Lisa Mende Design

Friday, November 11, 2011

Orange You Glad It's Fall....

I confess, I "L-O-V-E" orange!

It all started when my oldest child went to Auburn University!

I have never been one to wear my favorite team's logos, but I will wear the team colors! The first year Walker was at Auburn, about 7 years ago, I got orange shoes....

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That led to orange scarf, orange pocketbook, orange earrings....

Bit by bit, I had all kinds of orange to wear and discovered, when I wore something orange it made me happy, so orange because my favorite color. Orange is daring and brings a sense of energy to whatever you pair it with. It is also a warm color so it adds a spicy dash to otherwise boring color combinations. Since I have always been one to branch out and create my own style rather than go with the crowd, this worked out well for me. It also worked out well with our family. Walker was at Auburn and my father-in-law, Fred grew up in Chicago, so the whole family is also Bears and Cubbie fans, yep, you got it...Blue and Orange! There will be more about that in a later blog...Let's get back to "my orange".....

It use to be that you only saw orange the months of October and November,but orange has made it way onto the fashion scene. It is no longer for pumpkins, gourds and Thanksgiving tablecloths, it is also showing up in fashion and decor more and more...

Orange is a hip color that is being used everywhere!

Oh well, i am not so unique anymore...but i still love orange, do you? i've decided it's ok to share my orange obsession so here are some orange things i think are fab....

Art from Laura Trevey's Esty store....

Laura Trevey 5" x7"

Wallpaper by China Seas "Trellis" in orange....

Quadrille- China Seas

Fabric by Amy Butler..

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Orange chair print....

$30.00

Orange linen coral dining chair...

via Etsy

Orange in Decor......

to die for drapery....

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the rusty orange in this study warms the blue....

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Pops of orange keep this space from being too serious...

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jonathan adler does it so well....

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Just the right pop of color....

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orange in fashion....

These earring would def be a conversation piece....

$99.00 on Etsy

This is about the dang most awesome skirt,

helps to have sincerely jules' body....

check out her blog, you will be addicted, she blogs

about awesome clothing and the photography is amazing....

sincerely jules

Love...The cornoila bag by Bottega Veneta....yes, I'm dreaming, $4800.00 dollars worth....

Bottega veneta

Fanfanatics $20.95

Still love those AU Tigers...gotta support my team!!!!

Go Auburn!!!!

And if you don't feel like you are into wearing orange or decorating with orange you can still keep orange in the "fall".....

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oh...and here is a little recipe from Big Red Kitchen, you might want to try while you are thinking orange, it's pumpkin

and only has two ingredients.....

Big Red Kitchen

if you aren't familiar with Big Red Kitchen, you are missing out, click over here and see for yourself....

Anyway, here is the recipe, write me back and tell me how much you loved it! Your family will think you cooked all day!!!!!

Pumpkin Cake
One Cake mix- I used yellow
1 -15 ounce can 100% pumpkin- puree, not pumpkin pie filling

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl mix cake mix with pumpkin filling using a hand mixer or a stand mixer. Beat on medium for 2 minutes. Pour batter into a greased 7 x 11 inch baking dish. Bake for 28 minutes or until tooth pick comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting. Serves 8.

Apple Cider Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
2 T. apple cider
1/2 t. pumpkin pie spice

In a small bowl blend all ingredients until smooth. Pour over Pumpkin Cake letting it drizzle down the sides of the cake. Let set before covering.

Have a fabulous Friday!!!!!

I hope you think of me when you see orange!! Go Tigers!!

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Recap of High Point Market 2011

Everyone has been giving their recap of the High Point International Furniture Market but I haven't gotten around to doing mine until now. I was talking to a couple of my friends last night, Cindy Caudle and Cathy Jones of Rococo Interiors of Charlotte. We all agreed that overall we were a little disappointed in what we found at market. It seemed like a more active crowd but there weren't many new, interesting finds. Urban industrial has saturated the market. Once the trend reaches the importer who knock everyone off, you know it is time to move on. Of course the meat and potatoes companies like Hickory Chair, Bernhardt, Lee, and Baker, etc. always have great looking showrooms. When I peruse market I typically visit the larger showrooms first and then work my way down to the smaller showrooms and on to the temps. In the Inter hall, Market Suites/Square and Showplace are temporary showrooms and typically are a good place to find something new. It is in one of those places that a new trend is often spotted. Not this market! More of the same! I don't' mean to sound like sad Sally because I did see plenty I like and plan to use for projects but there was nothing that I thought was trend setting. Cindy and Cathy felt the same way.

