Peacock Pavilions: Looking Fine and Doing Good In Marrakesh.

If you're feeling extra sweet this week - gave away the last piece of pizza, made awkward small talk with a nice stranger - it's because of the stars.  Today the moon moves into Aquarius for the next two months and this is supposed to be a time for humanitarian acts, so says New Age people.  The cosmos WANTS you to put a few extra bucks into the Starbucks tip jar.  Even when they aren't looking, George Costanza.

In conjunction (astrology humor!) with this cosmological occurrence, this seems like a good time to introduce you to the story of the most stylish humanitarian on this side of the galaxy: Peacock Pavilions and its owner/designer/mom Maryam Montague. 

You've probably put your eyeballs on said pavilion many a time and didn't even know it.  You've probably pinned it - I did - I didn't even know it.  Well, I'm about to learn you real good.

Maryam, caftan enthusiast/nice person/blog friend, and her architect husband, Chris Redecke, decided to settle their family on an olive grove in Marrakesh and build an eco-conscious boutique hotel and resort.  As you do.  

So together they designed and decorated Peacock Pavilions, a box waiting to be checked on every design blogger's bucket list for obvious reasons.

This is her office where she overlooks the olive grove.

My office has a drawer full of nothing but hand lotion and Claritin...

This place could give us lessons in curtains.

But it ain't all Elle Decor spreads and Lonny covers, Maryam travels Africa and the world fighting for human rights and democracy.  She has a standing date with Amal Clooney to talk about running nations and fashion.  I made up the last sentence but I bet it's true.

I let a jerk merge in front of me in traffic the other day so I GET what it's like to devote your life to helping the less fortunate.  I live my life with compassion.

I think I need to live my life in Morocco too.

And in case you were distracted by all the good deeds, don't forget the staircase:

But since I'm a one trick pony with exceptional taste, I can't help but be drawn to her bedroom which is full of winter whites (do they have winter in Morocco?).  I guess if you aren't feeling the bleak midwintery vibe of the last post here's something in warmer weather for you.

BRASS DOOR FRAME.

It also has some custom wall stencils which might be the only wall stencils I didn't know I even wanted until I saw it.  

I custom made a headboard recently out of a Goodwill reject, scrap fabric and staples so I too like to surround myself with luxury.

I think this proves the point that if you're gonna go monochromatic you have to have a lot of texture.  Preferably if it's a pillow with a mohawk but you do you.

Sequins are approved, as well.

A window seat also helps.  Pretty sure you can only drink creamy drinks in here: lattes, Frappuccinos, White Russians.  If you drank a red Gatorade (or the Moroccan equivalent) in here it would probably give you heartbearn. [MS sidebar: I misspelled heartburn and couldn't figure out why it was wrong for about three minutes but like it better this way so we all have to switch.]

I'm loving this grouping of lanterns.  I have one "Moroccan" lantern in this delightful egg (?) shape but now it just feels lonely.  I think I need a baker's dozen.  I'll have to get rid of my dining table but I think eating while laying on the floor is very 2015.  

If you want to bring a bit of real Morocco to your house and not have it look like the culturally-appropriated tchotchke hurricane as you might see on tv, check out her shop for all the best in properly-sourced goodies.

If you're going to gift yourself a Moroccan wedding blanket, a handira, this is the place to go.  Pillows and poufs galore too.  

here

Love the little bits of pattern with the pillows.  (This is similar to my pillow!).  I think what I like about this whole space so much is the mix of clean neutrals as a backdrop for lots of bright pattern.  You get the best of both worlds.

However, I'm rather obsessed with the BLACK wedding blankets lately:

here

I think (?) Maryam is the inventor of the black wedding blanket and if that was the only thing she did in life that would be enough.  But also human rights 'n stuff.

Mr. Beni Ourain is still solid in my book despite the controversy lately over its apparent trendiness.  I don't think you can really call something trendy that has existed centuries before we were even born, can you?

Of course next week I'll be like "Ugh BOOKS. I'm so over this Gutenberg press hipster bullshit."

here

I'd never seen one that with this color of gold before - such a nice variation.  Could work in bleak midwinter or if you're feeling more jazzy.

here

So much jazz.

