Designs on EASTER

There have been so many wonderful Easter pictures floating around

the internet this week, that I thought I would share some 

of my favorites with you.

Easter is very important to me, it's a second chance.

~Reba McEntire

The story of Easter is the story of God's wonderful 

 window of divine surprise. 

 ~Carl Knudsen

Easter is the only time of the year when it's perfectly safe

to put all your eggs in one basket.

For I remember it is Easter morn,

And life and love and peace are all new born.
~Alice Freeman Palmer

Happy Easter! Some Bunny loves you.

~unknown

An Easter bonnet can tame even the wildest hare!

~Easter Bunny quote

Our Lord has written the promise of the resurrection, 

not in books alone, but in every leaf in spring-time.  

~Martin Luther

So much energy hopping to and fro all day, Whats your secret? 

I hope it is the chocolate. 

I fear it is the carrots!

Easter spells out beauty, the rare beauty of new life.

~S.D. Gordon

Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the 

Easter people and hallelujah is our song. 

~Pope John Paul II

'Twas Easter-Sunday. The full-blossomed trees Filled all the air 

with fragrance and with joy. 

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Let the resurrection joy lift us from loneliness and weakness 

and despair to strength and beauty and happiness.

~Floyd W. Tomkins

Good Idea: Finding Easter eggs on Easter. 

Bad Idea: Finding Easter eggs on Xmas. 

- Jack Handy

In your Easter bonnet, with all the frills upon it, 

 you'll be the grandest lady in the Easter parade.

 - Irving Berlin

On this Easter Sunday, forgive someone. Tell someone

you love them. Let your light shine!

~Unknown

The Spirit of Easter is all about hope, love 

and joyful living. Happy Easter!

~Unknown

May happy thoughts and springtime flowers,

brighten all your Easter hours.

~Unknown

And in the hand of the beautiful sleeping boy, 

she placed the egg.

from "The Country Bunny and the Little Golden Shoes"

May the spirit of hope that Easter brings,

Help you find contentment in little things,

And restore your faith in the Lord above,

Who gave His life for the ones He loves.

A Very Happy Easter to you and your family!

Debbie 

source: Sally T, Fine Craft Guild, The French Tangerine, media-cache, Happy Home Fairy, French Country Cottage, Good Housekeeping, Duke and Duchess, pragentemiuda.org, Providence Ltd. Design, Grits Glamour Blogspot, Ragland Hill Social, Easter tip junkie.com Confessions of a Plate Addict, Home is Where the Boat Is, Fine Craft Guild, Home Lit. Stone Gable, Classic Casual Home

Been on the road again! Christ Church Tour of Homes

We are back from our annual trip to Saint Simons for the 

Christ Church Tour of Homes. This tour is always

one of my favorite one! I just wish they 

would let me take interior shots of the 

beautiful homes, so I could share them with you. 
But I guess if it was my home, I wouldn't want people 
clicking away either. 
*I apologize, some of the pictures came from the local paper.

This year was the tour's 60th anniversary! 

The first tour was in 1954. This project sponsored by

the Episcopal Church Women of Christ Church Frederica 

benefits local charities that assist women and children

in need. In 2012 they raised more than $60,000, that 

went to non-profit organizations. 

Along with seven beautiful homes the tour includes Musgrove Plantation,

Christ Church Frederica, Wesley Gardens and St. Ingnatius Church. 

This year the Tour Chairman was Dana Parker (left) and

Avery Brooks was the Tour Co-Chairman.

Tour Stop 1 was the St. Ignatius Church. It was built in 1886 for 

the former slaves on St. Simons Island. 

Tour Stop 2 is located on East Beach. Built five years ago, it features

three stories plus a rooftop patio with a view of the ocean. The contemporary

home is constructed of concrete and steel. This family has a love

of aviation and it shows in their decor. 

Tour Stop 3 is located in Sea Palms on the banks of the Dunbar Creek.

When you enter you see the  beautiful view of the river. Every 

room, that is used frequently, takes advantage of the spectacular

location. The home houses collectibles from their travels 

abroad and many family antiques.

Musgrove Plantation: Private retreat of the R.J. Reynolds heirs.

Tour Stop 4 is Musgrove Plantation

Tour stop 5 is Christ Church

Stillwater is Tour Stop 6. It is located out Frederica Road on the

north end of the island. This modern home is designed to 

be a peaceful sanctuary. The front doors are from Indonesia and are 

beautiful carved wood. The living room and kitchen offer you a beautiful view of 

the pool and the lake. This house has a boy's room with sports 

collectibles and its own media room. The girl's bedroom is the 

perfect hangout for teenagers.

