Monday, November 30, 2009

This is great...


Christmas Decor!!!!





























I wish I could say that all these lovelies are from my own home!!! But, they are not! (I had a minor light issue and have to replace a strand or two before I snap pictures of my own home!!!) My decorations have been up for over a week and I love every bit of it!!! So, to tide you all over until I get my own pictures on here, I found these great Christmas pictures from a few of my favorite blogs: http://nestingplacenc.blogspot.com/ and http://www.lisaleonardonline.com/blog/. Both extremely talented women and great bloggers!
I am currently working on some new ideas for Spire Design Group, the blog as well as the business. I hope to launch a few of them in the next few weeks as well as the first of the year. So stay tuned for updates.
And...if you are not a "follower" of this blog, SIGN UP!!! My goal is to get 100 followers by January 1, 2010!! Please help me reach my goal!!!!
Have you done any Christmas decorating yet??? What have you done so far????







Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving!












I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving! Hope you are spending the holiday sitting around a fabulous table with people you love!

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

What Great People!!!

The whole fam at Christmas.

The Echols clan in Memphis.

Nichole and I at a party in 2008.


Oliver and his first sip of Grants homebrew beer.

Our anniversary.






As Thanksgiving rapidly approaches (which totally blows my mind), I can't help but think about all the amazing blessings I have in my life and the many things I am thankful for. Things like hot wings and ranch dressing, new boots, sweaters, my dvr'd shows, my new blog friends. I know, all those things are pretty silly, but they put a smile on my face!
More importantly, I am grateful for a roof over my head, food on my table, warm clothes and a loving family. It pains me to no end to know that some people don't have these "luxuries" in their lives. I know sometimes I take them for granted, I have never had to go without, and I am blessed.

I am especially grateful for the amazing people in my life. Family and Friends who mean so much to me, I only hope they know it. But just in case, I would like to thank them now.


My AMAZING husband Grant. My hero, my rock and my strength. I have loved him since the moment I met him and I can't imagine my life without him. He has loved me with everything he has, supported me through crazy jobs, sleepless nights, dried MANY tears and held me tight. We have celebrated milestones big and small. I don't go a day without laughing with him (or at him). He never ceases to amaze me with how much he loves me. I am blessed to have a strong, happy, healthy marriage. I love you Grant!!

My parents. I don't even know where to start. I am forever grateful to them for everything they have ever done for me. For loving me unconditionally, supporting crazy ideas, being there no matter what and giving of themselves unselfishly. My mom, she taught me to laugh at myself, make others laugh, be strong and courageous. My dad, he taught me to push forward, work hard and never give up. He taught me to appreciate the small things in life and to never take life for granted. They both taught me what it means to love.

My best friend Nichole. She is the sweetest person I know and has an amazing heart. She makes me laugh like no one else can. Best friends since we were 2, she knows so much about me and still loves me! She will literally talk to me about ANYTHING from reality TV shows to trying to get pregnant. She is there no matter what to support and listen. She is the sister I never had and I am forever grateful!!

My extended family is just the best!!! I can't say enough about these people that have touched my life so much. Aunts, uncles, cousins, my niece and nephew, my mother and father in law and my sister and brother in law. I could say something about how great each and everyone of them are, but I would be writing for days!!! They have supported and loved me through so many things and I am just blown away by their compassion. It means more to me than they will ever know.

I don't want to leave out my friends, from grade school to college, we have been through so much and laughed most of the way! I have the best friends and hope that in return, I have been a good friend right back!

I have to give a special mention to my side kick and shadow, the one and only, Oliver. Not only is he my loyal companion, he is also a great listener and cuddler. He never fails to make me laugh and brings so much joy to my life. He is a little angel and a very sweet puppy!

This year has been challenging and often times down right awful. No matter what happened, I had these people in my corner (and plenty of others...but this blog would go on for days!) I'm so blessed that these people have been there to share in the good moments as well as the bad.


