spruceface

A.BARCLAY

2012-04-25T12:21:00.001-07:00

Hey peeps!

My blog has been neglected....but for good reason! I have been working on creating my scarf line, A.BARCLAY, and it has been consuming my life!

A.BARCLAY is a luxurious collection of scarves & wraps, handmade in Italy. For each item purchased, we buy an item of need from a Tanzanian for a Tanzanian, supplying multiple orphanages in the country with day to day necessities and stimulating local markets.

In order to get first dibs on all our goodies:

LIKE us on Facebook or FOLLOW us on Twittaaaaa

@abarclays, OR you could be even crazier and follow us on

instagram at A.BARCLAY @annasib. JOIN US!

VALENTINO

2011-12-01T06:36:00.001-08:00

Thanks to GOOP I am now aware of Valentino's virtual museum coming to the web December 5th!

Not only does it look really well done, but it shows all of his AH-mazing clothes that he has made throughout this career and stories and interviews that help us understand what was going on during his life at the time to influence these creations. I LOVE this! love creative peeps......there are too many bores in the world, live it up!!!! Thank you Mr. Valentino!

Also, if you go to GOOP you can read interviews with Valentino and his business partner about their reasons for creating this amazing virtual archive!

love,

abs

little booties

2011-09-23T05:17:00.000-07:00

I have wanted some trendy booties for a while now...and when I saw my friend Annie, designer of the Annie Griffin Collection, wearing these puppies:

J.Crew MacAlister Wedge Boots $198

I fell in love.

Now, you might be saying Anna, those look like a glorified Clark's shoe or that is waaaay too granola for me... BUT you will be WRONG! They actually look very chic and trendy with a pair of skinny jeans or leggings, and I have heard they are ooh so comfy. I will warn you though, that if you have large feet these might look a tad silly because of the elongated front.

So! While I was searching for the above booties at J.Crew I was pleasantly surprised at how many cute shoes J.Crew has right now. Flats, heels, boots, wedges etc...their designing gets better and better every year, and their prices aren't too terrible either.

Some other J.Crew Booty Faves:

Owen Boots $265

Miller Short Motorcycle Boots $265

Ryder Boots $268

Greer Wedge Ankle Boots $268

I actually have these and they are AWESOME! Minnetonka $168

I have always thought these were neat looking kicks- but what the hell do I wear those with? Quoddy Boots $300

Their flats and heels are pretty sickie right now too so go check it out!

love,

abs

Baby Williams

2011-09-21T13:37:00.000-07:00

One of my best friends is having a baby boy- yaaay!!!!

Meet Margaret:

excellent friend

and animal lover

she and her doctor extraordinaire hubby Juddy:

will be wonderful parents and I can't wait to meet the little bundle of love!!!

Congrats to the Williams!!!

On another note, Margaret is also an amazing interior designer, this is not her career, but she dabbles in it for fun... while she is creating Baby William's nursery I will try and get some sneak peaks because I am sure it will be FAB.

love,

abs

Handbag Heaven

2011-09-02T17:37:00.000-07:00

I am very picky about my purses/handbags and what have you...

my idea of a perfect purse includes:
-thick straps, preferably out of a nice, smooth leather. If the straps are too skinny they end up digging into your shoulder if your purse gets heavy = not fun.
-semi- slouchy
-if a bag is too structered sometimes it looks a little too hard and intense for my taste, I would rather have an easy, comfortable looking bag.
-good zipper and storage pockets

for example:

too structured:

this is a beautiful YSL bag, but it just looks too intense and "FANCY PANTS" for my taste

perfect and easy:

this one is from J.Crew, it is $298--- I am loving their handbag collection for fall...

I guess I need some slouchiness in my bag, and for it to look a little worn, not so shiny and new. I love the feeling of old, soft leather... this is Sarah and me in ACK and I am carrying my almost 6 year old Rebecca Minkoff bag. This bag is awesome and just gets better every time you wear it. I bought mine at Bloomingdales, but I have seen this exact one at Ann Mashburn recently.

please ignore the crazy face I am sporting in this pic....

