a Kelly Wearstler moment in my house became more realistic.

And while they did make a very brief pit stop in the store, appropriate arrangements were made for their immediate (that day) departure to my home. 

In addition to my dreams of having some chairs this shape, I have also had this wild and crazy dream that when I did actually get some chairs this shape that I might perhaps like to have them at the ends of our dining table. Yes, yes, I know I'm a complete wild woman. When the chairs came in the door, they went right to the table. 

And they've sat there amongst a complete amazon pile of "stuff" for approximately 3 weeks.

Since it has been that long I decided that I needed to tidy up the table enough that I could actually take some photos of the chairs in the mix to decide if that's where they will stay. 

One thing I do like about these chairs at the table is that they for sure have that, "sit down and stay a while" look to them.  I can't imagine a guest complaining about their seat at this dinner table.
These chairs are all COMFORTABLE (first and foremost)! 

While I am very satisfied with this upholstery, I do have visions of giving their legs a little color.
Well, so to speak, because I'd be painting them white to match the other chair legs.
I also think it would just give them a fresh look. 

Also...surviving the potential layover in the dining room, the yellow rug. 

Combining these two elements with the fact that I want to paint this room Benjamin Moore "baby fern", what do you think? "Should they stay or should they go?"

tuesday

No introduction needed.

Sparkle shoes I got in NYC. 

The hip chicks between Broadway and Alphabet City had them on. 

I figured I could use a pair in Memphis. 

Kate Spade bow bracelet I got for graduation.

Summer reading.

I can't stop taking his picture. 

He's my Handsome fur baby!

And now...

Two photos of my Father (and my wild self) from this past year.

I meant to post them on Sunday and it just didn't happen. 

Thusly 3 days late...Happy Father's Day!

Dad and I in Le Fleur before Thanksgiving.

Dad at the Peabody after my 

Memphis Theological Seminary graduation in May. 

Week in review...

Sometimes photos say a 1000 words. 

This week, I just need them to say a few. 

However you look at it, here are a few photos of the hubs and I from this week. 

Happy Sunday - Funday!

X-Stool Continued x 2

My X-Stool venture has carried on for several months.  

I believe the case is now closed. 

I started with this simple bench from Target. 

Then I bought some canvas and attempted to cover the top.  It was "okay"....

After about 4 months with that...

I now have this....

Kind of amazing what you can do with a basic piece.  

The revamp is curtsy of the talented artisan at Worlds Away (where I work). 

I now have a foot stool/bench that not only matches the vast majority 

of my furniture but also a piece that I'm really in love with.  A win/win situation!

IPhone Photos on June 13, 2011

My new favorite mascara. The reasons are obvious, it makes your lashes look like palm trees!

The Prince of the Palace, Handsome P. Dow-Ward

The forecast in Memphis for the week.  

This does NOT include the 10* + humidity!

At the morning trip to the s'bux

A Worlds Away light fixture in my house. 

From page 74 of Martha Stewart Living, July 2011. 

That's our (Worlds Away) lamp!

My bathroom is a mess! 

But what this actually means is that I know where all my products are for the morning!

I had a good Monday, how about you? 

"Mama, my nails are wet"

Steel Magnolias is one of my favorite movies.  My childhood dear friend, Cayela, and I used to quote this movie...what am I saying...we still do even though we live like 700 miles apart. And guess what else...today is her 52nd birthday.  One of my favorite quotes from Shelby (Julia Roberts) is at the beginning of the movie when they are prepping for the grand Southern wedding...her mother requests something of her as she comes prancing down the stairs.
Her response, "Mama, my nails are wet!"  Love it.

I think of this classic movie quote EVERY single time I either 1. get a manicure or 2. paint my own nails...which usually ends up looking like a 4 year old with a blindfold on plainted them.

Don't look close.  Seriously, I totally didn't stay inside the lines!

While I do like painting my own nails, and seriously I do try very hard to stay inside my God given lines, I find that having some good products makes all the difference.  

And as I was saying, these are the two said prodcts makes all the difference in the world. 

I purchased these two products last year while in NYC at a Duane Reed after having been treated to these products at Bliss Spa....yeah they use all the gooood stuff.  They were a little bit expensive, since they come in tiny bottles and only go on your nails, but they really do help "fill in the gap" and make you "good to go".  I usually have these in a zip lock bag in my purse if there is a chance to actually go get a manicure. Most nail shops don't have these products and since I'm a dedicated fan to how it makes my nails look and how long it helps a manicure stay in place I find this necessary to pack the goods.

Also in my zip lock bag are these 5 guys (and no I'm not talking about hamburgers).

Left to Right:

Essie - Pretty Edgy, NARS - Hunger, Lippmann - preludue to a kiss, 

Essie - Chinchilly and Rimmel - Posh Pink

Okay so here is the part where I admit that I am a complete weirdo and I take my own polish to get a manicure. It is not only for sanitary reasons, but I like to have the color to do a touch up if a nail starts to chip....and because I am a sanitary freak. 


Saturday, before I figured out I had a major sinus infection, I was doing the Target toilet paper/tooth paste run and decided that it was time for a new pink nail polish.  Have you checked out the polish at Target lately?!?!?!  They've gone wild.  They've got just about every brand in production.  OPI, Essie, and my latest polish purchase, Rimmel.

Rimmel - posh pink 330

This color is fantastic! I really love it.  In the fine print on the bottom of the bottle it says, "up to 10 days" and while the jury is still out on that I have had it on for 2 full days and I don't have a single chip on any of my digits.

Now... totally off topic but highly noteworthy....also speaking of wet...

Today in Memphis we had a major storm, Dorothy style! I would know...I'm from Kansas!

This is what it looked like out the front doors of Worlds Away today at 1:45pm.
Note, 1:45pm, not midnight, not 3am....1:45 as in just after lunch!

It was quite the show. 

It only lasted about 45 minutes...the storm past...I went back to work. 

The end. 

Happy Tuesday!

The Trifecta Saturday

I fibbed...today I've thrown down the trifecta of blog posts,  it is not just a duel post day. 

I purchased this rug a couple of weeks ago at a yard sale on my way home from church...

And...currently it is hanging out in the dining room...

Today while reading my favorite blogs I found this picture.....

 I do not know what the source is of this photo...

What I do know is that THAT IS MY RUG!

Does anybody know where this rug is actually from? 

There is no tag on mine, thus no indication of where it came from. 

CASE CLOSED: WEST ELM PETAL RUG IN SAFFRON 9X12

What up?

Today is a double post day.  For the past few weeks my time has been distributed differently than it has in the previous months. Posts are becoming few and a far between.  Bummer, I know. 

But, none the less Blogger is still my friend.  Here's a few photos to show what I've been up to.