my sweet grandfather has passed away at the young age of 95. i am so lucky to have had such a wonderful, caring, loving person in my life for 30 years...Pop, you will be dearly missed but your memories will forever live in my heart.
i wish i was in that swing right now...sipping good coffee. hope your morning starts off on the right foot...
so i have decided to test out a new idea, hence, featured fabric of the week...it might be something that interest you or it might be something that doesn't take, but let's give it a try. so often the words "to-the-trade" come off as meaning "oh, i guess i can't get that"...i thought it might be nice to create a way that the general public can obtain these designer fabrics and wall coverings at a fraction of the retail cost. i am aware that they are offered at various sites online and that you no longer have to go to a designer to order them, but i thought it might be nice during these times to extend them to you at a discounted price.... here is how it will work: i will post a feature fabric and offer it to my readers at a discounted price for one week. if you are interested in the product, i will order it for you and have it shipped to you....simple enough. if it seems like it is popular, i will continue to post popular fabrics/ wallpapers each week or so (suggestions are always welcome). okay, so without further ado, here's the first featured fab:for inquiries and orders, please email me at shannon@shannondarbydesign.com and remember this offer is good until the 7-2-09!! my hope is that this feature will allow all of y'all to be able to access the wonderful fabrics and wallpapers you see in all of the magazines and blogs. i know that "to-the-trade" pricing can be high and that is why, hopefully, this will help out a little....
UPDATE: i am so excited that this is going well...i wanted to let y'all know that Imperial Trellis II is also included in the sale....so look here for more colorways.
*images courtesy of decor pad, house and garden, style court
i love the summer...i know some people hate the heat and the older i get, the more i realize it is really hot here but it's so nice to be able to get into the ocean and not freeze or to be able to jump into the pool and not turn into an ice cube. summertime brings a smile to my face...and if i had a front porch w/ a swing, that's where you would find me and a magazine hanging out (with a fan on high of course)!
yellow can go along way!! definitely a shade that you have to be able to own if you are going to pull it off. if you feel like you can't commit to something so bold but love the feeling, start w/ flowers or an accent of yellow...let it hang out for a while, then if you are still feeling frisky- go for it!! 
after 10 days away, it feels fabulous to be back home!! off to get my life back in order....and to look at my DR chairs :) posts will return to normal tomorrow...promise!!
don't you love the way a lime smells when you first cut it...it just screams summer for me...
it's hot- like real hot here in GA...makes me wish i was laying by the pool...
nothing goes better w/ that activity than a corona w/a lime....so cheers to summer!
*images courtesy of rachel whiting photography, design public, aus home beautiful, inspiracion pura, found, country home, sarah kaye
so i saved all of my b'day money and what we made from selling our china cabinet on craig's list for my trip to Scott's. i knew i wanted to buy dining room chairs (it's kind of nice to have something specific that you are looking for...b/c i could have easily been persuaded to spend my money on a lot of other things). i spent the day browsing at beautiful things but knew in the back of my mind, i was there for DR chairs. i spotted six louis xiv chairs at a booth during our tour w/ eddie. i talked quickly w/ the dealer about them...they were from a highend NY country club....i decided to think about them...
when the tour was over, we started shopping. i kind of had in my head what i was looking for and the chairs i found first definitely fit the realm that i was thinking....then i got hit by some mega bling....these metal chippendale chairs. they weren't old but i was smitten...the only thing was, they weren't too comfortable. the seat definitely needed a cushion added to them and the dealer wasn't the nicest guy...i was completely torn. i looked at my mom and my friend becky to talk me through it. i knew that the louis xvi chairs would look great w/ the table; they were classic chairs that could blend nicely with several styles; and w/ new upholstery, they would be me in a second. the chippendale chairs were just cool...totally "me" and the metal would look awesome w/ my DR table base.....
sooooooooo, i went w/ the louis xvi. it was really a hard decision b/c i LOVED the chippendale chairs but i think down the road, these will be more of a transitional chair that will stay w/ us for a long time....now, i just have to reupholster them!! i am thinking about burlap in the front,keeping the nailhead and then doing the back in the lulu dk stripe that i have in my kitchen...much like the reversal of the picture above.....
i have found a new love and it's name is Scott's. it has been quite sometime since i have been to the antique show: like high school when i forced to go by my parents...i can now look back at those times and thank them for instilling the love of design into me (although i am sure it was equally as painful for them to hear the bitching of a 16 yr old not wanting to spend her precious weekends antique shopping).
so anyway, back to my new love, scott's....you must go there if you live anywhere in the SE area and have a love for great things. they will surround you, they will call out your name, they will drain your wallet, and mostly they will come home w/ you and make you a really happy camper!! oh, and if you happen to be there on a weekend when eddie ross is giving a tour- that's just the icing on the cake! his humor and knowledge on design is a winning combination!!
tomorrow, i will show you what i came home with......
sooooo i am busy trying to pack (while tay basically unpacks everything) b/c i am going home for a little visit...tomorrow i will be shopping w/ these handsome guys!! i'm excited to finally be able to meet eddie and jaithan....and i hope scott's will produce some awesome DR chairs for my table (at a great price of course!!)...i wonder if any of y'all will be there??!! i haven't quite put my finger on what i want for the table...the possibilities are endless but here are some that would make me a very happy camper...
1) i have been grinning from ear to ear b/c i FINALLY put our DR table into our house...it's been sitting in my parents and then our garage for over a yr....i cannot tell you how much i have enjoyed being able to just wipe up taylor's mess after eating vs. the antique wooden table that was there before...way less stressful! more on this later....