travel

to market we go

A couple of weeks ago, we took a company trip up to Dallas for one of the best perks of being a designer: Market. Yes, I get paid to shop. But after conquering a 15 floor building and also a chunk of the Dallas Design District in 2 short days, it can get a just a little bit tiring and overwhelming. I’ve since recovered and am excited to share the experience with you. 🙂

My boss surprised us and upgraded our hotel reservations to none other than the hottest boutique hotel, Hotel ZaZa. Word is that Drake was staying there at the same time as us, and after some brief Instagram-stalking, we are 95% sure we saw his dad in the lobby. Dinner at Dragonfly was seriously one of the best meals of my life and it will definitely be on my hit list next time I’m in the D.

Here’s a few (blurry phone) pictures of some of the great things we saw in Dallas:

And of course, a summary of my fave items:

1. This new Currey & Co chandelier is sure to make as statement. Modern & classic at the same time.

2. Gorgeous black metal vases!

3. It’s all about the brass baby. How adorable are these tables?

4. Do a group of these wood deer heads on one accent wall for a fun effect.

5. Loving this awesome art line – lots of great prints to choose from!

6. Palecek’s new modern bar stool!

I’ve also pinned all these items to Pinterest – click here to follow along!

Ciao! xo

moroccan retreat

You know whats funny? I was cleaning out my drafts folder and found this rough draft of a post I was going to do back in 2012, but never finished! I still think it is very much postworthy and relevant, so I will share it with you over 2 years later!

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I have this immense fascination with Morocco, so of course when I saw this delightful residence in the May issue of Lonny, I was ecstatic. Welcome to the Moroccan abode of author and activist, Maryam Montague. (You may be familiar with her book Marrakesh by Design.) Keep scrolling for some major eye candy!

This home is the ultimate balance of old and new. It is Moroccan-modern perfection. You know what helps? Having an architect husband. Together Maryam and her husband Chris were able to create their dream family home in the perfect central location for work and play.

moroccan stairs

I’m loving the mix of modern and vintage Moroccan design elements. Such a vivid collection from a well traveled family and a sweet reflection of the city she has grown to love.

Totally crushing all of the vintage light fixtures!!

And this headboard is genius!

Can you even imagine how fabulous the parties would be on this patio??

Hey, it may be from 2012 but you could have told me it was in print yesterday and I would have believed it. The moral of this story: Great design is timeless, remember that friends. And also do not wait until tomorrow (or 2 years from tomorrow) to do what could be done today!

(Photo Credit: Lonny Mag, all images link back to their source)

sweet summertime.

Hola!!

Random fact: This is actually the longest I’ve ever went without blogging since I started it back in October of 2011! I took off most of May and all of June, but the good news is that I’m backkkkk! I’ve realized my neglected blog needs some love too. 🙂

It seems entirely insane to me that already half the year is over. I need to continually remind myself to just take some deep breaths, look around, and take in my favorite time of the year. Temps in Texas have been a refreshing 95 degrees (ha!), but hey we’ll take anything under 100 this time of the year.

PS. There’s not too much news to report around here. We traveled back to the Mitten in June to celebrate 2 awesome weddings (my friend Kaytee and Nate’s brother Matt), and also have had some visitors in Texas recently, too. I haven’t taken many pics lately, but here are some from the trip to Michigan:

(Yes that is a Lite Brite, and yes I took at least 3 pictures of it during the night because I was so freakin excited.)

It seems like more and more lately, I’m reminded of how extremely lucky and blessed we are. We have a home with tons of potential, a loving pup, good jobs, and been on some great trips this year already. Reflecting on it all, life is good!

10 places, 5 states, 8 days: southwest roadtrip guide

The week after Christmas we spent 8 days traveling to California and back. By car. That’s over 50 hours driving. You may think I’m crazy, but it was one of my favorite vacations ever. It was my first time to the Southwest. And through those 8 days I covered more ground than some people do in their lifetime. I drove through the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts. I got to see the Saguaro Cactus, which is native only to the Sonoran Desert. I hit all 4 seasons. Felt the warm Cali sun and played in the snow all in one week. It was a mix of things. It was life changing.

1. Scottsdale, Arizona

I loved Scottsdale. Beautifully landscaped, impressive bike trails, gorgeous mountain views. Make sure to check out Frank Lloyd Wright’s home, Taliesin West and Old Town.

2. Jerome, Arizona

Blink and you may miss it. It’s that small. Off the beaten path, you’ll find a hillside artists’ colony that may be one of Arizona’s best kept secrets. Jerome popped up on the map as a mining village, and is now home to some great art galleries and boutiques. Ghost lovers take note: word is it’s haunted!

3. Sedona, Arizona

Gorgeous red rock formations. Photos never do any justice. We were just passing through, but I want to go back, explore, hike and shop in this colorful town.

4. Flagstaff, Arizona

Not even a couple of hours north of Sedona we hit snow! If you love skiing or sledding, this is your place. In recovery from my initial shock, it was hard for me to believe we were in Arizona still!

Drive on the other side of the mountain and you find grassy plains of nothingness. Sometimes a whole bunch of nothing can really be cool.

5. Grand Canyon and Historic Route 66

Doesn’t really need much of an explanation. A must see!

