My Very Best Friend

This is a style blog, mostly interior design style, and only partly a blog since I so rarely write it these days. Today, it’s a blog about a dog. My best friend, my baby, my Weezy girl.

Let’s start at the beginning. In 2010, I was going through a terrible break up—one of several breakups with the same guy, actually. An on-again off-again disaster. If 2019 Susie could talk to 2008-2010 Susie, she would say “YOU ARE BEING SO DUMB. WALK AWAY!!!” Then again, 2019 Susie would say that to probably 2003-2012 Susie too…but I digress.

I felt like I had all this love to give but where I was trying to give it was wrong—and I love dogs—so I got on Petfinder.com. Now I know, it’s never really advisable to get a pet while in college and only employed part time, and I know it’s never really advisable to get a pet to soothe a broken heart, but I have never been great at listening to what’s advisable. On Petfinder, I filtered for female, large, adult dogs because that’s what we always had growing up and my parents had recently adopted the sweetest dog on planet earth, Sweet Potato, a large adult female dog. Scrolling through the dogs, it’s enough to break the hardest of hearts. So many cute faces longing for a home. But then I saw her. Sassy. That was her name then. She was about 10 miles away in Register, GA and she was the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen. Like a mix of Sweet Potato and our beloved family dog Ginnie who had passed away when I was a sophomore in college. A bulldog looking mix with dark chocolate brown/black and white fur and the perfect blend of goofy and regal. I had to meet her. So I did!

Sassy was at a doggie daycare facility called Dogs Live Happy that houses adoptable dogs for STARS (Save the Animals Rescue Society in GA). She came racing out from the kennels in the back wiggling and happy and immediately rolled over on her back at my feet asking for a belly rub, grunting and honking like a pig, and promptly pooting a VERY stinky dog fart. I loved her immediately and I knew she would have to be renamed Weezy because of her adorable wheezing grunts. Sara Jane (my sister), helped me pay the pet deposit for my rental house though Mama disapproved of me getting a dog in college. Again, I didn’t listen to wisdom, I needed this girl in my life!

We had a group of people over for a study the night I brought her home and she gassed the place up. I think it was nerves. Poor thing, but she loved every person who came over and made life so much happier and more fun! Anyway, nothing brings a group together quite like being crop dusted by a dog!

For those last few months in college, Weezy helped me heal. She wasn’t thrilled about the idea of other dogs and that was challenging, but I’m happy to say she’s learned that other dogs aren’t so bad.

Weezy and her first and best friend, Sweet Potato, who was an angel on earth.

We shared a twin bed and though it was 1,000 degrees and I often had a paw in my face, I don’t think i’ve ever slept better than those months. She was a MAJOR food hound and while we were living in that rental house and sleeping in the twin bed, she managed to get into the trash several times, counter surf, and once even was caught on the kitchen table polishing off the last of the Valentine’s chocolates that my friend and roommate Suzanne received from her boyfriend (now husband!). I’m thankful for sweet and understanding roommates :) We replaced the chocolates and cleaned the table, but a lesser person might not have laughed about it like Suzanne did.

Weezy came with me when we moved into an apartment with my friend, Sarah in Columbus, GA. We stayed there for a month or two while I job hunted. It was the summer of 2010 and it was HOT in Columbus. We went on walks in the park across the street from the apartment and Weezy frequently laid down right in the middle of the walking path. Totally flat. There was nothing I could do but look sheepish and apologize to passersby. If they didn’t think it was funny and cute, I had no use for them anyway. It was, factually, funny and cute. We got used to being together a lot. I was making jewelry I planned to but would never actually sell on Etsy, applying for jobs, and hanging out with my dog. Then, I got a job.

Weezy trying hard to relax.

In October 2010, we moved to Atlanta and I started an 8-5 (ok….9…I’m no early bird) job and Weezy was alone for most of the day for the first time. I chose an apartment close to work so that I could come home at lunch and walk her. I tried crating her during the day after a coffee table, wooden laundry drying rack, and some other junk met their untimely demise by way of being chewed to bits. That did not go well. Weezy somehow squeezed her way out of the crate with a closed and latched door and the latch was still closed when I came home. I still don’t know how she did it. I even got a padlock to put on the door and somehow she did made her way out but not before shaking the crate and slamming that padlock into and through the wall. Oops! One day, out of desperation (and a severe lack of money for doggie daycare or a dog walker), I put her and her water and bed in the bathroom and closed the door. Big mistake. Huge. I came home at lunch to find wooden chips flung from under the bathroom door. When I opened it, the hollow core of the cheap apartment door was exposed and the moulding around the door was removed and chewed with beaver like precision about halfway up. Bye bye, security deposit! I started to clip coupons to save on groceries and Weezy got to go to doggie daycare. She’d made her position known on the matter.

One day, a bag of trash with a deboned rotisserie chicken was left by the front door while I was away. Not by me, but I wont name names to protect the guilty party. Weezy ate everything in that trash bag. And I mean EVERYTHING. I was in a full panic when I discovered she had eaten the chicken since it can be deadly as cooked chicken bones can splinter. I rushed her to the vet who did x-rays to see if she could pass the bones or if they needed to come up/out another way (yikes). The vet came into the exam room with a concerned look on his face and asked if I knew what kind of trauma she had endured. My Weezy was filled with pieces of shot from a shotgun! Now her intense fear of thunder, the clap of a trash bag snapping open, any loud sound was making a lot more sense. Not only that, but there was evidence in these x-rays that suggested her back had once been broken and healed on its own and not very well. This explained her sway back. I sobbed and hugged her, and she passed the chicken bones unharmed.

A couple of years later, we moved in with two roommates, one roommate, Amanda, had a tiny Westie named Maisie. Maisie was very vocal, and Weezy didn’t care for that, and like I mentioned, she wasn’t wild about other dogs. We had a couple of run-ins but things eventually went smoothly in the house, we just had to keep up a baby gate for peace of mind when nobody was home. We all had very well stretched legs/groin areas from stepping over the baby gate so we didn’t have to move it. Writing this, I’m realizing more and more how patient my friends and roommates have been over the years. Thanks, y’all! One day, my roommate Amanda came home from a birthday party with a box of brightly colored frosted cupcakes. 18 cupcakes to be exact. She put the box on the dining table and went about her day, leaving the house for a short time. I can’t remember now who discovered it, but someone came home and saw a totally empty box of cupcakes on the table with no papers in sight and the lid closed back. We were all so confused by it until Weezy lumbered into the room with a belly that looked like she was 12 months pregnant and the tiniest bit of blue frosting on her nose. Almost got away with it!

Over the years, she’s gotten into, and I know I’m forgetting something:

• Full box of Valentine candy

• Dog treat box on counter

• Kitchen trash x10 probably

• Full bag of trash including chicken bones

• Pulled dishes from the sink including a pot I should have cleaned immediately with very staining turmeric and curry in it

• 18 brightly frosted cupcakes

• 7/8 of a brightly colored birthday cake (from the trash at someone else’s house)

• About 1/2 bag of dog food

• A bag of flour, more than once!

• A box of cornstarch

• Bathroom trash

• Several entire bags of bread from grocery bags as I’m unloading the car

• 240 Juice Plus gummies (veggie and fruit)

• Many, many, many other things

Like I said, food hound. No matter how much she got into and ate, or what “bad” things she did, at the end of the day, she would put her face in my lap and sigh and my entire heart would melt. Not only a food hound, but a lap hound too, Weezy would climb into the lap of anyone, stranger or not. She adored my Daddy (she called him Papa, of course), and the feeling was mutual. She stayed with my parents often over the years when I was traveling. A couple of days would pass with us back in Atlanta and I would get a call from Daddy, “Does Weezy miss me?”. I didn’t appreciate how sweet and wonderful that was until I lost Daddy. So many things with people are hard to appreciate in the moment. It’s so easy to get bogged down in things that are hard with the ones you love because people can be frustrating sometimes and we expect so much of each other. Dogs can be challenging, sure, but day to day appreciation of what they bring to life is much, much easier. Maybe it’s because we don’t have a list of expectations—we just love them and they love us more than is possible to understand. And they need us. They rely on us for their food, shelter, care, love, play, potty breaks, all of it. And it’s the most incredible feeling. Weezy looks at me with eyes that say “I love you!” more clearly than words ever could. She is a comforting presence, a place I can go to just “be” and feel loved and lavish affection on her that I’d feel insane doing to a person. I give her probably 30 kisses on her head each day and tell her I love her, how beautiful she is, how lucky I am to be her mommy, and that I’ll miss her so much when I’m gone—and I mean every word. A person would rightfully be very freaked out by that level of gushing, but Weezy? She loves it. Her favorite thing is to sit by or more accurately ON me stare at me, and eventually fall asleep in my lap, and it’s my favorite thing, too.

Weezy “helping Daddy” work on the fireplace

This past year has been incredibly difficult. Weezy’s injuries all those years ago have caught up to her. She’s slowed down considerably and is no longer able to go on walks even if we were to lay down in the sidewalk and take a break. She slips and falls frequently despite the shoes and grippy paw pads I got for her. She started barking at what seemed like nothing, especially when we had company, especially at night, and she seemed confused at night. Over Christmas she had a seizure in a Taco Bell parking lot as we made our way to North Carolina to see Victor’s family. After that, she couldn’t really walk on her own for a few days. She bounced back like she always does. She is the most resilient creature ever, I’m sure of that. As the weeks have gone by, the anxiety medication to help her sleep and be calm at night has begun to be less effective, and the pain medications seem to be only minimally helping, her ability to walk on her own has diminished so much that I worry when she stands up because I know without my help, she will fall and possibly get really hurt, and as she sits beside me, snoring and breathing deeply—the two most soothing sounds I have ever heard, I’ve had to make the decision to say goodbye to my best friend. She’s in pain. She can’t walk and move around like she wants to, and at 13 years old, she wont improve. This is, without question, the single hardest thing I have ever had to do in my life. And I know it’s the loving thing to do, but it’s the last thing on earth I want to do.

My match profile photo — she looks so young and beautiful!

She’s given me more love than I deserve. She brought me smiles through tears after several stupid breakups, a job layoff, and other dumb 20-something concerns. She even brought me smiles through tears as I grieved the death of my Daddy. It was really hard to smile about much for quite a while after he died, but she helped me. She was even in my profile picture on Match.com, which is how I met Victor. So in a way, I think it’s safe to say she helped me meet my husband. Because of Weezy, I’ve known a great love. And because of Weezy, Victor experienced the love of a dog as special as my baby. Tomorrow, in our home, a vet will come and help us peacefully say goodbye with her mommy and daddy by her side, and my heart will break. I don’t want to think about being without her. I’ve become who I am with her and she’s my favorite. She is the best and I am so thankful and lucky to be hers.

Weezy sleeping in my Daddy’s lap. They loved each other so much!

I wrote all of the above last week. I can’t believe it’s been almost a week. I wanted to come back and finish writing this, but it’s just been too hard. Weezy was, is, and forever will be my baby and best friend. Being without her is the hardest thing. I miss her every minute of every day.

Our last night together.

On Saturday, January 19th, after she had every food she could have wanted and we had a slumber party on the living room floor, and she and I snuggled together for hours, Lap of Love Atlanta sent out the most kind vet, Dr Lauren Cassady. She was so gentle and sweet and helped me to feel confident that this decision was the right one for Weezy. When Dr. Lauren arrived, Weezy didn’t even lift her head. No matter how she was feeling, she was always glad to see new people and greet them even if she wasn’t able to get up. This time she didn’t, and I really needed her to show me she was ready in that way. Every time it felt like the end was near I would tell her “I need you to tell me, baby. I can’t make this decision unless I’m sure it’s what you want.” I think she told me on Saturday that she was ready to not be in pain anymore.

Falling asleep in a hug. What I wouldn’t give to hold her right now!

We laid on the floor together and I felt her sleepy breath on my face until she stopped breathing. She was so peaceful. It was the single hardest decision I have ever had to make and I didn’t want to let go of her. My sweet Weezy girl went over the Rainbow Bridge, no longer in pain. Until we meet again, my angel. I love you forever.

Sleek Modern Bathroom by Susie Mae Design

When we bought our 1960s house in January of 2017, we knew we had a lot of work to do. There were a lot of things that took priority like a new roof, HVAC system, insulation, and water mitigation. Naturally we wanted to renovate the kitchen and bathrooms immediately, but that just wasn't in the cards. Now, a year and a half later, the kitchen and both bathrooms have been renovated and IT IS SO GREAT! 

