Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Spotted lovely things today but didn't buy a one. Decorating paralysis kicked in, bah!


But how great to have a phone camera so I don't forget what I've seen.



I need to have some fabric or thread along so I can make sure the colors work. Well, obviously white would work but I saw lots of colorful accessories today.


Trying to keep in mind the furniture and linens I already own & want to work around.


Oh but these lamps made me want to make sure I fit in this color somehow, someway. Might be the wrong shade of blue and the wrong shade of green.  Or the exact right one after all!

Saturday, January 26, 2013

The Blues

We built our home on a tight budget and within a tight deadline in 1988. Decisions were made quickly and sometimes suddenly ("Honey, do you want a white or an almond toilet?"). I had never before spent so much time in lumberyards, real old fashioned lumberyards since Home Depot wasn't around here then.  After years of living in rentals with 70's colors including a kitchen with harvest gold appliances, countertops, floor and curtains, I was so ready for the color blue.



I picked out blue carpet based on quilting fabric scraps of shades I loved. I will never forget walking up to the door of our under-construction house and seeing that gorgeous blue flooring - I was in love!  So many ideas and plans of how to decorate with blue & red, blue & mauve, blue and tan. Scratch the mauve from the list and I still love the rest of those colors and like seeing them used in fresh ways.   But the time came when the fabric under our feet was beyond help and had to go.




One day I had enough of it and tore out the carpet on the upstairs landing.  



Next out - carpet on the stairs. 



Not sure hubby knew what to expect when he got home from work those days but I love demolition!

As we planned for new flooring throughout the house, we decided to begin with new carpet in the bedrooms. Do you know there are a bazillion little squares of beige/tan/gray/neutral carpet samples out there? Ack! I have trouble making decisions as it is. We did indeed narrow it down and I had my fingers crossed that I would love it and not miss my blue stuff too much.




It's rather a pain to completely empty upstairs rooms carrying everything down stairs. 



But they day of installation came. Most everything around here is DIY so it was thrilling to have it done by someone else!



And there it was:  gorgeous new perfect shade of beach sand carpet, barefoot worthy! Not one teeny regret. Yes, I can love sandy floors as much as blue!! 



Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Blog Fail?

Gee whiz, I have started so many new posts only to have, ahem, issues. Video won't post, kitty cat won't leave my typing hands alone which is kinda like having a toddler in the house when you're trying to talk on the phone. Yes, I do remember those long ago days.



Let's see, I was talking about issues, the tech-y/camera/linky issues but also losing confidence about having anything to say or actually successfully decorating the master bedroom. I mean, those bloggers out there with the awesome houses! It's kinda like trying to join the popular crowd at school. That said, I believe in taking inspiration from the best whether it's home decor, gardens, fine art, even "ordinary" crafting. But I more firmly believe in making our home reflect us filled with things we love. Just this morning I relaxed in knowing what I want for our master bedroom decor, found some lamps online, settled on the color scheme for the room. I will not worry about what will look good in a photograph on a blog!! Leaned something, yes I did.

The very same kitty cat grabbed my typing arm so until next time . . .

Friday, January 18, 2013

This morning I suddenly thought how blogs are public. Part of me knew that, of course, but as I compared a blog to Facebook it suddenly felt very public. On FB, I can block those I don't wish to read my words and welcome friends. But anyone out there who happens to find my blog can read it, and comment - that is vulnerability! There are fabulous bloggers out there making a living from their words/photos and sponsors. They post often, update on FB and Pinterest, work constantly to keep readers interested. That wasn't my reason for beginning a blog, not at all. So why would I blog instead of "just" using Facebook?




It is mainly an exercise in creativity without clogging up my friend's news feeds, lol! I hope to meet other bloggers/readers, to continue on my path of finding and embracing what I love, to keep myself moving forward on making decisions for our home. To celebrate putting all that "thinking about it" into action, finally! I am not talented in any way in interior design, or DIY, or artwork but that's okay. I want to share our real journey on remodeling and making a home that works well. Oh, and there's all that tech-y stuff that is still challenging my brain something fierce. "Anyone who keeps learning stays young." Henry Ford. Yup!



Thursday, January 17, 2013

Embracing the season.

Can't say Winter is my favorite season. Around here in the PNW it means gray, dark, soggy days. But it also means brilliant crisp days that showcase our spectacular snow-capped mountains, And it means the days are getting longer! Often my hubby and I comment that it's still light at "something" o'clock when it seems just last week it was dark at that time - and we do a little cheer! I like to decorate the house in January with wintery themes with folk art snowmen, red accent pieces and a bit of sparkle.



And while we must have Winter, I wouldn't mind a bit of this:




What I really can't wait for, however, is this:



Still figuring out this photo posting biz. . .

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Old dog . . . new tricks!

Launching a blog has been fun but, oh my, the learning curve. I am fairly fearless in tackling the computer these days but in the early days I would worry that one wrong key would obliterate the whole shebang. I remember calling my boss on his "mobile phone" asking which key was for bold type even though he'd just told me before walking out the door! As far as this here blog, I still can't quite figure out how to put some lovely photos at the top of the page without them ending up filling the whole page. Or how to add those handy links to my Facebook page or Pinterest page. Or even how to add my blog name automatically when I comment on other blogs. And why do 7000 photos show up when I link to my files - Good Grief!! Funny thing is ~ I am loving every minute. . .

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Cozying up in the master bedroom. . .

Finally, I am tackling the master bedroom, something that's been on my mind for, ahem, years! Last summer we had new carpet installed in both upstairs bedrooms (more on that in a future post). At the same time we removed the old 80's victorian style brass headboard.  It was not only dated but hidden now that we had a mattress taller than our ancient one. The valances are gone as is the duvet. New nightstands and an awesome Christmas gift have begun the process. Stay tuned!