May 10, 2009 to Present

Co-worker gives a 7 week notice for me

Packed 1400 sf of stuff into POD

Yard sale to get stuff to fit in 800 sf apartment

Spent night with neighbor

Creeped out new home owner by leaving car on the street, in front of house, post ownership

Moved into friends Mud Island apartment while they vacationed in Europe

Graduated Downline

Threw a Sip and See

Applied for passport to replace original, which was lost in the move

Yard Sale #2 with friends

Moved to friend's couch, Husband moved to other friend's couch down the street

Fun going away party

Moved to downtown apartment while friend #2 vacationed in Europe

Got a sinus infection

Threw the "Better Halves" night out on the town

Fun going away party #2

Moved back to couches

Living out of car

Officially quit my job

Moved into hotel room

Mr. Sabbe became Dr. Sabbe

Celebrated Memphis style{4 am Raifords}

Bryan's sweet Grandfather died

Re-route Boston trek to go through Detroit for funeral

Re-route again to avoid Canada, who won't let me through without my passport

God knows I'm a crier. IE. Leaving my first home + some of the best friends I'll ever have + the best neighbor ever + a pretty cool place to work would typically put me in sob mode.

But I haven't shed a tear.

I know He has given me this pace to help me through what truly is the hardest thing to bear...

saying goodbye

God Emailed Me

Earlier this week I was perusing architectural websites and decided I should take a look at what the company I used to work for had going on. I worked in Nashville for two years before marrying the wonderful Mr. Sabbe and relocating to Memphis. So I’m clicking around and notice they have had their annual company celebration where new owners, associates, and senior associates are announced. I’m scrolling through the pictures and low and behold, a designer who started on the same day as me, 5 short years ago, made associate this year. Needless to say, I was a bit jealous and started to think to myself are people my age old enough to be associates in large architectural firms? The thought had never even crossed my mind.

Then I started to feel sorry for myself. I felt sorry for myself for moving to Memphis . I felt sorry for myself, thinking that the company I work with now does not have a well established interiors division. I felt sorry for myself because I cancelled an interview 3 years ago with a firm that did. I felt sorry for myself because I don't have an interior design mentor to help accomplish goals like making associate before the age of 30. I felt sorry for myself because the economy is bad and I don’t want to have to job hunt next month….you see the spiral I was spinning down…….and THEN I got an email {from this website I subscribe to} and it said...


Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
- 1 Peter 5:6-7

And then I was ok again.

It's Electric!

I love the Electric Mirror

It's a mirror.

It's a sconce.

And sometimes....it's a tv

Above is a guestroom at Red Rock Casino ....one of the most wonderful examples of hospitality design I've ever seen.

I think it would be a great residential application as well. You're going to spend more on the mirror, but if you think about the fact that you'll only need one electrical feed, as opposed to the 3 {one overhead and two sconces} you would see in a conventional bathroom, it may be a wash.

And now...they have the option of incorporating a touch screen! Are you kidding me!?

I've regained hope that there may be flying cars in my lifetime.

Memphis in May {BBQ Fest}

I'm going to miss Memphis. Especially in May.

Baby Will

My friend Kim let me practice my photography skills on her newest little baby Will. Babies are so freakin cute! Baby photography is my new entrepreneurial idea. Babies and maybe animals. I figure.. if you totally mess up, you can always go back the next day and do a do-over. Weddings...not so much.

Suite Design

About this time a year ago I was knee deep in magazines, collecting inspiring images for a hotel project that had just come in. It was fun, I was inspired. This spring, as I find myself about to embark on the fierce world of unemployment, I've decided I will spend my downtime {crossing my fingers that it is brief} working on an entry for THIS competition. Hotel guestrooms are fun.
And I think it's about time I put my 4 years of LEED APness to good use.

You want to know the 276th reason I'm excited about moving to Boston? I saw a lady at the airport last week posing next to a LEED plaque ...like it was an Elvis costume at Graceland. Mr. Sabbe {who has been well informed, by his wife, on all things LEED} turned to me and said We're not in Memphis anymore.

Dear Sewing Machine

I miss you. Whyyyyy did I decide it would be a good idea to pack you in the POD?

{from} a Sweet Husband

{to} his sweet wife

on Mother's Day

{it's a diaper bag}
I love when people let me play crafting-cupid.

And I love sweet husbands.

A Bitter Sweet Goodbye

We spent the weekend packing.

Zoe was not much help.

And then we were done.

And it was over.

Our first house, chapter over.

It's kind of like the feeling you have when you realize your wedding is over. You've dreamed about it since you were a little girl and then you blink and it's over.

