There is a lot of furniture in this room but wow it works! And the cowhide over the seagrass. love.

Isn’t their Decorating Editor Lindsey Ellis Beatty just gorgeous?!

Yep summer is surely on its way..in fact my oldest is already out of school!

I am totally inspired from my trip to the Urban Market in Houston today.  My mom and I took off down there mid afternoon and had a blast! I thought the prices and selection were good and the people and food even better! It’s a good time y’all!

First rattle out of the box i spotted this sign below and HAD to have it for a funky cool client of mine..so thrilled when she answered the text and said YES..so fun to spend other people’s money on things i love..(sorry Justin;)

It is from one of my favorite booths. The Seed Box from Missouri..they set up at both Round Top and Urban Market..super nice and TALENTED people!

HARVEST TABLE ALERT!  Near the Seed Box booth (same tent) is a great vendor named Mary Sue Key (her booth is named THE MUSTARD SEED) and she has a farm table I have been stalking since the Marburger Show..

its 9 feet…bona fide French piece, cross leg base..has a number stamped on at least one leg..its perfection.  And a little birdie told me she will make a deal..$1450..tell her you saw it on the blog is you are interested!

This is such a deal! It is thin too so if you have a tight but long space in your kitchen, covered porch or dining room this is for YOU! It would look so good with tolix chairs, slipcovered chairs, wicker or benches!

And fun when i spotted Mela & Roam’s rickshaw…love their linens!

This young company is going places…they will be featured in the upcoming Cottage Living beach house. The house is in Rosemary Beach, Florida, and favorite designer Erika Powell of Urban Grace Interiors is using Courtney’s Dohar sheets and Kantha throws! It was so fun to chat with her about this..i can not wait to see the house!

Then I ran into my girl Suzy under the pavilion…

Of course Suzy does the amazing Second Suitcase line of wristlets and bags but I loved this great SIGN in her booth as well.  I think i have issues with signage..who knew?? But seriously, would this not look great in a man’s office, a study, library, bachelor pad??! Snatch it up people!

Also under the pavilion is the wonderful Kay Gilbreath also know as the Book Lady..

she has an amazing collection of books, sea fans, her own art which i love and other wonderful objects many of which work great for boys room

Also under the pavilion is Tamara Moore, another great dealer and artist! That is her chandelier on the right below..only $150!  From a farmhouse in Kansas!

The music cards on the left are just $1…they would look great framed or pinned to the wall inside empty frames…instant art…not sure their booth location but under one of the tents.

Then of course these great people..the Campbells and their amazing print collection.

They have many of their decorator prints at great prices…most or all are half off what they are marked…a big selection of $10 prints. My faves these botanicals..because the roots are showing! I also love the Native American portraits which I did not get a photo of..but I will be buying one next show if i can ever decide on which i love the most!

That is about it for my shopping report.  Bottom line..head out to Urban Market tomorrow if you have time…its only $8 tomorrow, well behaved children and dogs are free and free parking! And tomorrow they will have a farmers market as well! For directions and more info click here!

And you can do this with calendar pages like i did here with a Cavallini calendar! (or emily did above..i think she used new book pages?)

But wouldn’t it be amazing to have antique prints of birds, eggs or botanicals..whatever you love??

Well this weekend, Urban Market Houston will be hosting a multitude of great dealers with a variety of offerings.  My very favorite is Melisse Campbell and her amazing plethora of prints.  Campbell’s Melange began 30 years ago by Sheryl Campbell, Melisse’s mother. Melisse and I met a few years back at Round Top and have been friends since..She has taught me so much about prints and etchings and Audubon and on and on.. Her knowledge is amazing.  You can simply tell her what you love and your price range and she will find you something for your walls.  Something beautiful. With history.  She is also an artist as is her beautiful mother and they will a few original art pieces occasionally as well. 

Melisse sells a lot of high end collectible pieces that I cannot afford but her Design Division is a way she provides authentic pieces and individual works of art for great prices. When she has extra  prints or the last few pieces of a series,she movse them out of retail into the Design Division. This gives us the opportunity to buy a real piece of art, rather than a modern copy that you can sometimes pay the same amount or higher price.

{Snapshot from my kitchen window..i recently bought this egg print from Melisse and love it..havent even framed it properly yet!}

Most of her prints were illustrations in books. The oldest prints that she carries are hand-colored engravings. Chromolithographs are prints where the color went down with the printing plate. These are the pre-cursors to modern day printing.

