Mix It Up...

Most of the time with my decorating I stay neutral... Grays, whites, creams, beiges, etc.


Like this pretty room:

 

 

 

But when I see a room like this:

boom... I want it. I actually have a similar sofa like that that my husband's grandmother left to us. It is waiting for us in my in-laws basement. We just need to pick it up and reupholster it... But I get a little nervous about it... I feel like there is a fine line between something looking chic versus something looking like grandma's. Do you know what I mean with that? Maybe it's just me. I want my sofa to look chic, not like it came from my grandma's attic is all I mean. Even though I love grandma and all.

And that wallpaper... I mean, drool worthy! I don't like wallpaper, but that is just so interesting and fun to look at. Which would mean that I would probably get sick of it in 5 months, but who's counting.

So sometimes I love neutrals, but sometimes I veer towards color. Who cares. I don't want my house to be all "one style." I love eclectic. Just like my wardrobe. Sometimes I love a good preppy outfit from J. Crew, other days I love boho style from Anthropologie. It depends on my mood. But there are no rules; that's how I see it anyway! Just have fun.

Happy Friday Loves.

xo


pics: via pinterest

High Heels + Chair = DUH...

Lately at work I have been freezing... So I blast the heat and only certain rooms get hotter, my office not being one of them. I chalked it up to the frigid temperatures outside. But last night, I couldn't feel any heat coming out of the vent on my ceiling.

So, cleverly I stood on my chair in my heels to reach up to the vent to feel for any air, and this is what happened next:

 

 

Okay, so maybe it wasn't quite so dramatic... but I did fall. And get a nice goose egg on my knee... Which caused me to cancel my date today with Isabel.

 

Now you understand. I don't cancel dates with Isabel willy nilly. But I'll survive. My knee that is. My missed date with Isabel is another story {though I will be riding twice next week to make up for lost time!}

 

I guess the moral of the story is don't stand on chairs in high heels. Well, duh. 

 

 

xo

 

 

 

pic: via pinterest

Cape-tastic...

Some days are harder than others. On those days, you just gotta throw on your cape and fly...

 



xo


P.S. I just bought some great pieces that I will be refinishing soon {if the weather warms up just a tiny bit! They are pretty fab, so stay tuned!}

pic: via pinterest

Mi Familia...

Good morning and hello Monday!

Phew, I had a weekend filled with family. For a lot people, that can be a little, um, stressful. For me, it is usually just fun {99% of the time...}

Friday night I was supposed to go out to dinner with my brothers. We love a spouse-free dinner once in a while just so we can stay a tight knit group of siblings. We also go out as couples, but we make sure to go out as siblings about once a month. But I didn't end up going on Friday {I was too tired} but they did.

Saturday night we went out with my sister-in-law and her husband. Lots of laughing. And margaritas...

Sunday my nephew was baptized. It was lovely. We were all together to watch this wonderful moment in his life. Beautiful.

Sunday night we went to dinner with my in-laws. Fun and more laughing.

So it was busy, but in a good kind of way. Here is what I think about family:

 

 

I also think some people have made their own families out of friends and people they love. And that is just awesome too!!

 

 

Here is another way to view family: I can probably definitely think of at least one family member for each of these statements...



 

 

 

 

But mostly, I think of my family like this:

Spending time with my family is the "big things" in life. Watching my nephew get baptized was one of those moments that only happens once in life. You miss it... you miss it. So I will make every effort I can to be there for the little and big things in my family. I don't want to look back and have regrets...

xo



pics: via pinterest

Loving Life...

I feel so lucky that I can say that I love my life. I have worked hard to create a life I love; it did not just fall into my lap. I have nurtured what I want more of, cut out what I want less of and appreciate all that I do have. My mindset is one of choosing happiness. That certainly doesn't mean I don't have bad days. I just try not to dwell on them, but rather feel them, then let them pass. It isn't always easy. Here is what I have tried to cultivate and create in my life so far.


My mantra:

A lifestyle of ease and simplicity. Animals bring an earthy organic feeling into my world.

I try hard to remember to have days like this... not always rush, rush, rush.

Dining with family and friends. Feeling connected.

Or dining alone with my husband. Enjoying his company.

Resting. I am a firm believer in resting my body. Naps are good. Naps in hammocks even better.

Resting my body but working my brain. Reading is a part of my life every night before bed. Even if it's only for two minutes.