Before we started any work the to the house, this was the view in the dining room, looking at the front door and the closet that was once in the dining room. 

Next, we painted the walls white, Sherwin Williams Alabaster to be exact. The door and windows were replaced and that closet had to go! The closet backs up to the end of the master bathroom. If you were to knock on the back wall of the closet, you'd be knocking on the end wall of the bathroom/shower. We didn't want a closet in the dining room and we really did want some room to move around in our bathroom, so we decided to close up that closet and take it for the shower. We made plans to move the plumbing down so that the shower could take over that closet space. 

Dining room, looking through the demo'd closet and into the master bathroom. You can see the master bedroom drapes just beyond the bathroom doorway. 

The wall gets framed and then drywall goes up. 

Sanded and painted to look like a regular wall.

Here are the BEFORE photos. The bathroom was small and cramped and had haphazard storage "solutions" that were not really working for us. The toilets in our house also had tanks about 2xs the size of the bowl. Wasting water is not something we're into, so we opted for a dual flush water saving option instead along with other more green solutions. 

It's unclear if the bathroom had ever been updated, but from what we could tell, the only real change since the house was built was adding new layers of floral wallpaper, and then painting over that in recent years. Frankly, I'd have preferred the wallpaper to the paint job in there. Paint all over the tiles, toilet, and ceiling...what a mess. There was nothing we wanted to salvage about this bathroom, so the sledgehammer and Victor got to work smashing and trashing. I had to be at a baby shower that morning, so I got to skip some of the demo labor. But really, demo can be fun so I would have liked to help more.

A cast iron tub doesn't move easily. The best choice is often to break it up with a sledgehammer. It's messy and LOUD work, but it's effective. 

As with the other bathroom in our house, there had been a slow, continuous leak for who knows how long in the pipes between the bathrooms. Some patching had been done, but nobody had actually fixed the issue in years past. We don't want to do any project half-assed so to speak, so we made sure to replace all of the pipes that needed replacing, and replaced joists and sub flooring. This was the subfloor when the tile flooring came up. Shocking that we didn't just fall through to the crawl space--it was paper thin and crumbly with some areas of no sub flooring at all. 

Now that everything is out, let's look at the design plan. 

This was the original plan which did change a little, but it started here. We knew we wanted a wall hung vanity in a warm wood tone, a dual flush/modern toilet, round black frame mirror with black sconces, herringbone stone tiles, black ceiling, white walls, and large white body tiles on the sides of the shower, black faucet, chrome shower fixture and towel bars. 

Here's a look at how things would lay out once we took over that closet and where the different tiles and colors will go. 

The Sketup plan. 

The first step after demo was pocket door installation. Even after we expanded into the closet, the bathroom was still only 10ft long x 5ft wide, we needed to save as much space as we possibly could. When Victor and I are both brushing our teeth or getting ready at the sink, the door being in the way just doesn't work. So, this in-swing door gets the boot. 

We went to an outlet for building supplies in our area and found this solid wood, unfinished pretty 5-light door with ribbed glass. Most bathrooms would not benefit from a glass panel door, but this bathroom in our master bedroom, and you can't see through the ribbed glass so it's still very private for us and that extra light coming in makes the bathroom feel larger, too. 

I sanded, stained, and finished the door with Sherwin Williams English Chestnut and a clear satin varnish. It's so nice to have the extra space this door gives us! In the 1960s houses, pocket doors were everywhere. I'm not sure why they fell out of favor, but I'm a fan and love to use them in tight spaces in particular. They're a great solution for small spaces and are often a much better choice than the super popular barn door, depending on the location and architectural style.  

Next up: the plumbing gets moved. I was working in my office as the plumber was sawing into the new subfloor to relocate the shower drain and pulling the new pipes to the correct heights for the new fixtures. All of a sudden I see Weezy out of the corner of my eye. 

I guess she thought the new subfloor smelled good so she sneaked in behind the plumber and got this disc of wood to play with. It was so cute! I let her play with it for a little bit but eventually it started to splinter so I had to take it away from her :( This is not design related, but it is incredibly cute so I figure everyone should see it. I love it when she acts like a puppy still, even in her gray-faced years. 

New drywall and durarock went up, and then the entire shower got thoroughly waterproofed. This is an essential step! If there is a void in the grout, or a crack ever occurs, water can wreak havoc but with proper waterproofing, it wont be so tragic. 

The other side of the pocket door wall in the bedroom needed some drywall patching at the same time to make it smooth and as if the pocket door had always been there. While we had the wall opened up, Victor moved the electrical so that the TV which hangs on this wall can be plugged in without any dangling, ugly cords. He's good. 

I wanted the tile to flow from the entry up the back wall, and then up onto the ceiling of the shower with the remaining ceiling area finished with black paint (Sherwin Williams Iron Ore, which you can see on my bedroom walls below). Ideally, we would have had no shower curb and a linear drain so I could have had this herringbone pattern on the shower floor as well, but that is $$$ soooo we selected a different shape tile in the same stone for the shower floor. 

Pattern time!

Painted ceiling in Sherwin Williams Iron Ore, semi-gloss finish

Side walls get large format white body tiles, stack bond pattern. Stack bond is straight up and down, not in a brick pattern.

The reason we had to go with a pebble style tile for the floor is because of the angle of a shower floor. A 3" x 3" tile is the largest you should go in a traditional shower pan so that the pitch to the drain can be achieved without risk of cracking tiles or sharp corners sticking up. We did use the same tiles from the herringbone pattern on the curb and rounded by sanding to keep the corners from being sharp. This is another important thing to remember in bathroom remodeling. Either use a bullnose trim tile if available, a trim like Schluter systems to cap the end of tiles with no pencil or bullnose option, or, if it is a natural stone, have it rounded by a professional tile installer. 

The sconce boxes shown here. The mirror will go centered between them. 

I selected Pewter Gray grout so that the pattern would show up, but it would not feel too stark and high contrast. We had enough contrast with the white walls and black ceiling and floors. The same grout was used for all the of the tile. You can see in the above photo that we had 3 niches built into the end wall. I did not want shampoo bottles to show when you look into the bathroom. The showstopper tile wall would be interrupted with bottles and it just wouldn't be right. The bottom niche is perfect for leg propping and shaving. It's really great because it works just like a step without creating a break in the herringbone design.

Vanity is hung, toilet is in, almost all of the shower fixtures are in.

Finally, we hung the mirror, lights, and the shower glass is installed. We selected just one piece of frameless glass from floor to ceiling with a comfortable 24in opening. Since we are using a rain shower head, this works really well. I wouldn't recommend this same arrangement for someone using a traditional shower head as the amount of overspray could get out of hand in that situation. 

The finished bathroom feels serene, modern, clean, and super functional. It feels so much more high end and spacious, even though we added only 24 additional inches to the length of the space. 

Someday soon I hope to have Christina Wedge photograph this space to really do it justice. I am so happy with it! We have SO MUCH more space, and the function all around is exactly what we need. It's amazing when storage and function is considered in a design, how easy it is to keep it organized and clean :)

Tell us, what's your favorite part of this renovation? What does your dream bathroom look like?

Marietta Traditional Project: Family Room

Starting from scratch is not alway necessary in design. In fact, sometimes the nicest results come from blending together new and old and updating the old to feel like new. That's just what we did with the Marietta Traditional Project and I love the results! 

BEFORE

As you can see, the room was not bad! It has good seating, solid, good quality furniture, and lots of storage. BUT, it also has dare I say too much storage and the built-ins with the large cabinetry visually overlap one another (their lines do, not physically overlapping). This space is just off of a porch so the window is shaded and there is not much natural light at all. Because of that, it feels dark and the darker colors on the furniture feel even darker than they are. 

My client did some smart things to try to get more light in the room with lighting and a mirror to bounce light around. There are 3 points of light (table lamps, overhead, and floor lamp) but it still felt dark and the cabinet on the left feels heavy and a little oppressive for the space. 

As you can see here, the window is a little odd. It's sort of a bay window but the wall does not follow the shape of the windows at all. The crown moulding all around makes the walls feel shorter with the vaulted ceilings being minimized by the horizontal line of the crown. 

Yes, the cutest family ever lives here. This area is technically a part of the family room but feels almost more a part of the breakfast room. Just off the backdoor and between the family room and breakfast room, this space did not have much function. The kids have grown up a lot since this portrait, and while they're still small, they're not using a tiny table this small anymore. This space needed functionality and purpose. 

THE PLAN

The plan started with electrical. We needed to get more light on the subject so I drew up a plan for the layout of the room and added can lights across the ceiling to distribute more even lighting. We kept the existing wiring for the ceiling fan and swapped the fan out for a really pretty light fixture. In the South, we need fans. They're not pretty but they're often very necessary. However, in this room, due to a very good HVAC system and a nice shady situation thanks to the porch, a fan was not needed so so we could ditch it in favor for something much more attractive!

You'll notice a few other pieces have changed in this floor plan, more on those later. 

Next, we devised a plan to address those windows. This expert drawing above (ha!) shows the plan: to make the window feel like it was supposed to be that way with drapery. I determined that the layout of the space was actually the best layout to use in this case, so the sofa was to stay put. We selected this gorgeous fabric with some embroidery detail to span the space as both a valance and drapery panels on either side. Now, I know most of the time a valance is used, it's over the top of the panels and hardware but I really wanted that pretty hardware to show and to put the valance as flush against the wall as possible to minimize the look of that gap between the window and the wall. 

My clients really like their existing rug, so we kept it and used it for the basis of the color scheme. The walls were yellow with white trim and a popcorn ceiling. To start, we selected a very soft neutral with a bit of pigment in it. It's not a great idea to paint a dark room too white--it will look sad and lonely and cold. SO we chose Sherwin Williams Conservative Gray. We used this color on nearly the entire first floor of the house to create a nice flow from room to room. The color has a little blue, a little green, and is a nice neutral backdrop that still holds its own. The painters took down the crown moulding, skimmed the ceiling, and painted the walls and ceiling Conservative Gray and WHAT A DIFFERENCE!

Like I said earlier, you don't have to start from scratch. While we were making some big changes in this space, we did not replace and of the upholstered furniture! When you buy good quality pieces, they'll be an investment up front, but you'll have some serious quality that lasts you for years and years. If your tastes change, great--just re-cover it! And that is just what we did. Using the rug as inspiration for the color scheme and our new soft neutral walls, I selected a beautiful tan and cream stripe for the wingback chairs, an animal print for the ottoman in a hardwearing stain-resistant material, and some splashed of green on the pillows. Pretty trims tie it all together for a complete look. 

The sofa is a nice leather that was still in great shape. However, the cushions had taken a bit of a beating of the years and were looking a little sad and saggy. My awesome upholsterer came to the rescue and reformed the cushions with a nice foam interior that will stand up to lots more sitting and maybe even a little jumping! After that, the sofa looked as good as new. 

Remember the little area with the tiny table? Well, to make it functional, I suggested we create a little mudroom. As you can see in this hyper realistic drawing ;) we did just that with a piece of custom made furniture. It has hooks for coats and hats, baskets to keep shoes in, and cubbies for homework and mail so that it can be hidden away and off the kitchen countertops. For comfort when taking shoes on and off, we added a cushion on top. 

AFTER

Now we have a smoothed ceiling, more light throughout the room, new decorative light fixture, reupholstered ottoman and wingback chairs, all new pillows, new chair in corner, basket for blankets, new side tables, drapery, media cabinet fitted to the room size in a dark finish to balance the color of the sofa, restyled bookshelves, custom artwork over the mantel, moulding and large cabinetry removed, new hardware on the doors of built-in cabinet doors, and a very functional family space. 

Our gorgeous custom piece for keeping shoes and coats and homework serves its purpose well and keeps things tidy and functional. The cushion is upholstered in the same material as the wingback chairs across the room to create some continuity. We actually had these baskets custom made to be stained in the same finish as the wood on top of the cubbies and fit perfectly into each cubby and I love them! It's so satisfying how perfect they are. 

