Pre-fab (ulous)

Since Beau has dashed my dreams of our ever owning an Airstream (or rehabbed Casita, Shasta, you get it...), I have had to think creatively.  The open road, unfortunately, will not be mine, but what about a teeny plot of land somewhere with our very own pre-fab cottage set atop it? Perhaps near a beach or on a lake....

I found this beaut with a simple "rehabbed Airstream" google search...I am cackling to think of what our neighbor's would say! 

I have been obsessing a bit over the pre-fab/plot of land idea, particularly since I saw this article on Sunset Magazine's website about a couple who "gets off the grid" in their pre-fab fab cabin. 

Pre-fabricated cottage, placed a rugged hill's edge in Oregon. 

The couple built "The Signal Shed" for a total of $57,000.00, including the land.

The industrial-rustic cabin does not have electricity or running water.  BUT, there are many pre-fab options with all the bells and whistles, like toilets! lights! heat!

The Sunset article included some other excellent pre-fab cabin companies, with some of the choices eclipsing my regular home. 

I thought this guy was an excellent option...and costs only a bit more than The Signal Shed.

This teensy cabin, by Modern Shed, starts at $25,000.00.  I think it would also be a great backyard retreat...if you (or me) can't afford the land part of the "buy land" section of this plan.

Action shot of the Modern Shed cabin being used as a yoga studio.

A full family home by Modern Shed. 

Oh, and side note.  You can go pre-fabulous with a space that is certainly not a cabin (see above).  Check this one out. 

The Rincon by Mamol Radziner pre-fab.  It starts at $179,000.00 and includes the deck.

This Mamol Radziner option is anything but a shed. 

I highly recommend that you play around on these sites and let your imagination take over! Pool houses, cabanas, yoga retreats, offices, studios, you name it....

In the meantime, I may have to save my pennies and go off the grid in my own backyard....

DWR teepee.  I am digging it.

Do any of you gentle readers have a modern pre-fabricated home and/or small structure?  I would love to hear about it, if so.  Do tell!

Cheers,

JSH

Ikat for Sale

There will be a more detailed post later, but, in the meantime, I wanted to see if any of you Gimleters would be interested in purchasing two of these aqua-fab ikat pillow covers.  I bought them from Fabricadabra, had them on our sofa for about a week, and realized that they were an epic fail with the color of the room and furniture.  Per usual, my loss equals your gain. 

Fabricadabra

They are great looking!  I am selling them for $15.00 each.  I hope someone from Gimlet Nation snatches them up.  Email me if you are interested in a good deal on this idle Thursday.

More lates!

Cheers,

JSH

To Eames or not to (Faux) Eames

I am almost always in Camp Save-Your-Money-Until-You-Can-Buy-Exactly-What-You-Want-Because-If-You-Buy-A-Lesser-Version-You-Will-Ultimately-Be-Unhappy.  Follow that? 

What I mean is, I always recommend that you really identify that special piece of furniture, lighting, household renonvation, etc. and squirrel away your cash until you can bring the exact vision to a reality as opposed to spending half the money (still money, mind you!) and, ultimately, being disappointed.  Mind you, I love a great thrift and certainly do not think that high dollar always equals high style.  What I think, though, is that settling in your choices (because of price differentials or geographic limitations or "I want it now!") is not the route you want to take.   Overall, quality is almost always the victor. 

The problem comes in, of course, when an item is either so highly priced for your budget that you will likely never be able to save up the cash to afford it and, even if you had the cash, you would simply not be able to rationalize spending that sum on the particular item.  (I am being realistic, not pessimistic here....)

Enter my personal conundrum.

I really don't know how long I have pined for the DWR Eames Lounger (and Ottoman, of course) in ivory and walnut.  The absolute cheapest version of it retails for $3,899.00 (not including tax or shipping), but can range as high as $6,899.00 with various bells and whistles. 

