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I'm experiencing a creativity deficit of sorts. This week isn't helping. What started out as a week of possibilities with one solid week of vacation at the beach has been turning out rather odd. I haven't been inspired to write, even by some of the antics of the 8 and 9 year old. I was hoping that within a few days of relaxation and just playing in general - that bug would come back - that some story that i thought was really funny a few days ago would pop into my brain and i would be inspired to jot it down, put an evil spin on it and spew it back to you so that we could laugh, together. But.I.got.nothin'.I think a lot of it has to do with a significant loss in our community that i can't put explanation to or examine for reasoning and make any good out of it. My son's playmate and classmate, our neighbor and little leaugue coach died a few days ago, saving his son from drowning. There's no way to pretty that up.And i keep replaying the conversation that my ex and i had when he called to tell me - the day we intended to start our vacation in earnest. I am having a really difficult time with this.We chose not to tell the boys until we are in the car on the way home. I want their vacation to be one where sadness doesn't affect their fun and being around water the entire time, i thought maybe we should hold on the news until we were away from the water so that my worry wart of a son didn't decide not to go swimming the entire time. But me, I think about it at least once an hour.I think, how much horror that family had to live through on what was supposed to be their vacation, and how much the wife and boys will have to endure in the weeks and months to come, and it rips me apart. I think about the boys and their team sports that their dad was always involved in and i pray that they still will want to go back to the field. Boys need sports. But i know that when, if, they do go back, they will ache from the loss of not having their dad there. And i crumble inside a little bit just thinking about it.My son will ask a million questions that i will not be able to answer. He will go home and pull up the Sentinel and search for his friend's last name until he finds the articles detailing the accident and arrangements. He will dwell. He gets that from me. He will probably get out of bed a million times for the next few weeks to make sure that his dad, or me, is still there, still in bed, still breathing.I know life and death happens. I get it. I'm just never prepared for the death part.
So, i have a bad habit of pouring through nesting magazines looking at all of those gorgeous 'nobody could really live here' homes and thinking of ways to steal ideas.
I have found that not all ideas a) fit my budget b) are practical with small children in the house and c) please both the man and myself.
I have found ONE designer that I consistently try and copy - Linda Woodrum. You guys probably know her stuff - she's the diva behind the hgtv dream homes and their decor - CAN YOU SAY YUMMY??
I have saved every possible picture I can scour online only to try and see what i can do on the cheap - and that can be scaled down to my space.
This is pic of a dining room she did for the 2004 HGTV dream home. Be careful, that drool might mess up your shirt...

I love so many different things about this room, but ahhhh... i don't have the Ethan Allen DR set, or the beaded board, or those beautiful cream plates, or the wood floor....
I DO have the chocolate walls and ivory curtains!
Oh....wait - i have an old gym locker basket that has dead flowers in it on the porch....
I have candles....
oh, and I'VE GOT TONS of hydrangeas (another bad addiction).
And Big Lots had hurricanes on sale for $10....
What can i do....I can do this!

Ok, the chocolate is not that dark IRL - it has more caramel in it than it appears - and I my hurricanes aren't as feminine - mine were $10 people....and i had white saucers under mine, but in my small space it was too froufrou......i'm really really considering adding the beaded board, just not sold yet because the entire house is an open floor plan....
Oh well .... it was a good $10 update nonetheless!
Thanks guys for the comments - and Pop/Ice, i know those colors are kind of passe now - but they are so pretty....i need to think about what new color combo i would choose....hmmm. have to think about that one.
While i was out cruising around on the web - i dropped in on a site that i love! I have bookmarked her site and she is the bomb - i swear. SO MUCH cute stuff - YOU MUST GO VISIT HER NOW :) - and saw some great front door inspiration - how cool is this?? Very Pottery Barn/vintage'ish. Love the hardware too.
Red doesn't obviously go with my current paint scheme - ohhh....what to do, what to do....
Remember last year when i did the post about listing my house for sale? And everyone was like, oh, what are you thinking, the market's tanking, the sky is falling, banks are NOT giving out mortgages to buyers, you're SCREWED, again, WHAT ARE YOU THINKING??!?
Yeah, ok, you win.
SO. Now that it isn't selling I can really HAVE SOME FUN. But where to start?? I'm going to post a different room with each post - and let you guys tell me what you see going in there. Or if my ideas rock or if they just won't work.
If i had to define my style - it's coastal living - which is appropriate since i'm in Florida. INLAND, but Florida. Also, i lean towards cottage - not formal, not tuscan, not french country. Simple, coastal style.
Should we start with the front door? Here is a pic of my 'cottage'. I really don't like the color. ick. I LOVE the line of the roof. I hate my WHITE front door. I don't like the "Florida vernacular" style - but i think i can 'fix' it. LOL.

Here is a pic of house, somewhat similar (if you tilt the computer on it's side and then look) that has shutters - making it somewhat coastal/mediterranean. I LOVE that. I think i can do that on the right window. My windows are slightly arched - but they make those plank shutters arched too - so that would be kind of cool, no? As far as the color of house - i REALLY love the idea of a pale PALE blue (kind of a muddy blue) and brown shutters.

So, tell me, my virtual friends - yes, no, different ideas?