twenty thirteen is here…
Posted: February 9, 2013 Filed under: business., personal., travel. 2 Comments »when i look back on this past year it seems a little blurry… it literally flew by.
i’m so blessed to have had another happy & healthy year with the hubs & bun. we both blogged A LOT, tackeled TONS of new house projects & are excited about 2013!! each passing year i’m always surprised & completely blown away as i watch the number of my blog readers grow. a HUGE heart felt thank you to each & every person near & far who stops by to check in, & read + comment on posts…
here are a few fun facts about the blog from 2012:
love, the looking glass has seen thousands & thousands of visitors this past year, of course from the USA mostly but the United Kingdom & Canada were in a close 2nd & 3rd. with over 275 new photos, i hope you saw things that inspired you to live small, dress up & kept you wanting to try more!
twenty twelve, you were great, see! but we’re ready for what’s coming next!
i already have SOOO many cakes & exciting things to share with you all. stay curious, there’s lots more to come!
our first real big house project was a built-in bookcase… we love it!
i’ve really enjoyed making our laundry detergent… we’ve saved TONS of moolah & i love knowing we’re not covering our skin with gross chemicals!
our summer vacation in charleston for gil’s bday was such a nice getaway…
i made my first rainbow cake… it was for a very hungry caterpillar party!
i ran my very first 5K ever! {the color run}
we turned our unusable back yard into a huge deck! i can’t wait to turn this into an amazing living space as soon as it warms up outside!
sadly my car died… but hubs surprised me & we got a Fiat 500! meet FiFi… & i learned to drive a manual transmission… it’s been interesting to say the least. 
hubs decided to come work with me at Nordstrom while he focuses on his masters degree… & we love working together! seeing his face more often makes a job i already loved even better. come shop with hiim, he’s a amazing personal stylist!
all packaged up…
Posted: September 2, 2012 Filed under: au naturale., business., health & wellness., nifty gifts to give. Leave a comment »i understand that sometimes we all have good intentions of doing those amazing projects we keep on pinning… believe me my pinterest boards are FULL of things i’m hoping to get around to, yet i find myself saying “i just need to get the spray paint for that” or “once the deck is built then i’ll start working on this” & “if i could just find the perfect chairs then…” but honestly sometimes we just can’t do it all. we pick & choose the projects to complete now & the others linger on blogs & pinterest with the hope that we’ll see them come to pass… eventually.
i thought the natural laundry detergent just might be one of those projects for some of you… lots of you out there have kids, husbands, jobs, blogs & shops of your own & there just isn’t enough time in the day. it’s messy, bubbly & although i claim it’s easy to make, it did take me a while to perfect the recipe… so, i’ve packaged it up for you to buy… all natural lavender laundry soap.
oh yes. $6 will get you a whole quart of the good stuff. that means 20-40 loads of fresh, clean, natural, lavender smelling laundry & a glass jar to re-use once it’s empty… without the nasty harsh chemicals i talked about over here. if you’re local you can find it in my mom & i’s antique booth: maison number eleven at the depot at gibson mill in concord. if you’re far away i’ll be adding it to the looking glass etsy shop soon & you can email me at lovethelookingglass@gmail.com to order. be curious!
spring sale!
Posted: April 13, 2012 Filed under: antiques & trinkets., business., exteriors., interiors., living small., personal., style & fashion. Leave a comment »my mom & i are throwing a little spring sale at our antique booth THIS weekend! we’re offering 20% off just about everything… furniture, mirrors, glass, vintage clothes, linens, silver, garden accessories, books,antique lamps, artwork, & more!
we hope you’ll come visit The Depot this Saturday & Sunday. bring your friends & family! have a delicious lunch at the quaint little diner & hunt your hearts out! the place is huge & i guarantee you won’t be able to leave empty-handed… our booth has the gold roof & keep your eye out: all sale items will have a colored dot sticker on them!
here are a few sneak peeks… have a fabulous weekend & be curious!
*sale is this Saturday & Sunday only*
easter + cupcakes…
Posted: April 7, 2012 Filed under: business., cupcakes., party., personal. 2 Comments »i hope you’re all having a wonderful easter weekend so far! i wanted to share these adorable cupcakes i did for a friend’s family easter dinner tomorrow… i was excited to hear that she’ll be placing each cupcake in it’s own glass dome. how cute is that?! {vanilla cake, pastel vanilla buttercream icing & hershey’s candy coated chocolate eggs on top.}
& i can’t help but be so thankful for what this holiday is really about. believe me, i’m a huge fan of bunnies, easter egg hunts & spring everything but as i sit here i’m reminded of what Jesus did for us on the cross. it changed everything. his death gave us life. we are no longer the same. tomorrow we celebrate the resurrection… because HE indeed is RISEN. happy easter!
maison number eleven…
Posted: February 28, 2012 Filed under: antiques & trinkets., business., exteriors., favorites., interiors., living small., personal., vintage prints Leave a comment »i’ve been excited about this announcement for weeks now!! of course you all know about my love of everything antique, vintage, thrifted & reclaimed… & i don’t like the term “hoarder” but i’ve been buying & repurposing things for years now always hoping that one day i’d have a place to sell & share them… & well, the time has finally come…
my mom & i are teaming up to open an antique booth at one of our favorite local spots: The Depot At Gibson Mill in Concord, NC! we’re calling it “maison number eleven.” mixing my love of french style & my moms enchantment with gardens we’re offering an eclectic mix of furniture, artwork, antique dishes, gifts, vintage clothes, home furnishings & to-die-for custom garden work benches that my parents design and build from scratch…
just in time for spring, we’re throwing a grand opening soiree Saturday March 10th, 2012 from 10am to 7pm. The Depot has 85,000 square feet of trinkets & what-nots for you to explore… not to mention a fabulously delicious diner open all day so that you can take a break & nosh in between shopping. {try the blackened tilapia tacos, you’ll thank me later.) & our booth is actually directly across from the diner in the design center… look for our grey flannel walls & gold shingled roof, you won’t miss it! we’ll be mingling all day, passing out fresh cupcakes to visitors & of course shopping!
