bedding

Monday, May 30, 2011

We recently saw this European inspired kitchen from Dream Kitchens and Baths Magazine

and thought it was too amazing not to share...

The honed marble countertops, the limestone floors, the creamy walls and cabinets, and a centered table (instead of an island) help make this kitchen feel light and open. We also love the mixture of painted and wood antiques.

Love the farmhouse sink and bridge faucet. Notice there are no upper cabinets in this kitchen. The homeowner opted for windows and antique shelves instead.

"Practical storage space is still ample, however, thanks to the long runs of base cabinets. Toward the front of the house, a walk-in pantry and a niche with a butler's pantry hold dry goods and barware."

"Clever carpentry marries a curved antique cabinet with a new surround for the stainless-steel refrigerator."

"A 19th century Swedish daybed and French chairs pull up to a spool-leg table in the breakfast area. A Swedish chandelier adds the crowning touch."

All images courtesy of Dream Kitchens and Baths

Maine Monday 2: Moose encounters

Happy Memorial Day, everyone! I know, I know, it's pretty much over now. I hope everyone had a fun- and sun-filled weekend. We had ourselves a great cookout -- more on that Wednesday.

But first, it's time for the second installment of Maine Monday! I debuted this series last month: on the last Monday of the month, I share something about my home state of Maine. Just because I love it so much :) Last month, I featured lobster.

This month, it's another iconic Maine animal

The moose...

You know, like Bullwinkle!

Via

Okay, it's more like this, actually.

Via

I've seen a few moose in my lifetime, mostly -- and thankfully -- from afar. I have a memory of camping when I was little, in the car, and seeing a moose only a few yards in front of us in the middle of the road. They are big, practically taller than a car, and I remember being awestruck and a little scared.

Most of the time we see the moose when we're camping in more rural areas, but my parents have spotted one in their backyard in their not-very-rural town of about 10,000 people. But it's not unheard of for a moose, especially younger ones, to be seen wandering through a downtown or a more populated area.

Last summer, a moose went to the beach in the coastal town of York. Imagine surfing and then seeing a moose running past!

Photo by Mary Garrison, via Nashua Telegraph

Also last summer, a moose was on the loose in Portland, Maine's largest city of about 63,000. As this article from the local paper describes, police cruisers and game wardens chased the moose through downtown streets, trying to divert it from busy roads and the highway. And it took a dip in a pond at a local park. The city was buzzing with news of the moose's last known location, and many were hoping to catch a glimpse of it.

Photo by Michael Smarc, via Portland Press Herald

It might seem like moose are always running around, but really they're pretty elusive, so I always want to spot one when we go camping.

In 2007, the hubs (then-boyfriend) and I went up to Eustis, Maine, to meet up with his family for their annual camping trip, and found out that his mom had seen a moose the day before. I was so bummed! All weekend I kept saying how much I wanted to see a moose.

Be careful what you wish for...

Yes, we got a little-too up-close-and-personal with a girl moose on our drive home. Talk about scary. We came up over a hill and saw this cow moose running out of the woods across the road. I remember screaming uselessly as the hubs tried to stop and swerve to avoid her. She ended up literally tripping over the hood of his Jeep Cherokee, breaking the windshield with her head, rolling over the hood, hitting the ground and then taking off for the woods.

We were really shaken up, and the hubs had little cuts on his legs from the broken windshield, but luckily we were all right. People do get seriously hurt and killed in collisions with moose, and when the hubs called the insurance company to file a claim, the guy on the phone was incredulous that we were actually okay.

And so was the moose! The deputy who came to help us went looking for her, and said she was nowhere to be found. Usually an injured moose will run just far enough to be out of view, but won't keep going, so since he couldn't find her, he suspected she was fine ("except for a big headache").

Even the car was driveable -- just needed a new windshield and antenna. Holy cannoli, we lucked out!

The hubs left the dents in the hood because he thought they looked cool

We knew we were somewhere where moose collisions are frequent when the guy who saw the accident and stopped to "help" us only told us lots of trivia about moose, and how they like to run out of the woods really fast like that to escape the black flies. Then he drove away. Uh, thanks dude! Really helpful.

