too much information?

An image from the premier issue of Cottage Living, September/October 2004.

Warning: this is a different sort of posting, but heartfelt nonetheless.
Feeling down about my current life situation: jobless and suddenly 30, I sat down to write my complaints in my journal. After I vented a bit, I was reminded that contentment is a frame of mind. It does not necessarily have to be connected to the overall state of your life. I began to list all things that make me content. It turned out to be a really long list of moments, events, ideas, activities, foods. On this list were things about decorating: reading decor magazines, helping friends decorate, finding great decorating deals, repainting a tired old table, etc. I could have kept writing, but this list had lifted me out of my sorrow and into the moment.

It was a rainy, cool day today, so I embraced it and decided to pretend it was the start of a new fall season. Fall and the desire it ignites to turn inward, makes me thoroughly content. I got up from the table, started the kettle boiling, prepared the tea pot with my favorite Market Spice tea, lit two yummy fall smelling candles, and headed for the basement. I was in search of the oldest fall issues of my all time favorite magazine, Cottage Living.

Upstairs the tea was ready. I turned on the classical music radio station, and with mug of tea in hand, I settled into my favorite wing chair to devour these cozy and comforting old issues. Cottage Living has been my favorite since its premier issue in September of 2004. My mom had mailed it to me in Moscow, Idaho and bought me a subscription knowing I would fall in love. Thanks for that mom.

All those images of simple, lived-in, comfortable and cozy feeling homes reminded me why I love to decorate. Its not to impress friends or to be “different”. I don’t consider myself a trendsetter or style maven. I do it because it pleases me to the very core of my being. Surrounding myself with pieces I love, beautiful fabrics, warm colors, and comfy places to sit makes me content. It is my creative expression, my way of brainstorming, and ultimately, an act of love.

It startled me to realize that Cottage Living was the catapult that truly launched me into the world of decorating. As I read old articles, I was amused at my own writings in the margins, referring to how I would implement the ideas in my own apartment: “Use this paint!”, “Trunk as coffee table”, “Get larger table lamp, move current one to desk.”, and “Cover off-white pillows with large floral or stripe print in tone-on-tone whites.” These musings sparked even grander ideas of one day having my own home decor boutique. I now have over half a dozen spiral notebooks full of decorating ideas, lists of business names, notes and brainstorming sessions about owning a business.

I still have those grandiose visions of being my own boss. Not as the owner of a shop anymore, but as a budget savvy decorating and organizing consultant. In this failing economy, it seems a stretch that people will have any disposable income to spend on the seemingly frivolous act of decorating their homes. I have decided not to concede and instead would like to challenge that idea. Here’s why: in these leaner times, we are forced to be more resourceful, creative and accepting of our current surroundings. And home is the best place to focus our efforts. We are smart to be more mindful of our spending, and may either choose or be forced to be conservative: more clipping coupons for the grocery store, no more daily lattes, doing without a new summer wardrobe, driving less, not upgrading to a larger home, giving up the family vacation abroad. That doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy our lives, our friends and our families. Home is at the very center of all of it; it is the most important place in our little world. Like my experience today, our cozy homes nurture us, keep us safe, shape our personalities and provide a stable environment, enabling us to go about our every day lives. Our homes are our comfort zones.

Living on a tight budget offers the opportunity to appreciate what we’ve got, while challenging us to lighten up and freshen our surroundings for less money. That’s where I’m strong. I have always been a budget decorator. And now, being unemployed has left me with little money to put towards all of the decorating projects that even seemed difficult to accomplish on my old, humble salary. But somehow, I am managing to do them, and am coming up with new ideas and projects along the way.

As I end this confession, I feel better, a little more confident, more equipped to get through this “rough patch”. Something will come my way, something fabulous. My home will help me get there. Until then, I am going to go enjoy the unseasonable, but necessary comfort of warm pumpkin bread, fresh from my oven and read more back issues of Cottage Living. Plus, I'll always have my decorating vise... Thanks for listening.

itso at target

Target has a new line of trendy looking, but highly durable and convenient storage solutions. The name is itso. It looks great and is super customizable.
Here are a few ideas for usage:

In a large, long room, you could create a system to divide and define different zones.

