V&M CRUSH!!

MY WISH LIST from my new favorite shopping site; Vand M{Vintage and Modern}.  I must've been living under a rock or something because I'd never heard of it until recently while I was at design camp.   A group of us designer campers were invited to go have a bite for dinner with the co founder of V&M {a sponsor of camp}. Bill Indursky.  A magnetic, smart, and quirky guy.  He was a fantastic speaker who had us revved up from the GET-GO at camp!

While at dinner, he shared with us his personal and inspiring story of growing several businesses and then his latest, V&M.  V&M one of the fastest growing curated online marketplaces on the internet.  We all know about 1st Dibbs, right? Well, V&M is a close second to it with it's impeccable selections.  It's known for more affordable prices, however.  Who doesn't love that?

When we all parted from dinner that night, Bill told us to be prepared for his 'TREND' talk the following day with his over the top attire.  We tried to guess but would've never guess him to be 

sporting head to toe tattoos, some sort of slick material-ed kilt skirt, spiked gloves, and shiny gold high top nikes.  Almost as catchy as his talk.  ALMOST! 

Go check out V&M!  You'll be glad you did!!  

OKAY, here is what's on my wish list from V&M. {Btw, how many times have I said V&M in this post? I can't say it enough!} 

I would love to add this bleached wood trestle table to my new home office.  It would be an amazing desk. What I really love is that it has a parque top.

This guy is definitely on my list.  Not for cheerleading particularly, but for waking my teenagers up.  I hope they come in extra large! It's only $200.  I LOVE the look of these megaphones.  

Great paper weight.  

 I'm ordering this suzani for a client and hoping to order a couple extra for our new house.

Vintage metal baskets always come in handy for art supplies, linens, and books.  

This turtle shell is so sweet.  Turtle shells for good luck for the coming year. {This is an antique turtle shell and is not on the endangered list.}

Hope you're having a good start to this holiday week!  

xx

sharon

vandm.com/

PROP SALE {12-1-12}

Happy Friday!  Pickwick House is hosting a ONE DAY ONLY PROP SALE on December 1st.  Mark your calendars, all you locals.  You can find out more about it here.  We are mostly just cleaning house; clearing out many props we've used from past events, weddings, and design projects.  Glassware, Furniture, Chandeliers, Decorative Items, Pillows, Fabric Remnants, Lamps etc. Most items will range in price of .50 to $50.  Bring cash for all purchases under $20.

Feel free to bring a canned good for a family in need this Holiday season.

We will offer 5% off to canned good donors, as well as fans of our fb business page.  And if you can't make it, we'd love it if you'd like us or follow us!

{special thanks to Heather Cherie Photography for the photos of our store}

Thank you for following and Happiest of Weekends before Turkey Day!

xx
sharon

ON THE GO!

My marketing intern, Emily, set up an app on my iPhone for blogging from the phone. She's says that I have no excuse not to blog now. Haha! So I'm giving it a try today.

Updates: a little overwhelmed with things lately. (Between clients and our homes and sick babies.)

But we are seeing plans for kitchen finalized this week, along with fence posts being placed.

Here's a fast little sketch up that Will requested for our 8 ft gate clearance. We need it to be that wide to allow access with our riding lawn mowers and golf cart. The back portion of our property is wide open to the street. We need some security there but I'm not a fan of the look of a privacy fence. More about that tomorrow. Time to test out whether this on-the-go blogging really works. For some reason it won't let me plug the picture where I want it.

Hope you are liking these updates.

xx
Sharon

LOADED!

Announcement:  I'm no longer accepting wedding planning or event planning clients at this time.

I'm now focusing on interior design clients and our own homes and projects.  By the way, we've added one more home to the renovation list.  In addition to the American Colonial we just purchased to renovate, another hoarder's home across the street from new home was presented to us at an offer we couldn't refuse.  Hoarders are landing in our lap like there is no tomorrow.  We plan on flipping this house and hopefully more.  The condition of this house is bad, bad, bad to the bone!  By bad, I mean REALLY bad.  Will is overseeing the two house's wall demolitions, and renovations on one street while I maintain the house and biz on Pickwick street.  It has been getting a bit confusing when we talk about where or what house we are working on during our daily project convos.  So, we need to come up with names for the houses.  Pickwick 1, 2.  U0, U1

Are we crazy?  Yes.  Are we excited?  Yes!  Will and I have a passion for saving and updating new homes. 

