Tracy Porter Blog… be inspired!

Tracy and Sarah,

HUZZAH FOR RED! I am going to be painting the CEILING of my library “French Red(Duron)” next week. I have wanted to do it for years and decided to go for it! The walls in the library are a warm tone of orangey, goldy, yellowy–sounds weird, but I think it is going to be beautiful. I also have this amazing huge painting with big RED poppies in the library as well–oh I can’t wait!

Tracy this was such fun. I have always loved red with leopard or brown. It seems to go well with texture of any kind ( wicker, bamboo, gold leaf etc… ) I am not a red wall kind of gal but used as accents ,it’s amazing. I must admit, when I do a painting for a client I get real excited when it’s going on a red wall because it always looks better!!! In my own home my preference is chocolate brown and neutrals. I’d love for you to show us ways with that. I absolutely drooled over Robyn’s chocolate paint. Again, thanks for the daily treats.

Do you know what a delight it is to receive your blog announcement each morning? It’s like eating a chocolate bon-bon.

I love your Inspiration Fascination! (Someone give these ladies, a TV show, please.) My family room is tiny, but I painted the walls red. No color was going to make it look big. The results–a little jewel box. That was eight years ago and we still love it. Last year I had a chair reupholstered in apple green. I love the fun look it added next to the red walls.

Can’t wait to see what is next!

What a treat to have a nice big slice of Sarah in there with the daily dose of Tracy! You two are nothing less than fabulous, over-the-top, no-holds-barred friends, and it comes over the airwaves so gorgeously! As I marvel over the creations on your website, it’s great to get a glimpse of what inspires you, fuels your fire, turns you on and makes you tick! And I have to ask – are you wearing more from the spring line???

You two are more fun than oh….Saturday Night Live! Cuz of course, these topics are all that we love. Your friendship does shine through. What fun – to come into that studio each day and inspiring one another. Y’all are quite the team!!!! I’ll look so forward to weekly doses of “LIVE” inspiration. “LIVE” from Wisconsin..it’s Tracy & Sarah!!

I bought a red couch and chair 6 years ago. They are leather and I love decorating with them every season. I use every color every season and they all look great with the red. My husband Ken and I were the ones who bought 2 sets of your winter punch bowls. One we gave for a wedding gift. It was their favorite gift. The other one is in my red room waiting for a Valentine party, to fill with a great punch. I have become addicted to your site. I love your Mom. She introduced me to Eva Cassidy’s music, so wonderful. Love to all

P.S. Tracy – I am also an office supply junkie. WHERE did your adorable red notebook come from? And, that book of your grandmother’s – killer keepsake!!!! TTFN!

Loves,
You two compliment each other VERY well! Tracy so humorous, and Sarah so serious…what a great combo you truly are! Love you both…… The color RED is over the top, Charm Fairy ( TP terminology) for me too! I started with RED in my decor ( years ago ) very slowly. I realized how a dozen red roses in a room would add so much energy, so much class, so much confidence to a room,that I decided I needed more of that color in my life……. So I slowly started with RED pillows, then added RED lampshades, then I really got brave and purchased a RED oriental rug. Finally, became so confident with the color that I painted my powder room RED and everyone, including myself absolutely adores it. I became so confident with color in general, ( because of RED ) that I just recently painted my formal dinning room… JET BLACK…. I saw Ralph Lauren’s dinning room, ( in Bedford NY ) in Architectural Digest . I fell in love with it and decided to give it a try. Black walls, oatmeal ( taupe) ceiling, oatmeal fabric, and popped old antique gold framed pictures on the wall………a true heart stopper!!!! And all because I stepped out of my comfort zone years ago, to try something new…….RED. It will hook you and send you into the exotic. I agree, You simply MUST try it!

Kimberly dear, your den sounds wonderfully delicious. The apple green chair sent me over the moon! Fantastic!
I think my love of neutrals comes from the fact that I work with so much color. I need a color break. LOL But…I do love hearing about all of you and your daring rooms.
I am like Rebecca, just waiting to see all the spring goodies. When, oh when, Tracy???????

OOH this was so much fun to watch! I, too, LOVE red…red wall in my kitchen and nook above my fireplace..love it. Oh Tracy, I laughed when you and Sarah talked about the little goodies from the hotel! That is the absolute first thing I do!…I am just crazy for it. I have some fabulous travel items from hotels in Italy that the boxes are little pieces of art!!! I have them in all in a big apothecary jar in my powder room! Cannot wait for next weeks Inspiration Fascination!!!