This looks like the same one I have...Classics MAB-mini satchel $495

My bday is coming up and I would not mind a new handbag...hint...hint....here are some of my faves out there right now....

this puppy is also j.crew, their darlington hobo coming in at a cool $325- i love the motorcycle jacket inspired sides

These J.Crew bags are steals considering what nice leather they are made of- I must say that I have never owned a J.Crew bag before, so I am not sure how well they hold up or if they feel as great as they look...but I would give this bag a chance for sure.

Burberry Buckled Leather Tote $1,495

This Burberry Tote is tote-ally awesome-hehe- or so it seems via the internet...I love the chartreuse color because who wears a chartreuse purse? no one- people are so boring just trying to fit in with the same black or brown purse all the time. It would be nice to switch it up! Be Wild! The Burberry one is def. on the pricier side but like I said I have worn basically two purses for the last 6 years of my life and these puppies get a lot of wear out of them.....so you get a lot of bang for your buck!

I am also a huge fan of Miu Miu purses. They aren't too flashy with labels plastered all over themselves and they have very nice leather that lasts... I have this one in a dark green:

Miu Miu Matelasse Leather bag $1,695

This is also on the pricier end (mine was a gift...) but it is a nice size purse you can wear everywhere

Anya Hindmarch has some sweet bags out right now as well:

Maxi Zip Leather Shoulder Bag $1,350

Maxi Zip Ebury

Don't let the orange scare you--like I said- LIVE A LITTLE
don't be so worried about fashion, just have fun with it and wear what is appealing to you, not what others think you should be wearing.

Ralph Lauren also has some good options out right now:

Bohemian Suede Bag on sale for $569

LOVE suede bags for the fall...I can't tell if this one has a zipper though...not good for someone who stuffs their purse full of muy importante items

Burnished Calfskin Cross-Body $595

LOVE A GOOD CROSS-BODY PURSE- HANDS FREE PARTAY!

Lastly, not to jump on my high horse or anything but...I know that some of the handbags on my post are a tad pricey and a good friend told me once that you should never buy something expensive unless you can give that same amount of money away to help others. This might be a DUH moment for most of you...but peeps can be very materialistic. My blog may be based on a lot of material stuff but these are very trivial wants in the grand scheme of life..... I may not always follow this mantra, but there are so many people in need that we can all learn to give away a little more....

HAPPY LABOR DAY WEEKEND!!!!

love,

abs

Helen Ficalora

2011-08-27T09:37:00.000-07:00

These charming alphabet charms are made by the talented Helen Ficalora.

I know you might say....I SEE THESE EVERYWHERE....or those are so last season...

BUT, I think they are beautiful and timeless. I would love maybe a B for my middle initial or a G for my little pup.

She also has other charms that might strike your fancy:

There are also charitable options where a portion of the proceeds go to certain foundations...like:

Project Sunshine

Breast Cancer Ribbon

A ton of celeb's have been seen strutting around town in these jewels:

I also like her stuff because the designer seems to be pretty down to earth and i like her vibe as you can watch in this interview:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8YkI4preMY&feature=player_embedded

and she has rings too!

most of her jewelry comes in either rose, white or yellow gold...and maybe silver?

love love love

love,

abs

H&M

2011-08-26T10:48:00.000-07:00

H&M has some awesome dresses right now. My sweet friend Susanne:

has great style, always finds amazing deals and recently purchased this:

H&M

awesome, right? she got the blush color and it is REALLY pretty in person, but if you are looking for more of a fall color, the mustard is pretty hot too. AND the best part is that it is only $24.95!!!!

H&M

This is another sickie H&M dress that I spotted while browsing their online site...a little more pricey at $49.95, but still a steal!

Both dresses remind me of this dreamy DVF dress, that is $345.

DVF

*Different silhouettes but similar idea with the fabric and fluidity

Diana has it in this pretty berry color:

love,

abs

FLORIDA

2011-08-25T07:17:00.000-07:00

My mom and I ventured down to Florida last weekend and brought our dogs to the beach for the first time--- and they freaking loved it!

please ignore my annoying voice in the video- ugggh...

But how cute and fearless is Gracie?! My little love...

love,

abs

L.K.Bennett

2011-08-23T06:43:00.000-07:00

Wanna look like this?

start here:

L.K. Bennett is where most of Kate's chic footwear comes from. Their styles are simple, classic and reasonably priced, if you are comparing them to designers like Jimmy Choo, Manolo etc...
Kate has been seen wearing these:

And these a lot:

both are classic and lovely.

