Friday, July 31, 2015
High Five Blue Moon Friday
It's been awhile since I've done a post about my favorites of the week, otherwise known as the High Five Friday, and since today is a Blue Moon, it seems especially appropriate to do one today. Plus, I actually have fun stuff to share! This is also my 500th post!!!
1. Velvet It opened less than two weeks ago and I've already been there three times. If that doesn't tell you how GOOOOOOOD this ice cream/candy/fudge shop, transplanted from Michigan's Mackinac Island is, then I don't know what will. Read more about them here. I'll probably be there tonight, buying Blue Moon ice cream. Is that not the best idea?! Is Blue Moon ice cream a "thing" outside of Michigan?
2. One Kings Lane Hands down, One Kings Lane is my favorite of all the flash sale sites, and they have some especially great stuff right now. Think: big rugs for less than $250, lots of blue and white porcelain, and Lucite office supplies. I don't always buy the things I feature here, but today I did. Shop here.
3. Caitlin Wilson's Home Tour Did you see textile designer Caitlin Wilson' home tour? So good! Each space is more colorful and fun than the last one. I love how much buffalo check she uses. And her kids are precious!
4. Home Decorators Collection If you've been waiting to purchase a media cabinet or office furniture, do it now! Home Decorator's Collection is offering 20% off plus free shipping through the weekend. This is an awesome deal! I was just looking at their pieces yesterday and would have paid $70 for shipping on a TV stand.
5. Harry Potter/JK Rowling Birthday We'll probably watch one of the Harry Potter movies tonight because it is Harry Potter's/JK Rowling's birthday. I would also bake a cake but see #1 above... I got a Fitbit for my birthday/anniversary {and have been working that piece of information into as many conversations as I can manage}. Yesterday I was well over the 10,000 step requirement but had to work my buns off to do it: yoga, a morning walk, a walk to the Farmers Market on the Capitol lawn, and an evening stroll with my husband, plus I biked to our local library (which is not far, but totally different muscles. yikes!) If you're looking for a fun treat, may I suggest indoor s'mores. I think the photo is pretty self-explanatory, just microwave for 11-15 seconds.
My apologies for the lack of pictures and any weird formatting--I upgraded to Windows 10 and have not figured out how to do certain things yet in Blogger. I had to compose the whole thing in the back end HTML code. Anyone have any tips?? Help!
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
Summer Refresh: My House
This is the kind of summer day when I crave fried rice. It is hot, hot, hot! Or, it was before the rain. I'm indoors now and thankful for air conditioning.
Summer is my favorite season so I want to soak up every. single. drop of it. It's my time to dream big and to slow down & relax. To eat ice cream cones and visit farmers markets. Late night walks to see the fireflies. Coffee while I watch the sunrise. And hours upon hours next to the water.
I've been reading lots of good books. Many of them are from this list that I made at the beginning of the summer.
We had a yard sale. While it made me somewhat uncomfortable to be "on display" with all of our things on the lawn, I did get to meet a lot of nice people including some neighbors. And my daughter sold her Barbie houses. Alleluia!
By not having quite as much stuff in our house, I started rearranging and "refreshing" our spaces.
First up: I styled this bookcase in our living room. I started by removing everything, then started putting things back on the shelves in rainbow-color order, keeping a mix of standing and piled books. The very last thing I did was to add in the accessories. I took the dust jackets off several books. Do you do that? In the past, I've always kept them on. And the pile on the floor is a project for another day: family gallery wall, which makes the whole look a lot more messy than it feels. {This chair didn't sell in the yard sale so I added an expensive pillow, and voila! so much better.)
This is the wall where Barbie village used to live. I moved the mid-century mod cabinet here and paired it with the peacock chair and floor lamp. The Kerplunk game (the marbles for it are in the painted bucket) and the wooden puzzle (from Zimbabwe!) add a little color and fun. The beer is an Oberon by Bell's Brewery from Kalamazoo--it is the taste of summer in Michigan, in my opinion.
