I realized that I had not done a Real Housewives Real Estate in a while and thought that Mary Schmidt Amons house would be a great one to showcase. Why? Well simply because it's AWESOME!! She lives in a wealthy suburb of D.C. A few she boasts as neighbors: Colin Powell, Ethel Kennedy and Dick Cheney.

Here is Mary in her living room... I love the easy going personality and seeing how her laid back attitude keeps her sane in dealing with both her friends and family. Does anyone know- is the RHODC coming back?? Or did those crazy Salahis ruin it for everyone?

Anyway- onto the house tour! Here is their family room. Love the cowhide rug and the doggie, obviously. A pet makes a house a home :) If you are interested in any of the items in Mary's house, you can find a source list here.



So nice to see the family showcased in the piece of art above the mantle in the dining room- such a sweet touch. Another sweet note- many of the paintings displayed throughout the home are the work of Mary's daughter- Lolly.

I would definitely classify Mary's home as 'grand', but all of the spaces don't feel too overwhelming. This is especially true in the kitchen. It looks like a true family kitchen- and I love the use of different barstools at the island. And of course, the carrera marble countertops are perfection.

The living room continues the elegant but comfortable feel...

And there's a Pucci chair. Fab. And a black/gold convex mirror. Double fab. Mary has some incredible heirlooms in her house. From the monogrammed lighter that belonged to Mary's grandfather to the antique sconces, I love the sense of history and the story behind the pieces.

The master bath is gorg. I do wish those mirrors were windows, though. Oh wells.

The infamous closet. I loved the trials and tribulations Mary went through trying to keep her daughter out of it... reminded me so much of my home growing up. I know there were a few times my mom wanted to kill me over invading her closet. Sorry Momma!

All images via here.

Mary has done a great job making her very traditional home contemporary and fun while still maintaining the classy vibe.

What you ya'll think? Do you have a favorite Real Housewives house?

Thankful Thursdays: Twenty Something

I have posted about my love of online magazines before, but I am feeling especially thankful for them recently. This past month, I had the opportunity to contribute to an awesome new(ish!) online mag- Twenty Something!

Twenty Something is an online magalogue that focuses on fashion, style, travel and the arts... so it really is a perfect place for my ramblings to find another home... well, besides the good ole MSC blog, that is! :)

Be sure to check out the website here and find the October issue here.

I also want to share a quote from a man who truly changed the world we live in and will no doubt be greatly missed by many: ‎'Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.' Steve Jobs.

I am also oh so thankful to live in a world where people can follow their dreams.

So tell me, what are you thankful for today??

**Photo attribution for pics used in my TS article can be found here and here.**

Chouse Powder Room

This is what I would like the powder room in our Chouse to look like.

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Or like this...

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Or maybe even like this...


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I always think of powder rooms to be a place to go big or go home. So, giving ours an update has been on my list for a while now. But since the Hubs probably wouldn't appreciate the Scalamandre wallpaper as much as I do, I am thinking something a bit more tame. Let's remember what we started with (please note- this pic is from when we were house hunting and it was staged) The. bathroom. was. teal. 

So that would be level 0. This past weekend I began the painting process.... aaaaand I only got done with the priming portion.

So as of now, we are at level 0.5. Level 1 would be totally painted. Hopefully that will happen this week/next weekend. The paint I am using is Benjamin Moore Senora Gray.

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Level 2 will be stenciling with this fabulous pattern.

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I really want to do RED, but will probably end up doing white.

Level 3 will be accessories. Thinking I will def. incorporate some red, gold and orange. Who knows what I will end up with. I do have to remember that this is technically Daisy's bedroom (we keep her crate in here).... I think she will be pleased with the updates!

For the love of red. Part 2.

Aaaaand, we're back for another round of "guess Emily's favorite color!" Super thrilling, I know. As I have posted here and here, I do love me some red. Luckily for me, this season it is absolutely everywhere! Some might call it red.... hot?..... ha!

Sorry for the bad pun. ANYWAY, I thought I would share some more images I have come across recently because I just knew that's exactly what ya'll wanted to see today, riiiight?

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After seeing this room (Colorado Homes & Lifestyles “Home of the Year” by Andrea Schumacher), I want to paint the vanity in our powder room red and do a graphic wallpaper... crazy thoughts, I tell you!

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This room is craze... but I still am kind of into it.

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Of course this is Jenna Lyons' office...



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Hope you all had a great weekend! We were pretty low key. I did start working on the powder room. I didn't make as much progress as I would have liked, but at least I got started! I will share progress later this week.

Hart of Dixie fashion (for less obvi)

Rachel Bilson is pretty much one my top style icons. In Hart of Dixie (which premired Tuesday but I just watched last night) she did not let me down on the fashion front..... still not 100% sold on the show (the Hubs literally called the entire plot), but I will probably watch it for outfit inspiration alone.

Not surprisingly, alot of the items she wears are designer. Chanel, Marc Jacobs, Valentino...you get the picture.

Here and here.

But that shouldn't stop anyone from recreating the looks... just for a bit less. Here are some key pieces.

Look #1:

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ok ok, this doesn't have the stripes, but it is sheer and v v cute.

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Look #2

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Look #3:

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No contrast trim, but it is suede, cognac colored and has the pocket detail...

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Did you watch Hart of Dixie? Were the delivering a baby on the fly and "the man I thought was my father actually isn't" moments too much for you??