Personally, I find it VERY hard to find a nice looking pair of classic, nude pumps these days unless they are $600, so thumbs up to L.K. Bennett.

Their bags have also been making some appearances on the arms of Kate's pretty sissy Pippa lately:

anyways- here are some of the L.K. Bennett pieces in my wish list at the moment:

Cranley Boot

Bolton Shoe

Olivia Shoe

Hampden Bag

They have stores in Atlanta and Chicago and of course all across Europe. Some of their pieces are also sold in select Bloomingdales. If you live in Atlanta, you are in luck! Their store opened at Phipps about 3 months ago, and right now they are having a huge sale. Go check it out!

love,

abs

THE ANNIE GRIFFIN COLLECTION

2011-08-17T20:20:00.000-07:00

ANNIE GRIFFIN COLLECTION is an awesome clothing line, made with delicious silks that have a perfect mix of preppy and downtown edge.

The designers are sisters, and two of my friends, Annie Griffin and Robin Gerber.

aaahh...not only are they even more beautiful than the clothes, but they are sweet as can be.

Some of my fave picks from their fall 2011 collection:

this dress literally looks good on EVERYONE that puts it on, it's like magic

the back makes me swoon...

ummm, new years eve?

This perfect tunic is named after yours truly, so honestly, what's not to love?

everyone needs a simple. white blouse and this is it

AGC also gave us a sneak peek into their Spring 2012 collection today on their blog...check it out!
When spring rolls around I will def. be wearing a little bit of this:

and a little bit of that:

love love love

Check out their website to find a store near you! If you are in Atlanta, Poppy's usually has the latest AGC!

Go getcha some!

love,

abs

ANN MASHBURN

2011-08-16T06:50:00.000-07:00

SUMMER IS ALMOST OVER!

I know, I probably shouldn't be excited...but...I don't want to be hot anymore! I am ready for fall and the cool, crisp weather and football games. ROLL TIDE.

BUT....before summer ends, I think everyone should pick up some chic, african beaded, ethnic necklaces from ANN MASHBURN. The best part is that they range from $15-$40!!! So cheap!

They also have some sweet shagreen & leather cuffs that you can wear into fall.

The store is located in Atlanta, over on the west side by JCT Kitchen. If you aren't an Atlantian, you can order online.

love,

abs

CH+KH

2011-08-15T05:32:00.000-07:00

OK- I freakin love Kate Hudson.

She seems so awesome, fun and carefree...and I love her bohemian fashion vibe.

In the most recent ELLE magazine, she talks about her new venture:

She is designing a JEWELRY LINE! Kate Hudson x Chrome Hearts jewelry line, CH+KH, this is a collaboration with her long time friend who owns Chrome Hearts jewelry.

And by the looks of this picture, it looks like it will be amazing. I can't wait to see the rest of it!

Honestly, I usually think it is a bit of BS when celebs think they can just stick their name on some clothes or jewelry or perfume and it will be fabulous, but I have high hopes for this. KATE please don't disappoint!

love,

abs

Yay dad!!!

2011-06-20T20:01:00.000-07:00

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!!

I have an amazing Dad and I am so thankful for him!

THOSE ARE ALL THE PICS I COULD FIND RIGHT NOW

LOVE YOU DAD!

love,

abs

gotta get a pair...

2011-03-29T05:14:00.000-07:00

I love jeans. Period.

I have about 60 pairs and yes I know it sounds ridiculous but I wear them all and I need them all for different reasons. Don't judge me.
Soo, I know a thing or two about jeans and I recently acquired an amazing new pair called the Babe jean by J. Brand:

Shopbop

I actually got two pairs of them. (i know....i know... i think its a disease...) One to keep long to wear with heels and one to hem to wear with flats. I am pretty pumped because flared jeans are REALLY flattering and these are kinda stretchy and fit like a glove. The flared look is the new "in" thing right now and I'm loving it. J. Brand is also good about making the jean very plain and not over doing it with weird stitching, crazy crystals or oversized labels. LOVE.

Anyways, if you live in Atlanta and don't want to go to the mall or order online you can find these at Luna on Peachtree. They always have a great selection of jeans.

