Be Our Guest

Entertaining
May 13, 2014

Good morning Lacquered Lifers! Mr. B and I are heading into a few weeks of houseguests, and so I have “getting the guest room ready” on my mind. There is a list of things that I check off that I think are essential to making a guest feel comfortable that are a bit above the obvious clean sheets, clean towels, and advil. I put books on the bedside tables that are easy to pick up and read a few pages of and put down, especially books with facts about your town or city. I leave cocktail napkins on the bedside tables, so that guests can feel comfortable putting their water down anywhere, as well as a carafe which I fill with ice water every evening. Don’t forget the small dish for jewelry or cufflinks, and a notepad for writing down that flight confirmation number for when your guests are rebooking their flights to stay longer. It is these little things that make a guest feel right at home, and why your friends will keep coming to visit. Below are some of my favorite guest room must haves.

Visions of Laundry

Architecture
May 9, 2014

What is it about getting back from a vacation and feeling like you need another one when tackling all the laundry? I put off the unpacking yesterday because I couldn’t face the laundry, but today is laundry day and I will be spending a lot of time in my butlers pantry where we have hidden our washer and dryer under the countertop and behind some cabinet doors. This is one of those small space solutions that people are always amazed that we came up with, but honestly I think when you’re coming from an apartment in New York, you will get as creative as possible to have the luxury of a washer/dryer in your house. Remember that historic house restoration in Mississippi I shared a couple weeks ago? Well this is the laundry room, and today I am extremely jealous. Although I am quite content doing laundry in the butlers pantry, one day I am going to have a dedicated laundry room that I hope is as attractive and organized as this one. I guess you have officially grown up when what you’re fantasizing about is a large organized laundry room. Happy Friday!

Church Street photo by Francesco Lagnese, Mississippi photo via Country Living Magazine

A Very Happy Anniversary

Life
May 5, 2014

It has been two years since our wedding day, and in celebration of our anniversary I thought I would share some of our wedding photos. I have never shared any wedding photos – not on the blog, or on Facebook – so you’re seeing them here first. As Drayton Hall no longer does events at the site, we were so fortunate to have had our wedding there. As you can see from the pictures, Drayton Hall really stole the show. If you’re ever in the Charleston area, I strongly encourage you visit Drayton Hall – built in 1738, it is the finest example of Georgian Palladian architecture in the country. A big thank you to RLE Charleston, Leigh Webber Photography, and of course, Mr. B for a perfect day.