Yankees, history and Fabric Friday

I am so glad that it is almost the weekend.  Do you have big plans?  It is the last few days of Mardi Gras and I plan to attend Joe Cain Day.  Don't know who Joe Cain is?  How about a history lesson?  Get a glass of sweet tea, sit back, and enjoy the story...be sure to read it in a slow, Southern drawl.

Did you know that Mardi Gras was originally celebrated in the US in Mobile, Alabama?  That's right, not New Orleans.  In fact, we started celebrating here about 15 years before New Orleans did. 

So who is Joe Cain, you ask?  He is the man that is credited with the re-birth of Mardi Gras in Mobile after the Civil War (war of Northern Aggression, as it were).  In 1867, Mobile was still occupied by Union troops (damn Yankees!) and Joe Cain, dressed as a fictional Chickasaw chief named Slacabamorinico, paraded through the streets of Mobile in a coal wagon with six other Confederate veterans.  The costume was a backhanded insult to the Union troops who had never defeated the Chickasaw tribe during the war. 

Joe Cain via

Joe Cain Day is always celebrated the Sunday before Fat Tuesday.  It's a day full of fun, food, processions (not parades on Joe Cain day) and debauchery.  It is sure to be a large time. 

Totally unrelated, I have more fabric from my stash that is available.  I have six yards of Brunschwig & Fils Les Touches in the Turquoise color way.  It is $70 per yard.  Email me if you are interested in purchasing.

Have a wonderful weekend.  Laissez les bons temps rouler.

And we have a winner, folks. And a loser.

Did you know that Linda from Calling it Home is hosting a "One Room Challenge Now" party?  She has asked all the past participants of the ORC to link up any changes or updates to the rooms that were featured in the past. 

I planned to participate and show the light fixture that I began working on during the last ORC in November.  But guess what?  I'm not.  And I'll tell you why.  I lost my camera battery charger and, knowing the party was upcoming and my camera is completely dead, I ordered a new one off eBay because I'm cheap thrifty.  And I got an awesome deal too.  $3 rather than the $30 that everyone else was charging.  Whoop!  Wait, what?  It's coming from China?  Oh well, there was still plenty of time before the linking party.

Crickets

Still hasn't arrived. And waiting for the charger has enabled me to procrastinate even longer on my fixture.  So, the clear loser in this situation (and blog post) is moi.  Sorry, Linda, for not being able to participate.  I suck.  I know it. 

But, in other news, a decision has been made by my clients for their master bedroom.  If you recall, we talked about their options here and here.   She was having a tough time getting her husband to agree to wallpaper or any other "huge" changes (isn't that always the way?), so we talked and talked about the options.  Their bedroom currently has a black, grey & off-white palette, so the most natural change is to add a bit of this perfection.

Elizabeth designed by Alessandra Branca for F. Schumacher

I ordered a memo of this loveliness and when it arrived at my client's house, she immediately called and squealed.  She was in love.  Seeing it in person made decision that had been tough so much easier.  We will be moving forward with this room design, and I couldn't be happier.

The Elizabeth fabric has been ordered and tape has been chosen for her existing black silk drapery. We are discussing paint colors and are sourcing the perfect rug. 

Don't you love it when a plan works out? 

xoxoK

The One That Got Away

Stupid, Kimber, stupid!  What is the number one rule in thrifting?  We all know it...DO NOT WAIT.  If you find something you love, for an unbelievable price, do not hesitate.  Buy it! 

Guess who broke that rule recently?  Yes, this girl.  Stupid, Kimber, stupid.

Behold the beauty that could have...should have been mine.

 

I'm gonna go ahead and say what you are thinking:  Kimber, you're a dumbass.

*sigh*

xoxoK

Style Icon: Victoria Beckham

I had a blog post that I was getting ready to work on and when I turned on my computer, a picture of Victoria Beckham popped up.  I, of course, scrolled through the images and absolutely fell further in love with her style.


She used to be way too Rock n Roll for me.  And she always seemed a bit, well, harsh.

 

But lately, she seems so much more effortless.  It seems to me that most women reach an age when they become comfortable in their own skin and they no longer have to force it.  Perhaps she has finally grown into her own womanhood?   Whatever it is, she looks flawless.

 

all images via

 

 

And, honestly, in my opinion, this look is far more sexy than the over-sexed starlet look. 

 

 

Confidence is sexy.  Class is sexy.  Contentment is sexy.  And, dare I say it?  Age is sexy.

 

 

Do you have a style icon that you favor?  Do tell.

 

xoxoK



I had an epiphany

So last night I was lying in bed daydreaming about paint for my dining room-turned office.  You do that too, right?  Of course you do.

If you recall, my dining room-turned office is adjacent to the formal living room and foyer in the house.  I was considering painting the walls Brinjal by Farrow & Ball.

Then I thought about a charcoal gray. 

The formal living room has Chiang Mai Dragon curtains in Alabaster so I'm trying to coordinate the office...that's when the epiphany happened.  It hit me like a ton of bricks.  Like a freight train.  Like...duh.

 



Why the heck don't I wallpaper the dining room in Chiang Mai?  Hello!?!  Really, Kimber, you never thought of that?  Well, cost is an issue, of course, but I can save my pennies.  I will have to move some art around, but I think I can make it work.  What say you?  I think this may be the stuff that dreams are made of.

Fo shizzle!

xoxoK

Deal Alert!

Hello Sunnies.  Just dropping in today with a deal alert.  Remember when I shared about Scalamandre's Outlet site, The Third Floor?  Well, they have some new additions and one name caught my eye "Pagoda Paisley."  Y'all know I cannot pass up anything with a pagoda on it.

There is no photo yet, so I decided to do a search to see what I could find.  Here she is.



Scalamandre Pagoda Paisley  image via

Keep in mind the fabric in the outlet is for the RED colorway, not the green shown above.  It is regularly over $140 a yard but is on sale for $34.95.  Are you willing to take the gamble not seeing a photo?  Imagine it in a Chinese red.  This could be so, so good...

Be sure to let us know if you nab this fabric. 

xoxoK

Floral Belles

Hello Y'all.  Happy Valentine's Day!  I hope that your hearts are filled with love each and every day. 

What are you getting from your valentine?  My valentines are a 13-year-old girl and a 12- and 10-year-old boy, so I will likely only be getting sass. 

I am, however, dreaming about getting flowers.  No, not the typical Valentine's red roses.  The flowers I want are magical.

Crane & Canopy Floral Belle

Crane & Canopy.  Flowers not your thing?  Fear not, they have a style to suit every taste.  These  folks are bedding geniuses, y'all.  Look at all their beauties to choose from. In. Serious. Lust.

xoxoK

all images via Crane & Canopy