We have been working on a total house transformation! Specifically, we decided to 1) make our TV room a sitting room, 2) make our dining room the TV room, 3) make our formal living room the dining room, 4) sell our china cabinet and two rugs (Email me for info), 5) decorate it all. Whew! Did you follow that? My head is spinning but I LOVE IT! So, excuse my post today as it will be rather photo intensive (and focused on the DR/TV switch). FUN!

Here is the “before” shot of our DR (WHY is the picture so small? I don’t know. Sorry. I’ll try to take a better one and post again tomorrow!):

We decided (in conjunction with a friend/genius interior designer, Brandeis Short of Ann Brandeis Interiors) to make the wall with the china cabinet the station for the TV. After looking at lots of terrible “media center” choices, the lightening bolt struck…Ikea sells Malms! Malms are wonderful for creating a TV console!! I tackled the project in spite of the Malm’s CLEAR assembly instructions:

Now, if you are a genius like I am, this is no big deal. CLEARLY, the box at the top of the instructions is telling you, “You will be SAD and NOT accomplish anything if you try this alone. However, if you find a similarly shaped man with a pencil behind his ear (indicating his genius-like qualities), you will be happy and the Malm will be successfully assembled. Because, don’t you know, this IS rocket science, you stupid idiot.” Hey, Ikea, I did this by myself. In your FACE!

I put together two three-drawer Malm dressers and one six-drawer dresser. This is what it looked like when I finished it (no man with a pencil behind his ear could’ve done THIS!):

(“WHOA!”) Exactly.

Step 2 was to stencil the entire room. We chose the Zamira stencil from Cutting Edge Stencils on Etsy. WHY? Because it’s f’ing amazing. That’s why. I post my style interests like this stencil and other “covets” on my Pinterest Boards. Me heart Pinterest! Have you been there yet? GO NOW. Follow me on Pinterest by clicking HERE.

Luckily for me, the color scheme in this example was exactly what I wanted in the DR. And, our walls were already painted my go-to color from Benjamin Moore, Revere Pewter. It truly works for everything. Do it.

Here is the beginning of the project (more on the actual stencil work later…it is NOT easy but NOT hard…um….):

And, here is the picture a lot of you “oohed and ahhhed” at when I posted it on FB (the completed wall):

It is not finished, by any means, but here is the situation with my pretty new glass lamps from Pottery Barn:

I KNOW! I am really excited about it!! Oh, you’re talking about the wall? I was talking about watching Regis and Kelly. I never watch TV much less morning talk shows. I was really pumped to be painting and listing to that “k-razy” pair. Ha!

Now, why is the Malm so boring, you ask? Because in this picture it doesn’t show the GENIUS O’verlays I have since applied. WAIT FOR IT. I will post again about applying the O’verlays. I have opinions so watch out! Until then, happy, happy day to all of you!

Adrianne

(sorry this phenomenal picture is so fuzzy…it’s the best and only available in tiny format from here.)

Why, might you ask? Because it’s official: my brain has been stolen today. It is not working. No matter how hard I try, I cannot seem to get it together. Do you have days like this? Please lie to me and say you do so I don’t feel bad about it. PLEASE!

Ok so I was thinking of corn the other day on my run because, NATCH, I run through corn fields where we live. Corn fields have always scared the be-jesus out of me. I mean, WHAT’S IN THERE?

(How sinister! Stop looking at me, CORN FIELD!)

Do you understand what can happen in a corn field? Have you read The Lovely Bones (scarring)? Have you seen Children of the Corn (haunts me since childhood)? Do you watch “UFO Sightings” (a completely horrific fascination…I will be abducted one day…NON!)??? Hello?! Why WOULDN’T you be terrified of corn fields???

(Told you.)

I am convinced of their power, therefore, I think that the corn field sucked out my brain when  I drove by it this morning. YES, I am risking sounding nuts. However, this is what I do. I put myself out there assuming that someone will think I’m insane relate to my nuttiness/hilarious life and think I’m insane get something out of it.

BIG SMILE.

So the other thing is that when I run, I have a clarity of mind that is incomparable. I wish I could do everything while running. I mean everything! I have amazing ideas while I’m running. I always think of 1000 blog topics or solutions to many problems (mine and others’). I’m telling you, I am a GENIUS during my run. Then, I promptly forget them all and go back to my usual non-genius, very human mediocrity. WHAT?! It’s quite frustrating, really. Can someone come up with a way for me to record my thoughts on a run without using an iPhone or dictaphone? How dare I be the crazy girl that dictates while running…I would do it. I swear. I also need a way to type while running. That way I could get twice the work done in half the time once again rendering me a GENIUS.

