The best Christmas ever...

Christmas Eve was the greatest. It was wonderful to have everyone together. Good food in the Gallery and opening presents, many of them made by the giver. Sam and Stu and thier families slept overnight, or at least stayed...along with Cass they were all up until about 3 a.m. It has been a long time since Santa visited our house. Malachi jumped on our bed in the morning and shouted "Grammy, Santa brought me a train, come see my train!"

Dax and Cabe opening their jammies.

Malachi was happy with the first thing he opened, Grace just wanted to open more presents...she didn't care who they were for.

Mini Santa.

I bought this puppet theatre before I had any grandchildren.

Mike gave each of the kids a painting of my dad saddling Rio.

Each painting represents a season of the year.Mike plays Santa for some neighbor families.

Val is making sure he passes the tummy test...no extra padding required.

The Gallery

This last year, Mike has become quite a prolific painter. He has this pitiful "studio" in the basement but he has been turning out paintings like a man possessed. I have a room that I didn't quite know what to do with---a dining room, a library? I started hanging art on the walls and it became The Gallery. After we hung all the paintings I thought we needed something 3 dimensional so I headed to C.G.Sparks (where else?) and bought Mike an African ladder for Father's Day. Last month we set up tables and had Stu's birthday dinner in there but mostly it is a pretty room to do yoga. I have my eye on a cream leather daybed that would make a nice place to relax...someday. Thanks to Sonny, my father-in-law for the trunk--he saw it at a garage sale and thought "Leslie has to have this!"

Silly Mammy...

I was having a Christmas-y day with Grace today. We weren't exactly baking cookies but she was playing with the nativity scene in the office and I was making some new Christmas stockings. Every once in awhile she would wander into the kitchen with me and watch 101 Dalmations, then she would go back to the office and suddenly I realized it was very quiet. I surprised her in the act of decorating my office furniture with two bottles of "white-out" she found in the bin under the printer. I have only myself to blame because she painted the printer stand with it last week while I was in the room, but I was compulsively blogging and didn't notice right away. Of course, she got in trouble and she was a very sad girl while sitting on what is now the time out chair, watching me scrape off her artwork.

The "white-out" is now safely stored in the top drawer of the credenza and in case anyone was wondering, it does come off shutters, drop-leaf tables, laptops and the mouse, and printer stands. However, it cannot be removed from walls. I bent down to kiss her tear-streaked face and she looked up at me with her big blue eyes and said, "I missed you, Mammy." We should all be like a two year old and forget offenses in five minutes or less.

Merry Christmas to all.

Jingle Bells

Grace and Malachi learned a Christmas song this week. We are now in a countdown to Christmas. Malachi wants a train and Grace wants a baby doll...we are back in the 50's and it is all good. They both said they would sit on Santa's lap this year---we will see!

This is a fun game Daxton plays with his daddy. He gets a mischievous grin and falls backward when Sam stands by the bed.

Thanksgiving 08

Daxton and Papa on the "polka dot horse"










Cabe and Mammy.










Thanksgiving was a fun day at Grandma and Grandpa Great's house. We had about 30 people to feast on a wonderful turkey dinner. It was a truly glorious autumn day of 50 degrees so we caught the horses and gave rides to all the kids. We all have so much to be thankful for and I don't express enough how great my life is surrounded by family: especially kids that are so fabulous and doing such great things, and of course the population boom of grandkids is such a blessing.









Sam and Megan were here from Vegas and Daxton has a few new tricks. He took his first step to Sam in front of a room full of people. Later, Cabe and Dax head out on an adventure. It was fun to have the babies there together. They were fascinated by each other. We are all looking forward to Christmastime.

Idea Board

This is one of my favorite rooms. I bought these linen covered bulliten boards at Pottery Barn but they could have just as easily been made. I love to post ideas and pictures I want to put in my home or a client's. Right now I have an article on updated traditional fabrics, from houndtooth to florals. Sources on antique maps and a padded headboard are a few things I am working on.

A few sunburst mirrors are there to remind me to keep searching for the perfect, affordable vingtage piece to put over my fireplace or add to my office. I just love the form and I remember a few of my elderly neighbors had them (or a clock version) in the neighborhood where I grew up.

My low bookcase is from C.G. Sparks in downtown SLC. I found this glorious place when I was working on the Deer Valley project last year. I love thier unique pieces made from salvaged teak and imported pieces from India. The staff is so great and every time I go I find something I can't live without.

I Love Color!

I love the funky, mixed up look of Tricia Guild fabrics and wallpaper. A very fun and innovative designer in London, she is one of my inspirations. Her signature style is flocked fabric and wallpaper and cut velvets in bright jewel colors. She recently introduced a new line for the Royal family.

I used these ideas in the grandkids' playroom by mismatching the curtain panels. Recently, I ordered two enormous wedge sofas in purple velvet for a client. The pillows are cut velvet in lime, orange and brown.

I also used another obsession: handmade paper from Reuel's Art Supply in downtown SLC. I decoupaged it to the chairs and table and used it as matting on a train drawing that Mike gave to Malachi for his birthday.

Happy 3rd Birthday Malachi!

We celebrated Malachi's 3rd birthday this past week. Everyone was there for the first time in months.

Malachi scores with brand new Chucks.
A hug for Grace!

Aunt Megan made this darling reversible Batman/Superman cape. Malachi's other Grandma finally took it off Stu so Malachi could wear it. He was so excited! Malachi used to jump off my ottoman onto the sofa and yell "Super" when he could hardly talk.

BOO!

I found some animal print fabric in my stash and decided to make my grandson's Halloween costumes. Malachi was the cutest cheetah but it was too hot for him. Caleb's side teeth grew in just in time so we switched him to a vampire. He was uncharacteristically solemn at Wee Witches in Gardner Village. I never did get a pic of his fangs and no, that is not white make-up on his face!

We missed the big day with Daxton, but I have never seen a cuter zebra. I had to do a bit of guessing on the size so thanks to Megan and friend for altering it. Milllie is the reason we missed Halloween in Vegas. Born October 29th in 1 hour 40 minutes, weighing 5 lbs 13 0z. She is beautiful.

I am surrounded by artists

My talented fellow designer and friend Kelly gets us ready for the Academy Awards red carpet event by designing gowns for us each year. These were too good for the breakroom wall so I mounted them on handmade paper and now they are the last thing I see before drifting off to sleep. The leopard chiffon is my fave.

Big Dump and Friends

Pool and pedicures....AAHHH!!!

This project took all of 2007 and the better part of 2006. It's unusual name came from the owners, and simply put, the condo flag was boxer shorts printed with an outhouse. However the finished project was much more appealing. Christmastime of 2007 was spent with the fam courtesy of the owners and just last weekend, the Goose girls spent the weekend there.

Thanks to Brittany for the pedicures and Denise and Brooke for the yummy food.