Monday

Inspired White

New on the scene this week is a class bamboo-design floor lamp from Bungalow 5.
The Savannah Floor Lamp is sleek and simple, but carries an elegance and style thanks to the exceptional design. White lacquered base and white paper shade make this lamp such an easy fit in any room. Just for fun, here's a round up of a few other "white" favorites.
Coco Oval Mirror is hand-made of white fiberglass, then tipped with silver detail. Studly Side Table from Worlds Away is sleek and modern with it's nickel hardware and base. Living room or bedroom, it's a piece of furniture that you will likely move from room to room. Finally the Astor White Containers - this collection of Italian Ceramics brings couture accessories to the everyday home. Now you have the inside scoop on white picks!



Share/Save/Bookmark

Thursday

Bungalow 5-Grasscloth Table in Navy Blue & Red

Always bold and sophisticated, Bungalow 5 continues to entice us with their latest collection. What other company could take a simple "parsons-style" table and give it a twist? Luca Rensi, the genius behind the Bungalow 5 look, has done just that. The iconic design now boasts a lacquered grasscloth finish for a high-definition look. In addition to the White, Black and Brown palette, their most recent colors include Red and Navy Blue. Certainly never afraid of a little color, Bungalow 5 gets it right again with the perfect shade of these classic colors to blend with any decor.
Navy Blue Parsons Coffee Table is simple in form, allowing the rich color to speak for itself.
A close up view of the Red Grasscloth shows amazing texture on this fun piece.
The Red Parsons Console Table is vibrant and enhances everything around it. Lacquered finish gives durability to furniture in high traffic areas.
My favorite look with the Red Parsons Console Table is to pair it with the Zebra Ceramic Stool. Place in the entry of your home for immediate impact. We added the Silver Mercury Lamp from Arteriors Home, but there are many lighting options to put on this classic table. Perhaps a wooden lamp or a clear glass lamp - take your pick. With pieces this versatile, you are sure to move them from room to room and create a new look each time.

Share/Save/Bookmark

Tuesday

Thanks Topsy Turvy Blog

Big thank you to my friend Lana over at Topsy Turvy Design Blog for the mention today in her post. See her photo below...

It's not often that bloggers get a chance to meet and become friends, but Lana and I found each other by accident a couple of years ago and discovered that we both live in Tampa, FL. Over the years, we've attended neighborhood home tours, shopped for fabric and enjoyed lunch at various locations around Tampa. I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Lana and have learned that it's important to surround yourself with positive people and energy. Thanks Lana for the inspiration and support!


Share/Save/Bookmark

Friday

Organize Party Invites and Photos

So it's that time of year when all of the party invitations start to take over my desk. Each one is so cute and really should be on full display in some place besides the refrigerator door, right? I went in search of a decorative wall card holder and guess what? I actually found 2 that are handcrafted of repurposed steel that I just love!
This round one above is really fun and holds plenty. You can add in cute photos of your friends, maybe coupons and other VIP bits of paper. Round shape is $58.00.However if you need more spots to hang up the reminders, how about this rectangular shaped one above for $68.00. The best part about purchasing these products is that they have been reconfigured from other materials, so if you have been looking to "Go Green," this might be something you can handle.


I'm now encouraged to take all of those cute party invitations and stationary and put them up for everyone to see. Above are a few from Kate Spade that I really like. I think "Hello Sunshine" is my favorite! Kinda goes with the whole "green" thing.

Share/Save/Bookmark

Tuesday

Poets Garden Pillows

Nothing like a rainy day to make you appreciate great weather. While we've been "on alert" today for tornado warnings, I found myself drawn to this image of pleasing pillows.
Called the "Poets Garden", each pillow brings about a different thought or feeling. Group them together and you have a story. Ikat looks right at home next to a simple bird on a branch. Mix in solid pillows to blend the look and colors. For a minute, I almost forgot about my Palm Trees that are touching the ground outside!

