2011 Year in Review

Ring out the old, ring in the new; The year is going, let him go; Ring out the false, ring in the true! -Alfred Lord Tennyson 1850

I want to thank all of you for riding along with me this past year. I can't thank YOU enough. Really. You really are an extension of my sweet, supportive, and truly loving family. I LOVE you. At times it was a bit crazy for me, as you may recall. It's been one of climbing mountains, sweating bullets, tears + punch-drunk tears from the special weddings we did, + tow trucks, some broken egg shells and mirrors. But, yes, we made it... and I must say it's been a darn good year.

AND...I can't wait for next year. How about you? Are you ready?


Here's a quick recap from Pickwick House:

We opened the brick and mortar extension of Sharon Taylor Designs...called Pickwick House {A design studio for my interiors and creative event planning where I have thrown some workshops , sold retail furnishings, and also launched an on-line bazaar.}

The Euro-Cirque wedding we designed was featured in Real Simple Weddings.

My very first commercial project was published in book form along with several other international projects compiled for an inspirational architectural coffee table book called, PLAY! Indoor and Outdoor.

Pickwick House was featured on the "HOT sheet list" in the Knot magazine.

I won a 417 Magazine Interior Design of the Year award for Home Office Design.

You can read the link here.



















Best of all, we welcomed little John William, who you all know as Jack.

Happy New Year and Best Wishes for ringing in the truly best YOU for 2012!!

See YOU there!!!

xxxx
sharon

New Years Eve Bash {at home}

It's almost New Years Eve! Just when you thought all the holidays were winding down, it all starts ramping up again. Although, it's a good night to go out on the town to see all the city offers, it's usually crazy, crowded, expensive, not to mention, REALLY hard to find a sitter. And if you do find a sitter... you know she's premium dollar.

Sometimes it's just nice to stay home, relax, sit by the fire, and enjoy your house on the last night of the year.

Here are some ideas of what to do:

Host a chili party: Chili is pretty easy. Versatile, and hard to mess up. Have one friend bring a white chili, another friend bring a veggie chili, and one bring a bison...you get the idea. For those that aren't big on cooking, have them bring the cheese and crackers.

Host a dessert/champagne party: Whether you are a master baker, or you like to pick up sweets at a local bakery, sweets always satisfy. Don't forget to have lots of champagne... and one fun tip: why not chill the champagne in something fun, like a cool aged pot, or urn? It's a fun twist on the standard, and simple. Go look in your potting shed.

Host a Game Night party: Board games don't have to be "BORED" games. Get out your best old fashioned fun self out for the new year and give it a go. My favorite games that get everybody engaged and laughing for a bit are: Battle of the Sexes, Fiction/Diction, giant jenga, + roller skating around the block backwards, forwards, and funk-ified with a pot and pan in hand while wearing a sparkly, glittery hat. {be careful}

Stay Safe and Happy New Years Eve!


{all images via pinterest}
{ganache cake with infused gold via Martha Stewart Living}


Much Love to you all. I'll be back tomorrow for a special New Years Eve post.



{Have a question? Wanna hire me to redesign your house/apartment, be your personal shopper, or plan the most smashing bash you've ever had? I'M IN! Just email me and I'll have a bottle of champagne at the ready.}

xx
sharon

Merry, Merry!

Oh my. What a week. I'll share some lovely nods we've received on the web this week. You can see the posts here and here.

Are you merry-ing it up out there? I am merry-ing up my sweet Will today with a little package for him.

I used fabric for wrapping his package...The menswear is the excess fabric from the sofa reupholstery and I had some extra brown paper bags laying around for the vest. The old watch face is from a junk store. I love Will in his everydays, but when he dresses up, he does it right-dapper-he-does...in fact, I've called him Lord Fauntleroy since the minute I met him.

Here are a few pics from the workshop we had at Pickwick House. The full story is at the top of the page. I've gotta run now cause baby Jack is crying...

All photos taken by Adie Gateley of Twin Town Studios.

Happy Eve of the Eve!


xxxx
sharon

5 DETAILS U CAN DO TOO!

Wishing you all a very merry christmas! Are you ready? I'm almost there.

Loving all these details, so I've added them to a doable list of mine for tomorrow. I invite you to do the same. We should be able to do all of them. It's not a tough list.

1. kissing my honey extra much tomorrow and telling him that I love him more than I love cake! It's his b. day.

illustrations by joy cho of oh joy!











2. Entering this tobi fairley chair contest. I invite you to do the same!

3. Drinking Champagne and making a toast to the start of the holidays!

4."free-floating" gift wrap {in other words....I'm taking it to a simple level.} White/brown craft paper + easy to find toppers.

5. Biking. Whether it's to work or to cocktail hour or to a party...I'll be biking with baby in tow. Preferably on a gold bike like this one, but bubz might need a gold seat too. :)

{via pinterest/? on source}

OKAY:
Have a question? Wanna hire me to redesign your house/apartment, be your personal shopper, or plan the most smashing bash you've ever had? I'M IN! Just email me and I'll have a bottle of champagne at the ready.

