Lonny Love - Let's Talk About Leather

Let's talk about leather baby, let's talk about you and me, let's talk about all the good things and the bad things that may be, let's talk aboooouuuut leather. Let's talk about leather.    Let's talk aboooouuuut leather.  (obviously sing that in your head, or aloud, like Salt 'n' Pepa - and if you have no idea what I'm talking about see here)

Basically, I was always like blech leather, hate it.  But now I'm like "hmm I like that room.  Wait what?  It has a leather sofa! How can that be?"

Case in point, this room from the latest issue of Lonny:

Yep, leather.  And I love it.

But BUT, then I spent two hours trying to make a moodboard for a leather sofa in our family room and I just couldn't make it work.  I think the problem is that our family room is huge and we definitely need two sofas and a couple of chairs and two leather sofas feels like too much.  But I'm considering maybe incorporating it into our master bedroom sitting room, which is tiny and dark and cozy and has a fireplace (I know, I have no idea how we got so lucky).  I think it might work better in there.  Of course, nothing would be happening anytime soon.  I'm just in the mood for more textures and less patterns.  I want clean, classic, cozy and kid-friendly (and apparently alliterative).

What are your thoughts on leather? 

Also, what are your thoughts on the Golden Globes?  Do you have as big of a girl crush on Jennifer Lawrence as I do?  Why was Tommy Lee Jones so grumpy? Do you find Ann Hathaway as exhausting as I do?  I know, that's not very nice of me, I'm super crabby today. 

Let's all watch this adorable video and start Monday on a good note:

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

xo Team!

Lonny Love ~ Small Space Inspiration

Yesterday, the December issue of Lonny arrived in my inbox, and when I got to the small studio apartment of Matthew Knowles, I stopped to go back and read the print next to the pictures.  That pretty much never happens.  I don't have time to read magazines, silly.  But, of course, Matthew Knowles just happens to be the general manager of Charlotte Moss's interior design firm and I always break for Charlotte Moss and her peeps.  Whenever her name is mentioned in an article there is something to be learned. 

I had the tiny dorm room that I featured yesterday on my mind and this apartment offered a similar classic, layered look, but as a study in neutrals.  I loved it and had to share it with y'all. 

I love what he did with his desk area and the use of white and texture as opposed to bright colors.  I always marvel at people who can have white living quarters in Manhattan.  When I lived there, I always came home so dirty.  But I'm sure anyone that works within the sphere of genius that is Charlotte Moss is also protected by a special anti-dirt force-field.  That's just how I imagine Miss Moss works.  Like she can look at you and make you clean with her eyes. 

To see more, visit the new issue of Lonny here.

P.S.  I am really a fan of Lonny photographer Patrick Cline's work.  I don't know what it is, maybe the lighting, but he seems to have a definite signature style.  I really need to take a photography class, you know in all my spare time.  

More Lonny Loves

I thought I'd share a few more images that inspired me from the November issue of Lonny.  It's hard to beat The Fabulous Mr. Sikes, as I now call him, but I did find a few other bits of prettiness to motivate me.

First up, this chintzy twin canopy bed bed action from Sister Parish's private summer house in Maine.

Pretty Pretty. 

In more twin bed action.

Totally different than the chintzy goodness in the first image, but I loved the rich, velvet upholstered headboards against the white walls and white beds.  I also loved the whimsy of the fake fireplace.  It adds a little bit of warmth and shelf space to the room without adding a large piece of furniture.  I will be pinning this to the Edward's Big Boy Room board whenever I get around to starting one.  Also, love the elephant pillows. 

And then there was this fabulous Indian-themed dinner setting from Cathy Kincaid for an Irving & Fine dream room at the Downtown Nieman's in Dallas.

Cathy Kincaid is so amazingly creative and elegant.  I always love to see her work and how she incorporates blue and white. I just love this. 

I also loved this peek at Heather Clawson of Habitually Chic's apartment. 

It's that little pink plate that gets me.  I love it.  Looking forward to her new book.  She always has great images on her blog. 