The shop also features tons of cute wall hooks designed by Maryam herself.

here

It's like a cross between a hamsa and a peacock!  Because PEACOCK!  You're too much, M.  I'm not being an ass, I'm just excited because I didn't see the peacock until about one minute before writing this and I love a secret pun in silver.

Maryam, bored with her life doing nothing, has also founded Project Soar - an organization for underprivileged girls and women near Peacock Pavilions.  A portion of all proceeds from the shop benefit the program so buy as many protective peacock hands as you want (+1 for me).  

Fun fact: if you stay at the pavilion you get to ride on a peacock in a great race throughout the vast olive grove.  Just kidding, if you stay you can volunteer for Project Soar which is pretty cool.  I'm on board for dedicating my 2015 and beyond to women, yes?

My grandmother has a stray peacock that has started coming to her door to visit everyday this winter.  She lives in Texas if that helps explain it...?  Regardless, she named him Fred so if I want to race a peacock I'll try the family bird.

Familial bird-racing aside, I'm writing this overt love letter to the PP and MM because I truly believe we're seeing the real thing.  In the often shady world of internet life it's really refreshing and inspirational to find a person and cause that is not just talking the talk but walking the walk and doing it with boss style.

Make sure to check out Maryam's blog, My Marrakesh, and follow her on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.  Or you can do more than read this here blog post and buy her book, Marrakesh by Design, or even donate directly to Project Soar.

If nothing else I recommend you follow her on Instagram for lots of pictures of the party life at Peacock Pavilions but mostly for this:

And this:

And this:

All photos are from Elle Decor, Lonny or Maryam's site/Instagram/book

More like Kitteh Pavilions, amirite?

How do cats meow in Arabic?  Like, they 'meow' in good old American, 'miao' in Italian, 'mrow' in comics...  These are things I think about when I travel.

I have yet to see a picture of a peacock AT Peacock Pavilons but maybe they have to keep them separate from the cats... Probably smart.  I don't think Fred and Charlemagne would be friends.

I received no compensation for this post but I'd take a Moroccan cat if they were handing them out...

Winner, winner, agate dinner.

Hey friends, thanks for entering to win the best giveaway in the history of blogdom!  We have a winner chosen by the very scientific 'put a bunch of numbers in a cup and pull one out' and that winner is commenter #2!

It really does say #2 there...

Horse head and retro cowgirl just for your viewing pleasure.  

Commenter #2 is someone named Charlotte who seems like a cool gal that might enjoy some agate knobs but didn't leave her email so I don't know how to contact her to tell her about her victory.  I might could have created a Google+ hangout to send the EXCITING NEWS but that seemed a little overkill.

Please, ya gotta come down to my technology level and email me at madamesunday (at) gmail (dot) com.

So I can then go super low tech and send you things in the mail.  

Retro Cowgirl approves.

Thanks for playing, everyone!  Next time I have a shopping accident you'll be the first to know.

Win a handwritten letter from me! (And some West Elm hardware)

Hey remember 24 hours-ish ago when I told you about these here West Elm knobs and how sad they made me?

Well I was going to try and find a new piece of furniture for them or put them on eBay in about ten years and then I realized, "Hey, why don't I just give my castoffs to YOU?!"  That's right, I'm giving them away just like Jesus would want! 

Would you like some possibly disappointing knobs that may or may not have some cat hair on them?  Well now's your chance, sunshine!

For the record, the knobs aren't ugly in any way.  Just not what West Elm advertised and therefore made my soul sad.  As you can see above they are somewhat transparent which might work to your advantage...?

They aren't quite as green/purple as this photo shows but my phone can only do so much.  However, you can see the edge if that was the clencher for you.

This seems like a pretty accurate representation of their color.

They do look pretty on a light background.  I bet you could paint the backs of them to put anywhere... just sayin...  

Here's the original West Elm link if you need to view them how nature intended.

