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1.29.2015

Our *holiday* cards and some {giveaway} love from Minted.com…..

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I am not ashamed to admit that this year I sent 'Happy New Year' cards.
I did it for a number of reasons - first, I did not have a good
photo that everyone agreed was Christmas card worthy -
Mom's of small children, hear me now……enjoy the days
where YOU and you alone choose the photo YOU like best -
without hearing, "ooh, you CANNOT send THAT photo out, I 
look soooooo gross in that picture"…..

And the second and final reason I sent a New Year's card was 
that I just didn't have my sh*t together……And as the song goes, 
I 'let it go', 'let it go'……

Pictured above is the front of the card that was sent to our peeps on
approximately January 15th.  I love this photo of my girls because 
it sums up their personalities to a 'T'.  My 16 year old
is big hugger, lover, and overall touchy/feel-y girl - her sister, not 
so much…thus the pose!  My 16 year old got her braces off about
a week after this photo was taken…right in time for her
sister to get hers on…next week - cha$ching! 
While I love this photo, I sometimes long for the days when I got
to choose their outfits, hairstyles and had time for a proper
photo shoot…….ah, the good old days!

I was grateful for Minted.com and the fact they had SO
many great New Year's cards to choose from  for all us slackers!

******

As a HUGE fan of the all the 'minor' holidays - I have promised myself that I
am not going to be behind on my Valentine's Day preparations - In the past
I have order personalized Valentine-themed journals for my girls,
this year Minted has some beautiful options for Valentine's gifts, art and cards!
minted
Minted has been a faithful partner of Forever*Cottage…..I am a HUGE
fan of all their products.  And to help YOU get a head start on your
Valentine's gifts, Minted has graciously offered to give TWO
Forever*Cottage readers a $75 credit to shop Minted!

To Enter:

* Go visit Minted and check out their fabulous
Valentine's Day products.  Then come back here and
let me know which ones are your favorites!

That's it!

I will close the comments on midnight on Sunday, Feb 1st
and announce the winners on Monday!






1.26.2015

Studio/Office Space…for me!

My Office!

Confession time…….since establishing my design business
just over two years ago, I have basically worked at my kitchen table, truth.
I am ashamed to admit that I did not believe
my business would actually take off, that clients would continue
to call, to want me to help them create their homes. Yuck. 
I have come a long way since then, cause if you don't believe
in yourself, how can you expect others to?

I knew that in 2015 I wanted needed to create an office space for
my design business - one that would foster creativity, allow me
to 'spread out' samples and fabrics for clients but most of all
organize my files, fabric memos, wallpaper samples etc…..

My office must be in our home so I had limited spaces to choose from -
my husband works from home too and his office is already serving dual
purposes as our guest bedroom and an office.  

I chose to make our formal living room my studio/office……on the plans
for our home the room was labeled 'dining room' and I have often wanted
a separate, additional dining space when we have entertained so my
plan is to have my office/studio be flexible enough to become a
dining space when needed.  Make sense?  

My 'desk' is going to be actually a dining table - specifically 
Restoration Hardware's  Flatiron table with the white metal 
legs, you can check it out HERE.  I am sort of excited
about this table - it's industrial but also sort of modern in a way -
exactly the look I am going for.

I have lots of storage included in the plan because I really need it.
Of course, there are lots of opportunities to display 'pretties' too.

As for color - I have been super inspired to use a soft, dusty coral and the
Schumacher Bengal Bazaar pattern is a favorite so I think they
will make an appearance…..I was in West Elm this weekend 
and they are doing ALOT of this color so I am obviously 
on to something - ha!  My favorite black accents will also be
making appearances…..Oh, and the walls will be BM Cloud White.

I still can't believe I have basically disassembled the most popular
space in my home as far as social media is concerned - it's BIG pressure
to create something equally as swanky, cool - a challenge I accept!

I intend to be BRAVE in my space - it's something I often ask of my
clients so I have to walk the talk!

I plan to blog about each step of the process - but remember…. 
Rome wasn't built in a day!  




1.12.2015

I'm Back!

Good gracious that was quite the unintended blog break!

But I am back and bigger than ever {ha! I probably am due to the holiday
over stuff!}.  I've had many full-filled days since we last met here and thought
it best to let the photos speak for themselves…..along with some simple
narration…..
* I got a tattoo - actually it's hardly a tattoo, or aka 'the world's smallest tattoo'….but it is 
meaningful to me and the experience could best be described as 'living out of my
comfort zone' and don't we all need to do more of that?  I acknowledge that
tattoos are not everyone's cup of tea but I am super happy to have finally done something
I had only talked about for.so.long.  If it's not your jam, that's okey-dokey.

* One of my biggest goals this year is to be more deliberate in my life - I am quite
certain it will make me a better designer, wife, friend and mother.  The book,  "The Best
Yes" - it is inspiring me to prioritize and make room for what's important.

* My family is a bit crazy.

* Travel has been the theme for us so far in 2015.  The day after
Christmas my hubby and oldest daughter headed to Florida for 6 days of soccer tournaments.
Then when they returned home, I left for sunny San Diego to work with a client and friend
on her new home - see below.



* This past weekend our family headed up to Spokane, Washington {more soccer}.
Me and my little girl shopped vintage and our family enjoyed breakfast at Chaps.
How cute is the 'Lucky Detour' store front?

* When I arrived home in Portland I took a PDX carpet shot - have you looked
at #pdxcarpet on Instagram?  Seems Portlanders love their airport {I do} and the
carpet has become a symbol of 'home'.  Unfortunately, the famous carpet is going to
be replaced this month!  Even the New York Times wrote an article about it!  Read it HERE.

* I can never get enough of the California sunshine and their life guard stands!

* After helping my client/friend design her new home via MANY email
exchanges, design boards, phone calls, texts etc….It was so fun to actually
get my hands on this place!  I styled tables, shelves, we shopped and hung 
pictures and even a gallery wall - after all, I am the gallery wall whisperer.

* My client/friend LOVES blue and white but the formal furnishings
she had in her Louisville, Kentucky home were not going to 
work in laid back California.  So we combined her great family antiques,
lots of blue and white and added white upholstery, wicker, seagrass, bamboo shades,
white drapery and some coastal decor items.

* The kitchen originally had stained cabinets - and really lacked personality.
We had the cabinets painted, added some open shelving and pendant 
lights and expanded the island for casual family dining.
I plan to dedicate a entire post soon to the before and afters of this space -
it speaks to how simple cosmetic changes can really make a house YOUR home.

I am ready to get 2015 started….I have many new client
inquires - so excited for new projects and BRAVE clients!

I have missed all of you!  What's going on?



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