Finally, this candle from The Laundress needs to live in my home and all my friend's homes.

 

Such a perfect gift for the holidays.  I developed a strange candle allergy after I had Edward.  My face starts to turn red and itch if a candle is lit within a 5-mile radius of me.  It's so random and makes holiday shopping very tricky.  My forehead is itching just thinking about it. 

P.S. My grandmother used to tell The Suze and I that all of your candles should look like they've been used at least once.  Meaning, you should immediately light a candle for a few minutes when you put it out.  She felt it looked trashy otherwise.  Kind of extreme, but that was just her thing. 

Ok y'all, enjoy your Tuesday!

Sometimes Mondays Are Good

Morning y'all! I'm determined to start this week off on the right foot.  I'm going to ignore the fact that I already failed miserably at Edward's breakfast.  Wrong milk-to-cheerio ratio.  Apparently, it's an unforgivable misstep in the eyes of a toddler - one which requires two cookies in reparations.  Those were his demands.  I'll leave it up to you to decide whether I gave in. 

So I'm starting off the week with my decorating soul mate Mark D. Sikes.  Did you see his Southern California home in this month's Lonny?  Well, you're going to see it again because I'm obsessed.  I wrote about my love for his style last year when his home was first featured on the cover of House Beautiful.  Now it graces the pages of this month's Lonny with his fresh take on Holiday decor (Read: no burgundy or orange).  He and his partner Mark are all "green and white y'all, stay true to your point of view" (not an actual quote), and I'm all "Yes! Thank you! White pumpkins and paperwhites for everyone! I Belieb!!! (ooops, wrong idol)"

Ok, I'll stop fawning and share some of my favorites from the spread.

 

He even has striped awnings! This reminds me that I need to have mine cleaned.  They are looking  a little less crisp than the those of the fabulous Mr. Sikes. 

There is so much more of his gorgeous home in Lonny that I encourage you to head over there and check it out.  I actually read the article, too.  I think I'm going to purchase a hard copy of this issue, I loved it so much. 

Also, if you haven't checked out Mr. Sikes' blog, you are really missing out.   He just added an Archives section to his blog, which all but guarantees I will get nothing done during Edward's nap time for the next 6 months.  And he started a Tumblr, which I'm equally excited about even though I don't totally understand Tumblr. 

Ok team, let's make this a good week!

Chintz Love in Lonny

I loved the way Michelle Adams used one of my favorite chintz patterns, Schumacher's Pyne Hollyhock, in her New York Apartment as featured in this month's Lonny.

Rawr with the cheetah!  That's not your grandma's chintz that's for sure.  So fab.  That's all.

See more of my love for chintz here.  

P.S. did no one like my dorm rooms? or is everybody just out of town. 

Lonny Loves

Morning y'all! It's a beautiful day today.  I don't mean to be whatever, but life is good.  (My college roommate and bestie used to preface a vague complediss with "I don't mean to be whatever."  For some reason it always made me laugh, despite the fact that it meant I was about to get told i.e. "I don't mean to be whatever, but you aren't being nearly as big of a b---- as you were last week.")  Anyway, it was a crazy weekend with lots of amazing things happening that I can't wait to tell you about when the time is right, but I will say it was a great Mother's Day weekend.

I did have a few spare moments to browse through the latest issue of Lonny.  It was maybe one of the best issues yet.  So much prettiness and lots of blue and white, which is always a plus.  I'm sure many of you have read it already, but for those who haven't here's what I liked:

This loveliness from Christy Ford:

From her store, And George:

And this deliciousness from the incredibly inspiring Jamie Meares:

And, finally, I learned what a demilune is.  It's that half-moon table, and I like it, especially at the top of stairs, and especially, especially with blue and white all over it.

Have a lovely day! 

Ruthie Sommers Home in Lonny

I loved seeing Ruthie Sommers LA home in the July/Aug issue of Lonny.  I especially appreciated the fact that the "article" was heavy on pictures and short on words 'cause that's really all I care about.  Who has time to read nowadays? Not this bizzy mama!