Local Love - Porter Barn Wood

We had such a great time last Thursday at the Grand Opening Porter Barn Wood's new design center. The catering from Pizzeria Bianco was just an added bonus.

 

The team at Porter Barn Wood are some of the most creative and talented artisans I've had the pleasure to work with. Just talking with Thomas Porter and you will feel the passion he has for his art. He says, "My goal with Porter Barn Wood is to grow as a family business and continue to see these old barns, antiques, and various lumber products become an exciting new way to bring the warmth of wood and nostalgia into homes and businesses. Over the next few years I intend to add products, services, and facilities to Porter Barn Wood that will help us continue to bring high-quality at reasonable prices. I also intend to continue loving it as much as I do now." Here is just a sample of what they can do. We love the second image below.

 

 



How fantastic is this? A Lego sliding door! Perfect for a playroom. We can't wait to have a chance to install this for a client!

Ruby's Petite Tea Party

My beautiful granddaughter, Ruby, turned 7! Where does the time go?

My talented daughter, Christine, went all out (as usual). She hosted a lovely tea party for Ruby and her friends.

Mid Morning Tea

~MENU~

Passion Fruit Tea

Scones with Butter & Jam

Nutella Flower Sandwiches

Cream Cheese & Cucumber Sandwiches

Chicken Salad Croissants

Pink Pavlova with Berries & Cream

She found the sweetest mini pie dishes and made the apple pie filling and dough from scratch! See what I mean by going all out? Each young lady was able to roll out their own crust and scoop in just the right amount of yummy apple filling. These girls were becoming professionals and even got super fancy with a lattice top.

Such concentration!

Of course, what professional little pastry chefs don't have their own apron? Christine made special one of a kind aprons out of her stash of fabrics for each special guest. (Keeping a stash of fabrics...hmm...wonder where she gets that from?)

She also purchased adorable pink pie boxes, topped them with a chalkboard label (available at The Willows) and let them write their names so they could take their masterpieces home.

 Happy Birthday, sweet Ruby!

 

A special thank you to my insanely talented youngest daughter, Emily, for capturing these wonderful moments for us. To see more of her brilliant photography, check out her blog HERE.



a baby shower

While my son Alex and his wife Mary were in town over the weekend, we had a little baby shower for them as they are expecting their first baby this June.  I made a miniature rack and hung it with some baby clothes and asked our guests to bring books wrapped in brown paper to shower the sweet babe of these two English majors.  It was a lovely party with lots of friends and family.
We love you Al and Mary and sweet baby Evangeline! 

happy st. patrick's day!

Well, we had another wonderful year at my son's neighborhood St. Patrick's day party!  Every year he builds a pub in his driveway, they block off the street and have a huge party.  It is so much fun!  This year they hired the band Elvis Before Noon and we all had a blast dancing into the evening!  The lovely Willows' ladies even hopped into the photo wall for some fun pictures!

Happy St. Patty's day everyone!

outdoor living

One of the most wonderful aspects of living in Arizona is the opportunity for indoor/outdoor living.  At this beautiful client's home (she is beautiful and so is her home), all the doors open onto the garden, pool and yard.  We designed a 15' custom dining table for her back patio made from 2" reclaimed wood with a custom designed iron base.  Around the table we put upholstered chairs with sunbrella fabrics.  With the finishing touch of the unique chandelier overhead, this setting welcomes family and guests for enchanted gatherings.  We always love to bring in fresh flowering plants and blend multiple textures to make each space feel unique.  Using chandeliers, large mirrors and collected pieces brings an unexpected ambiance to your guests.

A side seating area offers warm, cozy comfort while enjoying the refreshing outdoors...

Over the holidays we helped decorate and prepare for a holiday dinner party on this beautiful back patio...

We showed up with a car full of goodies for the party!

On the other end of her yard, we placed two more custom tables - round reclaimed wood tops with stone bases surrounded by woven chairs with sunbrella cushions, which offer the opportunity for intimate dining conversations.  We feel that using varying table shapes that are most conducive for the spaces helps create the most optimal flow.