Beth Skillman

Brow Game Strong

2016-02-05T19:47:00.001+00:00

Sometimes I look at Carolina and she takes my breath away.
Literally I will catch my breath. She is brilliant with makeup - something I've never had much patience for. Look at those eyebrows! And as beautiful as she is, it's her heart, her bravery, her loyalty, her clever brain and quick wit that really blow me away. She's the real deal.
Lookout world.

Join the Tribe :: We Retreat Awesomely

2016-02-04T21:58:00.003+00:00

Just a little glimpse of where I will be spending a few days while on my company retreat this year.

I LOVE this business :: Join me, won't you?

More info click HERE !! <3

Now & Then :: I Cannot Do Any Of This

2015-09-03T19:13:00.000+01:00

Our first 'home' in South Africa. A guest house about 5 minutes outside of Mamelodi. The taxidermy took some getting used to. Who kills a giraffe? The temperature took more getting used to. We arrived in June - Winter in the southern hemisphere. This is how I wrapped up each day at sundown to keep warm. Alas, South African homes are not heated.

Those first few weeks in a new country were exciting, scary, and oh so frustrating at times. One of my big fears was learning to drive on on the left side of the road (while sitting on the right side of the car no less). I kept avoiding learning and then, Will left town for a few days. We had no food, except breakfast, at the guest house, so, I was forced to face the fear. The first day, I decided the store was close enough to walk, so we struck out. Me and Carolina trekking up the dusty path alongside the M10, headed to the Spar to get something for dinner. Me and Carolina, all shiny white skinned in a sea of native South Africans headed to or from work. I am not ashamed to admit I was nervous. I had yet to live the reality of being the minority. The one who looks different than most the others. I did not know, given the crime statistics in South Africa, if we were in danger. We were not. But, I did not know that then. So, I was nervous. People stared at us. Some pointed and laughed. One asked me something in Afrikaans, which she assumed I spoke. I did not. I smiled and nodded with a false confidence, trying to convey a message - "we LIKE walking, we belong here". And this from Carolina - "People think we are weird Mom. I don't like this." I stopped, bent down to look her in the eyes. "I want you to try your best to remember how you feel right now. I know this is hard and I am sorry, but this feeling that you are experiencing right now, well, it's just important you remember."

I forced myself behind the wheel the next day. I could not even reverse out of the parking space. I did not know about the secret 'car reverse' button that needed to be pushed. I tried this. I tried that. I gave up. We ate dry cereal for dinner. The next day, I tried again. I could not figure it out. I was going to have to call Will and admit that I was completely incompetent and useless without him, I was exposing our daughter to experiences that frightened and confused her and I was barely keeping her alive on dry cereal. I broke down and cried. "I can't do this" I sobbed. "I can't do ANY of this. It's too hard." Little did I know how many times I would feel this exact way in the coming months (and years). But then, from the backseat, from dear, sweet, resilient Carolina - "You can do it Mom." God bless that brave, beautiful child.

I talked to Will that night and learned about the secret, evil 'car reverse' button. He felt bad for forgetting to tell me. I did not tell him about the rest. He was out in the middle of nowhere trying to help people get their first pair of eyeglasses. I was pretty sure he was dealing with his own fears and doubts. And so the next day, I got back in that damn car and I kept repeating my new mantra, "Look right, stay left. You can do it Mom". And I did. For the next 5 1/2 years I drove on "the wrong side". And, indeed, became so good at it that now I am back in the states I have a new mantra, "Look left, stay right. You can do it Mom."

Art :: Van Gogh Tilt-Shifted

2015-07-01T03:07:00.000+01:00

Artist Serena Malyon, took images of Van Gogh paintings and applied the Photoshop tilt-shift technique to them. The results are nothing short of amazing.

I particularly love that this tilt-shift application brings the details and brushstroke techniques of Van Gogh into focus.

Find more examples of beautiful tilt-shift photography here.

Travel & Adventure :: Hope House

2012-06-10T19:19:00.002+01:00

In my desperate attempt to find last minute cottage rental, I came across this gem - the Hope House in Mousehole.

If you are headed to Cornwall, here is the link: The Hope, Mousehole.

We ended up in Bath, which was really beautiful and we had great weather. Hope you all had a nice weekend!

