Home - The Story of Us

Our home is special to us. It is the sacred space where we create memories and grow our family.
We want it to reflect us, the people who live here.

One of Vivian first family portraits from preschool 

As I've been tackling several design projects I've realized that as inspiring as tv shows, magazines and Pinterest is, I want our home to show others our story and what's important to us. 

Note: This means there will be toys & kid art sprinkled throughout because Vivian lives here and it's her home too. This wasn't my mindset when having her - I strived for picture perfect. I now love that her things are here and cherish their presence!

Here are some things that tell the story of us in our home ...

THE HOUSE WITH THE PINK SWING

When we tell others where we live, we title our home 'The House with the Pink Swing' because it's right out front hanging from our grand Magnolia tree. It's been there for nearly 5 years where we swing Vivian higher and higher enjoying the outside and waving to our neighbors. The time has come to move to a big girl swing and I have to admit it hurts my heart to see it go. 

AMERICA

We love our country! Ryan served as a US Navy Officer following his medical education and deployed for nearly a year with a Marine infantry unit as their Battalion Surgeon to the Middle East. This was a significant time in our lives!! 

We proudly fly the American flag and he displays sentimental awards & keepsakes from his service in his office. 

CHRIST

The MOST important thing in our lives is Christ! We proudly display our bibles throughout. This tissue papered cross was something Vivian made a few years ago in preschool. She wanted to tape it in the window at our front door and it's been there ever since. I love that it greets who ever comes over including our deliveries.

PHOTOS

Framing photos of our memories and loved ones not only reminds us of the fun times and the people we love it does our guests too. We value people more than anything and hope displaying their smiles shows!

WALLPAPER

I love color and print! I'm also extremely sentimental. The papers I chose specifically for our entry way & dining room have meaning and I hope create an environment of comfort as they enter our home and sit at our table.

TRADITIONAL

Our style is classic & traditional and you'll see that in each room with warm wood pieces and shiny gold fixtures.

 (and of course monograms!). This velvet bench belonged to my Grandma.

BEAUTY

I admire and adore beautiful things.  I curate my life and efforts with beauty.  I find antique pieces that house unknown stories, to me the epitome of beauty.  I have them sprinkled throughout our home.

This mirror in particular was purchased with a dear friend who's now in heaven giving me pause to reflect on life's priorities each time I pass by. 

BIRDS

It may seem a bit much but I love birds as I find them majestic, so you will see them almost in every room.

PLANTS

I find it important to having living things in your home - preferably plants over pets but we have Ethel & Trixie too.

HEIRLOOMS

I display and use treasured items pass down in our families, like silver and china. I don't decorate for each holiday or season but rather enjoy the gifts of others all year round. See, I'm very sentimental!! 

For you maybe it's souvenirs from your travels or art or a specific collection.  Whatever it is that tells your story have it throughout your home for others to enjoy.

Dress Beautifully Sharing Your Story

in Your Home

XOXO Sarah Louise

Big Girl Room

At the beginning of summer as Vivian officially had completed her years as a preschooler, she asked me if now she could have a desk in her room for kindergarten. You see, she has a desk waiting for her that belonged to my Mamma growing up and through her adult years that was passed down to me growing up and through my adult years.  I knew the time would come but all I could think about was the chair.

Ryan & I picked out this chair together when I was expecting. I remember visiting it in the furniture store imagining it in her nursery. Once it arrived I would rock in it, praying for her, singing to her and talking to her about all the dreams I had about being her Mamma. I brought her home to this chair and continued to care for and love her in this chair. 

For nearly six years I've held her next to me sharing countless moments with her.

The chair was going across the hall into our newly decorated guest room where it would compliment beautifully. Vivian said to me "don't worry Mamma we can still rock and read books, we just go into that room". Bless her heart!

It was time for her to inherit this desk. An heirloom piece passed from generation to generation.

I gave it a fresh coat of paint and let her pick out the fabric and help me reupholster the chair seat.

The desk is a part of a set that includes two dressers. I love that we are connected in so many ways to each other and to my Mamma. I'm clearly very sentimental!

Vivian also received a night stand & clock to help her know when it's time to get up for school each morning. 

We only use the color feature but it does have a noise alarm and sound machine options.

As I stand and look at her big girl room I can't help but be so proud of the big girl she is.

I pray this room is a space for her to grow in love!

Dress Your Rooms Beautifully with Heirlooms

XOXO Sarah Louise

Vivian's Big Girl Room

 

My darling Vivian is closer to turning 4 than I'd like to admit (12/28).  During this year I'd often be asked about her interests and milestones now that she's 3.  One of the most common was, 'when are you planning to transition her out of the crib and into a big girl bed?'.  My response was always something like 'uh when's she's 5!' Vivian never ever tried to climb out and absolutely adored sleeping in her crib.

