If I Ever Win the Lottery . . .

. . . there are plenty of things I would do, but for the purposes of this fantasy, I'll just stick with the "buy a white farmhouse dream." Specifically, this white farmhouse.

Rolling River Farm. It's currently on the market for a mere $6.25 million. Built in 1811, the farm has 23 acres and the house has over 10,000 square feet. The best part, it's 10 minutes from my current home so I could hit the same grocery store. Very important.

Isn't it pretty? Ever since my daughter started riding last year, I think how cool it would be to have horses. A lot of work, but this is a fantasy, remember? I would have help. Stable boys. Speaking of which, check out the barn/stables.

Oh, and for my son there's a basketball court above the barn. He's expressed an interest in playing (he's only 6 so he's never actually been on a basketball team), and he's tall for his age, so this will be perfect for him.

And back to the house, here are some interior shots . . . 

While it looks perfectly lovely and has great bones, since this is a fantasy, here are some inspiration pics for how I would transform it.

Source: ehomee.com via Kathy on Pinterest

Love this rustic paneling with the more modern sofa, brass lamp and, of course, a fiddle-leaf fig. The perfect family room.

Love the hit of green in the otherwise neutral salon. Like that? Salon? Yes, I would have one of those.

Source: blogs.glam.com via Kathy on Pinterest

A dramatic, but welcoming great room.

Source: google.com via Kathy on Pinterest

A lovely light-filled dining/gathering spot.

Oh, and of course, I would have to have a warm and cozy library with some saturated tones to offset the lightness in the rest of the house.

Source: vanrozeboom.com via Kathy on Pinterest

Okay, now back to reality. I've got to pay some bills, do the dishes, and oh yeah, go buy a lottery ticket (gotta be in it to win it). Sigh. Hope you have a Happy Monday. What would your lottery dream house look like?

Sources: RealTracs, Pinterest

Desperately Seeking Susan

Since you savvy blog-readers know about all things cool, I'm reaching out to you on behalf of my sister Susan who is desperately seeking hotel accommodations in Midtown Manhattan for early December. She and her husband Jay are celebrating their 15th anniversary that month and want to find a nice but not crazy expensive option. Since it's been about 9 years since I've been to NYC (how sad is that?) for a visit, I'm not the best resource. So, I thought I would ask you, dear readers, if you have any tips for my sister?

If I had to pick a place based on looks alone, I would choose the Ace Hotel designed by the fabulous designing duo of Roman and Williams. Has anyone been here? Is it as cool as it looks?

Or, there is The Standard which was also designed by Roman and Williams, but I think it's in Downtown Manhattan. But just in case, here's a glimpse of its 18th floor.

Ah, heavenly.

Oh, and if you have any restaurant suggestions those would be much appreciated too. Way back when, we ate at Aureole, and it was sublime, but I'm sure there are other tasty options out there as well. 

Susan and Jay thank you in advance for your suggestions!

Sources: Roman and Williams Portfolio, The Ace Hotel, The Standard Hotel

Love the One You're With

Confused by the title? Stick with me. First and foremost, thank you SO much to everyone who came to our Nashville Blogger Tag Sale this Saturday! Bri, ModFruGal, SquirrelPearl and I had a blast hanging out with old friends and meeting new ones.

Stole this photo from ModFruGal as I forgot my camera. Typical.

Also, thank you to all the Nashville bloggers who gave us a shout out on their own blogs including sweet Ceri Hoover of Cooper-Grey whom we had the pleasure of meeting on Saturday, and Kayce Hughes who is always so kind and supportive. Other bloggers on the scene included Melissa of the Insane Domain (who purchased some of Bri's fabulous art) and Kim Biggs of Kim Biggs Design (who purchased some of my fabric), both of whom I've had the honor of getting to know recently. All in all, such a fun (but exhausting) day!

Lots of people came out to see what we had to offer, and while I sold quite a bit, I made it home with a lot of stuff too (dolphin table, anyone?). So, I've got a new strategy - "Love the one you're with." Haven and Home has a series of this name where she features bloggers who are doing exactly that - working with what they've got and loving it. So, here's what I've got . . . a lot of rust and black.

Once again, please excuse my hot mess of a garage as a backdrop.

When I moved a lot of the pieces back into my garage that I didn't sell (or chose not to sell like the Mastercraft black lacquer credenza), I realized it all looked pretty good together. Rust and black emerged as the color palette with hints of green and white. New basement room direction? I think so.

The amazing samurai needlepoint juxtaposed with the rust velvet curtains that used to be in my dining room.

Oil painting with hints of rust.

Here are just a few rust and black inspired interiors to get my juices flowing . . .

Source: srgambrel.com via Kathy on Pinterest

Source: mdesignla.com via Kathy on Pinterest

Source: bellemaison23.com via Kathy on Pinterest

Definitely some food for thought. Are you using what you've got and loving the ones you're with?

Thanks again for all the support on our Tag Sale. I've received so many emails asking how it went and asking about certain items. I even pre-sold one piece thanks to my preview pics (thanks, Amanda, your bird print will get to you shortly)!