A Capital Collection!

This past weekend was the annual Junior League Capital Collection where vendors gather to sell Christmas gifts to crowds of happy people and 15% of the proceeds go to charity.  As member of the Junior League, we all came in for shifts to run registers at the different stalls.

This was the stall where I was stationed.  It was filled with Christmas decorations that could be personalized on the spot by the sweetest southern woman who founded the business.

My friend Sarah and me ready for our shifts!

Even Santa and Mrs. Claus stopped by for a visit!

I wish I had taken more pictures but they kept us all pretty busy!  It was a ton of fun and the perfect way to get in the Christmas spirit!

Decorate Your House Like a Barn

My sister came down to visit me last week and we had an equestrian-themed weekend driving out to Winchester to see our three horses on a retirement farm.

Horse country in Virginia is absolutely gorgeous in the fall and especially the horsey town of Middleburg.  We stopped in at a local sandwich shop for lunch and they had done such a cute job decorating the bathroom like a little stable using textured wallpaper. 

 

The textured walls give a little nod to equestrianism, but chic details like the pistachio wainscoting, the brushed silver sconces, and the decorative door trim make it a polished look rather than rustic.  Here are some other ways to use textured wallpapers successfully:

Decor Design

Apartment Therapy

Apartment Therapy

 
I started doing a little research and, according to this website there are many advantages to textured wallpaper, that just-getting-started people could really appreciate:

* more affordable than a lot of wallpapers
* easier to install than a lot of wallpapers because you don't have to match up patterns
* looks super good

Eastern Market Mirrors

I like for every nicknack and decoration in a home to be a great find, not just something you picked up because you needed to fill space.  This way, everything in your home has a little personality and it's like you're always surrounded by friends.  Granted, that sounds a little shut-in of me but I promise that sometimes I like to be friends with real people, too. To prove it, here are some photos my friend, Isel, showed me of some mirrors that I think would add personality to any home.

I think these would look amazing in a front hall or foyer hanging over an old chest of drawers painted black, with a big, round vase of flowers on it!  My friend made this great find at our local Eastern Market, where vendors gather every Sunday on Capitol Hill to sell artwork, crafts and food.  This is a great place to shop for home decor because every piece is one-of-a-kind meaning a) it has a lot of personality and b) no one knows how much money you didn't spend on it! 

Plus, it's very trendy to shop local.

Which is Better - NYC or DC?

Junior League Headquarters in Washington, DC

Junior League Headquarters in NYC

My sister has been trying to convince me to move to NYC ever since she deserted me to move there this spring.  Ok, so their Junior League headquarters look a little fancier than ours, but I think ours is incredibly charming!

I am using this as a barometer for which city is better because I think the Junior League is such a great way to join a community and make friends.  I have been a member of the DC chapter for a few months now and I have met some great girls and learned a few things, too!  Here are the most important things I have learned thus far:

1. I need to go shopping
2. Don't spike the punch

The first one is obvious.  Most girls who are in the Junior League are impeccable.  We had a meeting at 8:00AM last Saturday and girls arrived in full-on Chanel suits.  I'm going to be honest, I put my shirt in the dryer with a wet washcloth instead of ironing it that morning.

The other pearl of wisdom came from an experience I had at our first meet and greet potluck at the headquarters.  We were all assigned what type of dish to bring based on the first letter of our last name, and I was assigned to bring a drink.  True to my competitive self, I assumed that the purpose of this event was to see who was the best cook and I set to work finding the cutest drink recipe I could.  Since it was a summer potluck I decided on a girly punch with spritzer, lemonade, vodka and some fruit garnish:

Turns out I was literally the only girl, of the 40 or so girls who had received the drink assignment, who had not decided on a bottle of either white wine or Perrier.  Literally, the only one.  A few minutes later some girls came over to tell me they were enjoying my drink and that they were grateful for something non-alcoholic to drink other than water.  Oops, I guess I should have labeled my drink.  When I let the girls in on my secret, their smiles flickered a little.  “Well how much alcohol is in it?”  they asked.  Wait, you’re supposed to measure out the alcohol in your drinks??

The moral of this story is that this is one of those fruity drinks that completely masks the flavor of alcohol and so, if you make a similar drink, you should probably be smarter than I was and measure it out.  The recipe is actually very similar to a drink we used to make in giant trashcans in college called a Pink Panty Dropper.  If I had remembered that while I was making the drink I might have watched my vodka a little more carefully.  I definitely don’t think my social status would be helped by making a bunch of Junior Leaguers lose their panties!

The Furniture Store on F St NW

I have been wanting to go into this antique store on F St NW downtown ever since I first noticed about a month ago but I have been too intimidated because it looked a lot like walking into someone's basement.  Finally the other day I got my friend to go with me and it was even cooler than I'd hoped!  Yes, there were some pieces that I would love to buy and repaint or reupholster, but what I'm most excited about is what an amazing building this is right in downtown DC on prime realestate.  I wish I had taken better pictures but you can see how this area with exposed brick could be turned into a gorgeous foyer...

Then you walk back towards the columns....

which separate the foyer from the area with the sunken floor and stories-high ceilings.  I think this would make an amazing restaurant and my friend thinks it should be made into a club.  I don't know if it's for sale, but would someone with more money than me please, please buy it and make a fortune.  Here are some of the furniture pieces they had for sale that I liked...