Happy Halloween

My Halloween day was filled with a Christmas photo shoot, but as soon as I got home, I was launched straight into Halloween mode with our sweet little watermelon.

We took her for a wagon ride around the neighborhood, and she was so excited, this was the only photo that came (half-way) out. 

Halloween is a serious situation in our neighborhood. This is our sweet neighbor Ken, who leaves random gifts and plants on our door step just because he is that sweet. Tilley-Gray wasn't sure what to think about his mask and didn't cry until he pulled it off.

 How was your Halloween?

Hope it was full of sweet treats!

Let's Talk

This past week flew by and before I knew it, it was Tuesday and the post I started last week is now being finished! I'm sorry for such a long pause in blogging, but here are a few updates.

 Poplin & Queen finished one big project, started two new projects,  and created a few e-designs, including this precious nursery for one happy baby.  

You can see all of the details over at 6th Street Design School.

I also worked out for the first time in about 6 months, but Pure Barre finally opened in Wilmington and I'm officially addicted. I was so excited that I attended a class at 7am on their opening day. It was the best way to start out the day and I have signed up for a month to see what those girls can do to this out of shape momma.

Hurricane Sandy came this past weekend, so clearly my husband went surfing instead of staying at home like any rational person would do. You remember last year when I was 8 months pregnant and he did this?

We drove up to Elkin Creek Vineyard on Saturday for a reception for my cousin and his new wife. They were married in Italy, so we had an intimate family dinner celebrating with them.
My grandparents live in Elkin down this gorgeous road.

My Papa and Tilley-Gray. This is one of my favorite pictures of all time.

Elkin Creek Vineyard

Shannon and I have a few exciting things coming up, and of course I'll share a photo of Tilley-Gray in her watermelon costume on Halloween! 

Hope you all are having a great week so far!

xoxo

Adding Legs to a Malm Dresser

When I started thinking about Tilley-Gray's nursery, I knew that I really wanted to invest money into a crib and a rocker/glider. I'm so happy with the ones that I ended up purchasing, but they were both pricey and I couldn't spend a lot of money on other items in the room.

 I liked the lines of Ikea's Malm dresser, but it was too short to function as a changing table as well and looked a little squatty for my taste, so we added legs, along with overlays, to dress it up a bit. 

One of the most frequent questions I am asked is how we did it. Gray is really handy and extremely meticulous when it comes to projects, so I've asked him to share!

Supplies

1 Malm Dresser

5 legs from Lowe's

1 small tube of "liquid nails"

Several wood screws

1 piece of lumber (pine, white wood, oak) depending on whether you are painting or staining the wood. 

Directions

First, cut the piece of lumber to size to fit on the front of dresser to fill the gap between the two sides below the bottom drawers.  This will also increase the structural integrity of the dresser.  Once it is cut to size, attach it with a good bit of liquid nails and a few screws (screw from the back and get a screw that is not too long so it will not come through the front board). 

Next, attach the leg supports, one on each corner and one in the middle.  

Then all you have to do is screw in the legs.  The 5th leg should go in the middle of the dresser - middle front to back and side to side.  This keeps the dresser from "slumping" in the middle under the weight.

Then paint or stain, etc.  

One tip that I think is CRUCIAL: 

 The dresser is front heavy when the drawers are pulled out - It can tip over with the new height.  I attached the dresser to the wall by using L-brackets and screwing them into the dresser and then into a stud in the wall.  I think I used 3 because I was way too paranoid that it would fall on Tilley-Gray.

If you have any other questions about this or interior design, feel free to contact me at 

hello@poplinandqueen.com

   

Charleston Recap

Charleston was an amazing time. I am still exhausted, but wanted to share some of the highlights with you!

The trip started out with a sweet gift, a spotted haircalf clutch. I'm kind of obsessed with it!

When we arrived at the Darrough's house to pick them up, Gray brought out mimosas to kick off the trip!

Once we got to Charleston, we checked into the Market Pavilion Hotel, and had lunch on the rooftop bar. Afterwards, we went on a carriage ride to see the sights and hear the history.

We went shopping and, of course, found the Kate Spade store on King Street. The decor was just as good looking as the clothes and shoes. Their gallery walls are always so good!

Saturday night, we had dinner reservations at Husk, but not until 10:30pm. Typically I'm in bed by then, but that night we were going to paint the town red, starting with a race in a pedi cab. 

Before dinner, we met up with our new friend, Hanna, from Gadabout, and her husband for drinks. We had the best time talking shop and it was so great finally meeting her!

The night was finished off with a little dancing on the rooftop of our hotel, but not before Grayson insisted on carrying me on his shoulders (something he loved to do in college).

If my 30s are anything like the first night of my 30th birthday, I think they are going to be amazing. 

Thanks again to the Darroughs and my sweet husband for such a great weekend!

It's My Birthday (almost)

Grayson is taking me to Charleston in the morning and surprised me by inviting Shannon & Will along.   This is an adults only weekend and I know we are going to have tons of fun. Charleston is one of my favorite places so if you have any favorites, be sure to leave a comment. 

And for the birthday wishes? A fun weekend away with friends is more than I could ever ask for, but there are are few new things on my wishlist that I just have to share.

Rag & Bone Newbury Boots / Kelly Wearstler Bauble Box

Coco Chanel Noir Perfume / New York Times 36 Hours

House of Harlow Sunnies

I'll be back next week, a whole decade older, but with lots of fun stories I'm sure. 

