Last night (my husband went to the first Gamecock football game, thank goodness they won!) made me realize we were switching gears. From Backyard BBQ's

via Country Living

via Martha Stewart

via Martha Stewart

To Football weekends and tailgates. 

via BHG

bhg guide to entertaining 1969

via the tablescape diva

I don't know why it suprises me, it happens every year.

Have a wonderful Labor Day.

by moi

y little girl started school today.  A monumental day in a child's life, and I am finding out in mine too....Weirdly, I feel more like a Mom now than I have since she was born....somehow "real" school denotes "real" parenting to me.  So I shed a tear or two about that this morning...but for the most part have held it together.  Patting myself on the back:)

Of course, I had homework for the first day...

The "tell us about your child" project.  This was what I came up with,  I made the photo kind of fuzzy, like an old photo (this wouldn't mean anything to anyone else, but it symbolizes Eliza's old soul, she is the most understanding child, somehow like she has done this before...)  The image just sums up this wonderful little girl of mine...and it is so poignant that she is looking into the ocean, the ocean of possibility, promise, and adventure.  What will she learn, who will she meet, what does this life have in store?

But please go slow, this past 5 years has flown by, can I PLEASE stop time.

My little Beaker Vase.

Thought everyone might need some flower power this morning.  I know I do, and these little Black Eyed Susans are just the ticket.  These little flowers are some of the only things that are blooming heartily in this 100+ degree heat.

I found the little beaker vases at an Estate Sale up in Georgetown when I was there...yes ya'll I can't help myself even when on vacation!

Maybe these flowers will inspire me to get organized, because I also found one of these at the same Sale for $7...it was the last day and one of the ONLY things left.  It is an original Dorothee Becker Utensilo Wall Organizer.




The estate sale people were like, I can't believe that stayed so long, etc.   It was super dirty, and has gotten a cleaning, but has yet to start organizing.  Feeling inspired by all of the uses it has been put to.

via stardust

via Design Sponge

via Flickr

Via House to Home

via Pinterest

Feeling the Urge to Organize...yeah, me either:)

Happy Monday!

here is something that I love about thunderstorm, especially in in the afternoon light. The dark blue grey with the green and the backlight with the sun on the trees.  So when I was driving to my hometown of Aiken, SC to see my parents for the day, I just had to take these shots.  I was in the sun, and the storm was moving towards us, it was about 5:00 and the light was GEORGEOUS.

  I did endure a battle wound to take these shots....My feet are hating me, b.c I stepped on a blackberry vine that pulled under my toes in my sandels... I spent 30 minutes picking briars out of my feet.  (my daughter said, "Wow mommy, that must hurt, b.c I really cried really hard when I had 1 splinter!", at least she understood my pain:)


Here are a few rooms that may have been inspired by a storm.

Via Designer Steve Gambrel

via Designer Steve Gambrel

via decorpad

Elle Decor via Decorpad

Have a great weekend.

Footnote: As I write this  we are haveing an awesome afternoon shower, with my laptop unplugged of course:)

t seems that since I have started blogging I say "I am in LOVE with this, or in LOVE with that all of the time"! I think it is time to find a new catch phrase, My little Boy has even started saying it...."Mommy, I am in LOVE with that pillow, I am in LOVE with that car, I LOVE that chair" "I LOVE this, I LOVE that"....
(My favorite is plain old "I Love you Mommy:)

Anyhoo,

I was thinking, since The Rachel Zoe Project premiers tonight on Bravo that I should start saying  "I Die" or "Bananas".  or both

Photo: Courtesy of Christopher Sauve What is your catch phrase, I really need a new one!

via Martha Stewart so many shapes and sizes Loving all of the colors Photo credit: Courtesy of gardeners.com not sure how this might work, but looks cool! via luxeryhousingtrends.com Cool and modern emmohome.com this is a sweet miniature watering can from 1stdibs.com Dixon Lane Antiques Do you have a favorite watering device...and don't say the sprinkler system, because that would be mine if I had one!!!!:):) Have a great day.  Enjoy watering those plants. --Gretchen

 just can't stand it any more, I don't know who I was kidding 5 rooms in 5 months.   I am such a design fanatic that I move around from room to room, doing projects, fiddling with this or that making things feel like home. I LOVE to fiddle, I LOVE to move things around, I LOVE little projects...the pride I have when I have finished something, and I can say, I DID THAT:)  Let's face it, my house will NEVER be totally done.  And I really kind of like it that way:)    I am just going to post what I am doing right now, what i am into at the moment.   I want to shout 'HERE IS MY HOME, MY WORK IN PROGRESS, I LOVE IT'!!! I am proud of what we as a family have accomplished in the past few months. 

My home is ever changing, I am ever changing.... and THAT is THAT:):)

Who knows, I might have a Fiddling Freakout and finish 5 rooms in 5 days:):)

Have a great day:)

Do you ever feel like you are designing in a vacuum?  I feel like that all the time.  Whether it be my graphic design work or interiors, I often wish I had someone next to me to bounce ideas off of.  Someone to say things to you like "that is really terrible" or "that is a fantabulous idea! or "EUREKA you are a genius!".



Love the wingback chairs


The pink is just enough in this living room...I loved this episode and Tommy was right!


Oh WHITE how I love you...


I WANT that teaset on the end of my bed:)


So I think this is one of the reason's why I feel compelled to blog.  The good, bad, and the ugly.  I am putting myself out there to be complimented AND criticized...but it is only going to make me a better designer.  RIGHT???

In the morning,
G

Apples with Cinnamon Sugar...YUM!

Sorry to have been MIA.  I just got back from a wonderful time with my family in Washington, DC...but when you play, you must work harder when you return.  I am under a few deadlines, and have not had much time to write...so I leave you with one of my favorite all time snacks.  One that the kids (and their friends love.)

Just slice apples, I like granny smiths.....  sprinkle a little bit of cinnamon in the sugar and ENJOY!

Have a Great Tuesday!