How’s that for random musings on a Friday??

Even more random and way more entertaining is this blog about Beyonce, the metal chicken by The Blogess.

Read on, my people.

Adrianne

It is way beyond time for me to clean out my Lambchop Designs closet. I have t-shirts left over from last summer…they are still darn cute if you ask me. Last summer I sold them for $25 each. So, to encourage you to put one on your sweet babe(s) and to help me straighten up the re-donk huge closet that houses all of my samples, supplies, and wonderful LCD products, I am offering them to you for $17 each with FREE shipping. Feast your eyes:

Toddler Shirt (Shark and Crab) in sizes 2T, 3T, 4T:

Infant Tee (Shark and Crab) in sizes 6 months, 12 months, 18 months:

And, yes, they are all packaged in this cute box:

Now that you are so cute-ed out that you have to get one of each, email me and I’ll get it to you asap!

The LSAT is done and I am back to just “normal” life with two kids and a part-time jobby job. Wheee! I woke up this morning feeling free. The main reason, not just because of the LSAT being behind me (at least for now), is because it’s Summer: hot, humid, fun SUMMER. And, this Summer, I have new happiness to enjoy:

1) Long hair = ponytails! Ahh, the ponytails I have missed and the hot necks that have resulted…

BEFORE (i.e. Last Summer)

AFTER (as of last weekend):

2) I am not pregnant this summer so….

yummy….

3) Certainly not least but really FIRST (including Davis, naturally) is Anna Banana. You know she came to live with us starting in October. Here she is on her first swim…in her first bathing suit…looking as excited as birthday cake (as usual, yes, even at 1am):

I LOVE her expression. To me, she is saying, “I AM SO FREAKIN’ EXCITED I CAN’T STAND IT!!! AHHHH!!!

Do you SEE my sunglasses bathing suit? DO YOU SEE IT?!”

The suit sans babe (thank you, Ragsland!):

Her little chunky legs and arms CRACK me up in this get-up.

…which is a nice segway to my real point for today: baby bathing suits and such ROCK. Here are a few more I can’t wait to get her body in:

Rikshaw Design

That’s right, there’s no top to this one.

Scandalous? NON (well, not if your a baby). Darn cute? OUI (again, only if you are a baby).

Mini Boden…duh. Classic. Baby. Classic baby!

And, my baby in pink frosted Wayfarers (Children’s Place)? YES.

I’m partial to the ones she already has, too:

I mean, SASSY.

OK my people. I will be blogging more and more during these “days of freedom” so keep coming back!

Adrianne

]]> http://www.lambchopdesigns.com/lambchop-news/i-spy-summer/feed/ 0 http://www.lambchopdesigns.com/general-decor/obsession-artichokes-and-a-little-fun-in-nola/ http://www.lambchopdesigns.com/general-decor/obsession-artichokes-and-a-little-fun-in-nola/#comments Mon, 18 Apr 2011 17:36:03 +0000 adrianne http://www.lambchopdesigns.com/?p=4964 Yes, my dearies, my latest fixation came in the form of white ceramic recently. I went to New Orleans (shocker) to visit my new main squeeze, Miller. (Miller is the wee, precious babe of one of my dearest friends and is, oh, about two months old now.) If you didn’t know, Miller is betrothed to my Anna:

I digress but I must tell you a little about my trip before moving on to the latest discovery. My trip started off just right with finding this beauty in line with me at the airport (I traveled on St. Patrick’s Day). Yes, he let me take a picture of his shirt…awkward? Maybe. Worth it? Absolutely. I present to you:

Side note: We have a really good friend, Paddy, in Virginia. Yuk, yuk!

When I arrived in New Orleans, I realized the shirt was only the beginning of the fun. On a walk through Audubon Park (memories!!!) we witnessed this strategically placed sign about Abraham Lincoln (I was quite relieved to not have to cut the grass in that particular area.):

Oh how I miss the land of filming random (and not-so-random) movies! Who will you see today??? It’s anyone’s guess…it could be the “bubble girl” or “Guy dressed like Lucifer” on the way to class or…eh hem…Ryan Reynolds! Yeeeee!!!

And, where else would you open the fridge and find the coldest, most amazing black and gold beer? GEAUX SAINTS! I had one. It was delicious.

ANYway…back to topic…when I was there, we walked down Magazine to see the sights in gorgeous weather. First, we saw this sign…anyone have a theory on this one? I am stumped:

Imagine confused looks on our faces…

Now imagine us “stumbling” (on purpose) in to Hazelnut, one of my FAVORITE shops on Magazine Street. I have talked about the gorgeousness of this store before…oh, how I covet every inch and every item!