Do I give up the dream and accept that I will only be able to visit the lounger at the DWR store or at friends' homes forever OR do I act as I usually do and attempt to capture the look for less (without cheaping out...)?

Knock offs are so utterly frowned upon in the design world and I, of course, understand why.  I certainly do not even want to start or engage in the great knock-off debate that so often rears its controversial head.  I do, however, want to show you this.

This guy could be purchased from Euro Moderno for $879.00 (minus $100.00 with a coupon code) plus free shipping.  It apparently is made of 100% real Italian leather and the wooden shell is walnut.  It comes in ivory, too. 

I am throwing this out there and want to hear from you.  Should I foresake my inner design purist and grasp at the closest version to the Eames Lounger I will ever have or completely scrap it because it just ain't the real thing? 

Cheers,

JSH

P.S. To give you further character insight, I have always refused to buy knock off bags, sunglasses, etc., either foregoing them all together or saving my pennies for the real deal.  Are these the same things? 

Delightful Dwell in Action

Yay or Nay? 

I say yay. 

Guest bedroom with new Dwell pillows, courtesy of Mary. 

A couple of notes:

1.  The bed has no sheets on it right now.  They were in the washer.  Please disregard the mattress pad.

2.  The coin mono pillows will be re-embroidered in the peacock blue when I am in Orlando next month!

3.  Those custom drapes were ripped down by Van Halen aka Leigh and Jean-Guillaume when they were staying with us during Jazz Fest.  Just thought you should know.

4.  Yellow painted chair was one of my old dining room chairs from Pier One and the side table was actually our old teeny dining room table from Lil Harms.  Re-invention!

Cheers,

JSH

Post Script

Rapid fire posts today!  Sorry for overwhelming you as you enjoy your morning coffee or afternoon coffee (wherever you are in the world as you read my gibberish...)

My close friend, Becca, of Birthday Girl Blog fame, asked me to create a guest post for her blog while she is snuggling her new baby on maternity leave.  I was truly honored and up for the task. 

I hope you check out my post over on Birthday Girl today, and leave Becca and her precious new family good wishes if you are so inclined. 

T.G.I.F., kiddos.

Cheers,

JSH

Delightful Deal/Dwell

I am certain that you have seen this good looking bedding from Dwell as it shuffled through the interwebs at a lightning fast pace a couple of months ago.  If you are like me, you drooled at the sight of the chinoiserie pattern and rich jewely color palette. 

Beauty!

Well, lucky me.  Mary (Gimlet commenter extraordinaire) also had a penchant for the bedding (along with the rest of bloggy land) and purchased it for her master bedroom.  However, she knew that using both the duvet and the euro shams would be too much for her space.  SO....she offered me the "chance" to buy the shams only from her for my guest room.  This was a perfect deal, since I already have an oldie but goody Dwell duvet and regular shams in the guest room now!  (I didn't need the whole new set, but was pitter pattering over just using the Euros behind my other shams.)

I have been trawling the interwebs for a pic of my now-discontinued Dwell bedding to show you this potential combo.  Now, unfortunately, you will have to wait for a real live shot of the room in action to make a determination about whether you like the combo or say no to the combo.  Hold on to your hats!

Cheers,

JSH

P.S.  I may have to take some pics of the room in the am as I am hitting Bayona tonight with some of my lawschool girl friends.  YUM.  If you haven't checked out Bayona (in real life or online), I HIGHLY suggest that you do! 

P.P.S.  IF the shams don't work in my space, Mary has already authorized me to offer Gimlet Nation the shams for a reasonable price, prior to my putting them up on ebay.  My potential loss, could be your gain. 

T Minus...

four days until "it" is back on.  You know what I am talking about, Mad Men!  The show is a veritable feast of design for the eyes....and the story lines aren't half bad, either.

To tide you over, why don't you "Mad Men Yourself?"  Truly, a perfect 10 minute diversion.  I promise, you will be pleased. 

Here I am....in the Sterling Cooper office.

Here's Beau....ratting around NYC's nightclubs with Don.