Since we were clearing things out we also ordered a few new pieces. New matching nightstands in the bedroom meant that this white nightstand could move into the living room and start life over as an end table. I love it because there are drawers for all of the remote controls! I added the blue shell chair from the last two spring One Room Challenge linkups next to the sofa for additional seating.
We replaced our pink Victorian-style sofa with this new piece. Its more modern look and texture fit the style of our house better. This sitting area is next to our kitchen and is where I drink my coffee and journal in the mornings. For now at least, I'm keeping that green glass vase. I set it on that table when it came back in after the yard sale, and then the look grew on me. I'm calling it a happy accident. :)
My husband found this round rug for under our dining table. I love it!
And, the biggest news of all... I'm now working locally as an interior decorator with Your Organized Space!!! I am so thrilled to be working with my friend, Erica, who is the talented professional organizer who started the business. Check out our website to read more about our services! I'm looking forward to working with clients to refresh their space! :)
Summer is my favorite season so I want to soak up every. single. drop of it. It's my time to dream big and to slow down & relax. To eat ice cream cones and visit farmers markets. Late night walks to see the fireflies. Coffee while I watch the sunrise. And hours upon hours next to the water.
I've been reading lots of good books. Many of them are from this list that I made at the beginning of the summer.
- The One & Only--popular last summer when it came out, it's about a woman who loves college football and falls in love with the coach of her team. It's complicated because he's also the father of her best friend. I have to think every Spartan fan imagined him as Coach Dantonio and that's why the relationship was not creepy...
- Emma: A Modern Re-Telling--Jane Austen set in the modern day by the author of The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. And guess what modern Emma's profession is??? Interior designer, of course!
- Unbecoming--I read this book about a femme fatale named Grace who moves to Paris to escape after an art heist, immediately after seeing the new American Girl movie with my daughter (about Grace who goes to Paris for the summer and works in a patisserie). Very, very different storylines...
- Finding Audrey--this one is a Young Adult novel, not a genre I ever read, but it was written by one of my favorite authors, Sophie Kinsella. The main story is about a girl named Audrey who has some serious social anxiety due to some kind of bullying incident. But the part that is making me LOL is the relationship between the older brother, who LOVES video games, and his crazy, anti-screen mom. That definitely hits close to home for this mom of a YouTuber who threatens weekly, if not daily, to sell every single TV and video game system and become Amish.
- The Paris Architect--I substituted this book for the other choice in the category of "a book that my mom loved." It's set in Paris during the Holocaust and an annoying, selfish architect is the main character. He's asked to build a hiding place for a wealthy Jewish businessman. By the end of the story, he redeems himself and it was fascinating to read about the construction of the buildings (the author is an architect and historian).
We had a yard sale. While it made me somewhat uncomfortable to be "on display" with all of our things on the lawn, I did get to meet a lot of nice people including some neighbors. And my daughter sold her Barbie houses. Alleluia!
By not having quite as much stuff in our house, I started rearranging and "refreshing" our spaces.
First up: I styled this bookcase in our living room. I started by removing everything, then started putting things back on the shelves in rainbow-color order, keeping a mix of standing and piled books. The very last thing I did was to add in the accessories. I took the dust jackets off several books. Do you do that? In the past, I've always kept them on. And the pile on the floor is a project for another day: family gallery wall, which makes the whole look a lot more messy than it feels. {This chair didn't sell in the yard sale so I added an expensive pillow, and voila! so much better.)
This is the wall where Barbie village used to live. I moved the mid-century mod cabinet here and paired it with the peacock chair and floor lamp. The Kerplunk game (the marbles for it are in the painted bucket) and the wooden puzzle (from Zimbabwe!) add a little color and fun. The beer is an Oberon by Bell's Brewery from Kalamazoo--it is the taste of summer in Michigan, in my opinion.
Since we were clearing things out we also ordered a few new pieces. New matching nightstands in the bedroom meant that this white nightstand could move into the living room and start life over as an end table. I love it because there are drawers for all of the remote controls! I added the blue shell chair from the last two spring One Room Challenge linkups next to the sofa for additional seating.
