House of Earnest

March 20, 2012

Home Away From Home

A COZY THROW White and Warren, CASH STASH Rebecca Minkoff, KEEP IT TOGETHER sewing kit from flight 001, IN ONE PLACE overnigher from flight 001, SWEET SCENTS Paddywax, OVER HEAD Kate Spade, SEE HOW CUTE Henri Bendel.

I’ll be packing up tonight and getting on a plane tomorrow morning (6am!!) in search of brighter times and some strong cocktails.

With the amount that I travel for work, not only do I have packing down to a science, but I really love doing it.

Here are some of my essentials that travel with me (as well as an outlet adapter, but that just wasn’t cute enough to make the cut). With what comforts of home do you always travel? I’d love to know!

Have a FABULOUS Tuesday out there!

5 Comments

March 19, 2012

Handmade Nailhead Upholstered Headboard

in Hand Made, Home Decor, our home, try this at home with 30 Comments

The final layer of my master bedroom project is complete! I finished my headboard this weekend, and I am so excited about how it turned out. After the initial planning, measuring, and cutting of the base wood, the upholstery went really fast. And if you’re curious about using nailhead trim, use it. I’ve done traditional nailheads on a project before, and it was painfully tedious. Nailhead trim, however, was actually really fun to apply.

Whenever I have a vision like the layering of shelf, headboard, side table in my mind, I’m always just a little worried that I’ll work really hard on one of the pieces of the puzzle and then not like the way it fits in. The entire time I’m covering and hammering there was about 5% of me that was worried it just wouldn’t look right in the room.

I’m happy to say that not only do I love the finished product itself, but I love it in the room as well. To see more of the actual headboard creation process, keep reading!

30 Comments

March 16, 2012

Friday Faves 3.16

in friday favorites with 13 Comments

ONE drink to a lucky year with these cute glasses from Kate Spade $45 for a set of four. TWO cute, graphic, and reminds me of my nephew, Terrence. By Hugo Guiness at John Derian $275. THREE these coasters by Jonathan Adler have me channeling my inner Palm Springs sun goddess… now who can bring me a drink? $68 from Jonathan Adler. FOUR Modern Moraccan decor has me dreaming of a vacation. FIVE I can think of about a bazillion ways to use this black and white striped stool. Why don’t we start with my house? Janson stool from Made Goods.

I have some beans to spill – I’m going on vacation next week. Can you tell by my daydreaming of bright colors and poolside drinks? Yep – it’s about time for a little relaxation and I am just beside-myself-excited. I’ll be spending my weekend prepping some awesome posts and, of course, packing my bathing suits.

What do you have planned this weekend?

Have a DREAMY sort of Friday and weekend!

13 Comments

March 15, 2012

A Restful Place

in Home Decor with 9 Comments

*photo credit Decor Pad via My Design Chic

I saw this office last week and really just couldn’t get it out of my mind. I love so many things about it, but mostly that it seems like an indulgent, restful place to me. The daybed, piles of books, and fresh flowers all make it somewhere I could potentially spend the day without a care in the world. Don’t even mention the Hermes blanket… wait – I just did.

On one hand, this room brings me to a totally restful place, but on the other hand it give me slight anxiety about the antique daybed/settee that is in my office and I have yet to fully complete. I actually just had the thought that it might be pure madness that my ‘restful’ place is a place others might associate with work – my office. If only there was a place to lie down…

Don’t you just love it? Where has your restful place been lately?

Have a WONDERFUL Thursday!

9 Comments

March 14, 2012

Have & Make: Graphic Triangle Pillow

in Hand Made, have, make with 10 Comments

It’s a little known fact, that you can buy transfer paper to feed through your printer. I used to make shirts and bags for every possible occasion in school, but this past weekend it just hit me to use it for a blank pillow that I was going to throw out because it was so boring.

Side note: Make sure your pillow insert can be removed before trying this quick project

If you have a blank boring pillow that needs a new lease on life, make something graphically inspired by whatever is out there (right now, triangles).

Have a FANTASTIC Wednesday, guys!

p.s. Do you want to see my very own special plate from yesterday’s post? Like House of Earnest on Facebook for additional photos and musings!

