Good Morning Sunshine

25 comments:
 A couple of weeks ago I did a little post about how beautiful 
the color orange can be in the garden

the Pantone color of the year is 
Tangerine Tango

and last week look what showed up 
in my mail box!
 This is the most bright and cheery tangerine tote!
It was sent by one of my favorite bloggers 
Andrea 
the French Basketeer

Andrea is the talented lady behind these wonderful 
authentic French market baskets 
which can be found at retailers
 and Farmers markets in Southern California
 This is her new palm basket for 2012 called the Beaune
I love this basket!!!!
 In addition to this business, Andrea is a fantastic and creative cook and spends some of the year in France....does that not sound just wonderful!?!

Here she shows us how to make Poulet Dijonnaise

Her photography is always amazing
 Celeb's love her baskets too...and why not?!
They are fantastique
Please visit Andrea and her beautiful baskets  

My new orange tote will be filled with 
green goodness from the Farmers Market
  this Sunday




Merci   Andrea!   

hors du marche' des agriculteurs                                                            

We have a winner!!!!!

15 comments:

 This is such a nice book!

this was her pink peony dessert party

Some of the reviews said that there wasn't enough actual party planning information,  just a bunch of pretty pictures!

Wow
how could you not be inspired
 her vintage bento trays from Japan
 Look at this table !!!!!
set for guests for the book launch
 lunch
 all white hors d'oeuvres...what a great idea

 remember her first entertaining book and her kitchen?
it looks so 80's but it is still inspiring 
 and then she remodeled
she kept the copper and the pot rack
 but everything else is new
 she is the queen of organization...at least that's what she wants us to believe

 how many people have copied her
 "detergent in a pretty jar with a stopper" idea?
I know I have!
 I really love her kitchens


 the food styling is really superb too
 the colors are always so interesting 
I love this rolling cart!


so can you guess who won the book?

it's comment #41

Dianne Ballard!
congratulations


She wrote that she likes the blog because she gets
"the good, the bad and the ugly/pretty"

I hope she is referring to my composter 
which is very ugly/pretty

Oh and speaking of composters, here is a tip:

If you know it is going to rain, leave the composter lid open 
so your compost gets a good soaking of  water!  
Saves time and money

thank you all so much for the wonderful comments...
they were so kind and I think I know a bit more about my readers too

You are the best....ever

~kelley~




Restoration Hardware: CEO Gary Freidman's House in San Francisco

26 comments:


 I received my Restoration Hardware catalog last week and spent about 30 minutes going through it.  My initial thought was that is seemed a bit more fun and I was happy to see some of the furniture more scaled down.  

Yesterday I found a copy of C Magazine in my mail box and one of the homes featured is Restoration Hardware Chairman Gary Freidman's home  in the city of Belvedere, overlooking the San Francisco bay
 It seemed interesting that the timing of this article happened to coincide with the delivery of the catalog...a wonderful happenstance?

I doubt it....
 but it is an interesting article and it gives you a peek inside Gary's world. 

 The house was designed by architect Howard Backen and is a 7000 square foot villa which took over 5 years to complete.

 I was not surprised to see furniture from the new catalog placed throughout this incredible house.  

Most notable was the deconstructed style furnishings which are new this year.   

 The English wing chair in the bottom left of the photo above is $1995 (now $1695)
and is a cotton a burlap creation by artisan Rudy Van Thiel.
  
Van Thiel is know throughout Europe for snapping up antiques and treasures 
and restoring, reproducing and selling, all things beautiful.

Most recently for Restoration Hardware

I think this chair pairs beautifully with the red lacquer Chinese amoire
and I love the little side table made for scavenged architectural fragments

So would you buy this chair?

There have been a few interesting, fun
and rousing discussions
by other bloggers
about this subject:
read Cote de Texas here

I like this chair actually.
I like the scale of the back and the arms
and the legs are really interesting.
I think it's fun and doesn't take itself too seriously!

I would probably try to find an
antique or vintage piece first...
but if budget were a huge consideration and it usually is,
I would buy this chair

The kitchen below seems a bit boring to me
but is probably jaw dropping in real life.

No upper cabinets or much of anything for that matter...very spare.

The space was designed to enjoy views of Mt. Tamalpais and the bay
from all vantage points and doors open up on to sheltered terraces.
 All of the linen fabric used in RH's drapery and furniture are from the centuries old firm of Libeco-Lagae, know for producing the finest Belgium linen available.

 I have some Libeco sheets which are probably 5 years old
and they have just gotten softer and more wonderful over the years

 In the living room
Gary placed these HUGE antique French column  fragment and glass lamps
which inspired a Resto lighting collection
do you like this lamp....retail $1295

Below the deconstructed sofa ($3295 retail)
is paired with a modern Scandinavian chair

The artwork is really stunning in this room

Architect Howard Backen designed the rooms to be perfectly proportioned for entertaining and for showcasing furniture, art and collections.

All of the walls are Venetian plaster and very minimalistic 
with window and doors framed in mahogany.

Looking at this house you clearly see the owner as someone 
who travels to Europe and Asia.  

