Looking Ahead and Gathering Inspiration

I just love this look, featured in Country Living's November issue. I'm anxious to go through the house again, a room at a time, and remove what I don't love and then look around for things I DO love. I'm thinking a few of my rooms will be getting a coat of Simply White paint and I'm on the lookout for some dark brown leather furniture. I love the contrast and leather is great with dogs.

xo,
D.

New Designer SWOON...

All I can do is drool. What wonderful style this guy has! These are wonderful spaces I wish I came home to.

Have you seen Lonny Magazine? Very cool, online, shelter magazine with a Domino feel. Brad Ford's work was featured in their winter edition, which led me to his blog and portfolio. Take some time for yourself and check out both!

xo,
D.

Peace Tree Reveal

Here it is!

Hand-made silver glitter peace signs, white paper cranes, and a few vintage ornaments. Fun, fun!! It is quite beautiful. I can't wait to be at home for a few days and just ENJOY the peace :).

xo,
D.

Time to Fess Up...

I've really been a scrooge lately.

Not that I don't enjoy the holiday season, I really do normally; but, this year, there's been no TIME. Ugh. I just don't like the rushing around, being jostled about by crowds at WalMart and Target. No thanks. On top of that, I haven't been feeling well and work just goes on and on. We're working right up to Christmas Eve this year, without much of a break in sight.

Most years, we put up the tree right after Thanksgiving, make our own cards (creating our own designs and hand-carving safety-cut, and then block-printing our own creations), then we'd bake up a storm, making cookies and rum balls or whatever would be new and exciting. Last year, it was biscotti :). Then we'd package up little gift boxes to friends and relatives and make a trip to the post office. It was kind of fun and did wonders to create that "Christmas Spirit".

But, this year we're busy renovating our son's bedroom and insulating the attic, and I really think I should save my post on insulation until January...

Today, we will be cooking up a storm. Our darling daughter is making goodies to send to her college buddies and we're having our soon-to-be exchange student come over to help us.

The boys are at Home Depot. Picking up more insulation.

Hope your holidays have been more exciting than mine. I will share our Peace Tree soon. That is one thing I accomplished this year.

xo,
D.

Organizing and the Home Office

I'm thinking a lot about these modular pieces from Ballard Design. Hubby has a ton of files that are currently in the attic and I need to do something about the mismatched furniture in the office.


Our home office is a good sized room, with lots of natural light. We have one whole wall with bookshelves and I'd like to have separate areas for working on the computer and doing paperwork at my desk.

The following are the two basic pieces I'd be buying. The CPU cabinet is $199 and the two drawer file is $229. In addition, I'd need the corner unit which is where I'd put the computer screen. This way, everything related to the computer (the high speed thing from the phone company, the wireless router and all the many wires) would be in the corner and...the best part...hidden from view!


I'm torn between black and white. I do think I'm going to repaint the walls and they will be an off-white, so the black would pop against all of that.

I checked Pottery Barn, which has similar pieces, but each of their pieces is $20-$30 more. That quickly adds up. But, it did get me thinking. Chances are that there are even more affordable ways to get the look we want, so I began an internet search.


Isn't this pretty? This is from Staples and is real cherry. I really like it, but I was going for either black or white.




The three file cabinets above are all from Home Decorators Collection in the $149-$159 price range. Anyone ever order from them? I have no idea what the quality is like, but I'd save a considerable amount of money.

I guess I'll keep looking around. It's a huge project, and would be pricey for us, but once I know what I want to do it will be easier to chip away. I wonder if Target carries these or Ikea...

xo,
D.

Fela!

I cannot believe I'm going to see this tomorrow. Yes, you read that right. We're driving down in the morning, seeing some sights, catching the matinee, and then home again, home again, jiggity jig.

I may not post anything on Sunday :).

xo,
D.

Change

I never planted paperwhites at Christmas time until about ten years ago. A good friend and I, both "semi-employed" and quite creative and full of vision, decided to make all kinds of things and sell them out of my home at a Holiday Open House. We made child-sized aprons, pillows, scented fire starters, and other items that would be good for gift-giving or decorating. Making these items was half the fun and we'd spend many days creating and sewing while our children attended the nearby Friends School.


My friend even made these wonderful star shaped crackers from scratch. Oh my!

But the stars of the Open House were the twenty-something pots of paperwhite narcissus, all at various stages of development (depending upon need) that were scattered around the first floor of my rented home. Can you imagine the wonderful scent? It really was glorious.

When I think about it now, we were kind of crazy. I'm not so sure that I'd do something quite so adventurous at this point in my life. What's amazing is that we sold a lot of things, made some Christmas dough of our own, and saw many of our good friends. Plus, it was a ton of fun.


I don't know what made me think of all this today. Maybe because I talked to this wonderfully creative friend today and she's going to be laid up for a bit, maybe because I no longer live near my closest friends, and maybe it's because I hope I'm not past the point of having that kind of fun :).

Real Simple Thought For Today:
"When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves". Viktor Frankl

I don't know who Viktor Frankl is, but this quote resonated with me. I've been thinking a lot about where my life is headed and I'm feeling a bit stagnant. I'm also feeling that time is going so quickly, especially now that the kids are older. It really flies once they're out of school.

So, here's a toast to all my friends (including all my blog friendsees), to fun, and to keeping the JOY in this holiday season.

xo,
D.