Burford Designs

Modern Living and Modern Furniture

The other day I was thinking about my brother, Baby Boy, and how much he likes modern furniture.  He already has a beautiful Eames lounge chair with the ottoman and a lovely Barcelona chair (all are originals), along with some other really nice pieces and that just got me thinking about what else would he like and that led me to my friends over as CSN Stores and their store filled with modern furniture.

They have items broken down into different categories everything from wallpaper and lighting to accent pillows, statues and figurines.  They even have the items broken down by designer so if you know exactly what you are looking for it is pretty easy to scout it out that way.  And heck, if you didn't know the designer, it seems like a good way to find out and do some research by shopping with your eyes. 

I know one thing that Baby Boy wants is a floor lamp similar to a George Kovacs - Arc Floor Lamp in Chrome.  Mommy and I have been on the lookout for one for him for a couple of years now, unfortunately we've only been able to find chrome floor lamps with multiple heads (three to five).  Now I know where to look for items for him.

Just so you know, I plan on doing another review for CSN Stores... stay tuned for that (probably sometime within the next month or so).

Happy Thursday!

Flat Screen TV Stands for Christmas?

Looking at flat screen TV stands is where my online Christmas shopping begins.

Baby Boy, Mommy and I all chipped in and purchased a flat screen TV a while ago, now he just needs a flat screen TV stand so that it will look nicer in the living room.  (The flat screen TV is currently house in the old entertainment center but it needs a flat screen TV stand all its own.)

 

Recently I was asked to do a review for CSN Stores, which is pretty cool seeing that I get to pick out a product and then do a review.  So since I’m already checking out various gifts online for my friends and family to finish out my Christmas list why not start there.

Stay tuned to see what I picked and for the upcoming review.

I’m sure my dad would like one of their flat screen TV stands.  What about you?

Holiday Home Tour

Welcome to my Holiday Home.

 

I like to have little snippets of Christmas all over the house like this little vignette on my bookshelf

There are three decorated trees in the living room, each one differently themed.  We call the first one the Southern Belle because it is dripping in cream pearls and has beautiful pink magnolia blossoms spread throughout.  The second tree is the toy tree covered in tin toy soldiers, blocks, tops, postcards, etc.  The third tree is the silver tree.  It is also dripping in pearls, love the romance of it all, but these pearls are brighter, whiter, and iridescent.  Of course it’s covered in silver and glitter and bright shiny objects.  Last year when I was participating in swaps I received a few new (to me) ornaments to go on this tree. It was nice to discover them again when decorating.

I would love to have a large tree this year, but with the addition of a second dog it’s still easier to have smaller trees that are on top of tables then to have one large tree. 

 

One of my favorite decorations is this silver Santa

Thanks to Julia for hosting another Hooked on Holiday House Tours, just click the link to see other participants.  Thanks to Rhonda at Southern Hospitality and Donna at Funky Junk Interiors for their holiday tours as well.

 

Merry hopping!

Napkins, Plates and Tablescapes

It’s kismet, I just love when I look at my email and it has everything to do with my post for the day.  This morning I opened my work email, where I receive “100 Days of Holidays” notices from Better Homes and Gardens, and saw this link to Fabulous Step-by-Step Holiday Napkins.  How great is that? 

 

In addition to simply receiving my blog post topics through my email I also Googled for inspiration and scoured photos online to see what was out there, especially for holiday tables, and I found a plethora of eye candy that I will share with you today.

A simple thing to start with is to figure out how many people you will have over for dinner and if you are going to have a kids table.  Then begin arranging tables and chairs to accommodate the number of guests you’ll have.  If I’m having a large group over I like to set the table the day before that way I have one less thing to do on the actual day.  I also set out the platters and serving trays (minus the food of course) to see where things will place out. 

Also from Better Homes and Garden:

White China Place Settings for the Holidays

Basic white china is a versatile must-have for your holiday table. Check out these tips to jazz up your "little white plate" for every holiday, including Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year's Eve.

Thanksgiving Decorating With Nature

Enjoy Thanksgiving's glorious colors and inspiring elements with these decorating touches from nature.

Country Living is also a wealth of knowledge and helpful tips so here is a set of pictures with descriptors for their Thanksgiving Table Settings

And of course there’s always Martha…

For those needing assistance with napkin folding there are a couple of sites here and here to help you out.

