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Thursday, January 31, 2013

Fluffing - Who Knew?


 I have a little business where people call me to come fluff their homes. You pay me by the hour and I tell you what I think needs to be done to make you love your home.


 (this is from one of my all time favorite homes)
Sometimes it as simple as rearranging the furniture you have. Maybe buying a few new pillows. 

Staircase - Wallpaper in an entryway mixed with art and a blue storage piece

Or maybe you need art and some fun wallpaper. Most people just need a shove in the right direction. Or a few good ideas to get the ball rolling. Maybe you don't need a total overhaul but you are stuck and need a new perspective. That's where I come in. Sure, I can do more, but a lot of people today want to hunt and gather themselves, they just need ideas and a direction. 


Living Room - Children seated on a white couch backed by a gallery wall of art

I not only suggest paint colors and accessories I can also help fluff for a party. I even show up with art and accessories from my own stash for clients to borrow. But here's the funny part - last night after talking with a prospective client on the phone Bill said "You need to call yourself something different". Different than a fluffer? Yes, he said that is a term used in the porn industry. WHAT? Evidently that is the term used for someone who keeps the actors excited. Who knew? And how did Bill know? Hmmmm.....well, I do get people excited about their homes, but I think I'll come up with a new name..any suggestions? And if you need fluffing in your house e-mail me: siskotte@ec.rr.com Nothing x rated about it, I promise!!

pictures from: House and Garden & Lonny



















Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Meanest Mom Ever...Part 1

My 5 year old has gotten in the habit of grabbing the ipad as soon as he gets home from school. He has his servant bring him milk, lunch and snacks and he settles in for hours of video watching on Netflix. 


Library - A glass chandelier above a round table with black-and-white chairs
(I want more reading)

And I rarely see my 12 year old twins. Between video games and their new Iphones they are way to involved to chat with mom or even respond to questions. Unless I scream at the top of my lungs to get their attention. Then they get all huffy and want to know why I am yelling. 


(more outside time)

Guess what we started on Saturday? Limited screen time. Guess what my new name is? World's Meanest Mom. It's OK, I've been called worse. After doing a little research it seems the recommendation for children over 2 is two hours per day. 



(more crafts)

It has been a little ugly around here as everyone detoxes, but the good news is that I have been able to get them to do crafts with me. Nothing better than forced family fun. 

Do you limit screen time? Does that include TV and phones? Can your kids earn extra time by doing chores or good behavior? Give me some help here!!

Pictures from: Lonny, The Novagratz, Martha Stewart




Monday, January 28, 2013

Dining Room Chairs

So, I debated modern or traditional chairs for my dining room for ages. And I have been on the look out for the perfect set. I can't seem to find modern chairs (that I can afford), but I have found traditional chairs that I like. 


Luscious dining room with yellow chairs    Live a luscious life with LUSCIOUS: www.myLusciousLife.com


The Louis XVI
Just like these. Do you like? I would recover them in blue velvet or faux blue leather. Bright blue.




Happy and bright.


Dining Room - A glass-topped dining table paired with black leather chairs



I need to order them and that is part of the problem. They are...new. Which isn't necessarily bad, but I like to scrounge and find things in interesting places. Things that have a past and a story. And are cheap. I am having a hard time ordering new, easy but not interesting. Life can be so difficult. 

What do you think? Order the damn chairs? Wait for 4 perfect chairs to show up in some dirty dumpster? Hold out for four fabulous modern chairs?






















Friday, January 25, 2013

Around Here...




Did you see Leandra's post about hair? VIS (Very important stuff)
 I'll give you the cliff notes, she cut her hair. Guess what? So did I. Over 6 inches. Well above my shoulders. I call it a choppy bob. I did it in two steps. 4 inches the first time, a week and a half later 2 more inches. I think they call that the chicken cut. 




You may know her better as the Man Repeller. And my style hero. This is how I would dress if I were 20 years younger, lived in New York, and was super brave.


And it is stinking cold here!! Winter is the worst invention ever!!!
Have a great weekend and if you have any tips for staying warm, let me know!!
XOSissy

P.S. Anyone else thinking about chopping their hair?
Anyone else afraid of the cold?








Thursday, January 24, 2013

Sigourney and Me


(Wallpaper not Weaver)
I fell in love with this picture last November. It is from the December 2012 Issue of Southern Living. 


I just couldn't get this fabulous wallpaper out of my mind. Change the green velvet to blue and I was in business. I didn't know who made the wallpaper until I saw...





This on The Designer's Attic
Shannon provided the missing info - China Seas: Sigourney
After a quick call to my sister Susan (not to be confused with rug sister Betsy)  a sample was on it's way. 



