My life is to make everything around me beautiful.

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Organized Closets and Pretty Rooms

Update on the new toilet:
It works wonderfully! It stays so clean I haven't had to clean it. Still looks like no one has used it at all. Sparkling! I wonder if I'll ever have to clean it. Hmmmm.
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Love Bunny and I had a pretty big closet in our house in California as we had a second story addition put on several years after we bought it. There were several homes in our neighborhood that had second stories but we went with a very innovative contractor when we decided to do ours.

All of the additions we had seen in the neighborhood had gone through a part of their dining room or through the garage by adding a flight of stairs. Thus, this took some space from their dining room or two-car garage and it looked horrible as it didn't look particularly integrated into the house. We needed all the space we could get in our garage because we park our cars in the garage. Always have and always will. That's what garages are for—cars. I have known and know people today who have never been able to park their cars in the garage because they use it for storage. Hubs and I don't adhere to that philosophy. If you have that much stuff, then you need to have a garage sale, give it to thrift stores or throw it out!

Anyway, our second story contained a huge train room about 16' x 14' and a master bedroom and bath for us. We had a closet that was about 14' x 8' and loved it. (At this point in my life, I was a clothes horse and was spending about $8,000-$10,000 a year on clothes in 1980s dollars, and Macy's, Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstroms were my favorite stores.) Our previous master bedroom downstairs had been remodeled 10' out the front with a beautiful three-sided bay window so it was large also. That became a family room for us. But when the remodel on that bedroom was done a few years before the second story addition, we remodeled the master bath and the closet was extended about 10' out also. We had California Closets come in and put in all custom shelving in that closet. But when we did the second story, we decided to do it ourselves as the previous closet had cost us $1,400 in 1980s money! We did it for about two or three hundred in the bigger closet upstairs.
What our contractor designed and did for us was take out our heater on the first floor, use that for the stairs, adding a landing to the top where we went left to the train room and right to our master bedroom. The heater was then relocated upstairs in a space on the train room. It was over the bottom of the stairs. It turned out exquisitely because the contractor measured intricately, consulted us on it and made it happen. I was delighted as it looked like it had never been a remodel. It just looked like it was built that way originally. That remodel was the talk of the neighborhood. Every night we'd see people out the window looking in trying to figure out what was going on and even asking to come in and view it. I'm so glad we picked that man to do the remodel.

Our closet looked nothing like this one though. While I think it's lovely, ours was even better.

Cute!

I know without a doubt that hubs and I could not fit in this narrow kitchen together, but it sure is cute. Must be a small cottage.

Pretty in blues.

Another stunning wall color in green.

Pretty eye candy for you. I just absolutely love candy for my eyes.

Cozy little space.

This reminds me of Mexico and sitting out on our patio at Los Tules in Puerto Vallarta.

Definitely my kind of patio or porch.

Isn't this towel sweet?



Wouldn't you love to have lunch in this quaint tea room? Oooooh, I would.

Easy, easy thing to do with extra frames you have around the house. I plan on making some this week actually.

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Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off. And very few employers are interested in helping you find yourself. Do that on your own time.
~*~
Photos courtesy of tumblr, pinterest and google images.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Living Room Table and New Rugs

As I said earlier, I've been thinking of a more classical style—oh, not too much different, just a few things to add to the living room—and started thinking about just switching the chairs. Even Love Bunny said it made a difference in the living room. I know, I know, not much, but when viewed in actuality, it really does make a difference.


I had a little mosaic table by the Thomasville chair on the left and then switched it for another table I got at Bombay & Co. many years ago. It was a bit taller than the chair and th' hubs didn't like it and really, neither did I. So we all know what that means: a new table. Squeeeeal...


Now, I'm not going to spend five or six hundred dollars for a table as I'm being frugal so I thought I'd head on over to T.J.Maxx. I'm terribly disappointed with that store since Home Goods bought them out or, at least in our area, combined them. Nothing like our old T.J.Maxx. The linens area is pathetic as is the accent pillows area.


