My creative side unleashed

Dallasite, living well who happened to fall in love, marry and have a baby.. all after 37 years young! Learning as I go and sharing what I know....

[insidejackiesdream]

Under the Sea Mermaid Pool Party!!  A few more of the details.. including the octopus!!  The kid sushi was actually pretty good and the adults enjoyed as well!!  I wouldn't have changed anything and etsy was such a great resource for many of the details including the Graycen 1 year poster.  The mermaid plate is done by a girl in Frisco who makes plates from kids feet and hands (the fish is her hand) :)   The cake was made by Kim Warren in Dallas.... I had been DYING for the perfect occasion to use her and I believe I did!!

[insidejackiesdream]

Under the Sea Mermaid Pool Party:  The most important elements for creating a great party are the tiny touches.  Some of our touches were over the top (the 8 ft. octopus) and smaller like the sunscreen in the flowers.   We even created some fun jellyfish and lantern fish for the trees.  All that we needed was a mermaid!

[insidejackiesdream]

My sister doesn't follow me or I wouldn't post but are these not going to be THE CUTEST shower invites?  My younger sister has twin 5 year old girls and is now expecting a baby boy.  Her good friend, Valerie, is SO spectacularly creative..  and designed these invites.  Charming/ adorable/ memorable/ perfect...  really sets the bar to the shower we will be throwing....  stay tuned for pics from the shower in August!!

xoxo

[insidejackiesdream]

And Along Came Baby

6 months after getting married we found out we were pregnant... as soon as we found out it was a little girl, we began work on the nursery with the help of my designer friend.  We decided to line the walls with fabric, an asian toile.  The drapes were made from drapes from my old house.  The crib was a gift from a friend who no longer needed it.  I love the red with the hot pink and then the white to soften the look.

Some fun pieces are the crystal pink drawer pulls found on etsy by my friend, the book shelves full of princess books, the monogram above her crib, the birdcage like chandelier, a matching dogbed for the big brother, and the mache flower floor lamp.

I LOVE being in this room, because of the fabric lining, you just get a calming vibe (where you might think it is so much stimulation)...

[insidejackiesdream]

A Decorator's Dream..    good bones and open for pops of color and an all over makeover....  

Here are some before pics of Bordeaux before we moved in and started renovating.  First, all of the windows had cracks and dew in them and had to be replaced.  The upstairs bathrooms had 30 year old carpet (eww) which we ripped out and found great hardwoods underneath ...  why don't people look under carpet in these old homes more often.  

Also notice the drapes in the kitchen, how drab and lifeless as well as the massive iron light fixture in the low ceiling dining room.... time to breathe in life to this home!  Thank goodness the Cowboy loves color as much as I do... stay tuned!

[insidejackiesdream]

What's in a Runner?  DRAMA!

When you first enter Bordeaux you are greeted by the stairs, for that reason we wanted to pick a lively, fun runner that incorporated the feel of the great colors flowing from the rooms on either side.

We went with the custom saffron honeycomb from Clifton Carpets in Dallas, it took 10 weeks for it to come in but was well worth the wait.  

Lining the walls was fun, my decorator friend suggested a gallery wall of some type and then I remembered the menus that my husband and I have collected throughout our travels and special moments.  We had them framed in 4 different styles and they are definitely a talking piece for visitors... and fun to add to.

At the top of the stairs is a special picture that will be at the subject of a future entry :)

[insidejackiesdream]

First home alone, first home together....  so soon after getting engaged we moved into our first home in Highland Park, Texas.   I sold my charming cottage in Bluffview which was decorated very much all me.... now getting into the new house you will see in upcoming posts how we decorated as a couple and had fun renovating the house on Bordeaux.  

One MASSIVE issue that happened a month after moving in was the ceiling in our guest room, with almost nothing in it (thank goodness) fell in completely...  you could see the sky, it was surreal.  Anyway, it would soon become a baby room so I am glad that this happened before any childbearing did :)  

[insidejackiesdream]

"A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person."

unknown

[insidejackiesdream]

Let's start with the wedding...  The Cowboy and I had an incredible wedding in Bora Bora ALONE then had a big party when we came back to Dallas.  It was amazing, I can't tell you enough about it.  The photographer is Helene Havard who lives on the main Island.  

Advice for Bora Bora...  stay an extra day!  Buy a few bottles of liquor at LAX, stay at the St. Regis, it was like being on set of a magical novel, and swim with the sharks!!