10 Comments

March 13, 2012

Family Traditions: The Special Plate

in try this at home with 14 Comments

I’ve been thinking a lot this week about family traditions. As I grow older and watch my siblings have children and teach them the things we learned while growing up, it brings to mind all of the fun things we used to do as kids, and how fun it is to teach the next generation the same traditions.

We used to have ‘special plates’ growing up, which I’m pretty sure is something my mom just made up, but it was great. There were two plates in the cupboard that were vastly different from the rest which were to be placed at the seat of someone who had a special day, or maybe a really difficult day. Whoever set the table that night for dinner would inevitably choose who got the special plate that day, if anyone deserved it at all.

I went to one of those ‘paint your own pottery places’ and made one from my sister when she got married almost six years ago, and when I got married just two years ago, she made me one. With just Matt and I right now, and my sister with very young children, the special plates don’t get too much use, but I’m sure one day they’ll be making their way onto our dinner tables.

I love these plates in the photo because they’re different from the norm – whether that be because they’re very personal as the silhouette plate or just uniquely different.

Do you think this is a tradition you could see yourself starting? Do you have any special traditions that you’re passing down?

Have a THOUGHTFUL Tuesday out there!

Plates from top left: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

14 Comments

March 12, 2012

Our Newest Nook

in Home Decor, our home with 13 Comments

With all the action that has been going on with the bedroom shelves, I almost forgot about the perfect find that I scouted for my living room.

I wanted a mid-century, natural, simple chair for a corner in our living room for a while now. Before, I was using a dining chair swung out into the spot as a placeholder until I found the mythological chair of my dreams. I honestly thought I would never find something that met all of my criteria, but I did. That is what patience and perseverance will get you.

It is exactly what I was looking for; an accent chair with enough personality to win me over, small enough to fit in our little nook, and comfy enough to easily seat an evening guest.

Have you had any new additions lately? Found something you had been searching for?

It’s off to another week! Have a FABULOUS Monday out there, guys!

p.s. If you’re craving a bit of fun in the sun, see my dream spring break and 5 tops things I would pack over at Modern Eve!

13 Comments

March 9, 2012

Friday Faves 3.9

in friday favorites with 6 Comments

ONE vintage russian alarm clock from ww vintage $59 TWO stacks of warm vintage kantha quilts from niki jones €200 each THREE wooden piglet bookends from anthropologie $148 FOUR keel’s simple diary by taschen $15. FIVE the new catalogue from Toast (and pretty much everything in it!).

I am so glad it’s Friday. It’s been a long hard week here and I’m sure you’re in need of a break too. I’ve clearly been daydreaming about spending some quality time wrapped up in bed with some books, magazines, and a nice warm blanket. I am going to try my hardest to work some of that into my weekend!

What do you have on the agenda?

Have a RELAXING Friday and weekend out there, guys!

p.s. my friend brought me back that keels diary from a recent trip to Amsterdam and I absolutely love it! For someone who doesn’t have time for much, it’s a fun quick little way to reflect back on your day!

6 Comments

March 8, 2012

Get it Going and Growing

in act now, Home Decor with 4 Comments

It’s that time of the year. You can just faintly smell that spring is coming, but there is no doubt that more cold nights are still to come. If you’re the kind of person who likes to grow your own herbs and veggies, now is the time to get going on your seeds. Plant them on a sunny window sill indoors now, transfer to larger pots in later spring, and benefit from the fresh flavors early in the summer.

essentials from top left: seeds | labels | scissors | trowel | planters

A couple of years ago, I started from seeds and waiting until it was warm enough to keep the pots outdoors. Needless to say, we weren’t eating our tomatoes until Sept. This year I’ll get an earlier start?

Do you grow anything at your home? Please tell!

Have a FRESH Thursday!

photo credits 1 | 2 | 3

4 Comments

March 7, 2012

Signed, Sealed, Delivered

in Hand Made, not just for..., try this at home with 9 Comments

I’ve always loved the look of a wax sealed envelope, but struggled with melting the wax at just the right spot and without singe marks. It occurred to me last night to melt the wax onto another surface, allowing me to better control the quality of the seal as well as make multiples. I broke out my non-stick baking mat and it worked just perfectly. A little glue to fix them to an envelope, and I was all set.

Using glue instead of dripping wax directly on what I was sealing opened up other opportunities for using the seal too! How about a pretty little adornment on a bud vase? Cute and personalized.