The Yard: After...well kind of!

So in the delay from my last post, we had a rain storm and then a week of sun. I'm not complaining, but our lawn is totally dead! So, although the yard looks a thousand times better, it isn't necessarily a green oasis!

The biggest improvement? Our new patio and raised beds! We've gone from this


to this!


And this...


to this!


I love the patio so much...it is such a great place to sit and have dinner or drinks with friends. We re-used the pavers from the old path, so it was really inexpensive! To add a little texture and life, we made a rock and succulent garden under the ridge of the house


We've continued the rock motif on the other side of the patio too. We have some more succulents to plant here too...it acts as a great barrier keeping the gravel from the path from spilling onto the patio.


Of course, we still need an umbrella, seat cushions and some bright accessories, but on our budget, it is a HUGE improvement.

The rest of the yard is a little dry, but we've created a great blank slate with cut beds and an enhanced moss filled front path



We have a bit more to save and then its off to the nursery to fill the yard up with some green!

Yard Make Over {Part One}

We have been enjoying fantastic weather here in Seattle...28 straight days of sun! Fantastic! With all this great weather, Stein and I have really been working hard on our outdoor space. When we moved in, in October, this is what we started with...


There was a rickety picket fence around one side of the house...


and a pre-fab tall fence on the front side of the house...


We live on a bit of a busy street and to maximize the sale price, the seller tried to re-route the entrance of the house to the side of the house vs. the front. It really doesn't make any sense, so we quickly went to work, removed the old fence and built a nice new (consistently styled) fence all the way around the property.


We moved the gate to the front of the house and got to work putting in a new front walk...


We pulled up the red pavers from the previous path and as a budget saver plan on reusing the bricks for a new patio.


Then we got to work with a sod cutter, clearing out beds along the fence and leveling an area for the patio...


We've made so much more progress since then, it is amazing to look at these original photos. Stay tuned for tomorrow's post to see where we are now!

Cuter by the Minute!

Zoe, or "Little Z" as we like to call her, has been growing and growing and is getting cuter by the minute. When we brought her home, she was so little...


She loved running around the yard and especially eating grass (well, really anything in site...leaves, weeds, moss...you name it!)



Slowly, her ears started popping up. I loved it when she had one up and one down...



She is such a good dog and we absolutely love her. I have to admit, she is about the cutest thing I've ever seen. I'm not the only one who thinks so...she stops traffic wherever she goes! :)


I can't believe how big she is getting...pretty soon we'll have to change her name from Little Z to Big Z!


Gotta love Corgis!

Fancy Vodka...To Go!

You know I am an addict of well designed packaging. Because of this, I visit the site Lovely Package often and ooh and aahhh over the selected projects. This one really popped out at me today...


How fantastic is that? Kraftstoff Vodka by The Deli Garage has some of the best packaging I've seen in a long time. A built in flask? I mean really, how can you go wrong?! It comes in three unique flavors...


There is Melon Mint


Ginger Coriander...mmmm


and Espresso.

I just love the illustrations...detailed and cheeky. How great are those flavors...I think I need to hop on a plane to Germany to check these guys out!

Stylish Compost Pail?

Seattle has finally started collecting food scraps for compost. It is a great service, but leaves us with the stinky problem of what to do with our food scraps. It isn't always convenient to run outside to the yard waste bin, every time you cut an apple. So, I've been hunting for the perfect counter top compost "pail". Here is what I've found...


I love this bamboo option from Olive Barn. With convenient features like a liner that can go in the dishwasher and a charcoal filter to keep the stinkys away, it is a great option!


This stainless steel pail is a classic from Crate & Barrel. The entire pail goes in the dishwasher here...love that!


There is the hammered copper option from Gardener's Supply Company for the country kitchen.

Or a brightly colored ceramic option...


My favorites however are these beautifully hand made ceramic options from Rabbit Creek Studio...



Looking much more like sculpture than a bucket on your counter, these lovely pieces are complete with holes in the lid for air flow and an area to insert a charcoal filter...perfect!

The Office of Suite 7 Creative

Thank you to coco+kelley for a fantastic week of interior design inspiration for offices in homes and small businesses! Suite 7 Creative was featured in a lovely post on Tuesday of the week long "style (e)scapes" series.


It is so fun to share my space and to let people know you can still have great design in your life, even if you don't have a huge budget! Here is a peek into my work space which is located right off my living room...






Thank you for the feature coco+kelley! For more details, check out the original post!

All that Glimmers

I love gold...I always have. Ever since high school when everyone was wearing chunky silver jewelry, I was still sporting dainty gold pieces. That is why I am in LOVE with the new "Hold" line from Prismera.




Featuring the ever perfect theme of glamourized organic elements, all of the pieces are absolutely stunning! My favorite? This gorgeous "Cherish Bangle".



SO BEAUTIFUL!! I love how they look stacked.


I'll take a few please....okay?

Welcome Home Zoe!

Introducing our new addition...

ZOE! She is a lot of work, but is about the cutest thing I've ever seen! We picked her up on Saturday and it has been fun ever since...



She loves to hide under the couch...look at her cute little feet!


And the best is when she is on her back...you can see her little corgi ears pop up! I can't wait until they stay.


I love this little girl. She is going to keep me busy for awhile!

Time for Spring!

Even though is is raining in Seattle and snowing in New York, today is the First Day of Spring! I like to believe this is what is happening outside my door as I sit here working...



Just keep thinking, "time for Spring!", "time for Spring!". Maybe we can beat Old Man Winter. Happy Spring all!

Chic Kiddos

I've just posted my first two custom stationery options to the Suite 7 Creative Shop. I've decided to launch my new stationery line with two children's options...



I am so sick of the overdone cutesy designs that are typical of children's stationery. Kiddos need to be chic too, don't you think? Check out the shop and order a set for your little ones! They'll be the coolest babies on the block...I promise!