(Back of the home)

Tour Stop 7 Black Banks Plantation is steeped in history with the 

first owner being John Perkins in the mid 1700's. The current home

was designed in 1942. It was remodeled in 2004 by the current owner. 

This home houses a carefully selected collection of antiques, paintings 

and porcelains. 

There is an abundant use of chintz and fringe throughout the house. 

It showcases some of the most magnificent window treatments, this

designer has seen. It was a treat to walk around the beautiful five 

acre grounds and see the gardens and marsh views. 

Tour Stop 8 was our first home on Sea Island and I think the one that 

our group like the best! It had just undergone a complete renovation. 

I particularly liked the soothing tones of sea glass that had been

used on the furniture, walls and rugs.  This home had formal and informal

areas that made it the perfect house for entertaining. Everything about it

made you want to "stay awhile!"

Tour Stop 9 is a magnificent oceanfront "cottage." Named Marbello for 

the town on the Spanish Costa del Sol, the home offers spectacular

views of the ocean everywhere you turn. The outdoor spaces 

are ideal for entertaining. This home was used 

last year to film one of the episodes of "Royal Pain."  

Our final stop on our tour was #10. This home was built and furnished 

by the homeowners three years ago for multi-generational living. 

Using rich blues and browns and a mixture of stone and hickory for the floors,

this home is a showcase for an interesting collection of art and furniture. 

This home also includes a pool and a separate guest quarters over 

the detached garage. 

If you have never been to Saint Simons Island, Georgia, I encourage you

to make this a vacation stop. Even better if you can time it around the 

middle of March. Then you can enjoy all the beauty the "Golden Isles"

has to show, plus the magnificent home tour!  

Developing and Changing ....Interior Design 2013

What is a TREND?

A general direction in which something is developing or changing.

1. The general direction in which something tends to move.
2. A general tendency or inclination. 
3. Current style; vogue: the latest trend in fashion.

Here is what we are seeing in Interior Design Trends for  2013!

1. We are still seeing bold and intense color in 2013, but softer 

pastels are on the way. These soft pastels will blend well with 

the gray tones that we are still seeing. 

Emerald Green was chosen 

as the Pantone color of the year, but everywhere from fashion 

to interior design, blues are popping up!

2. We are seeing a return of beautiful upholstered headboards. These
may be made out of everything from burlap to silk. 

They may also be adorned with beautiful personalized linens!

3. Animal prints are supposedly making a comeback, but if you ask me, 

they have never left. If a snake skin sink is to much for you, 

what about a leopard accent chair or zebra skin rug?

4. Chintz and massive florals are returning on fabrics and wall coverings.

These will have a vintage feel and many will be on a white background.

People want to see "pretty" again!

5. Penny shaped tiles are also making a comeback. You will see them 

used on back splashes and floors. 

They can even be inset into a floor to create a rug effect. 

6. This year, we will see more pale woods, washed finishes,

and reclaimed woods. This trend towards lighter wood tones and 

light painted wood has been showing up in kitchens too.

7. Independent living and allowing our older family members to 

remain in their own homes will be on the rise. The family home 

will need some design changes to make this possible. I talked 

about aging and design in my last newsletter.

Click here to read: Who was your first love?

8. This is not to say granite is a thing of the past, but 

caesarstone and quartz

are becoming  popular choices. Both of these engineered stones use 

a quartz mixture to replicate the features of granite or marble.

 They are created by mixing pure quartz with a bind resin and several 

other ingredients together. In form and function there is little 

difference between engineered quartz and granite, both having 

similar qualities and similar prices. But heat, scratch and stain resistant make 

these ideal countertop choices.

9. In the past home technology was consider something for the very

wealth, these systems now are more affordable and many times

will save you money. Everything from sound, security and lighting systems,

to complete home automation is now being considered a 

big part of remodeling and new home construction.

10. Wallpaper has been slowly coming back into vogue again and this year 

we should see it showing up in a big way. From textures such as grass cloth

to big scale patterns, you will find it available for every room 

in your home. Be creative and find a place to paper now! 

11. Celebrating you and your life is a big trend in lifestyle living. 

What better way to bring this into your home than with 

a gallery wall of pictures or other personal collections. Remember

your home should be all about YOU!

12. Just when you thought you had seen the last of brass, it is back.

But it has an entirely new look. It is burnished and soft, hammered 

and antiqued. You will see it used with a lot of reflective 

surfaces and also a new mix of different metal finishes in one room.

Keep your eye out and you may spot the next new trend for 2013 

or maybe 2014!

source: House Beautiful, A delightful designer, Theo's design blog, Diary of 

a Renovation, e-how, Kandrac and Kole