6. Laughlin, Nevada

We don’t have much footage but Laughlin is like a desert oasis. This casino town is built on the river that borders Arizona and Nevada. Rumor has it that it’s one big party in the summer, with jet skis, boats, and of course gambling. Here’s a pic I found online of it’s high season:

(source)

We stayed the night at the Golden Nugget. I’m not too much of a player (I just crush a lot), but I played Black Jack for the first time and turned my $5 into $50 in 5 minutes. This creeped me out and we left.

7. West Hollywood, California

We stayed in WeHo for 2 nights at the Farmer’s Daughter & loved it. I did my happy dance after eating heavenly Chicken & Waffles at Tart.

To sum it up, W. Hollywood was lots of excellent food, trendy vintage boutiques, and great design shops. The picture below is from my favorite, Style de Vie. Check it out. It’s awesome. Just saw a couple weeks ago Lonny named Style de Vie one of their “Next Big Names”.

8. Pasadena, California

If the Rose Parade or Rose Bowl wasn’t already on your bucket list, you should add it right now. What a great experience! (It helps when your team wins of course.) I had been to LA a few times before and never realized just how cool Pasadena is.

9. Los Angeles Beaches, California

This trip we hit Venice, Santa Monica, Manhattan, and Redondo.

The first two pics are from quirky Venice. Probably one of my favorite places in existence. Everyday it’s different – you never know who or what you’ll see.

The next 2 shots are from the Manhattan Beach Pier. It was my first time here. Definitely won’t be my last.

Next is Redondo Beach. We spent some time walking the boardwalk and checking out the harbor. The boardwalk has a pretty amazing arcade in it. I rode the Tilt a Whirl and felt 13 again. But then I got off and almost threw up. Some things are not better with age.

10. White Sands National Monument – Alamogordo, NM

Ever since Boyz 2 Men shot the video for “Water Run’s Dry” at White Sands, I put this landmark on my Bucket List. Because if B2M does it, it must be cool. And it surpassed my every expectation. It was truly amazing. Can you believe it’s the largest gypsum dunefield in the world? Just one big white beach in the middle of nowhere with a mountainous backdrop. Bring the family and play on the dunes, or bring your camera and become an instant photographer.

lately.

Let me sum up life for you in the last few months in one simple word….. Work.

Lots of it. Yes there are other things I do from time to time. Like eating, sleeping, and keep up with the NCAA tournament (my bracket may be busted, but GO SPARTY!!!).

(credit: Michigan State Spartan’s Pinterest Page)

My new job is not so “new” anymore. I’ve been there almost 6 months already!! I can’t believe just how fast time goes by. And as I’ve gotten familiar with all of our active jobs, my involvement level has risen. We have so much going, we are extremely blessed. I wake up thinking about it at 6am, and before bed I’m typing up a quick to-do list in my phone of items I can’t forget to do in the morning. I’ve been dreaming about it too. Sounds scary? It is. It’s insanity, but a good insanity. The kind that challenges me, tests my patience, and pushes me out of my comfort zone. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. And I’m not dead yet.

We’ve got some cool projects in the works. And here’s a preview of a very modern one we are doing with Foursquare Builders:

(rendering is property of Foursquare Builders)

What else is new? Hmmm….. I got a new car – a little charcoal gray Ford Focus. This is pretty big news for me because I’ve never had a car payment. I’m kinda (extremely) cheap, so of course I got a good deal on it. (Having a dad in the car business is quite a nice perk I might add.) The only inconvenience was I had to go pick it up in St. Pete, Florida from my dad’s house. I KNOW, IT’S A ROUGH LIFE. So my friend Brooke came with for a long weekend and we turned it into a little trip. I got to see my Dad and the ocean, so I was a happy girl.

No visit to the Tampa area is complete without hitting up Busch Gardens. I love that place! It just makes me so happy and reminds me of my childhood spring break visits. We splurged and did the safari and got to feed the giraffes, which I totally recommend.

On the long drive back we stopped by my old home, Destin. It was my first time back since we moved to Texas almost 3 years ago. I felt so good to be back, even though it was just for one night. It’s just so beautiful and laid back. I will always have a special place in my heart for this area. And, like Michigan, it will always be my home away from home.

We definitely felt the effects of the polar vortex in Texas this winter. I even woke up to snow on the ground one morning. Actually it looked more like Dippin Dots ice cream, but whatever.

In the last few weeks Spring has sprung. The weather has been much warmer, so it’s time for me to come out of hibernation. We have a lot of home projects we want to accomplish before the summer heat strikes again. We’re running a 5k next weekend, and as you may remember, it is my first. And I’m totally not a runner, so this is a pretty big deal to me. I hope I can do the whole 3.1 miles without stopping – I’ve never been able to before!

Life is good.

Oh and Nate and Maci are both doing great!

(all images belong to me unless noted otherwise)

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1. Scottsdale, Arizona

2. Jerome, Arizona

3. Sedona, Arizona

4. Flagstaff, Arizona

5. Grand Canyon and Historic Route 66

6. Laughlin, Nevada

7. West Hollywood, California

8. Pasadena, California

9. Los Angeles Beaches, California

10. White Sands National Monument – Alamogordo, NM

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