Super for keeping kids toys organized and in their place in a living room or their bedroom.

Great for college dorm rooms.

Practical in your closet under your hanging clothes, where there is usually some wasted space.

Some combinations could also be put to good use in your home office if you are lacking desk drawers or a traditional bookshelf.

The prices range from about $10 - $50 for each component. They should be available for purchase at your local Target store. Have fun customizing them for your own purposes at home!

candace decorates again

Remember Candace's dining room redo? Well, have a peek at all she has done since then!

It might seem that Candace is my only friend, since I write about her so darn much. Well, she is a great friend indeed, and just happens to be doing tons of decorating projects that I want to blog about! After we did the design weekend together a while ago, she has been on a roll. And, we all know that once you catch the decorating bug, there is no turning back. Here is what she has been up to since repainting her little TV dresser/console a few weeks ago.

She took a great painted piece from Dana Lee's in Port Orchard, and coated it in black to conform to the theme in her guest bedroom. That lamp on top is her creation as well. She found the base on sale, then covered the self-stick lamp shade with a fabulous black and white floral fabric.

Candace found two perfect pieces at the Bainbridge Rotary sale this weekend. The $20 chair's light green fabric is in good condition and matches her living room decor. A small accent pillow lends a pop of modern orange.


The tuffet (scored for $1) got a much needed face lift with new fabric and painted legs.


She painted a dated pine bookshelf in a classic brown to add beauty and utility to her entry area.


A deal of a lamp base from goodwill gets a new life with a green silk shade that was kicking around in my basement. They are perfect on Candace's side table in the living room. Sadly, the shade wobbles on top, as the harp she purchased was missing its finial! She's now on the look out for the perfect one.


Lastly, Candace framed a piece of wrapping paper she admired with a gilded bargain frame from JoAnn Fabrics, to hang above her bed. Lovely idea!


I hope that you all are inspired by Candace's resourceful and beautifully done d-i-y projects. Send me pictures of yours! Thanks Candace!

watson kennedy

Image from watsonkennedy.com.

I had some time to kill in Seattle yesterday, and so went to my favorite store in the city: Watson Kennedy Fine Living on First Ave. It is nothing short of beautiful, tangible, and inspiring. So many wonderful delights for the eyes and senses, that I almost get overwhelmed. French candles and lotions, rustic antiques and flashcards, elegant apothecary jars and pretty colored glassware.

The owner, Ted Kennedy Watson's, flair for display is enviable, and encourages the impulse to purchase the entire contents of a vignette, so you can recreate it on your entry table at home. Each time I am in this store, I am transfixed by the French music and study each display of fine goods from top to bottom, mesmerized by the creative and layered simplicity.

Coincidentally, while on vacation in Door County, WI last week, I picked up a tattered copy of Country Living's September 2007 issue from the communal magazine stack at the laundry mat. There he was, Ted Kennedy Watson, and a feature on his home in Seattle. I had forgotten about this profile, and I devoured the article. I had to curtail my instinct to snatch the issue and stash it in my neatly folded pile of clean clothes. Plus, I thought that maybe I had saved the issue, since I subscribe to the magazine. Back at home, no such luck. How could I have discarded such a valuable and delicious nugget of design inspiration? I was most likely in a "binge cleaning" mode, and threw it in the recycling pile without even glancing inside. Good thing I can order the back issue on Country Living's website.

I was able to briefly relive the article on watsonkennedy.com, while awaiting the arrival of my own copy. Here are some images (photos by John Granen) from the Country Living, September 2007 profile:





Watson Kennedy actually has three locations: one near Pike Place Market, a second on First Avenue, and a third in Bellevue. Visit their site for further info on each store. Take the time to pop in someday. You will leave with a sense of renewed creativity to apply in some small, but meaningful way at home.

bainbridge rotary sale

Do not forget to go this weekend to the Bainbridge Island Rotary rummage sale! On Friday night (the 27th)from 4pm-7pm, you can preview rummage sale items on site at Woodward Middle School, as well as take part in the Silent Auction. At 7pm, the live auction begins, and runs until 9pm. Admission for this event is $1, which also enters you in a raffle to win $500 in groceries from the local favorite, Town and Country Market.