For example, above is a Gould print. It is not a hand-colored original lithograph, but a great decorator piece. It is around $300- it’s a great alternative to get the look if you don’t want the original. Below is a handcolored Audubon- but notice the printed screen in the background. That signifies the 2nd edition of Audubon’s Birds of America, Octavo sized set…but no worries..she has all price ranges!

She also provide matting with different pieces. This helps the client visualize what it will look like on their wall. The only decision to make next is the frame.

{A set of prints a client of mine bought from Melisse}

Melisse and I  talk alot about how we wish more people would look for antique pieces to frame instead of buying things at Target or art.com  Not that anything is wrong with that kind of reproduction (hey i framed calendar pages for my guest room but is inthe attic practically and unstable temps so it works great would never put good prints in that humidity furnace up there)  Anyway, the point is, you can in some cases  have great ANTIQUE or VINTAGE prints for the same price or often less than something similar from Wisteria or Pottery Barn or ballard..Some may not care but i love the idea of having the real thing..something from an actual old book or hand colored piece of art over something mass produced or out of a printer..how about you???

Its worth going to Urban Market just to meet her charming Daddy and hear him talk..he is a true “card!” (Looks it was raining the year this was taken!) So be sure and visit Melisse’s booth..her prices at Urban Market are great…she even has a $10 table and tell her i sent you!

For more info on Urban Market’s location and hours check here. If you want to reach Melisse you can visit her on facebook or through her website.

My beautiful friend Sarah with her creme brulee masterpieces…she was so calm with that torch! And below is the huge tree the children gave their parents as an anniversary gift…the couple was married under beautiful trees 25 years ago and we used a tree motif on the invitation, for the gift and of course the photo tree i showed yesterday and again below!

The menu was yummy brisket and the fixins..it was so tender the little wood forks were easy to use!  The tables had plain white cloths with burlap runners and salvia plants in galvanized pots from IKEA..it was so windy we didn’t get many table shots..we used the rocks to try and keep our cloths from blowing away..

I wanted to set out the darling purple check napkins but didn’t chance it for the wind!  Oh well, it stormed the night before and we were just grateful for sunshine!

A dear friend of the family made the cupcakes..i got the pleasure of displaying them on various cake plates and boxes and platters….

Love those demi spoons from Garnish..perfect for the creme brulee (i have no idea how to accent on the keyboard..sorry  peter and camille!)

The tiered stand and chalkboards are from Williams Sonoma.

Other sources include Persnickety Prints for the precious retro prints on the tree simply clothes pinned to twine, Sweet B for the anniversary banner, Tara Royers Steele for the chalkboard art, The Brown Shed for the vintage frogs holding photos, and Garnish for the wood utensils. Digital invitation design similar to this by Hen and Co. and printed at Office Max..Sarah says they were so user friendly and she did a great job mailing them out with burlap bands and cute martha labels..can you tell we had fun!!

Thanks for letting me share and share and share about this…can you tell we had fun?! Thanks for everyone who helped both with the party and me in particular with the decorations..i have talented friends and sources that always help me out in a pinch including babysitters and a great husband! Y’all are the best!

Well its Mother’s day..so much i could say…I love my boys and being a mom and my own mama is the best..So grateful to have her nearby this past year and a part of our daily lives and us hers. Many of you have emailed and asked about her and I want to tell you she is doing great!  Her hair has all grown back from the chemo and so far all is well.  So to my mama and you my special readers who are mamas..here is to you!

For those of you who long to be a mother and hold a little one in your arms, I remember this pain and I am praying for you today as well.  I vividly remember how difficult Mother’s Day could be before my Drew was born.  I am sure I even stayed home from church a year or two.  Please know you are loved and your Perfect Father above has not forgotten you…I hope you all have babies soon and if not i pray a special peace and unique love for your life…ok getting off track..i need to stick to decorating and leave the “teaching” to others probably but wanted to share.  Also, there are so many forgotten mothers in our culture..friends and aunts that are single and have no children that help us busy and often tired mothers raise our children!  They are such unsung heroes, giving us breaks and help and awesome love and mentoring to our children. A special thank you to our Aunt Kim for helping out with my boys..you are such an amazing influence on them and me and i am thankful for you and the professional work you do to help hurting mothers and children in our community! God is good and the body of Christ is an awesome thing.

