Holiday Wishlist: Lovely Little Details

For the fourth installment of the Holiday Gift Guide Series 2014, I am thrilled to have Jacin Fitzgerald of Lovely Little Details here today.  Jacin is one of the coolest and most creative chicks I know.  She lives in Atlanta with her husband Pat and their Australian Shepherd Rhody, and works as a wedding planner and floral designer.   I have the pleasure of knowing her in person, and she's so down-to-earth and fun.  Although she now resides in Atlanta, Jacin grew up in New England, and has a definite east coast aesthetic.

{Jacin, her husband Pat, and their beloved pup Rhody}

Happy Holidays everyone! I am so excited to share my holiday gift guide with you - you can probably tell I'm a New Englander at heart, but here are some favorite items on my list this year:

a ll bean tumbled boots - for those chilly winter days when you still want to look cute :)

b rose gold ring set - love the simplicity of these to stack or wear on separate fingers

c michele watch with leather band - michele is such a classy brand and i just love the leather touch

d restoration hardware gramophone - how amazing is this gramophone? 

e rose gold monogram necklace - ever since i moved to the south i've been all about monograms and i just love this necklace

f blanket scarf - i love layering this to bring a pop of color (and keep cozy)

g champagne instant expert book - when is champagne ever a bad idea?

h crosley portable turntable - charlie brown christmas and frank sinatra sound even better when played on the record player

i plaid collar and leash - rhody would love this and it's perfect for the season too :)

Thanks for posting today, Jacin!  Everybody should take a peek at her beautiful portfolio here.

Check out previous holiday gift guides this year:

Week 1: Designs by Katy/Week 2: Mimosa Lane/Week 3: Short & Sweet

Life Changes

The past 6 months has been marked with so much change that I felt it was time to write a little "life update" post.  I know it's been awhile since I've checked in with you guys on a personal level, and I apologize if it's seemed like I've been distant- truthfully, I was hoping to reach a point of stable ground and process everything before opening up here.  And, thankfully, I feel like I'm slowly but surely getting there!  

First life change- I am graduating with my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design next week from the Art Institute of Houston!!  I couldn't be more ecstatic.  Leaving the energy industry and pursuing interior design was the first big chance I've ever taken on myself, and watching this dream come to fruition has given me a renewed confidence.  Our portfolio show is next Thursday, and our commencement is next Saturday.  I am currently putting the finishing touches on my print portfolio, and am so thankful for the talented Hanna Seabrook of Gadabout for creating my logo for my portfolio book-

She's been a joy to work with and we are finishing up my site portfolio which is another element required for graduation.  Hopefully we'll eventually get around to doing a little facelift for The Peak of Tres Chic, too!  Graduating brings me to my second life change- I have accepted a full-time position with Courtney Hill Interiors here in Houston! I have been interning with Courtney for a little over a year, and have absolutely LOVED my time at the firm.  Courtney and our team focuses on high-end residential design utilizing a fresh, sophisticated approach.  Courtney's aesthetic, in my opinion, is truly unique and special for the Houston design scene.  She began her career working for two large New York design firms where she honed her skills- the late Greg Jordan  and Victoria Hagan.  I knew when I began school that if I worked for a firm, it had to be Courtney's.  Being asked to come on as a designer full-time is a dream come true.  

{Courtney Hill Interiors}

Lastly, Sam and I have ended our relationship.  I'm sure you've noticed the lack of couple-y photos on my instagram these past few months, and maybe wondered what was up.  Putting eloquently in to words the depth of what has happened is far too difficult, and I also want to respect my privacy and Sam's privacy as we move forward.  Suffice it to say that he and I had a storybook two year romance before getting engaged full of unforgettable experiences filled with the most pure, true love I have ever known.  I'll always be grateful for that and for the times we shared together.  Ultimately, it just wasn't the right fit for us, and the most loving thing we could do was let each other go.  It's been the hardest thing I've ever gone through, but I remain thankful for the difficult times too because that's when we are most open to changing and growing as people.  I've been so thankful for the love and support of family and friends, and look forward to a fresh start in 2015.