Happy Weekend!

xoxo

High Point Market

Shannon and I got back from High Point Market late last night, so today I have lots of photos to share! To see all of our photos, visit Poplin & Queen's Pinterest page. 

We found these rugs and instantly feel in love, especially after we saw how affordable they were! We set up an account with this showroom and can now offer these to our clients!

This chair stopped me in my tracks. It comes in about a dozen different colors or we can use our own fabric. I sat in this chair at the end of the first night and it is extremely comfortable. I'm also obsessed with the horsebit pillow. So gorgeous!

 This sconce was a favorite. 

Affordable art work is something that we are constantly asked about. These black and white prints are so pretty in the mirrored frames. A great addition to a gallery wall or on their own. 

We have a few bedroom projects in the works and found a company that has exactly what we have been looking for. They have gorgeous fabrics, bright colors, and their details like piping and the perfect monogram were spot on.

It's been done a hundred times, but this is still one of my favorite looks. The green laquer campaign chest was one of my favorite pieces that I saw at market.

Baby sputnik's would be perfect in a powder room or even over a kitchen sink. 

Shannon and I had the best time at market and checked off our "to-do" list of finding sources we needed. We found  great sources for sisal and jute rugs, custom furniture with great fabrics, bedding, lighting, rugs, accessories, and art. 

If you are looking for anything for your home, just email us and we would love to help! Here is a little bit more about what we offer.

On another note, I'm almost done with my 101 in 1001 list. I'll post that tomorrow and then we are off to Charleston this weekend to celebrate my 30th birthday!
Happy Thursday!

Off to High Point Market

Shannon and I are off to High Point Furniture Market tomorrow morning. You can follow our market trip on twitter or instagram to see all the new things we find and people we meet. 

Looking forward to coming back and sharing all of our new finds! 

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A few fab ladies

A few girls I'm applauding lately?

Sara Kate Huff
Sara Kate Studios
She's a stylist that just opened up the most charming online shop. Who doesn't need a spool of velvet ribbon or a sandalwood candle?

Annie Griffin and Robin Gerber
Annie Griffin Collection
Sisters and business partners, these two girls from Memphis launched the most darling line of clothing.

Alex Berlin
An interior designer and blogger from Chicago, we have google chat dates to talk about design and business and current projects we are working on.

I'm also lucky enough to know a few women that are involved in inspiring non-profit organizations. 

You can read about an after school arts program called DREAMS here and a program that provides backpacks full of food for children who would not have food on the weekends otherwise called Porch Durham here. 

I feel like women can be so jealous and catty and not supportive of others that are doing well. Instead of spending all of that time and energy in a negative way, let's try our best to up lift one another.  I read a blog post from Mackenzie Horan that was talking about this exact thing. 

Here is my favorite snippet:

Let's applaud one another's choices, support them if we like, and keep it to ourselves if we don't. Madeleine Albright said, "There's a special place in hell for women who don't help other women." I think we can all agree the world is a better place when we do.

Do you have any favorite business women that you want to applaud? I'd love to hear about them!

Currently Coveting: Herringbone

Herringbone is a pattern that can instantly add polish to any room, no matter what material is being used. 

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I also love herringbone in fabrics and clothing. Grayson has a herringbone bow tie that might just be my favorite. I've added a few of these to my birthday wish list!

Cotton Throw / Charles Philip Moccasins / Printed Linen Napkins

Quilted Vest / Equestrian Blazer

Lately

New design clients, design installations, a charity event, a teething baby, a sick dog, and having company in town are all my excuses for being so MIA around here. I hope you can forgive me!

Here are a few other things that I've been up to...

I watched a documentary about Mickey Drexler, the CEO and President of J.Crew. He has been dubbed "the man that dresses America," "the man that makes J.Crew sparkle," and the "the merchant prince." Gray and I watched it together, and he said he could see me taking me mental notes, making a check list, and of course, I was texting Shannon to watch it as well. You can read more about it here.

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Tilley-Gray's birthday will be here before I know it. I've already started thinking about her birthday party, and I think Grayson and I are going to try to make her a tent like this one for her room. She loves hiding under things, and think this could be her favorite spot in the house.

This past weekend, we put the final details on a property that is going on the market for sale. It's in a great little neighborhood, but needed new paint, carpet, and lighting. Our husbands and Tilley-Gray came along and then we treated everyone to a new favorite lunch spot.
(I'll be sure to share the before and after photos as soon as I can!)

I have also been thinking a lot about the future. I only have 12 more days in my 20s, and although they were good, I have a feeling that I'm going to love my 30s. We are starting the celebration this weekend with a few other girlfriends that are turning 30 this month. I'm a list person by nature and have been considering doing the 101 in 1001 challenge. Have any of you done this? I'd love to see your list!

10 Months

 Tilley-Gray turned 10 months on Monday and has grown up so much in these past few weeks. From crawling and pulling up to standing with just the tinniest bit of help these days, I am trying to savor every second with my sweet little girl.

She is also growing at rapid speed in the clothes/shoes department, so when my Mom was down a few weeks ago, she stocked Tilley-Gray up on some adorable clothes.
I'm a little jealous of all of this cuteness!

Dotted Peplum Jacket / Ruffled Onesie / Grey Skinnies / Minnetonka Suede Booties

Sherpa Vest / Doggie Sweater / Legging Cords / Furry Booties

Bow Jacket / Scalloped Dress / Ruffle Bear Tights / Gold Mary Janes