Speaking of which..the above “family tree” and  sweaty faced photo of yours truly  (which i actually like because i am happy and doing something i love..decorating for a party!) are from Saturday!  I helped put on a really fun anniversary party this weekend for sweet sweet special people! I loved working with my friends to put on this event and share in the joy! Ironically, the “mom” of this group went with me to nearly every infertility appointment i had when i was going through treatment before Drew was born! She was so faithful to pray for us and encourage me during my longing to become a mother. Mothers are born out of marriage and love and  it was honor to celebrate 25 years or marriage and God’s faithfulness with this amazing family. I love you Juneks!

The lovely couple!

I will have more photos to share later i promise ..we had two photographers documenting everything and despite some wind and mud it was a gorgeous day!

“The Bottom Line”…Mothers and families can mean different things and bear out fruit in different ways over the years but it can be such a beautiful thing!!

Everyone have a great week!

no not the movie…I am talking about the Round Top Antiques Show this spring..in particular Marburger Farms. There are many great posts out there recapping this show and past shows but one of my faves at Marburger is Suzy Smith of Houston! Suzy has degrees in fine arts and fashion and loves to creatively use vintage textiles. She attended Parsons School of Design in Paris.She had clothing and handbag lines and later became a stylist, working on several catalog sets for Neiman Marcus, Horchow, and Pier One. While living in London, she worked as a contributing editor for Mary Engelbreight’s Home Companion  magazine, producing and styling a number of their UK features. WOW..she is fun to talk to and look at her new bag and wristlets..more are available including a tote!

Just look at her amazing couture bag..and of course I love how she styles everything! Isnt it just gorgeous and well made (made in America with vintage textiles all designed by Suzi)…and the wristlet!!! In her travels across Europe, Suzy has come across many different textiles, including French and English ticking, and beautiful antique tapestry.

The tote

Her booth was amazing!

love the redcoat!

 Suzy lives in Houston and has amazing antiques and of course these textiles..to contact her email me at ehmathis@gmail.com or visit suzy on facebook and etsy!

 Suzy and other great vendors will be set up at Houston’s Urban Market NEXT WEEKEND. Show times are

Just a recap, the room looked like this (click and scroll to last page of article) when  it was Drew’s nursery, like this when it became Henry’s nursery, then the boys started sleeping in the same room and it changed to this  and now the crib is gone and we have tweaked some more! This is the fastest changing room in our house no doubt!

This is what you seen when you walk in the room..i mean RIGHT when you walk in the room…we are talking 10×11 feet packed full of two twins, an armoire, a large dresser and two growing boys. It is a lot but i know one day they will be grown and i will love the memories of them sleeping in this tiny room together with the cowboy curtains. The dresser is an amazing antique. I bought it from a friend and its one of my favorite pieces ever..the COLOR and it has huge drawers so great storage…and its so large and snug with the beds it almost gives a built in feel..and its so heavy and sturdy we can lean against it with pillows when snuggling and reading to the boys..even my husband commented on the cozy cocoon the dresser makes..so i got built ins without building.  The “headboards” are obviously decals from here..I love the simplicity and frankly i do not even have 2 extra inches for a plain upholstered headboard! My plan was to trace these and paint them on wall but as much as we change things around here i may just leave them so later i can simply peel off!

The pillows and bedskirts were made by Tootledoo Designs a sponsor here on my blog..The owner of the shop, Mary John, does amazing work and has an etsy shop..she also has a new baby any day so if you contact her and she doesn’t answer an email right away..give her time!  

Bedskirt details..love the linen band! The rug is the wool jute from PB..soft and durable. The galvanized light has been up a while, its from Barn Light Electric!

Can you tell i love this bedskirt..its nicer than the one on my bed! Man i hope it doesn’t get blood or poop on it BUT if they get stained i can switch them and put the stained side against the walls..i have a plan! 

For the longest i knew I wanted big monogrammed pillows for the boys but I didn’t want embroidered monograms because of snag issues..Mary John came to the rescue with these appliques..and the piping..her sewing is so great! The quilt and sham are pickstitch from Pottery Barn..it washes well!

A few details around the room…old hymnal rack painted white for books, star sheets from Serena and Lily and bla bla friends.  The vintage red box on the dresser is large and holds school papers and art I want to save..good place to stash it quickly! The cowboy curtains have  been here a while and the colors of the new bedding were chosen to go with the drapes..i love them.  We don’t keep many toys in this room..most are in the living room or in playroom upstairs but these vintage army barracks are treasures from a local thrift shop!

