Eclectic Interior Design Group + Novel. Pop Up

Not sure how I managed to wait until now to post about our little pop up at Eclectic last week.  Sidney's shop is the BEST place to shop for your house!!!  No way can you walk out without buying something.  Dare you!  Haven't been able to do that yet...which leads me to the first item on my list.  These concrete planters.  Ummm, yes.  Need these on my back patio.  I want all of them but need to run that one by the hubs...

A little interior shot of Eclectic.  You see that kelly green "n" looking more like an "r" in the background?  Guess where that's going?  Yep, slapping that puppy up on the wall in Novel.

Also, check out Sidney's post here on The Southern Coterie blog.  She talks about some of her favorite things and mentions that I am one of her favorite artist's!!!!  Love her and her style!!!!  And seriously, you MUST stop by her shop, Eclectic, located at 875 Coleman Blvd Mt. Pleasant, SC!!!! 

A small selection of Jane Pope Cooper's Balboa jewelry collection.  Want everything!!!  Loving the pops of color on her new earrings and I could pair ALL of those necklaces with something in my closet...Gimme gimme gimme...

And speaking of Jane, look at her new do.  Love it!  This girl could wear a paper bag on her head and be gorge.  But the do, it's fab!!!!!

And speaking of Jane again, Big R and I went to the upstate a couple of weekends ago for a visit.  We were celebrating her hubs birthday with a few folks and lookie here. What a perfect setting for an outdoor supper in May.  She pushed two tables together to make one large square and voila...piece meal the chairs together, cut a few fleurs from the yard, done and done. 

A night shot...isn't it romantic

Back in the Kitchen

Don't think I ever shared this with you.  If you know me or read this here blog then know my obsession with thai food and mexican food!  We eat it pretty much every night.  Poor R must get so bored with my meal preparations!  This is a pulled together healthy mexican style supper.

Grilled Shrimp + Black Bean + Kale  Corn Tacos

grilled shrimp-marinate 

sriracha

honey

olive oil

2 cans black beans

1/2 onion + 1 clove garlic- saute

1 tsp cumin

corn tacos-heat on both sides in a skillet

roasted tomatoes

roasted zucchini

sauteed kale

guacamole (homemade)

onion

lime juice

cilantro

salt 

avocado

bulgarian sheep feta

sriracha

This recipe is SO easy and so healthy too.  My husband and I really try to eat healthy meals during the week so we can splurge on the weekends.  We love nothing more than to go out to eat on the weekends and "cheat" on our healthy diet.   You should definitely give this recipe a try and see if you like it with kale.  If not kale you could use wilted spinach.

The Graduate

This month has been nuts am I right?  We have been moving a million miles a minute and I feel like, as funny as it is to say, now that school is out, life is starting to slow down a little!  Last friday we had Little R's kindergarten graduation.  He has grown up so fast and into such a smart, sweet and independent little guy!  

A few shots in the yard before heading to school.  Baby bro is not happy about momma stuffing him into a too small outfit.  My days are numbered...

Little R and his two best "girlfriends" standing above,  waiting outside the church before the graduation program.

During the program....

and the little graduate...Round 1!

 On that note, we have decided to have him repeat kindergarten again next year but we have not brought ourselves to tell him yet.  I wanted him to get through "graduation" with all of his buddies before I dropped the bomb.  We know it's the best decision for him but I do know he will be upset about it.  I'm sure it will be short lived but I just hate the thought of making him upset or to feel not good enough!  Lucky for me, I know so many parents who have held their children back in kindergarten and they ALL  have told me it was the best decision they ever made!!! We know it is, 100% the right decision for us but it still does not make it any easier for me to tell him.  Have any of you "redshirted," as they now call it, your child?  It seems so much more common now than it was when I was coming along.  

Before & After: Master Chest

I know I just showed you a recent before and after with the chest in my son's room, but this was too good not to show and tell about now!  I found this chest that we have in our master probably 13 years ago when I was junk-o-tiquing with my mom.  It was a piece that I desperately needed, after just finishing college, to house all of my clothes.  Aside from necessity, I really loved the lines of the piece.     It came to me just like this, peeling paint and broken handles but I kept it that way all these years! I love to mix old with new so this was that piece: old.  

* This picture was styled in no way whatsoever!!!  I snapped it right after moving in after our renovation.  

Now to the good part.  We outsourced this piece to the super talented Sarah Jeffords Beauchene who is local to Mount Pleasant.  Her business is Reclaimed Artistry. Sarah is an amazing artist,  transforming a piece to make it look aged or weathered...like it was always supposed to be that way.

