Makeover Courtesy of Mom

Our Mom rocks. She is an amazing seamstress and an even more accomplished knitter. These are both talents that we admire but don't have the patience for...we can both only manage to sew straight lines and envelope pillows! Oh and it is not for lack of her trying to teach us...no sir she tries every chance she gets. When I needed some new pillows for my sofa I could not find what I was looking for out in the stores so I bought some special order fabric at Jo Ann's for 40% off and turned to mom for help.
I got a yard of each of these fabrics...

 And in a matter of days she turned up with these beauties...

Look at the cute piping!!

I love them and how they tie in the navy and green accessories I have and add that fun touch of turquoise...now on the hunt for the perfect turquiose lamp...

Thank you Mom! Love you and my new pillows!

(Okay now I'll have to teach her how to get on the blog

so she can actually read how much we appreciate her!)

Put a makeover courtesy of mom in your back pocket...

Get Hooked

We are both mudroom challanged, meaning we don't really have one but really need and want one.

 One solution to this that we have tried is rows of hooks...

(images from Martha Stewart,

Better Homes and Gardens and Decorpad)

Here is my two rows of hooks, right by my back door and they work pretty well as a place to hang bakpacks, lunch bags, and my purse..

Unfortunately we have learned that no matter how many hooks you have it is still a challange to make sure the stuff actually gets on the hooks:)

put some functional hooks(aka poor mans mudroom) 
in your back pocket...

Design In A Bag

One of our readers turned us on to this interesting concept. (Thanks Kathy)  Design in a Bag is an on-line design resource that provides all the elements to create stylish kitchen or bath..

 

Prices for your customized bag start at $199.  They contain samples of tile, cabinetry, countertops, paint, etc. There are different styles to choose from like vintage or contemporary as well as different color themes such as neutral or warm. They don't sell the products but each bag has a "fact sheet" that details the products and where to purchase them.

Kind of interesting, huh?  Check it out at designinabag.com and

put a little design kick-start in your back pocket...

Pottery Barn: The Big Snore

We are big Pottery Barn fans. We both have Pottery Barn sofas and countless other Pottery Barn items and we used to be fired up when the catalog would come in the mail..but lately it has been just a big snore! 

We don't understand what is going on but when we saw these for the fifteenth year in a row we knew it was time to speak out...

Really... the reindeer plates again??Is this the best ya got??
Enough with dasher and prancer!

Or how about this one...

the nursing home called and wants their pillow back! JEEEZ!

Taxidermy turkey anyone? These would scare my children...

In all fairness, we did find a couple of things that we wouldn't mind having..

We still love you Pottery Barn but you need to get it together...

speak out against the big snore and don't put those reindeer plates

 from Pottery Barn in your back pocket...

A Back Pocket Pick:DeCesare Design Group

We have come across an amazing designer, Caroline DeCesare and her talented team.  Funny thing is they are located right near Jen (well in Mesa, Arizona). We like to pretend we're one of them....

or just BFFs with them. 

This powder room is Jen's favorite...

and an old time favorite photo, that we had no idea it was a product of this talented design firm...

Can you stand it?...Put a little Decesare Designs
 in your back pocket...

Hint of Houndstooth.

An easy way to get a little fall update is with a hint of Houndstooth.  It's a little punch of "graphic" and adds a warm touch.

  rug from Jonathan Adler

rug and pillows from Overstock.com

Image from Decorpad

Serena and Lily

image from Cottage Living

dog bed from callingalldogs.com

Leave it to us to find a way to decorate your flask for your

tailgate party...

Put a hint of houndstooth in your back pocket...