Share/Save/Bookmark

Monday

Clayton Gray Home - Opening April 15th

I'm excited that the opening of Clayton Gray Home is right around the corner, thanks to all of my friends and family who have worked tirelessly to help load products, write material and just provide general support. I have to take a moment to list them individually, so please bear with me. They are near and dear to my heart!

(no certain order here )

Cecilia at Itty Bitty Ladybug - thank you for making time for me whenever I call or email, I can never completely express to you how thankful I am to have you in my life. You would never know it, but Cecilia was an attorney in her former life (before kids). I'm convinced she had too much creative talent to be in the legal world. If you haven't checked out her site to see first hand what she is capable of, please do. It will make you so happy!


Yoly at YnotShop - the inspiration that nudged me into this web business back in 2005. After sifting through idea after idea, Yoly helped me pinpoint a business idea that would bring eclectic decor to those who love to shop 24/7. Ynot Shop is a great site with fun accessories that I have personally shopped from on many occassion. She and her Mom (who is absolutely darling!) run this site and are the fashion guru's around here.

Leigh at Webs by Leigh - now here is a web designer that is all heart! Seriously - Clayton Gray Home is the 2nd website that Leigh has put together for me, so that says a lot, that we both agreed to work with each other a 2nd time. Leigh was able to decipher all of the massive amounts of "stuff" that I sent her, and put it into something that reflected just what I wanted. She has also taken the time to show me how to do things myself, and that skill has made all the difference in being able to be in this business.

Gabe - MinuteMan - just a little plug here for my newest friend that is a graphic genius. Like Leigh, this creative guy has taken fragments of attachments and made them into workable pieces. After receiving multiple emails from me with just a "few minor tweaks" (haha!), he still takes my calls. Gabe was intuitive to what I needed and extremely fast.
Amber - Spa Jardin and Melt Out - anyone who is lucky enough to have Amber Prida as a friend is lucky period. Spa Jardin was one of my first commercial design projects and through the project, Amber and I became close friends. Amber has an amazing business sense about her, which no doubt spurred on the opening of her second location, Melt Out. I knew from the first time we had our "cards read" in New Orleans, that Amber was someone that I would know for a very long time.

Elaine - no company, just an amazing friend and the creater of "Detox Days" (which is not what you think). During my "transition time," Elaine instituted "Detox Days" which would be a day (or two) when we would get together, during the week while the kids are in school, and sit around by the pool doing nothing much of anything. Now for very busy people like ourselves, this was extremely hard to do. Our goal was to have healthy meals, relax our minds, talk about encouraging and positive subjects and just be together as friends. Aside from a few "too healthy" tasting smoothies, we've set this up as a weekly must-do.

My Family

Steve - extremely supportive, thoughtful and attentive husband of 15 years who patiently entertained kids on Spring Break, while I worked like crazy to get Clayton Gray Home up and running. I think this is turning into an "about me" page, but that's okay. Below is a photo of my better half, who I can thank for getting me into the world of Facebook.

My kids - Jack Clayton (8) and Grayson Caroline (11) - you might notice their names sound familiar. Since Clayton Gray Home is now my 3rd child, thought it appropriate to include everyone in the naming process. These kids keep me going.

Mom - thank goodness for Mom! We are fortunate enough to have her under our roof, where she jumps in and helps with everything. My friends are constantly telling me how lucky I am to have her here, and I constantly agree. With my Mom, anything is possible and she's ready to help make it happen. She has always been this way, and likely why I am where I am today.



So to wrap it all up, I am rich with friends and family and felt I needed to take a moment to acknowledge them.

***

Clayton Gray Home is for those looking for a source of an eclectic, yet practical mix of home décor styles and products. We offer to bring trusted manufacturers that we are all familiar with as well as our own creations. Traditional, Modern and Urban shoppers will find something here as we pledge to find products that are mindful of our environment and look fabulous too!


Share/Save/Bookmark