Gorgeous Porcelain Sign Giveaway by RamSign!

Have you seen these gorgeous porcelain enameled signs for your home or business? They are made by RamSign ~ Classic Enameled Signs. They contacted me recently. Maybe they heard about my new home!

They are a company located in Denmark. I'm thinking about one of their signs for my front door.

They are beautifully crafted! Do you know what they did?? They offered to do a giveaway on my blog! How lovely! And you get to reap the benefit of their generosity.

They will giveaway one sign ~ any sign ~ of your choice to the winner! How do you enter? Its simple really. Just go to their website and come back and tell me your favorite sign style (Metropolitan, Highlander, etc...). Couldn't be easier! Here's the link one more time RamSign! I'll draw a comment out of the hat on Monday, February 6th and post the winner immediately! Happy sign hunting!

Since one of the signs is a gorgeous blue, I'm sharing this giveaway with Smiling Sally's Blue Monday! Check out the link below to see more.

Andy Skurman - Architect Extraordinaire - In the Round

I was perusing Architectural Digest.com as many of you do I'm sure when I came across the picture above. 'That looks like Andy Skurman's work,' I thought. I read the credits and sure enough, I was right! I love his round and curved rooms.

He worked with decorator Suzanne Tucker to accomplish the lovely work you'll see in the full article. I interviewed Andy a while back. He's very clear about his work, his niche, and I must say he does it well. I love his round dining rooms the most. Round dining tables I find to be so intimate and primed for conversation. That's why I also enjoy radial balance in rooms. Of course, that could just be the group therapist in me coming out!

A Peak in the Office

Remember I said in my last post that two of the blue/green silk panels were in my office? Well there they are. Jeff is installing photos of my work. Wow, my office is a mess! I did straighten it though. The bookcase I bought is too small. I'm going to move it to the basement. I'm in search of the perfect piece for my office now... always something!

Come On Upstairs...

You may recognize these drapes from my old house. I really like the way they compliment the mirrors above the bed. Those mirrors use to be in my old dining room. Its always fun to see where things land when you move. See the chests and lamps? They use to be in my living room. So pieces from three rooms ended up here in one of our guest rooms!

This is the second guest room. Love the blue! The drapes conveyed with the house. The previously homeowner made them. They were in the sitting room on the main level. There were actually six panels in this silk. Two are in my office; two are in this guest room; and two are in my assistant's home :)

This is the master bedroom sitting and dressing table area... large silk panels for extra yum!

And my daughter's room complete with wide black and white stripes, a fuchsia ceiling and drapes to tie it all together. The black and white portion of the drape was in my daughter's old room. Her windows then were in an alcove. We still loved the peace signs so all I did was add fuchsia silk to the bottom to lengthen and add a few more baubles. I love the way they turned out!

We still have to put the fuchsia paint splatter decals on the walls. All is good time... all in good time.

The Company Store Gives Back!

I get sent things all the time asking me to post it on my blog. I rarely do this unless it is something awesome, a fantastic giveaway, or a something like this ~ a honest to goodness charity event where a company gives something of significant value to those in need. This is absolutely one of them!

The Company Store will donate a comforter for evey comforter purchased bewteen now and the end of March to a child in need via the Family Promise, the nation’s leading nonprofit committed to helping homeless and low-income families achieve lasting independence.

That is something worth writing about! Plus I love The Company Store for many things especially when I'm doing kids' rooms.

Won't you help either by buying a comforter and/or passing the word on this wonderful initiative?!!


Thank you!

Here's the Press Release if you would like more information ~

The Company Store Helps Keep Homeless Children Warm This Winter:
Launching Buy One, Give One Comforter Program

LaCrosse, WI (January 3, 2012): The Company Store today announced the launch of their Buy One, Give One Comforter Program, an important project benefitting thousands of homeless children throughout the United States. Now through January 31, 2012, The Company Store will donate a comforter to a child with every comforter purchased from their web site or catalog. By placing their order, the customer is automatically donating a comforter to a child in need.

