Classic with a Twist

IDS Fall Social: Outdoor Living Pt. 2

Now that you've seen the before and after pics of my outdoor living area,
here is a little summary of how we enjoy it!

Texas weather has been perfect, and as the current President of the DFW Chapter,
my board members and I were privileged to host the Interior Design Society
at my house last week...
under the stars.

It was fantastic to socialize with 20 other area designers-

who have become great friends as well.

Anne Marie, Paula and I solving MAJOR design dilemmas-

Sweet Gaylynn and Kendra... love them both:)

Glamorous Kathy and Sheri-

Talented Barbara, Rita, Michelle and Lori

Kristy and I getting a kick out of something????

Nancy and my Princess, Ozzy (who is a boy trapped in girl's fur... more on him another time!)

The crew playing a game... hmmm- we found out some very interesting

tidbits about one another that night!

My role is President will end in December, but they will see me at the

IDS National Conference in

Vegas this January...

sporting my new role as Past President:)!

Thank you Alba for taking pictures and the rest of the chapter for just being you!

(on that note... if you are a DFW Interior Designer looking for support in the industry, educational opportunities, and more-

Check out http://www.interiordesignsociety.org/ or http://www.idsdfw.com/.

Until next time,

Traci

Saturday, October 23, 2010 Comments: 1

Before and After: My Yard...Outdoor Living

Here you go... a sneak peek (I get asked for this a lot!).

While every designer's house is always a work in progress,
mine has come along in the two years we've lived here.

There are several photos on my newly updated website, but I will
feature some of my favorite spaces from time to time... starting with the outside-
since that is where we all need to be these days!

Outdoor spaces are all the rage!

Let's go backwards-

After:

We were so pleased to find a resale home in Plano with a larger yard...

(to all my Georgia readers... this is considered large here!)

Thank you to our realtor, Mary Anne Collins with Keller Williams, for sticking it out!

I'm not sure what is the best feature...

Mike would say "television" or better yet the "grill"...

Austin would say the "Xbox" capability and I would say "the fireplace"... period.

Avery would probably wouldn't have an opinion (which would be the first time),

but if she had to come up with something it would be the "mini fridge".

(the fans were pretty nice in July and August)

Who knew that recliners were made for the outdoors???!!! Father's Day gift-

Here are some great shots by the talented photographer who shoots my finished projects-

Chris Hottel

Love the close ups-

Finally replaced the dead wood below and splurged on gas logs-

Before:

We did redo the pool as well (original from 1992) and we took out the diving board...

sore subject in our house!

Here are some pictures of the process:

I consider myself a lucky girl... and the outdoor living is toward the bottom of the list:)

If you are thinking "outside the box" and considering adding another room to your home-

Call me... it's the perfect time of year!

Until next time,

Traci

Before:

Thursday, October 21, 2010 Comments: 2

CSN Stores Giveaway!

If you missed my latest ezine on coffee table ottomans, you are in luck!

I shared with you many ways to use the ottoman coffee table in your space and

now I'd like to show you where to buy them... at a great price!

CSN stores has a beautiful selection and are now offering to give one of my lucky readers a

$35 one time use Promo Code to use at any one of their 200+ stores!

Put it towards....

this beauty at the foot of your bed

or...

this would be great in the family room (note the pull out tray:)

and...

this guy in a media room (top comes off for extra storage)

or...

a few of these clustered together with a sectional?

View tons more at this CSN link...

http://www.allcoffeetables.com/Ottomans-C10719.html

or put your 35 bucks toward any CSN store you'd like.

On to the winning!

***Contest is Closed!***
Congrats to Liz of
Quiltz'n'Hoez
for the wining entry!

Entry Requirements:

***Leave a comment on my blog***

(1 entry)

*when asked to select a profile, type your name...
you do not have to be a blogger!

That's it! You are done!

For extra entries and more chances to win, see below and leave a separate
comment for each extra entry stating what you did!

1. Follow my blog publicly (3 entries) ... become a follower.

2. Follow Connell Interiors on Twitter
(1 entry)

3. Sign up for my e newsletter at http://www.connellinteriors.com/

(1 entry)

4. Blog about this giveaway and post a link to your blog post in the comments below

(2 entries)

5. Place my button on the side bar of your blog

(2 entries)

6. Become a fan of Connell Interiors on Facebook

(1 entry)

Giveaway will end at 11:59 p.m., Thursday, October 21, 2010. Giveaway open to both U.S. and Canada.
I will contact the winner by email and the winner will have 2 days to get back to me for delivery details.
Limit one set of entries per household please.

Here are the tips from my E-newsletter:

Go to http://www.connellinteriors.com/ to sign up and never miss an issue!

Have you ever considered purchasing a cocktail

ottoman instead of a coffee table?

If not, here are 4 reasons why you should!

#1 PROP... your feet! The most obvious function of using an
ottoman is to prop up those feet! Comfort is the key and why don't look you good doing it?
No wood to scratch and here's the chance to add another gorgeous fabric to your room.

#2 STORE...your stuff! Who doesn't crave more storage?
Lift the lid and keep throw blankets, kid's toys, magazines, games and extra pillows hidden away. Also a good choice with babies learning to walk... bump resistant!

#3 SIT... your buns! Extra seating is a bonus when having a crowd over. Pull the ottoman to the side and your guests will have a comfortable seat to watch the flick.

#4 REST... your glass! Using trays on ottomans is really no big deal! They give you one more place to use a great accessory and it is perfect for holding your drinks and snacks.

For style and function in your most used room, give me a call!

*CSN Stores contacted me to host a giveaway. I did not receive any payment, compensation, or products for my participation, and my opinions are my own.

Good luck!

Traci

Images via* www.csnstores.com

Sunday, October 17, 2010 Comments: 47

Rods and Tassels: Not your ordinary window treatment

Yes, I am the proud owner of a Softball team!

The owner has been quite busy lately, and unfortunately had not attended any of her team's games...

until last night!

I was there to RALLY my team since they are on a losing streak and while we didn't get a

W in the win column, we did have a great showing... 15-9! Progress!!!!!

As a unique form of advertising for an Interior Design firm, the name had to be "relevant" and the colors, were of course, my choice... hence the turquoise!

BFF, Kristen, created the logo and I will leave out how we came up with the name:)

Here are some highlights:

Hubby, at shortstop, with an unbelievable catch and

BFF Donna showing her cheerleading move on 3rd!

Just a bloody knee and elbow this game... mild.

If you haven't tried it, over 40 softball can be quite suspenseful:)

My girls can bat!!!

and Sherps...

Very good form for the old timers...

(are they reliving the past... or what?)

You may ask me, "Why do you own the team rather than play?"

While I consider myself somewhat athletic, here's my response...

"Let's just say... I've never played a sport with a ball:)"

Tuesday, October 12, 2010 Comments: 6

I never really thought this was "my look" but I just love it! After hearing all the buzz and reading about Laurie Anna's Vintage Home in the Dallas Morning News,

I knew I had to make a stop while in Canton.

First you may ask... what was Traci doing in Canton?

From my last visit to First Monday Trade Days,

I remember lots of cutesy crafts and dogs in strollers. This time, I tagged

along with two BFF's who were on a mission for some home accessories.

I'm glad I went!