the curtis casa

Home Tour: Anne's In-Town Carriage House in Atlanta, GA

noreply@blogger.com (whitney @ thecurtiscasa) — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:07:00 +0000

It's a funny story how the owner of this particular home tour and I came to know each other. I'll save the full story for another day, but I will say that I saw the outside of Anne's carriage house before I knew her and once I got to know her, I couldn't wait to see the inside! She has impecable taste and a great eye. Here's a peek inside Anne's lovely, 400 square foot home!

Aside from being a talented textile designer for Lacefield Designs, Anne is a gifted artist in many areas. She painted this gorgeous painting that hangs above her couch. Isn't it lovely?

When you walk in the front door of Anne's place, you immediately feel how calming the neutral color palette is. Anne's choice of color, texture and pattern really pop again the classy backdrop of warm, white neutrals. Pillows on the couch here are the Quince Velvet with amalfi glass tape from Lacefield Designs.

The table in the main living area doubles as a small dining area or a work station with a good deal of space. Anne could easily fit a fancy dinner on the table or she could spread out her fabrics and textile designs for a place to work. The fabric is a Lacefield, of course, imperial bisque. It will be online soon!

This precious kitchen is so charming, don't you think? I really love how tiny it is. And the floors! Oh the black and white gets me every time. The kitchen shelf is a Ballard Designs piece. So much vertical storage there!

Anne's bedroom is another really lovely combination of neutrals layered with great colors, patterns and textures. I love the pillows! These are the blue peacock linen and applique suzani pillow. The headboard is a custom piece and the nightstand is vintage from an adorable store in Anne's hometown of Savannah, No. 411. The bedskirt and matching shams are Lacefield, Tahitian Stitch Tusk, and the rug is a Lacefield design through Surya.

And maybe the best part of the whole tour is Anne's piebald dachshund named Arnold, Arnie for short. He was so excited to have a few visitors over to play with him, he hardly sat still for me to snap a picture of him!

Anne showed us "Arnie's room" and as she walked toward the sidetable next to the couch, I wondered where she was headed. She lifted up the curtain to reveal the cozy little nook and doggie bed that is Arnie's room. It's completely hidden! Anne said he loves the privacy. ;) The Lacefield fabric on Arnie's house is zira bisque. (This is also brand new fabric, will be online soon!)

And not to be forgotten, on the front porch is a fabulous raised planter that Anne's boyfriend (my brother-in-law) designed and built with that handy father-in-law of mine! Anne said the cushions were an old flour sack of her dad's that he got in France. She found them in the attic! Anne later ended up using them as inspiration for a pattern at Lacefield. How neat!

Thank you for the tour of your lovely home, Anne! We can't wait to come back!

'Burbs of Atlanta: Riverside Farmer's Market

noreply@blogger.com (whitney @ thecurtiscasa) — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:00:00 +0000

Right around the corner from my favorite Roswell antique shops, is the Saturday morning Riverside Farmers Market. It's a cute little collection of the Roswell community with coffee, live music, and lots of fresh produce.

It's a fairly small market, but it's got everything we need. We left the market with plenty: focaccia bread, peaches, kale, and a couple of bars of delicious-smelling natural soaps.

I can't wait to make the first peach cobbler of the season with all these peaches!

Style 11 / Blue & White

noreply@blogger.com (whitney @ thecurtiscasa) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Even though I knew the process of growing my hair out would take forever, I've found myself at a loss for what to do with my long(er) locks now that it's grown out. For example, there are no hair ties to be found in this house! You would think there would be a few laying around my makeup drawer or under the sink, right? Did I throw them all away or something? It was only a little over a year ago that I used them daily.

I couldn't find a single one to enjoy my new, tiny pony tail. Then when I did finally find one, tucked away in an old makeup bag, I promptly lost it. I also kind of forgot how to put my hair up (in those fancy up-do's) or how to use a bobbi pin (in all those creative ways I used to twist them around to stick them to my head). Who forgets these things?! Hopefully, I'm just a little rusty. Surely my long-lock-habits will return soon.

Anyway, that's beside the point. The point is that I really love these polka dot pants from J.Crew! Aren't they cute? I just need something red to wear with this outfit to make it a perfect red, white and blue trio for the fourth of July in a couple weeks.

Oh and these green Soludos are my favorite summer shoe. Comfy espadrilles are the best addition to any casual summer look, I think. So is a ponytail, really, but I'm still looking for my hair ties.