Opposite the bed wall is a green painted chalk wall with the verse from Isa 61 that is my prayer for my boys..that they grow to be “oaks of righteousness,plantings of the Lord and displays of his splendor!”  I had another piece on this wall for storage but recently replace with this old armoire that i painted in white annie sloan chalk paint by these amazing furniture painters!  Notice the tag on the drawers, that is an unfinished project..my goal is to organize Henry’s clothes in these drawers and label to help Nana, Daddy and the sitter with finding where things are located but as you can see this has not happened yet..but good idea..I figure by the time they get grubby and or Henry tears the tags off everyone will know where things go! Like i said, i had another piece on this wall, white numbered lockers from PB but i had to send them back..too bad…cute but very slick and fake in person..not authentic rustic at all.

And they smelled of CHEMICALS which is a not good storage for kids pjs and sheets…BUT Pottery Barn made it good.full refund including shipping!

Love their old globe collection..and of course A is for Andrew and h is for little brother Henry.

I also bought two of these dash and albert blankets for extra cover..i love them because they fold up easily and small and can stash in armoire or wherever…I was excited when I found out DA makes blankets..i like their rugs but never have been able to get one to work..i wanted one in this room but the wool is more practical believe it or not..and comfy and warm in our old house winters!

Henry must say “howdy!”

Thanks for looking at the big boy(s) room! If you pop over don’t expect it to look this neat especially on a Monday morning but it does feel good to have it finally finished, for now!

I love the big galnvanized planters and the lanterns…and the placemats are pretty darn cute..and i am not even a placemat girl! have any of you seen the products in the stores yet??   i have only seen a few..the planters, lanterns, cupcake stands and little scatter rugs…didnt see the kitchen items or totes.

Here are the owners of the shop that the line is based on..out of Connecticut!

More about Privet House here on their blog! Gorgeous images from their stores in Warren and Greenwich like below! 

Love the display of household supplies…

Too bad you won’t find this fine collection at Target;; 

Their Greenwich location..so charming!

I so need a trip to New England!

{i love Big Mama’s arched front door…and i happened into San Antonio on Fiesta weekend!}

We have worked on her house before via email but she is finally ready to make some big changes so I went to see her in person!  Instantly I destroyed her house with my bags of fabrics and notebooks and measuring tape, moving furniture…she cracked a Diet Coke or two!

 And here you can see Big Mama texting Sophie (boomama)..supposedly a question about some word art but probably to tell her I was making a mess!;; 

We even moved a huge church pew to another room to see how it will work as extra dining room sitting! Perfect that is how! Yes that meant hoisting her darling husbands huge tv off its perch and moving it back so he wouldn’t know. Oh and his taxidermy…doesn’t really bother me..SHOCKED? Well I am a Texas girl too so I can’t be shocked with stuffed animals. We just have to deal with it sometimes. I can inject as much fabric and style as possible to balance..its called Eclectic y’all. We will make it work and her man will be happy! Speaking of her hubby and sentimental things…One of the neatest things we did was decide to hang an old ranch sign from her husband’s family (we found it in her backhouse..you know the backhouse right..the one she painted in her uggs…its already peeling) above the…kitchen sink! I hope he loves it…we do! Big Mama’s house just seems like a party house and hopefully the decor will fit that hospitality even more..like this fabric!

from here…i have used this on several projects lately..love this fabric and amazing price…

and the light!

Can’t wait to put this light over her gorgeous dining table!

 Melanie and I aren’t big photographers…and i had bad roots so that was an even better reason to not take many photos of us together but just look at her..she is so cute in her JCrew little toothpick pants or whatever you call them?! She is so darling and the she opens her mouth and PURE Texas (still very chic but much more likable!) know what i mean..her voice and accent just made me love her more.  So i was instantly at ease and think i hugged her more than once. 

And then we had to have a discussion about some dusty ivy on top of her cute cabinet… i said “Big mama, you dress too cute, you are too put together and stylish to have this ivy in your house..WHY???? tell me WHYYYY?” and she was finally ready to let it go…the moment!

Now don’t get all upset or offended with me about the ivy…i have some fake “myrtle” toparies in my house AT PRESENT and i have had my share of fake ivy… so much in fact i feel I can tell her its time to let this stuff go. You may not be there yet..and that is okay. Lord knows I have my issues;

All of this to say, it was a JOY to meet Melanie..we went to Target and talked about mom stuff and crazy families all while we decorated..pure bliss. Thanks Big Mama!

And I promise to keep y’all posted on this project..we are making progress quickly including upholstery, slipcovers, paint  and new lighting and built-ins..fun stuff.  Big Mama’s home is older and cozy like mine so we want every inch to sing!

To read more about my visit with Big Mama click here.

No surprise this is out of Atlanta!