Flutes + Crowns or Fruits + Clowns = Happy New Year!!

Flutes + Crowns or Fruits + Clowns....However you want to look at this vignette or tableaux. Subtotal of the two = Happy New Year Salutations! With tax = BAD Hangover. {I hope not the latter} And no, I'm not saying we shouldn't pay taxes.

Here's our DIY kitchen all decked out for the Taylor-Made New Years Bash: Pretty primitive...down to the bubbly {in the sink}. I've had people ask me how I live w/out a dishwasher. Well, my response is called kid's chores. I've taught my kids well, since I'm the expert on dishwashing. They say that once you've done something 10,000 hours...you're considered a real expert in that area. I have.

DIY shelves made from scrapping a throw away junk-style cabinet + industrial looking L-brackets.

I made a super simple DIY Paper crown today to put on Beethoven. How do you like it?

Champagne flutes and gifts have been given some felt stick-ons. It's the countdown {in case you didn't notice}. I bought the stick-ons at the local craft store for like $3 dollars.

I'm super proud that I actually got out the sewing machine to sew the kitchen sink skirt all by myself. Fabric is Amy Butler.

New Life

My work day was jammer-rood {full}. I think I'll have a seat on my make believe french-like sofa, and reflect on what New Life is croppin up around here...

Starting off: Stripey jammer-rood girl here {these are Sylvie's new little night-nights + accessories}. I discovered a new function for accidental shrunken wool sweaters... {I'm proud to say I invented something pretty cute out of my scatter-brained-edness a few years back}. Call me crazy...but at least I'm not boring {that's a line a friend of mine uses a lot...I just love, don't you?!}.

Okay, here's the crazy part How to: Cut those 'skinny' arm sweaters off at the arm-pit and give a baby some sweet little leg-warmers instead of arm-warmers. Better yet, give yourself or a stylish teenage girl some warmth too. I like to go to the DAV and find any old nubby dollar sweater for this purpose. No hemming necessary. {One sweater makes two leg-warmers!} That's the crazy part, huh?!

Next up: Eleanor's room needed a make-over. BAD. It's probably totally apparent, huh? Bah-Bye Robins Egg Blue! Hello Shaker Grey. Will, Eleanor, and Michael have been going full force on it.

Do you see Eleanor's squatty little signature on the quarter-round? Well, she signed her name here back when she was in the first grade without my knowledge. When I found out she did this, I was so mad at her. She explained to me that her teacher had told a story about how the previous owners of a really old home had carved their names into the wall. Well...Eleanor wanted to leave her mark...so she decided to sharpie it! I'm chuckling, because isn't it ALWAYS the sharpie or scissors that they find??!!

I don't think I ever embraced her "piece of writing" until now. This is the year of her 16th birthday, so perhaps that's the reason I want to kiss her over and over along with her sweet little piece of history-making. We won't be painting over it.

AND Lastly, I hope we live here forever in this little old house that mom breathed new life into just before she passed.

Happy New Year!

xo

sharon

Twirling

I hope you had a few nice Holidays over the weekend.

I did a lot of twirling over the Holidays.

First twirl about:

I was given the award for Best 417 Window Designs {windows by Sharon Taylor Designs @ Staxx.} I did a little twirl around after hearing of this award. I got dizzy and fell. No skinned knees. {Tweaking on the twirling to come...}

Other Twirl-Abouts: Twirled up a few paper discs for some parties and weddings {pink and blue ones for a photo shoot to come + Tutorials coming soon also}. {The brown gift box was for my aunt and uncles 50th} Happy 50th Jim and Polly!

Also, over the Holidays...Will's mom made at least ten of the most outstanding gourmet meals I've ever eaten...{for the whole lot of the 10+ family}! All I did was twirl the dish sponge around and watch her twirl her Martha Stewart-like creations. One of my favorites she made: Panetone Bread Pudding w/Custard, Pumpkin Drizzle and Whipping Creme.

