Interior Design

Downtown Shopping at Gray’s Furniture & their BIG Smith Brothers Sale!

Gray’s Furniture | Downtown Mt. Pleasant, MI

I don’t know about all of you, but one of my favorite pastimes is visiting small, downtown shops and boutiques in my local area and when I travel to new places. I find these local shops really speak to the heart, character, and novelty of a community. One of my favorite stores to visit in my local community is Grays’ Furniture in downtown Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. I love this welcoming furniture and home store, housed in a gorgeous old downtown building with it’s multipe floors of old world charm. The high detailed ceilings, beautiful wooden staircase, and studio style upper floors make for a unique backdrop of an older time, perfect for showcasing their selection of furniture, florals, antiques, and gift accessories.

I stopped into Gray’s Furniture a few weeks ago with my three daughters, and we enjoyed over an hour of time, shopping their multiple floors of furniture and house decor. Their front window displays alway entice me to stop in to see what’s new in the store, and I am so inspired when I browse through their perfectly staged room setups. My girls love the personal touches of this kind of shopping as well… they admired the building’s unique appeal as they shopped, had fun visiting with the friendly staff, and were surprised to receive hand-written receipts, and their gift purchases wrapped in tissue paper and placed in their very own gift bags (the kinds of personal touches this younger generation rarely sees in retail experiences today.) I think what I love most about Gray’s, is the easy, welcoming nature I feel when I walk in the door. Whether I am greeted by longtime owners Michael and Rosemary, or other staff working the floor, I am made to feel I can leisurely browse at my own pace, and call on them when I have questions, or want to utilize their vast design experience for a home project I am working on. I am also a big supporter of local family owned businesses and the Gray family has owned their store since 1974. There’s a rich sense of family and tradition in the store and I find it to be one of it’s most desirable qualities, and one that is very hard pressed to recreate in more commercialized stores.

Gray’s Furniture | Home furnishings & decor

Gray’s Furniture has evolved through the years, and I myself remember the store as being the place in town to shop for appliances and furniture. Today they are still known to carry the highest quality of furniture and home decor, but also offer a quaint boutique aspect to their store, with unique women’s clothing, accessories, and gift items for sale as well. I am happy it feels as though this type of small-town shopping is coming full-circle in our ever-evolving shopping culture. Years ago people shopped their local downtown stores on a regular basis, but as our shopping trends changed over the years to bigger nation-known stores, it seems some people drifted away from our local, downtown retailers a bit. Nowadays though, it seems our shopping trends are changing yet again, with more and more people opting to avoid some of these bigger commercialized stores, instead preferring to order their necessities online, while enjoying their hobby, gift, and specialty shopping back at these more personalized, small downtown businesses, boutiques, and shops. Women, especially will always enjoy retail shopping, and many people value this kind of personalized customer service for their specialty purchases. I think stores like Gray’s Furniture, while evolving and bending through the years with the ever-changing shopping culture, will never go out of style, and I hope some of their best days with the most opportune retail times are on the horizon.

And now… let me tall you about that awesome furniture SALE…

Gray’s Furniture | boutique and gift items

Gray’s Furniture | house decor accessories

Gray’s Furniture Smith Brothers SALE!

When I visited Rosemary at Gray’s Furniture, she was excited to tell me about their current 40% off SALE on their signature Smith Brothers by Brune furniture line. If you are not familiar with Smith Brothers, they are a furniture manufacturing company creating some of the highest quality furniture here in the United States, since 1926. They make high quality furniture that lasts, using the best seat foam in the industry, solid maple lumber for their frames, and seams that last. When I aim to select a piece of furniture I want to own for years, I shop this brand and am willing to pay the little extra for the long-lasting quality I am going to receive with those pieces. Gray’s Furniture is offering their Smith Brothers by Brune line at 40% off retail pricing from August 13th through August 27th, with over 900 fabric options to select from. If you are looking for new, quality furniture for your home, I encourage you to stop into Gray’s Furniture and take advantage of this amazing sale…and please tell them Jaime Lyn Life by Design sent you!