Merriest of Days to you!

xxxx
sharon

TIPS: Pulling a Christmas Room Together

Need something around your tree, instead of under it? Here's a brand-new upholstered suit to outfit a room in for Christmas...all for sale at Pickwick House. It's like "gifting the earth and yourself" with vintage. *I know, sounds like too much commercial-type lingo to push on you overspent and tired people right now, right here at Christmas, hustle and bustle time*, but really, do you know how much this set means? It's come from a sweet 1940's estate auction, to my back room, it then served it's purpose well as a used sofa for many of meetings, then it traveled to the sweet upholstery place, and now it's back at the store waiting like "Corduroy". I'll be quiet now, but seriously, I could go on and on about it. What do you think of it? Do you like it? Just come in and sit on it, and I promise, I won't sell you hard on it. I'm not like that pushy sales guy.

I think these furnishings would look really good with these three things.
1. grass cloth wallpaper

{via h.h.}
























2. a worn looking anatolian, turkish rug pictured here...

abccarpet









3. fresh green garlands draping the large-scale frame. Something like these would be darling...but a simple greenery draping would do the trick quite nicely.

{via pinterest with photography by Aengus McGiffin}

The antlers have really been flying out of the store this season. Do you love them? Most people love them or hate them. I LOVE them. We have more in, just in case you need a cute little something to hang a bulb from.

I'm going to see Sylvia's first school performance this morning.

Hope you're surrounded by LOVE this week.

xx
sharon

For the Kids

How much online shopping have you done this year? I'm so thankful as a last-minute type mom to find a few online things. It's just clickety-click fast. These two things should arrive by Friday for my bambinos. The dress is from Saks and is only $30. And the one piece is from baby gap. I'm a sucker for cable knit sweaters.

Hope your week is stress free and filled with happy,cheery Christmas punch.

xx
sharon

NOT Quite Done...

Nothing quite like a deadline to get my projects wrapped up! I would so rather be shopping, wrapping gifts, and eating truffles right now, but there are deadlines right after Christmas. What about you? Are you all ready for the Holidays?

Here's a project that is not even close to being done, but I will toil like cinderella to put the shiny touches on it. LOL!

Do you like what you're seeing so far? You don't have to say yes. It's a work in progress. Here's what I can say I like about it as it is today: The painted trimming accents the storybook-styled peak.

We just ordered a vintage kantha throw for the daybed that literally has me salivating on it and the bed itself.

I was struck by this room pictured below on pinterest today when I was searching for rooms with colored trim. I wanted to show you that there are ways to bring colored-details into a room in an unexpected way that doesn't overwhelm. Do you like it?

I love the designer's color choices. Does anyone know who the designer is? Its funny that we share a love for the same violet.

I hope you enjoy your weekend. Please visit me at the shop. I'll have baby Jack there to give you good cheer!

Need design services, stylizing, or fluffing up your nest? Contact me thru here.
xx
sharon

...Get Busy Do It

Happy Friday! Here's a before and after of a big chandelier I found...

It's going to be the "glam" in a soft baby's room.

Here's big boy...

He looks to be a serious baby, huh? But he goes really, totally crazy when I sing...

"Get up, get up, get busy do it
Get up and move that body
Get up people now get down to it before the night is over
Get up, get up, get busy do it
I wanna see you party
Get up people now get down to it before the night is over"

Well, it's the weekend and what are you doing? We're seeing lots of cousins and hoping a new baby arrives too. Baby Zelma is due any minute.

Hope you have a trillion good moments with family and friends over the weekend and Holidays!

xx
sharon

SNEAK peek: Holiday Rappin'

I"m popping in because I wanted to share something special. Here's what just rolled in...

Do you like this rolling industrial cart? Me too. It's for sale.
AND.My sweet friend Adie, of twin town studios, came over to photograph our "rappin' workshop". I'll have more to share soon.

NEed any last minute gifts that we can wrap all up real pretty for you? Come to Pickwick House. The neighborhood sidewalk shop.

xx
sharon

Visions of Sug. (SHOOOG}

Making final selections on things for a few bedrooms this week. Finalizing can be hard for a lot of people. Pulling the trigger just sometimes take an extra set of eyes. That's me. EYES PLUS a nose.... {a nose that would like to think it KNOWS...ha} Sorry, I've just been up way too late catching up on things for my clients and sound a little cooky.

A few projects are about to wrap up and we're almost ready for photo shoot time. I hope to share soon!

I put together a little inspiration board for a bedroom makeover. The walls are grey. I may do a tone on tone moroccan-shape stencil over the existing grey. I like the one pictured in the top right corner...although those aren't quite the right colors, but you get the idea.

lamp: bungalow 5
pillow: zinc door
console: drexel heritage
flowers: dianthus
bedspread: pine cone hill
karntha throw: one kings lane
navy wing back: crate and barrel

So, do you like it? I am in love with the lamps. They are $300 each, so not so sure that they'll make the cut when it comes to final subtotal.

Happy Thursday to you all!


xx
sharon

Revamping: Tiny Tips with Large Impact

In need of some revamping your home or office space after the new year? I look forward to January for several reasons. It's a time to get reorganized AND revamped! Give me a call if you're interested in booking for January.