As you can see, it is very possible to take what you have and make it work for you. Use a little imagination, be willing to make big changes, and be honest with yourself about what is working and what is not in your home. Is it too dark, too crowded, too hot, too cold, too loud? Whatever the issues are that are bothering you, use that to begin your redecorating and then let your favorite pieces inspire your look going forward. We loved all of the furniture my client already had, it just needed a fresh look. They love their rug, so it was the inspiration for the color scheme and just like that, we were on our way to creating a beautiful and well loved space that is the heart of the home for this sweet family and you can do the same with your home. 

If you need help making the best use of what you have and you want your home to be the best it can be, contact me today to schedule your consultation!

Design, concepts, and written content by Susie Mae Design.

All completed room images by Christina Wedge Photography. 

Marietta Traditional Project: Piano Room

Right this minute the joists and subfloor in my guest bathroom are being cut out to be replaced. My poor house was left to rot into the ground over the years by owner after owner neglecting to take care of leaks, water mitigation, and just general upkeep. Sometimes, buying a fixer upper is a pain in the you know what. At least we have a good contractor who is doing the work for us so we don't have to go too long with our home in shambles because we just do not have the time to do the work ourselves. I'm excited to share all of that progress soon, but for now, it's just sawdust and loud banging and buzzing. You can follow along with the progress of that project and other of my home projects on my Instagram, @susiemaedesign. 

Susie Mae Design

Let's talk about something that doesn't involve saws, joists, OR water damage! How about a serene family space? Here's a lovely, recently completed multi-purpose family room that has come a long way at the Marietta traditional project. It started out as sort of a catch all storage space with very little light and no real purpose aside from housing old toys and a piano. This family of four needed this space to work for them as more than a storage unit. It's just off the front entrance of the home so it needed more presence for sure, so we had to make sure it said "Welcome! Our home is pretty, and cozy" and really set the tone for the rest of the house. We affectionately call this "the piano room". It's a play on a formal living room, but updated for current life.

BEFORE

BEFORE

This room spans the length of the home, from the front of the house to the back, so it's a long room and needed zones to create a cohesive space with multiple uses. It also needed to be lightened up, both in terms of paint color and actual electrical lights. We added a series of 8 can lights (4 sets of 2) down the length of the room and later on added more localized lighting once furniture went in. After that, the ceiling got a fresh coat of white paint and the walls went Sherwin Williams Comfort Gray. This gray has a good bit of blue in it so while it is a neutral it also serves as a soft wash of color. I've decided to call this type of color "bluetral". A mashup of blue and neutral because blue really does act like a neutral quite often. Like blue jeans, neutral blues go with just about everything.

Susie Mae Design

Susie Mae Design

Next, we pulled together a furniture plan. To get those zones, we created a game/homework table that can double (or would it be triple?) as additional dining space for parties and larger family gatherings, as well as a sitting room centered around the piano, and storage console at the entrance to provide a natural focal point.  

Susie Mae Design

Next came selecting fabrics and finishes for each piece of furniture and for the drapery. We had custom functioning drapery made so that the family could enjoy privacy at night without the need for blinds or shades, allowing more natural light to come in during the day. This color palette is a dream! The rose tone we used on two skirted swivel chairs, stain-resistant taupe on the ottoman, a super strong Crypton on the loveseat, beautiful cream linen on the drapery with a nice tape edge trim, and pulling it all together, a watercolor inspired print for the throw pillows. 

Susie Mae Design

This is one of my favorite parts of this space! This gorgeous cupboard is filled with board games, homework, and craft supplies all while looking uncluttered and refined. What a victory! Just above the cupboard is a beautiful piece of art my client found through Atlanta Artist Collective. It has the right scale, mood, and palette to complement the space without looking "matchy". In this case we selected the art towards in the end of the planning phase, but I love how it looks like we planned the room around this piece rather than the other way around. 

Susie Mae Design

Since the children both play piano (and it's a pretty upright!), it was important to keep the piano a key figure in the room. The piano anchors the sitting room area and gives focus to the space. We had custom frames made to house portraits of each child and a whole family photo on this side, and landscape photos from their travels mirror this arrangement on the other side of the space above the loveseat. We kept the piano top simple, but decorative. Since it will be frequently used, overdoing it wont work. 

Susie Mae Design

See the landscape photos above the loveseat? We used some repetition throughout the space to create balance and symmetry with those images, color, texture, and pattern. The rose colored chairs swivel to offer options for conversation or to enjoy a piano concert. We chose a large ottoman to offer foot propping access for everyone seated around the space as well as extra seating when larger groups gather. This rug is another favorite part for me. It's a stunning hand knotted wool rug with an antique feel. The colors are muted, yet still colorful. I adore the thin fringe on the ends as well. 

Susie Mae Design

While the room is not particularly formal, we wanted to be sure the game/homework area felt decidedly less formal than the other side. To encourage family time and fun without feeling fussy, we selected a natural weave rug with a subtle pattern and again, gorgeous fringe detail to anchor the space and not compete with the rug on the opposite side of the room. A family style solid wood table resists scratches and dings from pencils and Monopoly pieces, and Crypton covered seats finish off the pretty ladder back chairs. 

I loved designing this space! It's family friendly, yet refined. Neutral, yet colorful.

BEFORE AND AFTER

BEFORE AND AFTER

We hope you will feel inspired to create a space for your own family that works in a variety of ways. Find a place where there is wasted space and make use of it. If lack of space is your issue, create multipurpose solutions to make your home work better for you! If you need help making the best use of what you have and you want your home to be the best it can be, contact me today to schedule your consultation!

Design, concepts, and written content by Susie Mae Design.

All completed room images by Christina Wedge Photography. 

Prince Home Project Kitchen

Oh, hello again and Happy New Year! We are back with a little update. 2017 was a wild year. And now that it has come to a close, we've been doing a lot of goal making, progress assessments, planning, and thinking about the opportunities 2018 will bring. We are pretty excited about the New Year and hope you are, too! 

The kitchen in all its glory!

One of our goals is to post with more regularity...and this time really do it. We're making some changes to the blog soon, and we are excited to have you come along with us on the journey! 2017 was heavy for us, so not much blogging happened. I (Susie) lost my Daddy this year, and Christina has been renovating her older house and having a mountain of issues with it. Frankly, both situations are super hard, so we've been a bit distracted. Losing a parent is terrible and it has changed a lot about how I feel day to day. I've been a less engaged friend and have often felt like I'm just floating around in a bubble. My friend Kara, who lost her Daddy several months after me, wrote a beautiful blog post recently about it. She so perfectly captured how it feels. You can read it here. In 2018 I hope to write in a cheerful, funny way like Kara does, even in the midst of grief. Daddy would have liked that. He was sappy sometimes, but then ALWAYS followed it up with a joke. No moment too serious not to laugh. So I'm going to try to do just that. 

Alright, I know you didn't come to an interior design blog to read about grief. I wont stop altogether, but I will move on to pretty photos now :)

Our kitchen! AT LAST!!! Victor and I decided to have a stressful first year of marriage. We bought a house, took on major projects with it, and all of this while Daddy was very sick. It was a lot.

When we bought our ugly littl....I mean.... our little house in January of 2017, I wanted to rip the kitchen out right away. There was a heavy dose of bad attitude towards things I wanted to change and I was getting annoyed with how real estate has gotten in Atlanta. The location we wanted plus all of the things we hoped for were so expensive and we didn't have the luxury of living in a different house while we renovated so I was feeling really frustrated. The list of fixes was long and I am ashamed to admit I sat down and cried during the inspection. Like a child. Honestly, if you've seen me this year for more than an hour, you've definitely seen me cry. That used to be mortifying, now it's like "Welp, tears. Here they come. Embrace it." 

Aaaaaaanyway, we decided the kitchen couldn't be expanded because there were so many high priority fixes desperately needed like an HVAC as old as me, single pane inefficient windows, no insulation in the attic, water pooling all over the yard, and on and on and on. I'm a giant baby sometimes, so I cried because other things were more important than getting the kitchen I wanted. But I'm a giant baby who loves to cook and entertain, and the kitchen is very important for that!

BEFORE

Kitchen before

The kitchen had laminate countertops that had been sponge painted to look like granite. The cabinets were sealed with Great Stuff (which is actually great stuff! just not ideally needed between cabinets), and then that was topped with duct tape that had been painted white. Some doors were coming off and/or missing. It felt cramped and narrow and dark.  

Kitchen before

The cabinet doors were non-paintable melamine with no pulls and some didn't close properly. There was also a weird little peninsula which I found to be a very confusing choice for a narrow, small kitchen. The refrigerator and dishwasher couldn't be opened at the same time due to the narrow space and the size of the doors. Oh, and if the refrigerator door was open, you couldn't even walk by. It was SO narrow. 

Kitchen before

The lighting also posed a few problems. When chopping vegetables, the angle of the lights overhead cast shadows over what I was doing and bounced directly off of the cabinet faces rather than onto the counters, making it hard to see anything well. Very little natural light came in through the window due to the wooden valance you can see stretching between cabinets over the sink.

When we first moved in some friends would supportively say "Oh, this is a cute kitchen" to which I would grouchily say "Are you kidding?! It's the worst!". Sorry, friends. haha! I would have preferred the kitchen be legitimately 1960s in avocado green and gold. 

So, while we couldn't expand and make the kitchen a beautiful, large one with an island and all of my dreams in it, we did turn that turd of a kitchen into a beautiful space that I LOVE! 

Post demo kitchen looking into storage room beyond where the laundry used to be

First, we gutted the kitchen. I cannot tell you how fun that was to do. Never underestimate the power of wielding a sledgehammer. Pure therapy. We decided to keep costs down by keeping the existing footprint of the kitchen. With the help of our friend and contractor, Paddy, we decided to push one wall (the one with the fridge) into the carport just a bit to widen the kitchen and make it more functional and comfortable without having to add on to the house or losing our parking spaces. Since we had the walls open, we decided to take out all of the old insulation and replace it with more energy efficient insulation and also spray for bugs. Roaches like old houses. We do not like roaches. 

THE PLAN

The plan

So we had a plan. We decided to make our kitchen feel brighter, bigger, sleek, and modern all the while not changing the basic layout. To do this, we eliminated the upper cabinets from the window side of the kitchen in favor of open shelves, and took out all uppers on the back wall altogether. Open shelves are polarizing. Some people love them, some hate them. Here's why we decided to go this route and why it may work for you: 1. the kitchen felt so narrow, opening up the line of sight would help to make it feel visually wider 2. the amount of light coming in from the back of the house was limited, and opening up that area would bring in more natural light (the more the better!) 3. my wedding china was hidden away in a buffet cabinet in the dining room, rarely being used. This would give us a natural place to display the pieces AND use them more often. 4. our house is a 1960s ranch with modern lines, so we wanted to keep with that style and be true to the era. 

Word to the wise, display pieces you love and actually use. I cook A LOT. Like, every day, at least one full meal. Some people say not to do open shelving if you cook a lot, but I don't entirely agree. I say, do it if it works best for your space, but display things you'll use and not items that will just sit there collecting dust and grease. If you do put items on the shelves that you wont use frequently, they'll need to be washed before use. Last year, I used my wedding china one time. Since the renovation has been completed, I've used it at least 6 times.

The kitchen was short on functional storage, so we took the wall that was a chalkboard wall beside the refrigerator and created a real pantry with pullout shelves. The back wall with the range was to be a focal point for the kitchen with a hood that feels like something the Jetsons might have, plus clean, pretty glass tiles all the way up to the ceiling. We chose glass because it's more reflective and dimensional than ceramic and would therefore add more light and airiness to the space. We added a couple of extra drawer stacks on the bottom rather than cabinets in most cases for optimal storage space. We wanted the kitchen to feel bright and modern but still welcoming and warm, so we elected to stain the lower cabinets in a walnut color that picks up on the darker tones from our original hardwoods and go with high gloss white flat front, full overlay doors for the uppers. The kitchen faces an open concept living space, so we wanted it to feel balanced when looking in from the other room. To solve that, we planned to do a waterfall countertop that comes down the side of our stained lower cabinets and create a white end on both sides; the pantry and the waterfall opposite the pantry. 

THE PROCESS

Walls up, cabinets in

Now that the plan was in place, the walls were sheet rocked and the cabinet boxes went in. We had plastic up across from the laundry to the back door, so I couldn't back up too much to get good photos during the process. 

