book review: decorating for real life by wendy hyde

ok. a little disclaimer. my home is featured in this book, so it is IMPOSSIBLE for me to not love this book!

now....that being said, i am somewhat of a design book junkie. i have loads of design books, and like most of them for different reasons. some books are all about fantasy. you know the books i'm talking about. they feature homes and rooms that cost more than most of us will make in a lifetime. those books are fun to drool over, but it is rare that you can put down a book like that and be able to apply specific details and design elements into your own home. 

this book is different!

decorating for real life is all about  homes that are lived in by REAL FAMILIES. with real budgets. talk about refreshing! what a welcome addition to my design book library!






i not only loved the variety of homes that were featured, but also the inventive layout, and the warmth and clarity of the writing. the introduction has some informative content and basic decorating advice including finding your decor style, space and color planning, and adding details to make your rooms personal.





each home that is featured has its own "chapter" with a title that lets the reader know a bit about the home. some titles are "bright and beachy", "clean and contemporary", "simple and serene" and "fresh and fabulous".

(TA-daaa!! that is actually the title of MY chapter, which features my girls bathroom, as well as grady's bathroom. there are even some details captured in the book that aren't on my blog!)

















a special thank you to wendy for featuring my home in her book. she is as real and genuine as they come. if you read her blog (the shabby nest), or have met her in person, you know that she radiates warmth and kindness,  has a quick wit, and is incredibly intelligent. 
i stumbled into her by accident a couple of years ago, and had no idea who she was (or how incredibly popular her blog was! if i had known, i probably would have been so intimidated that i would hid under a rock and not talked to her!)....we bonded over confessing our love for insanely expensive fabrics and furniture -that - makes- you -go -weak -at - the- knees. it was "love at first sight",  design blogger style. 
i am glad i know her. 
(and NOT just cuz she wrote this book.)


i hope you liked the sneak peek inside the book!
you can order your copy here.

have a lovely weekend!

blog tour

i was excited when kirsten of 6th street design school asked me to be a part of this blog tour! kirsten always inspires me with her fresh and colorful approach to design, and her blog is filled with informative  posts, great DIY projects, and home tours that you won't see anywhere else. 

 her business continues to grow and thrive, and i look forward to seeing more projects from house of jade interiors in the future!

now, to answer a couple of questions about MOI:

Why do I write/create what I do?
i write my blog because i enjoy it. i like the sense of community that comes with blogging, and i like sharing things i have learned, projects that i am working on, and of course,  i love finding and sharing affordable substitutes for expensive home furnishings and decor items. 



How does my style differ from others in my genre?

i like to think of my style as "tailored traditional with a touch of modern". i am a sucker for details like trims on window treatments, contrast welting, and i appreciate clean, simple lines in larger, investment pieces. i love budget friendly decor, but i also believe that every room can benefit from something funky or unique---a great vintage table, a fabulous piece of art, a thrift store frame or a designer pillow. a little splurge can go a LONG way in a budget-friendly room!



What am I working on?
i have been blessed over the past several years to have a steady stream of e-design clients from all over the country, so many hours of my week are spent assisting them with their spaces, which i absolutely love!

i am also working on my personal home. we moved in just over a year ago, and i have many, many projects and rooms yet to tackle! next up will be my 12 year old daughter charlotte's room...i am planning on her room being a fun yet sophisticated hangout for her and her friends, and i hope to accomplish the design a pretty tight budget!
i will be a linking participant in the one room challenge again, which starts next week, so i am trying to finalize some of the major design decisions in the room so i can have everything done at the end of the 6 weeks!


thanks for the invitation kirsten!

to continue the tour, i am selecting a crazy talented and insanely funny blogger that i have long admired...sherry from design indulgence!


when i saw her dining room reveal for the last one room challenge round, i spent about 3 straight minutes just *signing at it awesomeness.

 a gorgeous bedroom she designed. (click here for her portfolio)

besides being complete eye candy, sherry is always "out and about" on her blog, and takes her readers on gorgeous showcase home tours, and to great shopping and antique venues, all with witty commentary that will make you laugh out loud. (for reals. i don't use the phrase "laugh out loud" lightly.)

be sure and follow sherry at design indulgence  next week when she continues the blog tour!

yo. my bathroom is in a BOOK.

well hi!

...just wanted to let you know that THIS book is available for pre-order.

oh yeah...and my girls bathroom will be featured.(!!!!)
(the author, wendy hyde is a very talented local designer, and author of the popular blog, the shabby nest.)

do you remember my INSANE, crazy-pants, nutso week while i whizzed my way from this:

to this?

(me too!! I'm still a little burned out!)

anyway, the book is filled with practical, stylish decorating solutions for REAL life, and is being released october 14th. this is the first time that i have had a project of mine published, and i am JUST a little excited.

pre-order your copy here!

my award winning butterbeer recipe

i hope everyone had a great holiday weekend!
the fourth of july is my second favorite holiday (right behind thanksgiving and christmas---a tie)
our week was filled with good food, swimming, friends, lacrosse games, plenty of sunshine and fireworks. it was pretty darn amazing.

anyway, last week, my husband was nestled into the couch, on his iphone and announced-- "hey---did you know that your butter beer recipe won the "best simple butterbeer recipe" according to the the orlando informer blog?"



uh. no...
i did NOT know that.
but YAY for me!


two summers ago, i wrote a post for design dazzle on a fun summer activity for kids. i chose the theme of "wizard for a day"--inspired, of course, by harry potter.
we had recently returned from a trip to universal studios, and had tasted the butterbeer there, and i tried my best to recreate an easy recipe for it. most of the recipes that i came across required cooking, and since i wanted this to be an easy summer activity that my 3 kids could easily help me with.

the post also included some printables for fun (tasteful) happy potter t-shirts:

here is an except from the article:

you can see the recipe, as posted on my blog here, and grab the images to make your own t-shirts here.

have a magical day!

how i met your blogger: a love story

good morning!
today i have a guest post up at fresstylin', with beth.
i had the opportunity to meet beth over lunch a few months ago when she was in town from texas, and we hit it off immediately. the servers at the mexican restaurant where we ate were mad at us for sitting and talking so long....it was great! i can't wait for another LONG lunch with her!

she is running an adorable series called "how i met your blogger" on how some of her favorite bloggers met their mates. so, if you want to learn a little more about MY love story, click here!

great reads at rambling renovators

today, i am over at:

jennifer at rambling renovators asked me to be part of her series called "great reads", where she highlights some favorite blogs and their most popular posts....as well as some posts that deserve a second look.

be sure and check it out here!

some other participants in todays post:

my holiday table setting in pimlico magazine

the holiday issue of pimlico magazine is now live!
you can read it by clicking here.

there are some really beautiful spreads on wrapping paper, gift giving, a portable feast, travel, 

and a fun hot chocolate bar.

you can also see the article on holiday table settings, where i am featured!

here a few more higher resolution images of the table setting.

you can find all of the sources in the article.

 
(i gave you a peek of this table setting several weeks ago on instagram.)

be sure and check out the holiday issue of pimlico here!

a big thank you...

to my top referrers!
(and, some of my personal favorite blogs as well!)

thank you for having design dump on your blogroll and featuring my projects!

emily a. clark

kirsten krason

laurie turk




joy kelley

jill hinson

mary ann pickett


if you haven't already been to these blogs, do your self a favor and check them out!