Sarah Richardson, Ms. King Midas

One of my favorite designers is Sarah Richardson. Everything this woman touches, turns to gold (hence that catchy title, haha). I absolutely love her style, and her ability to mix prints is just amazing. She always picks the most luscious fabrics. (That was a little dramatic, but, let's be honest, they are indeed, luscious.)  I also love the fact that she is Canadian, because, well Canadians are cool if for no other reason than the way they say about and the way they spell colour. What can I say? I'm easily impressed.

images Sarah Richardson Design

It's Not Easy Being a Twix. At My House.

Don't you hate it when you buy a box of Nila Wafers to reward your three year old, she eats about two and you eat the rest? Or, you buy a bag of Twix and pretty much eat the whole thing within a ridiculously short period of time? Yeah, that never happens to me, either. (Curse you lack of self control, chocolate, and complex carbohydrates.) The good news is, I think I have all of this junk food eating out of my system. (She said again for the millionth time.) No more junk food. That's right. You heard it here first, no more junk food.  Until the Superbowl, because let's be honest, that's second to only Thanksgiving in the food world. I am American, after all. So, to review: no more junk food for two weeks! Who's with me? And now, some beautiful kitchens for your viewing pleasure. Do you think the garbages in these spaces are full of Twix wrappers just like mine? Speaking of, I better go bury those before I get busted by Stella. Hate it when that happens.

image from ML Interiors

image from Sarah Richardson via HGTV

image from Apartment Therapy

[color kreyv]: Black & Gray

I love black and gray (and of course you've got to throw in a little bit of white). I know it sounds all gloomy and dark, but it's not. With the right gray, lighting, and use of black as an accent, it's quite delightful. Yes. Quite delightful. Opposite of the nights I've been having. It's crazy how a few mosquito bites can go unnoticed all day long until the moment you try to sleep, and then they itch like crazy. How do those little creatures know to bite you right on your ankles and toes? How did this post go from black and gray to mosquitos? I have no idea. There's no connection. No connection whatsoever.  Now, let's just look at the pretty pictures and try not to think about our mosquito bites, shall we?

image from Jenny Abbot Interiors

image from Sarah Richardson

image from 30 Elm

Backsplash, Backsplash

...and that was to the tune of the backpack song from Dora the Explorer. Stella started singing it at about nine this morning, and twelve hours later, it's still stuck in my head. No biggie. It actually gave me an idea: backsplashes. I'm currently loving white subway tile (how gorg is the blue?), but I think I could easily be talked into something shiny, or ANYTHING Sarah Richardson does. Amazing. But, alas, it will be A LONG, LONG time before I get to choose a backsplash. One year and nine months before we even finish residency and fellowship...and then there's that pesky debt. Awwww, man! (You know that was Swiper the Fox, right?!)

image from Meringue Designs

image from Apartment Therapy

image from Sarah Richardson

[kreyv of the day]

image from Sarah Richardson

[color kreyv]: Yellow

I decided that I needed a little bit of yellow in my life right now.  This crazy weather has got me all sorts of confused. On Monday it was in the 60's. Today, it was in the 30's. Last night, there were tornado warnings. It rains, it snows, it does nothing. What the?! This trickery of Mother Nature's is just making me want to skip winter all together and just go straight to sunny skies...but not too hot. Let's not be crazy!  (I am NOT an extreme weather person. Big surprise, I know.) If we end up living somewhere with lots of gray skies, I'm going to need a room with yellow to brighten my mood. Now that I think about it, I think we all need a good mood room, dontcha think? What's your good mood color?

image from Sarah Richardson

image from Atlanta Homes

image from Apartment Therapy

Hook, Line, & Sinker

I've been married for over 10 years, so let's just say I've picked up a few... umm tools, if you will, along the way. As you know, the hubs is a resident which means lots of overnight shifts and lots of trying to catch up on sleep during the day. He's always hated that our bedroom curtains are white and don't do much to keep the room dark when they are closed.

Lately, I've been wanting to change up the bedroom a little bit...starting with the window treatments. So, I may or may not have manipulated the situation to get what I wanted. I said I needed to change out the panels, because I hate how light it is at night because of the street lamps. Plus, and more importantly, Hubs would be able to sleep better during the day.  Am I bothered by how much light comes in at night? Yes. If I had window treatments that I absolutely loved would I live with the light? Yes. So, there you have it. I have my new window treatments, and Jeremy thinks I'm thoughtful for getting panels that keep out the light. Sounds like a win win to me. Don't judge me, after all, I just gave you a great tip.

image from Tobi Fairley

image from Tracery Interiors

image from Sarah Richardson Design

[kreyv of the day]

image from Sarah Richardson

I [heart] Sarah Richardson

I hope you all had a great weekend. We did. We had some family pool time, had sushi with friends, went to church, and had a great BBQ (courtesy of the hubs). The best part was that Jeremy never got paged into the hospital, so we got him all to ourselves!

I think I just need one more thing to make my future summers the best ever: a cottage. Not too much to ask for, right? Sarah Richardson (who is my favorite designer EVVV-ERRR), had a series called "Sarah's Cottage" where she completely remodels her family cottage. This isn't just any cottage. It is on a private island that can only be reached by boat or plane. AND it has a guest cabin. How awesome would that be? I know. I need one. You do, too. I know it.

The Settee. J'aime.

Do you know what a settee is? If you do, I'm going to tell you anyway! A settee is a small sofa that can accommodate two people, not to be confused with a love seat. Two totally different things. Don't you feel smart now--and kind of fancy? Me, too! In fact, I think I want a settee. I need somewhere to sit while I sip my Crystal Light and read my poetry. Check out these beauts.