THE TILE

Then the electrical, cabinet doors, and countertops went in. It felt cool, but not quite a kitchen until the tile went up. That really made a big difference! We chose to have the tile laid stack bond for a really clean look with very straight lines. Simple, clean, and accurate!

We wanted that tile backsplash to feel totally uninterrupted, so we decided to put the outlets and switch for the disposal in the countertop. We chose white pop-up outlets so they disappear into the white countertop. You can see the cutouts for the faucet, push-button disposal and outlets in the photo above.

THE COUNTERS

There are lots of options out there for solid surface counters. We chose quartz in solid white so that it almost feels like a space-age material you might have come across in the 60s. We had the edge mitered and cut in a knife-edge so that we got a super cool effect. Quartz also has added benefits of being more stain and heat resistant than other materials, really sturdy, and made with stone!

Waterfall quartz countertop with double knife edge and mitered corner

Waterfall quartz countertop with double knife edge and mitered corner

THE DETAILS

One of my favorite things in our kitchen is our white faucet with blue enamel sink! It's a unique color and a nice surprise to visitors. It also makes washing dishes less horrible. Also, I'm a big fan of our panel-front dishwasher. It vanishes into the cabinets and makes it feel much more seamless. 

THE LIGHTING

The last thing to go in was the open shelves. We made sure to have under cabinet lighting (very low-profile LED lights) built into the cabinets and shelves and switched with the other lights on the wall as you enter the kitchen. It makes allll the difference! So does the pendant light we added. I love the clear but diffused light it casts as I wash dishes or if I just want to leave a light on for Weezy (my dog) when we are out. 

Pendant lighting over sink

Under cabinet lighting

Getting the spacing right for under cabinet lights is very important to have even, clear light. There are lots of options for under cabinet lighting also. You can go with a strip of lights, independent plug-in lights, lights with plugs attached, etc. We opted for direct-wire lights on a switch and asked Paddy to build them into the cabinets and shelves. Very happy we did that! Since everything is full overlay and there are no aprons to cover on the shelves, this was the cleanest and prettiest option, not to mention how functional it is!

THE PANTRY

Speaking of function, the pantry is probably too exciting to me. Previously, I was using two upper cabinets to cram everything into and if I needed to get the flour out, I had to rearrange 15 other things to make sure I didn't create an avalanche of pantry items when pulling the flour out. The soft close, strong glides on these drawers are EVERYTHING! We also decided early on that we didn't want the microwave out on the counter. Counter space is scarce in a house like ours. We have way more now than before, but still not ample. To solve that, we had a plug put into the back of the pantry and the microwave has a cozy little home now. I rarely use it anyway, so this is better for me and since we went with all white enamel on our appliances, this kept us from having to get a new microwave ;) 

We also put in pull-out dog bowls in the base of the pantry. This is not only extremely adorable, but also really functional for us. Weezy eats her meals in about 30 seconds or less. She's not one to savor, so having her bowl out all the time just isn't necessary. I do have a water bowl for her elsewhere for the rest of the day, but this allows me to tuck her bowls away after meal times and keeps the house looking a little more tidy. 

I haven't organized the rest of the pantry super well yet, so please disregard the somewhat haphazard nature of this right now :)

THE SNEAKY STORAGE

Lazy Susan storage in the corners

Lastly, we had a weird issue to solve. The corners of the kitchen before left a lot of wasted storage space and we didn't want to sacrifice that available space when we built our new kitchen. So, we got Lazy Susan storage for both corners. Pots and pans go on one side by the stove, and my rice cooker, crockpot, food processor, etc. go on the other side. I can easily access these when I need them, but when I don't, they're tucked away in that funky corner using that previously empty space. 

AFTER AND BEFORE

So tell us, what do you think of the renovation? Anything you especially liked? Anything else you'd like to know? Something you would have done differently? 

PS. The more we make this house our own, the more I love it and the less I want to call it ugly :)

Xoxo

Befores and Durings

Hello again everyone. We are really trying to get better at consistency. Frankly, life gets busy and it's hard to prioritize the things we enjoy, like writing to you.  Since Christina and I are both in the middle of renovations, big life changes, and full time jobs, poor Ends In Style tends to take a back seat over and over. We do love this blog and we love that you read it. I'm sorry we've been so off this year. 

"During" of the dining room

I've been off this year. But more about that in a bit. In January, my husband Victor and I bought a little house. It has a lot of potential, though sadly, the last 10 years or more it may have been loved by its inhabitants, but it certainly wasn't cared for. The AC and heating units shared a birth year with me. They too were starting to feel creaking joints and were surprised that 30 does indeed feel different. The house lacked insulation, the windows were ancient and cracked and leaking, the bathrooms haven't been updated in 30 years. The kitchen is a very non-committal amalgamation of square white tiles, poorly placed electrical, melamine poorly fitted cabinets, and laminate countertops. Shortly after we closed on the house, I don't even think we'd moved in yet, the roof leaked into the kitchen due to a really bad storm and so we had to get a new roof and are working on the kitchen soon. 

As much as I want to change everything and NOW, I'm excited by the possibilities and that nothing is newly renovated, so there's no need to feel bad about changing it. We are not limited by much, so we can make this house into our home. We can make it into something we can be proud of!

Before of the exterior

LOTS still to do. Current exterior

There is so much to do everywhere in and out of the house. So far, we've gotten new doors and windows, removed the iron railing, sold the swing, and some minor landscaping. Eventually, we'll remove the shutters, paint the brick, and change out the siding, along with some other cosmetic changes and some major landscaping. 

New front door and potted plants. 

See what I mean? There's still a good bit to do because the front stoop is looking a little "stoop-id", but much better than before! The new door lets in so much more light and really brightens up the place. Also, I love brightly colored front doors. This is Benjamin Moore Citron. A super sunny yellow with a dash of green. For us, very welcome change from the formerly doo-doo brown color it was painted before. 

BEFORE

Before, the plan for the room

DURING

Accent wall and gorgeous planter housewarming gift from my Mama

In the dining room, we swapped out the double window for one large picture window. I painted the walls and trim Sherwin Williams Alabaster. There is an accent wall on the wall opposite the window that is the color of the drapes, Sherwin Williams Connor's Lakefront, velvet finish. Soon, we'll hang a chandelier over the dining table (it's almost exactly like the one in the plan) and hang the artwork. I'll also change the styling of everything 500 times. 

Hallway BEFORE

Hallway -- now laundry/mud room

When we bought the house, the laundry room was outside in the carport. That was not going to happen. In college, I rented a house with the laundry room in the carport so I would save up my laundry for approximately six weeks and then try to cram it all into two loads to minimize having to do laundry in an unconditioned space that usually had a hornets nest in it. Rental houses in Statesboro don't always have the best amenities and yet we happily paid each month to live walking distance to class. To be fair, my rent was $300 a month, so I shouldn't be too surprised at the laundry situation or the number of roaches that found their way into the house....shudder.

One of the very first things we did to the house was remove the coat closet above and frame the area for the washer and dryer. Victor custom built these lovely cabinets for storage of brooms, vacuum cleaner, laundry supplies, etc. It's so much more efficient for us and I do laundry way more than once every six weeks! We painted the walls a Sherwin Williams color called Porch Ceiling. Since this is the entrance to our house from the carport, so where we come in and out every day, I chose eggshell finish. I prefer flat finish most of the time, but for high traffic areas, a little sheen is best. This wall color is the same as our kitchen backsplash will be once that project gets completed. 

The fireplace is the most done of any project in the house. You can see the progression above. Something to note is to not ever paint the interior of your fireplace if it is a working chimney. We cannot have fires in ours due to cracked flues among other dangerous things costing way too much to fix to be worth it in Georgia. So, we sealed it, painted it, and are making it our own. This color is Sherwin Williams In the Navy, a very deep deep blue. 

So many times during this renovation I think about my Daddy and about the befores and durings of life. Before he died a few months ago, I would call him for advice about fixing something around the house, or just to talk about the renovation. Growing up, he and Mama made our home in a rural farmhouse built circa 1880. He added a bathroom, built a porch, did dry wall, added central heating and air; almost every single thing you can do to a house to fix it, he did it. The more work we do to this house, the more I think about the sacrifices they made to have a comfortable home and for us to be in a good school district. It's hard work constantly fixing up a house, and ours is only 56 years old! I can only imagine what they took one when I was a three-month old baby and they bought a house that was over 100 years old. Daddy worked long days, sometimes traveling all day, then came home to spend the evenings and weekends building or fixing things around the house. He may have complained about a lot of it, but I have really fond memories of those years. 

The living room plan (still very much in the works)

Remember when I said I've been off this year? Well, this is why. Grief doesn't just come right when you lose someone and then go away shortly after. You don't just move on or feel OK. I walk around, trying to do the things I have to do, all the while feeling like I could burst into tears at any moment, and I much more readily tear up in public now. I've become accustomed to wiping away tears in the grocery store aisles when I see something Daddy always loved to eat. The feelings just well up and I want to feel them. Being sad and missing him makes it feel less real that he is gone in a way. Every wall I've painted in this house has some tears in it. I can't work in the yard or do home renovations without feeling the nagging pain that my Daddy will never get to see it. He never made it to see our first home. 

Before I lost my Daddy, I was short with him and quickly lost my temper with him because family can be hard. Before I knew I was going to lose my Daddy, I didn't call him often and talk to him about his thoughts on wall colors (though he'd be very pleased I chose white for the majority of the house. White walls were a given in his opinion). During my grief, I'm finishing projects slowly around the house, constantly thinking of Daddy. During my heartbreak, I want to feel sad and miss my Daddy. During my loss, I'm feeling like I have a big hole in my head that most everyone around me just doesn't see or want to acknowledge--so they don't mention it to me. I'm not at the afters. They take a while with home renovations and there's always more to do. And I'm certain the afters never come with loss. I know there will be healing, but that part that you can't get back is gone, and it hurts. I'm just floating along here in the during, not quite myself, partially done, but partially undone, just like my little house. 

A Funky Kirkwood Cottage by Susie Mae Design

Hello everyone! I'm finally posting about this master suite and guest bathroom that I promised I would post about a million years ago. I'm getting preeeetty good at this protracted posting schedule :) 

Christina and I are both in the midst of renovations. Which, as you may have experienced yourself, typically uncover some fairly interesting issues. So, we've been sorting through stacks of wood, dust, cans of paint, tile samples, and plenty of stress. In times like this, it's nice to look back on finished projects that are clean and pretty and don't have stacks of junk everywhere. 

I'm very lucky for several reasons (and here are just a couple). One, because I have a job that I love and clients who are really great to work with. And two, because I get to work with Christina who so beautifully captures interiors and graciously agrees to photograph my work for our blog. 

I love the calm white bedding and cool neutral walls with the more active prints and colorful accessories. This client lives in a fun Kirkwood bungalow and is not afraid of color and pattern mixing--I love that! 

We chose to anchor the room with touches of black, including this fabulous table by Jonathan Adler. It's such a gorgeous black laquer finish and the pagoda style is classic and modern all at once. We had to wait a while on this one as it was custom ordered, and the finish and hardware we chose is no longer available. But it was worth the wait! 

Now, for my favorite part of the room. The fabrics!!!! On this king sized bed, which is a Beauty Rest Black Hybrid (plug for my hubby's company), we used 3 Euro shams in the same style as the duvet cover. In front of that, we had two custom king shams made with the most sumptuous and beautiful Laura Kirar for Highland Court embroidered material with green backing and piping. From the moment I saw this material in a presentation by the Duralee rep at Miko + Boone Home, I knew I HAD to use it! More specifically, I want a dress made with it but I figured something beautiful in my client's home was more appropriate... for now ;)

Let's not overlook the drapery material, which you will see again in the master bathroom. It's a white background with black polka dots that get thicker and thinner to create stripes. So, pattern mixing in one material? Oh yeah!

We finished the space with a simple gallery wall in soft colors. 

For the master bathroom, my client was very adventurous! I suggested we paint the walls black and she said "Sounds good!". It's a bold statement, but it works since the tile and countertops are light and reflect a lot of natural light coming in through the window. The master bath is also just off the bedroom, so it connects the two rooms with that anchor black color we used on the drapery, side table, and rug. 

My client had these gorgeous, colorful prints of birds. They were the perfect addition to the bathroom walls. Large, white mats were used with white frames to make them pop off the wall and add a little more light and bright to the bold bathroom walls.

