Happy Halloween!

I really like this skull and crossbones dinnerware from Z Gallerie. There is something whimsical and glamorous about it even though it is kind of spooky. It would be great for an adult Halloween party!

Bedroom Inspiration

I want to update our master bedroom. We currently have espresso colored furniture which we plan to keep, greenish gold dupioni silk bedding, beige walls, and dark wood rectangular lamps with ivory silk square shades. We've had this same look for about two and a half years now and I'm ready for a change.

I happen to be a huge fan of white linens and am really wanting to go back to that in our bedroom. I am thinking of doing a down duvet with a plain white duvet cover or one with a taupe hotel stripe. Here are my current ideas. I know that I want white linens, taupe walls, and cool aqua and pale blue accents. Initially, I thought that the lamps could be the source of color, but now I am worried that I may tire of them and have included some more neutral options. I would love any suggestions you may have, especially with the lighting.

This room served as my original inspiration. I'd like to use pale blue and cool aqua accent colors similar to these Charlotte Moss vases.

We will use the same color we used in our master bath for the walls. It's the perfect shade of taupe from Benjamin Moore. The exact name escapes me. I want to say Plymouth Rock, though.

Chunky Urn Lamp in Polished Silver (I'd use a lighter shade.)Blue Miro Lamp




Small Gourd Lamp in Celadon Crackle




Stacked Oval Crystal Lamp








All lamps are from Circa Lighting.

Vive La France!

There are so many reasons to love France and French culture… food, fashion, architecture, art, history, FOOD, and the joie de vivre that the French seem to have mastered. The French don’t rush through life. Instead, they savor it and linger through it the way that they linger over a beautiful meal for hours. Here are a few French things that I love:

Food, glorious food. French food is generally delicious and French culinary techniques are the standard of excellence in the culinary world. However, rustic, classic French foods like bouef bourgignon and herbed chicken breast on a crusty baguette are just as good, if not better. My weakness lies in the glorious pastries and croissants.

French Impressionism

Amazing museums: The Musee D'Orsay, Pablo Picasso Museum, and The Louvre

The elegant architecture. Paris is such a beautiful city.

The Chateaux of the Loire Valley and their sometimes romantic and scandalous history. Fashion. First and formeost, Chanel.

The decadance of The Palace of Versailles.

Jacques, the painfully chic French bulldog who is in touch with his feminine side. I'm kidding.

Happy Early Birthday to Me

My birthday isn't until November 4th, but one of my best friends was in town this weekend, so we had an early celebration last night. It was so wonderful to have so many dear friends there with me. I had one of my oldest and dearest friends there with her husband who is also a close friend, along with my college Italian buddy and her husband, our incredibly talented designer friend and her rocker-cop husband, plus my favorite fellow teacher friend and her hip date. Everyone got along so well. Thanks to Meredith and my sweet husband for organizing a great birthday dinner. I had an amazing time!

This Week's Quote

The Right Stripes

I am currently loving this adorable, metallic-striped sweater dress from J.Crew. Unfortunately, it's made of wool, which I can't wear.

Adventures in Babysitting

Earlier this week, I asked my friend Leah if my husband and I could babysit her children on Friday. No, we were not asked to babysit, we asked to borrow her kids! Her son, Kaid is 3 years old and her daughter, Lilli is almost 6 months old. They are incredibly well behaved and pleasant kids, so I thought it would be good practice as Fabian and I would like to start a family next year.

I must admit that I was a little nervous, but everything went very smoothly. Kaid watched cartoons for a little while and we talked about school and life while I played with Lilli, who is honestly the most pleasant baby I've ever met. She never cries and is always giggling and having a great time. A little later, we took the babies to Chick-fil-A where Kaid got to play and I saw six of my students (no place is safe!). Afterwards, we took Kaid to get a mini-cupcake at a cute bakery that just opened near by and then went home to play and put puzzles together.

It was so funny that as we were getting ready for bed, Fabian and I both said that we missed Kaid and Lilli. I think they made us want a baby even more!

This Week's Quote

Can you imagine...

Can you imagine what it's like to be as hot as Penelope Cruz and her sister Monica? They are currently promoting their new clothing line. Those are some seriously great genes!

If you're going to San Miguel...

If my previous post piqued your interest in visiting San Miguel, you might be wondering where to stay. The next time we go to San Miguel, I'd like to stay at the town's newest boutique hotel, Oasis. It isn't designed in the typical Mexican style, but it looks incredibly chic and romantic. If you visit before I have a chance to go back and you stay at the Oasis, let me know what you think.

When we visited SMA last year, we had a very pleasant stay at Casa de la Cuesta, a bed and breakfast set inside of a colonial-style house. The owners are American artists who have an extensive collection of indigenous masks and Mexican folk art.

Ode to San Miguel de Allende

San Miguel de Allende is a beautiful colonial town in the Mexican state of Guanajuato. My husband and I visited in March of 2006. I referenced San Miguel in my post about unique doors and promised to write more about it.

San Miguel is known for its gorgeous colonial architecture (one of my favorites and in my opinion one of the most beautiful), its hot springs, and its thriving art community. It is an enclave for American expatriates, foreign artists, and local artisans. We had such an amazing time there. Although there aren’t a ton of things to do, it’s a great place to go if you just need some time to relax and are looking for something other than the beach. We spent most of our time eating (seriously delicious food), walking the cobble-stone streets admiring the architecture and sights, shopping, browsing in the art galleries, and just taking in all of the wonderful sights and sounds. It is the perfect place to go for a long weekend. If you ever have a chance to visit, I highly recommend it!

Money Can't Buy Good Taste

It's no secret that money cannot buy good taste. Just open up your copy of Us Weekly or tune in to MTV's Cribs. I like to check out Houston real estate and do so quite often. I usually check out houses in the city's most exclusive neighborhoods. They give me design inspiration and something to aspire to. Plus, I like looking at pretty things.

So, today I was checking out HAR, where I do most of my real estate e-stalking and came across some seriously hideous homes. They range in price from $1.2 million to $2.85 million and are located in the tony Piney Point and River Oaks neighborhoods and serve as prime examples that money does not buy good taste. Now, I know that some would argue that good taste is completely relative, which is fine. However, I like a much cleaner aesthetic and normally adhere to the theory that elegance and simplicity go hand in hand. Consider yourself warned. The following images are not pretty.

I wonder if the owners thought: "There just isn't enough going on in this room. Something is missing. I know, how about green ambiance lighting!". Nothing says romance like fearing that an alien abduction is about to take place in your bedroom. Damn aliens! They'd better not get anything on the zebra skin rug!

Everyone looks pretty in pink! The pink mood lighting goes perfectly with black marble and gold hardware. Ick!

This is so gaudy and over-the-top.

The owners of this house are obviously stuck in a time warp.

Gaudy, Louis XIVth (I think) fish aquarium, anyone?