Antidote to the Snuggie!!!

I know what you're thinking--it's soft, it's warm it's only $19.95 and it comes in fashion patterns like zebra and tiger! Listen to me--NO! May I suggest some alternatives to the Snuggie? Here at said we have beautiful throws priced from $59 to $285. A black wool mohair throw from 18K is as luxurious as it is beautiful, and is priced at $75. This would make a fantastic gift this holiday season. For $59 we have a soft light wool throw that comes in a lovely variety of colors and my personal favorite is from Kelly Wearstler for Sferra is a 100% Merino wool throw in a faux bois pattern that is to die for! This one runs $285 so it is really a special gift.

We like these dining chairs from Nathan Anthony with the nailhead trim. They are not oversized so you can comfortably fit six around a dining table without feeling squeezed and they are available in a variety of fabrics.

I wish all you dear readers a wonderful holiday season and the most wonderful New Year.

Cheers!

Sue

Bird by Bird

The days are definitely getting shorter. Today it is dark and rainy and I just feel like curling up with a glass of wine and a good book! Speaking of books, my blog title today, Bird by Bird is taken from the book of the same name by Anne La Mott. If you have never read it, I would most certainly recommend it! I loved it for several reasons; one it is about procrastinating, something I know quite a lot about. Second, Anne LaMott's writing style is laugh out loud funny, and lastly, I love birds, and although very little of the book is actually about birds I had to throw that in! Put this book on your must read list.

Bird by Bird came to mind today because I have acquired the coolest bird paintings that I currently have in the shop. The artist is Jay Hill, and I find his simple depictions of birds (and horses) delightful and also easy on the budget. One thing I feel really strongly about is if you can buy original art, you should! Why settle for poster art or reproductions when there are so many wonderful artists right here in Portland. If you are not in Portland, I bet there are lots of artists where you live as well. Almost every town has some kind of First Friday or First Thursday art events. Check it out in your city. Make that a resolution for the coming year, that you will buy at least one piece of original art in 2010. Hey, that's way easier than losing 10 pounds--right?

I also wanted to show you a line of furniture that we are carrying here at said-- it is Nathan Anthony Furniture. There are lots of fabrics to choose from, the size can be customized and they also have a green line called Envi that is getting lots of great press! Come in and test sit our love seat here in the shop. We would love to order one just for you. It is super comfortable--and now that I think about it, the perfect place to curl up with a glass of wine and that book! On that note, Cheers and I will see you next week.

Back on the Blog!

Hi Everyone--

Well as you can see, I fell off the blog bandwagon, and I realize that it is very much like exercising. If you quit, it is really hard to start back up! So note to self, don't procrastinate, BLOG! Even though it is now incredibly old news, we did have a fantastic time in NYC. The plays were great, the food fantastic, museums inspiring; it all went by too fast. We could have easily stayed another week. If you have never been, go to New York, there is nothing like it.

Fast forward and Thanksgiving is bearing down upon us! Can you believe it? It's time to get ready for entertaining, holiday dinners and decorating! In the shop right now I have a beautiful dining table the perfect size for large dinner parties. The armchairs are a pair of fantastic Hickory White modified wing chairs upholstered in a heavy linen. The scale is a little oversized and it creates a stunning effect at the table. Of course they are beautiful as living room chairs too, but I really liked them paired with the dining table. On the tabletop I have a wonderful set of vintage dishes. As you prepare for the holidays think about what you have. Do you have a set of dishes that you rarely use--or does your mom? If not think about looking for vintage dishes that you can mix and match. Remember, you don't have to wait to inherit dishes--they are readily available at estate sales and thrift stores or here at said!

Thanks for reading, and I promise to not fall off the blog bandwagon again!

Cheers

Sue

40 years, 3 kids, 3 grandkids = Trip to NYC!

