Whole Living

Here's a great article on how to incorporate "Wabi Sabi," the Japanese term for embracing imperfection in your life and home, from Whole Living. It truly is the simple things that can make everyday life more enjoyable. Also, I am inspired by Hilary Thomas' website and her approach to design. She follows the same mantra, to "find beauty in the imperfect." Although her interiors look pretty close to perfection to me. Enjoy perusing if you have a moment. She's also featured on One Kings Lane right now in a Tastemaker Tag Sale. Have you signed up for their e-mails yet? You won't regret it!

CoffeeTable Books

I'm guest blogging on Sandhillsdig.com today, a great website started by my friends and Moore County natives, Anna and Wes Smith. Click here for the post and enjoy checking out their site. If you live here or want to come visit, it's the best insider's guide around! Here's a sneak peek of the post:

Insider Tip!

Maybe this is just news to me but I was excited to learn that most big box stores like West Elm, Restoration Hardware and Pottery Barn, will ship at no charge if you find something on line that you like and then call a store and order it directly from them. I was about to order these knobs on-line and the shipping was $14! But I called the Raleigh store and they shipped them same day at no charge.




Last year I found some outdoor pillows from West Elm that I loved and the website said they were no longer available. I called their Charlotte store and they had them in-stock, half price and they shipped them for free that day! Speaking of West Elm, they have some neat new collaborations right now with Benjamin Moore, Lutz & Patmos (above), Sesame Letterpress (above) and more!

Inspired!

Furniture Market in High Point did not disappoint this year!

A couple of my favorite discoveries were Charlie West Pottery & Lamps Charlie West is a potter from Cleveland, GA and his lamps are one-of-a-kind works of art (if ordering a pair, they should be ordered together). They begin as a piece of clay and after being shaped and fired, they are beautifully and artfully glazed. They are true statement pieces and I can't wait to place them in a client's home.



Beautiful pillows and accents from Busbin Fine Home Furnishings in Charlotte, below and at the top of the page.


Bungalow 5 is always fun to visit! Their brightly-colored furniture and accents are hard to pass by.


These products are sold exclusively to interior design professionals. By hiring a designer, you have access to a whole new world of possibilities for your home. No one should be limited to the same old catalogue of choices!

To Market, To Market

Busy week, furniture market, trip to Raleigh to visit my very talented photographer-friend, Sara, and lots of client work and appointments. I'll return with the design inspiration I'm sure to gain at market.

Special Reader Discount!!

I am so excited to announce that this weekend, the personalized stationery store A Touch of Whimsy Designs is offering Happy House Blog readers a 15% discount on orders placed by midnight, October 17th. How cute are these Halloween treat bag stickers (and 18 for only $7 plus a discount!!).


Not only do they have really cute and unique designs, but their products are well made, well priced and the turn-around time is quick (5-7 business days + delivery). I've ordered notes, address stickers, memo pads in acrylic holders, and gift enclosures for Janie and I love them.



The seasonal/holiday section is my favorite...it really is one-stop shopping: cards, invitations, gift stickers, fill-in thank you notes and address labels.



A Touch of Whimsy also has precious gifts like monogrammed platters (above), personalized clip boards (below), lunch boxes and water bottles. I think personalization, in any form, makes a gift so much more thoughtful and well, personal!


Use code happyhouse15 at checkout to receive your 15% discount now through Sunday. And a big thanks to Gina, owner of A Touch of Whimsy. She's great to work with, very responsive AND a fellow North Carolinian. Happy Shopping!!

Front Porch Planters

I love these sleek copper planters. I have seen similar ones around town and was excited to find these here. They come with custom inserts so you don't have to fill the entire planter up with soil. Wouldn't they look great with boxwood topiaries? These below are from Plow & Hearth and are actually made from a resin material. They have a self watering system so your plants will stay hydrated.

I think either will look great with these antique-reproduction light fixtures (below) I picked out for a client from McLean Lighting Works in Greensboro, NC. McLean is great to work with and their selection is amazing. Browse the site for a moment and I promise you'll be inspired to upgrade your light fixtures!

What are you going to be for Halloween?

I get really excited about Halloween...I don't know if it's the candy corn or the fall weather or the beginning of holiday season or what, but it's so much fun to be a kid again. I was thrilled to see Martha Stewart's Halloween collection for Grandin Road.

Lots of fun, spooky stuff that will definitely bring trick-or-treaters ringing. And I am definitely going to wear that costume to Halloween parties. Also, don't forget to purchase your FEED Trick-or-Treat Bag to benefit UNICEF. For every bag purchased, $3.50 will be donated to UNICEF which will supply a child in a developing country with a year's supply life-saving micronutrient powder (click here for more information.)

Pumpkin Bread

Janie and I made this pumpkin bread yesterday and it is really good. So good that the whole loaf is almost gone, if that tells you anything. And it's relatively easy so enjoy!!

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups (210g) flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 cup (200 g) sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (1/4 L) pumpkin purée* (I used canned pumpkin)
1/2 cup (1 dL) olive oil
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 cup (1 dL) chopped walnuts

* To make pumpkin purée, cut a pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds and stringy stuff, lie face down on a foil or Silpat lined baking sheet. Bake at 350°F until soft, about 45 min to an hour. Cool, scoop out the flesh. Freeze whatever you don't use for future use. Or, if you are working with pumpkin pieces, roast or boil them until tender, then remove and discard the skin.

Method
1 Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Sift together the flour, salt, sugar, and baking soda.

2 Mix the pumpkin, oil, eggs, 1/4 cup of water, and spices together, then combine with the dry ingredients, but do not mix too thoroughly. Stir in the nuts.

3 Pour into a well-buttered 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Bake 50-60 minutes until a thin skewer poked in the very center of the loaf comes out clean. Turn out of the pan and let cool on a rack.

Makes one loaf. Can easily double the recipe.

*Recipe and photo via simplyrecipes.com

Before & After Chest of Drawers

I was inspired by the Canadian House & Home article that I featured on this post to update my husband's tired chest of drawers. It took a while to decide on the paint color and hardware but I'm pleased with the result.



I lightly sanded it and used Benjamin Moore's Regal Select Premium Interior Paint that is self-priming in Abington Putty. My wonderful painter, Bill, gave me a demonstration on how to paint furniture and suggested using a Purdy paint brush, which made a big difference. It took about three coats and then I sealed it with two coats of Wipe on Poly, a great product recommended by Ginny from Little Green Notebook.



The Adeline Knobs are from Restoration Hardware in the Antique Brass finish. Need a little paint color inspiration? Check out Benjamin Moore's website for a preview of House Beautiful's "Bookazine" on Designer's favorite paint picks!

Painting Workshop

I am so excited to be attending a Painting workshop by two incredible North Carolina artists, Bee Sieburg and Molly Courcelle. My mother treated me to this two-day workshop in the beautiful setting of Lake Logan, outside of Asheville. Bee and Molly are a very talented mother/daughter duo and I am thrilled for this opportunity. Thank you to my sweet Mom, not only for a chance to learn from such incredible talent but to spend this very special time together.

*Above painting, Peace/Patience, oil on canvas by Molly Courcelle.