And resting my brain... Meditation is so important to learn how to slow my mind down. Just breathe. Bask in the glow.

 

Working my body, making it strong. Yoga centers me.

 



Having fun... Play is so important to me. Riding my bike gives me a workout but also lets me have fun.

More play... but also being green. Riding my vespa is so much fun all summer long, and allows me to leave a smaller footprint on this earth.

Going to farmer's markets is great fun over the summer. And eating right does a body good.

More play. Riding is fun and great exercise. My best friend recently said she doesn't know how to play, even with her kids. It's hard for her to let loose and play. I will have to work with her on that! I'm extra good at it...

Decorating gets my creative juices flowing. It allows me to step outside of the box.

As does painting. Art makes the soul happy. Expression in any medium is liberating. Letting one's inner child out to play is priceless.

Enjoying the moment. Being present. I continue to work on this every day. I can say it's a work in progress... Not easy. But so worth it.

This is my life and my journey. The life I have cultivated and nurtured for myself. The life I have created. No, of course it's not perfect, but I absolutely love it.


xo



Pics: via pinterest

Chirp Chirp...

Good morning!

How did you wake up this morning? Were you jolted out of bed by a blast of music or a buzzer? Well since December, I've been waking up quite nicely. And here is why...


What do you get when you mix this...

 

 

 

 

With this...

 

 

 

Only the best alarm clock ever!

 

My husband knows me so well. Like yesterday, he called me to tell me that daylight saving time is on March 9th. He knows that I look soooo forward to the longer days! Sweet, huh.

 

But this past Christmas, he bought me a gift that was so thoughtful. He knows that I love birds and sitting on our back patio with my coffee listening to the birds chirp. We have a great property with tons of trees and birds singing all the time. So he got me an alarm clock that wakes me up by first a gradual light coming on to simulate the morning sunshine, and then when your actual programmed time to wake up hits, the birds begin chirping. It is the nicest way to wake up each morning... Instead of that horrid loud buzzer in your ear.

 

I was thinking about it this morning... how much I adore this alarm clock. What a great invention. But what an even better husband!

 

xoxo to you!

 

 

Pics: via pinterest

 



A Frenchy Wire Basket... And A Good Older Brother...

A few weekends ago, I dragged my brother out antiquing with me. I found some great vintage goodies, including this vintage Frenchy little wire basket. I had it on my counter with fruit in it, but my dog kept stealing the fruit! So now I'm not exactly sure what to put in it, but I do love it. So sweet and simple. Organic brown eggs certainly look cute in it though.

I walked out with an armful of stuff. My brother walked out with nothing {except if you count carrying some of my stuff as something... He's a good brother like that.}

So today, it's just about enjoying something simple and pretty to look at in my home.

Stay safe and warm in all this snow today!

Color Failure...

Hello Monday...

I painted this desk that belonged to my mom, then my brother, then to me... I was going to paint it Old White, but for some reason at the last minute, I decided to paint it Paris Grey. And guess what? I absolutely HATE it. But I love the desk!

Every time I walk into my living room, it makes me cringe a little. It's just the wrong color for this piece. Epic failure. I am going to repaint it Old White like I should have originally painted it.

It's funny how a piece just screams at me if it's the wrong color. I mean, I like Paris Grey, just not for this piece. It has only happened to me a handful of times. Usually I know it right away. This one took me a few days to decide. But now there is no going back. I will repaint it this weekend.

Do you see that book on the desk? It's a book about learning Latin that I bought at a warehouse tag sale for 50 cents. I bought it because of its pretty blue cover, but it doesn't hurt that my friends might think I'm studying Latin! Ha. And that old crate is filled with vintage milk bottles from the same warehouse tag sale. I love going to that place. And the antique spur was a gift from my brother. Not that I use spurs, but I still think it's cool.

I'm going to start doing a better job of taking "before" pictures. I always forget to do that. But I promise I will post an  "after" picture of this once I paint it Old White!

I've Got Sunshine, On A Cloudy Day...

Or... on a snowy day...

My sunshine is my girl Isabel. I usually ride on Thursday morning but since it snowed, we rescheduled it for this morning.

We had the Best. Ride. Ever.

She isn't the easiest horse to ride. There are only a few people who can handle her. You know that expression: give an inch, take a mile? That's her. She's a Morgan, smart as a whip and is always three steps ahead of the game if I'm not completely focused on what I'm doing.

