antiquing find: printing press drawer…
Posted: August 12, 2012 Filed under: antiques & trinkets., interiors., living small., personal., travel. Leave a comment »oh st. augustine… it’s been just the relaxing vacation i’ve needed. running on the beach, laying by the pool, reading books & blogs, resting, resting, resting & just a little shopping. yesterday the grandparents took me up to jacksonville to do a little antiquing… i was looking for clocks to add to our collection {& i knew those would be small enough to travel home on the plane} but i didn’t see ONE. baby ben’s must be extinct here or something, geez. BUT i did find this beauty. an antique printing press drawer. i’ve kind of always wanted one. i’m not sure yet if i’m going to hang it in our upstairs hallway or if i’ll use it on our coffee table.
what do you think?
it sure is a beauty right? i’m loving the original drawer pull…
;
living small: hanging pot rack…
Posted: July 15, 2012 Filed under: interiors., living small., personal. 1 Comment »kitchens can be a hard place to live small… food processors, coffee makers, standing mixers, frothers, ice cream makers, cast iron, waffle makers, cookbooks, spices, cake pans, juicers, toasters the list goes on & on! it’s hard to decide what should live on the counter top, & if you’re like us, there isn’t much cabinet space… so finding somewhere for your cookware to go can be somewhat daunting.
there are lots of fun solutions out there but i’m a die-hard fan of the ever classic pot rack… hanging, mounted, whatever, they’re gorgeous & i love having exposed cookware in the kitchen. it looks great & they’re right where you need them when you need them.
i’ve been shopping around for new cookware forever & we finally got some! i wanted stainless steel & we are loving the calphalon set we decided on. you can see/purchase them here. if you didn’t already know, you can’t stack your stainless steel cookware… you don’t want them scratched or bent! yikes! hanging them is ideal if you can find a way to make it work. we have this pot rack from crate & barrel. i love how small it is, yet we still have 8 pieces hanging from it PLUS lids! my dad came over to help me hang it yesterday & it’s already my favorite part of our kitchen.
we only had one hopeful spot: over our kitchen window between 2 sets of cabinets & it fit perfectly! glory!
take a peep at some of my other favorite online photos! lots of living small inspiration. enjoy!
simple.
diy ladder pot rack!
amazing peg board. love the open-space feel…
i love all the silver.
coat rack=pot rack
over the island space saver.
happy living small while cooking friends… be curious! *photos via: pinterest, martha stewart, design sponge & apartment therapy.*
costume check: charleston…
Posted: June 25, 2012 Filed under: favorites., personal., style & fashion., travel. 1 Comment »so, we’re back & i can honestly say it was the best. vacation. ever. {details in my next post.}
gil snapped a few photos of me this past week while we were out & about gallivanting around charleston… i’m a firm believer that vacation style should most definitely be laid back but styled none the less.
sunday: church & brunch at magnolias.{sunglasses: bpnordstrom. top: soprano via nordstrom. denim: urban outfitters + altered by my tailor. bag: lv eva. alligator belt: via gil’s dad in high school… his initials are carved on the gold buckle & they’re my initials as well!}
monday: celebrating gil’s 31st birthday & dinner at our favorite spot. {tank: f21. skirt: vintage christian dior. shoes: gucci marola flats. bag: lv eva. belt: vintage. watch: nixon.}
tuesday: touristy day visiting the U.S.S Yorktown. {dress: old navy from a million years ago, still a favorite piece in my closet. perfect for touristy travels in the sweltering heat. bracelet: jade via chinatown, nyc.}
wednesday shopping day & date night. {gil & i don’t venture out too often from our favorite items based mostly around neutrals, but for summer, brights just work. we shopped king street all day & dressed up in our new perfectly charleston preppy duds before dinner. my sweater: j.crew linen. his tee: lacoste.}
inspiration before vacation…
Posted: June 16, 2012 Filed under: antiques & trinkets., favorites., health & wellness., interiors., personal., style & fashion., travel., uncategorized. Leave a comment »omg. it seems like we’ve been waiting forever & it also feels like time is just flying by… i can’t believe all i have to do tomorrow is head to charleston with the hubs on our summer vacation. we’ll be spending a whole week {don’t mess with our ex-cop house sitter! 
} celebrating gil’s 31st birthday {it’s monday but we’ll celebrate all week} & focusing all of our time on doing whatever our little hearts desire. we’ll shop, hit the beach, explore & eat amazing food but i’m most excited to be away from the hustle & bustle… to relax, rest, refocus, be quiet, & mostly be still, which is really hard for me to do! but i’ve got a new book, my bible & journal & lots of magazines for the beach. plus a handsome husband to spend every waking moment with. done & done.
i wanted to leave you all with a few things that i’ve found inspirational lately & a list of my favorite places to explore on the web… ya know, to keep you curious while i’m gone.
first up this ahhhmazing DIOR video shot at Versailles. it’s over the top in a dior kind of way, but just when you think it can’t get any better the fountains go off… & then just when you can’t breathe, the sun starts to set… & Paris glows in a way you just can’t explain unless you see it with you own eyes. maybe it’s because i’ve always been obsessed with Versailles & being there last year was a dream come true {reminder to myself: paris post.} but the grandeur of this place is unexplainable & so very inspiring…
2nd: an encouraging note… not sure sure who’s going through what but you can be inspired & blessed by this truth.