Top: Anthropologie (similar) / Polka dot Pants: JCrew, Shoes: Soludos (similar)

Photos by Betsy McPherson

Top 6 Houseplant Suggestions

noreply@blogger.com (whitney @ thecurtiscasa) — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 15:49:00 +0000

I've had a couple of friends email me lately asking what my best suggestions are for indoor plants. I have quite a few indoor plants, a maidenhair fern, a fiddle leaf fig tree (more info here!) and lots of succulents. Clearly, I'm obsessed. Anyway, those are all great options and here are a few more.

English Ivy

You usually see English Ivy outside covering old walls and sides of buildings, but it's actually a great indoor option too. You can get it in a topiary form, which is easy for small spaces and looks great, like in a kitchen window or on the counter. This one does best in indirect, medium sunlight or low sunlight.

Staghorn Fern
The staghorn fern is my new favorite plant. I just got two (!) last week! I can't speak from personal experience just yet, but staghorn ferns generally love bright, indirect light. Apparently, direct, strong summer sunlight will damage the fronds. They do thrive in humid conditions, so you should mist often (maybe daily) with water to create a moist environment. (More coming on staghorns!)

Pothos

You've probably seen pothos plants in offices and wondered if it's a real plant or not. They look a little waxy sometimes but they're great for removing toxins and cleaning the air. This is also a great option if you travel a lot or if you're a forgetful waterer! Pothos does not like to be constantly wet, so let it dry out completely between waterings. Best in indirect, medium sunlight but it will also tolerate very low light.

Philodendron

This is a fun one! (That's my heart-shaped philodendron in the photo above.) It looks similar to Pothos, but I like it better. These are also easy to care and great for forgetful waterers. I literally don't remember the last time I watered mine. I think it was about two weeks ago. Philodendrons can grow as a vine but I like to keep mine short. Occasional watering and a little bit of sunlight and they're a great option. I keep mine in the sunroom where the light is always bright but indirect.

Succulents & Cacti
Succulents and cacti are a great option for a low care indoor plants. They like the dry and warm conditions indoors, and usually like direct light, but can adapt to low light areas as well. If you keep them in a low light area they'll begin to grow toward the closest light source. Another great option if you forget to water your plants, they need a fast-draining potting medium that can completely dry out between waterings. I water my succulents about once every two weeks.

I hope these suggestions are helpful! And feel free to let me know if you guys have any other gardening questions! I'll be happy to post about what I know. Happy Friday!

'Burbs of Atlanta: Roswell Antique Shopping

noreply@blogger.com (whitney @ thecurtiscasa) — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 13:57:00 +0000

Good morning, friends! So I'm kicking off a new series today that I'm really excited about - the 'burbs of Atlanta. My husband and I actually live a little north of the city in one of the cutest 'burbs there is: Roswell. There are a lot of things about Roswell that we really love, so I wanted to share them here on the blog. I'm planning to share three posts about Roswell and then we'll talk about all the 'burbs around the Atlanta area, there are a few!

Canton Street, the main downtown area of Roswell, is the cutest and most picturesque downtown you will ever see! I'm obvisouly biased, but it really is so charming. Every time my family comes to visit we like to spend time on Canton Street. Roswell also has a ton of great restaurants and a fantastic foodie scene, which we'll talk about next time!

Today I'm going to tell you about the best places to go antiquing. Roswell has some really great antique shops that we frequented when we were settling into our home. We don't visit quite as much now, so this was a great excuse to head back to my favorite three!

First up, Canton Street Antique Market. There are a ton of booths and two big back rooms full of great items. My sister and I wandered around for a while and each found little trinkets that we wanted. Jewelry, furniture, art, vintage everything. You name it.

A Classy Clutter is just that, really cluttered and sometimes classy. There's a bunch of stuff to look through before you even walk inside! I think the prices are a little on the high side here, but I've also seen some great benches and wicker furniture for a steal here.

My cute sister and I enjoyed walking around and watching all the restaurant and shop owners and employees hop back and forth to their neighboring eateries and boutiques. It's a really great (and competitive!) community.

My other favorite is a bit down from the main drag on Canton Street, but definitely worth a stop. Historic Roswell Antique Market is a huge market with lots of vendors. I've spotted some really great art and beautiful old linens here.

The Historic Roswell Antique Market also has a whole side garden booth, The Collector's Cottage, that is positively charming! I can't wait to show you more from this shop as well.

I hope you enjoy this little peek into our area of Atlanta. I'm looking forward to sharing more!