She has the best personality. She can either be fiery hot or calm and cool. Depends on her mood. If you're getting on her nerves, she will let you know. That's what I love about her. She teaches me so much and makes me work for what I want. She pushes me out of my comfort zone and challenges me every ride. It's never just hop on and ride easy peasy. No, she does not work like that. It's "hop on and if you ask me right and keep up with me, I'll give you what you want." It's "be a confident and respectful leader and I'll let you lead me."

When she gets really excited, she gives a playful little buck to her hind legs. She's not trying to buck me off or anything {trust me, if she really wanted me off, I would be on the ground!} She's just happy and having fun. Then it's time to work. She knows when it's time to work and when it's time to play. Sometimes she wants to play before the work is finished.

When we have a great ride it's exhilarating. So powerful. And today, I had my sunshine on a snowy Saturday with my girl Isabel. Ugh, love her so much!

Pic: via pinterest

Valentine's Day...

Today is about showing a little extra love to my family. I try to show my love every day, but today is just about one extra little squeeze, one more thank you, one more I love you. That's all.


This is a little DIY jar filled with scraps of paper saying why you love your loved one. Such a simple, thoughtful idea.

And this is a quote from Bob Marley. I love it.

In honor of all the snow, I thought this was fitting for today.

As was this if you have been snowed in for days on end.

Or if you've been dreaming of escaping to warmer weather... these are perfect.

And this reminds me to love wholeheartedly. Simply beautiful.

Happy Valentine's Day.

Pics: via pinterest

Vintage Wrought Iron Patio Set...

Good morning!

It is snowing hard this morning but thankfully we are safe and sound. We have everything we need, but I'm just hoping the power doesn't go out.

Anyway, I have been looking for a wrought iron patio set for about 6 months now. I refinished one last summer and debated about keeping it or selling it. I ended up selling it. But now I need to find a new one. I want it for my sunroom {which is exactly where the woman who bought it was going to put it.} My sunroom has been low on the fixer-up list, so this Spring I would like to actually make it a "sunroom" rather than a storage room.

My fixer-up list seemingly has no end lately. I want to refinish all of my hardwood floors in a dark stain, I want to give every room a fresh new coat of paint, I want to buy a new sofa for my living room, etc, etc, etc. I have a list a mile long, while simultaneously being grateful for what I do have.

I wish I could dare to attempt to refinish my hardwoods myself... Is that even possible? Nicole Curtis makes it look so easy! It would save tons of money; if I didn't ruin them first.

Below is the patio set I refinished last summer. It was rusty and chippy white paint with vinyl yellow seats. I painted her a pretty hummingbird green color and reupholstered the chairs with fun indoor/outdoor fabric. This is exactly what I'm looking for to refinish again for my sunroom. Vintage wrought iron glass top table and 6 chairs. It will be the springboard for my new sunroom!

If you see one, please let me know!

 

 

Stay safe and warm today.

37 Days...

I am desperately feeling the need for spring. I can't wait to spring the clocks ahead so the days feel longer. I can't wait for a little warmer weather. I can't wait to go for walks outside. I can't wait to drink my morning cup of coffee on my back patio with the birds chirping all around me.

Winter has come in drips and drabs this year. Snow, frigid temperatures, icy roads and then more snow. {Last I heard another major storm is coming our way on Thursday.}

Everyone who I talk to is feeling it.

So today I made a little bit of my own sunshine.

I went to my second favorite store... Taken For Granite. I bought two little bunnies. They made me think spring. They made me feel spring. Even as I walked on slippery ice and crunchy snow back to my car.

Then I went and bought some pretty pink tulips.

When Mother Nature won't give me sunshine, I'll just have to make my own.

I'm trying really hard not to complain, but rather do a countdown of the days until spring.

37 more days. I got this...

Vintage Seltzer Bottles...

Good morning my little wrens! {This is my new term of endearment for you.}

This weekend was busy. We went house shopping. We're kind of, but not really, in the market to buy a new house. See, I love my house, but I don't, but I do, but I don't, but I DO...

Now do you see why we are kind of, but not really, in the market for a house?

I am truly grateful for my home. And there are so many things I love about it. But there are a few things that I want differently... Like a barn with a few more acres so I can have a few horses. I love my town. I would like to find a barn with more acres in my exact town. We would never actually move unless we found the perfect house, which probably doesn't exist, so we are most likely staying put.