In Fashion :: Black & Tan

2012-05-19T12:49:00.002+01:00

I love this black & tan Polyvore created by Cary Randolph. Chic and comfortable - a rare combination.

This brunch has turned into dinner. by caryrandolph featuring opaque tights

Happy weekend to you!

x, Beth

Mother's Day

2012-05-14T21:01:00.000+01:00

My Mother's Day was a sunny Sunday at Charlecote Park. You never know what you are going to find just down the road from your house in this country! See for yourself ...

The National Trust has taken care of this gorgeous estate ever since it was given to them in 1946 by the Lucy family who had owned it since the 12th century. The Lucys arrived here in England with William the Conquerer (did he have a last name I wonder?). The massive country house was originally built in 1558. Queen Elizabeth I visited soon after. These days much of it, including the interior, is Victorian. The gatehouse, and most of the outbuildings are Elizabethan. There is a small parterre just above where the house sits on the River Avon. The grounds are a huge deer park with very non-skittish deer (though too skittish to touch, because, of course, I tried). We wandered around for quite a while, just happy to soak up some sun and be surrounded by the beauty. At the Orangery, we had tea and something Will said was a scone, but I think maybe it was a teacake.

It was a very good day. And I got the best Mother's Day card EVER from my amazing daughter. She has set the bar very high indeed with this homemade treat full of humor, wisdom and uncharacteristic sweetness. I love that kid. Did everybody have a good Sunday?

Sunny Sunday

2012-05-13T08:00:00.000+01:00

I saw this on Pinterest and had to pop over to Etsy and check it out. I LOVE this! I think I have to get it for my daughter's room - it's just perfect.

From The Wallaroo on Etsy in lots of colors.

Happy Mother's Day all you American Mommas!

x, Beth

A Tale of Two Weddings

2012-02-28T21:02:00.001+00:00

Some of you asked about my reference to marrying my husband twice. So I thought I would share the story on what is the 12th anniversary of our first wedding. Oh, how I wish I had digital pictures of that lovely, lovely day. Imagine a white, sandy beach, a turquoise ocean, a bride in a simple satin skirt with a small train, a spaghetti strap silk & wool tank sweater on top. A string of pearls and a custom tiara (of course), made to look like a cluster of stephanotis with tiffany blue crystal centers. A groom in khakis, a white linen shirt and a navy tie adorned with flowers that look just like (the bride thinks) the ones on the tiara. Both are barefoot, of course. Picture a handful of ridiculously loyal family and friends, tanned and maybe slightly tipsy from a day by the pool drinking margaritas.

We understood very little of the ceremony, but somehow we knew what to do and say and, more importantly, we were married by the end of it. It was something else I tell you. At dinner a mariachi band serenaded us. It was so perfect, sometimes it seems like a dream. And yet, there was something missing - mostly lots of people we loved and cared about (and we knew loved and cared about us). Our get-away wedding was really special, but, as the years passed, we realized how blessed we had been in marriage and that a large part of that blessing was because of the people around us who had supported our marriage through thick and thin. We came to realize that is something to celebrate, and since so many people were not able to be at our first wedding, we wanted to do it all over again. So, we started to talk about it.

But then, bigger plans came along. Actually a big plan came along - a move to Africa. And that plan took so very much of our time and energy. And just when I had let my dream of marrying my husband again fade away, he proposed to me. Yup - got up in front of a big crowd of friends (and our daughter!) and asked me to marry him that coming weekend! And before I could get all stressed out about how I was going have a wedding that weekend he informed me that all I had to do was show up. Everything was taken care of - the dress, the church, the officiant, the music, the reception, the food, the photographer, the invitations had even been sent!! My crazy husband along with a lot of our crazy friends had pulled this whole thing together. They were throwing me a wedding!!

And so that Saturday in June, just a few weeks before we moved to Africa, a limousine showed up at my door and after a day of pampering (mani, pedis, hair & makeup), I was delivered to the most charming little chapel in the woods where I exchanged vows with the person who has helped make my life the most incredible adventure I could ever imagine. And all day, at each little discovery of how someone had contributed, or sacrificed to make this day so special for us, I was reminded how very rich and blessed my life was.


photos by Roy Bradley and Sarah Armentrout

So, that is the story of my two weddings. I have to say, I love the idea of doing it again - just the two of us, somewhere really remote and special to us. Hmmm ... I'm picturing a mountain top in Swaziland ... stay tuned!

x, Beth

Curated Links

2012-01-29T19:07:00.000+00:00

photo from Made In Pretoria

I am currently obsessed with the blog of DIY goddess Anna Banana at Made In Pretoria. That is her photo above. Check out her blog for everything from jewelry to cupcakes to fake Louboutins - she is fearless in her craftiness!

