English Country Vacation
This is a photo of the sweetest English home I've ever seen. I love the rock fence. It was taken in the English countryside of Derbeyshire.
Pillows.... Jewels for Couches
I found this other blue and white beauty at Target for $10. The taupe and off white pillows are from Pottery Barn. Now I'm thinking the room needs a happy color.
I'll be looking through Country Home Magazine for more inspiration. As I do this, I have to constantly remind myself that the fruit, flowers, and maybe even the furniture have been added to make these photos look even more inviting than they already were in the first place. Let's face the facts, if you put a couch on one wall, coffee table in the middle with a huge bouquet of flowers and two chairs on the opposite side. Could you see your guest on the other side? and what about the fruit? and are the chairs made for people to sit on for longer than 5 minutes? I often wonder. How comfortable are these very small strait chairs and couches while watching TV or a movie?
Form follows function. This rings true even today as it did in the days when designers of long ago decided that furniture needed to fit the needs of the user over that of the designer. Remember to forgive yourself when you make decorating mistakes or just haul it all back to Pier 1 Imports! Hugs....
My Chairs have come home...
These past few weeks I've often wondered if the two chairs I had sent off to slipcover camp would ever come home. As they left in the back of Lilly's truck a long while ago, I felt like my old, no longer loved chairs were off to a very sad vacation from me. When they returned home on Saturday, I finally could sigh with relief because they had left two very large empty spaces in our family room. I must be honest here. Sometimes I have major trust issues and I worried that I'd never get them back because the truck they were riding in would go over some huge pot hole and off they would go into oncoming traffic.....
Here is a before pic and to follow is an after pic....
Time For Being - Time for Fun
I've been away from blogging for a few weeks and thought I'd do a quick new post however Typepad has made some changes that have once more reminded me that I am so challenged. It's June and anybody who has kids in school and has said yes to being a parent volunteer is no longer at home or if it home, not getting any sleep. We were hiking this past winter in Death Valley, CA and happened upon this cap. I've been waiting to share this picture for awhile. At the time, we all got a huge giggle finding this in the middle of nowhere. I'm looking forward to a kick back summer and I hope you have the same. School is out and it's time for some summer fun....
Home Sweet Home
Have your ever felt that homes have souls? I've lived in many homes since I married 38 years ago...yes...it is a long time! Our New Hampshire home was a small cape cod style built in 1948. I lived in this sweet home for 21 years.
I often wonder what vibe this house gives off to visitors. I do believe that houses only become homes if the people who live in them love each other. Have you ever walked in a house and could not breath because some creepy karma lingered? My father-in-law once joked that our dog lived in a very fancy place. Jennie does live the easy life. We bought this home 4 years ago as an investment and after moving twice before this move in a six year period, my spirit stayed outside in the garden (my favorite place) and didn't come in until this year. The goal has always been to sell once our son, Daniel, graduates from HS in 2009. We have one more year here and we will be off looking once more. It always takes me such a long time to get in a decorating grove and with one more year to go, I keep teasing my husband that I need decorating money. I've really fallen for that free and easy look of cottage style decorating. This road called Home Sweet Home is often a bumpy one filled with pot holes however the trip is always made easier with a sweet honey of a husband! Next time around, I'm thinking small town, older home, front porch with rocker for knitting, picket fence and a group of friends who enjoy the arts. Hugs.....
Welcome Summer
It's a bit early to be proclaiming a welcome to summer however here in Southern California summer has arrived bringing along loads of heat! The weather man promises that we will be back into the high 70's by Wed. These past weeks of spring have been glorious for putting away the knitting and getting out into the garden. I've been waging a war against our ever growing ground cover. The rosemary ground cover on the hill behind our home is swallowing up everything in sight!
Here is a little bit of Blue Iris in the garden......
When the hot wind blows around here sadly all the spring flowers not native to this area can't handle the heat and dry out. The rest just keeps growing!
Color of the Year Fall 2008 - Blue Iris
Are you asking yourself, " So here we go again and I'll need a wad of money to keep up with the neighbors because my colors are all wrong." Truth be told the colors you choose for your home need to please only you. Have you ever wondered who decides what colors will reign over all the rest each year?
After looking at magazine after magazine do you continue to proclaim,"I love all the colors and choose to change nothing!" Do you continue on fretting over which new accent color would best suit that not so old plaid side chair or liven up the families dark green couch without going out to buy all new stuff. My decorating saga began after we changed out our carpet for wood flooring. It all began weeks before the holidays however it all took place during the holidays. I was left with the shiny dark wood floors of my dreams however NOTHING looked like the sweet rooms in my favorite magazine. A decision needed to be made. Family opinions weren't fitting my decorator dream fantasies.
I decided to go it on my own. The green couch is now covered in an off white slipcover, the plaid chairs are on vacation, and the dog has a new blue and white polka dot bed. And I'm thinking it's time to go shopping for something that comes in blue iris. 
A Garden's Friend.....Garden Hoses
Here in Southern CA it is easy to forget that.. Oh YES! Spring has sprung. Being that the days are longer everything begins to grow. Little begonias that were happy to remain small burst forth and begin to grow before our eyes. Also to keep it all alive in this dry climate, we need to use our garden hoses. Mine begin to be my best friends right about now. People from other parts of the country laugh at the fact that even small gardens have sprinkler systems. My garden also can boast of such a system however they are in constant need of tweaking to get all plants watered. My green garden hose stands always at the ready to save my poor thirsty flowers.
This pretty blue garden hose belongs to Kathleen, my daughter.
Garden hoses also come in pink! I'm going to keep my eyes open to snag one up as soon as they get to my local garden shop.....
Rocky Hearts
I've been on the hunt for rocks shaped like hearts. It's fun and also helps keep your eyes on the path. I often have trouble finding my way home on long walks in unfamiliar neighborhoods. Have you ever found a heart shaped rock? Since I found my first, I'm always looking for more.
