Maternity Leave
Sorry for the crickets on posts around here. We welcomed our precious Benjamin Banks Dowd on 4/30! Available pieces are being updated so you can see inventory, but as always, you will find more info on these pieces on Facebook at “GypsySoulInteriors” page. I am checking email and will hopefully crank out a blog post weekly 
Happy Shopping!!!
Kristen
Now all we need is a baby :)
Sorry for the crickets lately. These last couple of weeks before baby were not as planned so to speak. I know God puts challenges in your life for a reason, but I am ready for one less challenge and one less surprise. I am a control freak to the extreme, and this past week has tested me like no other.
Anyway, on to the good stuff. So many of you have been asking about Banks’ nursery. I will readily admit that I am not totally in love with it. I think its because all the furniture was Cici’s and after looking at it for 3 years, I am bit “over” it. So essentially, we painted the walls blue, added some new accessories and you can see some of the finished product below. All pictures were taken by Carrie Smith Photography, except for the last iPhone shot
The one piece of furniture in his room that I will always love is the Serena and Lily slipcovered Hayes glider. I nursed Cici for 15 months so I definitely got my use out of this purchase. It was one of the more expensive pieces in both their rooms, but I love how the cover is washable and the chair is just about the most comfortable chair I have ever sat in. It was definitely worth the money. I couldn’t bear to spend the additional for the gliding ottoman for several reasons. Mainly, because you cant use them again in other rooms. I found a $39.99 cube ottoman at Homegoods and had Sew Jesse make me a slipcover to match the white upholstery. I was lucky enough to find a very similar white fabric at Fabric Yard in Carrollton. The houndstooth pillow is about 7 years old and from the Storehouse “Going Out of Business Sale” in Atlanta. The silhouette pillow is from Homegoods. Mirror was a Craigslist find, but is Horchow. The “Keep Calm and Cowboy Up” print is from Etsy and the Confederate soldier silhouette is from The Unicorn Shop in Montgomery, Alabama. Lamp and tray are Homegoods, and they are resting on a custom Greek key X bench from Again and Again here in the Big D.
Below is a shot of the wall where Mr. Banks bed is nestled. Before yall go and get fired up about how he will take that cool ass “b” off the wall when he can sit up, I just put it there for staging the pic It usually will be on top of his armoire. Ben found the vintage letter when we were in Austin a few months ago. I think it is so cool and masculine! Next to his crib is my favorite wall lamp eva. It is the White Stingray Sconce from Horchow. I found one with a small crack in at at Horchow Finale about 3 months ago and knew I had to use it in his room. The houndstooth pillow is the same one above and the monogrammed pillow is a case from Pottery Barn outlet and I had my sweet friend Meredith Grabham monogram it. I wish I knew the name of my crib or the name of the store I bought it at. I do remember it was in Canton, Georgia and I ordered it, but thats all I got. I actually think the manufacturer went out of business.
It always bugged me that I did not have a place for others to sit in Caroline’s old nursery, so I made sure to include a comfy chair for a second adult in Banks’ room. Some of you know that I saw this chair at Homegoods, passed it up, and then begged and pleaded for y’all to help me find it again. I was so fortunate that one of you had seen it at a different Homegoods store, so I headed over a picked it up. The art work behind the chair is something that Caroline and I made. It is actually a 5 ft by 5.5.ft bulletin board. We covered the inside with vintage Simon and Garfunkel sheet music using Mod Podge and then stenciled my favorite song lyric on it in black. I wish I had room for the whole verse of “The 59th Street Bridge Song”, but alas I didn’t. The whole verse is ” Got no deeds to do, no promises to keep, Im dappled and drowsy and ready to sleep, let the morning time drop all its petals on me, Life I love you, all is groovy”. If you graduated with me from Saint James, you may remember that this was the closing of my baccalaureate address. I just love this song. Garden stool is from Homegoods and the rocking horse is vintage from The White Elephant. The rug is from Ballards Backroom in Atlanta. May be a bit too feminine, but I have not found a replacement yet
Love the vingnette below. The changing table is also from Ballards Backroom in Atlanta. I don’t miss much about the ATL, but I do miss the Backroom and obviously Lewis and Sheron. If you live near Atlanta, you must go to Ballards Backroom. The Holcomb Bridge location (exit 7B off Ga400 if I remember correctly), is the one to go to. Its majority scratch and dent and usually there are no scratches or dents and the pieces are deeply discounted. They also have an amazing linen section at this location. I did exchange the knobs for some white glass beauties from Anthropologie. Cute rabbit lamp is one that my parents were getting rid of from their beach place. I love the window dressing in this room. The panels are actually twin matelasse bed coverlets that I had trim sewn on to. They make excellent curtains for a nursery because of how thick and opaque they are. The relaxed roman was made by Sew Jesse here in Dallas. If you need anything custom sewn for you, I highly recommend her. You can see some of her amazing work on her website.
