Bella

She is mine! Dream come true!

Stylish Blogger Award -

Emily at Senseless Sophistication nominated me for a Stylish Blogger Award. I am pretty sure I will owe her Starbucks, wine and cheese for this nomination.

Here are the rules - I am supposed to share seven things about myself and then nominate 15 blogs for the Stylish Blogger Award.

1. I am socially awkward. This will not come as a surprise to anyone who knows me. I keep five close friends at a time and I currently have a few openings. I need really great friendships that have depth and substance. I don't have fluffy friends. If you are in my life, I care about you immensely, pray for you often and want the best for you.

2. I don't have a facebook page (please see #1). I know I should have a facebook page but I am not that cool and I doubt anyone cares what I am doing every minute of the day. My mom has a facebook page so you can befriend her if you need to know where I am and what I am doing.  YES - Jan has a facebook page!

3. I am a bona fide - out of the closet - freak flag flying  - CAT LADY! I love my furry kids and can't imagine my life without them.

4. I wish I had embraced my inner nerd in high school instead of pursuing cheerleading and coolness. I would have joined the math club, science club and debate club. I would have become a psychologist or a scientist working for the CDC.

5. My husband and I have been married for 16 years and we don't have children.  This is by choice much to the chagrin of my mother but we try to keep it real and kids haven't been in the plans for us so far. I still have a little time on my biological clock so I am not going to say we will never have them.

6. The first blog I ever read was dooce.com. I still read it every day. I love Heather Armstrong's sarcasm and wit. She writes about the things the rest of us only say in the comfort of our home and she doesn't apologize for it. Very cool.

7. I have an obsession with buying  high heels shoes that I never wear. I buy them all the time and put them on the shoe rack in my closet so I can see them everyday but I don't actually ever wear them. I think this may be part of an undiagnosed shopping illness. I pray that no one ever finds a cure!

Now the 15 blogs I stalk ...

Keep It Chic
Atlantis Home
A Country Farmhouse
My Favorite and My Best
The Gardener's Cottage
The Roof Over My Head
Anna Kuperberg
Things That Inspire
Grace Happens
Little Green Notebook
Two Ellie
Elements Of Style
Nest Egg
Mod Girl
Hi Sugar Plum

Foyer Makeover - Ray Hartl - Black and White Photography

Bad decorating happens to the best of us. When we first moved into our house I thought my foyer looked fabulous. WRONG! I think a few of my decorating friends should have intervened - I am not going to name names! Emily, Kerri and Maureen! The time had finally come to give the foyer a small makeover. I say small because now I want to paint but that is a whole different story.

Last year I purchased one Ray Hartl black and white photo at the Atlanta Dogwood Festival. I got home and realized one photo was not going to be enough - I quickly jumped online and ordered two more. I procrastinated about having them framed for months; I finally broke down three weeks ago and took them to a frame shop. Last Sunday I got the call - the photos were ready to be picked up.

It took a few days to get them hung but I couldn't be happier with the results. A big thank you to my husband for hanging these photos not once but twice (due to spacing issues) with minimum use of profanity.




The Foyer Before - Don't Judge!

 





The Transformation Begins!

  


Everyone helped.

 


The Final Results!

 




Details!

 


Details!

 


Next Year's Purchase!

 

http://www.rayhartl.com/

Brides and Bridal Showers...

My friend Emily at http://www.senselesssophistication.blogspot.com/ mentioned on her blog today the beautiful bridal shower that she hosted last year for her best friend Paige - What she did not mention was that she was also a beautiful bride last year and had a few great party's thrown in her honor! I co-hosted a shower for Emily at JCT Kitchen in Atlanta. If you ever visit Bungalow Classic, Lewis and Sheron Fabrics or Sid Mashburn on the west side of Atlanta JCT Kitchen is "the" place to stop for a great lunch!

Golden Globes - I want a do over!