I am bonkers over the Original London Underground coat racks featured by Will over at Bright Bazaar . I love anything that combines re-purposing and organization. Plus, Will's blog is full of happiness and light.

Have you guys seen the photo shoot Jamie at From Me To You did with Kelly Framel for Kelly Wearstler's clothing line?! It's fabulous times three, which is a lot of fabulous. (2) x Kelly + Jamie = Lot of Fabulous.

I am a hopeless romantic - I buried this part of myself when I was in my 20's trying to be a standoffish cool person, but the truth is I love LOVE and, therefore, love celebrations of love and, therefore, love weddings. I have already married my husband twice and if he asks, I'll do it again. I also love anything related to 'the story behind the story'. So, when I found the Moment Junkie, well I knew I had found my people. It's the wedding photographer images that don't necessarily make the album, but are the moments that tell the story behind the scenes. It's wonderful and I hope you enjoy it.

And since I can't send you guys any link love without including something to chow on, I've included the Guilty Kitchen's Avocado Cilantro dressing via Pinterest. I have not made this yet, so I'm not giving a full endorsement, but it includes my two favorite things ever in the food department, so I'm not sure how it could go wrong.

Lastly, I've got Spring on my mind and while my head is ready, I'm pretty sure my body is nowhere close. I'm talking about a good skin sloughing people. I found two lemony do-it-yourself body scrub recipes, so now I just have to decide whether I want to go salty with Mrs. Lilien's, or sweet via Momtastic.

Yesterday, I went to the V&A Reading Rooms in London for a London Bloggers meet up. It was good to see my friends again and catch up with everyone. It was also good to just be in London again. I no longer live in fear of the underground or any type of public transportation. I did not even map out my route and I only accidentally surfaced once!! (Embankment is a confusing station). I may have become overconfident by the end of the day, when I got on my train and realized I had not even checked to see if it stopped at my station. I had to humbly disembark to check the boards, but all in all, I have jumped a major hurdle in my effort to spend more time exploring London. Stoked. I also did some whirlwind bargain shopping at Zara where I drastically expanded my wardrobe in 20 minutes for £35. I am a shopping ninja.

I hope you all had a great weekend!

Wishlist :: Keel's Simple Diary

2012-01-23T08:00:00.006+00:00

I have been trying to keep a daily journal for years. I even have a really beautiful leather bound one given to me by a friend before I moved to South Africa. I do write whenever anything significant happens, but I lack some serious discipline in keeping a daily record of my life. This blog helps a bit, but you guys don't get the whole story. Trust me, you don't want the whole story. So, I'm thinking the Keel's Simple Diary might be the answer. It's full of clever prompts to get you thinking and writing creatively. Check it out:

It comes in two volumes and lots of fun colors:

and for those of you on the go ... there's an app for that:

I think this might be just the bit of structure I need to get me writing daily. Now, how to pick a color?

Find the Keel's Simple Diary HERE.

Happy Monday!

x, Beth

In Fashion :: One For The Boys

2012-01-16T14:09:00.001+00:00

I just spent some time over at Mr. Porter picking out stuff for my husband (who might possibly resent my attempts to dress him, but it's just so much fun). I love Mr. Porter - a well curated site for very fashionable boys. These are my latest favorites:

A navy tuxedo (sooooo Cary Grant this) ...

Some retro tortoise shell sunglasses. Preppy ...

A very posh Brigg umbrella - we take our umbrellas very seriously here in England ...

I love a simple, elegant timepiece ...

And, the best for last. This gorgeous leather bag (also from Brigg) ... which I would totally keep for myself.

That was fun! And I only spent one billion dollars! Seriously though, Mr. Porter is having a sale, so check it out. I am on a mission to spiffy up the men of this world. I was never happy with the poor wardrobe selection for my Ken doll, and things have gotten only marginally better since. Well dressed men are so rare that when we see one we all kinda freak out a little and point and take pictures. Or is that just me? And the Sartorialist?

