MONOGRAMS: Elevate Your Style

If you're anything like me, you may have a small obsession with monograms.

monogram design by Monogram Inc.

Antique monogram - RBR

 I've always appreciated the beauty and elegance a monogram brings to the object it adorns.  I mean, take a plain white towel for example...a colorful and beautifully executed thread monogram can instantaneously elevate the mundane into a luxury good with unique charm!

monogram by Leotine Linens

Powder Room design by Melissa Rufty

What about personalized bed linens?  Caroline Brackenridge's New York City company, Monogram Inc., can create spectacular custom monograms for you.  THIS is how I would spend my extra money.  I could just drool over all of her designs - love the color combinations!

Embroidered sheet monograms by Monogram Inc.

Kathy Kincaid

You don't necessarily have show off your monogram on just your bed linens or stationary these days - what about on your shoes?

Stubbs & Wootton

    

Jack Rogers monogrammed sandals

Or your Wedding Cake?

via Pinterest

Or Christening Cookies?  (by Amber Spiegel)

custom monogram cookie by Amber Spiegel

There are lots of unexpected and fun ways in which you can use your monogram.  

Leotine Linens adds a monogram to a chair back

Betty Burgess paints a monotgram on a Dining Room chair slipcover

But, I have to say...back in time, craftsmen REALLY knew the true value of a monogram!  Look at this antique handkerchief!  The detail that went into this piece is amazing!

 And this pin!

Monograms are classic and, happily, will never go out of style.

If you'd like to read more about the history of monograms, read Cynthia Brumback's book

The Art of the Monogram.

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Thanks for reading - have a great weekend!

HOME GOODS Happy!

I spent Friday morning touring thru one of my favorite furniture and accessory discount stores - HOME GOODS!  As an interior designer, I feel pretty lucky to have easy access to at least three phenominal Home Goods stores.   I live closest to the Buckhead store - however, cool items sell like hotcakes there.  If I'm willing to make an adventure out of it - I'll head up to the Marietta mega-store (if you're good at multi-tasking, this store is also a high-end TJMaxx).  But, the store I went to on Friday (and it's just as FAB) is the one in Smyrna - close to Costco.

I was looking for Mirrors on Friday.  And, although they didn't have one that worked for my project - I did find some great mirrors with great price tags!

The circular wood frame mirror with the quatrefoils was fun.  If I had a client for this particular mirror, I paint it in a fun, bright laquered color - Pink or Robin's Egg Blue!  Painted, it would be a GREAT addition to a powder room or girl's bedroom!

I was debating whether I should get this Starburst mirror.  I think it was $129.  The silvertone finish doesn't work with how I've decorated my home, but I could always Gild it.  Amy Howard sells a DIY line in which you can purchase the tools to easily gild projects yourself!  Here's a link to her Gilding project How-To:  How to Gild.

Home Goods had several of these pierced wood/mirror chests.  I thought it might be a perfect fit for my bathroom - but then thought better of it.  I didn't come here to shop for myself!  My husband would've had a COW!

But, look what I DID find!  I love the beach and anything beach related (to a point - nothing trés tacky) - especially now that it's summer.  This glicee print was only $49!  It was screaming at me to take it home.  It would be a perfect fit over my headboard.  Actually, a newly gilded Sunburst mirror would look great over my bed too!   I, also, thought it would be a fun addition to a boy's bedroom - maybe my own son's bedroom..

I think that's when I decided that I needed to get out of Home Goods- FAST!

Enjoy your Monday!

my flower sculpture obsession

On my family's recent trek to DisneyWorld, we visited Epcot.  And, to my delightful surprise - Epcot had their annual flower show going on, which also included numerous Characters in Bloom!  "Hidden" in the gardens throughout Epcot were these magical Disney characters created out of floribunda.  And, quite honesty, some were so fantastic that I had to stop and take photos of them.  It kinda ended up being like a game for me - how many Characters in Bloom could mom find?  (apparently - too many)  My kids started to make fun of me for taking so many pictures.  Anyhow - this is Captain Hook!  I mean, seriously, he was a showstopper!  There was even a Peter Pan on top of the roof next door! (I mean, talk about creative!)

Of course, I LOVED the Alligator, Tick-Tock, too!  But, to me, he looked more like Louis, the gator in
The Princess and the Frog.  Great teeth!

The Lady and the Tramp dogs were sweet - and captured a lot of attention from passers-by.

My kids thought the Lightning McQueen and Mater sculptures were the coolest (well, WHO wouldn't?!)

And, here were a couple other sculptures that caught my eye......

                               But, as my sister might say......"Seen one sculpture, seen'em all!"
                                   Naturally, I disagree...but, there were quite a few of them!

For any of you that  might be interested, the Atlanta Botanical Garden has added more floral sculptures to its, now, permanent exhibit Imaginary Worlds - Mosaiculture.  I highly recommend a trip there to see some magnificent floribunda art!  or, read my blog post about it here.  I can't wait to go back!

The Ogre from the Atlanta Botanical Garden's "Imaginary Worlds - Mosaiculture" exhibit

Atlanta Botanical Garden

Overcoming my Fears

Sorry that I haven't been involved in the Blogosphere these past....uhhh...(I don't know...) about seven months!  I think I've just been paralyzed with fear about blogging.  I'm not sure why I'm so fearful - no one reads my blogs - so there's definitely no one to judge my blog posts.   Therefore, I've come to the realization that if I just write what I want to write about it'll be a helluva lot easier for me.  There won't be anyone that I'm trying to impress (except for myself).  And, in the end, I'll be conquering my fear of publicly posting.

One of my last written posts was the day I started my MBA Camp with Tobi Fairley.  I promised that I'd write more about that experience.  And did I?  Nope.  I think I was too exhausted and too overwhelmed for too much to register in my head.  But, seven months later - I think I have my head screwed on a little bit better.  I also know that I need to conquer some of my silly and unfounded fears before I can truly be successful in my business.  Of the 10 goal-setting tips - these are the four that I need to and am going to implement!
1.  Go Big or Go Home!
2.  Don't be paralized from Taking Action!
3.  Don't waste time trying to figure out the How - just DO IT!
4.  Be specific.

My goals:
1.  In 2015, I'd like to be asked to participate in a Designer Showhouse.  I am ready.  I am qualified.
2.  In 2015, I'd like to be published - somewhere, anywhere!  pu-leeze!  Of course, that means that I'll need to get more clients, have their rooms styled and photographed.  But, I'm definitely worthy.  Hire me!
3.  Immediately.  I want to send out my Barclay Stone Interiors newsletter ASAP.  Overcoming my fear of just sending it to friends - I've decided to send it out to so many more people than I originally planned.  Because, what have I got to fear?  If someone doesn't want to receive my newsletters, they can unsubscribe or delete. At least I'm helping myself to get my name out there.
Plus, I've got my awesome graphic designer, Carl Chiocca, working the newsletter template.  My first article is already written up - so, the big hurdles are kind of over - I'm ready to go!  And, help me out, if you are reading this blog right now, maybe you'll be kind enough to sign up for my newsletters?  Send me a comment and I'll add your name to my list - because I'm not certain that I've connected the newsletter sign-up correctly to my Mailchimp feed!

Okay.  So - I've thrown out there a couple of my big goals.  I think blogging will help me loosen up a bit.  I love writing.  I'll just write to my pretend audience out there and write about stuff that interests me and makes my heart tick.