Personally, I would rather not know what is for sale, so that come Saturday morning, I won't be disappointed when something I had my heart set on gets sold from underneath me. In the past, I have always arrived mid-day and snatched up the leftovers from the morning craze at real bargain prices. At that point, the volunteers just want the stuff sold!

This year however, I intend on arriving before the sale opens at 8am, just to see the mad dashes for sweet deals, and hopefully get in on a few myself. Sales like these make people do funny things. FYI, the furniture, big appliances, and other large items are outside, scattered throughout the parking lot. Accessories, clothing, small appliances, toys, books and art work are in classrooms inside the school. There is also food available to purchase in the cafeteria. Just so you know, there is no cost for admission, and the sale runs until 2pm Saturday afternoon.

Go to the BI Rotary's website for all of the details, including information regarding driving directions, as well as parking and park and ride locations. Good luck, and see you at the sale!

painted wood floors

Before my husband and I moved into our house two years ago, we took on our first home improvement project: refinishing the hardwood floors. It was a doozie. Of course, being new to the romantic idea of renovating, we did not yet understand that there was truth in the old adage: "It will always take more time and more money than you plan for." In three days, we (along with our gung-ho friend Matt) accomplished amazing results. We learned about how involved the process of refinishing floors is, and came to understand the value of having someone else do it for you.

Here is a before and after of our cozy bedroom floors:


During those three days we sanded and refinished four rooms on our house: three small bedrooms and the living room. As the kitchen's hardwood floor is hidden under at least three layers of linoleum and vinyl tile (some containing asbestos),we figured we would just have to save that project for another time.

The dining room however, presented a question. The previous owners had seemingly done a good job in refinishing the oak flooring and staining it a dark brown. It looked okay. At the time, we didn't think we could or necessarily should have spent the extra time to strip the floor and start over. Well, everything seems crystal clear in retrospect... It was not too long after we had everything in the house, that we realized the dining room floor had never been sealed with polyurethane. Over the last two years the finish has begun to flake off, wear down, and as it is not sealed, stains stick to it and don't wash off. I guess we should have taken the sander to it and restored the floor just as we did the other rooms.

Its too late now. Bringing in an industrial sander would be a huge project, as we would need to remove all of the furnishings at the back end of the house. I remember all to well how long it took to rid the entire house of sawdust. So here is my thought... paint it.

My mom always had painted wood floors in the upstairs of our house. My sister's bedroom floor was even pink at one point. If we decide to paint the dining room floor, I think it could be accomplished in one weekend. At this point, I am not sure if we will actually do it, as Chris still needs some convincing. Here are a few photos I found inspiring on myhomeideas.com:





What do you think about painting hardwood floors? Should I do it to my dining room? Tell me your ideas!

decorating in small doses

Interiors by Leslie Klotz. Photo by Laura Resen.

If you have a chance, you NEED to get yourself a copy of July's House Beautiful. Several very gorgeous, but small homes are featured, some great treasures are highlighted, and you'll find tons of fantastic advice on decorating small living spaces. Here are some of the highlights, from fabulous designers:

"People think that they need to use small furniture and light colors to make a small room look big, but that's not at all the case. Dark colors and just a few pieces of large-scale furniture, with the appropriate lighting and accessories, can give a room a larger, more luxurious feel." Mona Hajj.

"Gather a fabulous, motley collection of mirrors- antique, new, vintage, French, Italian. Starting with one large mirror in the center, arrange a grouping on one wall. It's the one instance where more is more." Stephen Shubel.

"Go ahead, use a massive four-poster bed in a tiny bedroom. As long as there's room for an end table, it actually makes the room look bigger." Marshall Watson.


Get more small space decorating ideas by clicking here.

Some of the featured accessories I loved:


These indigo dyed pillows by John Robshaw.


CB2's handy and modern Formosa tray table.

There is so much more, you should just go out and get the issue. This is the type of issue, with so much wonderful content, I have to save it in its entirety.

Living room design by Ken Fulk. Photo by Victoria Pearson.