Green with Envy

I have always been a green girl.  I think most of the women in my family are -- we love to wear it, it's our first choice when decorating and some of us even have green eyes to make it all the more appealing with our dark hair. 

My love for the emerald / Kelly variety has been elevated to new levels in 2011.  The Golden Globes started it, and my girl Pippa sent it into the realm of complete adoration and obsession.

I love this season's inclusion of the color in fashion -- clothes and accessories.

I adore the versatility of the color on fine china (I have a slightly lighter version in mine with the Herend Queen and Princess Victoria patterns)

It's great for all seasons of stationary and household accessories. 

It's bold, crisp and cheerful on furniture

Striking and elegant on wallpaper

You can achieve the same effect, albeit more subtle, with just small pops of the color in a room.

I'm still on my search for a great green dress, but in the meantime I'm going to order that $38 ring I've been eyeing for months at Anthropologie.  It has the same effect as the coveted Elizabeth Locke rings that can set you back $5k!

XO,

Whit

Weekend in Charlotte

Bailey and I headed to Charlotte this weekend to celebrate my mom's birthday.

Friday I headed out with some friends from high school -- so nice to catch up with those girls!!  We ate dinner at Nolen Kitchen -- yummy, but a mouse ran over my foot.  The management was not amused by us squealing on top of chairs, but what did they expect from 10 girls.  Pretty much the whole restaurant joined in...

I thought the mouse was cute and was trying to make sure they didn't kill him.  The management was also not amused by me trying to help them catch the mouse and insisting I'd take him outside.

Then we headed to good ol' Selwyn for drinks.

 (Ellen - sadly, you were already home by the time my camera came out!!). 



When we are all at home there are FIVE dogs running around.  It is a bit like a kennel, but it's really fun.  I made the dogs pose in the window seat on Saturday night.  How cute is this picture? (Bailey and I gave Olivia a haircut -- not too shabby!)

Cockers only...

You may remember from my father's day post a few weeks ago that my mom had her friend's daughter paint my dad a portrait of his beloved Ethel.  Well she had Eloise done and has them hanging in the kitchen together.  They are darling and so reasonable!!  Bailey had Maysie's done as well and is just holding it up in the below picture.  I need to decide what color I want Olivia's background and get hers commissioned ASAP.

Begrudgingly I went to IKEA with mom, dad & Bailey -- you can actually pick through all of the modern minimalist designed pieces to find a few useful things.  I picked up this frame which I intend to turn into a corkboard -- only $29.  I'm spray painting it a glossy white to put either in our laundry room (our refrigerator is overflowing with wedding party invites) or put in my office.  I love the shape and the price.  I'll post once I finish that project.

Looking forward to a short week -- we head to the beach on Thursday for a long weekend!

XO,

Whit

Hyper Hammering

After working out I came home to an empty house tonight (Josh was at a summer clerk event).  I made an angel food cake for a bday at work tomorrow and in getting out my bundt pan discovered some antique plates I hadn't hung since college (don't worry, these weren't something I would have been heartbroken if broken on a Saturday night in Chapel Hill).  They were close in color to the fabric in the guest room headboard.  I took a hammer and went up to the guest room...

(The long ago before -- the chair pictures were something I picked up for $20 in Charlotte at Brass Exchange and something I've been debating on hanging)

I've also been trying to find a place for this pair of sconces.  Beginning my junior year of college until I got the headboard made for my master bedroom they hung by my bed and served as "bedside tables."  I really do love them.

My bedroom today without the sconces.  I adore the headboard, but I have missed those sconces!!

I held them up and started hammering.  Some "slight" measuring was done...resulting in one or two more holes than necessary (I told you it was hyper hammering).

Corner Look #1

Then I haphazardly added the plates (one is technically a bowl) above the chair pictures.

Corner Look #2

I wanted the plates to tie in another color, but I think I prefer the look without them.

Any thoughts?

I know the sconces may be a bit heavy for the chair and corner, but I'm not sure I care.

I guess I'll think on it for a few days.

