decorating inspiration.

Oh – and another thing.

DC was like the icing on the cake, really.

The entire road trip was actually more inspired by our desire to visit my brother and his wife.

The kids loved Aunt Beckey’s craft room where they were allowed to wade through fabric bits and felted bounty and were encouraged to create and craft to their heart’s content.

There was no end – miniature sleeping bags and pillows for their Calico Critters, a soft fleece pillow for London, a doll dress for Piper – and fairy wings to match it.

Mosely was allowed to use the real deal sewing machine and Piper took a whirl at it as well.

The boys pretty much talked fishing all weekend.  They traded lures with a too-generous Uncle Danny and grinned until their faces nearly cracked.

There was fishing in the Potomac River that flows in front of their home, despite the cold.  Bergen reeled in a catfish – a five pounder.  The kids left with a new scale and a fishing challenge that they are anxious to undertake.

Zooey and Lizzie were big hits – furry children who wore literal Halloween costumes and licked our kids’ faces with gusto.

In that creative environment London was inspired by the pups and the crafting space to create some personalized art.

Beckey always inspires me to think differently about decorating and I am endlessly borrowing her ideas for color and arrangement.  (It’s not the first time, you know.)

She and Danny continue to be masters at finding unique bargains and turning them into beauties – like this amazing World War II stretcher hanging in their living room.

I pretty much did the same thing I’ve done in the past – wander around and take pictures of all the things I love in their home.

The color and the texture of these chairs has me all kinds of tempted to shove them in the Suburban and give them a new home in my kitchen.

And I’ve never been a fan of taxidermy but after meeting this guy – I am reconsidering my position.

This piece has long been one of my favorites – just think of all the cubby hole storing possibilities.

I could just go on and on.

And I did.

Beckey calls these chairs her cigar chairs – there are two of them.  In perfectly weathered leather.  Would they fit in the car too?

And on the chairs – pillows that coordinate with charming embroidery created, of course, by Beckey herself.

And – you know – just a houseful of other treasures .

This stool reminds me of my momma’s style for certain.

And there’s this collection of treasures –

And these as well –

I loved spying the little memories from our home growing up too – like this night light that was always in our bathroom.

It was good to see that old Donald Duck again!

I could have taken dozens more photographs – but I figured I was starting to act weird and I should just stop myself while I was ahead.