drum roll please...

via flickr

i feel like we should pop a bottle of champagne to celebrate our first post! it has been something jill and i have been chatting about since march and to see it here is really exciting!

so, i am elle (of the jill and elle blog authors for the blue house) and to introduce ourselves and our new blog we thought it would be fun to answer a few questions to add color to who we are.

via house beautiful

favorite color combination?

this is really tough. i think i have to answer that by saying my favorite color combo today is….because it is constantly changing! this season I just can’t seem to get enough pale soft rose pink with poppy and a blue turquoise. i love jade or teal with mustard and olive. I also love a bright pinky magenta with a pale aqua or baby blue. and anything with grey!

describe your home and personal style?

living in new york city “home” is a bit of a stretch ;) no, i love our place you just can’t keep your standards too high in this city. i have definitely learned to appreciate the little things like windows and natural light, even walls and dishwashers or bathrooms that aren’t right off the kitchen! my husband and i have a great 1930’s prewar apartment in the chelsea area that we moved into about 4 month ago. we have really tried to make it home! i love painting, hunting for furniture, and mixing new and old treasures to make it special and unique, expressing our style and where we are in our lives.

obsessing about right now?

I can’t wait to try on the new signature silk blouses by the line equipment. they are the perfect combination of flowy elegance and everyday comfort. the very thing to throw on with your favorite jeans and a cross body bag for afternoon errands or tucked in to a tailored pencil skirt with a sleek belt to impress that highbrow client.

via Trilogy Stores

via house beautiful

what do u like about ur city?

i love the opportunities and experiences that are available everyday. i love the endless energy- whether it is the culture surrounding you as you walk down the street, or the laundry list of restaurants you never make it through, or the dynamic people you meet that want to listen to your story and share theirs. i love that the city is always teaching you, changing you, pushing you and tempting you…

fave restaurant right now or one u have been wanting to try?

hmm…that is a tough one. i always have an email draft of restaurants i am dying to go to in ny…both oldies and new ones. i really can’t say i have a favorite…i have loved my experiences at joseph leonard for brunch lately, and morandi for a great burrata with roasted tomato appetizer and a good red wine al fresco, and i can’t seem to go wrong with little owl or l’artusi for a good cozy vibe. a few off the laundry list to try are locanda verde, recette and fatty crab.

via Amy Neunsinger

via elle decor

favorite item in your home and reason behind it…

i would have to say the framed naked woman sketch in our entry way. It is a black and white sketch that i found while cleaning out my grandmothers house. a friend of tutu (my grandmother) did it for her years ago, and i found the original draft (which my mom framed)…so now i have one too. i love the feel of it..very vintage glam. and against our black walls it really works!

via Amy Neunsinger

via martha stewart

how long have u and jill known each other?

we met about 8 years ago this month! we are so blessed to have become such amazing friends because we have realized over the years that no matter how far apart we are we still have SO much in common. we always pick up where we left off and love hearing about the other ones latest obsession from a table to a color to a plate or shirt or pattern- it never seems to gets old!

nail polish of the season?

oh gosh…lets see, a blush pink mani (maybe opi privacy please) and an orangy red for the toes- something like monsooner or later.

where do you want to go on your next vacation? realistic or not ;)

i have a list for that too! there are so many places…and just never enough time. here are my top three (ok four): greece, the south of france (actually paris too)- cote d'azur and provence…i also would love to see some of south America…Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Peru, and then there is always new zealand ;)

what was the last really memorable meal you had?

my husband and i drove to cape cod for the weekend at the end of june, and we stayed in chatham. We had the most amazing oysters and wine on the veranda at chatham bars inn overlooking the picturesque anchored boats at sunset on the atlantic. it was perfect!

can't wait to share more!!

xoxo

elle.

what is the blue house?

i am jill, of the elle and jill team, here to answer a few questions about who i am and what we are all about here at the blue house.....