Well that is about it. Hopefully the next time I post, I will have a new baby! Keep us in your prayers and everyone have a great rest of your week and enjoy the weekend!
Happy Shopping!
Kristen
Exposing my dirty little secret…..
Many of you have asked to see my kitchen. You have all seen pics of the rest of the house, huh? Well there is a reason I do not show it. You see my kitchen belongs in a Country Themed Showhouse. It. Is. Awful. The house was completely renovated before we moved in with a “Tuscan Love” meets “Hill Country Hideaway” theme. The finishes are very high quality, and someone worked hard, but I hate it. We have lived with it for 3 years while I have pondered what exactly to do. I have gone through a lot of different plans and nothing has ever “stuck”.
Here is the problem. Our living space is completely open. Therefore, the kitchen/living/dining/breakfast/entry is all one area. We also have 30 ft ceilings and a “big ass” stone fireplace that is smack in the middle of all that. There are exposed beams that are stained a rustic brown and the floors are handscraped hardwoods. As you know, I love an eclectic decor, so the fireplace and exposed beams are fine, but we have to do something with the kitchen.
My ideal kitchen is all white and grey with Carrera marble countertops and lots of shiny chrome hardware. Unfortunately, the starkness of that design will not work in our home. I need something with a warmer tone to better match the feel of the open living space.
So are y’all ready to see the kitchen….
Seriously…
Im starting to sweat…
I have to do it…
Here it is…..
No, thats not the Cracker Barrel, thats my house.
The best part you ask? The picture I am about to show you is the a picture of my arch nemisis. It stares at me every time I walk by taunting me to buy a power sander.
A carved vine!!!!!!!!!!!! Argggghhhhh!!!!!!!! What's next? Faux greenery above my cabinets?
I finally have Ben on board with a little change. I actually want to reconfigure the whole room, but he is a no go on that right now. He has agreed to paint cabinets, add hardware and change out backsplash. So on that limited budget, what do all of you think I should do?
You can see pictures of my home and the rooms that the kitchen opens to here .
I found the following inspiration pics on Pinterest. I am leaning toward the last one, without the fancy tile work over the range.
I’d love you all to weigh in. What do you think? Help!
Have a great week!
Kristen
Random Friday Post
I have had all these “Oh, I need to share that” moments lately, none of which warrants their own blog post. I’ve thrown them all together in a random Good Friday post for you readers
Let the randomness begin…
If you know me well, you know I love make-up almost as much as funky interiors. I have loved everything cosmetics since I was a little girl, playing with my mom’s Ultima II “Sparkling Bordeaux” lipstick. Bonus points if you remember Ultima II. I was really young when our department store stopped carrying it and my mom switched to the “uber hip for Montgomery” brand of Clinique. Speaking of Clinique, does anyone remember the sheer lipgloss they used to sell called Fruit Ice. I loved that color. In the chronology of colors that make me cry because they aren’t made anymore, you can add Trish McEvoy’s lip pencil #17 Metallic Nude.
For literally the past 15 years, I have worn mostly Trish McEvoy with the occasionally dabbling in Laura Mercier. Nothing I tried could ever top Trish’s products for my particular skin (typical combination skin, starting to get a couple of wrinkles I hate to admit). At a dinner party the other weekend, my gorgeous friend Jackie mentioned that she had gotten all new makeup the day before. Her skin looked amazing and I was really drawn to the colors on her eyes. Jackie has green eyes like me and we tend to be able to wear the same colors. When I asked, she said that the brand was Tom Ford. In Dallas, Tom Ford is sold at a couple of department stores, but the Neimans at Northpark is the preferred dealer and they carry the most colors. I decided it was time for a change, so I headed to NP the next Monday. I usually get really annoyed with cosmetic counter make up artists and always ask if they are employed by the department store or the cosmetics line first. Told you I am picky. An amazing artist named Justina helped me find just the right colors, and she even used a different eye pallet than what I saw on Jack, and I loved it. I will say, its not cheap, but I have gotten soooo many compliments on my makeup in the last couple of weeks. I think the main difference is the concept of layering the pigments for a more natural look. Justina is amazing at explaining the process/ steps if you live in the Dallas area. She works at the Neiman’s Tom Ford counter.
I bought the following products and plan to go back to try the Tom Ford Concealer. I do not use a foundation, so I can’t really review, but I am sure its great. So after 15 years, I am a changed woman. Sorry Trish, Tom is my guy now.
- Shade and Illuminate
- Shade and Illuminate Brush ( I am not the biggest fan of high end brushes, b/c I really think you can get something comparable at Ulta, but this brush is really a must.)
- Cheek Color - This looks way darker than would work on my super light skin, but she showed me an application process that makes the color go on very sheer.
- Translucent Finishing Powder
- Eye Quad, Silvered Topaz
- Eye Defining Pencil (Color – Bruise)
- Lip Color, Pink Dusk
- Ultra Shine Lip Gloss, Sahara Pink
Even the packaging is swanky..