We really just love real estate. Looking and seeing what is out there. We love looking online but don't usually go to a showing, but this time we did. We liked it, but certainly didn't love it. I love my house much more. And that was that.

Then yesterday I hit the flea market. It didn't have much but I did find a beautiful blue vintage seltzer bottle made in Czechoslovakia. It's very pretty and very heavy. I would like to find about 4 or 5 more of these while out antiquing. I love the different shades of soft blue. Here is the one I bought:

This is how I would like to display a few of them. Just a soft accent to a room.

All in soft shades of blue. I love how this looks in this room.

This one is pretty in pink. I love.

Wishing you a happy Monday and a week full of sweet little joys.

Planning Wins...

Ugh... so much for rolling with it. I couldn't even last one day. It was more stressful not knowing my schedule than knowing it... so I had to look.

But at least now I feel better knowing my schedule for tomorrow. Ha!!

Planning Versus Rolling With It...

Hi there!

I usually don't blog on the weekends, but I couldn't help myself... I just heard a really thought provoking statement from a strange source, but that's not the point. The point is the thought provoking statement... "I don't know my schedule tomorrow."

My first reaction was WHAT? How could you NOT know your schedule tomorrow. But it's a deliberate choice to not know your schedule tomorrow. Sounds absurd, I know... And I also know that sometimes it's just not practical to not know your schedule. When you have to be in three places at once, this probably won't work. I guess if you have a big presentation or something, this idea doesn't work either.

But here is my thought... if I go to work at 8:00 a.m., why do I need to know what I am doing at 9:00 a.m. the night before? I would still be at work at 8:00 a.m., dressed and ready for the day, right?  So why not wait until that morning to see what I have for the entire day?

What I love about this idea is that it keeps me in the present moment. Anxiety strikes when we worry about the future. Even thinking about an hour into the future can cause anxious feelings. 

But keeping mindful of right now is all we have. It's all I have. It's honestly all any of us has. Because you never know what tomorrow holds...

So the idea of not knowing my schedule until that morning appeals to me. When I look at my entire week all laid out in front of me, I sometimes feel overwhelmed with all the things I have to do. There are a lot of things to squeeze into Monday through Friday.

But taking each day as it comes somehow seems a little easier. It makes me want to squeeze in some unplanned sweet moments into my schedule. It's kind of exhilarating, right?

I am definitely a planner. I like to know ahead of time what to expect when. But... I have never even thought of doing it any differently well, because I'm supposed to know my schedule! But says who?

I am going to try out this little experiment next week... this whole "not knowing my schedule" thing until that very morning. I mean, I know I need to get up at a certain time, shower and be ready for the day... And maybe that's enough. Maybe then I just roll with it. Day by day. Instead of week by week. It's such an intriguing concept to me.

Maybe this is a ridiculous concept to you, {it's sort of ridiculous to me too, trust me} but I'm willing to give it a try. And I will let you know how it works out. Hopefully it makes things just flow... smooth, easy, stress free...

I'm always up for trying new things.

Change is good... yes, change is good.

Pic via: pinterest

My Posse...

I don't have a sister. Growing up, I felt like I did. We were inseparable... We met when we were 7 years old and lived right next door to each other. It was kind of perfect.

We were like this:

 Blonde and brunette... The dynamic duo... We still are friends to this day, but she lives across the country now, so we don't get to see each other very often. Sigh.

Since I don't have a sister {but I do have 3 amazing brothers!} I treasure my girlfriends. I went out to dinner with two of them last night. We had such a great time eating, drinking, laughing, catching up and telling stories... A night of fun that we all needed badly!

Through the years, I have come to understand the importance of true friendships. People can have a lot of friends, but usually there are only one or two who you can depend on for anything in life. Even being married with kids, cherishing these ladies in your life is one of the keys to happiness... 

 

Of course I have been meeting new girlfriends as the years go on, but nothing is like an old friend! It's like having that built-in sister. Oh how I wished growing up that one of my brother's was a girl... {But now I like having 3 older brothers!}

 

 

My friends and I laugh all the time. We have the best time together.

 

 

 

 

We can be silly and fun together. We don't take ourselves too seriously.

My best friend and I are truly like sisters. I adore her.

And someday, I hope we are like this...

And when we're in the party kind of mood, I hope we're like this! My posse...

 

Today and every day I celebrate and cherish my girlfriends. I love you!