Cloudy Skies

With all of the welcome rain we've had in the past couple of days, I have been daydreaming of cloudy gray interiors like these...

There's something about sitting in a room like this while the rain falls outside.

(Can you tell that I wanted to stay home today??)

*pictures from: 30elm, and Design*Sponge

Patterned Carpets

Wall-to-wall patterned carpeting...

What do you think?

Both pictures from Massucco Warner Miller

What I'm Loving Now

The color green:

Go and read the rest of the list over at Elizabeth Anne Designs Living, where I'm posting today.

How My Garden Grows (in the heat)

Please excuse the glare, it's been a little sunny here.

So, everything has been growing like crazy, although with the heat they seem to have slowed down a bit.

The daylillies are blooming!

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And so are the daisies!! Hard to believe they were teeny-tiny just a couple months ago.

On another note, don't you hate it when your nail gets a tear in it and you have to cut it off?? Just when my nails were looking nice...

At least I won't be missing many outdoor activities this weekend when I'm inside doing my nails.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Outdoor Inspiration

Okay, so if I did live someplace cooler - like, say the Pacific Northwest right now - then I could be outdoors enjoying places like these... without melting.

This last image would be perfection. A pretty arbor with a nice hammock underneath.

*pictures from: Domino, Domino, Cathy Kincaid Interiors, Southern Living, Domino

New Orleans on my mind

It is H-O-T down here, with no relief in sight. One place that I wouldn't mind being during a heat wave like this is in New Orleans. It is just so pretty, and if you're going to brave the heat, you might as well have something nice to look at! Plus, the drinks are nice and cold.

These are some of the images that come to mind when I think of it...

Ancient trees covered in Spanish moss...

The architecture...

Gas lanterns...

Courtyards...

The mix of the old and decrepit with the glamorous and new...

The huge windows that often open up to a porch...

And the tall ceilings with gorgeous chandeliers...

Where do you want to be today?

Chartreuse Lime Fizzy

Not a drink, but how I'd describe the color on these walls:

I love the color in this room. This weird color somehow makes me strangely happy, and I'm thinking about using it for our bathroom. But, the shade and value of it have to be just right, or else it can turn scary.

Trying to catch up - sorry for the radio silence, but the internet at our house is out, and work has been (thankfully) busy!

And thank you to everyone who gave their opinions on rug designs!!! I really appreciate all the input!

*picture from House Beautiful

Opinions please...

Which type of these rugs do you prefer??

Do you like more traditional Oriental rugs?

More modern?

Natural colors?

Zebra stripes?

Ethnic patterns?

Sisals or seagrass?

Flatweaves? Geometrics??

Depending on the style of your room, these are all great choices. But what is your favorite? I'm really interested for work. As I'm sure everyone knows, the economy is not the best right now, and we're trying to come up with some different and popular designs to show on samples to help sales.

So, if you were in the market for a new rug, what would you want to see?? If you don't see something here - feel free to suggest it! I'm totally open to all of your opinions. And remember, anything is possible!

Ikea's in on the Gray Craze

Like the Ektorp sofa from Ikea? Well, now you can get slipcovers in a gray, brown, or beige cotton/linen/rayon viscose/poly blend. Very pretty.

Very pretty.... for $249. I realize that this is a good price for a typical sofa slipcover, but this is Ikea, and I would have thought the new covers would be cheaper. The whole sofa (including a white slipcover) only costs $399.

I saw these originally over at Cote de Texas. I'm glad Ikea's offering some really good-looking options, but I think it's priced a little high. What do you think?

Working from home today

Due to my allergy to ant bites and a swollen toe, I'm staying home today. It's really too bad that my home office doesn't look like this one from John Turck. I've had this image for a while, I think it's from 2006 or so.... but I still think it looks like a beautiful place to work from.

Hope your week's off to a great start - better than mine, anyway!

She sells seashells by the seashore

I think seashells and coral can be such pretty accessories and accents. They add a natural element, and can be interesting to look at.

Just be careful to not go overboard... you don't live at Eddie's Fish Shack!

Have a great weekend!

*pictures from: Decorno, Wisteria, Wisteria, My Home Ideas, MHI, Elle Decor, Google, Wisteria, Google