Pie Heaven!

I've been to Round Top before on our treasure hunts, but never have tried the famous pies at Royer's Cafe! My Mom & I took a little trip to Royer's the day before we got to meet Rachel Ashwell...

let me tell you...Bud has created ...

PIE HEAVEN!!!

Bud outside Royer's

I decided to go with their bestseller...the Apple Pie...Yummy!

It has stacks of fresh, delicious Granny Smith apples that are topped with a decadent brown sugar and pecan topping...as they say at Royer's...OMGX6! 

The apple pie at Royer's is hands down the BEST apple pie I have ever had in my life and I can't believe it took me this long to try it...

OMG I have been missing out on all this deliciousness!

After our wonderful lunch at The Prairie...Mom & I stopped by Bud's new Pie Shop and got a few pies to take home...I am trying to save mine for Thanksgiving...but I have a feeling it's going to be gone by next week for sure!

I was so impressed by Bud's service to many parts of the community. Bud donates 2 pies to every project completed by Dwell with Dignity. Dwell with Dignity is a non-profit group of Interior Designers and volunteers that create inspiring home design for families struggling with poverty and homelessness.

Bud also runs Operation : Desert Pie, for $76 you can send 2 delicious pies to a soldier...

what a wonderful gift to receive..."The Ultimate Slice of Home"

Thanks Bud for such a wonderful lunch!

Lunch On The Prairie

This weekend I had the pleasure of visiting Rachel Ashwell's new B & B... 

The Prairie

The whole day was just amazing...the lunch hosted by Bud Royer of Royer's Cafe, The tour of Rachel's lovely B & B, and her gorgeous new store....Shabby Chic Couture.

 Bud Royer and Rachel Ashwell...both were so humble and down to earth...LOVE them both!

My favorite part of the trip, besides meeting Rachel & Bud, was shopping at Rachel's new store at

The Prairie ...Shabby Chic Couture

All of Rachel's upholstered furniture is SO comfy & luxurious...my next sofa will definitely be one of hers! I would love this light blue chaise for my bedroom...I adore it!

Purple velvet...what better place to snuggle with that special someone! This was my Mom's favorite piece...and she doesn't even like purple!

 We are in the process of adopting a little girl hopefully sometime this year and this vintage Italian paint by number would be such a sweet addition to her room...stunning!

 How cute are these pillows! Love both the Union Jack & Texas flag reinvented in a softer palette...

also adore the cute little pin attached!

 Who wouldn't want to dive right into this bed?

My favorite thing in the store? This gorgeous french bench upholstered in a luscious yummy blue velvet...perfection!

Stay tuned for more posts about our trip to Round Top and our incredible visit to The Prairie!

A BIG thanks to Rachel & Bud!

Dwell With Dignity...

a beautiful cause that I hope to be a part of!

and The Hidden List....Thanks Kelley!!!



Inspiration

I am in the process of putting together a little girl's room in pink and green...LOVE these rooms!

Shabby Chic

I am so excited to meet Rachel Ashwell at Round Top!

Thanks Kelley!

Taxes

My least favorite thing to do...Taxes!

My daughter has been on me to finish to get the FAFSA submitted...back to the grind!

images via We Heart It

French Macaroons

I'm in the kitchen today baking up some French Macaroons. I have been seeing these beauties in all the magazines lately and decided to give them a try.

All the recipes seem about the same on the web so I'm using Martha's for the first go around...thinking about making the chocolate version...YUM!

Wish me luck!

images via We Heart It



Artist Watch : Amy Ruppel

Amy Ruppel is a self-taught encaustic artist & photographer. I have always wanted to purchase one of her pieces, but never followed through.

Her encaustic pieces are created by using computer illustrated drawings layered into beeswax with etched drawings on top. Since the surface is smoothed with the flame of a propane torch, Amy Ruppel describes her process as “painting with scissors and fire instead of a brush.” These works represent snapped moments in time, captured and taken from one simple slice of a digital photograph, to create a field of pure and lucid color. Simple imagery of birds and nests are a recurring motif in this series.

Amy Ruppel is constantly exploring new ways to bring the digital realm into the hands-on world and is constantly reworking encaustic methods into fresh contemporary forms. Amy states, “To me, feeling the completion of a piece is like reaching that ethereal finish line, and you feel the way that you do when you see the ocean from the shore, or when you exit a matinee and squint into the sudden light, knowing all along it was there.” Which is very much how one feels when experiencing Amy Ruppel’s paintings.

Busy

Been super busy at work...arg!

I'm loving all the beautiful shades of purple right now...check these out!

Love the plush velvet sectional in a bold color!

A touch of purple on the bed makes me want to dive right in...

This armoire makes me want to paint something in a rich violet!

Adore these plum ikat chairs...need them! 

 

Modern Chic Entryway

Modern artwork + chrome console + lucite stools + faux bamboo=

Modern Oasis

Precious Metals

I love Z Gallerie for their affordable furniture and fantastic accessories...I'm so excited for the new spring arrivals…especially all the silver and gold!

I adore the Sequoia Console Table...beautiful natural form and hand applied silver leaf...can it get much better than that?

I think this would be perfect in my bedroom!!!

Glamour emanates from the Hudson Floor Lamp in its shiny stainless steel.

The Axis Dining Table could be one of my top picks for my dining room table.

I think a pair of these Troy Sconces would give off the sexiest golden glow!

images via Z Gallerie

LONNY Jan/Feb First Look

I just finished browsing the Jan/Feb issue of Lonny…awesome as always! I love that I spotted the cute Jonathan Adler needlepoint owl pillow that I am obsessing over in designer Angel Dormer’s apartment!

Check it out…

images via Lonny

Fine Art Furniture...Rococo

Rococo.

I stumbled upon this unique furniture company several months ago. Each piece of furniture they sell is an amazing piece of artwork and one of a kind.

I definitely see this furniture adding a sense of modernism to a traditional setting. I love the juxtaposition of the painted fabric on a traditional French frame.

This would be so easy to duplicate at home on a worn-out piece of furniture. As long as the fabric is in good condition, it could easily be painted with fabric paint/dyes or drawn onto with permanent markers.

My favorite chair is the Chaotic Bloom chair…it’s simple but beautiful.

images via Rococo

Cozy Bedrooms

The cold weather is beckoning me to one of these cozy bedrooms...

of course wrapped in a faux fur blanket!