XO,

Whit

Happy Anniversary!

Two years ago today I married my best friend and love of my life.  Hard to believe that marraige is even better than I imagined.  We are so blessed!!

Josh - I love you so much!  Here's to many more wonderful years of adventures together.

Love,

Whittles

Fathers' Day Dinner

We celebrated with my dad last weekend and tonight we had the Otto family over.  We had a very summery meal and I tried a few new items.

We started with a refreshing summer cocktail.  I stole (oops) these mason jars from the Tide's Inn in VA during Julia's bachelorette a few weekends ago and recreated their "Lancaster Lemonade"

1 shot vodka (sadly, we were fresh out so I used rum and it was equally delicious)

1 shot Limoncello

Fill glass with ice cubes

Pour (diet) Ginger Ale over ice

Add crushed mint leaves and squeezed lemon slides

Garnish with lemon and mint sprig

Larry enjoyed his! :)

For dinner our menu consisted of: Josh's barbeque chicken (it looks slightly charred, but it was actually moist and delicious), butter beans and au gratin potatoes.

The potatoes before they went into the oven

Slice potatoes very thin.  Spray baking dish.  Place one layer of potatoes in dish.  Sprinkle freshly grated Gruyere cheese on top.  (I also buy a bag of the "6 Blend Italian Cheeses" and mix that in with each layer).  Continue layering potatoes, cheese, potatoes, cheese.  End with a layer of potatoes on top.  In small bowl wisk 1 c. heavy cream with salt and pepper.  Pour the cream mixture over the potatoes evenly.  Sprinkle 1/8 t. paprika on top.

So yummy!! 

  

For dessert I was inspired by a grilled peaches recipe in a recent Southern Living.  Cut peaches in half.  Grill for a few minutes on each side (really just to warm).  Fill inside where pit was with black rasberry / butter / mint mixture.  We served with some vanilla ice cream and it was divine.

To make the filling - put 1/2 c. softened butter, 1/4 cup rasberry/blackberry seedless preserves (I used black rasberry) and 1/4 cup mint leaves (chopped very finely) in a bowl and blend until smooth.

XO,

Whit

Celebrity Crush

Is there another woman on the planet that is equally adored by women and men?  Not in our household.  Josh and I are both completly smitten.

How gorgeous, classy and feminine she looks at the ARK dinner.  I am in love with her dress by Jenny Packham -- simply stunning.

A little lady in our household needs to take some cues from the Duchess.  We are working on Olivia's hygiene this afternoon and she hates it.

Cleaning ears

and brushing her teeth

Happy Father's day to the great men in my life -- my dad, Choddee and my father-in-law.  I am so very blessed.

XO,

Whit

A few other DIY projects

I was hyper last weekend.  My mom kept telling me I was "wound up tight as a tick."  Who could blame me -- it was my first weekend at home in 8 weeks!  I had a major itch to accomplish some projects around the house.

Remember my Craig's list bench ($50!! -- I saw the same on in Five Points for $325!)



After we finished the headboard project Bailey and I worked on some recovering

Ta-da!  With leftover fabric from the pillows the grand total for this bench was $50...not too shabby.

(The color is terrible...but here is what it looks like)

These chairs (from a previous post) are on either side of the dresser in the room.

The guest room is coming along! I just need to get new lamps, paint the room and hang art / mirrors / sconces.  Furniture wise I'm on the prowl for a new dresser and I want a skirt made for the bedside table... more to come.

Thanks to Ellen and Grayson for one of the best and most thougtful wedding gifts that inspired this room -- the beautiful cow rug!

The next project was painting a magazine rack I picked up at Antiques at Five Points.

A little black spray paint

and the finishing touch was a little of my favorite gold leaf paint on the tassels.

A few other good finds last weekend included this bowl at Homegoods (bargain $16) -- and it matches a lot of wedding gifts.

and I found these Rock and Republic jeans at Costco ($49).

Off to a cookout and then out for a bit in Raleigh.

XO,

Whit