Recap of Year:

First, I launched sharontaylordesigns.com, then the lifestyle blog a bit later in the year. In a quick turn-about off of those two things, I found my work being published among some of the best online sites in the design industry + the phone started ringing w/new clients and it hasn't stopped ringing since. Thanks again for all of your support!!

Sorry about the over usage of twirling. Once I find a word I like, it's over and over again until I'm done.

I'm done.

Best,

Sharon

Happy Holidays!

We're loading up to head over to Ma-Mas house.

This vw bug gives me sweet memories of my dad's old blue bug that all my eight siblings + me + parents would all pile into on a regular occasion...usually to go to church. {our station wagon was always on the fritz} Never mind seat belts or car seats. The three of us youngest girls would squeeze into the tiny back cubby and blow our breaths on the glass and then draw tic, tac, toe games.

Happy Safe and Best Holidays!

Sharon

Sugarplums

I wanted to stuff red tights in my teen daughter's stocking this Christmas, but to no avail. Apparently they're the rage. {image via Bird and Banner...anyone know who this designer is?}

Isn't this runway dress so fantastical? This is the stuff made for dreams...ruffles, red tights and the likes of this dessert tray {my sis took this pic before devouring the goodies...while in Paris, of course!}

Sharon Taylor Designs is featured on Design*Sponge today!

Thank you, Grace, for featuring our Winter Wonderland Baby Bash! Design*Sponge is a site w/huge online presence, so I couldn't be any more thrilled to see that my work has been included among some amazingly talented people. Click here to view the post.

Also, Clappity-Clap to Jo and Alex for the great news they announced yesterday! The darling newlyweds are expecting their first baby next year.

{photo by Janae Hardy}

I'm off to clean the house before the onslaught of baby toys arrive!

xo

sharon

A Winter Wonderland Baby Shower by Sharon Taylor Designs

These are me and my sisters. Here's the baby shower we threw for our sis, Lizzie. The bash took place at the home of our sister, Julie Blackmon. Baby Albert came into the world day before yesterday weighing 6 1/2 lbs, healthy and pretty darn precious.

Details:

My sister, Millie created the coolest little hand-knit stork sling and tied it to the flea market stork that she up-cycled! Is it not precious? The mantle decor was something so unexpected but totally chic. The big white star was a fold-out that I found for one buck @ Deals. And the vintage toy tiger was found for a few dollars at a flea market.

Props: Vintage toy animals, miniature deer, taxidermy, dollar lollypops, old milk jugs filled w/laundry detergent, milk glass vases from a thrift store, feathers, electric green urn, large paper stars, crepe paper balls, an up-cycled fisher price castle {I sprayed it w/white spray paint and covered the larger parts w/white cardstock}, cupcake toppers were hand-cut paper deer. I made some paper cut-out antler headbands too. That's my daughter, Eleanor, antlered in the picture below.

Julie's home is filled w/lots of cool portrait paintings. I love all of the lady portraits hanging on the walls...so symbolic of the number of girls born into our family. We are mighty in number and love celebrating our the birth of our babies!!

It was a sweet day, to say the least.

The heavenly white floral spheres were made of carnations, spider mums, pale blue hydrangea snippets, ranunculus, dendrobium orchids, and baby's breath. I nearly cried when I saw them.

Amy's Cupcakes, Champagne, Punch, Powdered Covered Donuts, Nuts and Mints were served. Simple, simple.

The team that made this so fun: Janae Hardy Photography, Janet Pearson, The Orchid Lady, Amy Cakes, and my genius sisters. Thanks guys!

Favorite Family Things: A Horner Family Post

For the Holidays, and as a goal for the New Year...my goal is to live like a kid again. Being a kid again for me means being a kid in the middle of a large family, withIN the largest family...ever. A big fam is grand. Never a dull moment and sadly, never enough food!

You know who inspired me to take a trip down good ol' memory lane today? My cousin Laura. Laura suggested blips and pics of things that are pretty much universally loved by me, my 99 million first girl cousins, my 5 sisters, my 5 aunts, my 2 girls, and my mom and grandma in heaven. I'm almost sure we were all born with a few of the same unconscious patterns, gravitations, and ideas...{special Ode to Grandma Horner}. The boys will have their faves to come too...