Go get 'em!

love,

abs

In with the old...out with the new

2011-03-27T16:50:00.000-07:00

Doors- I hate to be pessimistic but I deeply despise most of the doors I come across in the world. I hate those cookie cutter doors that are in tons of houses...you know what I am talking about: those terrible, plain, white doors with a gold or silver doorknob that has a push in lock. It usually looks something like this:

Again, maybe I think about it more because I live in a very plain apartment with doors like this:

ICK!!!!

So they are always staring me in the face! These handles are also bad when you have an adventerous puppy- because she can EASILY open all of my doors. OH yes, I'm talkin' about Gracie-a.k.a. sticky paws. She gets naughty when I am not looking and breaks into the laundry room...

BUSTED!

anyways, there are a lot of horrible doors out there:

sick

ultra sick

My dream house would have dankilicious doors like this:

i love the chalkboard door idea- so great for a basement/playroom

I think these doors are actually for a cabinet but whatevs- they are amazeballs

let there be light!!! i love it!

- my BFF's (diana):

parents have some bomb diggity doors. I know it's weird to love their doors but whatevs- it is what it is-

so with dk's help-here are some pics of their doors:

back door- very nice-love the matching wood trim

now this is a gold knob done right!

sickie front door- gives the house instant character before even walking inside

door to backyard- beautimus- just lovely, old, thick wood

indoor part of the front door- perfect handle- bold, heavy, interesting & classic

perf.

gotta love a latch- this goes with my love of barns- in my dream house there will be no terrible doorknobs only sickie gnar gnar latches!

simple, yet perfect swinging door to the kitchen

another latch on the closet door

bedroom door

Doors can make a huge difference in giving your home character. Don't forget about them!

love,

abs

Sup, CK Bradley?

2011-02-07T18:49:00.000-08:00

C.K. Bradley = da bomb diggity

You might remember her from her days in Newport, R.I. making cute ribbon belts, prepster dresses and much more...

classic, bright & simple (image from CK Bradley's Blog)

I have always loved C.K. Bradley's fresh & classic approach to clothing and now she has switched gears and is making her way across the U.S.A.:

(image from: ck bradley blog)

stopping at ski towns to show/sell her awesome new line of ski clothes: apres by ck bradley

apres by ck bradley

Her new line is sickie! A modern take on 70's gear, that makes a woman look gooooood.

I was lucky enough to be in Vail last week with the fam. (more to come on that later...)

...and hanging out at the Red Lion, when C.K. and her buds showed up lookin HOT. We basically became besties, had a photo shoot & got some sickie pom pom hats from apres:

so cute, right?

You can peep more pics of our apres ski time with C.K. on her blog & her facebook page! Check it out!

P.S. Buy a bib from apres! The yellow is my fave...

love,

abs

will you please be my friend, Natalie?

2011-01-17T19:30:00.001-08:00

Black Swan
best dang movie ever. If you like to feel your skin crawl and have anxiety for an hour- go see this movie- thriller of the year. Can I please be Perfect Portman?- gaaaah she's pretty

On another note, I wrote about my weird boot collection a while back that includes these bad boys...

and how I wanted these sweet kicks:

sickie

Well....someone must have been good this year because thanks to Santa I have added these amazing lesbian biker chick boots to my shoe den. yes.

All I can say is Well Done Frye. These boots are awesome. They are the only boots I ever wear now. I have them in black which is obviously bettah. BUT-I must say that I have always been very against black boots. I think it's because I always thought of them like this:

excuse me while I vomit...
These are the most fugly, shiny, 90's hooker boots I have ever seen. If you have these in your closet, burn them now.

Anyways, my point was.....hmmm...what was my point...oh yah, in the past when wearing boots I have always gone more for this look:

yah cameron- get it girl

just so royal

hippie, simple and chic= lovely

Brown or tan boots with jeans or a dress. More of a rustic/edgy/ralph laureny look. And don't get me wrong I still LOVE this look, but right now I am more into feeling sleek like this:

lilo thinks she is quite a B.A.

love everything but the jacket. perfect boot+jean combo

sassy halle

classic gwynnie (jeans are a tad too scrunchy at the knee for my taste)

I like the all black with a splash of grey. sunglasses=questionable

I like the simple, sexiness of black boots, dark skinny jeans or leggings and a fitted blazer. Maybe it's because I might have packed on a couple of lbs over the holidays and want to look slim? who knows... (and don't judge me-I am dieting and gyming as we speak)

love,

abs

Well....HELLO!!!