So I DO feel kinda like a douchebag for doing this but if someone else thinks they're perfect for them then it all worked out.  Technically you could win them (I bet three people will enter so you have a good chance) and then turn around and sell them on eBay and that would be totally fine.  Godspeed, my friend.  

If you're interested just leave a comment below (please include your email or Twitter handle so I can contact you) by, uh, June 1 and then I'll draw a winner.  Maybe I should say recipient?  

I'll make sure to put a fun note in for you so if you want to win A REALLY COOL HANDWRITTEN NOTE STRAIGHT FROM THE MODSAUCE RANCH enter to win!  As a bonus I'll send you two agate knobs absolutely free!

If you do use them I'd love to see a picture later!  Make my meh your squee!

Cloudy with a chance of elegance.

Time for another installment of "What's Happening In My Bedroom ReSaucificaiton 2014?"!!

I'm not gonna lie I have no idea how punctuation works in a situation like that so please just politely nod, process my excitement and continue.

First things first, to round up the week (or ten days...) of good things happening Yonce, the Shining Gawddess of Light and Wind Machines, decided to bless me with a gift.

Nicest thing ever.  I got a little teary...

Can you even believe it?!  It's a vintage Moroccan wedding blanket straight from Marrakech that's been reincarnated into a pillow and is now living at the Ranch and makes my heart burst with joy.

*UPDATE:  I was wrong!  This pillow was not FROM a wedding blanket, it was made specifically for the bride's bed as is.  It's a wedding pillow!  I didn't even know that happened so I learned something new today!  

*SECOND UPDATE: Is it weird that I smelled it?

Look, the sequins even have a wonderful patina... 

Are you dying? I'm dying.

Squeed so hard.  I love the texture and shine and hint of color and it's gonna look so flipping suh-WEET on my bed.  Which I will absolutely want to actually make now so I can look at it.

Thank you so, so much to M and y'all please check out Red Thread Souk where this beauty came from. (Not a sponsored plug of any kind, just a friend.)

Man, I really gotta step up my game now.  We's fancy up in herr!

Now onto things that I cannot rely on the altruism of others for, I've FINALLY started painting my new old nightstand.  You may remember this $3 find?

I've spent all my time and energy working in the yard lately so the last thing I wanted to do was come inside and work more.  But thanks to a rainy weekend I could get down to bidness.  

Which was this:

I mean, it was $3.  So I spent a few days patching and sanding the big holes and when I was done I discovered about a dozen more but those are staying as "character."  Sigh...

I set up shop in the corner of my living room because if I'm going to spend hours working at least I can watch tv while I'm doing it.  [Read: I'm super fucking lazy and can't spend an hour alone without being entertained.]

In addition to the nightstand I decided to paint one of those West Elm lacquer trays you see up there on the right.  (I got it at a yard sale a few years ago I think?)  It was cheap and useful but that blue color is the most awkward shade ever.  It's like cornflower meets Sesame Street but sadder.  

If Indigo was castrated, this is the color it would be.

If mold got turnt up, this is the color it would be.

Normally I don't sand shit before I prime it but since this was so shiny I figured I had to.  So I got out my orbital sander and kinda half-assed took off its shiny, smug awkwardness.

Honestly, even though I used a mask this was probably a really dumb and unhealthy thing to do.  When I was done all the dust was sparkly from all the finely-ground shellac and I probably have lung cancer forming as we speak so good job me.

Veep is on in the background and I'm still wearing pajamas because I didn't shower all day.

After I primed and put on one coat things are definitely looking sexy.  The color was kinda hard for me to choose (SHOCKING, I KNOW).  It's not white although the afternoon light makes it look that way.  It's actually a pale grey - not a cold grey favored by cheap chevron prints everywhere but slightly warmer and more sophisticated.  Like cloudy with a chance of elegance.  

I was really drawn to Farrow & Ball's Cornforth White which of course I can't get around here so I found a comparable color at everyone's favorite girl next door, Benjamin Moore, called Collinwood.  Maybe this will help you to see?

I'm almost 110% certain they copied Farrow & Ball's color because those names are both equally jumbled in my mouth in too similar of a way for it to be a coincidence. 

