Saturday, November 5, 2011

Pinning a White Christmas


This is Nina's shop  Misch-Masch in Baden-Wurttenberg, Germany.   The Germans have a shabby chic style too that is all their own.  So many natural elements tied together with industrial, white, and silver.  It is a magical little shop.  I just love it! 



This wreath is zinc.  Isn't it great!




This is a reindeer hide!  I love it !  I want one.



  Do you get any inspiration here?  I think it is just magical.  
I am linking it with:
Pinning and Singing Party with Natasha at 5 Minutes Just For Me 

I just went on Youtube and found the first White Christmas with the most hits.  I watched this and laughed so hard I cried!  So CUTE!  
Enjoy!
Sherry

Friday, November 4, 2011

Lauren Liess Textiles Launch!!

The Pure Style Home online store is finally finished!! 

We are launching the shop itself and my new textile line on Monday so be sure to stop by! 
(Yes, as my mom has pointed out, the logo looks like a dirty paper bag.  I'm okay with that.  Actually I love it ;)

The shop is made up of four parts: my fabrics,  my upholstery line, rugs, and "uncommon finds."  The fabrics will be the only section launching Monday & the other three are on their way. 


{a peek at some of the fabrics... I think I've shown most of these before}

For the upholstered line, we have a couple of pieces finalized & ready for production, but I'm waiting to sell the them online until the first collection is finished.  (I'll keep you posted- fingers crossed!) 


{The Madhatter Wing Chair will definitely be included!}

I hope to have the rugs up in the next couple of months- they are mostly new although some are vintage-

{Washed & Faded-looking Rugs like the one I used above in a client's living room}


...and the "Uncommon Finds" Shop will only be open for select sales throughout the year.  It's made up of mostly vintage & antique finds with some new pieces & artwork.  The criteria for anything going into the Uncommon Finds Shop is that it's only made up of things that I'm absolutely crazy about & don't want to part with.  I'm trying to get everything photographed in time for the first sale in December. 

{The "Fog" Collection- LL Textiles}


I'll also be doing a giveaway of a couple yards of one of my new fabrics.  (Winner's choice)

Thank you so much to my wonderful (and extremely patient!!) web designer Emily Thomson of Emmarie Web Design who made the beautiful site. I'll be posting more about Emily on Monday!

Enjoy this gorgeous Fall weekend!!


xoxo, Lauren

If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about our design services.

ps- All photos in this post by Helen Norman

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Home Sweet Home #39

Hello and welcome to Home Sweet Home!  I have been really ready to start showing off Christmas on this blog.  I will start slow this week and just show you some great finds I have been coming up with at the thrift stores.

First, I have been on a real streak at the thrift stores.  I looked everywhere last year for vintage ornaments in pink.  I could not find them anywhere.  This year I checked the Salvation Army and I found 5 bags of them, many the most fantastic shade of pale pink.  The cost for all 5 bags $ 4.75!  
Don't you love the pink!!

And, then I scored a bit of sheet music, much of it Christmas.

This piece of music was an original 1942 copy of Irving Berlin's White Christmas.  


Then, I found these molds.  I am seeing these decorated a lot of ways on the French and Nordic blogs.  Do you like them?  I can see some possibilities with them for Christmas.  They were $1 each.   This all on top of the fact that I found a real mercury glass vase also...on clearance...it had been sitting on the thrift store shelves 3 months to go on clearance.  I won't even tell how cheap I got that.  This has been my lucky week thrifting.

Now, I would like to feature some wonderful post from Home Sweet Home from the last week.  

First,  Miss Kopy Kat's  tutorial on aging paper was very good.  Click the link to view.

 Michelle, at Hello Lovely, Inc.  showed us her home.  Which was beautiful.  Click the link to view.

Barb, at Keeping Up with the Times  had a very nice Halloween vignette.  Click the link to view.

And last, Amber over at Junkaholics Unanimous hit just the right theatrical amount of creep factor with her Creepy Doll Head mantel for Halloween.  It was just too creative, I had to highlight it!

Thank you to all who join me at Home Sweet Home!  It is awesome to have you here! 
Sherry
I will join these ladies today:
 Inspiration Friday At The Picket Fence
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage
Fridays Unfolded  at Stuff and Nonsense
Potpourri Friday at 2805
Farmhouse Friday  at LaurieAnna's Vintage Home
Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home
Open House Party at No Minimalist Here
Thrifty Things Friday   at The Thrifty Groove

Guidelines for Home Sweet Home Party:

Attention: To link up with inlinkz you must have a permalink back to this party in your post or they will not allow you to link. 
My button is on my sidebar for the party, if you want to use it.   If you are new here I hope you will become a follower.  No Etsy link ups or direct advertising, please.  Please visit some of the other blogs and get some great inspiration.  Thanks.:)
Now let's see your beautiful homes!

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

"Shabby Chic" Cloth Napkins

Has anyone visited a retail store today?  I just got back from Walmart and it was completely transformed for Christmas!  Yes, even White Christmas on the intercom.  Well I am also trying to fill the Etsy shop with Christmas gift ideas.  It is interesting to have a shop and create a product line, all entirely of my own creation.  I have been trying out different fabrics from companies I admire and this fabric was a treat!  All of these "Shabby Chic" style cloth napkins were made out of Rachel Ashwell's Shabby Chic fabric from her current collection.