That's my cuz, Rachel, and daughter Naomi pictured w/their freshly cut do-it-yourself bangs. Love em!

A VERY condensed version of Favorite Family Things:

Laura: Maidenhair ferns, porches, fur, brooches, babies, do-it-yourself haircuts with {oops} short bangs.

Carrie: Poems, musicals, radiators, ghost in the graveyard, Lemonade, hot glue, beads, buttons, too many mirrors and never enough chairs, bikes w/ten baskets, dish towel blouses, murals.

Rosie: Hand-me-downs-and-downs-and-downs, trash/treasure digging, walking @ night with just mom, bunk beds, candy bars cut into 9 pieces and getting the biggest piece, spray paint, Dollar General, leaf houses, playing outside in 0 degree weather and sweating our hats off, peeling potatoes in dish towel blouses, doing dishes w/no dishtowels, beans and white bread...

Millie: paying for McDonalds in dimes, movies @ the plaza tower, sliding down the banister @ Horner house, static church dresses that stuck to your tights like glue, the Heritage, and DEADLY red rover...

Me: Duck tape, alluminum cans, running (instead of walking) from the parking lot into the grocery store, drawing an imaginary boundary line down the middle of a full size bed I shared w/Jeanie, forgotten siblings left @ church, the outhouse @ Mineral, Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair...

Laura, thanks for the inspiration for the Favorite Family Things idea! Babies might have to top the list though, don'tcha think?

As Paul Arnold {my dad, who's also in heaven} would say..."This place is Grand Central Station!!!" {Which could mean good or bad, depending on the day...but MOSTLY good. And we know we wouldn't change the chaos for anything!} It's a Wonderful Life!

Go get some ribbon candy now and leave it out all year round, just like Grandma!

Love you all!

Sharon

Taylor-Made Holiday Party

Here's a new Holiday Table Top just in...

I had to also share this great {ice cycle} fountain that is in the front yard of this particular client's. She recently got it up and running after it had been void of running agua for over thirty years with the previous owners of the home.

My client has great aesthetic and design sense, so she knew she wanted a really clean-lined holiday table top for a private dinner party. This is one of three different table tops that I created there, along w/Janet, the Orchid Lady.

I HAVE to give a few details because this particular one is for sure my favorite holiday table top to date:

Flowers by Janet Pearson, The Orchid Lady. Red Carnation Sphere + added Austromerhia {for added texture}. Napkin rings were simple knots of long red ribbon, King of Leon peppermint stick and one dendrobium orchid tucked in for the night! So simple, clean, and chic. What do you think?

Dinnerware is a contemporary black onx.

The quartz top table was designed by the owner and mother of three! The chairs were her childhood dining chairs and were recently up-cycled and recovered in a really classy chinoiserie fabric. It's probably the coolest set I've seen in a long time. And the table itself is a masterpiece!

This is Janet and me... Anything Janet touches is always heavenly! I reeeeaaaallly love her and her work so much!

{Janae Hardy Photography}

Cheers!

Sharon

Holiday Greetings from Sharon Taylor Designs!

Happy Holidays from Sharon Taylor Designs! I recently had to be photographed for an upcoming project. {Photography by Michael Lampe}

Regular posts coming up... I can't wait to share the Winter Wonderland Baby Shower photos.

I'm off to put together a Kelly Wearstler styled tablescape for a private dinner party. The table is a killer quartz-top that looks and feels like marble.

Sharon

Holiday Tables by Sharon Taylor Designs

Tomorrow, I'll be a guest on KY3 t.v.'s early morning show sharing some Holiday Entertaining Tips.

I will be setting the table + showcasing some super simple gift wrapping ideas.

I like table tops to be fast + easy to assemble so I'll start with a few things I have on hand... Inspiration color: Scarlett Red. {I'm sure it will be a twist on the traditional.} I hope you like it!