Smith Brothers Sale | 900 Fabric Options

Grays’ Furniture is located at 222 E. Broadway Street, Mt. Pleasant MI. Their hours are Monday thru Wednesday from 9 to 6, Thursdays 9-8, Fridays 9-6, and Saturdays 9-4:30. You can check out their website here. If you are in the Central Michigan area, make sure you stop into Gray’s Furniture to browse their home selection and take advantage of their Smith Brother’s Sale going on until August 27, 2018. If you are not from my area, give them a call, as they may be able to help you remotely. I encourage you to support your local downtown shops wherever you live…these businesses are the heart and soul of our communities!

This is a refinished antique piece I purchased at Gray’s Furniture a number of years ago and it is still one of my favorite pieces in my own home.

Jaime Lyn Life by Design | Antique piece from Gray’s Furniture

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Have a wonderful day, friends!

Farmhouse Style

Who else is loving farmhouse design?… I’ll wait a moment while you wave your arms wildly in the air! 😉 For me, having a family farm, this simple and timeless style feels very natural to me. However, even if you are not living a true-to-life “farming life-style”, but happen to be an HGTV fan, have shopped any of the home decor stores, or frequent Pinterest, you will see farmhouse design is everywhere, and you are more than likely becoming a fan of this timeless home style too. I personally love the relaxed, simple, casual, and easy feel to farmhouse design, and enjoy that it’s not really trendy as these looks have been around for ages. I think of natural wood, tin, copper, shiplap, black iron, white and natural finishes, and rough & rustic elements when I think of this style…and I also think of muddy boots, being outdoors, early mornings, late nights, and families working together. It’s really, a beautiful and peaceful way to live life, which is why I think so many of us are so drawn to this style, as we crave this peaceful, family-focused type of environment in our homes.

I’ve shared this lovely Farmhouse style below with some pretty decorative products I really enjoy, and you can also Shop even more farmhouse styled products I like, on my “Jaime Lyn’s Shop” Page. Click on each product for all the details (& if you’re on your mobile, be sure to zoom out to see all the products I’ve included.) I’ll be updating my Jaime Lyn’s Shop each month with NEW decor items, so check back often (and I’ll also be highlighting some of these products throughout the month on my social media telling you why I enjoy them, and how I’d use them in home design as well.) Also, to give you a little more Farmhouse inspiration, you can follow my “Farmhouse Style” Pinterest Board on my Jaime Lyn Life by Design Pinterest page to see even more of this pleasant and popular style, as well as other interior design tips and looks I’m really enjoying. I would LOVE to hear what you all think of farmhouse style, so please feel free to comment below. And for a peek of my family and a bit of our own farm life.. scroll on down. Have a beautiful day, friends!

“Some call it the middle of nowhere. I call it the center of my world.”

We do combines & tractors, planting & harvest, late nights & early mornings… working till the “cows come home” way of life.

…and we do a whole lot of not taking ourselves too seriously too. 😉

Enjoy some timeless farmhouse style in your home! Remember to comment below what you think of Farmhouse Style and what your favorite farmhouse decor ideas are!…I would love to hear!

August 2, 2018 by Jaime Lyn | 0 comments

Interior Design, Lifestyle, Travel

My Trip to Magnolia Market at the Silos

Hey ya’ll, I’m back in Michigan from my trip to Waco, Texas visiting Chip & Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia Table and Magnolia Market at the Silos. My husband and kids surprised me with this trip for my 40th birthday, and I’ll always remember this celebration as one of my best birthdays yet! I enjoyed an amazing breakfast at the Magnolia Table, shopped the Magnolia Market, had lunch at the Silos’ food trucks, toured the Seed and Supply Co. gardens, and made a birthday wish over one of Joanna Gaines’ famous cupcakes from the Silos Baking Co. It was a memorable way to ring in my 40’s and the perfect time for me to launch this new design Blog I’d been working on! I am so excited to tell you more about my trip, and share some helpful insight, tips, and sneak peeks of Magnolia!…

Magnolia Table

I started out at the Magnolia Table, Chip and Joanna’s famous Diner, and it was everything I expected it to be and more! Every. little. detail was thought out from the covered, outdoor seating area where guests can comfortably wait for their tables, to the adorable Take Away market for shopping or light snacks, to the outdoor bistro for enjoying an iced coffee while you wait…and that was all before we even went inside! There’s so much I want to share about the Magnolia Table and their amazing food (yes the biscuits are that good!)…and because the diner is in a separate location from the Silos, I think it deserves a post all in itself, so I’ll be doing another post just on the Magnolia Table, soon!..so watch for that! Until then, all I can say is, if you are anywhere near Waco, TX… take the time, wait the wait, and go! The Magnolia Table is located at 2132 S. Valley Mills Dr. | Waco TX and is open Monday thru Saturday from 6:00 am to 3:00 pm.