I tried to underexpose this picture a bit so you can see the grey but now it just looks like a shitty picture.  But there's Charlemagne so it's not a total loss.

Despite this terrible picture the color really is amazing - as the sun went down it got cloudier and elegancier and I tried to show a bit of the contrast against my very practical styrofoam floor protectors.  I might have to paint my entire living room this color.  I can't stop staring at it as I type this...

Also, I was so pleased with how my china cabinet in my dining room turned out (remember this?) that I wanted to do an enamel again.  The nightstand is going to get some abuse so I need PERFORMANCE. I ended up using BM's Advanced Enamel paint which I can't recommend highly enough.  

Normally I don't give a flying Purdy fuck about paint types but lemme school ya:  this paint is a water-based alkyd (soap and water cleanup for an enamel) with low VOC and, not to sound like a commercial, exceptional leveling.  Like, after one coat I can't even see the brush strokes.  That second coat is probably going to be panty-creaming awesomeness.  There's nothing I despise more than painting trim but this looks so pretty I might repaint all my trim in this paint. 

However, a quart of each of the paint and primer set me back $50 so fuuuuuuck.  So much for my $3 table remaining cheap but it's way worth it.  This is most certainly not a sponsored plug for BM but this is how much I like this stuff.

Now onto other details that I'm just embarrassingly throwing my money at...

I fell in love with West Elm's agate knobs a few months ago and ordered them sight unseen from the interwebz!  Well low and behold they were kinda underwhelming when I got them in and they were on clearance so I couldn't return them.  I'm an idiot.

They actually look pretty here but in person they are almost clear and kinda milky - just not what the picture was in West Elm.  I'll try to reuse them for something else?  

Anyway, after that crushing reveal I couldn't shake the desire for a mineral-y pull of some kind so in a shopping rush I bought Anthropologie's Druzy Quartz knobs.

Now THESE are absolutely stunning in person and I think they would work really nicely with the nightstand BUT... they were $24 a piece.  OUCH.  The closest Anthro is 1.5 hours away so I just bought them on impulse because it was now or never.  I was also thinking a "splurge" would be a cool high/lo detail for the furniture BUT... I just can't do it.  I'm returning them.

Do you know how big of a REAL geode I can buy for $50??  A really fucking big one!  So I think I'd rather do that instead.

Also, I didn't move the hardware holes so now I'm kinda committed to the OG hardware (or at least that style):

Which looks totally fine and I like it.  They're actually brass but so tarnished they look almost black and I'm fine with it.  My lamp might be brass so I don't want too much shiny.  I can always change it later.

I'm still sad about the Anthro ones but there are some really cool geodes at my local antique mall so I think I need to go visit those to help soothe the sting of disappointment.

Right now I'm waiting on the first coat of paint to cure on the nightstand before I sand then I've got one more coat of paint before I'm done!  And if you're wondering the tray is looking about a million times better.  I'll share the final results of everything later of course.

If you're wondering why this bedroom project is taking so long it's because I spent all my money on plants for my garden this Spring.  I also can't find a lamp for my dresser that I like for $11 because that's all the money I have left to spend on it...  

Poop.

Oh yeah I also spent money on BEYONCE AND JAY Z TICKETS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not ashamed even a little bit!  Ain't tryna hear none of your Elevatorgate shade neither.  

All I'm trying to do is paint some furniture and pick out an outfit for the concert.  In July.

But next week I'm on staycation so I expect my headboard and other things will be given much attention then.

Sauce On The Run!

Charlie Sheen came back for a slow, torturous revenge.

Continuing on the theme of Good Things Around the Ranch That Make Me Want to Keep Living (TM) let's review the mini barn situation.

First of all, there is a mini barn situation.

Long time readers may remember its public debut back in 2011 with Day 1 of the kitchen remodel when the demo released a lot of evil spirits who wrecked havoc on my house.

No damage anywhere. Yes, I'm a lucky girl.

Or it was Charlie Sheen?  The post obviously included lots of really relevant pop culture references about assholes and drugs and destruction.  I completely forget what my titles are about once I hit publish.  It's a serious problem.  