What I find interesting too, is how there is a mix of modern with antique, Asian and British Colonial....
 and then the addition of mass produced RH furniture thrown in. 

too much?

At least from the photos 
it seems to work really well. 

Perhaps this is how Mr Freidman sees his furniture being used 
and not how it is merchandised in the gallery stores 

I would never want to walk into a house 
and feel like I just stepped into the pages of a catalog.
but
 I definitely feel there is a need for this type of design 
both from a practical and budgetary standpoint.

The fact is, that not every one is good at visualizing
how things may look when they are placed in a room 

Would I have a house full of this stuff?...never 
but a nicely placed chair I could do.

so what do you think?


have a great weekend
~kelley~

ps
thank you so much for the wonderful comment on the Martha book giveaway,
I will now post continuously about my compost bin and muffin tops!

winner will be announced on Monday morning!


A Giveaway and a Thank You!

110 comments:
For those of you who take the time 
to read my ramblings
 about the vegetable garden and my composter, 
comment about my quirky projects, my toaster lamps
silly posts about chickens and trends and smart cars and muffin tops
 &
why dog poop always ends up on the bottom of my shoes
and not anyone else's
&
 because
 you
 take the time out of your very busy day
to view my ideas, my projects 
and my chores

Thank you!
from the very bottom of my heart


This blog started out quite simply...
no big expectations
no real idea of what blogging was actually

no idea how to upload photos
or how to mess around with templates 
and gadgets and HTML
(what does HTML stand for anyway?)


not much fluff  
no gimmicks 

but
like it or not

I'm still doing it...and still posting about pretty much the same topics:

 remodeling and decorating,
original ideas and design tips,
gardening and daily life

just the basic stuff
that represents what goes on each day

everyday

just doing it

pretty simple, actually


I would love to give all of you a wonderful gift
and
I would if  I could 
because
your comments and emails are
  that important

 If you would like to enter this give away
please leave  a quick comment about what you enjoy 
or don't enjoy, if you like...
 (I take criticism well)

about 
The Polished Pebble Blog

or

you can just leave your name...that would be great too

If your comment is picked
( via Random Number Counter)

I will send this wonderful book to you

Martha's Entertaining
a year of celebrations 
Love her or hate her;
(I actually find her really fascinating)

this is an incredible book full of amazing photographs,
ideas for entertaining and decorating
 and it includes a recipe section to duplicate her party menus



this is a book which will make you sit down 
and read and look 
and flip pages
over and over...
 just to make sure you don't miss anything

and all of the ideas she shares 
can certainly be done on a small scale...

Martha has 3 BIG houses but acts like they are small

OH Martha!

 but....

This is my favorite book of hers yet
and I would love for you to have a copy

I will ship it directly to you from 
Barnes and Nobel 

Please enter

and

thank you so very much 
for all of the supportive and nice comments

I can't say enough about how special blogger friends are,
but I do think you are all very special
and I think of you all as friends

xx
kelley

Designing for your "Inner ChIcken"

28 comments:

Is it just me 
or is has the chicken coop become latest 
urban back yard
 "must have"?

Is there a national 
chicken craze happening?

Can you catch it from being around other people who love chickens?

Like the flu?



And if having a coop loaded with clucking hens wasn't enough 
we are now putting carriers, 
statues, towels 

and 

all things chicken
in our homes too

I love the little shed above 
and think it would be a nice design for a chicken coop, 
with roses growing over the lattice topped roof...

and maybe a nice couch and coffee table for the chickens...

slipcovered of course

see.... I have it too!

oh no

the dreaded

chicken syndrome
If you really love your chicken 
you can put a diaper on it
 and it can come in the house 
and play with the kids...

really?
seriously?




 Some people love their chickens so much 
that they let them play 
"dress-up" 

and wear custom designed chicken coats...



so now that I have
come down the dreaded 
chicken virus...


I am finding all sorts of  ways to create a wonderful environment 
surrounded by things 
that will sooth my

"inner chicken"

how about using some chicken wire on your walls...?

this is a wall paper from Peter Fasano

I really like this!  
honest!



I found this little coop at a flea market and added some little red wheels..
it's a fun little table with storage for books

books...schmooks 

 the chickens can sleep in there while I'm running errands

with their diapers on...of course...
silly me


 Chicken collectibles
are pretty fun too
like these old concrete yard ornaments...
and the added bonus of no diaper


how about a custom painted portrait of you 
and your favorite feathered friend Flossie

to grace the walls of your coop...
I mean house


there is now chicken poo poo
lip gloss

what?

and chickens for the kitchen
how about a chicken handbag...any celebrity sightings yet?



Or chicken shoes...
for a night out on the town

these are cute little shoes for your chicken 
in a variety of colors....
guaranteed not to be pecked off




you can find your inner chicken 
in so many ways...how about a hat?

oops

wrong bird
that's better

and of course
how could I not include the iconic wardrobe of every
gal with a serious case of chicken syndrome

the chicken suit



OK so now you know 

when you get chicken syndrome
it may take you a while to get over it

so just go with it...I say

I'm so chicken pooped 
I need to take a nap

on a chicken pillow of course



oops

wrong pillow


sorry




yawn....

cluck...

zzzz...