Archive for lifestyle
Decor Wishes…
Posted by: | CommentsIf you could re-do one room in your home…. what would it be? We all seem to have that room that needs the most attention, so in your home, what is that space? 
Why do you desire the change?
What is your vision for it’s makeover?
If you desire this change, what is holding you back?
In my home, it is my combined kitchen/dining area. Yes the heart of my home. The place where daily life happens. Meals prepared and cooked, homework done, temporary work station, creative zone, and yes, we actually eat here as well.
So, a complete makeover would be ideal, tearing down walls, opening up the space to allow for optimum functionality and design. I see a classic design with modern and vintage elements. A mix of light and dark, as I love contrast.
What is holding me back? Like many of you, the funding for the project is one that is the most difficult. It seems every time we consider starting, the money needs to be re-allocated to another spot. I also envision my hubby and I doing most of the work. We love to work on our home and having the time to makeover a major part of our living space does seem a bit daunting. Finding the right time to make the changes is almost impossible.
So, tell me about your home and what you’d like to see happen there. I would love to hear your thoughts and wishes for your challenging space.
(photos from My Home Ideas and Southern Living)
Peek into these Rooms!
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Just wanted to share a few photos of rooms that I adore and that make my decorating juices flow…we get just a glimpse, just a peek, but for me that’s enough to fall in love.
It’s often just one or two elements that really sell a room anyway- the way the fabrics play off each other, the way the art has been combined, the juxtaposition of styles. Every piece can’t be the star in the room, just a few elements and the rest of the room supports that inspiration.
So, what do you like about these rooms? Is there anything that makes you think- “oh wow, love that!”? If not, what do you love, what makes your heart pitter-patter?
It’s the corner chair we can see ourselves reading in, it’s the fireplace nook we can feel the heat from, th
e stack of pillows on the bed we want to dive into, or the gorgeous kitchen windows that bring in all of that natural light.
We connect ourselves to the elements of a home that bring us into our world. We actually see ourselves living our routines in these spaces. That’s why we connect to them.
When I design spaces, I start by picking one or two elements as my inspiration pieces, and everything flows from that. It could be a color combo, some fabrics, a rug, a fab piece of art. But it’s that inspiration, that spark, that vision that makes a great room. That’s how I decorate my own home as well. A found piece of art, a fabric that I can’t live without, the accessory that just has to have a place.
That’s why we fall in love with our homes, it’s those pieces that have pulled on our memories, our hearts or our passions. It’s what design is all about. Falling in love with something beautiful or meaningful. Do you have that in your own home? If you don’t, it’s time you do. Start looking for that one piece that’s so great, you want to design an entire space around it.
We all deserve to be connected to our homes. 
They are part of us and they tell our story. Start telling yours today….
Kitchens to love…
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One of my favorite rooms in the home is the kitchen. I love the design aspects, the cabinetry and organization options, and the endless meals prepared there. But I think it may be the overall feel that a kitchen represents that makes it my favorite room. You can really live in a kitchen!
Homework, flower arranging, creative projects, late night gab sessions, surfing the net, hanging out, and of course the endless baking and cooking that goes on here. Life really happens here!
Everyone always gravitates to the kitchen at a party and kids of all ages congregate in the space, including the family pets. That’s why I love a good kitchen. 
Great kitchens come in all shapes and sizes. They can be cozy or grand, bright or neutral, contemporary or country. It’s more about creating a kitchen that works with your lifestyle, so the room really becomes a part of your life. 
If your kitchen falls short of being the most used room in your home, maybe a kitchen update or renovation is in order. Yes, the most beautiful kitchen renovations can be quite pricey, yet some of the simplest changes can make your kitchen feel updated, organized or more spacious.
Minor remodeling can enlarge your space and make it work for your family and your lifestyle. Consider consulting with a professional to make your kitchen all it can be. Talking over the ideas and options can make it seem less daunting and more attainable.
So, whether you have the kitchen of your dreams, or are still dreaming away, here are some wonderful, personal kitchens to enjoy. They may even inspire you to do a little cooking… 
(All photos from House Beautiful)
Ten things I couldn’t live without most days…
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These are ten things that I couldn’t get through most days without, in no particular order…
1. A cup of tea (rather multiple cups of tea!)
2. My latest read (currently Three Cups of Tea)
3. My daily devotion book
4. Burt’s Bee’s lip balm
5. My planner with my “to-do” list
6 . The three pillows I sleep with-
7. My creative journal
8. My iTunes music list
9. Doing something c
reative
10. Sunshine
What things do you depend on to get you through your day, your busy schedule, or your routine? Of course the people in our lives are most important, but there are also “things” that we depend on and look to for encouragement, purpose, or just for comfort. Some days the list changes, other days it stays about the same, but we are creatures of habit.
Think about what makes you function, work, smile, or just get through the day. 
Flea Market Style Giveaway!
Posted by: | CommentsIt’s all about “flea market style” today. Are you fond of things from the past being re-used or re-purposed for today? Some people love everything in their home to be vintage or re-purposed, others just like a touch here and there to add personality and history to their everyday routines. I am in the middle. I enjoy many vintage pieces, but mostly as accents or accessories, not used as my primary furniture. Some of my favorite things in my home have been found at flea markets, vintage shops, or pieces that came from my grandmother.
For those of us who enjoy the hunt, there are those stories of favorite finds, and purchases that we didn’t make, but still haunt us. One of my favorite finds is my large vintage wood framed Coffee Sign in my kitchen. One of the pieces that I didn’t get and regret was a large cupboard that wouldn’t fit in my house at the time I found it. Today’s comment question: What is your favorite find or the story about the one piece that you didn’t get and regret? So, with the question set… what’s the fun part… the giveaway?
Today’s giveaway is the premiere issue of Flea Market Style !! (Which hit news stands mid-February.) After much searching, I have located a few issues, so I have one to giveaway to today’s lucky winner! Flea Market Style is loaded with practical and fun ideas and tips on creating a vintage or re-purposed look for your own home. From inspiring projects and entertaining ideas, to decorating and how-to tips, you will find endless inspiration from the pages of this premiere issue.
As Star Tribune reporter Kim Yeager writes, “Readers still bereaved over the loss of Domino, Country Home, Cottage Living and other home publications don’t have much longer to wait for the new mag in town. Flea Market Style, edited by Long Lake junking maven Ki Nassauer and New Hampshire-based lifestyle expert Matthew Mead, is trickling on to newsstands now.” Others on the editorial team include: graphic designer Stacey Willey, writers Linda MacDonald and Sarah Egge, photographer Jenny Mead, stylist/photographer Heather Bullard and antiques expert Tim Luke. Yes, an all star team from the flea market, vintage, and country decor scene assembled this new magazine.
Oh, another teaser for you… one of those wonderfully creative team members will be interviewed by me in my upcoming Interview Series…. keep reading in the weeks ahead for that post!
So, start commenting and the winner for the magazine will be chosen from those entries posted before 11:59 pm CST today, March 30th. The winner will have just enough time to read the magazine and prepare for the spring flea markets just around the corner….