{My amazing momma and me at Thanksgiving this year}

{My niece Lily, the cutest lump of sugar there ever was, keeps me smiling, too!}

All my love,

Sam

"I can't feel anything but gratitude for every single moment of my stupid little life." - American Beauty

Designer Crush: Ryan Korban

I guess I've been living under a rock, because it wasn't until last week that I was introduced to Ryan Korban's work.  At only 30, Ryan has designed spaces for the likes of Alexander Wang and James Franco. Ryan's approach to interior design infuses a timeless sensibility with a sense of lost romance, fantasy, and a strong fashion influence.  He toys with the idea that our living spaces can be exact and polished- while still being comfortable and livable.

{Ryan in his chic NY apartment}

Ryan originally moved to New York to study theater.  However, he quickly realized it wasn't the acting he was interested in- it was the sets!  So, with little formal t raining, Korban jumped in to the design world by first launching and designing a Tribeca accessories store, Edon Manor:

Ryan always seems to include a taxidermy piece somewhere in his spaces, and even has a taxidermy zebra in his NY apartment:

Luxury and sumptuousness ooze from his interiors.  From lacquered surfaces to faux fur (let's hope it's faux!) to brass finishes, I love that he doesn't shy away from luxury and manages to make it livable.  I plan to scoop up his new coffee table book to add to my collection.

Read more about Ryan-

on Harper's Bazaar

on Lonny

on The Coveteur 

Lilly Bunn's Latest Project

One of my favorite NY designers as of late is Lilly Bunn.  I first discovered her when she was featured in Elle magazine about a year and a half ago, and I've followed her work ever since. Lilly's clean, preppy aesthetic is refreshing- and she always incorporates a few very unique details in the spaces she designs.  I checked out her website recently and saw that she had added a new project to her portfolio- this fabulous Park Avenue Pre-War apartment:

 

Lilly did a great job of blending two seating areas together in this living room.  I love the mix of high and low-like the CB2 coffee table with higher-end custom sofas, artwork, and an Oly Studio chair:

 

 

TVs are always hard to make pretty- but this wall mounted screen paired with storage bins for DVDs works nicely.  I also love the x-benches utilized as a makeshift coffee table.

See more of Lilly's work by visiting her site.

Have a great Thursday!

Holiday Gift Guide: Short & Sweet

For the 3rd installment of my Holiday Gift Guide series, I am excited to have the lovely Alexa and Kirby of Short and Sweet blog here to share their picks.  I had the honor of meeting Alexa at last year's Design Bloggers Conference in LA, and I am dying to meet Kirby.  Both girls are incredibly stylish, down-to-earth, and sweet as can be.

Alexa & Kirby picked out a few gifts for the men and women in your life, as well as the world traveler and entertainer.  I'd love to have that Kate Spade serving tray!

For the girls:  Lady Bug Necklace $48 /Claire Vivier Clutch $258

For the boys:  Dominoes Set: $20 /Joshua Ellis for J. Crew Cashmere-Wool Scarf: $192 

For the hostess:  Fancy Another Cocktail Tray: $40/ Tortoise Shell Glasses: $50 

For the traveler:  J. Crew Stripe Passport Case $40/Travel Essentials Journal: $15 

Cheers,

Kirby & Alexa

Co-Editors

Short & Sweet 

a lifestyle blog

View Other Holiday 2015 Gift Guides:

Week 1: Designs by Katy/Week 2: Mimosa Lane

Houston CultureMap Holiday Pop Up Shop!

I am so excited to tell you all that I have partnered with New Living and CultureMap to help promote their Pop Up Holiday Party, which will take place THIS Sunday at Silver Street Studios (2000 Edwards St).  The party will feature over 25 of Houston's best local retailers, including one of my personal faves- New Living! 

Are you guys familiar with this store?  It is located at 6111 Kirby in the West University area.   Dedicated to providing a better quality of life for Houston residents through the use of green products, like organic mattresses, VOC-free paints, and environmentally-healthy furniture.  New Living is a certified B Corporation, which is a new type of business that uses the power of business to solve social and environmental problems.  They have made a commitment to measuring their business not only by its financial success, but also by it's positive impact on the community and the environment.

New Living as well as 28 other retailers will be featured at the CultureMap Holiday Pop Up Shop- which is not to be missed.  For one day only, guests will enjoy cocktails, festive food, crafting stations, carolers and more while they browse some of Houston's best local shops all in one place. Cross off the hard-to-buy-for people from your Christmas list at this social event, featuring the who's-who of the retail and food community. 

And... lucky you!  I have 25 free tickets available.  Want to be my guest?  I'd love to see you there! Just use promotional code "peak" to redeem your complimentary ticket here.