2011-01-16T20:14:00.000-08:00

Soooo.....I have been away for a while just trying to figure out life and
I haven't been in the mood to blog- BUT here is a little bit of what I was doing while I was away:

*went to NYC (my former homeland) with my fam to hang with peeps, eat good food and do a little shoooping...

it was freeeezing

showed off my skating skillz at Central P. no biggie

squeezed in a little high school reunion

and got to catch up with old friends

*made my way home to BAMA for a white Christmas:

*brought in the New Year with the b.f. at the beach

Happy New Year!!!!!!!!

* then came the blizzard of 2011- exciting at first, but then kinda made you want to kill yourself with an icicle.

but sweet Gracie LOVED the snow

dang, she's a beauty

"anna, stop taking my picture"

anyways- here we go 2011!

love,

abs

LARGE & IN CHARGE

2010-11-15T09:47:00.000-08:00

I am constantly searching for beautiful, affordable pieces of EXTRA LARGE art. BUT it turns out that most artists do not want to sell their giant pieces of art for low prices.... imagine that. Even though it can be $pricey$- I am always drawn to large pieces instead of a small ones because one large painting or photo can help ground and simplify the room while a couple smaller pieces can make it feel cluttered.

For example:

This living room only has 2 pieces of large art (that we can see) and it keeps the room looking simple, clean and chic. (pic. from Lulu de Kwiatkowski's living room in Lonny Magazine)

I am not sure if the underwater photo is a family photo that was blown up or if it is a piece that was bought, but either way. i love it. Actually, my next project for my apartment is to blow up a large photo and either have it printed on canvas with a thick edge or to just print it as a photo and frame it. This is a great way to add large pieces of art to your home without breaking the bank. AND- it makes the art more unique and personal. (click here for an online site where you can create large photo art)

Ellen Pompeo's kitchen from Elle Decor

Kitchens can get crazy---there is food, pots, pans, dishes etc. everywhere. So most peeps like to keep the artwork out of the kitchen so they won't lose their mind. But, this large, black & white photo blends perfectly and keeps it simple.

BEAUTIFUL. Kelly Klein's living room from Elle Decor via Habitually Chic

Dwell designer Jennifer Chused's son's room

Now, I know that I said "I only like large art"- but in my mind this counts too. Large, symmetrical groupings of 12 or more similar framed pieces are just as great. Even if the images are different, it is ok as long as the frames are the same.

image via Elle Decor

Obviously I am not a huge fan of empty wall space.... Thoughts?

love,

abs

Can I have a SWEATER with that please?

2010-11-13T13:33:00.000-08:00

OK. Soooo in my last post I gave you a sneak peak into my favorite past time of shoe hoarding. I also said that my fall go-to outfit is jeans, boots and a big sweater. Now, this outfit is worn with either skinny jeans and riding boots or bootcut jeans with cowboy boots (under, not over the jean). Last week I introduced two new sweaters to my crazy closet. One is this Vince Tweed Turtleneck- oooh so cuddly soft.

You can find this here: Bergdorf Goodman

I also bought a great black turtleneck tunic (which I think should be a staple for anyone's closet) from the GAP but I can't seem to find the picture online anywhere. If you are looking for a cheaper version of the above turtleneck I would suggest visiting your local GAP store to see what they have. I think the one I bought was about $40.
Below are some other suggestions that I found surfing the web at some of my local web hangouts.

J. Crew always has great, well-made basics that are pretty affordable. This one is $98.

DKNY sweater

Vince Chunky Cowl Sweater $325

Theory Dacia Turtleneck Sweater $395-- Very iffy about the double turtleneck collar- I might feel like I am being strangled.

GAP Cashmere Tunic T- $128-- I am a little weird about buying short sleeve cashmere because personally, if I am cold enough to put on a cashmere sweater I am probably going to want to keep my arms warm too...

Absolutely Cotton Dolman Sleeve Sweater $30

Rebecca Taylor Wavy Poncho $275. I like the ease of this poncho but I would probably wear a fitted white long sleeved t-shirt underneath.

TopShop sweater

Old Navy $35

Banana Republic $175--this looks so soft that I might fall asleep just looking at it...

Banana Republic Kangaroo Pocket Rollneck $90

Do you have a perfect go-to sweater? Let me know!