Here's a glimpse.  In a two week period, four of these have left the new house full of disgusting stuff.  I'll have to upload a pic of the exterior of the new house once I have more time.  Needless to say, between all the recent weddings, houses, and guttings...we've been doing a lot of loading and unloading!!  

Wish us luck. We NEED it!

xx

sharon 

Kitchen Trend: Classic Lines + Modern Features

In restoring our 1930's American Colonial house, the words that keep echoing in my mind are "Appropriateness" and "Quality".


In designing our new 'old' kitchen, I have been stalling on decisions for the appliances.  Until I found these.

  

One of the speakers at Design Camp was a sub zero wolf rep and one trend she mentioned was that stainless steel is seeing a digression in the design world.   Surprising, huh?  Not really.  She shared some newer subzero models that are going back to the 'classic look' we remember from Grandma's house.  Classic with modern features.  While I'd love to go with sub zero, my heart keeps taking me back to these pictured above by AGA. 

We're about to push the 'go' button on these three AGA appliances  in 'vintage white'.  And, lucky for us, they just so happen to be hosting a promotion until December 31st!

I've spoken with several designer friends who use this brand who say that it is not only a beautiful and 'green conscious' brand, but that the cooking capabilities are amazing and super long lasting.  I'm curious though, because we are buying this product blindly.  {There aren't any on the showroom floor here in the Midwest!} Any of you out there using the AGA brand or do you have a brand of appliances that you would swear by?

xx
sharon

Design Camp Attendee, Austin Texas

Hi All.  

To those in the midst of preparing for hurricane Sandy:  My thoughts are with you.  Sending strength and good thoughts your way!  

I just returned from Design Camp in Austin, TX.  It was the first of a series of more camps to sweep across the US.  It was also a first time camp experience for me.  I found it to be completely amazing for many reasons.   First, and foremost, so I could educate myself more for you.  I figure I owe that education to you, my clients, here in the Midwest.

Above, is a pic of the portfolio case I put together to take to camp, using an inexpensive portfolio case from Walgreens, a gold coin thrifted brooch and red ribbon.  {Super easy, super inexpensive, yet classically organized looking and hopefully professional. hehe.}

HGTV personalities and celebrity designers, Lori Dennis and Kelli Ellis {co founders of Design Camp}were warm, funny, and very generous with their knowledge as well as their a-list line up of amazing speakers!  I was extremely honored that I was a chosen recipient to receive a free tuition pass thru Ronda Carman's blog, All The Best.  If you are a designer or  in the line of this industry, I strongly encourage you to go to one of the upcoming camps.  The next is slated for Atlanta, I believe.

Happy Monday!

xx
sharon

Scenes from the Old and New House

I hope you were able to spend some time outside over the weekend with this beautiful weather we've been having.

I took my sketch pad outside with me while the baby napped and drew up some kitchen plans for the new house.  See the speckled stuff on the sketch?  Well, that's Bubs's doing.  Bubs woke up while I was mid sketch and, as most times when I'm concentrating on other things, he usually gets into stuff.  Often times, while I'm having he coffee on the porch, he can't stay away from a particular potted plant. He loves to run his fingers thru the dry potting soil.  He loves to scatter it too.  While I continued sketching, he became filthy, the porch became filthy and he made the sketch filthy too.  So, there you have it, a sketch with real grit.  Haha!

 This is what we're looking at right now in the kitchen.  Notice the plunger on the floor?  That's bubs's favorite toy.  Maybe he'll be a plumber!

This is the fish pond in our new back yard.  You can't tell from the picture, but it's actually a kidney shape.  I want it to be a rounded circle pond instead.  Will added the urn over the weekend. He plugged the fountain into it, and on his first try, he got it going!  It has a nice trickle sound with the water that gurgles and spills over the top.

The babies had so much fun with their cousin, Graham, who lives next door at our current 'old' house.   We will sure miss seeing and playing with him everyday.

What a golden weekend!  Wishing you golden skies and golden opportunities this week!

xx
sharon