SKULL OR SHOULDER?

I know several bloggers have posted about the trend of incorporating deer (or any other massive animal's) antlers in home decor, but my post involves a personal encounter. Brandon loves to hunt - deer, pheasants, birds, you name it! And I love when he hunts because it gives me a free weekend of shopping and home re-arranging without him watching! 


Well,  a few weekends ago Brandon shot the big one. I say that because he is very generous when he pulls the trigger ... he likes to wait until he knows it is bigger than his last kill and will make a good "trophy." This is the first deer he has shot in the five years I have known him if that tells you anything. Here is a picture of him with his new bff. (I hope no animal lovers take offense to this post - we do eat the meat and donate some as well)

pardon the phone pic

I have started to decorate Melrose with a few natural elements, but I am not a huge fan of turning her into a hunting lodge or log cabin. I like them in the perfect place. Using antlers, or other natural elements, strategically in a room can be so chic and sophisticated. Especially since they provide substantial depth and height while still being neutral enough to not overpower a room. They are also a great way to offset a room that seems too feminine or glamourous. 


Now that Brandon has noticed I like rustic, natural items, he is gung-ho on displaying his new bff in Melrose. Which I am fine with, only in my style of course! There are 2 options when mounting a deer (that I know of): skull only or a classic shoulder mount. Now, first off I despise the shoulder mount, but after seeing these photos I second guessed that decision.

I think these shoulder mounts were executed in the perfect manner. The last photo with the mount of the black wall is exquisite. All of the rooms are still subtle and neutral without looking like my husband's dream vacation. Although these photos can be convincing, Brandon decided on a skull mount which I am anxious to see. This is what he showed me it will be similar to:

I am possibly thinking about removing the plaque so it is just the skull. These mounts are definitely not as massive as the full head, but can be more discreet when displayed. I like that the antlers are so organic and are not a symmetrical element. There are many more animals you can mount than just deer - one day I hope to have moose or elk antlers (hint, hint Brandon). Check out these beautiful photos:

 hat rack anyone?

love the bleached skull on the white wall and the saturated brown antlers provide just enough contrast against the starkness of the room

What do you think? If you want antlers on a smaller scale, check out these mini collections of mounted antlers.

Ballard Designs and Home Decorators have great options for achieving this look. You can also find real antlers on Etsy as well. 


Another natural element I have become fond of for home decor is turtle shells. Again, the brown and caramel tones are a perfect neutral to mix in with current decor. I am on the hunt for a large one in good condition to display in Melrose somewhere. Here are some inspiration images I have found through the design world.

 naturally chic paired with a pop of gold

 I want this size!

Brandon's skull mount is scheduled to make its appearance in the master bedroom above the bed so I will keep you posted! The master is currently undergoing a full overhaul so stay tuned for B&A pictures! (if the furniture will hurry up and get delivered! I have all ready received two late shipping emails!)


Do you have any natural elements currently displayed in your abode? Or are you a fan of this style? Please share!

all photo sources can be found through my pinterest board

FALL FAVORITES

Now that it is finally cooler around Birmingham, I wanted to share some of my new favorite fall items that get me in the festive mood. Let me say, I do like cool, fall breeze weather - not freezing, takes you 15 minutes to get bundled up for outside weather! But, I am excited about sitting around a fire at Melrose! [as soon as we get a chimney sweeper over there!]

sources also available through my pinterest

ONE : chunky cowl scarf
TWO : great lakes trapper hat - I think I need this for our Christmas trip to DC!
THREE : jcrew quilted vest (but in navy blue)
FOUR : report 'belzer' boot - I am currently sporting these and I love them, the height is fantastic!
FIVE : steven 'pembrook' bootie - doesn't everyone need one tall boot and one short???
SIX: nestle sugar cookie creamer - loving this in my morning cup of joe right now!
SEVEN : madewell silk blouse
EIGHT : h&m fur vest


Do you have any new fall favorites? Please share!

WATER DETOX: update

So ... lets just say it was a combination of Halloween (candy) and tailgating for AU football that made this detox not such a great idea last week. Don't get me wrong, it definitely flushed me out, but I did not obey the "eat reasonably" rule to loose any substantial pounds. 


Overall - I think it is worth trying because it tastes good and helps detoxify your body. During my research I read that several ladies drink it on a normal basis to help their bodies stay slim. 


If you have better results than me, please share! I'm not giving up though - I will try again and succeed! 

WATER DETOX

Haven't you all seen this water detox recipe popping up everywhere on Pinterest? Well, it spurred my (and 2 co-workers') interest so much that we decided to try it! I mean, why not? It is all simple ingredients, you can eat normal, and Jillian Michaels created it -  so we figured we would be the guinea pigs! We ordered the dandelion root from Amazon (I think you can probably find it at Whole Foods too) and got started!

I am on day 3 and the drink is delicious (if you like lemon water) and it truly flushes you out. The color of the mixture is deceiving, but don't be scared! I did some research and most articles say this drink helps with digestion and detoxification - both help with weight loss.

I'll report back next Thursday after my full week of detoxing and tell you how many pounds/inches were lost so you can determine if you want to try it too!

Have any of you all ready tried this water detox?

BOOK REVIEW: farm anatomy

My wonderful Dad turned 55 last weekend and to celebrate I got him this beautifully illustrated book, Farm Anatomy by Julia Rothman. I knew he would enjoy it because of his love for cooking and raising chickens. I have seen reviews of this book floating around blog land, so if you have seen some inside pages all ready - my apologies, and if not, enjoy because this book is amazing!

Here is a brief description Julia wrote on her blog about the release of Farm Anatomy:

It’s 224 pages of paintings, mostly diagrams and charts, with some writing about all the parts of a farm. For example, there are illustrations that show the parts of a pig, kinds of tractors, varieties of barns, all the different squash, bugs that are good and bad for your garden, and a chart of all the tools you can find on a farm. There’s also recipes, a few craft projects and lots of how-tos (how to make cheese, split wood, cut up a chicken, make a rag rug, can tomatoes…).

I love the way she created this book. You can definitely tell it was a labor of love and so worth the time. Design*Sponge recently had a great review (and giveaway!) of the book where Julia explained her designed process:

While the artwork looks like each illustration is a complete painting, in actuality, it is made up of many pieces. A book goes through many rounds of editing, so it didn’t make sense to make final paintings until everything was reviewed. Instead, I made the layouts through a series of steps. This way, anything could be easily revised. I started the artwork in ink, doing just the lines of the drawings in large sketchbooks. All of the titles and a lot of the text were written out by hand, so that had to be drawn, as well.

I really love her style and enjoyed seeing how she used several techniques to layer to create her book. Check out these images of her hand lettering, illustrations, watercolor, and layouts she used while creating the book:

above images from Design*Sponge

After a year of editing, the book was complete and hit the market October 1st. I pre-ordered mine through Amazon so it arrived shortly after the release date. After looking through my Dad's copy, I really want my own! How many times do you find yourself in the grocery store standing at the meat counter with no clue on whose shoulder is whose and where that roast came from and what are you supposed to do with those tips!?!? I love to cook and try new recipes so I think this book could really help solve those questions. Here are some more pictures of the final interior of the book:

all images from book by its cover

Does this book interest you?