Gobble Gobble

{wishing you all a belly full of happiness}

[image via vi.sualize]

Photoshoot

Some of you may recognize this room from the flood of '09 post. It's one of the main living spaces in our basement and definitely one of the most used rooms in our home. If the boys, husband included, could live here, they would. Well last week I came across an amazing giveaway offered by Brooke and Mark on the blog Velvet and Linen. The prize, times three, is a beautiful coffee table from Mark's company Bobo Intriguing Objects. Needless to say, I really wanted to win, so I sent in a snapshot of my room and waited and waited. Well, the ten finalists were announced this morning and sadly, my room didn't make the cut. But it was fun giving my space a little attention, a little star treatment. And I loved playing stylist, even if the pay kinda stinks.

So now I have a file full of snapshots and I thought I'd share some of the outtakes.

The grapes are a bit of an obsession of mine, they are vintage lucite/acrylic from the 60's and '70's, I think, often with a fabulous bit of driftwood attached as the stem. I have them scattered throughout our home, probably enough to start a small plastic vineyard. ;0) I've gotten all of mine from the great land of eBay.

The coffee table, which I actually love and was going to relocate to another part of the house had I won, is the Scando Family Table from modern seed. It is wonderfully kid safe, no sharp corners, has a great scooped end for my piles of magazines and books, and appeals to grown-ups with it's sexy curves and low profile. It has served us well as table, performance stage, and overall indestructible surface for three rather destructive young boys.

The vintage black painted table and matching stools have a long family history and are rather well traveled for a set of table and chairs. They belonged to my uncle when he was a child and emigrated with my family from the Ukraine some 30+ years ago. The set is actually a chess table with a little drawer in front holding the chess pieces. The surface is hand painted with golden leaves and perfectly delectable clusters of strawberries. A true heirloom.

One of my absolute favorite features of this room is the barn door. Luckily, I had a very patient contractor who built this from scratch from my very crude drawing. Good thing I can manage to sketch a few straight lines. The door is functional and slides along the track to close off the room during one of our many movie nights. I especially love the handle which Mark, the contractor, brought us one day from a loft renovation he was working on. It was grungy and rusted and I instantly fell in love. The Mister gave it a quick spray of sealer and on it went, the perfect adornment to the barn door in the suburbs!

The lovely antique cabinet on the left is from the now defunct Silk Trading Company location in Atlanta. Oddly enough, although the beautiful curtains were super pricey, their case goods were unique and affordable. This one happens to house hundreds of video games and movies which on a normal day would be scattered all over the floor. But for you dear friends, I picked up. The t.v. stand, a more modern cousin of the armoire, is from West Elm.

The couch happens to be one of my favorite finds. I don't know the provenance, but we snagged it at the annual ADAC garage sale. That's the Atlanta Decorative Arts Center for long. Normally a place whose doors are not open to the likes of little ol' not-to-the-trade-accessible me. But once yearly they open their doors, actually the parking garage, to the public and let me tell you, this sale is not to be missed.

So there you have it, no new coffee table for me, but I still love this room. Hope you enjoyed the tour. If you get a chance, stop by Velvet and Linen and check out some of the seriously pretty rooms still in the running. I'm sure they would appreciate your vote!

And speaking of giveaways, I've got a little something up my sleeve as well. Be sure to check back on Monday after Thanksgiving for Head Over Heels first giveaway. I'm so excited to gift one of you lovelies a lovely prize from a terrific sponsor!

Friday Fixation: {actually, more like an obsession}

I promised you photos earlier this week of the glorious day we spent in New Orleans. In the French Quarter to be exact. I tell ya, I'm completely smitten with this city. She stole my heart.

Every glorious detail is magnified as if under a looking glass. From the lush flora to the time-worn pavers underfoot, it's all larger than life. Somehow real, but not. This city is a fantasy come alive.

The last two snapshots are of a courtyard in the most spectacular home I've ever stepped foot in. Its classic New Orleans architecture made me feel faint. No, seriously, lightheaded. The building now houses a shop, Antiques de Provence. Think every beautiful item you ever imagined from the French countryside and it's there. In multiples. If you're ever in New Orleans, this is a must visit. A must.

An all around perfect day. I can't wait to go back. I hope you too enjoyed the virtual visit. I dare you not to fall in love.

{the Abe graffitti, it's a Banksy, I was so excited to spot one!}

Sunday Outing

We went on a little outing yesterday afternoon to the mountains. The foliage was spectacular and it literally rained beautiful golden, crimson, and orange-hued leaves. The river was a foaming, churning living thing. A perfect target for little boys with handfuls of stones. A glorious sunset followed us home and I could not help but click away on my camera as we drove through charming towns with glorious examples of southern vernacular. Graceful columned grand dames and tiny cottages, lights aglow as the day receded into night.