Can it be possible that 40 years ago I walked down the aisle with my high school sweetheart, honeymooned at the Dunes Hotel in Lincoln City and came home two days later to see my brother off to the Marines and shortly thereafter to Viet Nam? Well the answer to that question is YES!! To celebrate, my husband booked a trip for us to NYC, so this Thursday, the 21st we will be on our way for 7 days in the Big Apple. We intend to take in several plays while there. We already have tickets for South Pacific and I am hoping to get tickets to West Side Story as well. So you're asking what does this have to do with interior design? Well, travel is such a great source of inspiration! Museums, architecture, fashion and different cultures just to name a few, are all sources of inspiration that can be translated in your home. Of course, we will be mixing pleasure with business when we take in the Architectural Digest Show that conveniently will be taking place while we are there! I look forward to sharing with you what inspires us when I return. In the meantime, have a chuckle at our wedding--circa 1969!!! See you soon.

Sue
P.S. Be sure to check out our new videoblog at homestylehappyhour.blogspot.com!!!

Here we are--Bride, Bridesmaids and Flower Girl!

From left--Charmain (Merz), Janis (Cappola), Moi, Julie (Murray) and Jeanne (Rintell)

Note the little daisy headpieces!

Cutting the cake in front of the accordian doors in the church hall. Note the very "pointy" bustline!

Our friends tricking out our '61 Chevrolet Impala for our exotic honeymoon destination--Lincoln City!

I think I'm due a trip to NYC!!! Cheers!

High Times in High Point!

We have been back from Highpoint now for a week and JJ and I are still buzzing about all the cool things we saw and making plans for next years trip! I will sum up our week there for you--red eye flight to Highpoint, crash at hotel until next morning. Up early and hit the market every morning thereafter, seeing everything from fantastic antiques to the newest in furniture and accessory design. We had dinner and cocktails at the only Leed Platinum Hotel in the country called Proximity. Went briefly to the Metropolitan Home Magazine party and rubbed elbows with Barclay Butera. We flew home, exhausted and inspired! Below are a few photos of some of my favorite finds. Cheers!

I love these Belgian light fixtures from BoBo!

Your puppy will sleep like King Tut in this adorable bed!

Before your acupuncturist attempts those needles on you, he first learned on these guys (and gals). They are also the coolest of sculpture!

Love, love these as dining chairs.

I ordered this for me--ok, you can have one too, give me a call!

Highpoint--Here we come!

I know it's spring--but wow! it has been cold. Nevertheless, we are getting ready for spring here at said. On Friday the 24th, I leave for my annual trip to Highpoint North Carolina to attend the furniture mart. Highpoint, if you have never been there, is actually a small town that explodes with activity during the two week furniture mart where people come from all over the world to see what's new in the industry! My friend JJ (who owns the most delightful shop on Alberta--Digs Inside and Out) have been making this trek for the last 5 years. We always have a great time, find fantastic new things, see what the latest trends are, attend seminars, have feet that are killing us and consume quite few cocktails during our stay. Because I am a Starbucks junkie, first thing in the morning before we start our day at the mart, JJ is gracious enough to drive me a couple of miles out of the way to the only Starbucks in town to get my morning fix. I think she realized that without it I can be intolerable the rest of the day. Hmmm, could I have a problem--cocktails, Starbucks, shopping--oh and I forgot to mention my M&M addiction. Oh well, I'll worry about that later. My next post will have details of our trip as well as photos of what we saw! See you then! Here are a few things that are new at said.

Just Do It!

Yes, it is true in life that sometimes, as Nike says, we have to JUST DO IT!! With that in mind I am taking the plunge into the world of blogs. It is with the curiousity of a 5 year old and enough life experience to remember TVs without remote controls, telephones with cords and clocks that had "hands" that I attempt to navigate this exciting but mystifying world.

My passion as well as vocation is interior design--not the plucked directly from the showroom kind, but the kind that incorporates art, collections and antiques, beside the new and the latest. My retail store/showroom reflects that aesthetic, with finds from estate sales along with things that I can't live without from trips to the Highpoint North Carolina furniture mart as well as travels that take me from New York to Europe. My mission statement here at said is "to artfully blend the present with the past and to create an elegant and soulful environment. I hope in this blog to present to you my ideas and thoughts on creating an inspired place to call home. Hope to see or hear from you soon!!