Pillowcase Giveaway from Bedside Manor

When my sponsor, Bedside Manor, offered to let me try their Charmeuse pillow case, I was intrigued.  I wouldn’t consider any of our bedding around here “luxurious”, so this was a special treat.  It’s 100% premium silk and is said to “prevent wrinkles" and “keep your hairstyle fresh.”   A pillowcase that can make me look better and save me time?  Excellent!


Here’s the little package I received in the mail: 







It’s all ready to go, if you want to give it as a gift.  (Would be perfect for personal showers, birthdays, Mother’s Day, etc. . . )  It also comes in white, cream, pink, sage and blue.


So, I know what you’re really wondering.  Did it work?  Well, I think the only reasonable way to review this pillowcase is to you show you before and after pictures of myself.

Before Bed. . .

The next morning. . .

 



Okay, maybe it won’t turn you into Megan Fox, but here are a few benefits to sleeping on the  Charmeuse pillow case (from their web site) now that I’ve got your attention: 



• 18 amino acids & high copper content restore hair luster and can even reduce fine facial lines
• Smoothes hair’s cuticle layer, adds body & shine
• Diminishes frizz & keeps curls smooth
• Ends tedious & damaging daily styling
• Reduces hair loss & breakage, you won’t find as much hair on your pillow
• Promotes a more restful & regenerative night's sleep

Giveaway details

Want to try one?  Bedside Manor is giving one lucky winner a Charmeuse case of their own.  (A $75 value)


To Enter. . . take a moment to browse Bedside Manor online and leave a comment telling me your favorite item from their shop.  For an additional entry, “like” Bedside Manor on Facebook and leave a separate comment letting me know.
I’ll announce the winner (chosen randomly) on my Facebook page on Wednessday, August 3rd.

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To find out more about Bedside Manor, you can follow them on Twitter or sign up on their web site to receive emails.

The Great American Quilt

 

Designer Tobi Fairley devoted the entire month of July on her blog to topics centered around all-American design.  I’m honored that she asked me to be a part, and blogged about ways to include quilts in modern decor. 

 

You can read the full post here.

 

Sarah Richardson

 

Besides the quilt, check out the brass bed in this photo.  How many times would you have passed it up at a thrift store?  Yet, bright bedding gives it fresh life. . .

 

 

 

 

Check back tomorrow for a fun giveaway from my sponsor, Bedside Manor.  You can enter for a chance to win a pillowcase that works miracles :)

 

 

 

Now. . . And Then: Lauren of Pure Style Home

 

 

Blogger:  Lauren of Pure Style Home

 

 

 

Now:

photo by Helen Norman

 

And Then. . .

 

 

 

What makes me cringe when I look back:

Oh boy… this photo makes me both smile & cringe. Ok, more like laugh. It’s a picture of my first apartment in college when I was 19. (JMU!) The apartment came furnished with a sofa, a LR chair, a dining room set, a coffee table and vertical blinds. (eeek!) It’s been almost 10 years and the cringing really comes into play when I look at the dinky size of the artwork and my attempt at hiding the sofa with a tapestry and the plastic pots. But I have to say, I’m still proud of that curtain rod. I cut down a piece of bamboo from the woods near my house and drove with my windows down for two hours to college with that thing hanging out of my car diagonally. I could only afford 1 set of curtain rings so the whole thing only had 6 rings on it and one of the first things I did on move-in day in was get out my drill & install the curtains.

 

 

What I love most about my home now:

The thing I love most about my home now is its connection to the outdoors. We have lots of windows and it’s really light & airy-feeling. I love to just sit in my living room at the end of a day with all of the windows open.  Have to be honest, though, that this rarely happens in real life ;)

When looking at the two different photos, I can see that I still had a thing for nature –even back then I was a plant lover & killer- and I can see that I was attempting for an easy-breezy casual vibe. The accessories & fabrics I used were mostly borrowed so they reflected other people’s travels & history (mainly my grandparents’) & not mine, so I think that the details in my home now more accurately portray me & my family.

 

 

The biggest influence on my evolving style has been:

The biggest influence on my evolving style has been the blog world and the shelter magazines. There is so much inspiration online & I’m constantly amazed by all of the creative ideas & beautiful things design bloggers & designers who blog come up with. There seems to be so much charm & personality in what many bloggers show & create and they’re so open to sharing their ideas & helping others. I also look to shelter magazines for really polished & completed designs. I often flip through them when working on projects to study small details like the distance of a rug from the walls or maybe the styling of a mantle or whatever little thing it is I’m looking for. I’ve realized that I have an innate tug of war going on between more layered, almost cluttered English-feeling rooms and open & light & more minimal spaces. One pretty spread in a magazine can pull me to the other side in a heartbeat, so I’m not sure if - in the future- my style will go one way or the other or stay in between.

 

…..

Awww, yes!  Aren’t college apartments the best?  I only wish I had pictures of mine to show you . . . Thanks, Lauren—this was most enjoyable :)  To see more of her amazing work, visit Pure Style Home here.