“The Company Store's loyal customers can participate with us in an act of kindness and generosity every time they purchase a comforter,” says Karen Feldman, Director at The Company Store. “There are a significant number of homeless children in this country who are living without a warm bed, and The Company Store is committed to bringing some comfort and warmth to children in need throughout the year, not just during the holiday season. We are pleased to deliver these comforters through Family Promise and their affiliates in the United States. Last year, The Company Store donated tens of thousands of comforters, and this year the hope is to fulfill an even greater amount.”

“The Buy One, Give One initiative was so beneficial for our Affiliates last year, and we're thrilled The Company Store is expanding it even further this winter,” says Karen Olson, President of Family Promise. “A comforter is something many of us may take for granted, but it makes a big impact on the lives of the children we work with daily—not only by keeping them warm at night, but by providing them in some small way with the comfort of home at a very difficult time. The Company Store’s generosity will help us truly make a difference to thousands of families in need.”

For more information on this worthy undertaking, please contact either Lance Buckley via phone at (212) 243-1431, or via e-mail: lance@piercemattie.com

About The Company Store
The Company Store, known for its comfort, design and value since 1911, offers top quality, down comforters and pillows, sheets, towels, and home accessories. The best-selling, American-made LaCrosse Comforter offers unique craftsmanship ensuring the ultimate in sleeping comfort, a lifetime guarantee and is available in a full palette of fashion colors. Other top collections include wrinkle-free bedding, fashion quilts, and a bamboo collection that features sheets, towels, blankets and loungewear. The Company Store offers extensive monogramming, and other custom services in their LaCrosse, Wisconsin factory. The Company Store sells its merchandise through catalogs and the internet at www.thecompanystore.com.

About Family Promise
Family Promise is the nation’s leading nonprofit committed to helping homeless and low-income families achieve lasting independence. Founded in 1986 in Summit, NJ, Family Promise today comprises 171 Affiliates across 41 states and engages 140,000 volunteers from coast to coast. The organization has served more than 400,000 people since its inception, including 50,000 last year alone. For more information about Family Promise and its programs, visit www.familypromise.org.

More Drapes at Home...

What about other rooms in the house?? Drapes went up in the living and dining rooms, and the room formerly known as the music room. I now call it the sitting room since there is no longer a baby grand piano in it. Above is the living room where Joe meticulously finishes the drapes.

Simply linen drape panels everywhere on this side of the house. Above in the sitting room...

and in the dining room. Here's a detail...

Instead of just leaving the drape panel inside the bay window, I brought it out. I did this to soften the corner and fill the negative space a bit more. I don't like something on every wall so the eye may rest in between interesting things. The walls that flank the bay are a bit too large to leave completely alone so bringing out the drape is just the ticket to soften and frame the window.

Next, I'll show you upstairs....

Up Goes the Family Room Drapes

As you may know in my neck of the woods two story prevails! My home is no different. We have a lovely large bay in the family room. I had drapes from my previous home that would work wonderfully in this room but I had to think of how to connect them with new drapes to soften the two story windows. See the detail border on the lead edge and bottom of each panel?
I had the same detail on the original drapes. However I did not want to have dark two story drapes so I chose silk very similar to the wall color. The detail border though is in the same silk as the border on the original and...
where the original and new drapes meet, the bottom border continues the line.
And that's how the old and new connect! That and the fact that they are both in neutral silks. Rolling, rolling, rolling...

Thank You Once Again Hickory Chair!

Thank you Hickory Chair for showcasing my work on your blog! Here's a preview of what you'll see over there...
I love that Camden Sofa!

Thank You Houzz and Lisa Frederick

Great Materials: Warm, Wonderful Pewter

Thank you Lisa for featuring me in your Ideabook on Houzz!

Lori Dennis and Pearson

I was looking at the wonderful Pearson Blog and came across this mirror application that I think is ingenious! This is a room done by Lori Dennis for Maison de Luxe - view the Editor at Large video here. The impact is incredible. It takes a small space and expands it in a gorgeous fashion. Very nice!