David Hicks ~ A Life of Design Part II

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ENJOY!

I will be doing a gardening post later. David Hicks had that down to a fine art also.

I hope that you have enjoyed these two posts on David Hicks.

See you soon,
Teresa
xoxo


Embracing Etiquette continued... see introduction post(1-29-10).

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Emily Post's Etiquette, 17th Edition (Thumb Indexed)

The Basics

Honesty.

Honesty is an issue of ethics and etiguette. A person can be sincere and honest in a compassionate way without being blatant.

David Hicks ~ A Life of Design Part I

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.David Hicks: A Life of Design
By Ashley Hicks
Rizzoli, $65.00
By Teresa Hatfield
Author, Splendid Sass

                                                                  David Hicks: A Life of Design


A treasure has been offered to those interested in decorating. Ashley Hicks has presented us with the beautiful biography of one of the most talented interior designers known. It may replace the favorite book on the coffee table of those fortunate enough to own it.

David Hicks: A Life of Design is extremely well written, telling the story of the life of this designer in a way that grasps the reader’s attention in a way difficult to describe. This just may be the most valuable interior design publication on the shelf. You be the judge. No narration needed.

This will be a two-part post. I couldn’t decide which photographs to scan, leaving so many only available to those owning the book.

For those of you close to me, or who have seen previous posts, it comes as no surprise that I would love this book -- black, white, gray and vermillion are my chosen colors. Feast your eyes on the following and ENJOY!

I couldn’t resist posting this early, so please go back and see the first etiquette post that I posted earlier today!
See the second Embracing Etiquette lesson below following this post..

Emily Post's Etiquette, 17th Edition (Thumb Indexed)

See you soon,
Teresa
Xoxo

Guidelines for living continued… basic introduction. It is important to see the beginning etiquette post (1-29-10).

Consideration:

Consists of thoughtfulness and kindness. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” (The Golden Rule) Thoughtfulness means thinking about helping others feel comfortable, and kindness carries this thought into action. Offering praise and showing appreciation are means to accomplish these goals.

Oh What a Night & Some Exciting News!

We had such a great time last night at the Elle Decor- Bloomingdales - Apartment Therapy Big Window Challenge event!  Dave & I woke at 5 something AM, loaded the kids in the car, and headed up to New York to celebrate Eddie's big WIN at Bloomingdales!  (We dropped the kids off with our family in New Jersey before heading into the city.)  I'm still pretty bleary-eyed from that lack of sleep so I'll tell  you all about it & post pics on Monday.  We did have a beautiful dinner with Eddie & Jaithan, Mrs.Blandings, Deborah Buck, and {from Elle Decor}:  Matthew Talomie and Margaret Russell.  We met lots of amazing new people who are so incredibly passionate about what they do and I just loved being around them. 

Everyone was super-sweet and inclusive.  I was totally nervous/ freaking out about meeting Margaret Russell (Mom & Grandmother- she's the Editor-in-Chief of Elle Decor Magazine ;) and she couldn't have been nicer!!  (And yes, she's just as graceful & gorgeous in person as she is on TV & in pictures, if not more so.)  But more details on Monday.  Congratulations To Eddie & Jaithan on a HUGE win for Elle Decor!!

On another note, I'm insanely excited to tell you that Better Homes & Gardens is coming to shoot our house!! 

It's a Christmas story so it'll be in the 2010 holiday issue.  They're doing the outside, the entry, living room, dining room, kitchen and us.  (I'm a little worried about the "us" part, as I have an extra 30 lbs on me right now from the pregnancy and when I see pictures of myself right now it looks like a "me" inside of a "me."   So I'll need to either get over it or wear a sign that says "JUST HAD BABY."  Think they'll mind?? ;)   

Anyway, since we're travelling & have so much to recap on Monday, there won't be a formal Pure Organization Project for next week, but personally we're working on time management & figuring out our schedule like we talked about in Time (Or Lack Therof.)    I'll post the readers' projects I've received later in the week.  Have an awesome weekend!!!
xoxo,
lauren

Embracing Etiquette with Teresa

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Emily Post's Etiquette, 17th Edition (Thumb Indexed)

Embracing Etiquette with Teresa

Beginning today, I will post an etiquette section each weekday. It will be listed at the end of the regular post or alone if I am unable to post for that day.

The book I will be referencing is Emily Post’s Etiquette, 17th Edition. Much in these posts will be direct quotes. I suggest that all of you keep a copy of this book at hand for your own reference.

