Friday, June 30, 2006
sometimes
i have two passions. i love to decorate and i love to teach. decorating is a lot easier. i wonder if i will ever get back in the classroom. i think i would rather open a little shop. lately, i have been playing with the idea of combining the two. i mean, i think about it until my eyes cross...seriously...that is an awful lot of thinking.
have you ever read miss rumphius? best children's book EVER. go read it, especially if you are a teacher.
have you ever read miss rumphius? best children's book EVER. go read it, especially if you are a teacher.
Thursday, June 29, 2006
bliss
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
cottage essentials
1. fresh flowers - my favorites are pink spray roses and daisies (they last the longest)
2. a clock that tick tocks softly in the background
3. a coat rack right by the door
4. a porch swing if possible
5. seagrass rugs
6. little wooden stepping stools
7. soft light lamps and mini chandeliers
8. lots of pillows - rachel ashwell and bella notte are the best
9. a cookie jar
10. a pet
two errands
errand number one:
yesterday, i painted this table. it is an old pine pottery barn piece. i thought the hardware would never come off, but i managed somehow. today, i will hunt for new handles...so exciting!
errand number two:
i will purchase another jubilee oyster panel from the cottage chic store. i bought one panel several months ago for the master bedroom and contemplated cutting it into two panels. but i have decided to go ahead and get a second. i think i will take a picture of mine, as i don't think this one does it justice. they really are beautiful. they are rachel ashwell and i have to say i was pleasantly shocked by the quality. they are fully lined and SO heavy.
yesterday, i painted this table. it is an old pine pottery barn piece. i thought the hardware would never come off, but i managed somehow. today, i will hunt for new handles...so exciting!errand number two:
i will purchase another jubilee oyster panel from the cottage chic store. i bought one panel several months ago for the master bedroom and contemplated cutting it into two panels. but i have decided to go ahead and get a second. i think i will take a picture of mine, as i don't think this one does it justice. they really are beautiful. they are rachel ashwell and i have to say i was pleasantly shocked by the quality. they are fully lined and SO heavy.
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
three little chairs
since i didn't make it to my grandmother's little old town this weekend, i had to get my antique fix locally. so...saturday morning, i hit my favorite shop. sometimes i find a lot of little things there that i like, but the best days are when i find one thing that i just love.
saturday was a good day.
i love these little sunday school chairs.
but i can't decide if i should paint them...or not...and if i do, what color should they be?
Monday, June 26, 2006
i'm back...sort of
well, i never really left. there were some bad storms this weekend in the area i was traveling to, and a rainy week ahead, so i postponed my trip. sadly, i missed the anniversary party of the old log church in the beautiful town of my grandparents. i'm so proud of my grandmother and grandfather for all they do toward the historic preservation of their town. i know i owe them for my appreciation of antiques and for my desire to restore old things. they taught me to value the past. thank you, dear grandparents.
happy birthday, old church.
Thursday, June 22, 2006
holiday
i am heading out of town in the morning for a week of home tours and antique shopping! i hope to find some great new things and ideas for this cottage of mine. i will post some pictures when i return. thank you to sarah and melissa for their kind words on my "home away from home" the preppy cafe.
have a great week!
have a great week!
banister ball
i like plain and simple, but i can't keep my hands off things. so i end up getting things froo-frooed up sometimes by accident. i take a lot of pictures, so it is nice to go back and see what i've been doing to the place. my stairway has really blossomed in the past few months. first, i painted my hall silver sage. i loved it, but then i wanted to try a wallpaper effect, so i stenciled on cream acrylic paint in fleur de lis diamonds. then, to top it all off, i added a ball - it just screwed on - and painted my banister. i also put some lace panels on the french doors to keep the back of the house private from the front door. right now, i am looking for a good deal on a sisal runner for the stairs. i like the wood, but i just want to add a little something to them so they don't look forgotten. i think then, i just might be finished with the stairway hall. but maybe not :)
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
do you know these people?
they are hanging in my house. i do not know them. i bought the picture framed "as is" from anthropologie, thought it was charming. if you know anyone in this picture, or your grandmother does, please tell them they are famous.
sat practice
here's an anology:cabinet:knobs; head:earrings
you see, you need more than one set. of course, you have your diamonds and your pearls, but you also need something a little unexpected now and then. i currently have this wooden flower knob on my buffet. it is actually a curtain rod finial. get a little wild with your cupboard jewelry!
if you can't play with the ones you love, honey...
..decorate with them.
i'm a child of the seventies and these little guys were my whole world for many years. i can't look at one without smiling from the pure joy they bring to me from such good memories. this little man is on my fireplace mantel. i think he looks so nice.
Thursday, June 15, 2006
BIG plans
every single day i do something to change up the decor in my home. i have a little ocd...maybe...but, i prefer to think of it as passion. some things i do are BIG and some are pretty small. today, for instance, was a small day. i took two standard rachel ashwell shams from my master bed and put them upstairs on my guest bed. i like them better on my guest bed, but now i will need to buy some more for the master bed. you see that's all, a little change-up. oh, and i added eight new knobs to some kitchen cabinets, but that was just because i had miscounted (missed a whole wall) when i changed them out a few weeks ago. sometimes, however, i will take on some pretty large tasks. like on a whim, i will actually start ripping up carpet. it is true. it has happened. twice. i am always glad i do go with my gut in my decorating frenzies, i am most happy with my new changes. i am saying all of this to explain why i started this blog in the first place. i thought it would be a great way to document, share, and hopefully even learn about the many adventures of home decorating. so whatever the plans, big or small, i will take the time to write them here for the few or for the many who read. i don't know what is in store for this weekend. i may try to make some new curtains with the help of a dear seamstress friend, or i may paint my bedroom dresser for the third time. maybe i will buy something BIG. i have been eying a mint green sideboard at layla grace for some time now. or maybe i will just relax. it is the weekend after all. enjoy!
the new knobs
well said
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
pop pop
ever since i decorated my first home, i have favored monochromatic design. i started out with all creams and whites and have slowly navigated toward more grays, blues, and greens. i sprinkle other colors around for interest, but my hues are always easy on the eyes...soft pastels or browns, never black or red. but sometimes i surprise myself and like a little pop! this begonia was definitely that. i can't handle such boldness for too long, so luckily it died before i had to hurt its feelings and find it a new home.
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
doorknob diamonds
when i was a little girl, my family went to the home of some church friends for a barbecue. they had a tiny ranch home and it was kind of quirky. it is funny that i can picture it so well, i was only there one time. it had mustard yellow shag carpet with protective plastic runners on top. but what was most memorable appeared on the back bedroom door - for there was a doorknob diamond. later on, i told my mother these people must be very rich because they had a huge diamond for a doorknob. i know she must have laughed, but ever since that day i knew that when i would be able to afford such luxury, i would have them as well. today was a big day for me.before...
Monday, June 12, 2006
i still got it
just making sure i still know how to do this (with a more interesting photo this time). if it works, i'll start this whole thing out tomorrow.
the corner bunny
for three days now i have been trying to figure out how to post a picture so that i can get this blog of mine started. well, tonight i succeeded, but i am laughing that for my first photo, i chose this. i am sure if anyone happens accross this blog...you are hooked now.
