by ark_admin
chris olsen november blog-draft
Save the best for last, and give your guests a real treat by drawing their eyes directly to your door. Who needs a wreath when you can take silk branches, wire them together to create a type of “screen door,” incorporate some of the same decorating details from inside, and spray it a glittering silver. It weighs almost nothing and can come down with ease. But its effect is immediate.
You will need:
6 two inch blocks of wood, pre-drilled for dowel rods
Wood screws
6 dowel rods; 2 for each side of frame and 1 each for top and bottom
Enough silk branches to recreate the frame, and diagonal pieces for your “screen door.” Our branches came from a local craft and hobby store. (Note: you can use branches from your own yard. Sweet gum, oak, birch and pine are simple to use. They’re pliable enough to bend, yet can be wired to each other easily.) You’ll want branches not much larger than the dowel rods. Measure the area and cut to size.
Here’s how to create your door piece:
1. Attach the first two wood blocks in place to create frame base.You are creating a rectangle that follows the
outline of your door.
2.Thread dowel rods into and through them. Screw remaining blocks and insert dowels.
3. Criss cross branches between the dowel rods, wiring in place as you go. Finish by wiring branches to the
rods, hiding the dowels and blocks.
4. Attach decorative pieces (we added these awesome snowflakes).
Pg 6
quoting actress keri russell
Along with every other person who saw Keri Russell’s 1860s Brooklyn brownstone in Elle Decor, we fell in love with her home’s rustic less-is-more aesthetic. Nothing too overstated, just a few simple details like espresso-stained reclaimed fir cabinets in the kitchen and a claw-foot tub in the bath.
Quote and images: Elle Decor
from the runway to the garden
Don’t have a green thumb? Why not dress like you do! Milly’s Resort 2012 collection is the next best thing to this Fayetteville garden, full of lush blooms and living areas, which appears in our September issue.
Photography: Rett Peek // Styling : Diane Carroll // Style.com
back-to-school fashion mash-up
Now that it’s back-to-school time, we went gaga over these stylish wares for kids in our August Family Homes issue! We definitely can’t remember having such an array of options when we were tots, can you? Now it’s time to spoil our own little ones.
The best part is, it’s all available right here in Arkansas. Check it out!
Send the kids back to school with a bevy of bright clothing and accessories, sure to lift the spirits of students and teachers alike. Canvas school tote and robot stationery set. Molly’s Paperie, Little Rock. Lunchbox, Slinky and Go Fish deck of cards. Cheeky Marshmallows, Little Rock. Colorful pencils from Jonathan Adler. Box Turtle, Little Rock.
Carter shirt by D Mo Baby. Cargo shorts by Tom & Drew. Loafers by Mooshu trainers, all from Bella Jack’s Children’s Boutique, Fayetteville. Spy glasses and Dumpling Dynasty Explorer Kit, from Cheeky Marshmallows, Little Rock
Ruffled top by Decaf Plush, Blue and white stripe Capri leggings by Tea, Pretty Crafty hair barrettes, all from Tulips, Little Rock. Leather flower bracelet from Haus Werk, Little Rock. Playing Cards from Cheeky Marshmallows, Little Rock
Custom Backpack by Clarabelle & the Hen, from Molly’s Paperie, Little Rock. Flower hair accents, Red Sea dress by Misha Lulu, Gold studded gladiators by Josmo Shoes, all from Bella Jack’s Children’s Boutique, Fayetteville. Darling Dynasty Beauty Kit from Cheeky Marshmallows, Little Rock. Lunch sack by Sugarbooger, from The Toggery, Little Rock
Hat by FORE!!, from Bella Jack’s Children’s Boutique, Fayetteville. Classic polo by Vineyard Vines. American classic seersucker pants by E.Land, Nine-iron shoes by Simple Shoes, all from The Toggery, Little Rock
Leather flower bracelet from Haus Werk, Little Rock. Coin purses from Cheeky Marshmallows, Little Rock. Seersucker dress by Shrnk, from Haus Werk, Little Rock. Seersucker and planes outfit by Decaf Plush from Tulips, Little Rock. Pink sparkle TOMS, from The Toggery, Little Rock
Boutique Bows for girls by Simply Bowtique, from Doodlebugs, Hot Springs. Croaking frog alarm clock from Cheeky Marshmallows, Little Rock. Carousel Hobby Horse by Jelly Cat, from Haus Werk, Little Rock. Hand-stitched onesies by Just Monkeying Around, from Doodlebugs, Hot Springs. Newborn leg warmers by Baby Legs, from Bella Jack’s Children’s Boutique, Fayetteville
Summer vacation, Southern style
The summer heat waves have hit, and those lovely waterfront locations in New England Home’s Land Meets Water issue are looking especially inspiring. While a trip north is always a summertime treat, my family and I recently headed even further south to the Florida beaches for a Gulf of Mexico getaway. Yes, going further south may seem counter intuitive, but the Gulf breezes and architecture evoking an island state of mind combine to beat the heat.
One of our favorite destinations is beautiful Alys Beach, with architecture inspired by Bermuda and Antigua. The European-meets-Caribbean aesthetic, with its pristine white rooftops set off by colored shutters and accents, is cool and crisp against the blue sky and the emerald waters.
Designed by the New Urbanism pioneers Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company, Alys Beach is geared toward meandering down sidewalks and pathways on the way to the beach, stopping for an iced coffee at the neighborhood gathering place…
playing at the park or watching an al fresco movie in the evening on the greenbelt…
and–my very favorite–gathering at the idyllic Caliza pool for a dip in the water or a siesta in a shady cabana.
Ready for a dip in that pool right about now?
Designed to mimic Bermuda’s whitewashed limestone and traditional slate roofs, stucco-over-block and cement roof tiles capture the island feeling while the white exteriors reflect sunlight, keeping buildings cooler. After your dip, there are plenty of places to seek refuge from the sun.
I can attest to how lovely those long benches and the breezy ceiling fan are for a post-swim nap!
Stay cool, enjoy some waterfront time, and pop on over to the At Home in Arkansas blog for some more summertime inspiration.
–Diane Carroll