Pictured above, is the jellybeans design center that I designed. I wanted the center and/or desk area to feel like a little inspiration island in the middle of the sensory overloaded store of many sweet things. As a general rule of mine for any small space, I am a firm believer in creating "islands" or "pockets" of creative think spaces. This one happened to be only a 4x5 foot space.

What We Used:
For the jellybeans store, we repurposed MUCH of what was brought over from the old store. The desk is old, but given a fresh coat of paint. The chairs are vintage flea market finds. The curtains/pelmet/canopy are newly made and the boxes are from Lowes. The geometric valance at the top is attached with velcro. I thought if we ever wanted to update the look, we could always have another one made in a different style and/or color with a simple switch-a-roo.

I painted the edge of the table peach to match the valance edging. Then to tie the chandelier in, I painted some of the crystals peach too. I feel like painting more of them peach and coral could've given it more of a "punch"...

I hope you're enjoying your holidays and this week! Boy, it's flying by.

xx
sharon

PLAY! Indoor and Outdoor

Happy Monday! Here is a little project that happened to me. I know you've seen some images of Jellybeans before, but today, I can't help it, I am kinda proud to say it's now in published book form. Play! Indoor and Outdoor is the title. and it features some really cool kids spaces from around the world. Jellybeans is among them!

Jellybeans is a baby + childrens boutique I was privileged to design. My sweet friend, Nathalie Bearden is the published photographer. I will be ordering some to sell at Pickwick House. Let me know if you're interested in purchasing one and I'll add you to my cart.

Here's the cover:

And, for the kids...Here's a quote for believing in yourself. I've had to tell myself this quote several times along the way.

Today seems like a good day to share it with you.

"If you hear a voice within you say "you cannot paint," then by all means, paint, and that voice will be silenced. ~Vincent Van Gogh.

I hope you have a good week!

xx
sharon

Color of the YEAR: Tangerine Tango

Happy Saturday! I always look forward to hearing the color of the year prediction from Pantone. It's been announced for 2012. AND, it's TANGERINE TANGO. LOVE.

I recently started pinning on pinterest. I know I'm one of only a million to jump on this midnight train ride. How about you? Are you pinning? Are you overwhelmed by all the options, ideas, and trends that you're seeing on there? Sometimes I am too, but after the color of the year was announced, I immediately wanted to blog some inspirational rooms etc., but then quickly realized that "my personal" pin board on pinterest was already a bit covered up with tangerine.

SO....

Here are some pinterest pins I made of my tangerine dreams.

Hope you're having a wonderful tango weekend.

xx
sharon

Little Women + Gift Wrapping

We're about to get "Crafty" in the house tonight for our chic gift-wrapping party. Special guests Elsie and Emma will be bringing their own collection of unique wrappings and bows to share with several of my sweet customers, friends, and neighbors.

So, the workspace is set! Long tables, scissors, and buckets of stuff to use. I think the cover of this Little Women book is so cute and it reminds me to get that movie out again. The movie gets to me, does it you? Speaks to some of my fondest memories of growing up in a house full of mostly girls. A strong, strong Mom, roughing it, long work tables for crafting, and proud things that we made.

If you weren't able to make it to this workshop, no frets... I'm anxious to announce all of our WINTER workshops very soon.

source

source

Stay tuned for photos of our good times. My sweet and talented friend, Adie of Twin Town Studios will be sharing soon!

xx
sharon

Annemarie's Christmas Party

Hi All. Are you staying cozified? I've got my new sorel boots on for the soft blanket of snow...It's amazing how much these boots put me in the mode for "getting 'er done" today.

Okay, so I'm happy to introduce you to another one of my special interns, Annemarie. Her time is almost up here at Pickwick House and I am not so happy about. She's been wonderful, funny, full of ideas + tons of tips on style.

Today, she's sharing her idea of the perfect Christmas party. And, she's using my fave color...RED.

For cocktail hour, this setting is my favorite.  I love the use of red especially the use of cranberries.  The wreath has a natural look with the long pine needles.  If you want to recreate this type of wreath, I suggest taking a wreath and spreading the branches out to elongate the design and create that realistic look. 

A delicious drink to serve would be this cranberry margarita from the website My Recipes.  It can be served frozen or on ice.  For a little extra Christmas flair, add a garnish of a holly leaf and sugar around the rim to make the glass look frosted. 

   

For setting the table for a dinner party, I always believe that less is more.  This setting from Martha Stewart Designs reminds me of my mother’s style with the ornaments hanging from the chandelier.  Again I love the use of the deep red, but if red is not your color; this setting could be just as lovely in an emerald green.  

Make sure your guests remember your party by leaving them with a gift.  These ornaments are unique and easy to make, with the only materials being newspaper, modge podge glue, glass ornaments and glitter.  Your guests will love the gesture and be dying to know where you got them!

Cute ideas, huh?

Thanks Annemarie. I'm going to have to try that cocktail recipe!

Have a cheery-cherry-cheeked week, everybody!

xx
sharon