Let's hear it for the boys.

Oh, Hi there pretty bird ...

2012-01-10T17:53:00.000+00:00

Hi guys! I have been a busy bee behind the scenes of this blog the past few days. I've got some really great stuff coming your way, but in the meantime, please enjoy this chicken. I love this guy so much I made a color palette from him over on Kuler. Have you checked out Kuler yet? It's an Adobe program where you can create your own color palettes, or have one generated automatically from a photo. It's fun. Go check it out.

photo credit: Peter Stubbs

Also, I'm pretty sure this is not a chicken. Anyone know what it is?

London Week :: The End

2012-01-04T21:49:00.000+00:00

Let's wrap this London business up shall we? The last day was just a day of wandering about and popping in and out of shops and restaurants. We hit Oxford and Regents Streets, Carnaby Street and Liberty of London (heaven on earth possibly). We went to Bond Street for Will in search of the perfect velvet jacket. And then, yes we are crazy, we went to Harrods! It was nuts, but fun to be there on the busiest shopping day of the year. It was a good way to end our trip, as we were so ready to head back to the quiet English countryside after all the madness. Here are some shots from Liberty. I am having what I like to call, a 'Diana Ross' hair day. Diana rocks the big frizzy hair doesn't she?! I rock it when I run out of hair product! My hair + London weather - hair product = very, very big hair.

We had so much fun and I'm very thankful for this little stay-vacation. I'm headed back to London later this month for a London Bloggers get together. I can't wait to see my London blogging buddies again!

Later this week, I will be re-capping and/or introducing different posts related the the various topics I cover on this blog. I thought the new year would be a good time to get organized and focused here.

I hope you all are having a great start to 2012!!

London Week :: Day Four

2012-01-03T15:35:00.000+00:00

Honestly, I tried not to over-plan this trip. We do live just up the road from London, and we will be back, so there was not a ton of pressure to see everything. But THIS day, this day was planned like a military maneuver. And I executed it like a 4 star general. There may have been the occasional "your going to need to pick up the pace" type statements. But, all in all, it was a good, if very touristy, day. We arrived early morning at the Churchill War Rooms. I know, right?! War Rooms!? I'm telling you - this place is so, so cool. This is the bunker facility where Churchill and his staff were safe from German bombings during WWII and where they would do all of their planning and communications for the war. It remains today, exactly as it was during the time it was used and it is absolutely fascinating. It is part of a larger Churchill museum which is one of the the most well done and interesting museums I have ever visited. My pictures are not good - it is really not a place to take pictures as it is an underground bunker but here we go:

And because that was not enough history for one day, we headed to the Tower of London, for some more. And what history. Being able to stand in the exact place that Anne Boleyn lost her head is just crazy to me. I was fascinated by the carvings on the prison tower walls and we especially enjoyed the Beefeater tour - very entertaining and informative. It was also a special treat to see the Crown Jewels as I had been wanting to see the Cullinan Diamond - the world's largest diamond found just down the road from where we lived in South Africa. We also ate lunch at the cafe here and I must say, it was quite good. Tower of London is not to be missed if you are coming to town.

In the late afternoon we headed to Starbucks for a break, and it was there that I took my first nap in public. Yes, I was that tired. I took a nap. In Starbucks. Well anyway, I needed it, because next, we went ice skating in the moat at the Tower! Well, not exactly the moat - but where the moat would be if there was a moat. It was so, so fun and even though we had a few falls, it was a highlight of the trip. After ice skating we had dinner on St. Katharine's wharf and took a stroll over the Tower Bridge.

What. A. Day. I am exhausted reliving it! Good times.

London Week :: Days Two & Three

2011-12-28T16:27:00.002+00:00

Aaaaaannnnddd ... I'm finally getting around to sharing the rest of our London trip! Day two was a glorious day of Mom and daughter shopping heaven. We hit the King's Road, merrily shopping our way down to Chelsea. It was all very girly and one of those days when I was so ridiculously thankful that my only child is such an amazing young woman. Actually that is most days, but this was a really good one. We spent loads of time at Anthropologie:

We loved the windows at Osborne & Little and The Designers Guild:

Later that night we enjoyed the lights on Sloane Square and had delicious and super relaxing dinner at Made In Italy:

My sweet, beautiful family and that's me on the walk home in my inclement weather hat (yes, there was inclement weather). It was a great day and I was excited to get to visit a lot of the shops I have heard about, including the Shop at Bluebird where my sneaky daughter bought me a Christmas present!