Magnolia Table | Chip & Joanna Gaines Diner

Magnolia Market at the Silos

When I first arrived near the Magnolia Market at the Silos, located at 601 Webster | Waco, Texas, I could see the Silos far in the distance… you can NOT miss them, and oh the excitement I had… my husband who is a farmer himself and owns silos, granaries and elevators looked at me as if I were nuts… we have these all over the place at home and I barely acknowledge them, but here I acted like I had just seen Elvis while driving up to these larger-than-life silos! Oh but you have to watch the show y’all to get it, right?

We arrived a little before noon on a Friday and Magnolia was busy.. but festive. Everyone I seen there was happy!…the guests, the staff, the birds… it’s just a happy, casual, welcoming place to enjoy time! So…let me take you inside!

Silos Baking Co.

The Silos Baking Co. is Joanna Gaines’ famous on-site bakery, located in the white building with black and white awning, at the corner of the Silos property. The bakery is adorable.. designed with white subway tiles, exposed beams, white marble, black accents, and the most adorable chalkboard-esk signage listing the baked items for sale. On busy days (disclaimer: I think every day there is busy) there is a covered area outside next to the bakery, where guests can wait their turn to enter inside. I was given a little menu card and pencil to decide what I wanted to order, so once inside there was hardly any wait. I got the Lemon Lavender, Shiplap (of course!), Strawberries n’ Cream, and The Classic cupcakes… and oh my goodness, they were good! Helpful Tip: Get your cupcakes on your way out, at the end of your day, as it is HOT in Texas, and the last thing you want to do is walk around with melting cupcakes, or stop in a bit early to enjoy a pastry at 7:30 am before The Market opens at 9 am (and the bigger crowds start rolling in.) The bakery is open Monday thru Saturday 7:30 am to 6 pm.

The Silos, The Lawn, & the Food Trucks

These areas of the Silos feel like a big family reunion with a community of people you don’t know, but visit with like you’ve been friends for years! The Lawn is a huge outdoor space right in the middle of the property for kids and adults alike to play yard games, lounge around, and relax in the sun. The Silos make the most unique backdrop, and if you come from an Ag background like we do, you can really appreciate the authenticity of how the Silos, and the elevator were untouched and left in their very original state, with the rest of the complex designed and developed around it. Lovely! There are picnic tables on the stage area in front of the silos, and also a large covered pavilion with fans and misters (next to the Lawn) to find shade and to cool off a bit while you enjoy an easy lunch from the many food trucks. The Food Trucks add to the festive flare of the Silos, like a small town festival has just rolled into town for guests to enjoy pizza, hot dogs, mac n cheese, Alabama sweet tea, and popcorn (and so much more!… what I like to call, happy food!) There’s even a Silos Baking Co. food truck with some of the bakery’s signature items, so if you don’t want to wait in the bakery’s line, that is another nice option. We really enjoyed this festive space, and had some good old-fashioned fun!

The Seed and Supply Co. and The Gardens

This space is located in the back corner of the grounds and is so peaceful and tranquil. The gardens are filled with flowers, herbs, and veggies, and is cared for beautifully. I got the feeling I was taking an afternoon stroll through a friend’s personal backyard garden. I loved the little chalkboard signs marking the various plantings, the wood planter boxes, brick paved paths, and the aroma from the plants. We ended at the Seed and Supply Co., a little garden shed of sorts with double doors, opening up to an intimate shopping experience filled with seeds, herbs, flower canisters, garden tools, candles, gardening books, and other outdoorsy decorative pieces. It’s a very pretty area of the Silos property and I wouldn’t miss seeing it when you go!