SCENE: 70 degrees and sunny, we walk down Magazine and are sucked into Hazelnut (shocking, I know!) to view the latest home decor candy. TRUE CANDY!

Me: I am going to paint the back of my shelves a saturated navy. Wouldn’t an all white ceramic decor be lovely to make it really pop?

Friend: Doi.

Me: What do they have here to fit the bill?

Friend: Um…everything.

Me: True. Let me see here….(My jaw drops. Everything goes dark as all of a sudden a glowing, angelic light comes from one piece of true gloriousness in the store…) LOOK. AT. THAT. ARTICHOKE.

Friend: Simply divine!

Me: I. MUST. HAVE. THE. ARTI. (And, I repeat this at an alarming rate (thankfully but shockingly sans twitch) all the way home to Virginia.)

I should have bought it!!! I should have bought it!!! Oh, how mad at myself was I!!! A few weeks later, however, who should happen to grace my threshold? YES! IT IS TRUE! A box with goodies and…be still my heart…a wrapped box from Hazelnut. My friend sent me the glorious artichoke!! I cannot tell you how this lifted my day and made me whole (wholly artichoke, that is). I cannot thank her enough!!! What a delightful treat! Here is my Princess Artichoke in all her splendor:

I am now obsessed with finding her clone in all different sizes! I dream of an entire shelf lined with these beauties. See one somewhere? Email me immediately!

I’ll continue to post artichoke findings when they are found!

What’s your new obsession? Oh, and, if anyone can enlighten me (what the heck are “carpool clothes”) I would appreciate your feedback!

Adrianne

12:30am                                                    Anna…really? I just went to bed two hours ago!

3 am                                                           Anna….Anna….Anna, we need to have a talk, darling. 3am is too early to be smiling and cooing

and being all cute. Although, I have to say, being cute and cuddly at 3am is much preferable to

being scratchy and really angry!

6:20 am                                                      DING! DING! DING! Time to get up! (Too early.)

7 am                                                            POKE the BEAR (i.e. Wake Davis up. He is NOT a morning person…like his mommie.)

7 am – 8:15 am                                          Convince Davis to eat breakfast. Convince Davis to get dressed.

Convince Davis to get in the car to go to school.

8:15 am                                                      Oh YEAH! I have to get dressed for work.

8:16 am                                                       Anna pukes on clean suit.

8:17 am                                                        I put on a clean suit.

8:18 am                                                        Near miss as Anna spits up again…lands in floor. Clean up floor. Put Anna in car seat.

Go outside and realize it’s colder than I thought. No time for jacket. Off to the day!

8:30 am – 4:30pm                                      WORK (Three days a week. When I am not at the office, things are a bit calmer…I study

in between kid awake time. Sometimes it works out, sometimes not. What are you going

to do?)

4:45 pm – 5:30pm                                      Pick up kids. No, they are not a long drive away, it just takes this long to get everyone back

in the car (see 7am – 8:15am: Convince Davis to get in the car).

5:30pm – 8:30pm or later…                      Run, Eat, Entertain, Bath, Books, Bed

8:30 pm or later – 10:30pm or later…     Eat with Tripp (usually running around mad feeding everyone else first), do LSAT

homework, maybe have a conversation with Tripp. Two days a week, LSAT class is from

6pm – 9pm.

10:30pm or later…                                      CRASH into bed.

Give me a “C”! Give me an “R”! Give me an “A”! Give me a “Z”! Give me a “Y”! What’s that spell? TIRED!

Ok so there is a lot going on. The only way I am surviving this nuttiness is:

1. Davis says the cutest things to me. Last night as he was falling asleep he says, “Mommy, you have really nice manners.”

2. Anna is so precious, even at 3am.

3. Tripp is the best husband ever. Ever. EVER.

4. Coffee (see title)

5. Claritin (see title and note it is officially pollen season)

Loving life and trying to blog again! (Not sure when in the day I am doing this, actually.)

What’s your crazy life like? Send me stories!!

Adrianne

Above is the view from the kitchen to the den area. Wow: brightly colored plastic you-know-what and laundry on the chair. Sorry!

Ugh! Could this be more boring? I will say, however, that this is the most comfy chair in the Universe…besides my glider in Anna’s room. BUT, that is no excuse. OUT with it and IN with two pretty chairs (with, hopefully, equivalent comfy-ness)!

Note bolsters…note need of major refresh! (And some gorgeous roman shades would do nicely!)