 

Are you ready for the final countdown?

Martha Stewart's Thanksgiving Special

In addition to the Martha Stewart Thanksgiving Desserts special Fine Living Network is also airing the Martha Stewart's Thanksgiving Special…

From mouth-watering turkeys to festive table-tops, FINE LIVING TV NETWORK's new special, Martha Stewart's Thanksgiving Special, is the one stop for Thanksgiving entertaining. Get tips for planning the perfect Thanksgiving dinner, and enjoy a special look back at some of Martha's favorite Thanksgiving moments. With her simple tips and unique ideas, Martha will inspire you to create a truly memorable Thanksgiving holiday.

IN THIS EPISODE: •Martha Stewart's Thanksgiving •Martha Stewart’s Thanksgiving Tips

AIR TIMES:

• November 01, 2009 10 AM EST    • November 01, 2009 4 PM EST

• November 01, 2009 7 PM EST       • November 05, 2009 9 PM EST

• November 06, 2009 1 AM EST     • November 08, 2009 8 PM EST

• November 09, 2009 12 AM EST   • November 11, 2009 8 PM EST

• November 12, 2009 12 AM EST   • November 14, 2009 11 PM EST

• November 15, 2009 3 AM EST     • November 15, 2009 10 AM EST

• November 15, 2009 4 PM EST      • November 21, 2009 9 AM EST

• November 21, 2009 4 PM EST      • November 22, 2009 9 PM EST

• November 23, 2009 1 AM EST     • November 25, 2009 8 PM EST

• November 26, 2009 12 AM EST   • November 26, 2009 5 PM EST

 

The links above take you to the FLN site where they showcase the different segments from the special including recipes… very helpful to begin planning your Thanksgiving.

Halloween Party Ideas

I’m back, at least with some Halloween party information.  There are some pretty amazing sites out there for party ideas, insights and recipes, in addition to those I wrote about in my previous post.

 

I want to begin this post with a fun download offered by Brooklyn Limestone.  She has a large and a small version of these wonderful toe tags.

Although it’s a little late to send them as invites they could still be useful in your holiday preparations.  I figured that they could be used as labels for your party food or even used for a rousing game of pin the toe tag on the dead guy, their use is limitless. 

Have you been introduced to Brooklyn Limestone before?  It is an amazing blog with a very inventive and creative hostess.  Just look at how Mr. and Mrs. Limestone’s home is decorated for Halloween here and here.  And I could go on for days about their party invitations… this is what was sent for this Halloween and here is one of my favorite invites ever, for a bachelor party and she even generously shares the how-to’s.  Simply A-mazing.

 

Now on to:

 

The Good, the Bad and the Disgusting

 

Divine Dinner Party, which is a great source of inspiration for just about any type of party you might want to host, has an entire page devoted to Halloween titled Dead Dinner party.  I really like that they have pictures to go along with the recipes, okay maybe not always happy, some of the recipes can be pretty disgusting to look at but can be very fitting depending on they type of party you’re throwing. 

 

Britta, self proclaimed Webmistress of the Dark, has a great site full of eerie Halloween food and recipes.  She even has a book for sale Eerie Elegance: How To Host A Haunt And Other Fabulous Frights.  Also, on her site she shows how she has laid everything out for previous Halloween parties.

 

No party prep is complete without checking out Martha and of course, Food Network.

(Photos courtesy of foodnetwork.com)

All of this blogging makes me want to throw a party now.

Be safe and have fun!

HGTV Halloween Block Party: More Treats

Have you been able to watch HGTV’s Halloween Block Party special yet?  I watched it again this past weekend just to take down some of the tips that I really liked.  All the designs were great and there were several tips and ideas that I filed away.  I would have to say that Eddie Ross’ homage to The Legend of Sleepy Hollow was my favorite though. 

 

The décor was fabulous and the food was tremendous.  I decided to check out Eddie’s blog (which I do every so often anyway) and was pleased to see that he listed what he made for the show “We have ham falling off the bone with a cranberry chutney, creepy crudité in hollowed out gourds, fall leaf tortilla chips with six layers under dip, spider web cupcakes, and sticky toffee apples. Finally, to drink, a spooky pomegranate punch with a black sugar rim.” Not only did he write about the food he also gives a recipe/ mini tutorial on the one aspect I was going to write about… the fall leaf tortilla chips.  I love the use of the leaf cookie cutters and the different tortillas.