My husband found this round rug for under our dining table. I love it!
And, the biggest news of all... I'm now working locally as an interior decorator with Your Organized Space!!! I am so thrilled to be working with my friend, Erica, who is the talented professional organizer who started the business. Check out our website to read more about our services! I'm looking forward to working with clients to refresh their space! :)
Thursday, July 23, 2015
Less
Tomorrow I am doing something that fills me with trepidation and dread: I'm dragging all the things I don't want in my house anymore outdoors for a yard sale. Eeek!
I'm armed with the best advice I can get including a printable checklist from Your Organized Space.
It all began with my daughter's desire to downsize her toy collection. But from there it has morphed into me realizing I'll be much happier with LESS.
We have been so blessed. But now we have so. much. stuff!!!
Among the items for sale tomorrow:
There will be more pillows (because I have an obsession) and rugs. Books, DVDs, board games. A Barbie dream house and a Barbie beach house. Child size roller blades, maybe a BMX bike. Clothes and shoes--things I am tired of wearing, boys' size 10-12/12-14 and girls' size 7-8, and possibly some large men's clothes (if I can convince my husband).
My daughter will have a lemonade stand. In a more fanciful moment, I thought I could offer Starbucks, but logistically that might be too complicated (of course, if you come to the sale and ask me for a cup, I will be thrilled!)
If you're local to the East Lansing area, stop by for the Good Blog Reader discount. :) Things will be pretty much marked to sell because I just know that I'm going to LOVE having all that empty space in my house.
The address is 1012 Delridge Road. We'll be out on the lawn from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
I'm armed with the best advice I can get including a printable checklist from Your Organized Space.
It all began with my daughter's desire to downsize her toy collection. But from there it has morphed into me realizing I'll be much happier with LESS.
We have been so blessed. But now we have so. much. stuff!!!
Among the items for sale tomorrow:
- Dyson orange ball upright vacuum (six years old but still much less than eBay)
- Décor items that don't work with the style of our "new" house (we moved a year and a half ago and I'm finally coming to terms with it in order to let it go...)
Like this green glass jug vase. It's huge and heavy and so pretty.
This zebra print bolster pillow which was part of my single lady bed (not this black duvet). Still in great condition.
There will be more pillows (because I have an obsession) and rugs. Books, DVDs, board games. A Barbie dream house and a Barbie beach house. Child size roller blades, maybe a BMX bike. Clothes and shoes--things I am tired of wearing, boys' size 10-12/12-14 and girls' size 7-8, and possibly some large men's clothes (if I can convince my husband).
My daughter will have a lemonade stand. In a more fanciful moment, I thought I could offer Starbucks, but logistically that might be too complicated (of course, if you come to the sale and ask me for a cup, I will be thrilled!)
If you're local to the East Lansing area, stop by for the Good Blog Reader discount. :) Things will be pretty much marked to sell because I just know that I'm going to LOVE having all that empty space in my house.
The address is 1012 Delridge Road. We'll be out on the lawn from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Mish Mash
Once I get a little bit out of routine, it seems like I get a whole lot outta routine. Take blogging. It's been a week since my last post and I have so much to say that there is no clear theme right now; I'm just spilling it all out...
I went away on vacation at the beginning of this month, for the Fourth of July, to my hometown. While I was there, I helped my mom with some decorating challenges to make her house feel new using the things she already has.
Clockwise from top left: Here's a shot of the runner and buffalo check skirt that we mixed for the first One Room Challenge(TM) linkup. By using the same shade of blue, I felt comfortable mixing these very different patterns. I think it creates a fresh look. Adding a skirt to the old cabinet injects some color and softness to the room, too.
The beautiful banister was a project my dad just completed. One of the things my mom wanted help with was choosing new lampshades. We picked out a drum (straight sides) shade to replace this white one, original to the lamp. New lamps can be expensive and typically have an eternal shape so just changing out a lampshade can often be a good way to save some money.