DIY Dyed Concrete Pots

noreply@blogger.com (whitney @ thecurtiscasa) — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 13:56:00 +0000

Since my husband and father-in-law happen to know a lot about concrete, I asked my father-in-law to help me experiment with a concrete dye to make some mini concrete pots - for succulents and such! I thought the dark, muddy concrete color turned out really neat on this one.

We got a bag of fast set concrete mix, so we worked fast as soon as we started adding water.

It's a pretty easy process. Mix the liquid cement color with water, mix the dry concrete with water and then combine the two together. You can adjust the cement color mix for how deep you want the color to be.

I used a few different sizes of cartons and cans - the milk carton and coke can for a hole in the middle was my favorite size. We coated the sides of all the container combinations with vegetable oil for easy removal. We also had to fill the coke can with water so it would stay where we set it while the concrete dried. We tried one pot with a drainage hole (using a piece of a dowel) and it worked pretty well but the hole is large. Once you pour the concrete, tap the container lightly, all the way around, to loosen and release any air bubbles.

And Charles wouldn't want me to forget this PSA, when you get the concrete mix all over your hands, be sure to wash it off quickly and completely. It's not good to let that stuff sit on your skin!

And voila! I love my mini concrete succulent pots. Now I just need to find a home for them in my house!

Style 10 / Pattern Pants

noreply@blogger.com (whitney @ thecurtiscasa) — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 11:00:00 +0000

I might have tried to go a little too far with these thistle print jeans. I got these pants, ordered the bathing suit, and almost got the pullover too. The bathing suit was sold out and I decided not to get the top. I probably need to reconsider my shopping habits if all those items end up in my closet, right? They didn't... But I was thiiiiis close. Anyway, these patterned pants are super fun and this is one of my go-to summer outfits. Easy and bright!

I love the little laser cut flowers on this Anthropologie top, it's delicate but cool. It looks great with white jeans and regular denim too. I'll be wearing it all summer, for sure.

Top: Anthropologie, Jeans: JCrew, Sandals: Old Navy last summer, Necklace: JCrew / similar / similar

Photos by Betsy McPherson

DIY Butcher Block, Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (whitney @ thecurtiscasa) — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 13:00:00 +0000

This project is sponsored by J. Aaron Countertops. Thank you for supporting the sponsors that are helping me run this little blog!

Since my sister is moving in with us (she's here officially, by the way!), we are workin' hard on the basement - bedroom, bathroom, tv room and future crafting stations are all getting a little makeover. (Nothing structural, just making them cozy and live-able.) But my very favorite redo we're doing is the kitchenette! I have wanted to put a butcher block countertop in that tiny space since we moved into this house and this was the perfect excuse to do it! I did a quick search of butcher block companies or remnants in Atlanta and stumbled upon the nice folks at J. Aaron Countertops. If you are in the Atlanta area and in need of a butcher block resource, definitely check these guys out! Joshua was so nice to work with and he agreed to let me show you a bit of their neat factory space.

These machines are huuuuuge. Planers, sanders, wood-glue-er-together-ers... These are some serious machines!

It was really neat to see the processes. From a big gluey wood block like this one below, comes a beautiful, slick butcher block counter. I had never really thought about how they make the butcher block - so this was really a cool experience.

They use a black concrete sand-like material sprinkled on the surface to see the irregularities in the wood while sanding.

My always-ready-for-a-project father-in-law went with me for assistance with the heavy lifting, but really to make sure I wasn't getting myself into some crazy project. (Thank you, Charles!) The guys loaded up our piece of white oak butcher block and we were on the road home to start the sanding process!

I'm using Charles' electric sander, starting with 80 grit, then 120 grit and finally a super smooth 220 grit. It's good to go against the grain a little bit to get rid of the big ridges and then move the sander with the wood grain to smooth it out. It's a pretty easy process since the piece isn't very big. I'll finish it with a few coats of wipe on polyurethane.

It's a good looking block of wood and I can't wait to cut a sink hole and get it installed in the basement. I'll show you that process next!

And thank you again to J. Aaron Countertops for sponsoring this project!

Container Gardening Trends & Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (whitney @ thecurtiscasa) — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 12:07:00 +0000

You guys! I have some fun photos to share with you today. I was lucky enough to do an event yesterday with America's Mart in downtown Atlanta. The lovely ladies of the Mart asked me to share some container gardening ideas and my thoughts on current trends, which I was happy to do!

I picked out trios of traditional containers, modern shapes and lightweight, colorful containers from the vendors at the Mart. I chose a wild-shape blueberry blush and a staghorn fern for the classic-shaped containers, succulents-galore in the concrete and modern containers, and last but not least tomato, green pepper and herbs in the lightweight containers - great for small spaces!