 

(photo courtesy of eddieross.com)

Eddie also gives his readers a behind the scenes peek at the making of the special, as well as giving some insight into producing a special set for Halloween but filmed in July.  If you have a moment, Eddie’s blog is a wealth of tidbits, information, tutorials and inspiration. 

 

There is still one more airing of this special coming up on October 30, 2009, 6:00 PM e/p.

Fall Hooked on House Tour

Julia from Hooked on Houses is hosting a Fall Hooked on House Tour.  A couple of weeks ago, with a tear in my eye and pout on my mouth, I read that she had laid to rest the weekly “Hooked On” series but was glad to see that she would periodically have blog parties, naming this one and one for the Christmas holidays as ones she would host.

I have not been very good at decorating for fall this year.  I think it’s a combination of working a lot lately and the simple fact that the weather has not been all that cooperative.  A couple of weeks ago we were in the 80’s and then it dropped down to almost 0…crazy. 

 

Even the trees don’t know what to do.  I love the ombreness of this tree

and the rich colors of this one.  Most of the trees took a little longer to turn then just shed all their leaves, seemingly all at once.

 

I took this picture last year

 

I just love the canopy effect of a tree lined street and as I traveled down this particular street I snapped a photo of the yard décor (always looking for ideas).  They had this huge sculpture out front (year round) and decided to add to it for the season so they added ginormous spiders.

 

I do have some fabulous items from all the different Halloween swaps I did last year, like Matilda, who pops up on this blog every now and again.

Then there is Raven and a variety of goodies to put about for spell casting and such.

  

Other than that I haven’t done too much, but I am hoping to get some things done and will snap pictures and write another post when I do.  The next couple of weeks should ease up and I hope to have more fall/ Thanksgiving decorating completed, maybe even this weekend if I can talk Mommy into helping me out.

 

Thanks to Julia for hosted the Fall Home Tours.  Dance on over to check out some other great sites.

Papillon Linens

While admiring and gushing over the Opal Petit Clothier blog from Tammi Swanson (that I wrote about yesterday) I fell in love with Tammi’s daughter Mia’s room.  It is gorgeous, romantic, a throw back to a simpler time, just jump over and take a peek at Snowball her sweet bunny. 

Not only do I love the room and the bunny and the pram but I also fell in love with the bedding… it is covered in ruffles and so lush looking.   While reading the post I found out that the bedding is made by Leigh Chandler from Papillon Linens and quickly flew over to find out more information. 

 

The following is the press release about her company from her website:

In 1993, Leigh Chandler decided to turn her lifelong love of textiles into a business. She had a particular love for the beautiful, casually elegant bedding of Europe. She flew to France, where she convinced bedding designers and companies to export to the United States. She then started selling retail from a French antique store in Atlanta. She quickly realized that there was such an appreciative market for her products but that importing from France was cost prohibitive.  She knew she could produce for the American market with American sizes and be better off producing her own designs in India. In 1994 she started her own wholesale business and named it; “The Chandler Collection”.

She sold her thriving company in 2000 and stayed on until 2005, at which point she decided to get back to her true love – working with 100% linen in the old European styles.  Now based in Las Vegas, NV and with a fully stocked warehouse in Costa Mesa, CA, she has the good fortune of having a great team and a fabulous line that has had exceptional success with premium retailers and specialty boutiques around the country.

The company Papillon Linens creates products of enduring versatility, charm and beauty.  With the classic padded satin stitch embroidery of Old Europe these finely crafted treasures will last for years to come and complement any interior.  She is also excited to debut her newest collection Bébé Papillon, as a very classic full crib line with the same elegance of the Papillon Linens.   

Leigh Chandler has had her products featured in many magazines over the years such as Accessory Merch, Atlanta Homes, Better Homes Bedroom & Bath, Better Homes & Gardens, Bon Appetite, Bridal Guide, Coastal Living, Cottage Living, Country Living, Country Home, Country Living Gardener, Country Living Holidays, Domino, Elle Décor, Good Housekeeping, HFN, Home Accents Today, Home Companion, Home Décor, Home Textiles, House Beautiful, In Furniture, In Style, LDB, Lucky, Modern Bride, Romantic Homes, San Diego Home & Garden, Southern Accents, Style, The Cincinnati Enquirer, The New York Times, Town & Country, Veranda, Victoria, Woman's Day and many more...