I headed on over to Cost Plus and just about choked walking into that store. They burn an incense that is horrid. I don't know how people work in that store with that smell. It is reminiscent of India or the Far East. Not a scent I like at all. So, choking my way though I didn't find a small table I liked unless I wanted something with glass marbles on it or symbols...well, you get the idea.


I phoned hubs from the car (He was at another convention but at least near home this time! Sigh.) and told him my dilemma and that I was going to see if Craigslist might have something I'd want.


But on the way home, I dropped into Target, which is a rarity as I'm not particularly fond of that store and went up and down several aisles and was just about to give up when I spotted a little table that could work for $59.99. I plan on giving it a coat of white paint or shabbying it up a bit. Hubs likes it like it is but it's a tad dark for me. We'll see. This is going to depend on how lazy I can be! You know that, right?

Joining up with this linky party:




This is one photo of it.


Another view of the area, but closer. I live in a small house now, remember. Small living room, but 4 bedrooms and a small family room.


This is the table. I put a white runner on it to give me some idea of what it will look like white. I also plan on changing out the knob, something a bit cuter than that. But it's an extra drawer around the house and I like that. Plus I can put magazines or something on that little bottom shelf. I forgot to dust it before taking this picture.


However, T.J.Maxx did have a few rugs that were just what I wanted though. I'm showing them beside the candy apple red rug in my laundry room to set the color for you and this photograph is very accurate as to the colors—a rose pink that is reversible and washable and a beautiful seafoam color rug that is also washable, very soft and thick and no rubber on the back. I was thrilled to get those two rugs.


Closer view.


So you see the crocheting on the edges. This rug is really lovely. I'd have bought 2 if they had had two of them.


Isn't this room beautiful in blue? I think the furnishings are lovely.


This little montage gives you an insight for different kinds of wreaths to make. I thought you'd like it.


A beautiful serene room.


The striped one on the bottom is what drew my attention. Hey, I just remembered I have some striped pink heavy fabric. I can make pillows for my sofa out of that! Gonna do it this week.


That chair is stunning. I would, however, get it recovered. It's too beautiful to have it not be used and you really can't use it to sit in like that.


An easy makeover for a lamp.


If you didn't have a linen closet, you could just hang your beautiful sheets on an old ladder in your bedroom to show them off. Terrific idea!


Pretty vignette.


Love Bunny would have to hit me over the head and drag me kicking and screaming into that bed. It's almost scary looking at it. Way too dark for this chick!


Beautiful cups.


An awesome tin can collection. Looks to be British with the one tin having a picture of Queen Elizabeth. She is a gracious lady even if she's not our queen.


Aged vintage shutters always grasp us. Lovely. I think I might paint them if they were mine though.
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Sunday, May 13, 2012

Thoughts on Vignettes

What is it about certain vignettes that we like so much? Is it a memory that we recall from an earlier time? Is it something that stirs in our hearts wanting to have something that we desire, which may be in that vignette? Is it a secret place in our hearts that you go to when viewing them? What? You tell me if you can. Don't just read this blog today, comment on your thoughts. I'd truly like to know what you think.


Beautiful collage framing a family photo.


A look into a small, sweet living room.


I could definitely love sleeping in this bedroom. Darling.


A lovely vintage chair either painted or decoupaged.


Lovely roses framing a window.


Bougainvillea


Seeing white linens drying on a line in the breeze always evokes memories of my kids' diapers drying in the California sun. Women today using disposable diapers may have it easier but you'll never have the satisfaction of seeing diapers whitening in the sun.


As I've said before, old water fountains draw me like not much else can.


A simple life must be lived here. There are homes like this in Southern California but I'm betting this is in another country.


A peek into this homeowner's living room. Love her slipcovers.


Gorgeous, gorgeous!


Another peek into a room with an interesting entry way.


Simply eye candy for you. I like how these look. I think tin cans covered with fabric would do the trick also.


Isn’t this a darling quaint kitchen?


Colorful eye candy


Lovely dining room. Love the tablecloth bunched at the edges.


What a cute shower curtain.


New made to look old or old made to look new? Hmmm?


Leaving you with this wonderful splash of the color purple.
~*~
Photos courtesy of pinterest and tumblr.