It was a really fun event and I enjoyed chatting with all the store owners!

If you would like to chat with me about an upcoming event, I would love to hear from you! (Feel free to shoot me an email at whitney (at) thecurtiscasa (dot) com.)

Potting Bench

noreply@blogger.com (whitney @ thecurtiscasa) — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 10:30:00 +0000

Do you guys remember when I instagrammed that I was getting a really special birthday present this year? Well, my fabulous father-in-law delivered it and put the finishing touches on it here in our backyard and I finally got to stain it a few weeks ago. It is handmade with lots of love and so very beautiful!

I wanted to go with a grayish color, but still be able to see the grain, knots and irregularities in the wood so I went with a semi-transparent Behr wood stain, Boot Hill Gray. (Also, the house color and potting bench color look more similar in these photos than they really are.)

This area beside our screened-in porch is coming together nicely. The air conditioning units are here, up against the house and make it an unsightly area. (Oh how I wish they were around the other side of the house where we never go!) Anyway, they're here and we like AC so we'll take it. For the past two years we've had two ligustrum shrubs to cover up the AC units, but we moved them to make a home for the potting bench. This is a high traffic area in the garden so it makes the most sense to have it here. Especially if we ever have a garden party (!), the potting bench can serve as the bar. Hello, garden party!

It's a massive (heavy!) structure and it feels great to have such a huge workspace. I've already filled it up with lots of plants, pots and dirt.

PS - Thank you to my sweet in-laws for such a lovely birthday present! I really, really love it.

Style 9 / White on White

noreply@blogger.com (whitney @ thecurtiscasa) — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 11:45:00 +0000

Since I'm done growing out my pixie cut, I'm feeling good about those old style posts we used to do around here! My friend and Atlanta-based photographer, Betsy, and I got together to snap some photos a couple weeks ago. I love love love this sun hat I found at Target last year. I wore it a lot and even went swimming with it on last summer to give it that worn-in feel, I think it's almost perfect.

I love the white on white look for summer, dont' you? And these funny little Keds are a cute and colorful addition. My sister found them at a thrift store and they'd never been worn!

It feels good to say I'm finally done growing my hair out, though I don't know where I'm going from here. Long bob? Really long bob? Bangs? Decisions, decisions. Oh and a side note, if you're considering chopping all your hair off, I'm totally pro-pixie! It's a really neat confidence booster, I think. So if you're wondering if you could do it, do! You can grow it right back.

Sweater: JCrew, Jeans: Madewell, Hat: Target last summer (similar), Necklace: via Fab, Shoes: thrifted

Photos by Betsy McPherson

5 Tips for Growing Out A Pixie Cut

noreply@blogger.com (whitney @ thecurtiscasa) — Fri, 31 May 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Well folks, I think it's finally here. I've been growing my hair out from the super short pixie and I can finally say I'm done. It's been a rocky road but I feel pretty confident that I can conquer anything now that I've lived with awkward hair pretty much consistently for the past six months.

Here's how the process went for me and my top five tips for growing out a pixie cut. Read on!

5 Tips for Growing Out A Pixie Cut

1. Cut the mullet. This is Rule #1 for me. When you're growing your hair out, the back of your neck will, inevitably, feel like a mullet ALL THE TIME. Ask your hairdresser if they'll give you a mullet cut for free between regular haircuts to keep this awkwardness at a minimum. (Most places will do this, just ask!) I took this rule to the extreme. I would get a hair cut, go back get a free mullet cut, wait as long as I could possibly stand, try to convince friends and family to cut my mullet and then finally go to Super Cuts and pay $8 for a mullet cut. All in a 6 to 8 week window.

2. Take prenatal vitamins and drink lots of water. Even if it doesn't actually work (who knows!) it'll make you feel like you're doing something productive. It made me feel better! You could also try biotin vitamins, I've heard they work well for hair growth. I tried both prenatal and biotin. And I did noticed a difference in my fingernails being stronger! I definitely drank lots of water, and you should too.

3. Don't wash your hair everyday. I actually have no idea if this helps your hair grow faster, but it's good for your hair and scalp. I was always an everyday hair-washer - I had super greasy hair and could not break the habit! Having a pixie allowed me to change up my haircare regimin. I tried baking soda shampoo, which I still love I just don't use it as often because it seems harder to use with longer hair. Now I only wash my hair every other day or so and it feels healthier.