Day 3 was very mellow with a trip to the Victoria & Albert Museum. The best part, for me, was lunch in the music room:

After the museum, we took in the sights of gorgeous South Kensington:

It was nice enough to sit outside at a sidewalk cafe and have a coffee. We were all exhausted and still had a few days to go, so we decided to have sushi at home that night. I think we were all in bed by 10 pm! This is what happens when you deposit 3 people who are used to the pace of the English countryside into the hustle and bustle of London!

2011-12-25T15:06:00.003+00:00

Wishing you joy, peace, and an abundance of blessings!!

x, Beth

Inspiration :: Joy

2011-12-24T18:20:00.000+00:00

More about our fabulous week in London coming soon, but for now, some joyful inspiration:

Happy Christmas Eve!!!! x, Beth

London Week :: Day One

2011-12-21T00:26:00.000+00:00

Today we were mellow because Will just got in from New York. We went to lunch at The Orange which is so perfectly decorated, I just want to move in and live there. All lime washed wood and campaign chairs. Lovely and I finally got to have an authentic Caesar salad. It was heavenly.

This was recommended by fellow blogger, Heather, who writes the blog Canal Notes (yes, I have cool friends!). She is also an expat American. It was perfect and really close to where we are staying. After lunch we enjoyed the window displays around Sloan Square.

We spent the rest of the afternoon at the AMAZING Saatchi Gallery.

Is it wrong that amongst all this amazing art I was having trouble focusing on anything beyond how much I loved the floors? Those floors! And THIS:

This just blew our minds and we talked about it a lot throughout the rest of the day. That's what good art does. It makes you think and it brings you around to it again. It was fun to see my daughter come alive in the way she responded to the art. So much fun. Such a blessing this little adventure.

Do you know about what is in the picture above? I won't spoil it for you. Come to London and see it yourself. x, Beth

Inspiration :: Christmas Decor

2011-12-19T22:39:00.001+00:00

I know you have all probably already decked the halls this year, but I came across some really great Christmas tree photos I wanted to share today. They are inspiring me for Christmases to come. I love the topper on this tree from Country Home. It's all just so redonculously glam and coordinated. I do have a rug just like that in storage, so that's a start right? So this is my "someday I will live in my own home again and decorate the crap out of it and have a fabulous tree that matches everything, including my dog" tree.

THIS, amazeballs little tree from Martha Stewart (styled by Kevin Sharkey) is a faux bonsai all gold leafed and be-jazzled to the nines. This will be my "I'm too old and fabulous for all this tree decorating nonsense, pull out the bonsai, call it Christmas and get me another martini darling" tree for when I am an over the top old lady. Read more about that here.

And this sweet, simple little colorful tree from Susana at Citrus & Orange just makes me happy. That's all. Maybe when it's all said and done, I just want my Christmas tree to reflect the sweet, simple and colorful life that I lead.

Susana also made this lovely centerpiece. Yup, she is super talented:

In case you were wondering, we did get our tree all trimmed in homemade goodness. Carolina spent three nights stringing popcorn and cranberries. She is a champ and the garland was just the finishing touch the tree needed. Here are some shots of the finished product:

It all turned out pretty well. The tree is really wonky and it messes with my love of symmetry, but it smells so good that a stray branch here or there is easily forgiven. I'm a little worried about this guy because we are down in London all week and he won't get any water (it's a He). Hopefully he will survive until Saturday. Otherwise, Merry Christmas kids, your presents are under the pile of brown needles! Hang in there Frasier! (his name is Frasier).

More about our family fun week in London coming tomorrow. x, Beth

Beautiful Spaces :: Alice Lane Kitchen

2011-12-16T17:23:00.001+00:00

This kitchen makeover from Alice Lane Design is so well done:

I love, love, love the open shelving and the entire wall of tile.

This space is proof positive that a hard working kitchen can also be beautiful.