But yes there's the mini barn that was once shaded underneath a weeping willow in her golden years, my pride and joy of the house.  After the tree fell that shitty mini barn was front and center for everyone to see and I felt deep, deep shame every time I had to go get my lawn equipment.

It was in a state of disrepair thanks to some ants, bees, dry rot and general neglect.  I used to lock the doors to "protect" the lawn equipment until one day I lost the key and had to rip off the entire lock out of the wood.  It just limply hangs there now... 

Your final sunset, mini barn of shame.

And sometimes random pieces of wood would just fall off as you can see on the doors...  They can go live at that weird Dutch Colonial thing across the street.

And so it sat for another two years taunting me.  Last summer I worked out a deal to donate the mini barn to a nearby church (who would then repair it - I'm not a jerk).  A church seems like the last place I would donate it considering I'm a heathen of the highest UNorder but they host our neighborhood farmer's market and marry gays and I can write it off on my taxes so it worked out for everyone!

Until it didn't.  I emptied the shed and waited from last summer until LAST WEEK for the church's handyman to come pick it up.  I groveled, I begged, I passive-aggressived, I finally sent threatening text messages promising to offer the barnette to Craigslist - or worse, the local Baptist church - if they didn't get it.  

Turns out the handyman is a junkie and what I'm diagnosing as bipolar so no matter I do I can't seem to get away from assholes, drugs and destruction.  I'm pretty lenient when it comes to working out your personal demons, dude, but not only did I miss this year's last year's tax return it's now too late to plant grass this summer so FUCK YOU.

I'm obviously very upset by the grass thing.

The track in the grass is actually from when I drove on wet ground earlier this year. Oops.

But this is what we look like now!!  Forever minty but barnless.  Somehow I have a feeling that the elation I feel following over 10 months of waiting for this empty space cannot be adequately expressed by my clunky blogging but I consider it a absolute victory.  

It's a fairly large area which means lots of space - maybe 15-20 feet along the side of the house - to create some gorgeous landscaping that I may or may not kill!  This is the view I see most when I come home so I want it to be beautiful.  

The landscaping in front of the house - that the neighbors see - can take care of itself.  It's dead to me.  Maybe literally at this point...

I think I'll want to put something big and bold right there - like maybe some limelight hydrangeas!

Fresh from last week's post is this beauty.  The grass at the bottom is Silk Tassels Morrow's Sedge I do believe and it wouldn't hurt my feelings if that got into my yard as well.  They look like muppet wigs and I'm totally down with that.

Basically I wrote this whole thing to tell you about how excited I am about some new negative space in my yard and to warn you that some plant posts will be coming in the future.  

Also writing as a warning to that gawddamn bipolar junkie motherfucker that I will seriously fuck his shit up the next time I see him.*

*not smile as big as I normally do

This makes me exceedingly happy.

How many people are blogging about this today?

It's the saucy new illustrated Kama Sutra by Malika Favre for all you graphic design nerds who are also dirty dirty sex freaks and are bored with reading Cosmo's position-a-day and need to raise the bar this holiday.  Now you don't have to attempt to figure out how to defy gravity doing the Rotating Praying Mantis by looking at old hippies with bad hair.  Or maybe that was just me when I was a teenager reading the Kama Sutra in secret...

I'm so grateful for something else to look at other than "modernized" hearts.  I don't dislike Valentine's Day but I hate the heart shape.  If you're going to profess your undying love for me do it with a circle because that's my favorite shape.  That's not a wedding ring joke, I just prefer circles.

I'd post more of the illustrations because they're super cool but I draw the line at featuring cartoon BJs no matter how much I dig the way they're drawn.  But feel free to check them out along with Malika's other prints. 

Also, Malika really tweaked my cartoon nipple because look at this header:

HEEEYYYYY!  

Remind you of anything?

Bladow.  I just realized that my mole is a circle.  Apparently I'm some kind of weirdo narcissist...