3rd: i mean come on… i dare you not to cry.
4th: i’ve been really inspired by collections lately. i think it’s been my way to justify some of our clutter… that maybe if i can turn it into a “collection” than i can keep it right now i’m building our collection of clocks {mostly baby bens} books of course, maps, & i’m hoping to add globes & huge antique jars. this globe collection is perfection.
5th: we’ve all got to have a little inspiration to get fit & stay healthy… how else am i supposed to keep getting to the gym at 4:30 am & adding miles to my que?!
& last but not least a few of my favorite web candies from my bookmarks bar… moredesignplease. fashionologie. net-a-porter. apartment therapy. natural news. etsy. the sartorialist. & sadie olive. enjoy & be curious!
ok pupcakes… see you in a week!
*photos via: pinterest. & more design please.
living small: built in bookcase…
Posted: June 14, 2012 Filed under: antiques & trinkets., personal., interiors., favorites., living small., before & after. Leave a comment »it’s no secret that gil & i have a lot of books… hundreds actually to say the least. they’re everywhere: shelves, boxes, closets, cabinets, not to mention the jam packed 6 foot tall bookcase in gil’s office at work. i’m not sure where they all came from but they had to have somewhere to go, even if it was just the collection of our favorites. well, i guess i do know where they all came from… i’m a collector of everything… husband here is now a theology student (the amazon packages arrive weekly) & we’re both constantly scowering eBay for our favorite first editions.
we’d already decorated our wedding with them but here in the land of living small, we needed a solution. my list of projects for this château is long but i knew if it involved books, i had a better chance of getting the husband on board quickly {smile} & we had the perfect bookshelf sized nook to the right of our fireplace. i’d used it as an office space with an antique desk & shelves a while back, but lately it was empty, un-used space… & un-used space does NOT work when you’re living small.
i wish i had counted the books we used in our wedding… it was such a great reflection of us!
here’s henry doing his usual chewing thing in the space pre-bookcase…
after a lot of research & a few estimates my dad recommended a long-time friend of his. i sent some measurements his way & voila! he had it built-in no time & we set up a saturday for him to come over & install it. i was SO excited & stood close by the entire time {i’m sure making it more difficult for him to focus} i’d overestimated how “quick & easy” installing something like this was. it was cereal. cutting & ripping out baseboards, measuring & making holes in the casing for outlets we wanted to be able to use & lots & lots nailing. not to mention the finishing touches of filling holes, caulking & painting. carpentry is a fabulous art! here are some photos of it all coming together…
prep work.
going in! {excuse the paint, it’s finished now!}
complete!
it turned out more gorgeous than i expected & had ever hoped! the detail is perfection and we LOVE the solid adjustable shelves. i did decide to keep them evenly spaced to create some harmony since there’s so much going on in such a small space. our entire first floor is one large open room {foyer, living room, dining room & kitchen.} i was completely inspired online by books organized via color & used this photo to lead my imagination as i filled the shelves up…
now, here’s our finished product!
top shelves detail.
bottom shelves detail {we love having our Bose player hiding down here… oh & i’m aware that the wars aren’t in order. my husband asked for those to be rearranged… i love him.}
ta da.
do any of you have built-in bookcases?! i’d love to know how you arrange your books & whatnot! be curious friends!
spring sale!
Posted: April 13, 2012 Filed under: antiques & trinkets., style & fashion., personal., business., interiors., living small., exteriors. 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!
how to: burlap chandelier cord cover..
Posted: April 3, 2012 Filed under: antiques & trinkets., how to., personal., interiors., living small. Leave a comment »who really wants to see the has-to-be-there-to-work cord & chain attached to a beautiful chandelier?! not me. i’ve been shopping around for a chandelier cord cover & i was thinking velvet or burlap… but since i recently decided & started making all of our new living room curtains out of burlap i decided it would be a nice matching touch, plus add a little “dirt” to our very glamorous/femme dining room chandelier. i only found cheap looking silk-ish ones at lowes/home depot… i saw this one at potterybarn & was amused but not inclined to buy. it was too long, & why pay $19+ shipping for something i can make?!
so here’s your how-to! it was seriously SO easy, took me around 10 minutes and cost about $12. {with supplies left over for future projects.}
step one: i cut a 6 inch wide strip of burlap off of some yardage i’m using for the curtains… i didn’t measure the length but made sure it was about the length & 1/2 of my chandelier chain/cord.
step two: i bought “sticky back velcro” at michaels. first i cut both sides (of velcro) in half so i’d have thinner strips to work with. cut strips the total length of your burlap fabric. {i also made sure to buy the “beige” color so you wouldn’t see black or white through the burlap.}
step three: laying fabric flat, attach both pieces of velcro to burlap. {both pieces of velcro should be facing up.}
step four: wrap burlap around cord (with velcro facing outwards) & start velcroing! you’ll want to wrap the edges around & inwards so you don’t see the seam when you’re finished… keep scrunching it as you work your way down. {spread scrunches out for best results!}
step five: step back, take a gander & enjoy! ta da!
hope you like it, try it & love it! let me know what you think… & be curious!
maison number eleven…
Posted: February 28, 2012 Filed under: antiques & trinkets., personal., business., interiors., vintage prints, favorites., living small., exteriors. 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