So, I learned my lesson not to wish too hard to see a moose. Watching one come at my face was enough for me.

So there you have it, the second edition of Maine Monday. Come back next month for something else about Vacationland. I'll try not to make it animal-themed this time... :)

Friday, May 27, 2011

A fresh display for summer

First off, I'm just floored -- another fabulous blogger highlighted little ol' me! Brenda at Cozy Little House included Heart Maine Home in her recent Welcome Wagon Friday roundup. Wow! Thank you so much, Brenda!! I'm feeling so welcomed into this blogger community, and it sure is nice. You have to go check out Brenda's blog -- it's full of gorgeous photography that I know will cheer you up on this Friday as you watch the minutes tick down until quittin' time. Go over and say hi, and check out the other bloggers she featured this week! And to my new followers, welcome welcome! I'm so happy you're here.

Don't worry, I'm not going to let all of this attention go to my head. :)

We've had a pretty lousy May here in Maine -- lots of rain, cold temps and week-long stretches of absolutely NO SUN. It's been a little depressing, to say the least! The sun did come out this week, which gave me the itch to bring in some new, fresh summer decor in the living room. (The sun arrived, but of course did not stick around long enough for me to get nice light pictures...oh well!)

Our spring vignette was playful with lots of color...

For summer, I wanted something relaxing and soothing, like a warm, lazy day at the beach. We only get about three months of beach weather in Maine, so we really cherish those perfect beach days. Maine has lots of coastline and gorgeous, wild beaches, and my absolute favorite thing to do in the summer is walk along the beach, watching the waves crash, the little sandpipers running around, the kids playing in the water -- and yes, I do swim in it! It's very...refreshing :) I'm totally in love with the ocean and all of its colors -- watery blues, peaceful greens, sandy tans.

Using the colors and feeling of the ocean, I put together this summer dislay on the console table and floating shelves in our living room.

Let's take a little tour around it, shall we?

Starting with the shelves...the bottom shelf holds a little succulent that I wrapped in some jute fabric and arranged with some sea glass. I just love succulents, and they remind me of our Aruba honeymoon, where cacti dotted much of the landscape. Next to it is the white vase I snagged from Michaels and used in our kitchen as part of our spring decor. I love repurposing!

On the top shelf: a votive holder with more sea glass, a framed photo and a big glass fishing float I bought at the antique store. I love its color and unique shape

The photo I took a couple years ago at one of our favorite Maine beaches, Reid State Park in Georgetown. I shopped my house for this summery vignette, and stole the photo from a frame in the guest room, and the frame was holding a print in the dining room.

It makes me feel so relaxed...

I kept it simple on the console table -- I didn't really like how busy it was looking with all the little items, so I decided to use fewer, but bigger, items this time around.

Remember that wire basket I bought in Kennebunkport? I love how it looks filled with a couple more glass fishing floats. Aren't they so neat? I'll have more on those another day.

I arranged a few pieces of coral we collected in Aruba and smuggled through customs (shhh don't tell!) on a white tray. I find the white-on-white very calming.

An old wooden bowl I found at the antique store for only $10 holds my collection of white shells. I love collecting shells, and everyone knows it, so when my mom and my sister go to the beach or travel they are sweet enough to bring me back a few treasures. I have a ton of shells as a result, and I love it!

Rounding it out is my green glass bottle from the flea market, and a wine bottle of sand, also smuggled out of Aruba.

I love how the warm tones of the wood bowl contrast with the cool colors of the shells and the glass. The bowl definitely brings some dimension to the display.

On the bottom shelf, I added some jute string and shells to the baskets. I don't think I'm liking it though. After I took these photos, I kept looking at them and they reminded me of, ahem, a part of the female anatomy. (Scroll back up to the first head-on shot and tell me you see the same thing! Either that or I'm super immature.) But I do like that the baskets play off the warmer tones of the wood bowl and keep the whole display from being too cool-hued.

A few more photos...

I love how airy it feels with all the glass! And the repetition of a few colors -- white, aqua blue and green, is very soothing to me. It makes me want to put on a light, white cotton sweater and a pair of flip flops and sit down next to the ocean with my toes in the sand.