The bathroom has plenty of good storage, but for a little extra towel storage and decorative appeal, we added a simple white cart. This could be used as a bar cart, but they don't have to be used just for bars! 

Perhaps my favorite part of the bathroom is the towel rack. Acrylic antlers! Aren't they cute? The layout of the bathroom doesn't have enough wall space just by the shower for an easily accessible towel just after a shower, so now my client has a place to keep her towel and she doesn't have to get water all over the floor. 

Ok, ok, so I may have another favorite part of this project. This wallpaper!!!! It's a block printed grasscloth in a natural tone with white zebra print. It's important to have a good wallpaper installer for grasscloth, especially the kind that needs to be trimmed first. There's something so spa like about this bathroom, and yet also funky-cool.  

Again, my client already had this artwork and it is the perfect style for the room being that it is a bathing lady.  

This was such a fun project to do! My client and I have just started two other rooms and we've begun ordering, so more from this fun house to come in a bit! 

Design by Susie Mae Design. All photos by Christina Wedge Photography. Written by Susie Prince. All photos by Christina Wedge Photography. 

The Healing Power of Flowers

A few weeks ago, I lost my Daddy to cancer. Today would have been his 69th birthday. It doesn't matter how "prepared" you think you are, losing a parent is terrible, painful, and leaves and sense of emptiness behind. I am, however, thankful that his cancer gave us all the chance to say goodbye. I wish it hadn't caused him pain, taken away his ability to see and do things he would like to have seen and done, but I am thankful that he wasn't taken suddenly without us being able to tell him we love him and say our goodbyes. Grief is difficult to navigate for the griever, but also for friends and family looking to offer comfort, or having no idea what to say. The truth is, nothing will fix it. Nothing can give me my Daddy back. So many things I've learned in this process that I wish I would have known before and not had to learn in this way. One of those things is how to respond when friends are grieving. 

My sister said it all so well in her recent blog post about grief and how she is dealing with it. That it's hard and nobody really knows what to say. Neither of us ever knew what to say or do before. Any time a friend lost a loved one, I said "Let me know if I can do anything". But they probably didn't know what they needed, and they certainly didn't know how to ask if they did, because then the burden was on them to come to me. The things that have helped me the most to feel loved and to deal with the loss and feelings of regret for those times I was unkind to Daddy, or impatient with him, or didn't call when I should have, are the acts of love that I didn't ask for. The things my friends and family just did.

Some friends have just called to chat. That helps. Some friends have brought food over and spent time with me, even unloading the dishwasher with me. That helps. Hugs help. Some friends even made the drive all the way to Augusta from Athens and Atlanta to Daddy's memorial service and visitation on a week day. That meant the world to me. Talking about my Daddy and remembering funny stories help. I'm lucky to be surrounded by people who, whether or not they have experienced this kind of grief before, are trying, and they are succeeding. Just saying something helps, saying anything helps. 

Flowers help. The day my Daddy died, we returned home from the hospital, heartbroken and feeling stunned, to a knock on the door about an hour after we arrived. It was flowers from friends. They were so beautiful and bright, they smelled good, and were a reminder of love and kindness and beauty in the world. See, flowers are not a permanent thing. They wither away, but when they're here, they bring joy and beauty. Life is not permanent, but it can be beautiful. I am thankful for the 30 years I had with my Daddy. His time was cut short, but the life he gave his family was plentiful and full of laughs and we are so lucky to have had him for the time we did. 

I am so thankful for florists with the skills to bring gorgeous flowers together in gorgeous arrangements for people like me and my family in times of need, and in times of joy.

Some people are so talented in the art of floral design that they share their "how-tos" with others, and it is a true gift. That's the case with Forage & Flower at Serenbe. They share their gift with others with workshops so that anyone can learn to put together a gorgeous arrangement for their own home, or for a friend going through hard times, or even for celebrations! 

Owners Kathryn Davenport and Melanie Deyton have a style all their own that brings beauty and joy to events and their workshop which Christina attended. Have you ever wondered how to create a gorgeous one-of-a-kind arrangement? You too can learn how by attending a class in their shop, which is a beautiful place that smells amazing at one of our favorite places to go, Serenbe, of course. After the workshop, you'll have an arrangement you made from the supplies in class to give to anyone you may want to offer a little healing to. It will be even more special coming from your creativity, guided by these two artists. 

Forage and Flower also offers floral services for weddings including full service planning. Go look through their previous work on their website. Their work is so natural and stunning, we should all go and learn a little from them.  

A special thank you to Forage and Flower for inviting us to this workshop and for sharing your talents. Also, a special thank you to the friends and family who have expressed condolences, called, sent a card, flowers, food, themselves, and just been generally loving to me and my family. We are very thankful for the empathy and kindness from those around us, and we are so very lucky to know you.

All images by Christina Wedge. Written by Susie Prince.

Nordic Photography Gallery Opening!

A Wedding in the Land of Fire and Ice

In January of last year, Victor and I decided that we wanted to get married and have a wedding somewhere beautiful and different. Somewhere that combined our love of adventure and the outdoors. We live in Atlanta, but no place here really felt like the place we wanted to say "I do", because it didn't feel special to us and also an appropriate setting for a wedding (I guess we could have a wedding at Big Lots of Takorea? Yes, we do love those places that much). We discussed options like maybe renting a mountain cabin and having the wedding there and inviting friends and family to come and go as they pleased for a full wedding weekend, but that felt limiting because we wouldn't be able to include as many people as we wanted and where would we find a house that could comfortably accommodate like 75 people? 

Saying our vows

My bouquet by Blómabúðin Upplifun

We thought about a destination wedding, but we didn't want to have any guests feel like they couldn't come due to cost of travel, or have it be too difficult for family to travel to be at our wedding due to restrictions of time off if it was further away. 

Walking around Seljalandsfoss

So after a lot of thought, we chose to elope. That way, we could have our ceremony be intimate and "us" and then enjoy a party with family and friends after we returned to celebrate together. We chose Iceland, a place both of us had always wanted to see, and it was the perfect setting for our wedding. I've dreamed of seeing the Northern Lights for as long as I've known they existed. Iceland has the most amazing landscape. You can be standing in a hot river while looking at a glacier while listening to sheep chat with each other as they scale the side of a mountain made of volcanic rock. We were able to say our vows to each other and commit our lives to one another privately, in the most beautiful setting and I wouldn't have it any other way. 

The most handsome man you've ever seen getting ready to get married.

Can you even believe someone this handsome exists?!

Youtube tutorials helped me to figure out how to do my hair so it would stay put. It did stay up, but the wind had other plans for the curls and helpfully straightened them out for me.

Thankful for these warm boots and wrap! And I love how my custom sleeves turned out on my dress!

The first thing to do when planning a wedding abroad is to decide where exactly you want to have it. And obviously make sure they have cute animals near by. 

Icelandic horses are super friendly!

Image via Flickr

My first choice was Landmannalaugar which is stunningly beautiful, mineral streaked mountains in the Highlands of Iceland. Unfortunately, we weren't able to have our wedding there (or even see it during our visit) because the Highlands are totally inaccessible starting at the beginning of October. So next time we go to Iceland, we'll have to go in the summer when we can get into the Highlands and maybe even camp at Landmannalaugar!

Image via Maupintor

Our next choice was Seljalandsfoss. It's a waterfall in the Southern Region of Iceland that YOU CAN WALK BEHIND! That is almost too cool, so we made our choice and started planning to have our wedding there. Thankfully, Christina had been to Iceland the April before, then went again in August, so she was able to do a little scouting and figure out the best places to set us up. Sadly, a wedding behind the waterfall wasn't possible, and she broke the news to me early so as not to crush my wedding day dreams when we arrived. Maybe if we were wearing ponchos and it was summer--but it was about 45 degrees and windy. 

The AirBNB we got ready in on our wedding day. 

First look--yes, we both teared up.

You'd stare too if you were me. He's the best.

Once we determined the location of the wedding, we contacted the officials for that region and began getting our paperwork together. You really can't go wrong anywhere in Iceland. Even in the towns, you round a corner and there's a beautiful waterfall or glacier, or adorable fuzzy ponies, or huge fields of chubby sheep. The fishing villages are also beautiful, so even if you're not surrounded by wonders of nature, you're around colorful little houses and sculptural artwork.

Saying our vows. Isn't our officiant, Kristin, adorable in her official uniform?

We got ready in Reykjavik the morning of the wedding and had our first look in the garden in front of the building where we stayed. It was such a great morning! Christina took our photos individually as we got ready and then set up outside (in the VERY windy cold) to take first look photos. Since we had to drive to the wedding site, there was a lot of first looking before the wedding. Riding together in the car, thinking about what we were able to commit to each other was really special to experience.

Caves at the Vik beach.

My friend Carly taught me to do my makeup for the big day so that I could confidently do event makeup on myself, that was a gift that I treasure! I still use the tricks she taught me on everyday looks now, just lighter on the application for day-to-day. She is extremely talented and has a way of making everyone look and feel their best and like themselves on their wedding day! 

Just outside Seljalandsfoss

Thankfully, Christina had a curling iron with her that would fit the plugs. Phew! Word of advice to the traveling bride, be sure your conversion outlet will accept your hair tool plugs! Mine would not fit in the converter so I was about to have to go sans-fancy hair for our wedding. 

Waiting at the office to sign our marriage papers

Before we got to Seljalandsfoss, we had to stop at the South Iceland regional office to sign paperwork and to have copies made of our passports and birth certificates. Victor even had to make a trip to the bank downstairs from the office to get Icelandic cash to pay our officiant. So, if you're planning a wedding abroad, you may want to have enough of their cash on hand in case of a situation like that. 

Seljalandsfoss in the background and just casually leaning on a volcanic rock

The wind here took the boutonniere right off of Victor's lapel!

We headed to Seljalandsfoss after we signed our papers and read our vows to each other, exchanged rings, and sealed it with a kiss! It was COLD! Beautiful, but very cold, and I can tell you that my wrap, while warm, wasn't a parka. So between shots I was wearing my big down coat over my dress. Slightly less glamorous than my wrap, but certainly very effective for warmth. I wore snow boots and over-the-knee socks with my dress which kept me fairly warm from the knees down. Victor's wool suit by Ted Baker (with the coolest lining of all time) kept him nice and warm as well, but when the wind picked up, we huddled up. The winds in Iceland are STRONG! It's one of the first things you'll learn traveling there. If you rent a car, which you will need to, they'll tell you to hang onto the car doors when entering and exiting the car because they may be pulled backwards by the wind and snap the hinges. THIS IS NOT A DRILL! It almost happened to us once. And the wind took Victor's lovely boutonniere very shortly after the ceremony. RIP, little floral guy. 

Top left of this photo is the Christmas ornament my wonderful seamstress gave me. She did the alterations for my gown to make it fit perfectly and she did an amazing job if I do say so myself.

Here we are standing just below the volcano you've probably heard of, Eyjafjallajökul, which erupted in 2010.

It's easy to feel like you're the only ones in the world when you're promising yourself to the love of your life, even when tourists are watching--which they did. It was pretty fun, actually. We heard a round of applause just after the kiss! People were very sweet to congratulate us in English, or just smile and look excited for us if they didn't speak English. We felt warm and lovey-dovey inside all day. A couple of people approached and asked if we were Icelandic. I guess that would make good since because we are very pale and were getting married in Iceland. There are more foreigners than Icelanders in Iceland as far as we could tell. Tourism there is booming!

Tiny hillside turf houses at drangshlíð

At the farm just at the base of Eyjafjallajökul

Victor and I would not have had the wedding of our dreams without Christina. She knew where to go, how to get there, made sure we were comfortable, braved the cold, and hung with us all day long as we made the trek around the Southern Region of Iceland, taking advantage of every pretty place we saw for a photo. 

Just off the beach at Vik. A mist was rolling in and the winds were fairly strong.

The beach at Vik. How handsome is he?! I mean!!!!

After the best day ever began to wrap up with hot chocolate at the Vik coffee house, we got in the car and headed to Hotel Grimsborgir for dinner and a perfect evening. We ate a delicious meal of Icelandic fish and lobster. While we were eating our dessert, a man ran in from outside yelling in Italian. Victor went out to see what was going on. IT WAS THE NORTHERN LIGHTS! So everyone in the dining room of the hotel, including the staff, went outside to stare up at the sky in awe. 