Next on the agenda, I am finally on board with the colored denim epidemic. Strange time to finally be on board when I am 9 months preggo, but lucky for me Gap Maternity came through. Gap carries 3 colors in a maternity fit and a host of other colors in regular sizes. I ordered the hot pink Maternity jeans seen here. The top of the maternity jeans make them best for first/second trimester or postpartum, the waistband is a tad snug this late in the game. I also recommend ordering a size down. My cute friend Megan came to girls night on Saturday in the non-maternity version, also from Gap in bright yellow. I loved them so much I had to go ahead and order for after the little man makes his arrival! Both of these versions are very light and great for summer (Even in Texas).
Maternity Left, Regular Right
Ok, now how is this for random? Something you didn’t even know you needed… To preface, we bought a house that was built in the 70′s and remodeled sometime around 2006. Our master bath has a jetted bathtub which completely grosses me out. Who knows what lives deep in those jets, and I would never ever turn it on while bathing. About once a month, I run clorox through the system for about an hour to kill any germs that may be lurking. I still would notice particles of black stuff when I would run the jets during subsequent cleaning. I did some internet research only to find out that this is a really common problem and was, in fact, mold from trapped water. G to the Ross. I finally landed on a product called Ahh- Some. It seemed that most of the reviews were really positive for this stuff, so I tried it. I followed the directions and will say you have to monitor it, because it can get bubbly fast. After running this two times, no more black stuff. I have tested the jets now several times since and its still clean. If you have a jetted tub, especially one that has been used by someone other than you, I would get this stuff ASAP!
Fancy Packaging I know.
Lastly, I was in charge of snacks for my favorite 4 year old’s Easter party today. She and I made Oreo Easter basket cookies and Peeps bird nests for her class. They were a huge success! They are pretty self explanatory, but you can find tons of similar recipes on Pinterest. They would be fun activities to make with the little kiddos in your life this weekend!
Those are "Nerds" for eggs, and "Twizzler Rope" for handles.
Chow Mein Noodle Nest are made just like you make Rice Crispies Treats.
See I told you my post today was random. Have a wonderful Good Friday and Easter weekend!
Kristen
No Dad, those are not giant sculptures of teeth.
So there was a bonus to my rug buying trek to Ikea a few weeks ago. As Cici and I were heading to the checkout lines, I saw what I thought had to be too good to be true. I slowly approached a group of employees un-crating some beautiful white plastic-ness. Could it be? Was it? There is no way I could be this lucky??…. YES! It was!!!! The shipment of white Vago chairs was being unloaded in front of my very eyes!
Let me preface this by saying I have wanted a set of Vago’s for several years now and was never quick enough to get them before selling out. Then, as some of you will remember, they were discontinued until spring of last year, when they came back in black, white and yellow I think. I missed out last year too 
So my pregnant self rearranged my 4 year old and somehow managed to lodge 4 of these chairs into our buggy (I’m from Alabama and we say “buggy”).
Here is the pic of two of the four I purchased. I also snagged the cute little cocktail table in the middle. The tops lifts off and becomes a drink tray.
Finally, I have a set of Ikea Vago chairs
I love the lines of these chairs, even though my dad thought they were actually “some weird teeth sculptures”. They are sleek, modern and actually super comfortable! They remind me of a Kartell product.
There are whole websites devoted to the hunt for Vago chairs, and you can find some great pics on Pinterest and Houzz of Vago’s used in various designs. Below are my fave pics from Pinterest.
Did I mention the best part? Oh yeah, they are $24.99 each! Seriously folks. Seriously.
Did anyone else snag some? I’d love to see pics. I hear the Frisco store still has some pink and black. The rumor is that they will have more white in stock soon though!
Happy Shopping!
Kristen
Easy Easter Project – Egg Wreath
Most of you are way more crafty than I am, so this post may be kind of juvenile to you, but thought it was worth a mention. Caroline and my mom had gotten all these foam eggs and foam Easter stickers from Target a few weeks ago. In our house, we can do “stickery” as she calls it, for hours. So they decorated all these eggs which left me with a dilemma. Do I tape each egg up to the wall? Do I make something more sturdy with it to theoretically keep forever? or…Do I toss them? I chose the “good mommy” answer and decided to make a more sturdy decoration.
We headed out to Hobby Lobby and purchased one of their straw wrapped wreath forms to glue the eggs on to. I then picked up two spools of Spring color grosgrain ribbon to use as accents. I did a quick wrap with the pink and then we began hot gluing the decorated eggs to the form. The wreath looked a little bare, so I then hot glued more of the accent stickers in all of the blank spaces. Caroline picked where they would go and I was the official gluer. I think it turned out pretty cute for a quick project and I highly recommend the craft for 2-7 year old kiddos, they will love the initial “stickery” on the eggs!
Started with Target foam Easter stickers
Caroline's favorite egg she decorated
Hobby Lobby wreath form with grosgrain ribbon wrapping.
Just the large eggs glued to wreath. Looked a little bare to me.
Finished project!
Have a great weekend!
Kristen