WHAT IS THE BLUE HOUSE?

finding a name for our blog, and a good name at that, was the only thing that really stumped elle and i. we knew we wanted something that wouldn't pinpoint us as a decor blog, or a travel blog, or a foodie blog... because we wanted it to be all of those things and more! we basically just wanted a place to put all the things that inspired us under one roof. the name 'the blue house' came about as a name for our blog because there actually is a blue house! elle and i lived there with 5 of our girlfriends our last year in college. it was a fantastic 7 bedroom, full-of-charm-and-character, old but renovated, victorian house that was painted baby blue with white trim. we came to lovingly know it (forever) as the blue house. each girl we lived there with brought their own uniqueness to the house and we were inspired by it all... it was also known to throw killer parties ;)
the address to our blue house was 1700 louisiana, so we thought it was fitting that it became the address to our blog as well.

DESCRIBE YOUR HOME AND PERSONAL STYLE

my little 50's bungalow sits on a quiet street, looking across onto a golf course. when my husband and i purchased it a year ago, it was a time warp. the previous owners who had lived there for 50 years, hadn't touched it since the 70's! we tore out an unreal amount of carpet and found original hardwoods everywhere! it was quite the find, but quite the task... we ended up refinishing them ourselves. we are still working on bathrooms and other small projects but it has become OURS. plus all the pride that comes with these 3 little letters, DIY, is indescribable.

i would say my style is definitely a mix of old with new, full of color and pattern. i have new modern furniture next to antiques. i love thrifting and refinishing furniture, i love antique stores, and i love lucite... if i had to say one word, i'd say it was quite eclectic.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT YOUR CITY?

i like kansas city because it's sort of a secret big city. it is full of design, creativity, art, places-to-go-and-people-to-see. there is certainly some great shopping and eating! it's the midwest, people here are friendly. everyone has a sense of pride for our little big city. this article in elle decor says it all :)

FAVE RESTAURANT RIGHT NOW, OR ONE YOU HAVE BEEN WANTING TO TRY?

that is a tough question. my all time favorite restaurant is in paris, called cafe st. germain. it is situated in one of my favorite areas, the latin quarter (and has my most favorite goat cheese salad). kind of trendy but very local. in kansas city, i would say my current favorite is la bodega... a little tapas place my husband and i have been liking lately. it changes from time to time, but this is always a fun go-to.

YOUR NAIL POLISH OF THE SEASON?

my all time fave is OPI, my chihuahua bites... its an orangey-coral. it looks especially delightful on tanned toes.

FAVORITE COLOR COMBINATION?

i love that magenta purple color you are seeing everywhere right now, with a beige or grey or cream... beautiful. my most favorite color is turquoise and that can go with pretty much anything it feels like. i love it with red and powder blue... i love it with white... or an olivey green like the picture to the left. the color combo i used in my wedding, that will always have a place in my heart: shades of coral, blush pink, orange, gold, white, and touches of turquoise.


WHAT ARE YOU OBSESSING ABOUT RIGHT NOW?

being outside! i love outdoor spaces and entertaining. i am also finding myself being drawn to symmetrical arrangements... broad cabana stripes... and brightly painted front doors.


WHERE DO YOU WANT TO GO ON YOUR NEXT VACATION? REALISTIC OR NOT ;)

my husband and i, we love to travel!! i would like to go australia for our next vacation... my favorite uncle lives there and i think that is a great excuse for a visit! then italy, the south of france, and greece... then spain and portugal. my favorite island in the caribbean is grenada and i would love to go back there again and again! then brazil... and hawaii... and all around the uk... we have a long to-do list :)

WHAT WAS THE LAST MEMORABLE MEAL YOU HAD?

we just got back from a 2 week stay in paris and i can tell you that would be every macaroon i ate (and there were a few)!! every flavor, every one. love them.



FAVORITE ITEM IN YOUR HOME AND REASON BEHIND IT?
whenever i go anywhere, i always buy something for our house. i love all of the things we have collected so far. hopefully when we're old, my husband and i can look around our house and it will be filled with beautiful things that remind us of all the places we've been.

thanks for reading :)

JILL