As a child, my mother would teach my sisters and me etiquette each day during our summer break from school. She also referred frequently to the book when needed. It was important to our mother that we understood etiquette, and it is equally important to me as a mother. It is something you just MUST do!

So…let’s begin with the basics.

Chapter One ~ Guidelines for Living

Let's go over the common-sense ettiquette rules first.

Respect ~ “Respecting other people means recognizing their value as human beings, regardless of their background, race, or creed.”

Treating others with respect shows character, and to demean another person shows lack thereof. Referring to others as inferior to themselves, disrespect for the ideas of others, and lack of an open mind towards the feelings of others shows a lack of respect and is not acceptable.

Self-respect is as important as respect towards others. A confident person shows character, and displays respect for those around them.

Ready you eyes for a spectacular feast in my next post featuring the work of David Hicks.

See you tomorrow,
Teresa
xoxo

Finished Chalkboard

Finished, framed chalkboard!

Instructions:

See supplies needed in the previous post.

Put glass or chosen surface on newspaper. Wood produces a smoother finish, but I like glass. If painting with spray, go outside, using foam brush to clear drips immediately.

Roll on canned paint with foam roller brush. Once dry paint additional coats. I brush over last coat with dry, soft brush.

Because it was windy here this week, I used the Valspar canned paint with a roller brush. Remember, if you are not a painting pro, you need to use the can paint for a smoother finish!

I put several coats for long term use, and then gently buffed with fine sand paper to get rid of bubbles before final coat. Be very careful to VERY GENTLY buff the surface. You may also paint both sides so that you will have a backup when worn.

I intend on redoing this frame in aluminum leaf for the kitchen, but the frame looks nice as is. There are many easy options for personalizing frames to your taste.

When finished, back yourself, or take back to framer.

Now we have the final product – a framed chalkboard fit for royalty!

This board is a 16 x 20. This is larger that the usual 11 x 14 I make for gifts.

Save your paint because we will be using it for the herb garden project.

You may want to pick up some small/medium terra cotta pots or a window box, along with name tags if you like. Don’t forget the chalk!

This is one gift that is still being used by all of the lucky recipients! ENJOY!

The terra cotta pots are also a beautiful gift. Just add a plant and a pretty bow! We will do this project with the herb garden posts.

There is no end to the uses for chalkboard paint. You will see many of them here :).

Everyday Etiquette with Teresa begins tomorrow.

See you soon, and don’t forget to see the bottom section of each post, as I may have information about a future post.

Teresa,
xoxo

Let's Get Started!

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There are so many things that I am looking forward to sharing with you, and above are only a few of them. There will also be recipes, a kitchen herb garden, fashion, decor, and numerous other posts.

I am behind on my Embracing Etiquette with Teresa post due to this flu that has had a stronghold on me, but I am feeling MUCH better. I am so much looking forward to these posts, as I believe that manners are so important in every aspect of life.

I have three new decorating books, Sister Parish Design, David Hicks, A Life of Design, and Glamourous Rooms by Jan Showers. I can't wait to share these rooms and tips with you.

Now to the task at hand--the blackboard! I have listed the items needed to do this project, and should have the finished product for you to see within the next two days.

Lowe's has the paint in the can and the spray. I found the Valspar stray paint I am using at Michaels, but if you are new to painting, you should use the paint-on.

I found the frame on sale for $30.00, and it includes the glass also if you buy the package. There should be sales at one of the art stores. Hobby Lobby also has fifty-percent sales frequently on their open back frames. You would need to buy the glass or board (easier to paint) to fit, but they will also finish it, at no charge, when your project is completed.

I have found that glass works best, and is very secure once backed, but wood will work.

You will need:

A frame in the size desired
glass to size
chalkboard paint
foam brush or roller brush for canned paint
and gloves.

I will see you back here to explain the process, and to show you the finished product.
Teresa
xoxo

Decorative Wall Mirrors by Riflessi

Mirror is an element of any interior design. Often we have several of them in our apartment or house and should to pay attention to their choice. They are not only important part of any bathroom or hall, but also a right mirror could become an amazing decoration of your interior. Italian company Riflessi offers a great selection of beautiful wall mirrors. Among its products you could find a mirror what fit to every style. There are absolutely minimalist examples without frame and contemporary solutions with unusual shapes available. If you want to create an atmosphere of opulent panache then you could choose a wall mirror with gold or silver finish. All of them perfectly demonstrate matchless elegance of Italian design and high quality of production.

Decorative Wall Mirrors

Decorative Wall Mirrors

Decorative Wall Mirrors