Thank you to all my friends and family for being so fabulous!!! I hope you all have a very Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

I would love to know what you are thankful for this year!! Leave a coment and let me know what you are most Thankful for this year!!














Thursday, November 19, 2009

Theme Rooms-Thoughts?













I came across these pictures today and I am not really sure what to think about them. As an interior designer, I try to steer away from "themes" when it comes to design. Unless of course it is a children's room, and then all design logic goes out the window, it just needs to be cute! But when it comes to decorating, I try not to use themes too much. Especially when it goes to the extreme. For example, this "Breakfast and Tiffany's" inspired bathroom. On one hand, it is really "cute" and has a great color. On the other hand, I feel as though I am trapped in a Tiffany's box with WAY too many accessories!! It seems a bit overwhelming to me. I would love to know what you think about it? Am I being way to critical? Is this room really great and I am just crazy?? Let's discuss!!!

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Cake-Too Pretty to Eat???



I don't know about you...but I could simply not cut into this beauty!! And I LOVE cake!!! The top looks like a great paisley fabric, also another LOVE of mine!! The colors are so bold and vibrant, so happy!!

Now, where can I get a piece of cake???

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Brown and White Bath-Love it!!




These two bathrooms just look delicious. Is that weird to say??? Maybe so, but that rich dark brown is so warm and chocolaty. I love the combo of dark brown and white, the contrast is so rich. It is very similar to the look of black and white but somehow feels warmer. Even though the floor is tile, it just looks like it would be toasty on your feet, even in the winter!

Monday, November 9, 2009

Laundry Love





It never fails, even when I am supposed to be working, I usually find a few other "things" that NEED to be done right away! One of the things that I really wanted to get done today was laundry. I have to say, I enjoy doing laundry, as twisted as that may be. I love taking the clothes out of the warm dryer and smelling the freshness of the fabric softner. I love seeing an emty hamper and knowing that task is DONE! However, I do not enjoy putting the clothes away once they are clean. That laundry basket of fresh smelling lovliness may sit for 2 to 3 days on my bedroom floor! I am also not in love with the fact that the laundry room is in the basement and I have to go up and down 2 flights of stairs! But...if I had a laundry room like one of these, I might just do laundry everyday!!!
The picture on the top is courtesy of your truly. This was a kitchen/laundry room re-model that I did about a year ago. It is STILL one of my favorite projects!! To see the before shots, visit my website at http://www.spiredesigngroup.com/

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Great Kitchen






This is such a great kitchen, I had to share it with all of you! I love the mix of old and new in the space. Look at how high the ceilings are with the exposed wood beams!! I just love it!!! This kitchen was designed by one of my favorites, the gals at Tracery Interiors. They are located in the panhandle of Florida in one of my FAVORITE places...Rosemary Beach. You can visit their blog http://traceryinteriors.wordpress.com/ for more pictures to drool over!!


What is your favorite element of this kitchen??



Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Sweet Nursery

I LOVE this super sweet and super chic palette for a very lucky baby girls room!! It is whimsical enough for a baby, but also something she can grow with. I love the mix of pink and grey together. It reminds me of a great pleated skirt I once had! Anywho, I dream of the day I will get to do a nursery for my own baby...I will be keeping these ideas in mind for sure!!!

If you have kids, what does the nursery look like? And if you don't have kids (and want them someday) what would you like the nursery to look like??

(Photo and palette design courtesy of Brown Design)

Monday, November 2, 2009

What Do You Think About Animal Prints??

Lately I have been seeing a lot of animal prints. Pillows, chairs, rugs, bedding...it seems to be everywhere! I think when done in small doses, it is tasteful and quite chic. However, I think too much of a good thing, is well, too much of a good thing!! My advice is to use the animal prints sparingly. A few pillows, a chair, a rug, but not the entire room wall to wall! I love animals just as much as the next gal, but I don't need to be completely surrounded by them!! What do you think of the animal print trend?? Do you have any animal prints in your home and if so, where???