Sick Day

I suppose that if one must be home sick in bed, they could do worse than these cozy surroundings, eh? Even better than the cozy bed set up, is the view from the bed:

Yes! Tender Arts Studio is back in business! I bought this great desk at the Salvation Army last weekend. Hauled it home in a rented Home Depot truck all by myself too! I did get help with getting it in the house though- thank you, teenagers! I covered the bulletin board myself too.

I even have a doll to show for my efforts too! This is Meg March. I started her in 2008 and she languished about in her unders for over a year- poor dear! Sunday afternoon I sat at my new work station and finished her. Pure Nirvana!

On Monday, I woke up and felt like a ton of bricks had been dropped off in my head. I came home from work early and I've been in bed ever since. All in all, NOT the worst sick experience I've ever had!

Hugs to all!

Happy Holidays!

In my little Christmas village, Santa is still handing out gifts and the Richingtons are still out visiting, but here at home we are all holiday-ed out!

It was a great Christmas for our family, I hope it was for all of you too.

That was fun!

I've had a really hard time posting photos here lately, so I've kind of given up! For now anyway! But I did just post my bedroom on HGTV's Rate My Space and that was pretty fun. The link is here if you want to check it out. It's a fun site and I love getting my "decorating fix" there because I get to interact with it and leave comments.

(oh sure...now it works! whatever!)

Orthographic Projection

We had our first presentation today in Rendering. This is my Orthographic Projection. I think I did pretty well. At least, the responses were nice from my fellow classmates. Next week I'll get my grade.

You might recognize this room from photos I've posted here on the blog- yes, it's my room! I wanted to do a space where I could refer to the measurements as much as I wanted.

Next, we're working on Axonometric Projections. To make it easy for us, the instructor has said we can use the same room, but I think I'm going to make it a little more fun by changing up the color scheme a bit!

And below is a gratuitous self-portrait. This is what I wore for my job interview last week. The good news is that we all got hired on with the new management company! I was playing around with the new features on picnik. This is supposed to be me 39% thinner! Yikes! But, it's okay.

The dress is a black and white and the skirt portion is trumpet shaped and I have the cutest wedges in black and white too. Doesn't it look 20's - 30's?

Playin' House

The boys are back in school and I've been enjoying having a home that stays picked up for more than ten minutes! Of course, I STILL haven't painted yet, but I'm sure I'm getting close! I have been stitching up some pillow covers:

And playing with sea shells and hot glue!

It really is true what they say about "back to school"- it's the most wonderful time of the year!

Love Letter From 1956

That is what this little ottoman is- a love letter! I bought this last fall at my favorite Goodwill. It was one of those silly moments we thrifters all have- you see an object and immediately grab for it, afraid that someone else is about to d0 the same thing! And then...your rational mind steps in and reminds you that the object is a stained and tattered ottoman! It's a real clash of the left and right sides of the brain, isn't it?

Anywhoooo.... this was covered in a beautiful old barkcloth, but it was water stained and ripped. It took many months to finally get around to re-covering it. I think it turned out pretty cute! The very enchanting part of the project came when I had the thing flipped over and was struggling to tug the cover over the foam. In very faint pencil this was written on the bottom of the ottoman: "This was made by Neil and Margaret, Sacramento, Cal., 1956". Awwwww. How sweet is that?

I did some other decorating in the living room too. Since my dining room is now my roommate (and beloved stepdaughter), Kelly's room, I've had to re-think a lot of my home's layout. I originally moved my big craft hutches into the garage, but recently realized that they would be a very welcome addition to my living room! Check it out:

Nice, huh? I think it really brings in that coastal vibe I've been wanting. See the little hope chest under the window? I'm picturing yellow and white cabana stripes painted on it! So bright and happy!

Now I am really itching to paint the walls! Except, I think I will cut the blue in half with white. I really want it to be very soft. In the photo below it looks great, but at night it's a little more colorful than I want it to be.

Just to illustrate how much my poor living room needed this change, this is how this room has looked since Earl moved out last summer:
Ugghh! No wonder I'm ready for a change. Especially since this entire color scheme was chosen to accomodate him. I didn't hate it, but it never felt like "me". Hope you all have a lovely week!

Hugs to all!

All I want is a room somewhere...

Wow! Isn't this gorgeous? Chris at Just Beachy did this. She did all that paneling herself and she even painted her doorbell mechanism to blend in. I love that attention to detail! Here is a post about how she extended her paneling up the wall to accomodate her growing children and here is another about how she pulled it all together. Brava, Chris! You are an inspiration!