Christina will be horrified that I put up a dimly lit screenshot...sorry Christina! This is our dinner at Hotel Grimsborgir.

It was the most perfect night. Victor ordered champagne and we sat in our private hot tub, drinking champagne, looking up and a brilliantly colored light show. You can't even script that! It was absolutely perfect. 

Speaking of hot tubs, every place we stayed in Iceland during our week long stay had hot tubs. Icelandic homes and businesses use geothermal energy and route naturally heated water to spas and baths. It may smell a little bit Sulfuric, but it's not that noticeable, and it will leave your skin feeling smooth and hydrated. 

Again, she will be horrified. Sorry! Also inside the dining room at Hotel Grimsborgir.

I have one million more things to tell you about Iceland, and Christina has a lot to SHOW you! We'll be posting more about our travels soon, but in the meantime, mark your calendars for a beautiful show of Christina's photographs from Iceland. 

Icelandic Images by Christina Wedge
Gallery Opening

April 27th @7-9PM
BALANCE DESIGN
1653 McLendon Ave
Atlanta, GA 30307 

Y'all come see us and stay tuned for more!

PHOTOGRAPHY: Christina Wedge  |  WEDDING GOWN: Custom Pandora Gown by Modern Trousseau  |  HOTEL: Hotel Grimborgir  |  GROOM'S SUIT: Ted Baker  |  GROOMS WATCH: Shinola . |  WEDDING SITE: Seljalandsfoss  |  OTHER SHOOT LOCATIONS: Vik i Myrdal Drangshlio, Skogar Hvolsvollur Reykjavik

A Day At Serenbe's Organic Life House

Drive just 30 miles southwest of Atlanta and you'll find Serenbe, a dream-like world where everything is beautiful and peaceful. It's almost a Pleasantville type setting with a heavy influence on nature and living a healthy, engaged, and progressive life. In fact, every home in the Serenbe community is is EarthCraft-certified and many of the businesses that line the perfectly manicured streets are LEED certifited.

We were fortunate enough to spend some time at Serenbe taking a few workshops and touring the Organic Life House, which as you can see in the images above, is naturally beautiful. A collaboration of builders, designers, architects, and organics teams created a sustainable, functional space for a real family who call this masterpiece home. You can read more about all of the collaborators here. 

If you don't have plans this weekend, hop on over to Serenbe and join in the fun at the tour of the Organic Life House. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at eventbrite. It will get you out of the city and into a serene (ahh....is that where the name Serenbe comes from?!) and beautiful place filled with inspiration to live a more joyful, purposeful life.

The tours at the Organic Life House are running daily from 10am-5pm until Sunday, March 5th and ticket sales benefit the hungry. This home will feature workshops and tours, with all ticket sales benefitting Wholesome Wave Georgia, an organization that gives access to locally grown, nutritious and fresh food to Georgians. 

The Organic Life House inspires us not only with its beautiful interiors, which we are obviously nuts about, but also with its aim to live in an eco-friendly way that benefits the planet and people. The interior of the home is all organic, earth-friendly materials and finishes, so this family can breathe easy. Are you thinking of going "green" when working on your next home project? Designing in an eco-conscious way doesn't have to mean boring or bland, just take a look at the beauty of nature and take your inspiration from there. Small steps here and there can add up to a big difference in the health of your family and the Earth. We highly recommend this tour and a day at Serenbe. Also, stop for lunch at Blue Eyed Daisy Bake Shop--it's delicious and will make you feel like you've gone back in idyllic time! 

Coming soon, a day at a floral workshop! Stay tuned for the gorgeous photos of that dream day.

All photos by Christina Wedge. Written by Susie Prince.

Spotlight On: Melissa O'Boyle of Bow to the East

Webster's Dictionary defines macrame as "a coarse lace or fringe made by knotting threads or cords in a geometrical pattern; also  :  the art of tying knots in patterns". See also, pretty, stylish, relaxing, and useful. 

I kid. I'm not about to make this spotlight into an 8th grade running for class president speech. What I AM going to make this post about is Melissa O'Boyle, her beautiful face, and her lovely macrame stylings. 

Photo by Christina Wedge

We recently had the pleasure of interviewing Melissa with our new and improved set of "Spotlight" questions, did the ole' snappity snap with the camera, and came away totally inspired. Her work is gorgeous and we couldn't wait to find out more about what makes her tick--I bet you can't either. OK, on to the interview!

Gimme! Photo by Christina Wedge

Who is your design or art crush?

The artists and designers that I crush on the most are my peers and emerging artists I find on Instagram and at local shops, festivals and galleries.  They inspire me to showcase my work and to think outside any limits I have created.  It is amazing how much amazing talent is out there all around us.

Again, gimme. Photo by Christina Wedge

What three words would describe your aesthetic?

Organic, Rhythmical, and Tranquil

Photo by Christina Wedge

Which of your career milestones makes you most proud?

I was very proud when I was asked to put my work up in the Downtown Seattle West Elm in 2014 as well in the West Elm Ponce City Market in Atlanta in 2016.

In 2015, I was commissioned to make 8 large window hangings for a restaurant in Austin, TexasIt is an excellent Latin Coastal Kitchen in Austin’s SoCo neighborhood with great exposure. www.alcomaratx.com. Everything on the menu is amazing including fresh squeezed fruit margaritas.

In 2015 I was also asked to host my first workshop.  Teaching workshops opened a whole other door for me. I absolutely love sharing my passion for macrame. I have two workshops coming up in Atlanta.
March 8th - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/intro-to-macrame-at-west-elm-tickets-31595057668
April 12th -  http://garagedoorstudio.com/events/intro-to-macrame/

How did you take the leap towards a creative career?

The way that my macrame work came into fruition is an interesting and serendipitous story.  One day I found an old book at a used bookstore that gave instructions on macrame.  This refreshed my memory of what I had been taught by a high school art teacher.  At the time I was living in a lovely little cabin-like cottage on the Puget Sound in Seattle.  All the walls were wood paneling which was pretty outdated although it has some charm.  I made my first large scale macrame wall hanging for myself to soften the space. I had a friend from Atlanta see a picture of it on social media and she asked me to make her a wall hanging.  Once I was finished I had it all wrapped up and I went to a custom shipping spot, The Sip and Ship, to get a custom box made.   www.sipandship.com.  The owner asked what was in my wrapped up fabric.  I showed her a picture. She loved it and directed me to go to West Elm and show them my work because they feature local artists. West Elm asked me to make a wall hanging to put up in the store as well as have a pop up shop.  That prompted me to make a number of plant hangers and smaller wall hangings.  The ones I did not sell I put on Etsy. About 6 months later a marketing manager for a restaurant group in Austin Texas found me on Etsy and commissioned me to make eight 6’ x6’ wall hangings that are permanently on display in the hip restaurant. I’ve gotten a number of jobs from people that see my work in that restaurant and ask me to commission work for their homes.    The beauty of the unfolding of these events has me feeling very blessed.  It’s amazing how things happen so much easier when there is no pressure to make things work.
When things started happening for me and my macrame without much effort and mostly through word of mouth, I eventually started to put more and more energy into marketing my work. It’s very gratifying to be able to work for myself being creative.

How do you balance work and play?

 I have learned in my travels and soul searching that anything that feels like you are a fish going up stream is a waste of energy.  Of course, we have to put a certain amount of effort into our lives, but things are for the most part supposed to feel good. One of my favorite ways of balancing working and playing is to have a free day and have a little local adventure. To me, that means picking a neighborhood in the city I haven’t been to in a while and just walking around with no plan or expectation. I might walk in the boutiques to get inspiration and design ideas, browse through a used bookstore, and sit at coffee shop reading and people watching. Almost anytime I have a day like this I meet the most interesting people and find the most amazing little treasures.

If you could live in any place or era, what would it be?

 I would love to live in the seventies. I’m admittedly a little bit of a hippie at heart. Music was revolutionized at this time as were so many other parts of American culture.  The style was characterized by *playful embellishment and radical experimentation with form*. The women’s rights movement made significant strides in the 1970’s and took a prominent role within society.   All in all, it just sounds like a lot of fun!

Chocolate or wine?

Why can’t I have both? haha. If I had to choose I’d go with wine.  It could be red, rose, or a bubbly.  I like them all!

How did you come up with the name Bow to the East?

On one of my little day adventures I came across an amazing book called the Woodstock Craftsman’s Manual. This book is straight out of the seventies and gives instructions, with great hand-drawn pictures teaching Weaving, Pottery, Macrame, Beads, Leather, Tie-Dye & batik, Embroidery, Silkscreen, Home Recording, Candles, and Crochet.  On the cover is a drawing of hands making macrame and it looks just like something I made in high school when I first learned the technique.

In the section on macrame it starts out with this great tidbit:

“It’s emphasis on rhythmic control has a stabilizing effect that has led some of the world’s foremost statesman like Churchill and De Gaulle to find soothing relaxation in both knitting and knotting. It can be satisfying therapy for those who see their larger problems in terms of confused strands and loose, fraying ends." ~excerpt from Paul Schwartz in Woodstock Craftsman’s Manual

The chapter goes on to list everything you will need to start the process of macrame such as tools, materials, accouterments.  On the section on Planning and Preparing it states simply: Bow to the East. I just loved that. The East represents new beginnings and to me it represents home. So when I am starting a new project I seek out my old compass among my raw gemstones, I find East and do a ceremonial bow.

---

Thank you so much, Melissa, for your beautiful work and for your time! We are so excited to have turned the spotlight on you today and can't wait to get one of your wall hangings in our own homes!

Xoxo, Susie & Christina

Bocroom - Inspired Goods

Have you ever felt lost when trying to define your style and find a store that fits it? Do the trends of each season seem to overwhelm you and make you feel stuck? What you need is a place to shop that fits your personal style and not the trends, and a shop that can help you find those special pieces to bring it all together. You need to visit Bocroom in Atlanta's Buckhead neighborhood. 

Photo by Christina Wedge

Having inspired goods isn't the only thing that makes Bocroom special. Here's a little snippet of their mission: 

"Bocroom was born out of a desire to express creativity while making the world a better and more beautiful place in which to live. It has been an exploration of instinct and artistic passion combined with a singular vision to bring positivity to the planet."

Photo by Christina Wedge

Now that's a mission we can get behind! When buying products from Bocroom, you can be sure that your purchases are artisan made and responsibly crafted. Made with environmentally friendly practices and materials, and style driven rather than trend driven, each item at Bocroom is thoughtfully sourced for a unique boutique experience. 

Photo by Christina Wedge

Photo by Christina Wedge

Owner and founder of Bocroom, Brittany Crooms spent years in jewelry design and sales, so she has an eye for detail and beauty. She opened Bocroom in 2014 and has remained dedicated to the mission of bringing artfully crafted, environmentally friendly products with soul to patrons of the shop. 

Photo by Christina Wedge

So go visit Bocroom and tell them we sent you! You won't be sorry you stopped in :)

The Real Cost of a Wedding

As a newly engaged lady (OK, now I'm married--I started writing this before the wedding), I've been thinking a lot about what everything for weddings cost. The venue, which vendors you use, the catering costs, the decorations... Do you hire a wedding planner, or do you do it yourself? Do you hire a videographer and a band? Can you do all of it without causing major stress on you and your future spouse? The photos your friends will like on Facebook need to be envy-worthy, right? So you need to spend all of your time, energy, and money on this one day. The wedding is the most important thing, isn't it?? I mean, how are people supposed to value your decision to marry the one you love if they don't either attend or see THE MOST fabulous party pictures on social media?? It's way too easy to get sucked into wanting a picture perfect wedding and letting that desire overtake your happiness. It's your marriage that really matters. Yes, your wedding is the first day of your marriage, so it's very important, but don't let the cost (literal or figurative) take over what matters most. 