4. Wear headbands. There are going to be awkward days during your growing out process, I promise. Just throw on a headband and forget about. These are the best!

5. Rock it. If you're anything like me, your hair will be so awkward for so long, you'll actually forget about being self-conscious and go back to your normal, confident self. Eventually, it won't even phase you that your hair is in a weird growing-it-out phase. And before you know it, you're done!

Here's a little timeline to give you an idea of how long it took me. I decided in September that I'd go ahead and start growing my hair out. I got one last short (!) cut toward the end of the month and called it quits. A few months later, at the beginning of January, I was actually feeling good about the long pixie style, in the first January '13 photo. Then all of a sudden the mullet came out of nowhere and I ran to Super Cuts right before Alt to get it chopped. Side note, I freaked out. I called both my Mom and my sister almost in tears, just sure it was an awful haircut. Right before Alt. I was mad at myself for going to Super Cuts. I had totally ruined my hair! Turns out, it wasn't really that bad. It was actually kind of cute, in the second January '13 photo. Then just a couple more months of craziness and I'm done! Huzzah!

So that's the history of my pixie cut and the process of growing it out. I'm happy to say I'm done - and I will admit it took way longer than I thought it would. If you're in the process of growing out a short cut, I feel your pain. Do you all have any other tips? I know it doesn't feel like it, but you'll be done in no time. You can do it!

PS - Do you notice that I make the same face in most of these photos? So silly.

Confederate Jasmine

noreply@blogger.com (whitney @ thecurtiscasa) — Thu, 30 May 2013 12:58:00 +0000

I'm over on the Better Homes & Gardens Everyday Gardeners blog today sharing my love for Confederate Jasmine! Mine is in full bloom right now and smells so lovely. I wish you could smell it through the computer screen. And you can see all my BHG posts right here.

101 Things Update

noreply@blogger.com (whitney @ thecurtiscasa) — Wed, 29 May 2013 21:17:00 +0000

Remember last year when I wrote a list of 101 things to accomplish in the next 1001 days? Well, a little over 350 days have past so I wanted to give an update on a few things I've crossed off! (Hint: not as many as I should!) Here is a sampling from the list, and you can always read the full 101 Things in 1001 Days list here.

Here are a few items I've crossed off the list:

8. ~~Work on my taste in music… I tend to lean toward the Nicki Minaj and Bruno Mars variety~~

(I have a great friend, Mama D, who has great taste in music and is fearlessly helping me with this task! This is hard for me.)

9. ~~Plant a tree~~ (We planted the Weeping Yoshino Cherry Tree in the backyard.)

22. ~~Roast some marshmallows and make s'mores~~ (We got a firepit, which made this one easy! Here.)

32. ~~Learn photoshop~~ (Got Photoshop for Christmas 2012 and I love it!)

34. ~~Start a collection of coffee table books~~ (Design Sponge, The Sartorialist, Bringing Nature Home)

52. ~~Have our neighbors over for dinner~~ (Complete with leaving a note in their mailbox. It was fun!)

53. ~~Give up soft drinks for a month~~ (January 2013)

54. ~~Give up soft drinks for a year~~ (This one is in progress. 2013 is the year of no soft drinks.)

57. ~~Visit my sister in Greenville, SC~~ (May 2013, Anna's graduation from Furman!)

And here are a few things I'm going to be checking off my list this summer. Some sound easy and some make me wonder what I was thinking when I wrote this list. Like... #27. Run a marathon?! Oh dear. Someone save me!

23. Learn how to make my own vegetable stock

24. Go Paleo for a month

25. Knit something

26. Go to the High Museum

27. Run a marathon

28. Go fishing

29. Volunteer at a Habitat House

30. Pay for someone else's coffee in the drive-thru line

31. Read a big biographical novel

75. Grow a topiary

76. Paint something on canvas

77. Go strawberry picking

78. See a movie in the theatre by myself

80. Send 10 handwritten letters

81. Do a time capsule!

82. Learn to change a tire

I have no idea if the full 101 Things list is going to be complete by November of 2014. If not, I think I'll look at the items I did accomplish and be glad I made a list to keep track of these fun ideas and events.

Image from my Instagram

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2nd Annual Memorial Day Lake Trip

noreply@blogger.com (whitney @ thecurtiscasa) — Tue, 28 May 2013 10:35:00 +0000

We started a tradition with a group of friends last year, a Memorial Day lake trip! Since this is our second year, I guess the tradition just started. But we're all pretty pumped about the idea. It's a great group, some have known each other since before high school, and high school, another few of us went to college together, two are cousins, and all of us great friends.