we still have a lot of work to do to get ready so spread the word & we can’t wait to see you on March 10th… be curious!
our gorgeous floor!
my incredible parents hard at work... they're so sweet to put up with my over the top designs!
follow us on twitter @maisoneleven for updates, giveaways & announcements about the newest products!
happy happy birthday blog!
Posted: February 25, 2012 Filed under: business., favorites., personal. Leave a comment »i can’t believe it’s been a whole year since i started this little blog… not only has it been so rewarding & so fun but it’s also challenged me in many new ways as well… i’m really learning how to live small, shine stylishly & tackle DIY projects right along with you all.
love, the looking glass has seen thousands & thousands of visitors this past year, of course from the USA mostly but the United Kingdom & Australia were in a close 2nd & 3rd. with over 470 photos, i hope you saw things that inspired you & kept you wanting to try more!
the top 5 posts were: ghost chairs, how to: indoor succulent garden, peacock feather inspired cupcakes, before & after: cane back dining chairs & how to: burlap bed canopy…
& i’m already on the edge of my seat excited about the new things that are coming down the pike. i can’t tell you all how much it means to me that you even think this blog is worth reading. i’m so grateful for each & every one of you. thanks for following, for google searching & for being so curious… if i could hug you all i would. here’s to 2012!!
hg
shop our closet…
Posted: January 23, 2012 Filed under: business., living small., personal., style & fashion. 4 Comments »***please note that shop our closet will be updated soon enough! we’ve been cleaned out!***
gil & i love clothes as much as the next couple & we’re very, very good at shopping… but when you mix that with my living small mentality it means we just can’t keep it all. thanks to the man repeller {who i LOVE} i’ve decided to launch a new spot on the blog called “shop our closet.” so, you all get to buy our stuff after we’ve decided it’s got to go… it will be consistently updated with “new to you” items, you’ll pay via paypal & i’ll ship the items right to your front door. easy. as. pie.
oh, and “shop our house” is coming soon. be curious!
*email me at lovethelookingglass@gmail.com to make your purchase. enter {shop our closet} into the subject bar and let me know what you’d like, the email address connected to your paypal account & your shipping location. paypal invoice + new goods will follow!
*all items clean, are sold as-is & all sales are final.
ashley & marshall: a mint wedding indeed…
Posted: October 3, 2011 Filed under: business., cakes., style & fashion., wedding... 1 Comment »i’ve been SO excited to share the photos from ashley & marshall’s uptown wedding. i was HONORED to be doing the cake and when i arrived at the venue, i secretly wanted to stay there to enjoy the festivities. it was beyond beautifully designed and thought out. i was loving it all: pinks & turquoises, succulents, gold chargers, antique china, mercury glass, chevron, a photobooth, vintage brooches & buttons and ruffles of fabric everywhere… and i know the celebration of these two becoming one was one their friends and family will never forget. enjoy my favorites…
also, i loved their wedding video! be curious…
location: the mint museum of craft + design, uptown charlotte NC.
dress: vera wang
photographer: Michael Smith of Ash Imagery
videographer: Josh Gooden
d.j.: Dan Fish of Love City D.J.’s
day of planner: Lauren Fisher of Paper Heart Studios
florals & decor: farmers market + mom’s of the bride & groom along with Ashely herself! lovely!!
chanel cake…
Posted: September 18, 2011 Filed under: business., cakes., party., style & fashion. Leave a comment »i remembered this cake as i was reading about the original Chanel boutique in Paris at 31 Rue Cambon… purchased by Coco herself in 1910, it’s always remained the flagship location and Karl Lagerfeld still works in the atelier on the 3rd floor. i’ve also heard the rooftop garden supposely has the best view of the whole city. hoping to visit while we’re in Paris!
our pastors daughter Cassidy wanted a vintage Chanel themed birthday party a while back… and for 9 that’s fancy! she dreamed up and even sketched out her vision for the cake… hot pink, with black and silver. filled up with lemon curd and vanilla buttercream it was iconic just like the brand. the girls dressed up, pampered each other and celebrated like princesses… oh so Coco.
elephant baby shower cake…
Posted: September 13, 2011 Filed under: business., cakes., party. Leave a comment »my sweet friend sarah is having a baby ANY day now… {she and her husband are our chiropractors, and they’re amazing. check out their website here.} everyone’s on pins and needles because the gender of the baby is still a surprise! gil and i are guessing girl, but i think everyone else is guessing boy… can’t wait to find out.
i got to be a part of her super fun and chic’ baby shower this past weekend, as well as design the cake… it’s a favorite of mine already. the gender neutral colors were perfect and it’s brightness shined just like sarah’s glowing smile! and who doesn’t love elephants! it was perfect and such a fun celebration.
love you sarah! can’t wait to meet your sweet babe.