The Magnolia Market

The Magnolia Market is the mecca shopping experience for Fixer Upper, and Chip and Joanna Gaines fans. The minute you walk into The Market, it oozes the look and feel you get when you see one of their renovated Fixer Upper houses on the show…the textures, the colors, the smells, the natural and casual elements. The Market is open Monday thru Saturday from 9 am to 6 pm, and we went on a Friday and Saturday (Saturday being much busier.) I found candles, wreaths, florals, furniture, table linens, dishes, Jimmy Don signs (of course y’all!), and so much more! It’s so fun to just enjoy casual shopping in the setting of this beautiful and authentic granary, with high, open-structured ceilings, shiplap lining the walls, black wrought iron accents, and natural wood displays and open trusses throughout… I really felt I had stepped into a Magnolia home showcase! Helpful Tip: Bring an extra suitcase for your findings…or a U-haul! 😉 Really, though… I would recommend picking up what you can easily pack for those momento pieces you want to remember buying at The Market.. candles, mugs, even a small Jimmy Don sign.. and either ship the rest home (which they offer as a service at check-out) or shop those bigger items online and have them delivered to your home (which I’ve heard is less shipping expense, but make sure that piece you want in the store is available online, otherwise buy it/ship it from the store.)

Enjoying the beauty of the Magnolia Market

Recap

You can definitely see The Magnolia Market at the Silos in one day, but I would recommend two days, using the first day to really take it all in, and the second day, as time to go back and leisurely enjoy the parts you loved, and purchase the things you had your eyes on.
I was pleasantly surprised at the affordability of everything… from food to the merchandise, everything was very reasonably priced, and I felt very similar to what I would spend at a normal shopping day with my family in Michigan.
The staff is so super friendly and extremely helpful, and welcoming; anything you need…they are there ready to be of service!
I was impressed by how every.little.detail was thought out and the whole property was laid out and organized to be a welcoming place of leisure and fun… places for kids to run off energy, areas to get out of the sun, ways to get through lines quickly, and places to sit and just enjoy the scenery. It really was a pleasant couple of days of good, wholesome, old-fashioned fun for us… kind of what the soul needs more of in our busy, fast-paced lives.

My Travel Notes

We flew into Dallas Fort Worth airport (straight flight from Detroit to Dallas) and rented a car… note: the car rental place is a bus ride and a distance away, so especially for your return flight – allow at least an hour travel time for this.
There is parking all over the place at the Silos and even a trolley service for lots farther away. We parked at the lot across from the Baptist Church, right next to the Silos, paying $10 – what a financial blessing Magnolia must be for this church!…wonderful!
We stayed at The Hotel Indigo – nice!! and only 3 blocks about from The Silos. We had one of the best meals there too at the Brazos Bar & Bistro (if you go, I recommend you get their stuffed chicken avocado platter, their cheese platter, and for your entree, the spinach stuffed chicken…all heavenly!) Even if you don’t stay there, it’s a great place to stop (very close to the Silos) for a nice dinner on your way home. Location: 211 Clay Ave | Waco, TX.

Other Fun “Fixer Upper/ Magnolia” Things to Do while in Waco

The Original “Magnolia Store”:

Visit the original “Magnolia” Store – Joanna’s original store she had years ago, before her Fixer Upper fame, and now is their “Magnolia Warehouse Shop” – open Thursdays-Saturdays from 10am to 5pm, where they offer their last chance items & slightly damaged products at a discount. Located at: 3801 Bosque Blvd | Waco, TX

Fixer Upper Houses:

Drive by some of the Fixer Upper houses from the Show…. we were able to catch these two beauties below and I knew the minute we drove by they were one of Chip & Joanna’s Fixer Upper homes.. you can just tell by their signature style:

Gorman House, Located: Corner of 20th Street & Gorman Avenue | Waco TX

Beanstalk Bungalow, Located: Corner of 28th Street and Gorman Avenue | Waco, TX

Laverty’s Antiques:

Stop by Laverty’s – The Antique Shop Joanna hits up for many of her decorative pieces she uses to stage homes. When we dropped by, they were closed and it looks like they only re-open when they have enough merchandise to re-fill their showroom, but by the off chance they’re open, it would be fun to browse, or at least get a good photo op! Located at: 3520 600 North 18th Street | Waco, TX.