This year one couple added a puppy to their family, and another added a baby! It was fun to look back the relationships and friendships in the group over the past year. Friends and sunshine make for a pretty awesome holiday weekend.

How was your Memorial Day weekend? I hope you enjoyed it!

Another Driveway Vegetable Garden

noreply@blogger.com (whitney @ thecurtiscasa) — Fri, 24 May 2013 12:38:00 +0000

Last summer, I grew a few tomato plants in the middle of my driveway. This awesome driveway garden puts mine to shame. It belongs to Cabell, whose home and garden I featured last week. Let's take a look around!

Cabell said when she started thinking about growing veggies, she realized that she wasn't using and didn't need the whole length of her long driveway, so she plopped some raised beds in it. Isn't it perfect?

She's got lots of herbs growing, and squash and tomatoes, too.

Don't you love these herb markers? Stevia and cilantro....

Purple basil...

I love how Cabell uses these giant silver bins, I think they're supposed to be for horse feeding? What a great use for veggie growing! I hope Cabell's garden gives you some ideas for veggie growing this summer.

PS - DIY eggshell fertilizer and what to do with homegrown tomatoes? A tomato tart.

Kirkland's Look for Less

noreply@blogger.com (whitney @ thecurtiscasa) — Thu, 23 May 2013 11:00:00 +0000

You guys know how good it feels to get a really good deal? I'm one of those people that admits "I know right! I got it on sale for $4! Just a few days ago, I bet they still have more!" Really. It's kind of embarrassing. Those comments are usually followed by "Isn't there a social rule about how you shouldn't admit stuff like that?" Is there? I digress. The point is, Kirkland's is one of those places where you can get a great deal, something that looks like a higher end item, but still gives you a little cushion in your budget. That's why I was happy to oblige when Kirkland's asked me to share a few of my favorite items!

Glass Lamp: Kirkland's / Pottery Barn

Dining Chair: Kirkland's / Pottery Barn

Mercury Glass Lamp: Kirkland's / Layla Grace

Mirrored Side Table: Kirkland's / Hayneedle

Tufted Linen Bench: Kirkland's / Sophie Loren

Ceramic Garden Bench: Kirkland's / Ballard Design

Disclosure: I collaborated with Kirkland's for the content of this post.

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Planning a San Francisco Vacation

noreply@blogger.com (whitney @ thecurtiscasa) — Wed, 22 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Have you ever been to San Francisco? Allen and I are going this summer and we are really excited to start planning. It's our first trip to the city by the bay and we'll be celebrating our fourth anniversary! We're usually traveling on lots of weekend trips to visit family and friends in the summer but we haven't taken a real vacation since we were first married. I think excited is an understatement!

So... Do you have any suggestions for us? I would love to hear your recommendations if you've been to San Fran or if you live there! Where to stay? What to see? Where to eat? Tell me!

Here's the list we've started working on:
Ride a cable car

Get breakfast at Tartine Bakery
Visit Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39

Rent bikes for a day

Have dinner at Foreign Cinema

See the crookest street, Lombard Street

Dinner with my San Franciscan friend M eredith!
Ice cream at Humphry Slocombe

Stop in the Lydali office!

Head up to wine country and stay a night at The Beltane Ranch

Here are a few other suggestions for where to eat from Oh Happy Day: The Sentinel, Pizzeria Delfina, Pena Pacha Mama, Red Door Cafe, Frances, Zazie, Boulette’s Larder, and Nopa. I think we might gain a gajillion pounds, even though we'll only be there 5 days!

Oh and here are Liz's tips on how not to look like a tourist. I'm going to heed all of her warnings!

Please leave me your suggestions, friends, I will pour over all of them and we'll pack as much as we can into our itinerary! We can't wait!

Photos via art.com, unknown, The Selby (x2), Alan Levine

Sponsor: Liza Hathaway Matthews, Abstract Artist

noreply@blogger.com (whitney @ thecurtiscasa) — Tue, 21 May 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Good morning! I have a fun introduction to make to you all today, Liza Hathaway Matthews! Liza, our newest sponsor, is an abstract artist, whose botanical and nature series I have really fallen in love with. She also does commission work, too. Check out her Facebook page, say hello and get to know her!

Garden Inspiration, Vol. 12

noreply@blogger.com (whitney @ thecurtiscasa) — Mon, 20 May 2013 13:32:00 +0000

Good morning, friends! Did everyone have a good weekend? We had a quick weekend trip to Mississippi and back. On the schedule for this week? I'm working on a container gardening event I'm doing next week (details coming!) and thinking about these inspiring spaces. Happy Monday!

