Saturday, January 23, 2010

Musing

Why do these rooms POP


(guess I didn't get the memo that all fabulous design is blue, yellow and white)






while these rooms FLOP?


How can I call those flops? They are beautiful. It's true. They are nice, but they aren't amazing. I don't look at them a drool. They are boring. The problem is... I am boring. I like neat and nice and practical and 'gasp' monochromatic. The difference in the two sets of rooms a combination between warm and cool colors. To create interest. An alternative warm color is what takes a room from weak to wow. You can see what I mean with flop picture #3. Your eye is immediately drawn to the widow shade that is slightly yellowish and feels warm. Same with the small orange shell in flop picture #2. Visually, you desperately want a balance. I love monochromatic. It's safe. It's comfortable. It's easy. But, alas, I see. It's boring.

The fabric for the chair and my favorite rug choices.
I don't want to do a green rug. So that means I need to come up with another plan to include green. AND I need to figure out how to work in a warm color to add interest. Pillows. Artwork. Hmm.... I guess I probably shouldn't do my blue velvet chair... Any suggestions? Anyone else struggling to shake monochromatic disorder?
'sigh'
I need to go to design school.

My dues

This should cover it.


DECEMBER

i love to catch them "reading"
(and I really love it when they entertain themselves)



We celebrated Christmas on our own this year. First time. We had to work out a few bumps because I didn't really know what to plan. Next year I will be prepared. We went to a nursing home and sang carols/ read the Nativity story on Christmas Eve afternoon with some friends from the ward. We swapped the Jetta for a van with Ben the week before Christmas and he brought up mom's Nativity re-enactment attire and manger. We used them at the nursing home and Nate loved it. So we did it again as a family that night. It really made Christmas for Nate. I am thinking about doing a "night in Bethlehem" on Christmas night next year (and if it goes well, from there on out) where we eat ethnic food, dress up, play games, etc. all from that time. I think Nate will really get in to it and it will help he remember what Christmas is about. Maybe Christmas Eve we can read scriptures from the prophets foretelling of Christ's birth and we can "prepare for his birth" and then the next night we can re-enact the Christmas story and have our "night in Bethlehem".... we will see......





well... the rest are on FB (I can upload faster)

JANUARY

My parents came up for a few days to spend time with the boys and babysit so I could attend Chris's swearing in ceremony in Madison on January 19th.

His paperwork was not processed in time for him to be sworn in with most July bar acceptants in October, so his group was pretty small. For this reason, they were sworn in in the Wisconsin Supreme Court hearing room by the Supreme Court Chief Justice, herself. She was sassy, witty and sarcastic. I loved her.

Then he signed his name in a very big book that has been signed by all Wisconsin Bar Members since the beginning.(this book is only one of many volumes. But you get the point. Tradition. Important. Cool)

That's all folks. Go to FB for the rest.

Friday, January 22, 2010

Rugs A Bound

I am impressed by Rugs Abound. Free Shipping. 20% off some rugs.


Basilica

Rain

Frontier



This all come in other colors too, in case you were wondering.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

blahlblahblah lame-o blahblah

Alright. I am a bad daughter. I am withholding pictures of your grandsons. This is not personal. This is just laziness. Chris is going out of town on business this weekend so I will have no excuse to not get it done. In the mean time... feast your eyes on these beauties.

The Jacqui coffee table. Tonic home. love at first sight. Then, heartbreak. $750.

sigh.



If a room could be labeled "a breath of fresh air", this one would be it:
don't you love the lattice detail on the widows in the back ground? And how it is repeated in the loops on the arm chairs?
And the coffered ceiling?!
Augh! I need a house!

picture also from Tonic Home.

The rug search continues.
It was harder than I expected.
Complications were:
-cost- just can't justify spending more on a rug than our car is worth....

-color/pattern- coordinating with the chair patter/colors of the one my mom just did "with" me.

-size (the room is long and narrow. I rearrange the furniture. Now: the tv is in the middle of the bookshelves= 2 bookshelves on each side. the couch on the piano wall. piano on the tv wall. I did this because the room felt completely out of balance with the weight of the bookshelves on one side and the piano on the other. This new arrangement balances it visually, but it emphasizes the tunnel effect- long and narrow. I needed a rug to cover most of the area. Bigger than 8x10, which eliminated a lot of choices)
(oh how I would love to paint the trim and the orange wooded coat closet- to the left, next to the couch- a nice white. Maybe I will ask... it won't hurt to ask....)



The finalists:


The Fallon Rug in blue


or sky

Or these others.