This is how baby Gracie used to sleep when she was a wee little tyke. She used to stuff her head in between the couch pillows and fall asleep for hours. Just too darn cute.

Cuddlebug:

love,

abs

Boot-A-holic

2010-11-04T13:32:00.000-07:00

I must confess that I am obsessed with boots. I don't know exactly what it is but I am always looking for that next boot to fill an empty place in my collection. I was cleaning out my closet recently a)because it was begging me to clean it and b) because my sweet little sister, hays, and best friend, diana, were coming in town.

hays and diana and me

Anyways- mid-way through my closet cleanse I tried to organize my chaotic pile of shoes:

Shoes are nice but BOOTS are better. I am a pretty casual girl and my go to outfit in the fall/winter is usually jeans, a big sweater and boots. Casual, chic and comfortable.

My boot collection:

These are my 2 pairs of cowboy boots- I LOVE them. I bought the darker ones at a random store in LA that only sold vintage cowboy boots and the ones on the right I bought at a vintage store in NYC. I am not a cowboy boots and skirt kinda gal but I do wear them under my jeans all the time. They look nice and casual and keep my feet very warm.
If you like these then I would recommend going to your local thrift store and looking around, it is always nice to have a unique pair. BUT, if you want this look right now I would go for something like this:

The Carson Pull On by Frye Frye makes really well made and oh- so comfy boots.

These cowboy boots are hilarious- I bought them one year at a store in Vail, CO and I actually wore them a lot (only under jeans so you can't see the terrible fringe)

These are also a vintage find from NYC. But this is a classic style that is also very on trend, so there are many similar boots out there right now:

Steve Madden "Streeet" Tall Paddock Boots

Lucky Brand "Andria" Boots with Buckle

These are from Urban Outfitters a couple of years ago. They are ok, but not very comfortable and a little too trendy for me. Also, please notice the horrible scratches on my dresser drawer! My sweet little Gracie likes to do this when I am not looking.

These are the most recent addition to my closet! I love them! My sweet Mom gave them to me for my bday. They are Coach and still in stores! You can find them at Nordstrom.

I wore these all throughout high school because I went to boarding school in the North where we had to walk to school in blizzards- no joke. And they come in handy when I go skiing out West. You can buy them at Gorsuch

I wear these ALL THE TIME. I bought them at ALDO last year and they aren't made very well and I think they are fake leather but they are cheap, cute, comfortable and easy to wear with jeans when it is cold out. A perfect fall shoe. I looked at Aldo for a similar pair and all I could find are these:

These are the Patanella Boots from Aldo. I know that you probably think these look silly, but if you wear them under jeans then all you will be able to see is a little brown. Miss Sixty and Steve Madden also have some great options:

Steve Madden "Londunn" Double Gore Booties

Miss Sixty Nico boots (I have been drooling over these for a while)

I am sorry that these pictures are so horrible! I couldn't find my camera so I took them with my iphone. Not Good. Anyways- these are black suede slouchy boots from Aldo that are cheap and comfy (obviously what I try and look for in a boot). I wear them mostly with either leggings or a dress. This is the only similar boot at Aldo that I could find:

ALDO Braseth Boot

I bought these last year at Barney's CO-OP and I think they are still selling them here. These are great boots and ones I wear when I need to be a little more dressed up.

UGGS- I'm not gonna lie- I love my Uggs and I wear them a ton in the winter when I need to run out quickly and it's cold- they may not be that pretty but they do the trick.

LAST PAIR! These are from - guess where?- A VINTAGE STORE in NYC. ha! I can't help it- I love old, worn boots. These are great, the heel is actually pretty high- but you can't tell from this pic. I usually wear these under long dress pants for work. Cole Haan makes something similar with the Air Tantivy Tall Boot.

WOW! So that's the story of my boots. I love finding great boots so I hope that this helps you find your perfect boot! And here are a few that are on my wish list:

Frye Veronica Slouch Boots

Frye Melissa Button Boot

What do you think? I think my little munchkin is ready for me to stop talking about boots and take her to the park.

love,

abs

Cone of Shame

2010-10-26T06:59:00.000-07:00

This is the little lady that I have been spending all of my free time with lately. She is in "the cone of shame"because she just got spayed- :( Don't get me wrong- I would LOVE little baby Gracie's running around but that might just make me lose my mind. And the Doc. says that letting dogs go into heat increases their chance of breast cancer by 80%! So this was a no brainer for me.