There was no rug under the dining room table and this blue and white rug was in storage. Win-win! By adding it under the table and chairs, it softens all the wood in the room and adds another color (blue, my mom's favorite).
This wingback chair is part of a pair that we moved to either side of the TV to create a sense of symmetry in the room. We also moved the paintings that are now above the chair from the middle of the room and added chandelier shades to the candlestick lamp. I brought the shell-motif pillow cover from my old house.
Because my husband had to come back for work after the holiday weekend, my mom drove the kids and me home at the end of the week. This meant she and I got to go shopping in my area! We found five lampshades for her project for less than $50 altogether by shopping at Tuesday Morning, HomeGoods, and World Market.
In the top right photo you can see one of the places we tried the wingback chairs before adding them to either side of the TV. Sometimes you just have to experiment a little bit until you get it right. We also moved that antique piecrust table to the dining room.
The bottom right photo is of my parents' family room. Originally it was a garage that they converted into an apartment for my grandma with a fireplace, bathroom, and kitchenette. It's right off the breezeway laundry room from the One Room Challenge(TM). We placed an unused coffee table under this set of windows to create a window seat. The pillow is also from my house but coordinates really well with the colors in this room and fits the Colonial Coastal Farmhouse look that we're creating.
***
I'm currently loving this song.
***
I turned 40 this weekend! Here's what one of my friends from my college days had to say about life in the fourth decade.
***
I'm going to have some big news -- HUGE -- that will mean I'm blogging even less but actually doing more of what I love. Stay tuned!
What's new where you are? How's your summer going? Fill me in!! :)
I went away on vacation at the beginning of this month, for the Fourth of July, to my hometown. While I was there, I helped my mom with some decorating challenges to make her house feel new using the things she already has.
Clockwise from top left: Here's a shot of the runner and buffalo check skirt that we mixed for the first One Room Challenge(TM) linkup. By using the same shade of blue, I felt comfortable mixing these very different patterns. I think it creates a fresh look. Adding a skirt to the old cabinet injects some color and softness to the room, too.
The beautiful banister was a project my dad just completed. One of the things my mom wanted help with was choosing new lampshades. We picked out a drum (straight sides) shade to replace this white one, original to the lamp. New lamps can be expensive and typically have an eternal shape so just changing out a lampshade can often be a good way to save some money.
There was no rug under the dining room table and this blue and white rug was in storage. Win-win! By adding it under the table and chairs, it softens all the wood in the room and adds another color (blue, my mom's favorite).
This wingback chair is part of a pair that we moved to either side of the TV to create a sense of symmetry in the room. We also moved the paintings that are now above the chair from the middle of the room and added chandelier shades to the candlestick lamp. I brought the shell-motif pillow cover from my old house.
Because my husband had to come back for work after the holiday weekend, my mom drove the kids and me home at the end of the week. This meant she and I got to go shopping in my area! We found five lampshades for her project for less than $50 altogether by shopping at Tuesday Morning, HomeGoods, and World Market.
In the top right photo you can see one of the places we tried the wingback chairs before adding them to either side of the TV. Sometimes you just have to experiment a little bit until you get it right. We also moved that antique piecrust table to the dining room.
The bottom right photo is of my parents' family room. Originally it was a garage that they converted into an apartment for my grandma with a fireplace, bathroom, and kitchenette. It's right off the breezeway laundry room from the One Room Challenge(TM). We placed an unused coffee table under this set of windows to create a window seat. The pillow is also from my house but coordinates really well with the colors in this room and fits the Colonial Coastal Farmhouse look that we're creating.
***
I'm currently loving this song.
***
I turned 40 this weekend! Here's what one of my friends from my college days had to say about life in the fourth decade.
***
I'm going to have some big news -- HUGE -- that will mean I'm blogging even less but actually doing more of what I love. Stay tuned!
What's new where you are? How's your summer going? Fill me in!! :)
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