Cheers,

JSH

Greetings!

I am alive, I promise.  As many of you may know, I have been otherwise disposed, tending to the bride, aka my dear sis, visiting with my closest friends and family from around the country, dancing to the vocal stylings of BRW, dining at Commander's and Antoine's, watching Jeremy Davenport at the Ritz French Quarter Bar for two nights straight, getting a pedi at the Guerlain spa, tearing up and full on boo-hoo crying a bit, and, overall, having the time of my life!

Now, I am back to reality and my sister and new brother in law are in Bermuda for twelve days.  Rats for me.

The Reefs.

I will definitely, 100%, share some pics with you, once Jeannie Frey Rhodes, photog extraordinaire, sends us some sneaks.  In the meantime, you will have to gaze upon the drunken shots provided to me by one wedding guest (and standard Gimleter, Courtney).  At first, I wasn't going to post them, but I actually think they are great fun and capture some of the essence of the truly unique and wild wedding perfectly! Be prepared, however, for true randomness.  No photojournalistic details here, but Courtney did a fantastic job...

First up.  My husband, Beau.  You can gather what the groomsmen wore as well as note the beautiful orchids on their lapels.  (Blue seersucker suit, with pink and navy "rep" ties)

Hand gesture for "Synergy."  The term used by Beau all weekend when certain people, destined to meet for literally years, finally came together...preferably for a picture.

Sisters talking at the VERY end of the night at the French Quarter Bar at the Ritz.  I include this pic to demonstrate the delightful poufy reception veil that Lizzie put in to replace her beautiful cathedral length veil and blusher from the ceremony as well as to share my Betty Draper hair in full effect.  Our earrings are both vintage.  Lizzie's hair was obviously far "fresher" before midnight. 

Betty Draper's hair, a bit fallen after a long night of rocking out. 

...you get the orchidy drift, though.

The beautiful blushing bride, likely being told something dirty by her bestie, Andrew.  Her make up is still on, even after nine hours of fun!

More like it.  Here is a snap of the gift boxes we assembled for each out of town guest.  Pink and navy grosgrain, securing a vintage Antoine's postcard with a note from the bride and groom.  I figured Gimlet Nation would be more interested in this detail than my sweaty party shots!

...or maybe not. 

Here I am with Andre, my Mardi Gras baby.  My friends from DC bring him to Mardi Gras each year to assist them in catching "something for the baby!"  Well, bringing Andre to "family" events has become a requirement, so, of course, he came to wish Lizzie and Craig good tidings on their wedding day. 

Bridesmaids wore the Julia wrap dress from Calypso.  Hallelujah!  Fits everyone, doesn't cost $500.00, and I am planning to wear it to a party this weekend.  Could not ask for more.

I hope these snaps satiate any need or interest you had in seeing wedding pics from the past weekend.  I seriously have not received or seen any more than these!  Kind of hilarious, actually.  I am planning on writing a big mamma-jamma post about all the wedding details, which I hope will provide you with ideas for your own event, inside or outside of Nola. 

In the meantime, thank you for checking in on us and for your well wishes!  Let's just say that a truly wonderful time was had by all, particularly the wedded couple, which is the most important part, right?

Cheers,

JSH

P.S.  Now, onto something unrelated-ish.  My dear friend, Jody, has started a most delightful blog himself.  I highly suggest that you check it out, particularly if you love good, Southern cooking and entertaining.  Among our friends, Jody is the standard chef for all events. He has wowed us for years, whether catering an event or an intimate dinner.  I promise you will become an avid reader of The Kingfish Menu if you even peek at it for a few minutes.  He writes just as he speaks, hilariously, engagingly, and honestly.  I am already a big fan of TKM and highly recommend it to you! 

 

Vive la France!

Happy Bastille Day!  In honor of all things tres chic and tres French, I thought I would write an easy breezy post, highlighting some of my favorite finds/obsessions from Paris Hotel Boutique.  We were talking about PHB the other day at work and, voila!, this post was born. 

