Tuesday, November 27, 2012

What I Am Loving Right Now!

Feel lucky and score this little distressed mirror at Cotswald Marketplace for $80!!

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Capture Ideas: York Chester Historic Home Tour 2012

York Chester 2012 Historic Home Candlelight Tour



Kick off the holiday season with this year's York Chester Historic Home Tour on December 1st 2012.  For your inspiration and viewing are six beautifully restored historic homes and Holy Trinity Church.  Spend the evening enjoying warmth, laughter and friendship as you reflect on the beauty of days gone by. 

Tickets are available at Dilworth Drug in Charlotte, Watson Insurance, Torrence Stationery and Rodi.  This years Hospitality Headquarters is sponsored by Rodi and Torrence Stationery & Gifts.  Advance tickets will be exchanged for a Tour Program at the Hospitality Headquarters on the night of the program.  Refreshments and Seasonal entertainment will be on hand at the headquarters located in the Rodi Atrium, 245 West Garrison Boulevard in Gastonia, North Carolina.  Proceeds from this years tickets sales will benefit Gaston Hospice.



Beautifully rendered drawings by the artist Tucker Cole are pictured above.  The individual drawings of the historic homes will be presented as gifts to the homeowners. It is a gift to all of us that they open up their homes for everyone to enjoy!


Click here for a map of the tour and get ready to share our love of North Carolina's Historic Homes!


*Information for this blog was obtained from www.yorkchester.org.










Thursday, November 15, 2012

There Is A Lot Going On In This Little Harlot Town

Wow! Who knew Charlotte would get so much national attention.  .  .AGAIN! Yes, The Democratic National Convention was quite the Political Party, but darn it was nothing like the paparazzi like news crews staking out our precious neighborhood Dilworth.


Even more exciting (to me of course) is that The Novogratz will be at the Mint Museum tonight presenting the series: Home by Novogratz.   The ultra cool Robert and Courtney and there SEVEN kids fascinated many of us (and me!)  with their design talents on HGTV's show The Novogratz. 


The event starts TONIGHT at 7pm and admission is $5 for members and $10 for non-member.
Click The Novogratz for more information on tickets.


Also going on in Harlot Town is Judith Voglesonger's JWVArtist's November show. The show started yesterday Wednesday November 14th and goes through Friday November 16th. 


Judith turns her gorgeous home into a personal gallery for all to enjoy! It is definitely a must if you are in the art market or are thinking about purchasing art in the future!


Hope to see you all tonight at The Mint Museum Uptown and tomorrow at JWV Artists!


Monday, November 12, 2012

The Third Time's A Boy's Charm: Max's Nursery Retreat

It's always been a princess's dream at Allison and Kyle Bumgardner's Dilworth home. Pink, pink and more pink, helped to define the style of  Ella (age 8) and Kate (Age 6). The custom home by Gerrard Builders has everything a girl could wish for, even a "Princess Closet" with custom pink toile drapery, a dress up room and a pink kitchen.  As great fortune would have it, the Bumgardner's discovered that the third baby was going to be a BOY! Instead of giving up the family's playroom, Allison & Kyle opted to bunk both girls in Ella's larger room and give Kate's bedroom to their new baby brother Max!

*Girls control the reins over their new baby brother Max.

A long trimester (or two) was spent deconstructing Kate's bedroom and en suite bath and re-designing a baby boys retreat. With Allison at the helm, she enlisted Lauren Thompson from The English Room to consult on the final details of Max's abode. Allison was ultimately inspired by the craft website Etsy and pulled the look together with a long list of local vendors, shops and online merchants.


Allison designed  the custom crib bedding and had it made by a local seamstress. The gray chevron and coordinating fabric was purchased from www.fabric.com.


The yellow and white woven baskets are from West Elm. The cool gray woven ottoman was a Marshall's score! While the lamp, wicker table and crib were recycled from Kate's nursery. The glider was a gift from a friend.