I stuck all the things I pulled off the shelves and table on top of the media cabinet to get them out of the way, including the book wreath and bundle. I'm kind of liking how they look up there, and how the wreath reflects in the mirror. I think I'll leave them there (but pare down all the stuff, obviously). If that candle ever got lit, that wreath would go up in flames so fast!

I'm working on a new summery centerpiece for our dining room table, and I'm STILL sewing something to add to the living room (okay, a hint: they're pillows!) that will bring in some of those cool blue and green colors. I promise I'll show those to you soon!

I hope you all have a fantastic Memorial Day weekend! We'll be having a little cookout if the weather cooperates (please, please, please!), and I'm really excited to finally use our outdoor space.

We'll also be playing for the first time this game...have you guys seen it? I guess it's called ladder golf, though some may know it as redneck horseshoes (ha!). Being a fellow DIY fan (but in a very different way!), the hubs is planning to build our own set before Sunday. If he does, I'll do a little tutorial in case anyone else is looking for something fun to play this summer.

I wish we were playing on the beach! Photo from Coastal Living

Have a great long weekend! I'll be back on Monday for another Maine Monday, highlighting another iconic Maine creature...can you guess what it is?? :)

Linking up to these great parties! Click the buttons to visit.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Marcie Bronkar "Textile Aficionado"

On one of my recent trips to Los Angeles, I had the pleasure of meeting Marcie Bronkar herself. We have absolutely fallen in love with all of her fabrics and wallpapers.
She creates stunning textiles in bold patterns and subtle as well as bright colors!

Her showroom, shown below, is tucked away in a sweet quaint area of LA called Larchmont.
Below are some photos from her store and well as some of her product!

Marcie Bronkar is the Founder of Home Couture and Cloth & Paper fabric collections.

"Renowned textile aficionado Marcie Bronkar brings a wealth of experience to her latest offering to the design industry: the ultralux Cloth & Paper fabric and wallpaper collection. Her diverse and acclaimed pedigree in the fashion and home design industry has come full circle with delicious patterns and vibrant colors that truly offer a new and exciting source for today’s most discerning designer " elledecor.com

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Marcie Bronkar

Her website features all her amazing designs: marciebronkar.com

Her new line, Cloth & Paper, as well as Home Couture is available through her showroom here in LA. If you are interested in her wallpapers or fabrics - please do not hesitate to email us for pricing and samples. sevierwhiteinteriors@gmail.com

She even offers custom colors for her wallpapers and fabrics!

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Larchmont Village

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Exterior View

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Me (Meg) in front of Marcie's Showroom

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She creates amazing fabrics and wallpapers!

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Inside view!

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Pattern: Camelot

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Pattern: Antoinette

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Pattern: Russian Egg

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Another Interior View

Images: 1,3,4,9,11,12) marciebronkar.com All other images taken by Meg White

Feelin' the love

Just a little note to let you know that the wonderful Christina at Christina's Adventures has included little ol' me in a list of her favorite blogger friends! It was a total surprise -- I was just in my Google Reader, reading the bazillion posts I have to go through (like 600+, I'm serious!), and I got to Christina's post and was thinking, "Gosh, how nice of her to give some shoutouts to other bloggers!"...then BAM! It was my face :)

(That's my entryway mini makeover on the left, and my book page wreath)

A shoutout like this means so much to someone like me just starting out, figuring out how all this blogging stuff works, wondering if anyone is reading, if all the hard work is worth it. Being included among these other great blogs (most of which have a few hundred followers, compared to my 21!) is really flattering. I'm very touched that she would take time out of her unpacking (she just moved!) to call attention to my little blog, and amazed at how nice everyone is in this blogging world and how willing everyone is to share in each other's successes and excitements. Thank you, Christina! I hope to have hundreds of followers like you someday! Maybe this is the beginning...

And do stop by Christina's blog and follow her (and wish her well on her new place!) And don't forget to visit the other fabulous blogs she listed. I'm a follower of all of them now, and I hope you will be too!

And to my new readers visiting from Christina's Adventures, a big THANK YOU! for stopping by. I hope you'll stick around. :)