This scarlett red dining room is a recent project of mine that was recently photographed by Sesha Shannon.

Happy Holidays!

Photography by Sesha Shannon of Convey Studio Photography

A Mod-Traditional Dining Room by Sharon Taylor Designs

Most American families don't use their dining rooms, but the couple who own this beautiful English home DO... and here's why:

Freshly painted walls, and 'Taylor-Made' touches.

What do you think? My clients are quite pleased with it, and so am I!

This dining room was opened up to a small kitchen. Basically, the door leading into the dining room was small and squatty. It was widened and raised, with all trim and molding made to match all of the original 1920's styled woodwork.

While the widened doorway was a really grand and needed update..the two conjoined rooms were still feeling disjointed and not cohesive at all. The kitchen was already painted this beautiful color of blue {the Brit husband's fave oceanic color}, and the dining room had butter yellow walls and yellowish curtains. I convinced them that they needed to "be-Out-with" the yellow and bring on the same vibrant blue as the kitchen. I knew that this would happily marry the two rooms together and give the space one large, sweeping-room effect. {Unfortunately, I have no photos of the kitchen to share yet...but will soon.}

This mod-traditional project is pretty much right in line w/the way this middle aged couple live. They are madly in love after 15 years of marriage and whenever I visit them for their bedroom makeover, the husband is usually cooking dinner on their viking range, the table is set w/lit candles, fresh flowers...and then she arrives home from work with a "Hi, honey I'm home." and a smooch. They have their long dinner chat together and then they take their fast paced nightly walk...arm in arm. {Mod, yet traditional living and very sweet}

The drapes and chandelier are from West Elm. Flowers by Janet Pearson, The Orchid Lady. Black Chair Slipcovers designed by me. We used the chairs they already owned...but they were needing some serious style makeovers since being purchased in the 80's. I had them re-dressed in some classy custom made slipcovers using wholesale heavy duty black denim. The dining table is an antique and the wings on the sides fold down. It seats six comfortably, but could also be used as a credenza or sofa table as well. The rug was found at Tuesday Morning.

Photography by Sesha Shannon of Convey Studio Photography

Blue Opulent Christmas

This Grand Opulence post has me playing "Blue Christmas" right now. It's also making me daydream of what I might do with a certain house in my neighborhood that was recently purchased after not having being touched since the 1960's. Imagine stepping into the set of Sound of Music.

If I were given the chance, {along with a few gold coins} to either:

A. buy it

OR

B. decorate this grand home,

I would definitely gravitate towards giving it a classic-traditional, yet refreshing twist of style.

This is Aerin Lauder's East Hampton home, which was featured in the December 2007 issue of House and Garden magazine. {image via Habitually Chic}.

Stay tuned for a newly painted cobalt blue dining room by Sharon Taylor designs, coming up this week...

Sneak Peak of an Early Christmas Present by Sharon Taylor Designs

Remember the red 'hooker-chic' headboard I found for a client? Well, here it is, hot off the truck! {Again, I apologize for my photography skills}. Still searching for some killer side tables to compliment this curvy bed. We're thinking either rustic-modernism, or sleek-industrial.

My client has little ones who like to snuggle up aside a mama and a papa on occasion. So, when choosing the fabric for reupholstering this piece, we knew that we needed something resistant to kid-like actions...i.e., super-hero flightiness, artistic marker renderings, and sweet little lolly-pop kisses. I selected a deeper grey colored canvas, that is warm, heavy-duty, and ultra cheap ($5.99 per yard = $36 total for fabric). That's cheaper than pre-made gravy! And, on top of that...It was a Pottery Barn remnant.

The bed installation went w/out a hitch, just as I had planned. Hanging it on the wall and then reinforcing it w/two L brackets underneath was no problem at all for these guys.

More to come on this bedroom redo. Also, stay tuned in, because I have some other exciting new design things happening this week and all the rest of the month.

I'm off now, to design a 2010 New Years wedding, using creme burlap runners on long harvest tables... it's going to be beautiful!

Have a wonderfully cheerful week!

Sharon