Photo via Pinterest

The truth is, things WILL go wrong, whether you spend $100,000 on your wedding, or $1,000, so spending more doesn't mean perfect. Right after we got engaged, I was in an airport in Ohio and wanted to treat myself to a bridal magazine while I waited for my flight. I opened the pages and practically drooled over the perfect floral arrangements and the gorgeous table settings for formal and funky receptions alike. I started getting knots in my stomach because I knew I wanted my wedding to be the most beautiful and special and memorable, and from what the magazines tell you, you'd better be willing to sell a kidney to pay for it. For instance, this particular issue had an article titled "Spending Wise - Budget Friendly Weddings". The wedding they highlighted was a $50,000 party!!! That, dear friends, is a nearly $3,000 more than the average household income in Georgia for our current year. Perhaps for some, $50,000 on a wedding IS budget conscious, and in that case, good for them! But for the overwhelming majority of people, that either is not possible or feels wasteful. The average cost of a wedding in Atlanta is a little more than half that $50,000 price tag at $28,659. And $28,659 is nothing to sneeze at! That's quite the investment!

Actual crazy beautiful place setting from a Style Me Pretty featured wedding

Keep it Low Key

There are a lot of options for keeping your wedding low-key and high style while not spending more than more families make in a year. And there's good reason for doing that. Here are a few things to remember to keep your budget and sanity in check while you plan a wedding.

• A wedding is a celebration, not a competition. I know this is insanely obvious, but you can do low-key without feeling the need to outdo the couple that got married before you. The less stress, financial and otherwise that you put on yourselves, the better off you will be to start your marriage as a happy, well-adjusted couple.
• It is worth an investment. So yes, it's crazy to spend your life savings and then some, but it is the most important day in your lives together, so it's worth making a fuss and setting aside some time and money if you are able, within reason of course.
•  Keeping it small means more time with your guests. A bridal party of 30 people is going to be more expensive. A guest list of 600, even more so. The smaller the party, the more special details you can add without breaking the bank, and the more you'll be able to talk to everyone.
• Keep it casual. A backyard barbeque can be every bit as special as a fancy affair. Keeping it casual may mean you can afford more guests, and who doesn't love a good backyard party?!
• Stop feeling obligated. You cannot invite every single person you've ever met nor should you feel obligated to make everyone happy. I'm a big believer in general etiquette. If you don't know an etiquette rule, you can almost always figure it out by thinking "Am I being greedy?" "Am I striving to make people comfortable?" "Am I providing for the basic needs for this event?". BUT there some exceptions. You can't feel so tied down by what is expected that you get yourself into a bind. Whether that be that you feel like you HAVE to have personalized wedding favors for each guest or maybe that means your MIL expects filet when your budget is more like Chick-fil-A. Do what is true to you!
• DIY is more fun. It's more work, but you can make your decorations, invitations, etc, and not only save money, but it gives you more control over the look of your party--you just may need more friends to pitch in to help :) For our reception, we're having various friends and family to help us set up and we could not be more thankful! Some of those same selfless loved ones, all of whom are EXCELLENT bakers (I've taste tested their baked goods, so I know!) are making desserts for our cake table. Homemade is best anyway. 

Image via MOD Weddings

Pick Your Venue Carefully

• Select a venue that doesn't pin you in. The wedding industry is hot. Anything titled bridal or wedding is about 5 times as much as that same item without "wedding" in the title. Ex. Wedding cake: $3,000. Birthday cake: $600. Many venues require that you use one of their selected caterers, you can't bring any food of your own in and they require you hire a bartender. Some even have rules about the photographer you can use! Be sure to check out all of the requirements and the vendors they recommend before signing on the dotted line. If you have a healthy budget and want to be hands off, this type of place is less stressful to use, so it may be a good option for you.
• Have a party size in mind before booking. This part is really tricky. How do you know who can come that far in advance? You can't. But what you can do is have a maximum number in mind and stick to it. It will be hard, but everybody has to do it--even weddings with a party of 350 feel like they've left someone out. You will be much happier with a venue the appropriate size than feeling cramped or one that feels vacant.
• Select a venue that gives to charity. Maybe not applicable to everyone, but to me and Victor, this was important. We feel very fortunate to have the opportunities we do and want to give back as much as we can. An added benefit when you rent from a charitable organization is that part of your rental fee is tax deductible. Win win! 

Via Junebug Weddings

Elope!

If the thought of making everyone happy with the type of dress, ceremony, music, etc. stresses you out, do what's best for you both. Elope! My husband and I chose to do this, not because anyone was pressuring us to do anything we didn't want to do, or because we don't love our family and friends, but because for us, the best thing was a private, intimate ceremony between the two of us. We could focus on our love for each other, and apart from all other distractions, commit our lives to one another forever. We chose to get married in Iceland, where we also wanted to honeymoon. A two for one! Now, when we celebrate with family and friends at our reception this month, we will be able to enjoy our party in casual style and we'll be able to even set up some decorations ourselves since we'll have a little more free time that day. Elopement isn't for everyone, but it's an option that you can consider for a meaningful, intimate wedding ceremony between you and the one you love most. 

The real cost a wedding varies greatly from couple to couple. For some, $50,000 is reasonable, for others, a simple courthouse wedding. My point is to please, do what makes you happy and what feels right for you as a couple. Your wedding day is the first day of your marriage, it should be all about your love, your relationship, and who you are as a couple. Don't let trends or Pinterest or other people's expectations change the way you marry your spouse. Everyone will be supportive if you're true to yourselves.

Photo by Christina Wedge Photography

Next week, we'll post some of the "how tos" for how to elope, specifically to Iceland. It's easier than you think, but having a little guidance helps even more! 

Icelandic Adventures Through the Seasons

2016 has been a very exciting year for us here at Ends In Style! Christina has now made three trips to beautiful Iceland, one with me (Susie) and Victor for our elopement which she photographed!
Clearly, Iceland is near and dear to our hearts now and we want to share with you why we love it so. We also encourage you to book a trip and see if for yourself! We do our best to take beautiful pictures and to describe things in a way that makes you feel like you're there--but they cannot do the real thing justice! 
We'll help you prepare for your trip and have the best time possible. We're bringing you a series of posts in the coming weeks about traveling to the country that droves of people are flocking to, and with good reason! 

Posts you can look forward to are:

Iceland in Spring: 

Photo by Christina Wedge

• What to do 
• What to see
• What to pack
• Where to stay
• Advantages of visiting in the spring
• Preparing for your trip and more!

Iceland in Summer: 

Photo by Christina Wedge

• How to make the most of the warmest Icelandic weather
• Capturing the golden light
• Places to visit while you can (some places are only open in summer)
• What to eat
• Maybe even a stop in Greenland :)
• Advantages to visiting in summer
• Best short hikes and more!

Iceland in Fall: 

Photo by Susie Prince

• What to pack
• Getting around
• Best ways to see the Northern Lights
• Tours that are worth the money
• Self-guided tours you HAVE to take
• Advantages to visiting in fall
• Where to stay

And Finally....

Eloping in Iceland:

• Why we chose to elope (and why you may want to as well)
• Best places to take wedding photos
• Pros and cons of wedding sites
• How to get paperwork in order to make your marriage legal in the US
• Gorgeous photos by Christina of me and Victor (she's a wiz with light!)
• What to wear and what not to wear for an outdoor Icelandic wedding
• Luxury stays for your honeymoon 
• Flower options, and more!!!

We look forward to sharing all of this with you and hope you'll be inspired to take a trip to a country that has captured our hearts and is beautiful and magical enough to make us want to go back in the dead of winter!

Yo, Semite! I Think I Love You!

This year is the 100th Anniversary of the United States National Parks Service. Our big, beautiful country is home to volcanoes, waterfalls, HUGE mountains, canyons, caves, geysers, pools of bubbling colorful goo, and pretty much everything else in between. There are 58 National Parks in the US, so it's time to start checking them off your list if you haven't yet been to many. 

Until mid-July, I'd only been out west once. In 2013, I went to Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park. Both of these were incredible! Never before had I seen such high mountains, and I'd never seen mountains that just came out of nowhere, surrounded by plains and soaring up thousands of feet into the sky.  This July, Victor planned a trip to Yosemite National Park in California. We flew into San Francisco (my first time seeing the Pacific Ocean in the USA), which was beautiful. We will be back when we have time for more than just lunch. 

After driving through countryside speckled with windmills, we arrived at a Bed and Breakfast we found on AirBnB. It was very cute and had two dogs on staff helping our sweet hosts. We mapped out a basic plan of attach for our trip before we left, so we chose an AirBnB that was equidistant from each of the entrances we'd use to get into the park while we were there. Since we planned our trip without tons of notice, most of the camping in the park was booked up. But I'm not complaining because the AirBnB was super comfy and the breakfasts were HUGE and delicious--perfect for fueling up for long hikes each morning. 

On the way in, we stopped off the side of the road and I lifted this boulder just to warm up ;)

Day 1, we did a tour-de-valley. We drove around a little, parked, and started our full day of hiking. We hiked so long on day 1 that we came back to the car and it was pitch black for some time. We had tired feet, were a little sore, but very happy. 

From the valley, you can see the very famous El Capitan and Half Dome. We walked along the meadows, hiked up to Yosemite Falls and bouldered to the bottom of the falls. The boulders were hot as they baked in the sun, but it was way worth the reward! A fine mist of cool water from the falls blew around and was so refreshing. We did kick ourselves a little for not wearing swimsuits. The pool at the bottom of Yosemite Falls was filled with swimmers--and we were instantly jealous. We made our way down, headed to Bridalveil Falls, which was almost dried up for the season. The bouldering here was a little more treacherous. The rocks looked like polished metal and were super slick. Though we went for somewhat more challenging routes and climbed up rocks for better views and less crowd, the park really is accessible to everyone. There are handicapped ramps, viewing platforms, and buses to help those who may be less able to get around still be able to enjoy the park fully.  

We finished our day after Hiking to Mirror Lake to see the sunset over Half Dome.

We saw Yosemite Sam, too! 

Our second day in the park, we headed first to Glacier Point. If you're going in the summer, get there early or stay in the park. We took a more leisurely approach to our morning on our second park day and so we had to park in a far off lot and be bussed to the Glacier Point trailhead. That was the only thing about that day that wasn't perfect. 

Naturally, these photos don't even come close to doing the view justice. Victor is braver than I am with heights. I crept to the edge and the took pictures from a "safe" distance. The photo above of Victor on the scary edge is at Sentinel Dome. The wind whips around so fast and so hard up there, it's a thing to behold. 

On our way from Sentinel Dome to Taft Point, we found this huge cluster of solid quartz. Everywhere you look, flowers and trees find their way to root between rocks and on the side of cliffs. They're determined!

Once we got to the top of Taft Point it looked like this: 

And then...THIS HAPPENED

WE'RE GETTING MARRIED!!!

Next, we hiked around the Giant Sequoias. They're incredible. Unfortunately, the portion of the park with the largest and oldest tree in the world was closed while we were there. Everything feels bigger in Yosemite. 

Our final night in Yosemite, we stayed at May Lake High Sierra Camp. It's a fairly steep hike in, full of prehistoric looking petrified wood and tumbled rocks with twisted trees forcing their roots between the rocks and just dealing with the rocks around them by bending and squeezing around them. The High Sierra Camp was awesome! Little huts with tiny fireplaces in each one were shared by 4 people in each. There's a food tent for dinner and breakfast. The manager of the camp blows a conch shell to call everyone for meals and hot beverages. It was 96 degrees in the valley and got do to a very cool 34 degrees at the camp that evening. I was not prepared for that--but a fire, hot cocoa, and layering saved the day. 

Victor LOVES the water. He even swam in the 54 degree May Lake. I watched from the warmth of the beach. He's a champ! After dinner, we hiked to the top of the ridge to watch the sunset. It was so beautiful that Victor wished he had held onto the ring for one more night. We met a very active pair of grandparents who gave us marriage advice and life advice--to keep active and stay interesting. They've been married for 54 years, are in their 70s and hiked up to the nearly 10,000ft elevation with us!

We hiked to the same ridge for sunset the next morning, then we heard the conch shell call and enjoyed breakfast. The views and hiking around the camp were gorgeous, but we loved the company equally. Everyone was so friendly and kind! We got to talk with people who had grown up coming to Yosemite each summer along with people like us who were just visiting for the first time. It felt like grown up summer camp in the best possible way. 

Because of the elevation, these cuties are the cargo haulers who bring the food and supplies up to the camp. 

Also worth mentioning, we saw MARMOTS! They were so cute and fluffy and not afraid of us being nearby. 

