Back on the horse

Hi friends and HAP-PY NEW YEAR. Its been awhile since our last chat and candidly I wasn’t quite sure where to begin. Do we dive right into our new year’s dreams and aspirations? I’m sure many of you are already off to the races (giddy up). Part of me feels like I didn’t give the holidays their due and would love a little review with a few “post holiday projects” (that’s a new one for me). You could indulge me with another brag-on-my-design-friends post full of stellar, inspiring images because my girls are on a ROLL. Then there are all these photos on my phone, from my two visits home in December, I’m compelled to share. Major highs and…well…you know. I guess I’m a bit all over the board this first post of the year. Bear with me as I find my feet again. xoxo

Let’s start with the highs…

Garden Bowl, Detroit Rock City. A great retro exterior. Don’t go changin.

Flippin thorugh an issue of Food and Wine, I came upon “10 places in America you need to drink wine right now” (RIGHT NOW I SAID) and I’ll be, there was one in the D. The Great Lakes Coffee House on Woodward. It will be one of the first places I stop next Summer. The wine was off the chart and the kimchi kale chips: put em in your mouth!

Anyone remember the scene from Royal Tenebaums when Owen and Luke Wilson are standing inside the board game closet, surrounded by all the greats? Risk, Battleship (the old school version, not that cardboard crap they have today), Life, Monopoly. I tried to find a pic from the movie (in which the game closet is well documented), so we could reminisce. Our cousins Bethanne, Stacey and Michael had a killer game closet just like it.

I was looking for some old vinyl (Disco Duck… kidding… kinda) and came across all the ole Strawberry Shortcake Dolls. They had better days yet still smelled like huckleberries, strawberries, sour grapes, etc.  Too bad as Sophia thought they looked “pretty and cute” and wished I still had them. The detail of each doll’s outfit was pretty amazing. I guess they just don’t make toys like they use to (and I’m obviously getting old with the old toy references).

While digging for Off the Wall and Donna Summer, I came across my favorite pop-up books. Again, they don’t make stuff like this anymore, do they?

Every Summer I ask Dad to trim the birch tree in the front yard and every Summer he blows me off. As kids we loved to peel back “the paper” waiting on my brother and sister to walk up the street from school.

Birch logs are a big yes anywhere and everywhere in your decor.

Finally, some birch back in my life.This sweet little birch log martini table compliments of Lisa Gabrielson’s Vintage Finds and Design and her Dad’s company Natural Creations. You can find them on facebook HERE. 

Back home in the level pebble cruisin in Big Poppy’s Lincoln down a canopied street. Trees are so pretty even without their leaves.

Almost cropped the bottom when I spotted the hood ornament: awe-some.

(why don’t they make these anymore?) 


The new year has me running. A shot of some wallpapers in the running for a client…

Speaking of, this one gets top billing in my house! My sweet, designer mother-in-law Jan (the first person to take me to a design center) was a big fan of Brunschwig and Fils and it wore off on me.  Wallpapering my dining room didn’t really make the wish list for 2013 but who knows, maybe that will change. 

I did however decide 2013 will be the year the shoemaker finally gets some shoes and have been marking things off my to do list around here. I have yet to have my home professionally photographed and this year is it. Starting with our guest bedroom (because its days are numbered ;-)).

So last weekend I threw on some stripes to help tie a salon styled gallery wall together and started to hang some art…

Big holiday weekend upon us. Any big plans? Still nursing a holiday hangover? I hear that. However I feel some projects coming on. Contemplating painting a colored wainscoting three quarters of the wall in my master bath this weekend, kind of like this…

The goal is “French Rustic” but with a little bling thrown in. I have some new sconces coming from Visual Comfort in their tasty hand-rubbed brass finish. It is divine.

The Vendome Sconce 

Its a builder grade master bath, meaning we haven’t lit a match and blown it up, so I’m challenging myself to add some inexpensive charm. Special enough to last a few more years because the thought of renovating makes me feel prickly…or maybe its this scratchy sweater I’m wearing. Keep you posted on how it all comes together.

An inspiring table repurposed by my friends Kandrac and Kole for this year’s Room Service Atlanta

We’ll also be celebrating Dr. King’s day on Monday. One of my favorite American holidays. I’ll catch his speech in its entirety and get the usual CHILLS. Lay in bed and think, damn it, I have a dream. I dream about no more crazy guns and shoot outs in this country. I dream about high-tech carbon-neutral public schools, with roof top gardens, every kid in a school uniform designed by Ralph Lauren (when my boy went to private school he never wanted to take his uniform off after school – coincidence -nope I think it made him feel professional and good about himself), a music room full of shiny saxophones and every other instrument known to us, art rooms overflowing with supplies and technology to keep all the kids safe. All very doable if we’d just get our priorities straight.

What’s your dream? This weekend’s the time to think about it.

Wherever the weekend takes you, make it a great one. I’ll be back soon with a colorful list of subjects: short and sweet holiday recap, my design wish list, the hottest home spreads from 2012, maybe revisit that Daydreaming post from last year, see what we achieved or look back through my phone at all the design that caught my eye. I have a feeling 2013 is going to be a wild one. Time to saddle up.

xx
Jenny from the rock

facebook   twitter   email   pinterest