a little piece of me…

Apr 30

I love a good flea market. Why buy new when you can turn something old into something fabulous? But, I love the bargain hunt even more with good friends to enjoy the day with. Some friends and I spent the day looking for deals and steals, and brought little Maxton along for the ride. Although babies can be a handful, I think it’s important to expose them to new things when you have the chance. It takes a village, people! And, yesterday, that village consisted of my good friends and co-workers. A fun time was had, deals were made, and corn dogs were enjoyed by all (and, I mean, I really enjoyed my corn dog). Here’s a little piece of our day…


Do you thrift or flea?? What has been your best find?

I got it on… your favorite T.

Apr 29
People always talk about the finer things in life being a full bodied glass of red wine, a classy car, or high dollar meal at a fancy restaurant.  Me… I like a good T!
It takes a little bit of effort, but a great find turns into a fine fit. 
It can’t be any old shirt.  It has to pass a few tests.
A. Is it comfy and soft?
B. Does it fit well?  No windbreakers please.
C. Does it reflect your personal style?  
I’m pretty lucky because my wife has great taste and always finds me something cool and unique. Here are some of her finds:

1. Yellow Bird Project: Sport your favorite indie band’s designs and a portion of the proceeds goes to the band’s charity of choice.
2. Nonfiction Tees – Carbon Cycle T-Shirt: Go green and make a statement with a shirt designed to express the concept of the carbon footprint.
3. Bee Things – Bee Tee Bird Tee: This limited edition tee is designed by an amazing design duo out of Dallas, Texas.
4. Bruxe Design – Chairs Tee: Tout your favorite mid-century modern chair designers in style.

I don’t know how Evan Dando of the Lemonheads wrote the amazing song “Favorite T“, seing how I have several and can’t pick just one, but I’m sure glad he wrote it.

What’s your Favorite T?

The Modern Tooth Fairy

Apr 28

The Tooth Fairy is real… Right?? I always imagined the Tooth Fairy with long flowing locks, perfectly sparkling teeth, and pale pristine skin garbed in a flowing pink dress and a magical wand. But, as I’ve grown older, I’ve realized that my image of the Tooth Fairy really isn’t practical. I mean, be realistic. The real Tooth Fairy is all business. She (or maybe He) sits behind a desk and files your paperwork and probably has coffee stained chops and paper cuts. But, what do we tell our children?

1. Office of the Tooth Fairy – Official Tooth Fairy Kit: You can start the learning process early and keep good records of tooth loss. (And, you know I love to fill out a form with a perfect ink pen)

2. Oeuf Be Good – Tooth Fairy Pillow: We can keep the image of the Tooth Fairy alive and put money in a perfectly modern Tooth Fairy pillow. But, can we at least imagine the Tooth Fairy adorned in a modern Carolina Herrera gown??

And, then there’s an option for adults… Why not save your chompers and make a Van Der Glas ring or necklace out of it?? Umm, I can probably think of a few reasons why not.

So, what do you plan to tell your children?? Does the Tooth Fairy exist?

The Blog Squad!

Apr 28

I was thrilled to recently be featured in the May issue of Dallas Child Magazine and was honored to grace the pages alongside some amazing women, moms, and bloggers. This particular article was about five women power bloggers in Dallas, Texas who are gaining international attention. Meet these other amazing women… and read their blogs!

This Blog Squad consists of:
The Ambassador: Joslyn Taylor of Simple Lovely & Raising Foodies
The Maven: Kristie Ramirez of Texas Style & Substance
The Concierge: Courtney Sinelli of Life-Content
The Design Geek: Beth Dotolo (that’s me!) of Nest Interior Design
The Entrepreneur: Christine Visneau of Small Magazine & Little Bean Collection

Read the full article on the Dallas Child website.
A huge thanks to the lovely Lauren Niebes & the amazing Steven Visneau.

What are some of your favorite blogs?? Share a link! I love a new blog read.

Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

Apr 27

You may know, simply by the fact that I author this blog, that I am not the kind of mom who wants precious moments statuettes or charm bracelets for Mother’s Day. But, with my very first Mother’s Day approaching, I was challenged with thinking about what I would want to receive from my husband and new son. I know that I want something modern, stylish, and (of course) sentimental. Here are some of the gift ideas that I came up with for myself (and the modern mom).

1. F. is fo Frank ring (I plan to have personalized with my son’s name, Maxton)
2. Keep Calm Gallery dishtowel
3. Le Papier Studio custom silhouette throw pillow
4. House of Harlow 1960 plated medallion gold locket

I’ll leave you with one of my first precious moments with my new son, which will hopefully be included in my new locket. Even if you are not sentimental, moments like this should be memorialized.

photography by kevin dotolo

If you’re a mom, what do you want for Mother’s Day? Or, what are you planning on buying your Mom?
Any and all tips welcome! We all need a little help with this pressure-filled holiday.

hello, world!

Apr 25

Welcome to HELLO, SPLENDOR!

The rants and finds for a splendid modern family, from an interior designer, mom and wife… along with those in life who shape her.

If you are a Mom, Wife, Dad, Husband, Aunt, Uncle, Grandparent, or Friend… Stay tuned to see how our new site takes shape! We’ll be blogging about something for everyone, with a focus on modern family living. We will have tips, finds, stories, and just an all out good time!

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