I know, it’s not terrible. Oh wait, yes it is! I really like the rug, actually, but it does not go with what I want to do. It is FOR SALE. (See pictures below.) If anyone is interested, please let me know. It’s a one-year-old, 6×9 sumac, in stellar condition.  Not sure what I’m asking…make an offer! See anything else you like in there? Well, I’m open to it. Email me!

We have a lot of light in this room (and the whole house). I feel a coastal vibe when I walk in. I’m thinking of painting the walls a “moody blue” like Benjamin Moore’s Gentleman’s Gray:

Don’t you think that will pop nicely with our white wainscoting?

Then, I plan on recovering the nook bolsters in Serena & Lily’s Bark Diamond fabric:

I am 100% inspired by the make-over shown on the Serena & Lily website:

Errr…small picture. Frustrating! Here’s the LINK.

1. LOVE the basket pendant light. It’s a must to replace the stainless that hangs there now.

Oh! Is that a similar “Gentleman’s Gray” color I see in the background?

Okay, so I got a LOT of inspiration from the newest S&L release!

2. I have always loved the idea of lots of pillows. It’s also a must for the nook and white sofa, don’t you think?

3. Matte laminate. Yes, I said LAMINATE. I plan on laminating fabric for a more kid-friendly use. The current nook bolsters are totally and embarrassingly destroyed by Davis’ constant grinding of blueberries, spag sauce, yogurt, you-name-it-anything-that-stains into it. Yuk!

I’ll throw in a seagrass rug and some rockin’ pillows and chairs to pull it all together. My requirements: coastal feel, kid friendly function. That = matte laminate fabric…sounds weird but trust me…it’s amazing! Stay tuned for updates!

Adrianne

So, I picked D up from school early today so I could read him a book before nap time. That’s the beauty of working a mile away from home with the family firm, right?

Maybe the reason I miss them so is that I am a really good worrier. I worry about Davis all the time. I worry about Anna. I worry about seeing them enough, loving them enough, hugging them enough…and the list goes on. Welcome to Motherhood…again…right?! Part of the reason I am such a worry wort about Davis is what we’ve been through in the last few months. I have not been ready to share until now.

The Sunday before Thanksgiving Davis had a massive seizure. That’s right. I said seizure. It lasted 20 minutes. I never in a million years thought I would be riding in an ambulance with my son…for a real medical scare, not just a “for fun” thing at a truck show. We ended up in Pediatric Neurology that night. They sent us home telling us that a lot of young kids have seizures…he’ll not have another. Two weeks later, we were back. We were sent home again and the next day we were back again. We stayed three days that time. We were a wreck. Davis never missed a beat:

Here he is, all smiles, wires all over his head and an IV in his arm, around Christmas time during an overnight EEG study.

Since then we have experienced four more seizures and a lot of “absence” moments during the day. He is on medication to protect his sweet, growing brain. The good news is that the good doctors have not found one thing wrong with that child. It’s a blessing but also unnerving that no one knows why he has these seizures. We are on a regular schedule with the neurologist and visiting Johns Hopkins in April for a second opinion. Tell me, when did parenting become so real?

Yes, today I am feeling a little sorry for myself but that’s okay. Mommyhood comes with ups and downs but with the most intense happiness I’ve ever felt, too. I have a lot to be thankful for, my readers.

One day at a time! I promise more to come again soon…

Adrianne

1. Anna

2. Davis

3. Anna and Davis

4. Anna, Davis, seeing my husband at some point before crashing in bed.

5. Going back to work (and I mean my day job at the law firm)

6. Studying for the LSAT (Yes, I am studying to try and be admitted to law school. I know, can I add ONE more thing to my plate?)

7. Anna and Davis

8. Sleep…wait, that’s not in the cards these days. Nevermind.

Ha!! So, have I exhausted you with this list??? I have a lot of explaining to do, I know. But, know I love each and every one of you and will post as often as I can. In the meantime, I am trying to figure out a way to create more time in the day. Good luck, right?!

xoxo

Adrianne

P.S. Maybe I can butter you up a bit with this:

I KNOW! She does look just like Anna Elise Bugg.

So…I formally announce that Anna Elise Bugg was born on 10/26/10 at 10:45pm. 6lbs, 8oz, 20 inches!

Here are a few more shots for you:

Davis LOVES his baby sister. LOVES her! Look at her face – one eye on Davis at all times. Hilarious!

As you probably guessed, I’ll be posting randomly over the next few weeks. I have som yummy guest blogs to post, however. So, keep in touch and so will I.

Adrianne

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