Just Beachy is one of my newest favorite blogs because she has a passion for coastal style, which is a look that I am loving lately. I used to be quite a snob about coastal style- I felt that if you didn't live near a coast, then you shouldn't fling it all over your house! But now that I am dreaming of a future on the coast, it's become my obsession! I love to be surrounded by images and objects of the beach that inspire me to keep moving forward.

I don't know where I'd ever find the time and resources to re-do my living room in the next couple of years, but if I could, I would definitely give it a beachy-vibe. Not outrageously done with seagulls and such all over the place, but just a comfortable, inviting room that gently references the sea. A soft soothing shade of ocean blue (like Chris's) on the walls, some natural sea grass baskets with shells in them and that's about it. Ahhh, wouldn't it be loverly?

Hugs to all!

Show and Tell Friday!

This vignette is still a work in progress, but I wanted to show you my "BOO" sign. Pretty cute, eh? Well, that Joy is one amazing crafty girl. She shared the "how-to" on this post and I am so happy with how it turned out! Good ol' Dollar Tree! The paper I used is a scrap of ledger paper from work and the font is Black Adder. I think I printed it at 145 pt. The orange matting is just scrapbook paper. Now, I just need to finish my beloved Wendy's little Jack-O-Lantern costume-I'm picturing green tights and turtleneck, a face on her pumpkin dress, and a green yo-yo hat- so cute! I also need to paint my *ahem* "developmentally disabled" white pumpkin whose elegant orange cousin is obviously embarrassed by! Sometimes you can replicate a craft and sometimes you have to buy the original! I do get a kick out of my pathetic replica though!

This incredibly beautiful glittery frosty pumpkin is a result of Andrea's tutorial. Hers are especially beautiful because she used her gorgeous glass glitter. I had to be satisfied with my plasic Walmart glitter! The vintage sparkly earring is just sitting at the stem so I can use it again. That tip is also from Andrea- very smart!

I would love to do a whole pile of white glittery pumpkins on this cake stand. Hey- they're from Dollar Tree! I can afford that!

Happy Friday, Friends. I hope you all have terrific weekends. I don't have to work at OSH this weekend and I am really hoping to get started on the boys' room. Hopefully, I'm not too exhausted from my work week- it's been a tough one!

Show and Tell Friday!

Oh boy! I found another "share along"! I enjoy these because it's so fun to see how other bloggy gals do their "thing". I just stumbled on Show and Tell Friday via Tales From An O.C. Cottage. Kelli at There Is No Place Like Home is the lovely hostess. Why don't you play too? I love seeing people's treasures. So, this is something I have actually never talked about or shared before. This is a tiny bit of my Wexford collection. There is nothing special about Wexford- it's just pressed glass from Anchor Hocking that first came out in the late fifties I believe and it was made until the mid-eighties. I could be completely wrong about those dates, but I'm pretty sure that's the range anyway. My grandma had Wexford and so did my mother. I never thought about it- it was just regular glassware to me while growing up. In fact, I remember donating what I had to Goodwill back in the early eighties when I was setting up house for the first time. I had bought a full set of "modern" drinking glasses and didn't want my odds and ends anymore!

After my grandma died in 1996, I was the happy recipient of her Magnalite pots and some of her other kitchenwares, including a few Wexford goblets. Seeing those goblets made me so happy and nostalgic! I began noticing Wexford at my usual thrift stores and starting picking up pieces. What you see in the cupboard above is just a portion of what I have. I have mostly vessels, but I sure wish I could get my hands on some dinner, dessert plates and platters. They aren't nearly as common, but I know Anchor Hocking did make them. Someday, someday!

I love this stuff because it's so durable! Yes, sometimes we break a piece, but not as much as we would with thinner glass. This is thick and heavy and I just think it's pretty. I know it's not as nice as crystal, but I can afford this and it's just so special to me.

Will you join in Show and Tell Friday? I would love to see what you share! Go visit Kelli and get signed up!

I Forgot How Much I Love Swedish Style!

Oh my goodness! This post is so long and pic heavy! Sorry guys!

Carmen and I were at the library yesterday and I ended up, as I usually do, in front of the decor and craft section. There was nothing new to me, but I picked up this old friend for some fresh inspiration: I first checked this book out in 2000 and I still think it is quite timely. Probably because Ms. Waddell's interpretation of Swedish style is based on Carl Larsson's home which is, of course, timeless. It's a great style- like a paired-down cottage look, I think. That's perfect for me because with teenage boys and pets everywhere, I can't do a lot of cute collectables anyway. (That's why I love my china cabinet- it's all enclosed and safe!) Sasha Waddell still designs and sells lovely, Swedish inspired furniture pieces at her website and there are even some really beautiful fabrics here.