And here it is. 
You probably can't tell but the gray in the wallpaper picks up the gray in my counter tops which equals joy. 
And it's a lot of joy but it's also a lot of $$$ so I am going to stew over this one for awhile. Thoughts?

Monday, January 21, 2013

Bronson Pinchot is doing what?


Do you remember Bronson Pinchot? Balki from Perfect Strangers? And of course a ton of other movies. Well I happened to catch an episode of his new series - The Bronson Pinchot Project - and I was hooked. He buys neglected old homes and renovates them. But not in the way you might imagine. The show is fascinating and he is funny and unexpectedly charming. You have got to check it out on the DIY Network.






I was watching a taped episode last night and saw this amazing woodwork that would look great on my stairs. I had to rewind, pause, rewind, pause several times to get this less than perfect picture for you. Bronson uses all salvaged materials to rebuild his homes and usually leaves the salvaged pieces in their original condition. Of course I would have to sand this down and high gloss it to within an inch of it's life, but that's just me. So his style is not my style exactly, but the way he puts things together is so interesting. 

OK, that's all for now. I need to find a good salvage yard.
Hope your Monday is off to a good start!!

Friday, January 18, 2013

Elephant Leg







I know skinny jeans and pants are in, I have some. I like them. 

rachel zoe

But at heart I am a wide leg, bell bottom type of girl .


fab


Just something about them I love. 
I continue to wear them because they make me happy.


denim wide leg


If you had to choose which would you be? Skinny or bell? 
I was going to say skinny or wide but who would want to be wide? 

pictures from Pinterest


Thursday, January 17, 2013

Chandelier Thoughts..


So for my dining room, I am loving this Lindsey Adelman chandelier. 
Now I know it is not for everyone, but it just may be for me. 



Or it would be if money weren't an issue. 
Fabulous ain't cheap and since the glass is hand blown, I get it, I just can't afford it. 


But not to worry...because the artist/designer is just as fabulous as her chandeliers and she has provided DIY instructions so you can make your own. How cool is that!!??

And here it is. I have had this site bookmarked for ages. I just haven't actually done anything with the instructions. But look who did...


Albertina from Mimosa Lane,
one of my new favorite bloggers, actually made the dang chandelier and it looks great. 

There may be a DIY in my future. Who am I kidding? There may be a DIY in Bill's future. 

What about you? Loving it?


Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Chicken Little Opened the Rug



 And it was perfect!!!
Why do I worry so much? 
Heather from Love Your Space  read my mind in her comment when she said she does the same thing because she is afraid she is going to jinx herself. That is exactly what I was thinking!! The longer I wait to open the rug, the better it will be. And guess what? It worked!! I LOVE it!!
Interested? It is the Stockholm Rand Rug from Ikea.



Standing in the kitchen looking into dining room.
And don't let the country cousin chairs scare you. They are old kitchen chairs that have been filling in until I decide what to get: Mod or French. 
But now don't you see how fabulous the blue velvet will be??!!
And the walls will be gray...so much to do, so little time and money.




This was my sad dining room before we started the renovation. In addition to the new kitchen we took down or moved 3 walls. The wall with the plates...



Gone!! It has totally changed the feel of my house. It now feels so open and bright. I'm also getting a new chandelier, but we can save that for another day. Today is all about the rug.


So...what do you think??











Monday, January 14, 2013

Chicken Little

The rug for my dining room came.
  
 I haven't opened it yet. My sister was nice enough to schlep out to Ikea to get it. My dad was nice enough to bring it to Wilmington for me. Now what if it doesn't work? There is no way I am driving it back to Charlotte. It's got to work right? I am going to screw up my courage and open it...soon. 



I don't know why I am so worried. I swear it looks good in any room I have ever seen in it. 




It looks extra good in this entrance hall. 



Then again they don't usually photograph and publish the ugly rooms with the wrong rug that someone bought on a whim without ever seeing it in person. 



Cross your fingers and I 'll let you know how it turns out. 

By the way, some of the pictures are probably of Madeline Weinrib's rug that Ikea copied so people like me could afford to buy it on a whim and worry themselves sick over it.

pitcures from: Lonny, Design Sponge, Nate













Thursday, January 10, 2013

To Nook or Not


I gave Bill a Nook for his birthday and he loves it so much he gave me one for Christmas. So nice. It took me over a week to even take it out of it's box. I just couldn't decide if I wanted to keep it. I am such a book person. I love the way they smell, the way they feel, the way you can stack them up and they look so pretty. I love the way you can tell a lot about a person from the books they have around the house. I also loaning and borrowing books from friends. Hey, got a great book? Leave it on my doorstep and I'll leave a good one out for you. Now that's hard to do with a Nook. 