With that being said, here are a few of the showrooms I thought photo worthy....

Global Views, had lots of the same products from last market but I do love the way they put it all together

Love these pendants...

Couldn't resist taking this pic at Design Legacy,

how fun is this chair?

great table scape....

loved this settee....

Beautiful bench they are using as a coffee table with the settee...

loved the dark walls here...

how fun is this for a bar area....

great rectangular chandelier...

how fun is this....i could put my kids chores in here and spin it around...(just kidding) i think this would be great at a wedding for people to put their cards for the couple in...

these red chairs from Guildmaster are pretty awesome...

i keep wanting to stripe a piece of furniture and

this gave me a little inspiration...

new lamp resource... don't remember the name but if you want to know i can look for the card in the market bag i have yet to unpack..

Loved this painting on the pink wall at Tara Shaw...

as a matter of fact, the color pink for walls is quite popular...

here is it again at Worlds Away....

this little bedside table at Phillips Scott was a fav....

i thought these were interesting from a company named Cake....

if i had a retail store, i would hang one of these

over a table for a conversation piece...

simple pine tables and slipcovered chairs like these from

Dovetail have major appeal for me...

Toile is still around but there are some contemporary takes

on the pattern. Thomas Paul has done a great one.

Here the toile is mixed with the ever popular Greek Key.....

There were interesting pillows and poufs ..

I always enjoy Bunny William's showroom,

here are a few pics of it...

This wins my award as my favorite new item I saw at market, an ottoman coffee table. There have been quite a few but this one is the best one I have seen...

There were some other things I really liked but most of the designers who blog have already reported on Tobi Fairley's new line for Hickory Chair and Oly, Currey & Co. collection from Marjorie Skouras and some of the more widely known showrooms seem to get plenty of press so I decided to show some other things.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Christopher & Mikel Ann's Wedding...

Recently I had the opportunity to attend one of the most unique and creative weddings! I thought you might enjoy seeing how a young woman's vision and hard work can evolve into a very special wedding day! The groom, his dad and brother also played a big part in this production as well. They were the muscle behind getting the spot ready for this quaint, yet lovely affair!

I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as we all enjoyed being guests.....

When Mikel Ann and Christopher first spoke of getting married in the woods by her family home, I don't think any of us could really grasp the vision she had for the event. After all, it was going to be in October and might be cold. Also, it was going to be in the woods at 5:30, wouldn't it be dark? There were many hours of thought and hard work that went into this wedding but as you can see the outcome was well worth the effort. It is one of the few weddings I have ever attended when I felt the bride and groom truly created their day. Every little detail was well thought out and executed.

The beautiful clearing made for the wedding ceremony

was straight out of one of Shakespeare's plays...

The simple drapery panels that blew in the breeze

created a sweet unpretentious backdrop for the vows.

The walkway was lined with photos of the bride and groom

from childhood til present, clipped on twine with clothespins.

One side had pictures of Mikel Ann as a child and the other had

pictures of Christopher and as you walked down the path,

it became pictures of them together..

At the end of the path of clothes pinned pictures were engagement pictures of the

couple framed and hung directly on the trees.

I took this of the photo on the tree, but it looks like i was taking a pic of the band...so much for my photography skills....oh well, hello guys!!! Can you still see the photo on the tree?

There was a gift table, complete with this awesome

vintage birdcage for cards...

We all loved the photo booth..there were funky glasses, hats, a chalkboard to write messages and all kinds of fun things to create a fun photo for the bride and groom...

The groom's brother, Kirk and sister, Holly

with their message to the couple...

photo courtesy of Kirk Mason

More well wishers....

photo courtesy of Kirk Mason

Probably my fav of the day, as far as the decorating,

was this sideboard with the wedding cake sitting out in the woods,

how sweet is this?

Here's a closeup... see the sweet little birds on top of the cake?

Tables were placed all through the clearing and

white lights formed a canopy overhead.

As the evening got darker, the canopy of lights got brighter......

Over our heads, hung these beautiful chandeliers,

handmade by the bride!

i will try to get a tutorial from her and post at a later date....

On the tables were various bottles and jars with flowers. Below is a jar with some of the ribbon wands we waved after the bride and groom were married...the bride made those as well....

Also on the table under the jars and vases was simple burlap squares and a little card that read

" take a jar with you when you leave and then you will have a "Mason" jar.

Their last name is Mason....