It almost makes me want to go back into kitchen design. There are days when I really miss creating something functional and beautiful and even the thrill of controlling such a high stakes project. I always got a bit of a kick out of knowing that my clients trusted me with this kind of investment and it was up to me to deliver on their expectations. As stressful as it could be sometimes, I really loved that challenge.

I hope whatever is next for me brings those elements together, because I know it is not design, but I also know all that has happened has prepared me for what is to come.

I look forward to what is to come.

all photos by Meikel Reece via Alice Lane

Be sure to check out the 'before' pictures of this kitchen over at Alice Lane. What kind of transformations are you experiencing these days - kitchens, life or otherwise? I would love to know!

Beautiful Spaces :: Hotel de Vendome, Paris

2011-12-06T17:15:00.001+00:00

Who's up for lunch in Paris?

Beginning to Look A Lot Like (a handmade) Christmas ...

2011-12-04T17:10:00.001+00:00

I just made my stovetop potpourri following THIS recipe ...

our frasier fir tree was delivered (smells amazing!) and Carolina is busy stringing these for garland ...

We made paper snowflake ornaments with the gorgeous pages of the Gudrun Sjoden catalogue. We also found some adorable printable bird ornaments from Rebecca Kallem.

The story of our handmade Christmas continues ... stay tuned!

Wishlist :: A Wee Printer

2011-11-29T21:35:00.000+00:00

Why so tiny? Why at all? I don't know! But I love it.

Hello Little Printer, available 2012 from BERG on Vimeo.

Shopping :: Hatton & Harding

2011-11-22T17:00:00.004+00:00

When we first moved to Warwick, just a little over one year ago, I was excited about living in a small country town with charming shops and a stunning castle just across the road. I spent my early days here, wandering around town and exploring. One day I noticed a beautiful building with windows covered in brown kraft paper. People were busy at work inside, so this could only mean one thing - a new shop was coming to town! I had a feeling it was going to be something special, but I had no idea how special until the paper came down and Hatton & Harding was born.

This lovely shop is not only filled with the most wonderful selection of home accessories and personal items, but it is owned by two of the most charming and kind people I have met here in England. David Hatton and Jerry Harding graciously allowed me to spend the afternoon last Thursday taking photos and hanging out chatting and laughing. I was also making a massive mental wishlist for Christmas!

Both Jerry and David have an amazing eye for detail and quality. They have carefully curated a selection of beautiful, but affordable items that can be best described as casually elegant. With their store styling and offerings they have achieved that rare balance of comfort and luxury. Distressed wood furniture covered in silver baubles. Textured linen chairs draped with sumptuous faux fur blankets. It's also just the right mix of masculine and feminine - something else that can be hard to achieve in design. It's one of the few stores where both my husband and I love everything.

Honestly though, the best part of the Hatton & Harding experience is the genuine effort that has clearly gone into making it come together and shine. David and Jerry are an inspiration to anyone who has a dream and is willing to do the hard work and make the sacrifices to attain it. The store recently celebrated its one year anniversary. David has been working at the store this year, while Jerry continued in his role at Diesel in London, wanting to be a larger part of H&H, but knowing that the timing needed to be right. I know from experience, this is a very smart, but difficult thing to do. When you start a business with a partner you want to both be equally involved, you don't want one person to feel more burdened and you don't want one person to feel left out. It can be very tricky, but they have handled it beautifully and with very positive attitudes. There is so much joy and good energy behind what they are doing. Earlier this month, Jerry joined David full-time in the running of the business. I'm so happy for them and wish them continued success and all good things. Aren't they adorable?

So, if you are thinking about a trip to the Midlands, be sure to stop by this treasure of shop - it is styled gorgeously for the holidays. You can also find items exclusively sold here including Cowshed, Spitalfields Candles, Mulberry Home and the amazing scarves of Duppoini (tops on my Christmas list!). They offer a service where you can go in and make your wishlist and then just offer a big hint to your significant other about where they should shop. Brilliant. All in all, it's a very special and personalized shopping experience. The kind of place where you are offered a drink, good design advice and fabulous merchandise all in one! You can connect with Hatton & Harding HERE on their website. Follow them HERE on Facebook and HERE on Twitter.

A huge thank you to David and Jerry for sharing their day and their story! xo, Beth