Tracy & Sarah…LOVE the new “brainstorm” of the “Inspiration Fascination”….I have RED in EVERY room as my accent/accessories color…I have always wanted a red dining room so 6 years ago when we moved back to my childhood home, I went for it….red Ralph Lauren painted walls with white wainscot/chair rail on the bottom….beautiful…it’s my favorite room with leopard accents…cherry antique table and chairs…might have to make it my future office!! Becky – I, too, bought the red punch bowl set for myself for my b-day last month…it sits in the center of my dining room table (on a tassled red and gold runner)with pine cones and potpouri in it surrounded by mis-matched antique crystal candlesticks with red candles and red and gold beaded napkin rings as candleholders where the candle goes in…quite charming! Keep it coming T&S…I will forward to my sister across the country…your close friendship comes through and I miss her!! She, too, LOVES red…who doesn’t?? Whomever doesn’t try it in their home is missing out BIG TIME!!

Tracy and Sarah…..you ladies rock!! So funny to watch your excitement over every bit in this clip and love the fact that you take the goodies from the hotels. I stash in my guest bathroom for company to choose whatever they’d like to use. Love the red and leopard (the paris street shoes came last week–it just needs to get above zero degrees here so I can show them off). I even have a red washer and dryer; that’s how much I love red. Love all the glorious pic’s and as usual can’t wait to see what’s next even though I can’t keep up with all the projects I want to do since you started these videos! Lush….lushious–what’s the differnce–again TOO FUNNY!

Well… aren’t you all just luscious! I am all for “6 degrees of separation” and a TV exec!! LOL!!! For now our own version of TRACY TV is just for your eyes… and how we love you! Cameo, I laughed so hard when you say Sarah is serious. Ohhhh… we need to expose her “other side” to you, my loves!! She is one of the funniest people I know… you will just crack up as you get to know her “very sassy and witty” personality as we continue our weekly inspiration fascinations!! Glad you liked our first one, many more fun episodes to come! Clearly you are as RED crazy as we are… I just knew you would love the same combinations of mouthwatering goodness… could we be any more chatty??
Dawn, I love that you race into the hotel bathrooms and arm wrestle for the goods too… what is it? I just love all that little free junk. I also take sugar packets, matches… I am so my grandmother Lucy.
Cameo, jet black dining room… loving!!!
Virginia ~ my red notebook was from a set of 6 all different colors… I have had it for 10 years.
Rebecca, yes, we are both wearing spring… big teasers, aren’t we!!
Becky… red leather… I have always wanted an old funky worn red leather chair… or two? Yours sound divine!!
Artist… soon… spring will come soon…
Shawn, a red ceiling, now that one has me thinking. I NEED a red ceiling, I must find a room to do that in!!
Kimberly… apple green and red… I can taste it, and it is succulent. Nature was right on that one!
You guys are the best……
xo
T.

Artist, if you love choc. brown as I do too- try a metallic- Ralph Lauren’s metallics are amazing. I painted my dining room a choc. metallic and at night the walls just shimmer-I love, love, love it. Tracy, what do you think? a red metallic? oooh, I may have to try that! I adore the videos…. y’all keep em coming!

Tracy,
I cannot wait to see the ” other side” of Sarah! She is so charming! Also, I want to meet your mom. Is she on any of the past videos? Must run for now…..PS…Dawn, I purchased the Mossy Sweater, and also purchased the Sueded Artisan Vest. I could not resist…. that delicious vest! They should be arriving any day. You can’t beat the prices and Valentine’s day is coming up. I would rather have those two pieces in my closet than a dozen roses!

Tracy and Sarah, Discovered you couple weeks ago and love it!!!! I have 8 narrow 11.5″ X 6.5′ bifold doors that came from Salvation Army. Have been racking my brain to decide how to decorate them once I’ve joined 3 or 5 of them together into a floor screen. WELL the pic you showed from Tony’s book (panel on right) totally rocked me. I also have 1 piece of ornate cast iron scroll work that people used as porch supports, found this in a dumpster!!! Painting the screen RED and will use the cast iron as a stencil to accent with antique gold spray paint. Or vice verse. Can’t wait to do this. My liv/din room is 19′ X 36′ the center of my 2 BR cabin. I use red and gold during the winter and turquoise/off white during summer for the den. Have brownish red leather sofa and love seat what I slip cover with canvas drop clothes during summer. Can’t wait for next weeks post. “Celebrating the ordinary by living each day to the max!” Deborah and the gang ~..~ ^..^ ~..~

HI Tracy & Sarah,

I feel like I have found my soulmates in you two! Every morning with my coffee I sit and draw inspiration from my mags and books. And I find myself getting so excited I want to scream. I so understand the emotions you both have about this.