1 & 2 / 3 / 4

Garden Tour: Cabell's Winding Backyard Garden

noreply@blogger.com (whitney @ thecurtiscasa) — Fri, 17 May 2013 12:58:00 +0000

After walking through Cabell's lovely home, I want to show you one of my absolute favorite parts of the house: the back porch and garden. It's so peaceful here, you can't help but relax at the sight of a giant fireplace, right? There are plenty of places to sit and stay a while.

Cabell keeps all her garden tools close at hand. Containers, trowels, gloves, plant markers, fertilizer, vases, anything you can think of.

As you walk off the porch and into the garden, you're met with a perfect stone pathway to the left and stairs out to the right. The landscape is so natural, I just love it.

Cabell's potting bench is just to the left of the photo above. What an awesome place to re-pot a few plants. Cabell's artwork is everywhere around the house and the garden is no exception. And there's a funny story to go with this one... If you read Cabell's definition of "Garden" here you might notice one word has been misspelled. She is (admittedly) notorious for misspelling words in her artwork. So Cabell told us she was just working in the garden one day, and her husband, Mike, was sitting on the porch. She asked him what he was doing and his response... "Oh, just discov-ing life." She had no idea what he was talking about, but he told her she'd get it eventually. A while later, Cabell noticed the spelling error and remembered "disov-ing life!" - ha!

This is a simple story but it's one of my favorites. It takes on so much meaning because Cabell's husband, Mike, passed away a few years ago. I have re-written this sentence that comes after that sentence a few times now, and there's no way to properly express how heartbreaking the loss, but how Cabell's unwavering faith has kept her joyful. I will always be in awe of her.

Back to the garden.... columbine! A new favorite of mine, these are some of the funniest shaped flowers I've ever seen. In this shady corner, the flowers are elevated in a terra cotta pot, while the hosta and creeping jenny create a nice, green groundcover.

I love how these terra cotta pots have become such a part of the garden, they are grown over and half visible, sacrificing themselves for the vines and greenery. I love the sense of permanence this lends to a garden. Since getting back to my own garden after our visit to Cabell's, I'm looking around for perfect places to add trios of terra cotta.

As you walk up the path, there are birds chirping and bees buzzing everywhere. Not bad for what Cabell calls her "morning commute" to the studio...

Looking back at the porch from the studio is quite a lovely view.

Cabell laughed when she told us about the wisteria she's growing up the right side of the porch. I can't wait to see it take over!

Don't you just want to hop in and stay a while? I could have walked around the garden for hours. I can't wait to go back to see another season's blooms and what Cabell has added. It's a long process, gardening, but what a beautiful result.

Home Tour: Cabell's Artsy Haven in Rome, GA

noreply@blogger.com (whitney @ thecurtiscasa) — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:48:00 +0000

Sometimes you walk into a beautiful, well-curated home, you're greeted by a lovely, let-me-take-your-bags hostess and you never want to leave. That's what happened last week when Jeanette, Bonnie and I (and baby Edith!) took a little road trip to Rome, GA to spend some time with Cabell Sweeney. Cabell is a pro at loving on people. She invited us up for an evening of rest and relaxation, and (a first for me) a tour of her gorgeous home and garden. Take a peek inside!

Cabell's bright green front door welcomes you into a comfortable, art-laden family room first. There is greenery everywhere, canvases and frames fill every vertical surface and the walls of bookshelves instantly give you a sense that Cabell has been collecting and curating for a long while.

This wall of various sized bookshelves is a sight to behold! Cabell pointed to specific shelves and told us that when she was a young girl in middle school her mother would give her a choice for the summers: work extra chores around the house or read. She obviously chose reading and has the books to prove it.

Every piece of artwork in this house has a story, a connection and a meaning. Cabell shared with us so many of these stories, it was hard to believe she could remember them all! Then again, the stories are so poignant, how could she not? The top two portraits in the wall below are Cabell's great-grandparents, their portraits done by John Singer Sargent. The originals are in the Boston Museum of Fine Art. How neat!

There are a couple of these small chairs placed around the house, holding coffee table books on museums, art, and history. I love each vignette.

To the right of the family room is the dining room, a large rectangular farmhouse table welcomes guests.

More bookshelves filled with books, art, and keepsakes....

Knowing that she wanted to feature this portrait of her grandmother, Cabell said she sketched out the wall of bookshelves pretty loosely, focusing on the larger areas. The small shelves fell into place for small stacks of books and pottery.