PHB has a wonderful selection of first editions and vintage books.  Many are sold out (and usually quickly), but here are some delightful choices.

Is there a better gift?  I think not.

Love this chandy.

I am dying for one of their decoupaged trays....

Particularly this one! 

This one would do, though....

I have wanted one of these for a long time (that could be construed as "odd.")

Vintage lacquered tortoise shell.

Here are some non-generic apothecary bottles, with crystal tops.

I kind of love this, simply because of its title, "Mid Century Socialite Oil Lady"...

She is bedecked in her chinoiserie finest.

A bit of a twist on the eponymous black and white bus signs. 

I hope you enjoyed this simple shopping spree through gay Paree!  I will leave you with this image.

Paris in the Springtime...oo.la.la.

Bonne Bastille!

Cheers,

JSH

Deals and Steals for Gimlet Nation

Last week, I posted about my friend, Sara, and her recently-launched company, Oliver B.  Sara generously surprised me (and the rest of Oliver B's Facebook followers) with a wonderful discount opportunity for Gimlet readers.  If you become a follower of Gimlet Eye, you will receive a 35% discount on any online items from the fabulous Oliver B! 

Bamboo blankie set

Wowza...thank you Sara.

Another view of the bumper

So, do check out Oliver B's site and Facebook page (if you "like" Oliver B, you will get all of the great updates and new product launches) and, if you would like to purchase the wonderful stroller blankets or revolutionary bumpers for yourself or a friend, become a Gimlet follower for a discount. 

I know some of you mentioned that you have friends in the "delicate state," so send them along to Gimlet and Oliver B!

Cheersies,

JSH

A Happy Mix Indeed

I am head over heels in love! with House Beautiful's California Bungalow designed by Krista Ewart.  Fearless use of color?  CHECK.  Fresh pops of patterns abundant?  CHECK.  Use of bold color and scale in a small space?  DOUBLE CHECK.

You may have already seen it, but I think it is worth the encore.

I am not exaggerating when I tell you that a majority of the fabrics, furniture, rugs, wall coverings, etc. used in this project are cataloged nicely away in the "things I adore" folders on my computer and my hard files.  I still can hardly believe that so many of my very favorite elements, colors, pieces are all smushed together to create one. flawless. beachy. bungalow.  Hallelujah!

The Balboa Island cottage uses a personal fave--Hable Construction fabrics and pillows--throughout.

Turq and red....a favorite combo of mine, esp. for a child's room.

...oh, and do you spy the Pottery Barn Teen bubble table?

My fave-o Albert Hadley wallpaper, with my fave-o Pottery Barn towels. 

Bingo!  The pink Smeg fridge in the guest house. 

Talked about it here. 

Spun fiberglass and butterfly chairs.

Can't cite how many times I have talked about both of those guys.

Always my favorite kiddie wallpaper....Little Whales from Wallnut.

One last shot of the truly cheery bungalow...a perfect seaside retreat! 

Type fast to immediately read the full inteview with Krista.  She sources many of the great items featured in the shoot, including the shiny cruiser in front of the bungalow (Liberty of London from the Targe, natch.)

As an aside, many of the pieces are truly affordable and can be located and purchased pretty easily and some can serve as inspiration to you, as they are vintage re-dos.  Accessibility combined with affordability is always a refreshing treat!

Cheers,

JSH

P.S.  I am going to try my damndest to avoid radio silence on the blog this week. You see, however, it is my baby sister's wedding, and I truly cannot contain my excitement for her...or myself!  We have friends and family coming in from all over the country to sweat and party down in Nola.  We have spent the better part of the year planning and designing away.  I have slapped my own hand away from the blog, preventing myself from giving you guys sneak peeks...just to protect her privacy (and to keep the surprises going for any blog reading guests).  ANYWAY, there will be lots of wonderful pics to share...and hopefully some fun ideas for Gimlet Nation.