barn party

Our oldest daughter, Blair, turns 10 this month. Double digits!  Can’t believe it.

Since her birthday is only three days before Christmas, we always try to give her a special celebration that is not holiday themed.  I asked her what kind of celebration she wanted this year.  Without blinking an eye she said, “a party with my barn buddies.  I just want to ride and all be around our horses together.”   And that’s exactly what she got.

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It was simple and fun.  Smores, bonfire, grilling out and cake with close friends.  And horses.

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We set up a hot chocolate station in the arena which was pretty popular.

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Furry creatures partook in the festivities.  Here is Latte, our barn owner’s cowgirl poodle. Weighing in at a whopping five pounds, she prides herself at herding the horses.

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Horses freely roamed and stopped by the bonfire for carrots and apples. My mare, Savez, stationed herself by the hay.

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After completely stuffing ourselves, we played.  Here is fellow barn mate, Ashley, jumping bareback on her gelding, Zeus.

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Savez learned something new…how to be brave around balloons.

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The best part of the party was walking in a very special birthday gift to our daughter.

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Meet Marlee, our newest family member.  Choking back the tears, I handed my big girl his lead rope.  With a big smile she said, “Yay, I’m finally a pony mommy!”  She’s been riding him for two months, and had to earn him with good grades, a good attitude and chores.  It wasn’t easy, but she worked hard and appreciates him so much.

He’s a great jumper and has the sweetest personality.  Just like Blair, he’s spunky and full of life.

Can you tell they love each other?

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It was really a dream come true to be able to give her something she’s wanted since she could talk.  She lives for horses.

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My girl’s heart was full, which made mine double full.

A happy horse day for all.

By Seleta | 19 Comments

fabulous friday!

Some of you have inquired about this chair on which Pom Pom is perched.  It has a story.  And there is a giveaway too.

photo by Helen Norman

When I bought this chair at a flea market 12 years ago, it didn’t exactly look this way…I had to rip off old grandma fabric and re-stain the wood from 1970′s Brady Bunch brown to a normal color.  Then when we moved to the beach I ripped off THAT fabric and painted the frame off white to go with our new aesthetic.  Next I had to find an amazing fabric.  I ended up falling in love with this delicious Sea Coral fabric from Lewis & Sheron.  It’s brought some drama into our monochromatic room.  I loved it.

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Because it was a little pricier,  I ended up using the Sea Coral fabric on the chair’s inside and covered the outside with some leftover linen I had on hand.  This is a great way to use a higher end fabric that may be a little too much for the budget.  Upholstering this way allowed me to use a powerhouse print and still keep my cost down.  To give it some sass, I went with nailheads in lieu of welt/cord.

Speaking of Lewis & Sheron and their fabulous fabrics, let’s talk about TODAY’S GIVEAWAY.

It’s a $100 GIFT CERTIFICATE to Lewis & Sheron Fabrics.

Woo hoo!

HOW TO ENTER:

Go to Lewis & Sheron’s website right here and find one fabric you really like.  It doesn’t have to be the one you pick if you win, just something you think is pretty or interesting.

Big thanks to Lewis & Sheron for sponsoring this giveaway.  It’s no secret that I adore them; they have amazing products and superior service but I especially love that they are just nice peeps.  I have never once been disappointed in any order I’ve had with them.  And I’m pretty picky about where I  shop.

Happy Friday, friends!

By Seleta | 124 Comments

fabric shopping

Before I chat about our next item from the shoot I wanted to share with you one of my regular haunts.  Whenever I go back to Atlanta I always pop into Lewis & Sheron fabric store.  I’ve used their fabrics in my homes plus countless client projects since I started in the design biz wayyyy back in 1997.  Whew, I’m almost vintage.  Now that we’re in Florida, most of my orders with them are online, and they still never disappoint.

Over Thanksgiving we visited family in Atlanta.  The day of the Georgia Tech game the girls and I split off from the boys (after loyally attending the Ramblin Wreck parade) and went fabric shopping at Lewis & Sheron.  I wasn’t sure how long my little ladies would behave in the store before I had to make a quick dash out.  Can’t believe I’m saying this, but we made it two hours!  I actually had to make them leave.

I guess the bucket of lollipops by the front door didn’t hurt.  Lewis & Sheron is extra kid friendly, another reason I’ve remained a loyal customer.

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After some negotiation, we agreed on a three lollipop limit.

In a way this was a trip down memory lane.  I started thinking about how I used to push my girls around the isles in their baby strollers while looking for nursery fabrics.  It’s hard to believe they’re both big girls walking beside me now.  Matter of fact, all of my kids have had their turn being pushed down the isles at Lewis & Sheron.  I even remember waddling several times in my latter months of pregnancy – desperate to hunt down that perfect pattern as I feathered our nest.

Speaking of growing up, my girls not only shocked me with their shopping endurance but their genuine interest in looking at two floors of fabrics.  Oldest gravitated to this lovely linen stripe and said as plain as day, “this is perfect for a beach house sofa because it’s light and preppy, not dark and serious.”   Ha ha ha!  She actually used those words…really caught me off guard.  Future designer?

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Youngest found a ballerina print she loved.  She was looking at the fabrics from a whole other perspective – hoping to find cuttings that inspire her sketches and painting.  Future artist?

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I honed in on this creature print…I actually sat there for five minutes processing in my brain “where can I put this?”  Does anyone else do that too?  I didn’t want to pass it up.  So far I haven’t found a spot, but hope to soon.  Maybe a laundry room seat cushion on the bench with turquoise piping?  That would be adorable.  The nice thing about Lewis & Sheron is you take your free cutting with a sticker of info on the back then just order it when your ready.  Love that.

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I also happened to love this geometricthis fabulous paisley and this outstanding navy print which is very close to Ziggurat by China Seas vibe minus the painful price.  Oooh, I love way too many so many fabrics.

It was a fun day…and quite sentimental for me to shop with my “big girls.”  Not to mention it’s nice to have a store who treats you like family.  Thanks, Lewis & Sheron.

When we left we met up with the boys for dinner.  The girls were in a hurry to get home.  Once back, they put on their PJ’s and spent hours playing with their bag of samples.  So creative.

By Seleta | 7 Comments
  • Simply Me

    SeletaI‘m Seleta, a city girl living the beach life with my husband, fabulous four offspring, happy horses and frisky fur babies. A former TV personality turned Designer, I love to share the sparkly side of life. Read more here.
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