presidential power

it's a long weekend, (for most of us--yay!) and i for one am grateful to be able to sleep in tomorrow!
i am a very patriotic person, and have always felt that no matter WHO the president is,
or what party he/she may be from,  that the title and weight of such a hefty calling has my full
support,  faith and respect.
now... while you will never find me plastering my walls with images of george bush or bill clinton,
there is something about the images of our older presidents that i find completely captivating. maybe it
is the sense of history that they evoke, or that things seem so much more simple and unpolluted "back then", or that their images seem to have a sense of dignified whimsy?
i'm not sure.
all i know is that i really like pictures/prints our founding fathers.
here are some that i would love to use in my own home...maybe in my son's room, in a family room or even a library or entry...

founder
quentin curry

washington silhouette
john birdsong

lincoln montage
paul van scott

original painting: george washington
elizabeth mayville

great presidents
museum shop

on monday, i will be sharing a design plan for a young man that is mildly obsessed with baseball, coin collecting, and all things presidential! i really love taking peoples personalities and interests and creating a
space for them that reflect who they are what what they love! it is one of the things i love most about what i do!

my favorite budget ottomans

whew. is it just our family, or has the virus fairy been really, really busy lately? in the last few weeks, we have had strep throat, a cold, a sinus infection, two ear infections and bronchitis. i am hoping that we are ALL done for a while. 

while i was wallowing in bed this week (wishing i could pluck my achey eyeballs out of my head and throw them across the room), i had some time to think about some of my favorite budget-friendly pieces that i wanted to share with you.

i love the way ottomans can pull double and even triple duty in a room. i have two small ottomans in my family room that are constantly getting moved around and used as seats, footstools and even tables. 

we LOVE them. 

here are some stylish and affordable ottomans that you can add to YOUR space--my "best" budget ottomans:

1.  the price and metal legs are a great draw on this    x base ottoman. recovering the top with a more stylish fabric, or adding a welted box cushion with some railheads trim would make this ottoman a dead ringer for this one.

2. this tracie basic leather ottoman is available in several colors, and is the perfect portable seat/footstool.

3. if you are looking to add some texture to your room, consider these banana leaf stools....they are super affordable and have a fantastic shape.

4. the marie ottoman is classic all the way, and is available in many colors of velvet and linen. i have a crush on the matching marie chair.

5. i have used the red version of this barcelona-like  milano black leather ottoman in two different design plans, and have seen them in person. they are solid, and are a really great size. i especially love seeing them in a pair, side by side.

6. if you are looking for a classy little ottoman with some charming details, consider the chase pedestal ottoman. it is a fraction of the cost of similar ottomans.

7. remember those awesome jc penny footstools trellis that i managed to snag right before they stopped offering them? this palace stool  is a little more costly than the jc penny ones, but packs a similar style punch.

8. i really like the soft curvy lines of this course ottoman, it would fit with just about any decor.

9.this x-base ottoman is available in 2 finishes and dozens of fabrics.

do you have a favorite budget friendly ottoman? let me know!

lovey-dovey

if you have been reading my blog for a while, then you are probably aware that i am not
the biggest fan of valentines day. in fact, until about 5 years ago, i refused to even celebrate.
it's amazing what kids and a very romantic (and persistent) husband can do. i have to admit,
that i even find myself looking forward to it each year.
with the popularity of pinterest lately,  it is always fun to see all of the images that get added there

around each holiday. here are some of my favorites:

for image sources, click here to see my valentines pinterest board.

two e-design plans

i thought i would share two more design plans that i completed for different clients.

because this room had so many windows, we decided to paint the walls a deep charcoal color,

and add roman shades in a lighter tone with a subtle pattern. the homeowners existing wicker furniture

will be updated with new cushions, and new side tables, lamps, and pillows will add texture and color.

this family room will get a boost with new wainscoting, and an eclectic mix of furnishings 

and accessoires. several shades of blues will be complemented with tones of gold, and brought 

together with the rug and pillows.

interested in working together to create a more functional and beautiful space?
i will not be taking on any more clients for full or mini room designs until the end of march,
but i can fit a phone consolation in anytime. email me for rates, to get on my waiting list, or for more information at autumnclemons@yahoo.com

affordable find: gold twig table

most of the affordable finds that i come across get pinned immediately to my board on pinterest,
but this one is FRESH, and i wanted to share it with y'all first:

brass + marble gold twig table
$429

twig accent table
$49

nearly 90% off the real deal, and still looks pretty darn fabulous!
you're welcome.
:)

super bowl

aw, c'mon. you didn't think i was really going to post about THE Super Bowl, did you?