My den is a wonderful red, not really cranberry… a little brighter than that. However, my designer friend and I, years ago, did a glaze over it so it has a very subtle, almost black through out. It looks like red leather. I love the way the room wraps its warm arms around me; it looks really good at Christmas. (You don’t have to decorate a lot for the holidays when the walls are red.)

I also want to share that my dining room is a wonderful milk chocolate… and my chairs are upholstered in a pretty bright cranberry red. SO, it feels like a box of Valentine Candy. Brown and red. I also really like gray and red together. Anyway, I LOVE your blog and website. I only recently discovered it….and I start my day out with you all!! You are both truly inspiring!!!

Oh, P.S. a small upstairs bedroom I have is Chinese red… and I have a leopard chair in there!! I have a bamboo daybed placed horizontally on the wall with Mosquito netting hung in the center of ceiling draped on both sides of the bed….with a cool, bohemian looking black print duvet. I’m trying to accomplish a London wall in there. YOU two are stoking my fire! (am I excited or what?)

XOXOX Jenny

Totally off subject of red, but I noticed that you have a Mac desktop. I have been researching Mac vs PC to death on the internet. My husband is an engineer; therefore, his companies have always used Dell. I teach communication online and have found so many people that love Apple computers. Any thoughts on their laptops or desktops? I love their sleek look. What about Blackberry vs the i phone? Sorry this is off topic.
I do love RED too!!!!!

OK, I am not kidding Sarah… I have the exact same tin that you showed in the video! On the bottom of yours does it say… Riley’s Toffee, Halifax England??? Love the video today girls! You two are too cute… I’m so with you about the red and leopard. I have an old leopard chair with a red pillow that just pops…..

Pam!!!!! Indeed… it’s the same one… don’t you love it?!?! I was given the chance to poke around in my husband’s grandmother’s basement recently… to “take any trinkets” that I cared for. I, of course, left the sets of dishes and finer things behind… and went straight for the treasures with soul. This English beauty adds some funk to our country kitchen…

Keep the comments rolling… we so love hearing from each of you!!! We’re about to shoot next week’s segment… so much to ponder… so many topics… any requests out there!!!????

Have a great evening!!!
Sarah

Ladies… the pot roast from the previous video is on the stove and pinot gris in hand (the red from the roast is for hubby–red drinker) and I’ve watched this video at least three times now and still finding so much to take in… and, ideas on a future video for me would be Tracy’s pantry to be painted red, as she mentions (before and after shots) and maybe even Robyn in the mix to set up something so darling as she has in her home. Anything fashion is fabulous for me… love all of it!! I laugh so much at the “sweaty and sesame street” comments. Love that you gals are so real and in the moment. Trying to talk hubby into the hotel you mentioned in NY just for the goods, and YES Tracy, I need a red desk and to boot the silver cigarette cup!!!! Non smoker–but looks oh so European…..

That is just too weird! Ours came from my husband’s family as well! I love that it used to hold english toffee! My husband (who keeps everything and is very sentimental… why I love him!), used it as a kid to hold his Austrian pen pal’s letters and his stamp collection (which are all still in there!) Doesn’t it make you wonder who else has one of our tins out there?? Thank you for sharing!

You two are way cute!!! Love the inspiration. I fell in love with red from a magazine picture and now have a small “sewing room” painted in a dark sexy red. I love the way artwork really stands out on a colored wall. See you tomorrow!

I’m not usually a blogger but all this talk of red convinced me to tell y’all to go right now and order the red tapestry coat while it’s still available (and on sale). I recently received it and it is GORGEOUS!!! Wore it out last Saturday night and felt like a princess! Tracy, I love your videos. I have a very “heavy” day job as a therapist so your site is a nice break for me from the “so serious” side of life. Also artist, if you have all this time to blog, make pot roasts, etc, then you need a PROJECT. I hear your sister needs help in her bedroom. Go help her! I bet Tracy would do the same for Robyn… wouldn’t you Tracy?! TEE HEE By the way, To Stacey… I LOVE my Apple and my Blackberry!

Hi Ladies… anyone have a red paint color name to share that you love. A wall in my kitchen is red, but more of a “Tuscan” red… if you will… and after all this “red” talk today, I am thinking it might need to be “spiced” up a bit! ….My word Tracy, I have sooo many projects swirling around in my little ol head, I don’t know how I am EVER going to get them all done!!!