To view more of her creations just visit her blog or website.

I yearn for some bedding like this… one day.

 

Happy Friday!

Man Shops Globe

It has been a year since I first heard about this amazing show that follows Keith Johnson, the buyer for specialty retailer Anthropologie, as he travels across the world in search of unusual decorative objects, furniture, and textiles, as well as artists and crafts people.  The show is called Man Shops Globe and will follow Keith as he shops flea markets, villages, and art studios anywhere from Paris to Turkey to South Africa and Brazil.

This is the link that I originally found, although I have seen many blogs with the same info.  From the Futon Critic’s Breaking News (last year):

“[10.03.08 - 02:47 PM]
SUNDANCE CHANNEL GREENLIGHTS "MAN SHOPS GLOBE" (WORKING TITLE) FOR 2009
Released by Sundance [NOTE: The following article is a press release issued by the aforementioned network and/or company. Any errors, typos, etc. are attributed to the original author. The release is reproduced solely for the dissemination of the enclosed information.]

Sundance Channel Greenlights "Man Shops Globe" (Working Title) for 2009

Eight-Part Original Series Produced by World of Wonder to Follow Buyer/Explorer Keith Johnson on Worldwide Quest

New York, October 3, 2008 - Sundance Channel has given a green light to a new original series starring Keith Johnson, the antiques buyer for the innovative specialty retailer Anthropologie. One of the largest purchasers of decorative antiques in the world, Johnson globe trots six months out of the year to find unique and beautiful items. The eight-part, half-hour series "Man Shops Globe" (working title), follows his high-pursuit, ends-of-the-earth excursions, from flea markets in Paris to remote villages in India to obscure art studios across the globe. The series is produced by World of Wonder ("Tori and Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood," "Show Biz Mom & Dads," "One Punk Under God").

"Sundance Channel's audience loves travel and design so we are very enthusiastic about offering our viewers an inside look at Keith's adventures and an appreciation of his dedication to nurturing artists, as well as an understanding of what makes his eye so unique. His charm, coupled with his knowledge of the gorgeous objects and antiques he finds are sure to have our audience salivating for more," said Sundance Channel GM Laura Michalchyshyn. "We are also thrilled to be working with World of Wonder again; it is always a great collaborative process resulting in good work!"

In each location, be it China, Argentina, South Africa, Brazil, France, England, India, or Scandinavia, Johnson hits the ground running with a different team of local experts and artists who help him acquire and re-imagine a new life for the eclectic objects he finds. Working against the clock and driven by his own competitive spirit, he is inexhaustible in his search for uncommon design. This series is also distinguished by Johnson's appreciation of the creative process: each episode will showcase exquisite and delightful objects as well as the artists and process behind the work.

Whether he discovers an antique table or wealth of original works in an undiscovered artist's studio, viewers are sure to be fascinated with Johnson's knack for finding covetable, one-of-a-kind pieces.”

This led me to search out more about Keith and this series.  My find was, Jeremy Simmons who blogs about his adventures on The Solitary Cameraman where I found this post.  Whether you are a buyer or a seller I have always believed that just about everything has a price, apparently Keith agrees, “In Keith's world, everything is available for purchase.  <It’s> not just the bracelets that the lady is selling, but maybe her sari, or perhaps the shelves on which they lay. Where most of us direct our attention to what is displayed in a store, Keith sees it all. He buys signage used to advertising a sale, lighting fixtures, carts used to haul the merchandise - anything is potentially a new product. It's the ability to see things that one would normally edit out - and envision it in a totally different way.  Keith thinks of his job as an editor - distilling down a mountain of merchandise to the very best of the best - but really, he is opening up my world. I had been subconsciously editing things so many things out.” 

Here’s a great article from 1stdibs about Keith and his partner Glen Senk.

The series begins Wednesday, October 7^th on the Sundance Channel.  Since I have satellite my showings are at 7 and 11:30 PM, so that would be 10 PM EDT and PDT and Thursday, October 8^th at 2:30 AM.

I know that I’ll be watching.