This is 100% cotton and a treat to work with.  It is heavier in weight and gorgeous patterns and colors.   This pattern was very "Cabbage ans Roses" don't you think?

Here the napkins are washed.  I noticed a little trouble with getting the edges exactly straight on this pattern.  Then I pulled the fabric and realized it had to have a little Lyrca in the lengthwise grain of the fabric.  This gives it the heavier weight and this gorgeous shabby un-ironed finish that Rachel is famous for in her shabby mismatched table settings. 

Nothing about them are exact.  They are hand made and perfectly imperfect.  Which is exactly what Shabby Chic is all about.  They remind me of some little vintage napkins I have.  They never are an exact perfect fold but when you work with them they fold up nicely and are charming all the same.

The patterns are truly beautiful.

So, I will be working to fill up the shop for Christmas the whole first half of November and blogging a lot about that.  Then I will dedicate some time to Thanksgiving and we will dive right into Christmas!  The stores are making me want to decorate already! 
Sherry
I will link this up to:
White Wednesday  at Faded Charm
Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style
Passionately Artistic  weekly party

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Mercury Glass

I found something in the thrift store last week and I think it is the real deal.  Anybody an expert on mercury glass.  I think this is a mercury glass vase.

This is inside.

This is the bottom.

Here is the base of it.

It will look great for Christmas.  It has no chips or cracks just the aged patina.  What do you think?
Sherry
 I will link this to:
2nd Time Around at A Picture is Worth a 1,000 Words
Tabletop Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

Baby #3 & Halloween

WARNING: Total mom-post / pretty much NO design stuff

Halloween is one of my favorite days of the year & it's even better with kids. 


My children are now both throughly sleep-deprived & coming down off sugar highs.

{Batman & Robin...  I swear they both have two eyes.}

They drove the Bat Mobile around the neighborhood and then we had to abandon it because getting in & out took too much time:


I am also sleep-deprived and have a slight stomach ache from the disgusting amount of candy I consumed.  Ah vell. 

...And now onto our Baby #3 news: We're having another baby!!  He/ she's due in mid May 16th & I have about a week or so to go left of first trimester.  {anyone who has kids probably remembers being completely exhausted during her first trimester...  I literally go to sleep between 7 and 9 every night...  If I even make it that late.  -- I think my husband is actually more excited than I am for my second trimester.  He's the best.  -- 

{Exhibit A}

 ...And if you haven't had kids, be prepared for complete & utter exhaustion.  Like falling-asleep-sitting up-tired. Add in some nausea/ dizziness & you get the idea.   But of course it's all completely worth it.}


We're so excited about the new baby, but I have to admit, with two already in the house,  I sometimes forget I'm pregnant. {until I fall asleep at 7 PM.}  I'm pretty sure it'll be another boy & would love to have 3 of what I've got, but of course I would also love to have the experience of having a girl.  So we'll see.  (we're waiting until baby comes out to find out)  I did save all of my Barbies just in case.

{Peaches & Cream Barbie was quite possibly THE BEST.}
   

So far I've had pretty great pregnancies & labors & I'm hoping for the same with #3.  It's been interesting to notice the differences in my pregnancies though.  For example, with the 3rd baby, my baby bump has popped SO MUCH sooner.  I guess the belly's just more pliable eh?  But I have to admit, I am scared of how big I might get.  I gained 60 lbs with each of my babies.  I'm already up at least 10, which is right on par.  {eeeeeeeek!}   My grandmother talks about when she had her babies, how she walked out of the hospital wearing her pre-maternity pants.  HA! If only I could! 

Watching my boys develop a relationship & play together probably makes me happier than almost anything else.  I took Justin (my toddler) to Christian's (4 yrs old) preschool last week for pumpkin-carving and Christian was just so excited to show off his little brother & introduce him to all of the kids.  He held his hand and stayed with him the whole time.  Seeing them get along like that literally makes my heart melt.  (At home, half the time they're hurting each other & the other half they're laughing.)  SO, I'm really excited to bring another little one into the picture.  The boys are already talking about how they're going to take care of the "new baby."  (By "take care" I know they mean be really sweet at first and then start running him/ her over once they get used to him. ;)

Anyway, I'll keep you posted.  We don't really have any names picked out yet, but I've got ideas of a soft blue & yellow nursery. 


{Fern Star in Yellow, one of my newer textile designs...  I'm pretty sure it's happening in there.}


xoxo, Lauren


ps- On the online store/ fabric line launch front:  we are launching any day now.  My web designer just got back from vacation & I'm having her take a look at the site to make sure everything's up & running properly before we launch it.  I can't wait for you to see it!!

I've decided to keep control of the textile company myself (vs selling designs to another large company & going the royalties route) & to approach showrooms across the country about carrying my collection.   I'm in conversations with some showrooms right now, so I'll let you know if any of it works out.  Suffice it to say I'm squealing inside because I'm so excited to even be considered and insanely nervous/ anxious because of how much I admire these companies.