For our final day (we flew out late that night), we made our way to Tuolumne Meadows which is where we saw the most Yosemite residents. It was pretty clear who had been backpacking for weeks on end. They even have a post office at the store for those who have supplied shipped to them to extend their trips. We definitely looked like the "squares" among all the dreadlocked hair, but at least we hadn't showered in a couple days either. In Tuolumne Meadows, we saw lots of little ground squirrels that very cutely popped up like prairie dogs, we saw the biggest hawk I've ever seen flying just over our heads (yikes/cool), and even some mule deer bedded down in the reeds along the river. It was peaceful, cool, and beautiful. 

There's the deer! 

I highly encourage everyone, no matter what your hiking skill level or comfort with camping to go and enjoy Yosemite. It is now extra special to us and we plan to be back soon! Next time, we will plan further in advance and camp in the park each night in tents and perhaps another visit to the High Sierra camps-it's worth it!  

Happy National Parks Centennial!

Drapery Solutions for Difficult Windows

Window coverings make a HUGE difference in the way a room feels and functions. They provide privacy, energy efficiency, softness, and beauty. If you happen to have a window that is a different shape or surrounded by unusual moulding or built-ins, what do you do? This is when custom draperies are especially important. They hang better, look better, and are way more functional than a one-size-fits-all ready-made drape. We're going to highlight some lovely solutions to unique windows with gorgeous window coverings by some of our favorite designers and we know it will inspire you to take on your next home design project! 

Cristi Holcomb Interiors

I love Roman shades! They are simple and elegant, and most of all, super functional. This design by Cristi Holcomb Interiors features both Roman shades and drapery panels. The window seat would feel incomplete without a window covering of some kind, but obviously drapery panels would not do the trick in this built-in and seating area. I love the addition of the pink trim on the edge to tie everything together.

MBG Interiors 

How pretty is that valance on the right?! I love the use of the same material in such different ways in this design by MBG Interiors. Since the fabulous ceiling and beams come down lower on one side than the other, a valance is the perfect solution for creating height and continuity between the windows and doors on the opposite wall. I am really digging the fabric in this design!  

Julie Montgomery Interiors

This open-concept space by Julie Montgomery Interiors features several different types of window coverings, all of which solve a different problem for different windows. This one creates height and warmth and feels a little like a headboard when there isn't room for one. And how cool is this bed? Built into the wall with storage below. Such a smart solution!

Lori May Interiors

I love big, dramatic windows. But sometimes they can be an energy suck and make the house really hot, particularly here in the South. I adore these drapes designed by Lori May Interiors! They are so fabulous and luxurious and they solve that problem by creating a barrier between the hot outdoors and the cool indoors, while also framing the windows and highlighting their beauty. 

Miko + Boone Home 

What do you do when a bay window needs to be softened and you need to add height? You do what Miko + Boone Home did in this lovely dining room. These drapes are so pretty. Without them, the room would feel incomplete. They draw your eye upward and create height in the room while also adding texture and a little bit of color. Just gorgeous!

There are so many more complicated windows and creative solutions by designers, it would take forever to even scratch the surface! If you have a design dilemma, let us know! We'd love to hear from you and would love even more to work with you.

Master 'Sweet'

Sometimes there are clients who are more than just clients. They become friends and people who make you smile with each Bitmoji* they send. I've been extremely lucky so far in my career. So lucky in fact, that almost all of my clients feel like this to me, though not all of them send me Bitmoji...yet... But honestly, my clients are great people who are fun to be around and generally make me love my job even more! My client, Shannon, is one of those sweet people (see why I spelled suite like that now?). 

*If you do not yet have Bitmoji, do yourself a favor and get it now. It's ridiculous and wonderful.

When we first met to discuss this project, Shannon wasn't sure what her style was or how to achieve what she wanted, but we worked together to narrow in on what she really likes. We determined a palette of wine, mint and gold. While that may not make a delicious flavor combo, it does make a very pretty color combination! Thank you, Shannon, for trusting me and for being bold with the purple! 

Photo by Christina Wedge, Design by Susie Mae Design

To start with, we added crown moulding. The ceilings in this master are nice and high, and the crown helps to draw the eye upward. We painted all of the trim in the room a dark wine color and the walls a cool neutral hue. Before we started the project, the ceiling was a deep tan in high gloss....yikes. And the walls were a combination of blues and greens and the color differences were hard to detect because the light was only coming from a small light in a ceiling fan hung way up high. So we ditched the ceiling fan in favor of a large chandelier in gold with glass hurricanes. It casts beautiful light throughout the room and is much more interesting than the ceiling fan. The ceiling in now a fresh white and the walls are all the same color. For extra trim detail, we hung ceiling medallions painted in the same color as the trim.  

Photo by Christina Wedge, Design by Susie Mae Design

To repeat the geometric pattern and gold accents from the chandelier and other accessories, we chose these Nate Berkus side tables with a marble top. To my delight, the marble has a little purple in it! 

Photo by Christina Wedge, Design by Susie Mae Design

We repurposed a few pieces Shannon already had, like this bench which we recovered in a beautiful mint and gold greek key fabric which is repeated in the giant round lumbar pillow. More geometric gold pieces and mint floral tie things together.

Shannon has a great art collection and some pieces that already had purple in them--perfect! A custom headboard in a deep purple linen with nail heads by Craftmasters Upholstery. The guys at Craftmasters lovingly named this headboard "Barney" while it was in their warehouse and they definitely thought I was crazy for designing this, but they came around once everything was in place. The name Barney has kind of stuck, especially since he has been making a bit of a comeback on the internet lately. 

I saw this rug at the Mart in January at Noa Living and it stopped me in my tracks! It's handmade with recycled silk saris. The women who make these rugs live in Africa and are paid fair wages for their time and talents. I love learning more about companies that are fair trade. It's not common, but it's good! They sort the silk and hand tie each piece! Because it's silk, the color changes depending on the side of the rug you're on--it's incredible. 

Photo by Christina Wedge, Design by Susie Mae Design

How about that window?! I love it! It's shape inspired Barney, the headboard.

Photo by Christina Wedge, Design by Susie Mae Design

Custom drapes make such a huge difference in a space! These drapes were made by Martha & Ash, company out of South Caroline making pillows, dog beds, and mostly, drapes. Their turnaround time is insanely fast. I'm not sure how they do it, but I'm glad they do! We wanted the drapes to feel relaxed and casual. The room has gilded pieces and some "fancy pants" fabrics mixed with linen and more lived-in fabrics, so the goal with these drapes was to tie it all together in a casual, homey way. I love how the color blocking turned out! If you are interested in drapes like these, check out Martha & Ash. They have readymade and custom options as well. 

Photo by Christina Wedge, Design by Susie Mae Design

This dresser by Phillips Scott (my new favorite company) is so pretty! Pictures don't do it justice. It feels like butter and the drawers glide like a dream! Phillips Scott, if you need a z-list non-celeb spokeswoman, I'll take a meeting ;)

The ottoman in the reading nook is one of my favorite pieces in the room. Shannon had the oversized chair already and we didn't think it needed to be reupholstered, so to tie in the ottoman she already had, we used a tone-on-tone cheetah (I <3 animal prints) and a contrasting piping in the same material and color as the chair. I just love how it turned out! It reminds me of the ottoman/dog in Beauty and the Beast only less fringe and barking. 

Photo by Christina Wedge, Design by Susie Mae Design

And last but not least, I adore this floral fabric! It has little hints of gold and I absolutely love it. The gold and marble lamp for reading gives me major lamp envy! Shannon has a comfy nook with a lot of style and now she has the master suite of her dreams! I'd love to help you achieve the master suite or any other room that you desire, too! Contact me via Susie Mae Design today. And if you have a gorgeous room you want photographed, Christina Wedge is a straight up genius and also is a lot of fun!

New Orleans Show House

Last month, Christina had the privilege of traveling to beautiful New Orleans for the Southern Style Now Showhouse to shoot several rooms for some of our favorite designers who created gorgeous and unique spaces in this stunner of a Southern house. It's dripping with Southern charm before you even set foot in the front door. 

If you're a design lover, a showhouse visit is a must! Designers get a chance to really stretch and turn an already beautiful home into an awe inspiring pin-worthy experience. 

Photo by Christina Wedge

This room by Lisa Mende is a preppy, Palm Beach style wonderland! I mean, this ceiling!! What a fun space and a great way to really play with color, pattern, and drapery. I am loving the pattern play on those chairs in the foreground!

Photo by Christina Wedge

Photo by Christina Wedge

While we're on the topic of bright, bold colors, take a look at this lovely dining room by William McClure.

Photo by Christina Wedge

Photo by Christina Wedge

This bathroom by Laura Burelson! Gimme! That shower is everything. 

Photo by Christina Wedge

Michel Boyd's spaces are also so very luxe and full of rich texture. This space in the Southern Style Now Showhouse is no different. Also, he once complimented my hair at an Atlanta Showhouse shoot, so I'm a fan ;)

Photo by Christina Wedge

Ware M. Porter is timeless and classic. A little playful, a lot of soft, Southern textures. Check out that photo of the statue and the little boy--pretty much sums things up!

Photo by Christina Wedge

I'm bookending this post with Palm Beach style and tons of color. That can only mean one thing...up next, Parker Kennedy! Their style is unmistakable, bold, colorful, and fun. Each space designed by Parker Kennedy has a feeling of history and family, a perfect fit for an old New Orleans home.

We hope you enjoyed this tour of only a small portion of the Southern Style Now Showhouse from New Orleans, LA. Are you feeling inspired? Which space is your favorite?

You Are SO WORTH LOVING

We are in an era of negativity in so many ways. It's so easy to get sucked into political smear ads. So easy to start with the self-loathing when we look at the magazine's covers in the grocery store check out lines with some gorgeous model or actress who just had 3 babies but also somehow has abs and you have lemon bars in your cart...for example. This didn't happen to me last night...of course not!

These are the really small negatives that come at us compared to the bigger problems in the world. Some people deal with so much more! Domestic violence, racism, bigotry, depression, political oppression, poverty, hunger, the list goes on and on and on. But we have been so encouraged by what is happening in response to all of this. POSITIVITY! And the permission to love yourself and to know that YOU ARE SO WORTH LOVING!

Photo by Christina Wedge

Did you ever think there could be a store that sells love and positivity? East Atlanta Village just welcomed the So Worth Loving to its eclectic streets and you definitely need to stop by. The name may sound familiar to you because we've gushed over them before: here and here. So yeah, we like this brand.

Photo by Christina Wedge

It's such a beautiful store and their message is really great. It's pretty simple, too. By wearing your heart almost literally on your sleeve, you're reminding everyone you pass that they're worth it. Encouraging others to consider that they matter, no matter what they're going through or how they've been treated. That's a message and a store we feel really good about supporting and hope you will, too. Plus, the t-shirts are incredibly soft!  

Photo by Christina Wedge

Not only does the store carry their own brand of clothes that encourage and inspire, but they carry many other brands with a similar mission. Brands like Sseko Designs, handcrafted in Uganda. This brand inspires young women and provides them with a good income. So far, each woman who has worked here has gone on to go to college! They are such talented ladies, too. The pieces are gorgeous!

Photo by Christina Wedge

The Giving Keys, founded by Caitlyn Crosby, is a company selling unique and beautiful necklaces with a message stamped onto old keys: "we are all like these keys - unique, flawed, scarred, and sometimes discarded by others.". Repurposed and celebrating the little "flaws" make these necklaces extra special.

Photo by Christina Wedge

So Worth Loving also carries TOMS, which you are likely very familiar with. They're a 1-for-1 company that donates one pair of shoes to people in need for every one pair purchased. One of my good friends from college interned with TOMS after graduation and designed a pattern for Mother's Day shoes, so if you see those, buy them! Still so proud of her! 

Korchet Kids is a non-profit and an unexpected mix of men who know how to crochet and teaching others the craft as well as giving them an opportunity to earn a decent living doing so. 

Photo by Christina Wedge

Also check out Luxe Apothecary, for women, by women, Belong Magazine, which celebrates creative entrepreneurship, Conscious Magazine, which changes the tone of typical magazines from surface-level to thoughtful conversation that can actually bring about change, and Happy Socks, a colorful and fun brand that brings happiness to ankles and smiles to faces all over.  

Photo by Christina Wedge

You're going to love So Worth Loving! Stop by and see them in East Atlanta Village at 535 Gresham Ave Atlanta, GA 30316. Tell them we sent you!