Merry Christmas

Isn't this little nativity the sweetest? My Mom got it for Rob's nursery, and it has been a joyful reminder to us each day of what Christmas is all about; the birth of Jesus. Thanks be to God for this most incredible gift!

I'm enjoying time with family & friends over the next few days; I hope that you're able to do the same. Have a very merry Christmas!

Deal of the Day

Oh, if this had only come up 9 months ago...

HauteLook is selling Modern Classics plastic molded rocking chairs (knockoff Eames rockers) for $79. Yes, that's right; $79. What a steal! And they have them in blue, green and white. I have loved mine in the nursery; I don't spend tons of time in it anymore, but it's great for bedtime stories and I love that it can stay in Rob's room for years to come; it never goes out of style and isn't too baby-ish.

So moms-to-be or moms in need of a good chair for the kiddos, merry Christmas to you!

One more chic shelf

I stand corrected. If the aforementioned black bamboo shelf was still in my house, I'd use it like this (cue image on the right):

Image via Lonny. BTW, the new holiday issue is soooooo good. Treat yourself.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. Eat well, enjoy loved ones, and give thanks!

And, if you're looking for a last-minute dessert to make, try this recipe for Pumpkin Cookies, found on the blog Habitually Chic. I make them each year and they are a HIT.

Pumpkin Cookies

1 cup sugar

1 cup canned pumpkin

½ cup butter

1 tablespoon grated orange peel

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup raisins

Glaze:

¼ cup butter

2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 – 2 tablespoons milk

Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together sugar, pumpkin, butter and orange peel. Stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and raisins. Drop by teaspoon onto un-greased baking sheet. Bake until light golden brown about 8-10 minutes*. Immediately remove from baking sheet and cool. Spread with glaze. Enjoy!

*I usually bake them for ~15 minutes in my electric oven.

Chic Shelving

This black, bamboo-detailed shelf is new at AAI/H&G.

If it were staying in my house, I would probably use it like this:

or this:

or, if I had room in my kitchen, like this:

The possibilities for stylish storage are endless!

The Decorista Agrees

One of my favorite bloggers, Ashlina of The Decorista, had a great post over the weekend about zebra ottomans. She wrote this:

"Absolutely every space in the world should have a little bit of something exotic.

I will always suggest a beautiful zebra ottoman, it just makes a room sing.

They may seem to be a little repeated at this point, but a wild animal print is still so chic.

In my opinion, if your home needs a pick me up... grab one of these bad boys and rock it!

Easy peasy."

So, in the words of The Decorista, make your room "sing," people.

Perhaps with one of these:

(Found at Hunt & Gather/Anna Applegate Interiors)

Pretty New Things

Email me for details...

Apple Art

I loved this post by blogger Kelly Green on Enzo Mari's La Mela print, a fun, inexpensive piece of art that goes in a variety of rooms in a home. How I would love to have one in my kitchen!

Holiday Open House at Hunt & Gather

In all of the hustle & bustle of moving new pieces in and tiding up the booth last night, I didn't have a chance to take individual pictures of new items to post today. But, here's an overview picture of what's new in the booth; lots of great finds, many of which I really wanted to keep for myself!

Stop by Hunt & Gather (Bernard St. location) for their Holiday Open House, today from 10-6 and tomorrow from 1-5. Hope to see you there!

And we're back

It's hard to believe that my little guy is already 3 months old. It feels like time is flying by, yet August 9th seems worlds away as well. When everyone told me that it gets easier and more fun every day, they were right. We're having a ball and (thanks be to God!) getting more sleep, which is a total game-changer in the best of ways.

my little guy

Now that Rob's 3 months old (and I'm getting more sleep), I'm getting back into the world of design, which has felt great. My Mom and I took Rob on his first furniture-hunting trip a few weeks ago, and he did wonderfully. He enjoyed his ride in the Baby Bjorn, snuggled up close with his grandmother amidst stacks of furniture. He even got some naps in amidst all the chaos; what a trooper!