So I guess this first Inspiration Fascination video was a smash hit, judging from all the responses and their juiciness! Congratulations! As for other topics, how about jewelry storage? I have acquired a few of your fabulous pieces and now need a vessel worthy of them! How do you store/display yours?? For the first time in my life I’m wearing one of your cocktail rings as I type, and as Tracy mentioned in another blog, it is so FUN to watch my hand typing away in such style! By the way, it works splendidly tied onto a scarf, so thanks for the encouragement on that last week, Tracy! Have a great night everyone…

Tracy & Sarah… love you and the video… wonderful fun! Cameo… whoa! Love the sound of your dining room… sounds too gorgeous. Gretchen! I agree… a sweet sister would indeed take on a PROJECT for her dear hard-working sis!! I agree with Dawn, can all you red-aholics post the color names you like best???

In case you girls are wondering… Gretchen is my “little” sister!!!!! I think that last post was a cry for help! LOL

Well, Artist…..what are you waiting for?????

I have a terra cotta red (no cherry tones in it all if that’s what you’re looking for)dining room. Love it so much I’ve used it in 2 homes. Believe it or not, it’s Sherwin Williams “Henna Shade.” Just used it in our tiny powder in foyer. Rich, cozy, yummy!

This was amazing, and very entertaining:) Can’t wait for more, more, more!!!!! I am so happy we get our very own Tracy TV.

Ladies, just so you all know, I just found out one our rep has met the “Tracy Porter” and says she is extremely sweet & down to earth, VERY beautiful and funny, and she really is as nice as she seems!

I feel so lucky. We live in Beaver Dam, WI about 30 miles from Ripon. I have been in both of Robyn’s stores, have met her mom, Robyn, and John at their farm auction a few years ago. Tracy is a beautiful, fun person, and cute as a bug in her jeans and stocking hat. My brother Bart used to own Dos Gringos in Ripon, a wonderful little city. Worth the visit to see the stores in Princeton and Ripon. Robyn is beautiful and fun also. You go girls

Am I the only one who is watching the videos a second time to catch a glimpse of spring fashion? LOL! It loooks as though we are in store for lots of lovely purple, blue, and green in the new line. If anybody is looking for that perfect red nail polish, try OPI “I’m not really a waitress” red. It is absolutely the most perfect color of red nail polish on the planet! It has a subtle sparkle that is very pretty.

I didn’t have a chance to blog last night and came in this morning to all this lovely, loving chatter… what a smile you put on my face! Giddy to say the least…! Cannot wait for you to see the lineup we have for the next few weeks!
Rebecca, can you believe that you asked that question and then today it’s our video, Sarah and I were just dying over it!! How about that for being on the same page, sister!
Gretchen… we are honored that you read but don’t usually comment and now you have!! Yes, way to call out your sister!! Go Artist!!
Stacey, love, love the mac! I would like an iPhone, John has a Blackberry, seems very pleased. I think the iPhone is more my style.
Claudine… cheers sis… and too funny my mom told me last night she just bought 3 silver cigarette holders on eBay this week, had not seen the video… too funny!!
Becky… aww, thank you…

all of you… kisses!
xoxo
T.

Thank you Becky for the sweet words about the stores. I was very inspired by this video… that last night we went to dinner and I wore the red velvet tapestry coat… love that coat!!!! xo Robyn

Loved seeing those books and had to order them. I have one you may like……
Small Pleasures by Raymond Waites. Lots of beautiful RED. You’d love it.
You are an inspiration. Sandy

FABULOUS~ LOVED this video.. you girls are so cute and RED is WONDERFUL! More, more!

xo,
Kim

What wonderful books! I’m going to try to get most of them for myself. I love when someone gives me an idea for a new book, because of all of the material non-living things out there, I love books more than anything, and decorating books are right up there at the top. There should be somewhere where we could recommend great books like these to one another. I could recommend plenty myself, as I could sit on my loveseat in my bedroom for hours and hours and just eat up the gorgeous pictures in home decorating books. How could we go about doing this??? Any ideas, anybody???

Cameo, I love the sound of your dining room….the black with taupe ceiling, & oatmeal trimmings….gorgeous!! And I LOVE red lamp shades. My kitchen is taupe walls with black and taupe squared drape panels with subtle big leaves through it…and bamboo window shades. I am trying to throw splashes of red in such as french cafe au lait bowls stacked, and etc. But I love the sound of doing the dining room. Truly classy and classic-and you could live with that forever. My bathroom has black walls…with goldleafed chandalier. Kinda funky. My ceialing is still white though my trim in bath is cream. Think I should paint the ceiling? it’s not a huge bath. But bigger than powder room.

Kimberly, I think it was, love the apple green and red too. I like turquoise & red too. Or lavendar and red. Sounds weird…but I like the contrast. OK, I love red!!

Dawn, if i can find my paint formula for the chinese red, I’ll let ya know what it is. I know I filed it a way—somewhere!

jenny