And, speaking of love, I am extra loving my big sister, Brittni who is celebrating her birthday. Happy Birthday, Sis! Love you!

image from West Elm

image from Cozamia

image from Sarah Richardson

The Real Master of the House

I only caught the last half of part two of the Oprah finale. I wasn't an Oprah watcher, but I wish I would have seen the two part finale. After all, it is the end of an era. Oh well, I'm over it! Right when I caught it, Jerry Seinfeld was in the middle of his performance. It was so funny, and I was nodding my head and smiling the entire time! Have we not all been there, done that? Here's what I heard:

"When you're in a disagreement with your significant other, learn to talk like you're being interviewd on Oprah. Just listen. Nod, and answer the questions, because it's all about listening. A lot of wives complain that their husbands do not listen. I've never heard my wife say this. She may have, I don't know.

One of things I did not know before I got married that I found out after I got married is that every single day of my married life I would be discussing the tone in my voice. In the beginning of the relationship, all men raise their voice two full octaves [for courting, flirting]. My actual speaking voice that I am using right now to communicate with you is not welcome in my house. That's why I'm out here talking to you."

image from Sarah Richardson

image from R Dujour

image from How You Dwell

Stay Awhile, Why Dontcha?

I have the gift of gab. I just do. It's the combination of loving to talk to people and not being able to stand any pause or awkward silence in a conversation. Take, for example, the conversations that happened just today.

Phil. Phil is our pest control guy. He's really great. He uses green products, so it is completely safe. I know all about it. I also know that mulch attracts termites, water attracts ants, and that when there is more moisture, insects reproduce more. I also know that Phil has been using LinkedIn, and he's really a big fan. Nice guy. How do I know this? He spent 45 minutes at my house today. We're tight like that, and he's coming back in about a week.

Maintenance Guy. I am so horrible for not knowing this guy's name, yet. It's too late to ask him his name, now (again). I'll just have to ask the office. Anyway, he, too, is a very nice guy. We always have good conversations. Lately, he's been having a hard time with Noah's baseball career. Noah is his eight year old son. Maintenance Guy was also at my house for 45 minutes. He and Phil overlapped for about ten minutes. Yes, I had a houseful.

Dr. Dripps. By the time I actually got to see the doctor today, I really wasn't in the mood to chit chat. I waited for an hour and a half before I got to see the guy. But, still, I know that he, too, had a stem cell transplant. His was in 1983. He is dual certified in internal medicine and pediatrics, but private practice was just too much for him, so now he is with a group that just sees adults.

Erik. Erik is our next door neighbor. Jeremy, Stella, and I were outside playing when Erik got home. I learned that he is really into biking, both road and mountain. If I want to get into biking, he recommended a hybrid bike. That way I can ride it wherever I want. Erik has three bikes. I learned this and so much more from our 20 minute conversation. Jeremy didn't feel the need to have a conversation. He just told the guy to "take it easy" and that was that.

I can't get away with just three words. It just wouldn't feel right. Mom, I blame you for my inability to end a conversation. Speaking of ending a conversation, would ya look at the size of this post? I gotta go. Take it easy.

image from Kara Mann

image from Samantha Farjo

image from Sarah Richardson

[reader request]: Architectural Elements

I am oft times asked if I will post on a certain concept or look. Most of the time, I think, "What a great idea!" So, here it is, [kreyv]'s new series, [reader request]*.

My first request is by Joan from Milwaukee. Joan is one of my besties from Milwaukee. I love Joan to pieces. She is one of those people who just really cares about people, especially me (but who can blame her)! She is always very supportive, loving, and encouraging. She is just a happy person and was kind of like my Milwaukee mom. Joan also has great fashion sense and is rich. Just sayin.' (Don't worry, not every request will have a full bio of the reader, I just couldn't resist with Joan!)

Joan requested a post on decorating with architectural elements, so over the past few months I've been saving some of my favorites. Hope you find inspiration in them!

image from Country Living

image from Pottery Barn

image from Architectural Digest

image from Sarah Richardson

*If you would like to be featured in the [reader request] series, please email me at jamiejojoyal@hotmail.com or leave a comment in the comment section with your request and where you live. I will do my best to accommodate your requests, but not all requests will be featured.

Like Two Peas in a Pod

Do you ever start to worry that you want too many things? That's normal, right? It's okay to wish and admire and drool over things--so many beautiful things. It's okay to drool over a pair of accent chairs, though. They pretty much make the room (along with every other piece of furniture, art, accessory, rug, curtain...). Have a great weekend! Don't drool too much!

image from Monique Lhuiller

image from Alice Lane

image from Sarah Richardson

image from Base House

Five Must Have Home Accessories

I think it's time I tell you about my other man--Nate Berkus. I've never been into talk shows, so I was excited when he started a show about interior design (and this, that, and the other). I'll be honest, the first time I watched the show, I was a little bit disappointed. I wanted less serious talk and more interior design talk. But, now I love it. I record it every day, and, as nerdy as it is, I sometimes take notes. Okay, I said it. I take notes. Let's move on.

I decided to start a repeating post titled, "Nate Says." This is kind of a joke at our house, because many a time, I share Nate's advice with my hubby. I start the sentence with, "Nate says..." Jeremy laughs at me, but I know he secretly loves it and probably takes notes himself. So, with that being said, this post is about Nate's five must have home accessories.

1) Mirrors

image from Decor Pad

image from Casa Sugar

image from Design Files

2)Books

image from Material Girls

image from Real Living

image from Real Living

3)Something from Nature

image from Nesting Newbies

image from Rol Vn

4) Silver Frames

image from Pottery Barn

image from Pottery Barn

5)Original Art or Sculpture

image from B-Metro

image from Life in a Venti Cup