But it is awfully convenient to be able to buy a new book online whenever, wherever you are.





Since I have already downloaded two books, it looks like I am keeping it, but I know I will continue to buy some books the old fashion way - like Nate's book (he should be paying me for advertising)

So do you have a Nook or a Kindle? Do you read books on your Ipad? Do you miss real books? 

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Burning down the House

I saw a picture on Natalie's blog of her burning Christmas tree and I thought "What a great idea! Sure our tree was already out by the curb, but all Bill had to do was drag it back in and put the tree stand back on and then it was show time. 



And what a show. 



It started off a little slow and then...



Poof! It was like a giant flaming torch. Unbelievable!! Clay loved it but Locke was scared and ran inside, he thought we were going to burn the house down. (Cricket was spending the night out so she missed the pyro show)



And then it was over. Thankfully the fire department did not have to come although we were amazed at how high the flames went. It was amazing. We put the tree on the driveway far from any trees or vegetation and we had the hose on ready to go so there was really no danger (or not much) but lots of excitement!! But I now know why you are not allowed to burn trash in your backyard...it is an accident waiting to happen. 

Can't wait to torch the tree again next year..now what can I burn in the meantime? 

Monday, January 7, 2013

Renovating is Contagious


So...you know how I just finished renovating my kitchen? And I love it and it brings me tons of joy and I should be happy and satisfied for at least 10 minutes, right? Well I am not. Because renovating is contagious and the bug has moved to my dining room. Thankfully Bill TOTALLY understands and is encouraging me ...sort of. 

So the first piece of the puzzle is this fab rug..


Doesn't it just make this room? And speaking of rooms I am loving everything about this one. My sister, Betsy, is at Ikea as we speak, hopefully, picking this up for me (Thank you Betsy) Please, please, please let it be in stock!! I won't beg for anything else for an entire week!!

Up next, chairs upholstered in blue velvet. 


I could go traditional or modern....just depends on what I find for the right price. 



Right now I am leaning towards a more modern look, especially since I have a farm table in my dining room and that pig needs some lipstick!!

That's all for now. Aren't Mondays fun?


Friday, January 4, 2013

Accessories


If you know me at all, you know I love me a good accessory...or twenty.


And that is why this fabulous lady is my new fashion icon. 
Can you stand it??!!
The necklaces, the bracelets, the head piece...it's all good.. 
Wonder where she shops?
(I am trying to find the source for this picture)




And speaking of accessories...
This has to be one of my favorite pictures from Nate's book. I have been looking for a big brass necklace similar to the one in the picture. If you see one (Pait) call me!!

Are you more of a delicate gold chain or a bigger the better girl?


Thursday, January 3, 2013

Happy or Sad


I took down all my Christmas decorations on New Year's Day. I was sad. Locke was sad. Bill and Cricket were happy. Clay? I don't even know if he has noticed the tree is gone.


Our gingerbread house. 
Cricket did most of it. 
I love it and want to keep it...forever.


Do you get sad once the decorations come down?



Don't you miss all the white lights? 


Or are you like Bill and Cricket? Ready to move on and clean up? 
I always think my house looks a little naked without it's decorations.
 What about you?


Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Best Books of 2012

These are the best two books of 2012...according to me. 
I am sure I read some other good stuff, but these are my very, very favorite, red letter, gold star picks. 



First up...Wonder by RJ Palacio. Such a great book - it will teach you about empathy and acceptance. It was written for teens, but I think everyone should read it..and discuss it. My kids LOVE it when I read their books and then want to discuss it over dinner. Not really. There is actually a lot of eye rolling, but I love it and that's what counts. If you want another great book to read with your kids, start with The Giver by Lois Lowry. There are 3 others in the series and they will definitely get you thinking. 




And then there is Nate. 
This has got to be one of my all time favorite design books. 
The pictures are, of course, amazing, but it is the stories behind each home that really suck you in. Why they have what they have and what it means to them. Did you know that Nate helped Dr. Ruth with her home? I know, didn't see that one coming did you? Well her story is fascinating. I love homes that tell a story and show the owner's personality. A little bit of personality is missing in a lot of homes today. If you do not have this book, get it today. You deserve it. 

So now I need something good to read. I just finished The Twelve Tribes of Hattie and enjoyed it, but if you have any other suggestions, please share!! 

Happy New Year!!
xo Sissy






















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