SCENES.

My blog is always the #1 to-do item on my daily list, yet somehow it always ends up being the one thing that doesn't get accomplished. But that, my friends, is because my business is growing, and I am busy. And for that I am uber grateful. It's incredibly rewarding to see your passion evolve into a sustaining line of work, and I can't wait to see where both my work and I go.

Anyhow, here's a few moments captured since the last time we spoke :)

Samples arrived for a client's dining chairs.

We fell hard for the navy.

 The glory of a Lowcountry sunset.

They really are the prettiest.

I paid a visit to an uber-talented friend's art studio...

...and we made stamps :) ...So fun!

Wine, cheese, and laughs were shared during a night of Apples to Apples.

I stood in awe of the hand-crafted ingenuity at my favorite lighting studio.

Seriously...one of each, please?

And...lastly...Maple and I inaugurated the (giant) fire 

pit that we finally hauled home from the antique store.

Now we just need some furniture to go with it :)

Hope your week is off to an amazing start...and that you're doing everything you can to live out your passions and dreams. 

xoxoxo

HAPPY FRIDAY.

Hope yours is off to a good start. Mine certainly is:

My Maple and I needed a little reprieve from the monotony of our busy, stressful mornings. So I stole him away to the beach, where we shared a sunrise breakfast of scones, banana bread, and cinnamon doughnut muffins.  I'm convinced everything tastes better by the salty waves of the ocean...when the world is quiet...where you're emphatically reminded that God is big and great, and your soul can be cleansed as easily as dissipating footprints in the foamy sand.

I heart mornings.
Especially those that are ocean-bound.
Now back to a busy day of what we call work...


TGIF.

LIFE LATELY.

Blogging is a funny thing, no?  You have to be perpetually inspired to write a good post.  And what's the point of blogging if your posts are no good?  So yes, I've been gone forever.  My poor Maple and Shade always falls to the wayside when life gets busy, or stressful, or uninspiring.  And it's (...and I...) fallen victim to all of those things as-of-late.  But I guess we don't have to have life figured out at 26, and I guess M + S doesn't have to irrepressibly halt every time I start thinking I need to get a little more serious about life. So, here you go...we're back...and here's what life has been like lately:

We paid a lengthy visit to our old (umm...beautiful) Kentucky home

where i acquired a gorgie new niecey...

and a handsome new nephew...all in a week's span of time.

we watched UK win the bball championship...

and discovered blue bottles do grow on Kentucky trees!

Easter came around, and we had what was, quite possibly, the ultimate backyard easter egg hunt.

Very best friends...

...and their pups...came to visit...

and we've eaten good food...

and made good...

and pretty food.

I finally painted and decorated long-ignored things...

and watched our yard grow and bloom in this springtime sunshine.

We've played on the local beach...

and of course in the sand...

all-the-while trying to figure out what to do with these so-called lives of ours.

so no matter what happens, and where we end up, and what we end up doing...it's nice to remember that we have it pretty good. but, if you have any career ideas (or, umm...jobs) feel free to send them my way :)

so good to see you again!! 

xoxo

IT'S MY BDAY.

And guess what? It's already been accompanied by a few birthday-perfect surprises:

 

 

ONE:  Our camellia out front conveniently decided to flower (reason #942 I love the South--December blooms).  This is perfect (and funny) because we didn't even know what this giant shrub was for about six months, and it's a winter bloomer so once we discovered it was a camellia, we had to wait patiently to see what color and variety it would show to be. So now we know--hot pink with white splatters--and I love her.

TWO: U.O. was having a 50%-off-the-sale-price sale. I scored these $100 knee-high boots I've been eyeing for two years for...drum-roll...$20. Oh, and it just so happened they only had my size left. A birthday meant-to-be.

THREE: Fresh-squeezed OJ accompanied my early-morning wakeup call (he's so good to me).

FOUR:  So did a homemade tomato, feta, mushroom arugula frittata (yum), and...

FIVE:  the cutest dang coffee service I ever did see. 

So, this bday gal is feeling pretty blessed today, and entirely thankful for all you readers and your sweet emails, comments, and constant encouragement. THANK YOU! You're really the best.

And sorry for the super late-in-the-day post. Despite what it seems, today's been busy, busy.

HAPPY WEDNESDAY.

xoxo.

THE DAILY GRIND.

Today's been a good day, despite the fact that Maple and I are still trying to kick these Thanksgiving colds of ours.  Nonetheless, crisp weather, ample sunshine, and a busy calendar is making me pretty dang happy today, though I'm still reminiscing about last night's dinner (and what followed suit):

I made Asian pear pizza, topped with pancetta, mozzeralla, 

feta,and of course shredded parmesan:

 It was nothing short of delicious and I haven't stopped thinking about it since! Thank goodness there were leftovers...which I just devoured. Really...it was the perfect concoction of sweet and savory, and the salty pancetta really heightened it to perfection. And it's so easy: simply roll out your dough, top it with thin slices from two ripe Asian pears, crack some fresh black pepper atop, and layer on your cheese of choice. Top it with pancetta straight from the package (no need to pre-cook), and throw it in a 400 degree oven until the edges are lightly browned.

And in case you're curiosity's been peaked, here's my favorite dough recipe:

The Pioneer Woman's pizza dough

(simply scroll to the very bottom)

Maple strung the lights on our tree

(which I was more than excited to pick out!)

Our first tree in our first house:

We make or give one another an ornament every December that represents the year gone by, so we don't have all that many. All that we do have, though, are super special, and it's so fun to reminisce over each one as we hang them. See that round, wooden one? That's my favorite--made by Maple himself...before we got hitched.

So my morning started off at Wildflour bakery--chatting it up with a really good friend over delicious coffee.

I grabbed some Sherwin Williams paint samples after coffee and headed over to another good friends house to discuss decorating plans for her amazingly cute kitchen nook:

Cool, crisp weather has finally descended upon Charleston--which means beloved boots and legwarmers for me today:

So Amy and I sipped some tea, talked paint, stain, and other fun things, then headed to the Habitat Restore to peruse hidden treasures with peppermint hot chocolate in-hand. We scored: amazing bentwood cafe chairs for $5 a piece. Amy left with two, and I couldn't bear to part without at least one. So in my guestroom it now sits:

$5!! She'll sit pretty with a custom round cushion and newly spruced walls (whenever I muster up the energy for that dreaded painting task).

So now I'm home, nestled in front of the computer, with a candle burning and tea in the kettle, tackling an email or two and wrapping  up some design work:

...daydreaming over my office revamp (goodbye halfway painted peacock wall...hello diamond grass cloth paper and glossy moulding) and that oh-so-cool console I found for dirt cheap that I so badly want to paint (see the brass, corner hardware and half circle, flush drawer pulls?!):

And that's my day.

Full of dear friends and all the things I love.

So I'm off...to finish work...clean house...and anxiously await the arrival of a best friend from college.

Happy Thursday!

 P.S. don't be surprised by Maple + Shade's soon-to-be new look. I'll get around to updating it in the next few days or so :)