Anyway, I've been thinking lately that I'd like to decorate my dining, crafting, computer room in a "cottage garden" theme, but haven't really been able to get started. (Well, duh! I'm still not finished with my bedroom, nor have I started the boys' room! When it comes to decor, lately I feel like I am all talk and no action, but I'm sure I will get it all done eventually, say 2036 or so!)

When we first looked at this house, it was this room that sold me. Even though it is a north facing room, the fact that the kitchen was connected to the dining room with a big breakfast bar and that there were windows on two sides of the room, really made it seem light and airy.

I had seen a dining room on HGTV that I loved and I wanted to replicate with lime walls, white painted furniture and blue and white china with blue toile curtains. It looked so fresh to me and I thought it would be the perfect way to show off my blue and white china pieces. So we moved in and painted the walls green. It immediately got the nickname "Hulk Juice"! Then I went shopping for my blue toile for the curtains and instead fell in love with a red and white fabric collection! Here's how it pretty much turned out:

This is obviously the dining/working side and below is the wall opposite my work wall where we had enough room for this cute little loveseat that I slipcovered.

Directly to the right of the loveseat was the computer area. So... that was all good and cozy and cottage-y... except for when we tried to take photographs of actual people in this room!

Submitted for evidence:

Exhibit A: Yikes! My brother Dean and I against eye-befuddling red checks

and Exhibit B:

Max's tenth birthday party set against Hulk Juice walls with a seasonal orange tablecloth. Ugghhh....So, I knew I wanted to change some things! Last April I painted the wall in Toast, the same color as my living room. Here is how the room looked for Easter:

Hmmm, still not liking it. The toast color, which is so warm and cozy in the living room is just ...harsh and orange looking in here. All the colorful linens (vintage bedsheets) are gone now and I just have beige panels on the slider and this table and chairs:

Earl took the big table which is fine- it was his choice anyway, not mine. I adore my little table- it was a dumpster find, but that is a story for another day! I like my craigslist chairs too, but after my re-do, they might become outdoor seating. I think I need a more traditional wooden chair for a Swedish style room. *sigh* Like this beauty in this Larsson painting:

Sasha Waddell says in the book that it's the northern light that makes the difference and I think that's really true when you see this painting. Also, since my room is north facing, I think this pallette is much more suiting. Another thing in the book that I thought was interesting is that she suggests adding a small amount of raw umber to paint to soften the color. I really want to try that, but I don't still don't know what color to paint this room! I'm leaning towards an antique white with simple muslin curtains (I've talked about that idea before, I think, on my old blog) and then bringing in color with fresh flowers and accessories.

Well, Friends, if you've read this long rambly post all the way to the end, I salute you! I'd love to hear your thoughts on this room. It's big and it works hard. What kind of paint color and curtains do you think you would choose for it? I'm keeping the furniture where it is. There is still a computer in the corner and I think I want to paint the big craft cupboard to look like the TARDIS! Shhhh....don't tell Carmen- I want to surprise her with it! And yes, I do think it would still look cute with a Swedish style room!

Twenty Little Things to Treasure in Autumn

An end to watering and mowing!

Colorful leaves dancing down the street

Driving through the leaves dancing down the street

My birthday!

(Emily, made and sold in 2007)

Max’s birthday too (he was supposed to be a girl and he was due on Halloween so I referred to him as “my little ghoul”. Guess I got a surprise, eh?)

Max and Eric, Halloween 2005

My dear sister-in-law Deb’s birthday (love you, Deb!)

High school football games

The Mighty Mavericks at their first home game Friday nightEric, his friend Travis (on the left) and the rest of the band provide the heartbeat of the game!

Geese honking overhead

Socks and shoes after a season of sandals

Halloween in my neighborhood! It’s like Mardi Gras!

Seasonal decorating

Snuggling under my favorite throw on the couch with an old movie and a bowl of popcorn

Switching out the sheets to flannel

Roses in our cheeks

Walking through the fallen leaves

Mmmm, sweaters

Crows! Quite possibly my favorite bird

Candles- the soft light and fragrances so appropriate for fall

Using the oven again- hurray for baked goods!

The coziness that one only gets from life indoors

Big thanks to Melissa at The Inspired Room- this was a fun exercise. She has Mr. Linky up with other bloggers ideas of Twenty Things to Treasure in Autumn. A good way to spend the first day of Fall, don't you agree?