Over the Summer she had a few sleepovers at her cousin's, who's only 9 weeks younger, and got to have a slumber party in her big girl bed.  She also noticed at play dates that her other friends have big girl beds. So it happened. She asked for one of her own. 

I took her on a girls weekend to the beach just her and I and my college friends and while there decided she didn't want to sleep in her travel bed but in the big guest bed. I felt the tears come up. Sigh. I let her and she LOVED it! I knew then we couldn't wait until her birthday like I had hoped.

Last Night in Her Crib

The funny thing is, once her new bed & mattresses arrived and we got her bed all set up, she refused to sleep in it and insisted that she always sleep in her crib. BLESS! After a week we took the crib down and she's been happily napping and slumbering each night in her princess bed.

BEFORE

AFTER

This dresser is so very very special! It was part of my Mamma's bedroom suit as a young girl that was passed down to me growing up, then my youngest sister and now Vivian. I am over the moon to have these heirlooms. It served as a changing table these past 3 1/2 years and now it's her place to put on her jewelry and display pretty things. All I did was add the mirror & a fresh coat of paint to it.

I wanted her new bed to be white to compliment the heirloom furniture and because there is so much color already in her lavender walls and rug. I chose a tall four poster bed because I like how grand & traditional they are. I also think they make the room seem taller.  We have one in our master bedroom and I feel like a princess in it.

I chose simple white bedding with pink trim. Personally, I'm a big fan of duvets so that I can easily swap out the covers for aesthetic and cleaning purposes. 

I took down her framed heirloom dresses from the wall and other 'baby' decor #tear. Babies do not keep!

This rocking chair is so special as I've spent time in it praying over her, singing, reading and just loving on her since I was pregnant. With each new season I pray I spend it intentionally so that I don't look back with longing and look forward with excitement.

Four Poster Bed | Bedding

Dress Your Rooms Beautifully in All Seasons

XOXO Sarah-Louise

Formal Dining Room

Ma chère Mademoiselle, it is with deepest pride

And greatest pleasure that we welcome you tonight

And now we invite you to relax

Let us pull up a chair as the dining room proudly presents

Your dinner!

Be our guest! Be our guest!

- Beauty & the Beast

Our formal dining room is a beautiful place to come together!

We do not save this room for holidays and special occasions.  We gather here every day for lunch and dinner. We reserve our breakfast room for the mornings. 

Our home is a classic colonial design which honors the tradition of a formal dining room.

This is essential for our style as we love defined rooms including a dedicated 'fancy' space to honor our family time and our guests when entertaining. 

We prefer to keep the preparations behind the scenes for an effortless & tidy atmosphere. 

Here's how this room started ....

The bones were so good! 

Custom dental molding, large space for ample seating and additional furniture such as our antique buffet, a window with a nice view to the backyard, a large opening into our formal living room and a smaller into the kitchen

This 'before' picture does feature our first step which was painting the walls - Benjamin Moore Classic Gray

This was the first thing we did throughout our home prior to moving in 

(so many hideous dark colors in each room)

But it was still so flat and lacking.

I wanted this room to be as sentimental as the memories we'd make in it!

We began with lighting. This grand chandelier was in our previous home and something I wanted to incorporate into our forever home. 

Next up, wallpaper! By far my favorite part. While paint can surely add impact, it can't compete with the detail, dimension and pizazz of a pattern.

This particular print (available in several color palettes) is special as it contains metallic trimmed herons in honor of my mother. She loves birds and these are as elegant as she is. They are often used to represent hope! The chinoiserie style is a nod to my grandmother's formal dining room. The colors are soft complementing the blues and pinks in our formal living room and the print is larger something that was important so that it wouldn't overwhelm. 

I was just about to select fabric for custom drapes when I came across these panels at HomeGoods and I just happened to have the wallpaper sample in my purse.  The color matched perfectly! 

This antique buffet houses our china and silver serving ware. 

I also proudly display the silver tea set that belonged to Ryan's great grandparents. 

Heirlooms give us a reminder of our loved ones. 

The lamps add a modern touch to all the traditional furnishings.

I found this mirror at an estate sale with a special friend.

This large ornate table & 8 chairs were my mother's that she recently gifted to me. 

I love that we can continuing to add use and pass down generations of love. 

We currently have one leaf inset but there's an additional we can add alongside the 2 chairs we keep off to the side, for hosting larger parties. 