Another lovely chair and coffee tabel book vignette...

Cabell has a wildly successful pottery business - you can read about it here! - so it's easy to see why gorgeous hand-painted mugs, bowls and everyday china fill her kitchen to the brim.

Concrete countertops, a wall of white subway tile, open shelving, a picturesque window above the sink and copper accents all contribute to this lovely kitchen.

Cabell had fresh cut flowers everywhere....

This hallway leads to a few bedrooms and bathrooms and opens up to my favorite part of the house.... the back porch and garden. Come back tomorrow to see the lovely cottage-style garden and Cabell's "commute" to the art studio in her backyard. You won't want to miss it.

Kitchenette Redo

noreply@blogger.com (whitney @ thecurtiscasa) — Wed, 15 May 2013 16:00:00 +0000

In case you haven't heard yet, The Curtis Casa is getting a new roommate! My sister, Anna, is moving in with us in June! Anna just graduated from college and is finding her footing in the real world. We've got plenty of space (more than the two of us have needed for the past three years!) and are thrilled to welcome my sis into our home.

Our basement was listed as an "in-law suite" when we bought the house, it's a large family room, one bedroom, one bathroom and a kitchenette. Cool, huh! Here's what we've done with it. First, we made it a man cave: dark colors, big tv, beer posters. Sometimes we toyed with the idea of renting it out. Mostly we just had movie nights down there. It just became a sad space we never used. With my sister moving in, I'm super excited to re-think and give the space a little love. First up for a little refreshing, the kitchenette! Fair warning... This is a pretty sad "before" state. I jokingly say that the previous owner had a moose theme going on and he left all of his moose-paraphernalia here when he moved out. We threw it away but the vibe is still moose lodge-esque, I think.

Just look at these countertops... It's a leaf motif. I've been trying to get rid of it since we moved in, I've just never had a good reason.

The cabinets themselves are actually great quality - better than our kitchen upstairs. They have the thick hinges that close slowly and all the drawers slide evenly like they're supposed to. The green color is actually not bad. It's an interesting, soft, earthy tone that's surprisingly nice when you remove it from this area. Why the green, wood and leaf motif all together? I'll never know.

(Now, the brown paint color I take full responsibility for. We were painting a man cave, I love neutrals and browns and I didn't know what I was doing so I picked this color. It's also actually an okay color on it's own. But man, all together... yuck-o-la.)

So here's our plan to fix up this tiny kitchenette for my sister. Finally, an excuse to get that leaf motif out of here! I'm thrilled to be adding a little butcher block to the mix, from the fine folks over at J. Aaron Wood Countertops. (More on them coming soon!) Butcher block, green, brass, pops of color, lots of white, maybe a backsplash... All good things! I can't wait to get started.

butcher block counter / brass hardware / ceramic produce basket / enamel coffee pot / kilim rug

Garden Inspiration, Vol. 11

noreply@blogger.com (whitney @ thecurtiscasa) — Mon, 13 May 2013 12:18:00 +0000

Good morning, friends! How is everyone? I took an unexpected long weekend after a quick road trip last week with girlfriends, a sick weekend, followed by a fun visit with my sister, Anna, and her friend, Kendall. (They're about to start a post-college cross country road trip and they're starting it with a few days with me in Atlanta. Fun!)

Anyway, on our road trip to Rome, GA last week I spotted a few unusual combinations of flowers and lots of interesting vessels. Now I'm on the hunt to incorporate some more unique vessels into my home and garden landscape. Here's a little inspiration to get me started.

1 / 2 / 3 / 4

PS - Thank you all for the sweet comments and encouragements on my new column with Better Homes & Gardens! I'm thrilled to be working with the BHG garden team and I've got a lot of fun garden stuff ready to share!

Better Homes & Gardens

noreply@blogger.com (whitney @ thecurtiscasa) — Thu, 09 May 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Hello friends! I've got some fun news for this Thursday morning. Starting today I'll be over on the Better Homes & Gardens Everyday Gardener blog every week sharing gardening inspiration and helpful tips and tricks! Today I'm sharing a bit about my love of gardening and the three women who've influenced my green thumb. Check it out!

I asked Allen to snap a quick picture of me in the garden for the post. Birch had to investigate what we were up to... He did not understand why I was sitting on the ground and why he couldn't sit in my lap.

Then Allen snapped this funny sequence as Birch found a (huge!) stick and ran circles around me... You can tell by my face I could hear him coming! Ha!

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