I want a geometric/graphic element to the room to balance the floral chair. I originally was thinking damask or lotus print (I think they are a good balance between graphic and floral- a little of both) in a monochromatic design- blue on blue. No luck. I ended with the Moroccan lattice by default. It's growing on me though. I have admired the West Elm rugs similar to this (pictured below) for a long time. And, of course, now that I am ready to buy a rug, WE has discontinued them!

My plans for the room:
I am going to work with what I have. Of course, I would love to scrap everything and start over. Who wouldn't? But I know I will want to do that when we move into a house in a few years. With that said, the couch has to be re-slipcovered.

If I have the nerve I want to slipcover the couch in white. If I don't have the nerve, it will be a pale blue. With a short, box pleated skirt like this:

I think I will paint the wall behind the couch and stencil it. I love this wallpaper from BD, but don't want to spend $120 a roll.

And I don't want too much Moroccan tile pattern.


I think I will change the green chair to a blue velvet.

I am loving velvet right now. I think it's a little sassy.
I think I am going to send the piano back to Iowa. Design-wise, it is killing this space! Plus, we have books coming out of our ears, so I plan to have the bookcases wrap around the corner and line the wall that the tv was on in that first picture. .

That still leaves me with decorative art and window treatments.I have a few things stirring around in my head, but I have to get these main pieces of the puzzle put together before I start working on those.

And this is all driving me nuts! I want to get this room done so i can enjoy! Instead, right now, I sit in there and think of all the things that I want to do.

So now you know what I am doing. I have spent every second of internet time looking for rugs rather than blogging. Hopefully I will be done soon!

What about you guys? Anyone working on any projects?

And I will leave you with these beauties.

The Nixon Rug. Jonathan Adler.


Block Party. http://www.lampsplus.com/products/Block-Party-Blue-Area-Rug__F4468.html

Maybe for the boys room.....

and one more fabulous piece
of course, I need this lamp shade.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Getting back to it

I will upload pictures from the holiday tomorrow but right now I am in the market for a rug. I need to get the rug for my living room first so that I can then pick the fabric for my couch that I am going to slip cover. After I do that I can then pick my window treatments and what color and design I am going to paint my wall behind my sofa. Follow that? So, basically, I need to find one soon!
Here are some fabulous rug websites if anyone else is jonesing for a new rug

http://www.companyc.com/handmade-area-rugs.htm?p=all

Their wool rugs make me drool:
http://www.laylagrayce.com/Departments/Home-Store/Rugs.aspx

Cool, outdoor rugs:
http://www.outdoorrugshop.com/outdoor-rugs/11447+11434.cfm

can't you see this in my house? one problem. It's really expensive.... as in over $3,000 for the size I want... curse you, my good, expensive taste. Curse you.

Okay, my kids are screaming and hitting each other. Time to go.

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Vacation

Taking a blog break to enjoy the holidays. Be back after the first.
Merry Christmas.
And don't feel bad that I didn't send you a Christmas card.
I didn't send any.
I know, I am lame.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Obsession

Since I missed my Things I Love Thursday I will do it now. I am still working on my kitchen (reason I missed Things I Love Thursday) prime and paint and prime and paint and prime and paint those chairs and table. And I am waiting for a fabric swatch to come in the mail before I do something for the windows...

Anyway,
I kind of... I do...
have an obsession.


With silhouettes.





They are classy, classic, interesting, charming, beautiful, personal, sophisticated and stylish all at once. What's not to love?


Wouldn't this be fabulous in a playroom?




Some noteworthy websites to pass on:

Lonny Magazine: http://lonnymag.com/
an online decor magazine created by a staff of Domino magazine



http://www.frugal-fashionistas.com/
How to look good on a budget!
making bargain shopping even easier!


Tuesday, December 8, 2009

SNOW Day (again)


Hot Chocolate
Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook


2 oz. unsweetened or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped, or 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate pieces
1/3 c. sugar
4 c. milk

In a medium saucepan combine chocolate, sugar, and 1/2 c. of the milk. Stir over medium heat until mixture just comes to boiling. stir in remaining 3 1/2 c. milk. Heat thoroughly, but do not boil.

Remove from heat. If desired beat mixture with a rotary beater until frothy.


Monday, December 7, 2009

Celebrate!


Have I ever told you how much I love the internet.
Cute graphic trellis print.
blue.
$7.86/yard.
booya!

Ouch!

Dear blogging friends,

I love this fabric (in blue, of course- I couldn't pull a big pic of the blue to post). My MIL is getting her design degree and I had been having day dreams of one day having access designer fabrics.... until I google Schumacher Fabrics and found most are in the $250/yard price. Talk about a punch in the stomach to a dreamer. Does anyone know why designer fabrics are so expensive? They must be hand painting the color on because that is the only logical, rational reason.

Sincerely,
Heartbroken fabric lover