I encourage you to give proper attention to your dining space.  It's more than just a place to break bread. It's where you can step away from the world's distractions and share meaning, love and laughter with those you hold most dear!

Dress Your Dining Room Beautifully

XOXO Sarah-Louise

Vanity Fairest

There's something so pretty and feminine about a vanity table.  It's not just a place for primping but rather to sit and reflect.  Vanities are almost a thing of the past - hence you're sure to find them at antique shops.  For me, vanities evoke the image of a mother powdering her nose, applying rouge to her cheeks or perfume behind her ears while her little girl sits in admiration.  Vanities have a sense of past time and tradition, mine especially.  

Side Note:  My favorite vanity is that of Scarlett O'Hara's in 'Gone with the Wind' - that scene in her gaudy red dress #epic 

In today's era bathroom counters are a gal's vanity. Myself included.  I mean who wants have make up mess on furniture and we all know a big mirror and natural light from the window is essential.  Not to mention outlets and countertops are needed for the heated styling tools we use on our hair.  It's just practical to primp in our bathrooms today.

What I do use my vanity for is jewelry, perfume and my quiet devotional time. 

This vanity is actually a desk.  It was a part of the bedroom suit my Mamma had a child which was handed down to me at about age 6, then when I went to college it became my little sister's and now I have the pieces back in our new home.  I remember my Mamma using it as a desk to pay bills and write letters and how I used it to do my homework and create art projects as a kid.

I love that it's back in my world.  I have countless memories with this piece.  Something I did when incorporating it into our home was to add the mirror that originally pairs with the long dresser of the suit.  That piece is in our guest room.  

I also placed it on my side of the bed to act as a bedside table until I find a matching set I love.  I shared our bed and custom linens earlier in this post.  That was the start of furnishing and decorating our boudoir.  It's been a much longer task than I ever anticipated!  

This vanity was repainted with gold trim and brushing by my mother decades ago but over the years it's seen a lot of love and needs a fresh coat. I just can't bring myself to do it.  Distressed furniture is not my style at all but those chips, dings and scratches are memories. 

What makes this vanity so special is it's heirloom elements.  The fabric on top at one time covered a vanity table that belonged to my grandmother.  Her vanity was a simple table top. So that I could access the drawers, I neatly folded one side under.  She was and always will be my inspiration so I find it sweet to think of her when I see the light roses of this cover. The oval mirror tray was also hers.

The bride & groom figurine along with the crystal perfume bottle and crystal ring holder were gifts from Mr's parents.

The drawers house trays of baubles and other things like my bible, devotionals, books, and a flashlight.
I like to do my devotionals sitting at my vanity because it's a quiet space with lots of special reminders.  It's my nook.

Speaking of sitting, this chair cushion was in shabby shape until I decided to recover it.  I left the original fabric underneath for sentimental sake but went a bit on the modern and fun side when choosing a textured leopard fabric.  It was surprisingly easy to do.  The cushion unscrews and all you need is a staple gun to attach.

Perfumes are just lovely!  The bottles and floral scents tickle all the senses in a happy way.  I find perfume to be fancy.  My all time favorite is the original Chanel Chance Eau De Parfum.  I've been wearing it since high school an have no intentions of ever changing my signature scent! My Mamma gifts it to me for Christmas.  She also gave me the Coco Mademoiselle.

The round gold bottle is Kate Spade's 'Twirl'.  My gal pal and I each bought a bottle while on vacation because we loved the light scent. Sadly it's discontinued. The last bottle is Mr's cologne.  My Mamma gifted it to him as well.  There is something so handsome about a man that smells good.  He practices medicine so he only wears it on date nights and for church so I'm sure to be found sitting extra close to him on the weekends :) My favorite men's fragrance is Chanel's Bleu De Chanel.  Mr always puts it on when we are out shopping in a department store.  I'm going to have to get him some for Christmas.

These framed pictures are of my Mamma in her wedding dress and of myself in my wedding pearls.  I find pictures of brides to be the most beautiful.

The Chanel box was a gift from Mr right before we left Charlotte when moving to the military base over 3 years ago.  He wanted to gift me something nice to soften that sadness of leaving.  I keep special notes and trinkets in it.

The lamp is tall because as you read in my post about our linens, our bed is extra high and it fits the space.

It's not uncommon to find sweet Scragley sitting in my vanity chair.  Imitation is the highest form of flattery!

Create a space in your home that's special to you with heirlooms or just pretty things that make you smile.  Every gal needs a place to go to, to feel pretty and spend time with herself.

Vanity Tables: Here - Here - Here - Here 

Dress Yourself and Home Beautifully with a Vanity

XOXO Sarah Louise