Hi friends. We returned from our vacation a couple of days ago and life has been a whirlwind ever since. I had every intention to hit publish on two new blog posts earlier this week but that didn’t happen. Catching up on work, dealing with a broken garage disposal and mounds of laundry has gotten the best of me. Why is it that when you come back from vacation you feel like you need another one just to unwind.
Things are slowly getting back to normal and I have good things on the blog horizon that I’ll be sharing in the coming weeks.
Today I wanted to pop in a share a bits and pieces of what’s been happening in my world to get you caught up.
VACATION IN PARADISE
The hubs and I went on a Carnival Cruise when we got married 26 years ago and fell in love with cruising. We’ve been on about 12 cruises, all of them on Carnival until our most recent which was on the Norwegian Getaway. The ship sailed out of Miami and our 7 day cruise included a couple days at sea plus stops in Belize, Honduras and Mexico.
We traveled with three other couples that we met 2 years ago on a cruise. We all became instant friends and enjoy cruising together.
I’ll be sharing more about the cruise and the story of how we met our friends next week so stay tuned. I’ve also got a blog post planned where I’ll be sharing my tips for cruising like a pro. I’ve had several readers mention that they will be taking their first cruise this summer so I wanted to share my insider secrets.
So I don’t leave you hanging high and dry regarding the cruise, here are a few photos I snapped during our vacation.
Beautiful Miami…
Somewhere in paradise…
Design inspiration abroad the Norwegian Getaway…
I spent a lot of time in this spot soaking up the sun and living my best life!
DESIGN LIFE
Before I left on the cruise I did an install in a clients’ master bedroom. We’re in the process of transforming the room from rich, earthy colors to soft, sophisticated hues. There are still a few things to do before the room is done but here are a few grainy iPhone pictures of the space so far.
OUT & ABOUT IN ATLANTA
I’ve been spending a lot of time accessory shopping for clients lately. One of my favorite stores in mid-town Atlanta, Bungalow Classics is stocked full of amazing pieces right now. If you live in Atlanta and are looking for unique accessories, furniture or lighting you’ll definitely want to check the store out.
FAMILY LIFE
In really exciting news, my mom will be moving to Atlanta in about a month. She currently lives in Oklahoma so this move is going to be a big change for her. I know she’ll make friends fast and have me taking her to Lenox Mall in no time flat. Her new digs are in a high-rise senior living complex in the heart of Buckhead with amazing views. I’m going to be decorating her unit and will share the plans once I have the all mapped out.
It’s going to be great that now my mom, brother and I will all be living in the same city. That hasn’t happened since I was in high school.
AROUND THE HOUSE
Believe it or not but I’m still decorating and getting settled. We’ve only been in the house for 10 months and I keep reminding myself there’s no need to rush things. I’m a few projects aways from finishing my office and I’m still on the hunt for a living room rug. There’s so much I’m planning to share with you but I’m just not ready with it all yet.
Here’s a sneak peek of the new credenza I bought for my office. It’s a beautiful furniture piece and the price is pretty amazing too!
And a look at the new knobs I purchased from CB2 for our kitchen cabinets. These beauties are under $5.
I’ve also managed to get our dining chairs re-upholstered. The old fabrics was a light green leaf pattern that was on the chairs when we bought the set. I had a hard time picking a new fabric so I played it safe and went with a neutral animal pattern. I love it!
The next two moths are going to be super busy getting my mom settled, attending the Atlanta Gift & Home Furnishings Show and working on a new design project. I’m already thinking about our next vacation and it might have to happen sooner rather and later 🙂
Shelley, you never cease to amaze me. Your sense of timeless style always blesses me, and as someone who is trying to learn to be an event stylist, I always revisit your blog for great inspiration. Thank you for imparting your knowledge and wisdom.
Deborah,
Thank you so much for this sweet comment. You totally made my day!! Blogging this year has been challenging but I have never lost sight that my #1 goal is to inspire my readers with whatever I share.
Thanks for following along and for taking the time to leave this comment. I’ve got lots of inspiring coming in the weeks ahead so stay turned.
Hugs and have a great weekend.
Shelly