Speaking of furniture, I have lots of great new pieces to share with you, all of which will be on display in my booth this weekend, just in time for Hunt & Gather's annual Holiday Open House this Saturday and Sunday at the Bernard Street location in Raleigh. There will be munchies and a store full of fabulous "finds" to help get your home ready for the holidays. After all, it's almost the middle of November! Where has the year gone?!?

Thanks for your patience over the past few months while I've spent sweet time with my little one. Stay tuned for posts on some great new items at AAI!

Hello, Handsome!

He's here!

Robert Ware Applegate (Rob) arrived on Monday, August 9th at 11:22 am, weighing 8 lbs, 11.6 oz and measuring 21" long. We are smitten with our little guy!

Pardon my hiatus from blogging, but I'll be taking some time off to be with my little one- and, of course, to sleep whenever possible!

A Feathered Nest

A day past my due date, and still no baby. But, we finally have a sofa, and that's a good thing.

Long story short, our old sofa, bought second hand from a sweet lady in D.C., had to go because Mr. Edgar had taken it over and, well, it smelled a lot like him and was no longer suitable for lounging, especially with a baby.

Exhibit A (we tried to protect it as long as possible with a sheet, but he always found a way to move it and get on the actual upholstery, preferably on top of a throw pillow...he's snobby like that):

In addition, our den is long and rectangular, and serves as both a TV room, office and our only access to the back deck. Therefore, the space had to be carefully planned and I found that, to optimize seating, a sectional really fit the best.

One of the most valuable things I learned from my first job as a design assistant was the importance of floor plans. No matter how well you think you can visualize a space, it's always best to put it on paper so you can play around with different sizes and configurations and can see what really works best in the room. From my floor plan, it was obvious that a sectional was the way to go...

I had ordered a sofa for a client from a North Carolina manufacturer, King Hickory, and we had a great experience with them; great price, great quality. So I ordered our sectional from them, assuming I'd be pleased again. Well, I'll spare you the horrid details and will just say that it was TERRIBLE. Designers, beware! Not only did they make the sofa incorrectly and refused to resolve the issue any other way than refunding my money (which wasn't great consolation, considering the old Edgar couch was now gone and time was ticking towards baby's arrival), their excuse was that "they don't really like working with designers." Interesting. If I keep thinking about it, the frustration could send me into labor, right here, right now.

Thankfully, there is a new design studio in Greensboro for the trade called The Studio of Greensboro, and the staff there is fabulous. They introduced me to a great upholstery line called C.R. Laine, made in Hickory. Their pieces come standard with many sustainable features, such as frames made from responsibly harvested hardwoods and eight-way hand tied coils made with recycled materials. They have a quick lead time (about 4 weeks), are priced well, and their fabric selection is great. If you're in the market for new upholstery, it's a great line to consider.

So I ordered our sectional and it was delivered last week. It's SO nice to have a sofa again!! And I've paired it with an ottoman that came from Goodwill which I had reupholstered in this fabric.

The fabric on the drapery panels & throw pillows was found at an antique shop in Middleburg, Virginia. I think it's a vintage Lee Jofa print, but I've been trying to determine its name and production date since I bought it three years ago (if you're able to identify it, please let me know). It's my favorite.

So I feel like my "nesting" (and my den) is finally finished. Now, if we could just get this baby to come...

Have a great weekend!

Another Peek at the Poole's

I'm sure that many of you will recognize this Charlotte home, belonging to Laura and Perry Poole, from the February 2007 edition of Domino. I definitely did, which is why the spring/summer edition of Charlotte Magazine's Home& Garden, featuring the Poole's and their fabulous mid-century modern home on the cover, caught my eye at Borders the other day.

This piece offers a more in-depth look into the house and its evolution from "the ugliest in Charlotte" to a stylistically appropriate marriage of mid-century modern architecture/decor and contemporary living for this chic young family. It's a treat to see new images of the house, including some "before" shots, which give us a greater appreciation for its evolution and the talented designers behind it all, including the Pooles themselves and their good friend and decorator, Barrie Benson (whom I love!). Enjoy!