The weathered wooden memory board was a custom design by Bobbin Designs. It is backed with fabric remnants from the bedding. Bobbin Designs is at local vendor/merchant Cotswold Marketplace.


 Recycling several of the pieces from Kate's nursery helped cut costs, leaving a little extra for the final details. The yellow poppy balls were spied at West Elm but were purchased from a online vendor. The lamp was updated with a Ballard Designs woven shade.


Yellow and Gray Wooden Chevron frames display priceless newborn photo's.


 Fun frames and even a rhinoceros's book-end remind us that this little one is especially loved.


Even the frames eloquently carry the nursery theme and fabric through to the final details.


Allison found the fun gray baskets at Target and accented them with chalkboard plates from Pottery Barn. Now stuffed full of bibs, they will no doubt be the home to multiple superheros and toy trucks.


Can you believe Allison and Kyle have been sweethearts since Junior High. The picture to the left was taken on a college trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming


Knitted by Peruvian artists, the sheep mobile was originally spotted at Philips Place boutique Magic Windows. After being put on unexpected bed rest,  she ultimately scored the piece online from BlaBla Kids.


Wondering how to update a changing station? Follow Allison's lead and add fun, yellow knobs from Anthropologie and brighten everything up!


 Allison added another mobile in front of the bathroom mirror. It mesmerizes Max and makes bath time lots of fun!

Painted Benjamin Moore's Stone Harbor, the bathroom colors perfectly tie the two rooms together. Even the yellow poppy's make a statement on the sink.


Fabric tie's bring the nursery pattern in to the bath without over powering it. The white curtain feels fresh and clean; just the way a nursery should.


There is no doubt about it, this little man is digging his big sisters!! 

This family is totally complete!


Photographs by Taylor Presson

Friday, November 9, 2012

The Final Piece of the Puzzle: The Counter Top


I set out this afternoon in search of the perfect counter top for our bathroom remodel. As my luck would have it, the second I walked in, I found the perfect slab of marble. There it was, this beautiful slab of Calcutta Gold staring me straight in the eyes and double daring me to look away. The perfect blend of white marble with veins of brown and grey! The floors are a dark brown travertine that (I absolutely love)are begging to be set off by bright white counter tops. 

Leave it to me to fall head over heals for something I can not afford. A slab is around 56 feet and cost around $5,600. A half slab is half of that.... and I only need around 10 feet. When I left the InStyle Showroom covered in dust, my sweet Sales Associate Lorena, promised to search the back for remnants of Calcutta Gold.  That leaves me praying for a remnant I can afford! 

Me + Style ='s EXPENSIVE!



Sunday, November 4, 2012

Little Miss Fancy Pants

*My Style Icon Kelly Wearstler

Fancy these my loves!


Start with Messy Hair and Neutral Makeup

image source





Black Skinny with front slits make legs look long and lean!




A hint of "girly" is always sexy.









Winter white jeans with faux leather stripes are so "of the moment!" The under $100 price tag makes them somewhat affordable!


Source: shopbop.com via Taylor on Pinterest

Rag & Bone nails it with this layered biker/riding jacket. If I could buy one jacket for the next two years, this would be it!

Source: barneys.com via Taylor on Pinterest

The long asymmetrical hem adds polish, while the gray knit makes it casual enough for the PTA. 

Source: shopbop.com via Taylor on Pinterest

Leather is everywhere this season and the leather leggings are huge! Tone it all down by going half & half leather and stretch!


Source: shopbop.com via Taylor on Pinterest

Color blocking was HUGE for Spring and Summer. Bring it into fall with this flattering little number!

Source: shopbop.com via Taylor on Pinterest

Dressy enough to wear out for the evening but solid enough to hike around town.

Source: shopbop.com via Taylor on Pinterest

Biker boots to wear with everything from your favorite skinnys & leggings. . . Rock the Rock Star look from day to knight by pairing them with a girly mini dress and jacket.



Source: shopbop.com via Taylor on Pinterest


Universally cool. Period.