At least I get to keep Mr. Sabbe as a parting prize.

Mondays...

...make me wish I had a couple mini people and we could do this all day.

My mini people would have red hair of course.

Update: Upon further reading I discovered...

...all this cuteness is taking place a 600 sf apartment in Brooklyn.

Whaaaaaat!?

Mr. Sabbe better watch out...I think we've got 200 extra s.f. in our soon to be Boston pad....

should be plenty of room for crafting and babies! And I have this case study to prove it.

The Fastest Sabbe {Part II}

We tied...at 2:03!

He left me at mile 5

I caught him at mile 11.5

My evil side said pass him, beat him, keep your Fastest Sabbe title

But my loving wife side said grab his hand and finish like cute couples should

And so I did

The jury is still out on the Fastest Sabbe

Yes Deer!

Earlier today I was checking out this blog and she had posted this San Fransisco couple's very cool home. And low and behold....check out what's on that wall! If I've said it once on this blog, I've said it a million times...deer heads are the cool. One of the owners is an Interior Designer. See...we're with it. You should be writing notes on things I tell you. My company bills good money for my ideas...I give it out here for free. But things you do for free are always waaaay more fun.

p.s. I just finished a commission for someone who wanted something special for their best girl on Mother's Day. Isn't that sweet? Thoughtful boys make me smile.

The Before: What to Do...What to Do...

We just signed a lease! I wanted to share with you {southerners} what you can get for your buck in Boston. Now put your designer goggles on, it's not Midtown bungalow...but I think this place has some serious potential.

Please excuse the current renters mess. Poor renter, she didn't know a crazy blogger with a camera was trapsing through her house this weekend. Hope she doesn't read blogs.

It is a garden level unit...thus the bars....but I'm thinking I can deal with that.

Any city dwellers have any advice on how to create an illusion with these beauties?

Fireplace...cute! {blurry pic...not cute}

Note you can fit a full size dining table...the dinner parties will continue!

And a bed fits in the bedroom....and you can actually walk on both sides of it.

And drum roll please....

It has a washer and dryer in the unit! and that's HUGE for me. I have a little problem with the hanging up clothes right off the body thing. They hit the floor...which requires them to be washed. Mr. Sabbe hates that... I'm working on it.

Stayed tuned for the AFTER pics! This will be more of a challenge than my house because I can't go into full construction mode. I will have to be extra, extra creative and extra, extra thrifty. I can't wait!

Bulthaup Boston

As Tina Fey would say....I want to go to there.

A Home for a Priceless Pillow

AT Entry #1

Have you ever had a household item that was so far superior to everything else in your home that it was almost humorous to allow them to co-exist? ie. put Egyptian cotton sheets you bought on Overstock on the concave bed you've had since college?

Well my source of design humor for the past six months has revolved around the Hella Jongerius pillow that arrived at my desk on one seemingly normal Monday back in July.

My living room is a compilation of consignment store finds and discounted discount furniture. We decided placing it on the worn out cushions that resided on my cousin of a Hans Wegner chair would just not do.


"Learn how to reupholster cushions" moved to the top of my project list. After several mess ups and multiple shouts for my husband to remind me why I sew again...Hella's pillow found a proper home.

The fabric is from her Layer's Collection for Maharam.

After reading about her Nike collaboration...I was very happy Mr. Maharam sent me the pillow and not the shoes. They are very cool, but my hip hop moves are not quite where they need to be for me to properly rock these....

Meet the Togos

AT Entry #2

Have you heard... Michel Ducaroy's classic Togo chair has started a family?


The Togo collection would be perfect for that awesome apartment you've found, in that five story walk up, that narrows and bends so sharply you can hardly get yourself up the stairs...much less your furniture. Designed in 1973 this settee is constructed of varying layers of polyurethane and unlike most classic furniture designers, comfort was Ducaroy's top priority.

Breaking news....Togo had a baby!

Adorable right!? I just want to hug it, pinch it....
maybe carry it around in a Baby Bjorn.

You know those little Pottery Barn armchairs everyone is getting with their kid's monogram on the back? I've decided this should be the modernists' alternative. Sans monogram!

And good news Bostonians!...
You can go see this little babe for yourself at the Linge Roset on Boylston Street.

They have a ton of great pieces from their newest collection. And despite the fact that I can by no means afford a single thing on the entire sales floor {and didn't even wear fancy clothes to pretend I could} the sales people were super friendly. If you're in the area, stop by and give them a test drive.

Boston in Full Bloom

Under a perfect sky

Breathtaking...