(chuckle, chuckle.)

nah...i wouldn't do that to you!
i don't know about you, but i've had enough football-talk to last me for a looong while.

in the last few weeks, i finally unpacked most of the books in my house and have been filling the

bookcases in my "library". i have been looking at images to get inspired to style them in a way

that makes me happy...and one of the things i have been noticing is the use of bowls (among

other decorative objects) as accessories when styling not only bookcases, but in creating pretty,

memorable vignettes:


(via from the right bank)
don't you like the mix of objects in this bookcase? the footed bowls add so much to the styling here.

(via caitlin wilson)
can you spot the little bowl in the coffee table vignette? i really like the chic look of the objects in the tray.

(via caitlin creer)
here, caitlin creer has perched a patterned bowl atop a stack of books on a simple table. 

(via martha stewart)
love how this little bowl is holding some coral, and the footed bowls just above it are empty.
did you spot the little bowl on the top shelf as well? so simple, so pretty.

another patterned bowl atop books. pretty, pretty.

(via everything fabulous,original source unknown)
a close up of the above bowl.
aren't the colors and the pattern beautiful?

(via elements of style)
another bowl on top of books, but this time the bowl is a very textural element that
compliments the coral.

if you like this look, here are some bowls that you can purchase to add to your accessory arsenal:

i think the color and texture on this bowl would look great in any space.

the textures on this organic capiz shell and driftwood bowl are magical. this
bowl would look amazing in a vignette with a slightly coastal feel.

this blue willow bowl would look great with an orchid potted in it.

this footed trophy bowl  would make a statement one any shelf or on any table.

if you are looking to add a jolt of color to your vignette, consider one of these streak dye bowls.

i am in LOVE with this bowl. how incredible would it look with some succulents in it? VERY incredible indeed. very.

no more lost keys

**warning. this is a totally NON-interior-design-related post.
i just thought i would share something that made my week a little bit better....a new keychain.
yes, i am easily amused.

my husband would readily confirm that i am "key challenged". i think i have lost at least 5 sets of keys in the 15 years we have been married. i seriously think that my keys are running away with all of the lost socks and sharpened pencils in my house.
for nearly two years, i had my keys on a black leather tasseled key chain that i loved because i could always find my keys. sadly, i *ahem* lost that set of keys about 9 months ago.
i was certain that i would find them as i was packing up our house for the move, but they never showed up. i have been on the hunt for a new keychain for the past few weeks. i liked the tutorial that jenny had on diy version of a tasseled keychain, but there is not way i am going to get around to ordering and gathering all of the materials i would need for that project. no way.
finally, i found the perfect replacement:

 meet my new gold leather tassel keychain. 

i just received it in the mail this past week, and i was SO happy! i haven't lost my keys ONCE since then!

it's also available in these colors. you can find them here.

charlotte moss trims

charlotte moss recently introduced a new line of trim and fabrics available

at calico corners. the fabrics are feminine and traditional, and would look

great mixed with graphic prints and stripes, but what i am really loving are

a few of the trims:

my favorite is this one: a 2" fretwork inspired trim called "berlin".

it is available in 6 colors.

i also adore this one, (also around 2") called "munich"

there is also this cording (piping/welting) available in 11 colors.

here are a few great ways to use those wide trims and the cording:

i adore the look of trims added to the edge of curtains panels. it add another layer of

detail in a room that adds so much to a room.

this patterned roman shade gets a more tailored looks with the 

addition of trim on the bottom. 

(found via pinterest, but original source unknown.)

cording/welting/piping on edge of a pillow can really make a pillow eye-catching.

 via etsy

you can check out charlotte mod fabrics and trims here.