Now there wasn't much styling on top of the chest since I just got it back but isn't it amazing?!!!!!  I am so in love with it!!! The grain of the wood underneath all of these layers of paint...who knew?  It looks like zebra oak maybe?  

I am thinking new pulls are in order...probably will be another year and a half before I get around to it!

Little helper here trying to jump in each picture.  Look at those hands!  His pediatrician told me he foresees him being a butcher or a farmer judging by the size of his hands...HA!  Just 3 years old.

Again this is the before

And the after

Nudes

I went home to my parents last week for a quick minute and while I was there I saw these two paintings propped up in the dining room.  

Any guess as to who painted them?....

If you follow mw on Instagram (waywayallen) then I'm sure you know!

My dad!!  Aren't they quite good?!  I am my dad's biggest fan and have always, always loved his drawings and paintings.  He is an architect but is an artist as well.  You know I love color if you follow my work at all so I think that's part of the reason why I was so drawn to these!  If he will let me, I will post more pictures on the blog soon!

*My dad and I are going to have an art show together at Novel. late summer...keep you posted!

Tuesday Food Day

Who likes to dip?  I'm talking about food of course!  I could make a meal out of it!!  I discovered the most delectable hors d'oeuvre while we were staying at the beach with my in laws. Ina Garten is one of my all time favorite cookbook author's.  Every single thing I have tried from her cookbook's has been a hit and they are pretty easy to make.  This particular recipe came from her Foolproof cookbook.

Tuscan Mashed Chickpeas

This dip is best served warm with grilled bread.  However, it is so delicious that I eat it as a cold leftover too.  I will indicate in red what changes I made...

2 cans chickpeas (drained and rinsed) (use 1 can if not for a large crowd)

1/2 cup chicken broth (I added until the right consistency)

3 tablespoons olive oil

3-4 small tomatoes chopped and seeded

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup parmesean cheese

3 tablespoons minced flat leaf parsley (I omitted because I cannot stand the taste-weird I know)

2 tablespoons squeezed lemon (I used half lemon)

salt & pepper

grilled baguette for serving (or pretzels and pita chips)

I first drained and rinsed the chickpeas in a colander.  I then added the chickpeas into the blender and added chicken broth as needed.  I pulsed so that it was chunky, not smooth.  Set aside.  I then sauteed the olive oil, garlic and tomatoes in a saute pan for 3-5 minutes.  You then add the chickpea mixture to the hot tomatoes in the pan.  Take off the heat and add the cheese, parsley, lemon juice and salt and pepper.  It can be served warm like this or you can refrigerate and serve cool or room temperature!  

*Best served warm if I must say so myself!

On a side note, I have been enjoying the herbivore sandwich from Caviar and Bananas lately.  Anyone tried it?  It is TO DIE FOR GOOD!!!!  They pile on hummus, marinated mushrooms, roasted tomatoes, bean and corn succotash and spinach all wrapped up in a grilled lavash wrap!  Mouth watering yet?   I am thinking this tuscan hummus would be perfect if you were to try recreating the herbivore sandwich at home!!!

Before & After: Boy's Chest

Hello!  I'm back!  It has now been over a year since I posted about a little DIY project for little R's room but I eventually made time for it!  Do you recall this chest???  With all of the missing knobs... 

Well it has remained in this condition with missing knobs until a few weeks ago!

 I did a little digging on my blog and realized the original post to attack this DIY was from September 2011!!!  What??  Ok, so call me lazy or busy but I got it done!!  I ended up ordering these pulls from Lee Valley (ones on the left)  

And I painted the chest with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in the color Napoleanic Blue.  It really was quite easy because you do not have to prep your surface at all!  No sanding or priming, just slap the chalk paint right on.  It took me about 2 coats to thoroughly coat the whole chest.  It is quick drying so I was able to reapply the paint fairly quickly!  After it dries you rub a soft wax, also made by Annie Sloan, onto the surface of the piece you are painting.  That was an easy step as well.  
And voila!

I wanted it to match the small campaign chest across from it.  I found this little number at Charleston Revisions here in Mount Pleasant, SC and it was already painted!  Here you can also find Annie Sloan chalk paint for purchase!  

Have you ever used this brand of chalk paint?  I am thinking of painting a wall in our play room with chalk paint and wanted to get some feedback from you if you have had good/bad luck with any particular brands.