6 Design Trends That I’m Not Over Yet

 

I recently received a “tweet” asking me if I thought sunburst mirrors were out of style.  You know I love a good sunburst, so it got me to thinking. . . . “Does it  really matter if they are or aren’t in style?”

 

Emily A. Clark Interiors

 

That goes for a lot of things in design.  I have to admit, when you write a design blog and much of your subject matter revolves around your own home, it’s natural to wonder if your readers will approve/disapprove of your personal design choices.  In fact, you can become consumed with making the “right” or popular choices rather than just doing what you really love. 

 

Amber Interior Design

(One of my favorite styled foyers, using a sunburst—love this mix of old and new.)

 

 

I actually see this quite often in the great world of blogs.  Sometimes, I see photos of someone’s home and think, “they must be an avid design blog reader.”  Why?  Because I see lots of—maybe a little too many—“trends” and DIY projects that have been blogged about time and time again.  I think it’s great to pick and choose what appeals to you and incorporate it into your home.  But, when you try to keep up with every blogged trend that comes along, it all becomes a little too much and ends up flat instead of a feeling like a warm, personal space.  (Are you following me?)

 

So, with all that said, there are some “trends” that I’m just not over (besides sunburst mirrors) and will probably find a way to include in our new home. 

 

 Garden Stools

The trend may have passed when you can buy them at Big Lots for $12, but I still say they are the perfect little accent piece.  Use them alone or in a pair for an end table, umbrella stand, towel holder beside a tub, or even an extra seat for a guest that you don’t want to stay that long. . . .   Plus, they’re easy to spray in any color your heart desires.

 

 

Joe Schmelzer via DecorPad

 

 

Elle Decor

 

 

image source

 

Stripes

Yes, even after all of the blood, sweat and tears that went into creating this small striped wall in our last home, I’m planning more striped goodness in this house.  (I think I hear my husband jumping for joy now!)  Stripes are clean, crisp and in my opinion, look great on the wall, on the floor or even on the ceiling.

 

Emily A. Clark Interiors

 

DesignSponge

 

 

Kiki’s List

 

 

Canadian House & Home

 

Antlers

I’m by no means an outdoors woman, but I like the quirkiness antlers add to a space.  They can make even the sweetest room a little more masculine.

 

image source

 

 

 

 

 

and along those same lines. . . Hide Rugs

Do I have an abnormal obsession with dead animals?  I don’t think so; I just like the texture and the unexpected element they often bring to a space.  I haven’t quite decided if our faux hide rug is going in our bedroom again, or to another part of the house, but it’s a keeper.

 

Emily A. Clark Interiors

 

 

 

image source

 

Faux Bamboo

I’m not actually sure what the attraction is for me, but I’ve rarely seen a faux bamboo piece that I didn’t like .  Something about it makes a space feel traveled and collected to me, especially when it’s mixed with other styles.

 

Emily A. Clark Interiors

 

Christina Murphy (Lonny Magazine)

 

 

Aussie Home & Garden via DecorPad

 

What about you?  What do you still love and could care less if it’s in or out of style (according to the blog world)? 

 

Items for Sale (from the old house)

     


You know how it goes.  What works in one house just doesn’t work in the other.  I’m keeping most of our bigger items, but have some pieces that I need to sell.  Most of the items listed will have to be picked up, obviously.  So, if you’re in or near Charlotte, email me if you see anything you’re interested in.  (Excuse the bad photos taken with my phone.)

 ZGallerie Mirror

 ZGallerie sofa table

 

SOLD--ZGallerie coffee table

SOLD--Entertainment console (not from ZGallerie, but finish matches the other pieces)

SOLD--These chairs (I have six total)

Dining table that matches the ladderback chairs I have listed above

SOLD--Rowe microfiber sofa

Also selling armoire;will work on getting a better picture

SOLD--Pair of IKEA Henny curtains (bought and never used; can ship these)

And, these aren’t mine, but I have friend who is selling some pieces, as well, and I told her I would include them in the post :)

(rug is 7’3” x 10’7”)

Feel free to email me with any questions.  There may be more to come as I finish packing up.

Getting Back Into the Swing of Things. . .

 

We just returned from a few fun-filled days in the sun doing. . . nothing!  Just what I needed.  And, as opposed to last year, my husband and I actually got to sit down on the beach for more than two minutes at a time. 

 

 

 

In fact, I even read a book (or most of it. . . I still have a little to finish).  I love reading.  I miss reading.  But, it just doesn’t fit into the schedule lately. 

 

 

 

Have you read this?  I’m trying to read it before the movie comes out.  It’s one of those book that makes you think.  I’m going to have to lock myself in the closet and try to finish the rest this week. 

 

And—one last thing.  Don’t forget to enter the giveaway from SimaG Jewelry for a personalized necklace.  Great treat for yourself or your favorite mom :)  I’m announcing the winner on my Facebook page tomorrow.

 

Featured in Creative Loafing

    

Thanks to Creative Loafing Magazine for featuring me as one of "three designing women to watch" in Charlotte, in the style section of their latest issue.  I was photographed along with jewelry designer Laura James, and Tara Davis, a local fashion designer.

This is my "serious" face.  Can you tell?  :)

You can read the entire article here.