View Urban Grace Interiors {the blog} Archives for July 2011

forces to be reckoned with

July 29, 2011

Am I about to dedicate an entire post to an iron and a hand vacuum? Yes.

Are you in the market for a new iron? Perhaps I could make a recommendation? I had a Rowenta, which I loved, but it was leaking. So I ponied up some credit card points and ordered this one below.

I read the reviews on Amazon before ordering. I have no regrets, I just ironed a shirt in half the time it would have taken me with the old Rowenta.

Darby has the Dyson hand-vac (above). When I visit her I like to use it. Then I like to go to Target and look at it. That’s all I do, look at it. Actually, one time I put it in my cart, but walked about 12 steps, then took it back to the shelf. I have shopped for it online, but I can’t bring myself to spend the money. The Dyson is $349. I can think of a billion things I’d rather have for $349 over a hand vac. (Darby’s was a gift, I assure you she would never have bought that for herself.) I hate Dust Busters, I’ve never had one that works properly. I just wanted a good powerful hand vac. So I was doing some research after I bought the fancy iron and came across the Hoover Platinum Collection Cordless Hand Vac. It had me at “powered by an interchangeable 18-volt Lithium-ion battery that provides fade-free power“. So when the battery dies, it dies. But when it runs it runs strong to the end. I love it.

Now, anyone with eyeballs will likely agree… he’s a little nerdy looking. I think the design of the Dyson is better, but this little machine really gets the job done, and looks aren’t everything. His first night with us we found ourselves crushing up tortilla chips and throwing them on the ground, just so we could suck them up.

What’s next for me in the domestic technology department? Perhaps a Vitamix blender? Or maybe a nice toaster, because I still haven’t decided on one.

While this post sounds like an infomercial, I assure you I am getting paid by no one to review these products.

45 Comments | Filed Under: product review

here I am, on the road again

July 27, 2011

That Seger nod is for Allison. We didn’t even get our bags unpacked from NYC and we were off again. We went to Memphis to do what we do. We narrowly escaped a plane crash on the way up, but thankfully it wasn’t our time. Which is good because look what we would have missed if we hadn’t made it…

We had nothing to do with the design of this garden path full of hydrangeas, but good grief! Too pretty not to share. We also had nothing to do with the door hardware below, but again… so gorgeous. The whole house locks with skeleton keys. Delicious. I should have photographed the cremone locks, I must have been too shocked by their beauty to get my camera up to my eyeball.

Allison and I shared a hotel room (with two beds) and in the middle of the night Allison awoke. From the low light of the alarm clock on the bedside table between us I could see her sitting up in her bed. She was talking to herself. She was saying… “I really prefer the scale of the white table. The finish, the size, the style, it is just perfect for that space!”, I must have asked her ten times what she was talking about, she finally looked at me and said “YOU ASKED ME!”, sighed, laid down and went back to sleep. Perhaps a mental health day is in order?

I like Memphis. We ate dinner with old college friends of mine which is always fun. In addition to working on a new project, we also checked in on an older one.

Allison came home from Memphis and I went on to Chicago. Most of my “favorite people” are in Chicago. Including my pint-sized godson who I had not yet met. I was going to try to wrap that trip into this Memphis post, but that’s too much. So, here are a few photos…

60 Comments | Filed Under: my work, Travel

sweatshirts, NYC continued, and other miscellany

July 21, 2011

In the last post I referred to myself as “uptight”, then I felt sorry for myself… like you guys might think I’m a stick in the mud. I’m not. Allison says I’m not uptight, I just get frazzled at times. I have a staycation coming up, hope I can do some defrazzling.

Moving right along.

We talk about these sweatshirts often.

We haven’t ordered, we just look at them and then discuss amongst ourselves how great they are. Right?

Sloane’s pants. I bought them last summer when Darby and I went to Italy. They were not expensive, I bought them at Accessorize, which is sorta like a Claires. She wore them in her Valentine’s card as well. They just barely still fit… she’s a tall drink of water like her daddy. Her little red shoes are hand-me-downs from Darby, not sure what brand.

Booked our NYC sailing adventure online through www.sail-nyc.com and our sailboat was the Adirondack. It’s definitely not a “tour”, in the history-of-this-or-that-building kind of way. It’s more along the lines of: sit back, enjoy the view, sip champagne, if you have questions we are here… it was great. They also offer guided tours of architecture and bridges, which sounded good, but champagne sounded better… especially after a long day of working.

Someone inquired about the sofa in the last post, it is (my new favorite) the Lee Jofa “Heath“. It is so very nice.

And speaking of Lee Jofa, I realized half my NYC pictures didn’t publish in the last post. So here’s more than you probably care to see or know about our adventure.

I’m not really the Lilly Pulitzer type, but love the new collection on display at Lee Jofa. When they change this out I know a little girl who would love that turtle…

We did not eat croissants at Pastis! ;)

Okay, maybe we did eat croissants at Pastis, but when you shop really fast you burn off the extra calories.

Shake Shack (again)? Check.

Wouldn’t be a trip to NYC without a trip to Johnny D. I wanted this porqupine plate, but did not buy it. I regret it. Next time.

Brace yourself for this next picture… father and son drapery installers.

We dinnered with my friend Beth on our last night in town! We ate at The Dutch, it was hot and loud in there, but the company was exceptional! I had to edit the picture so you couldn’t tell how shiny we were. We hit the streets of NYC hard that day.