I am very sad to say that I did not plan this well and now she will be unable to wear her adorable Halloween costume. (and yes I am that girl who buys costumes for her dog- so sue me- it's too cute)

Bee Costume

We might just have to celebrate this holiday twice. Because little Gracie would make an adorable bumblebee.

love,

abs

The BUZZ

2010-10-25T09:53:00.000-07:00

Reuben "Buzz" Harper is an amazing, creative interior designer, specializing in 18th century french decor. He is fashion savvy, a world traveler, an antique collector and most importantly my GRANDFATHER.

A portrait of Buzz

I am kicking myself that I didn't pick up some family photos while I was at my parents house this past weekend. But these internet images will have to do for now. The portrait above has been in his house for as long as I can remember-- such a handsome fellow!

Buzz is one of the most wonderful people that I know with one of the most amazing hearts. He has worked on so many projects throughout his life. Before moving to New Orleans, Buzz and my grandmother lived in Natchez, MS in The Burn, which is now a beautiful museum.

After that, Buzz lived in New Orleans and had a very grand showroom of European antiques called Harper's Antiques in the French Quarter.

NOW- Buzz is back in Natchez shaking things up.

Buzz in Southern Living

Anyways- I caught up with busy BUZZ this morning and asked him a couple of questions:

Buzz! You have been an interior designer forever! What makes you still excited about interior design after all these years?

The joy of bringing beauty and happiness into someones life- the way it kicks up the spirit of the people you are doing it for.

What kind of projects are you currently working on?

I am mostly working on projects for clients that I have had for 30 or 40 years.

What do you miss about New Orleans now that you are living back in Natchez?

THE FOOD! and of course my friends. New Orleans has its own music, food and culture and did you know it has the oldest opera company in the US? It is just a fantastic city.

What do you think is necessary in every home?

A piano- because whether you play or not it is a beautiful ornament and if you entertain then you can always have someone play. (I love this)

What is your favorite food?

Foie gras. I had it last night!

Favorite thing to do on the weekends?

Besides going to Mass, my favorite thing is to play bridge, which I do every Sunday afternoon.

Who is your fashion icon?

Versace

Any words of design advice to our bloggers?

Be smart enough to figure out what you like and don't let any interior designer tell you what you should like. You have the right to like what you like!

love,

abs

SINKS-how to choose?

2010-10-20T06:23:00.000-07:00

I am not sure why I am so obsessed with sinks. I live in a rented apartment and I am not an interior designer but for some reason I find myself looking to see which sinks people choose for their home. I think it says a lot about who they are.

This could be because I am a complete MESS and I'm not gonna lie- there are many times when I come home to a double bowl, stainless steel sink full of dirty dishes *cringe*. BUT- I feel like I would be completely organized and perfect if I had this sink: (and maybe 2 dishwashers)

Wouldn't this just be wonderful?! A HUGE industrial kitchen sink like this? This makes my heart skip a beat. I. AM. IN. LOVE.

Of course, there are always many other options. Here are some of my other faves:

LOVE this one too- TWO huge farmhouse sinks- clean, sleek, classic & spacious

I like the idea of having an extra little sink in the island for washing hands etc.

(via Southern Accents- designed by fellow Atlantan Suzanne Kasler)
I love this kitchen but I am not sure if I would like my sinks to be across from each other...

Obviously I am drawn to light, bright kitchens. They make me feel clean and organized = happy.

*all images not identified above are via House Beautiful

love,

abs

IKAT

2010-10-19T06:16:00.000-07:00

Lately, I have been drooling over some amazing Ikat pattern fabrics...They first caught my eye when my mom started to look at fabrics for some of her chairs that she wants to recover.

(this is one of Suzanne Kasler's amazing prints that she created for Ballard Designs)

(Awesome Ikat shades and accent pillows-from March 2009 House Beautiful)

(Madeline Weinrib makes delicious fabrics in tons of colors and patterns)

(Beautiful Ikat chair from Horchow)

(You can also use Ikat as art-image by Elle Decor)

I am usually a pretty neutral gal ( I know- boooring), but I do like a nice pop of color here and there. What do you think? Yay or Nay?

love,

abs