Anymole - praying manti, Whitman's samplers and heart shapes aside, let's make an effort to support V-Day this month.  It's the organization that helps end violence against women started by Eve Ensler of The Vagina Monologues.  Usually the play is produced this month all over the country and proceeds from tickets sales go to local organizations that fight violence and sexual abuse.  It's a great show - for men too - if you've never seen it.

If you want to paint on a fake mole so we could all look alike when we go see the play that's totally up to you but might be really cool.  Just sayin...

*mole tweak*

Design Escapade: Shine some light in your ugly corners...

One of my goals this year is to be more open (shut up) about the goings on at the Ranch.  I know there's a fine line between being transparent and being a narcissist and I hope I can find that line and then do magic tricks on it like Madonna's levitating carnie from the Super Bowl halftime show.   

I like to 'keep it real' as the kids say (in 1997) so after mentioning my childhood dresser last week I thought I might swallow my embarrassment and post it.  Just to prove that because I'm a "design blogger" it doesn't mean I don't have awkward, messy and ugly corners of my house.  That was pretty much my entire house 3 years ago but I wasn't blogging then so you'll have to take my word for it.  But you saw my kitchen before the remodel right?!  Oh you're still having nightmares?  Well TOUGH SHIT!

So to own some of my remaining ugly corners I give you my dresser:

BOOM!  It's so faux-Empire '80s clunky and smells like the back of James Spader's neck.  It makes me want to put on some leg warmers RIGHT FUCKING NOW!  

And this is exactly how it looked - no styling - to honor the realness.  However, I did remove a bra from on top but I don't consider that 'styling' so much as 'not being a disgusting slutbag.'  

If you're wondering, everything was thrifted for under $10 (horse head was 50 cents) except for the old pre-Urban Outfitters Ashley G print and the candle.  I could probably make it work with better styling but why commit?  Let's just enjoy the shit I rescued from Goodwill five years ago before I return to Goodwill in a few more years.

I always keep my eye out for a replacement dresser and have stood in the corner of IKE-Rah for hours deciding which color Malm to get but I just can't make myself do it.  I don't really like this dresser but it weighs as much as a Motley Crue tour bus and will probably survive the nuclear apocalypse.  Fuck dovetails joints, this POS is put together with cocaine and the discarded carcasses of Shrinky Dinks.  There's just no good reason to spend money on a poorer quality dresser just because it's more stylish.  Everyone has their hard limits and I guess this is mine. 

When my parents first got married they went buck wild in the furniture store in some small Texas town and bought this dresser and its 6-drawer sibling and enough matching furniture to fill a late '70s beige split-level.  And they never bought another piece of furniture ever again.  The end.

Fortunately I don't have that problem but I do have the problem of finding a reasonably-priced, roomy, MCM Danish dresser in the TN valley.  So here she sits - Barbie sticker and all.  My "shameful" design blogger secret that I'm not really ashamed of.

In an effort to break the stigma of good taste and internet credibility of bloggers everywhere, I think it's time for us to all bond over our ugly corners!  So I propose a DESIGN ESCAPADE AND GIVEAWAY!  Yay!!  *mass panty explosions* *angels crying* *glitter fireworks*

So y'all - bloggers and non-bloggers - snap a picture of the most non-styled, ugly, embarrassed-if-another-design-blogger-showed-up-at-your-door piece of furniture or corner of your house and send it to me.  

It could be anything: that cheap faux oak (Fauxk?) computer desk from college you bought at Wal-mart even though you pretend you have never in your life shopped at Wal-mart. 

CPU tower on the floor! I had one of these.  For 8 years.  But I got it at Office Depot so I'm better than you.

It could be the Queen Anne's-style cherry coffee table or floral wingback chairs that you inherited from your aunt:

Hurts when confronted with past, huh?

Whatever your ugly corner is, take a picture and send me your shame.  If any enough brave souls submit I'll post them here, let the random number generator thingy select a winner and send that lucky winner a gift basket of awesomeness.  Remember how awesome the last giveaway was?!  Just wait til you see what nonsense I scrounge up this time!

So bring me your ugly corners!  I promise to skewer them on the internet for the world to see with the respect and delicacy your shitty Wal-mart furniture deserves.