I bet you can't eat just one...

In light of my heat & pregnancy-induced stir-craziness, I decided to bake on Sunday. I found this recipe for Chocolate Cream Cheese Cupcakes on a design blog weeks ago, and of course I can't for the life of me remember which one now (if it was you, please let me know! And thanks for the incredible recipe!)

So I made them, they were super easy, and absolutely delicious! If you find yourself cooped up inside because of this extreme heat and get the urge to bake, I highly recommend making these. Ryan and I have been consuming about 3 a day thus far...

Chocolate Cream Cheese Cupcakes

Makes 20 cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened

1 egg, slightly beaten

1/3 c. sugar

1 pinch salt

1 (6 oz) package chocolate chips

1 c. sugar

1 1/2 c. flour

1/4 c. cocoa

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. water

1/2 c. oil

1 tbsp. vinegar

1 tsp. vanilla

1. In a small bowl, combine first 4 ingredients.

2. Add chocolate chips and set aside.

3. Mix remaining ingredients well.

4. Fill muffin tins, lined with paper cups 1/3 to 1/2 full with this mixture.

5. Drop a large spoonful of cheese mixture on top.

6. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Enjoy!

Ready & Waiting + The Nursery

The countdown is on. 9 more days until Rob's is "due" to enter the world. Nesting has taken full effect and all of the closets and drawers are clean & organized, baseboards have been scrubbed, and the nursery has been ready for awhile now (not surprising, I guess).

The waiting game is starting to drive me a little crazy, even though I know I should be grateful for the down time while I have it. In an effort to stay busy today, and to follow up on my nursery posts from months ago, I decided to take a few pictures of the "final" room to share with you.

You can see some of my resources & inspiration here, including the crib & rocker I used.



By the way; if you're considering the Eames Rocker (or a knock-off version, like mine) for a nursery but are concerned about the comfort level, I've been pleased thus far. Granted, I haven't spent a whole lot of time in it yet, so stay tuned for a more accurate report once the midnight feedings have begun...


I followed Erica's (at Urban Grace) great tip for making a crib skirt that will always "kiss the floor," no matter how high or low the crib mattress is adjusted. It's a smart & easy way to make a custom crib skirt and you can see her directions here. And, if your crib is up against a wall like mine, you only need fabric for 3 panels, saving $ on yardage (always a plus!).
*Side note: Once Rob arrives, the frog & blanket in the crib will find a new home in the nursery, as it's not recommended that any kind of blanket or toy be in the crib with a newborn.


Old chest of drawers + changing pad + diapers/wipes stored in top right drawer for easy access +diaper genie on the right= viola! Instant changing table. Complete with my Cole Harbert alphabet watercolor & salvaged/repainted artichoke lamps.

My favorite part of Rob's nursery are the small, sentimental items that will serve to help teach him about his family and all that is dear to us.



For example, this picture above of Ryan as a baby with his Mom and Dad...



And this one of my Mom holding me, with my maternal grandmother in the background...



Of course, Rob will learn very quickly that he's a Tar Heel, born & bred. Above is a watercolor of the Old Well (at UNC), which was given to me by my parents when I graduated from Carolina. In the picture frame on the left is a shot of Ryan and me at (one of many) college sorority events.

Does the elephant look familiar? It hadn't found a good home yet after months in the booth, and I decided it will be a perfect flower vase for the nursery. (Flowers to come...proving that there's always some detail left to attend to...)



This is perhaps my favorite piece of "art" in the nursery; it's a letter that Ryan wrote to his grandmother when he was little, along with a four-leaf clover that he had found for her. Hopefully you can read the text from my picture; it's absolutely precious.



I found these tiny trays at an antique shop when we were in Middleburg, Virginia, celebrating our first anniversary. At the time, I didn't know what I was going to do with them, but I just thought they were too sweet to pass up. Now they are perfect for holding odds & ends in the nursery!


And, here's me at 9 months pregnant. You can see that I wasn't kidding about this child being a Tar Heel right out of the womb!

Happy Monday, everyone!