Harp Design Co:

Shop at Harp Design Co. – Clint Harp and his wife Kelly’s handmade wood furniture and home furnishings shop…if you watch Fixer Upper, you’ll know Clint as the craftsman who made some of Joanna’s beautiful furniture pieces she used in her Fixer Upper homes. Clint and Kelly also have a spin-off show of their own called Wood Work, just in it’s first season on the DIY Network. Location of Harp Design Co.: 808 N 15th Street | Waco TX

Spice Village Collection of Shops:

And if you desire to do more shopping while in Waco, I suggest you visit the boutiques at Spice Village – This is a major hub for boutique shopping with over 60 boutiques under one roof. You’ll find home decor, clothing, accessories, gifts, stationary…anything gift and boutique-esk (is that a word?), they have it! There’s also some nice restaurants near there as well. Location: 213 Mary Ave | Waco, TX

And that’s my wrap-up of my 40th birthday trip to Magnolia in Waco, Texas! What a fun trip! The designer, mom, and entrepreneur in me left Magnolia feeling so inspired and I can’t wait to visit again! If you love this leisurely type of getaway, and are a Fixer Upper or Chip and Joanna Gaines fan like myself, I would definitely recommend going for a destination trip. And even if you’ve never watched the show but are anywhere near the Waco, TX area for travel, make sure to take a little time to stop by the Magnolia Silos or eat at the Magnolia Diner; you won’t regret you did!

Jaime Lyn Life by Design “Magnolia Giveaway!”

Before you go…. I’m offering a super fun GIVEAWAY on my “Jaime Lyn Life by Design” Facebook Page! I’m giving away: 1 Magnolia “Greenhouse Candle”, 1 Magnolia Silos Tote Bag, 2 Magnolia Table Coffee Mugs, and a 1 Year Subscription to Joanna Gaines’ “The Magnolia Journal” magazine (4 quarterly issues!)

To Enter: Like and Follow my Facebook PAGE, and Share my Giveaway Post (pinned at the top of my Facebook page.) For Bonus Entries, Tag a Friend (1 bonus entry for each friend you tag) and for another BONUS entry, sign up for my Newsletter right here at jaimelynlife.com! I’ll announce a WINNER once I have 1000 Facebook Followers!

Jaime Lyn Life by Design Magnolia Giveaway

I hope you enjoyed this Magnolia Post – share away, if you did! I look forward to sharing much more interior design, lifestyle, and travel inspiration with you here at Jaime Lyn Life by Design! Lots more to come! Thank you so much for reading! & to SHOP more FarmHouse styles I love, Click here!

Have a beautiful weekend, friends! ~ Jaime Lyn

July 22, 2018 by Jaime Lyn | 0 comments

Interior Design, Lifestyle

Welcome to Jaime Lyn Life by Design!

Hi and welcome to Jaime Lyn Life by Design, my new Design and Lifestyle Blog! This weekend I’m turning 40 (ahhh…how did that happen already?!) and thought what better way to celebrate than to finally launch this Blog that I’ve been working on creating the last several months. I am really excited to start sharing helpful & creative interior design and lifestyle ideas, trends, tips, products, and more with you! I’ll be sharing projects I’ve worked on (some of which are currently on the market), design looks I love, and tips I’ve learned along the way to better design and manage home & life. I truly hope you will gain fresh, new ideas to use in your home! You can stay in touch with me here at Jaime Lyn Life by Design by signing up for Email updates, and following me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest for even more design and lifestyle inspiration.

A little more about me…

I live in Michigan and am married to my high school sweetheart and business partner husband, Mike, and have four children, a son and three daughters who are between the ages of 14 and 5. Along with being a busy wife & mom, I am an entrepreneur and own and manage various businesses. I have a degree in Interior Design and Business and have worked in both commercial and residential design, but in most recent years, I’ve focused my design trade on property development and real estate projects of our own (design/build, remodel, and investment properties.) I also own a specialty business with my daughters called Kai Kai Brai, creating our own brand of Tell Me Anything Shared Journals and other gifts, and encourage my son with his own business, Country Crops Farmers Market. My family life and work life is a mix of perfect chaos that just works for us, even as crazy as it can be some (most) days! I’ll be sharing more about myself along the way, but really aim to share a lot of design & lifestyle inspiration here with all of you, creating… life by design!

&…fun news this weekend…!

This weekend as I celebrate my birthday and launch my Blog, I’m spending time in the coolest, most fitting place! My hubby and kiddos surprised me with a 40th birthday trip to Waco, Texas and I’m so excited to scope out every inch of Magnolia!…I’ll share WAY more of this trip in a future post, but you can get some behind the scenes right now on my Facebook and Instagram!..so follow along with me, to see!