Friday, July 24, 2009

Keep Calm and Carry On

As a stay-at-home mom to two kids under 3, I find that I my daily mantra tends to be "Serenity Now!" a la Seinfeld. The moment one mess or project gets cleaned up, we're onto the next disaster.

This poster from the site Keep Calm and Carry On seems to sum up that sentiment well enough, and will soon hang on the wall of my bedroom.


I'm rather freaked out about putting holes in my walls lest we decide that we're suddenly moving (moving where, I don't know) and have to hire someone to repaint and fix the blemish(es). Now that it's enroute and I've paid int'l shipping, I suppose that I'll have to quickly get over that fear and start enjoying my house...and art.

Beds for the kiddos

As I look around, keeping my eye out for cheap, chic furniture to fill the cottage, I keep coming back to this lovely room pulled together by Rubyellen of Cakies. What a fantastic space - childish enough for a young one, but with room to grow and mature.



This vintage bed is gorgeous, but I think that I could find something with more flexibility in scale and a tad more polished for a new cottage with the great find below from IKEA -- the "Minnen" bed that extends (or shrinks) as desired.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Project!

I'm frequently found cruising the Internet highway looking at clever ideas that other bloggers have spied or created themselves. I usually bookmark the page and then go on my merry way, intending to make time in the future to make the particular craft.



I saw this on a blog a few years ago (I can't remember which one - sorry) and even went to a craft store to purchase the quilting rings. Alas, this winter when we were cleaning up our attic, I happened up on them in a dusty, lonely box. Since I am now blogging about this, perhaps I should follow through and find some terrific vintage fabric to "frame" with the rings.

Squeak, Squeak

My new obsession is flooring. We currently live in a 1919 Craftsman, with updates made in the 70s. Upon moving in, we did our best to bring a splash of youth and modernity to the place, while preserving the good elements from the earlier era.

However, the main thing that drives me crazy are the wood floors that squeak, squeak, squeak all the time when walked upon (squeaks that wake up small children & infants from naps).



I can appreciate hardwoods, but I'd appreciate them more if they didn't make my life so challenging.

Last week we went on a little family vacation to the Washington coast and stayed in an lovely rental home in the Seabrook community. All the houses/cottages have been built in the past few years, but have such a sense of uniqueness and history to them. What I really liked about the place we stayed in were the rustic wood floors with terrific texture and durability.

This photo via a room somewhere via Sweetie Pie's Tumblr gives a good idea of what they looked like (though photo is of a different house altogether):

The Mood

I'm in love. I'm in love with this beach house (slideshow via Architectural Digest):



A few years ago I saw the film "Something's Gotta Give", got a good laugh out of the fun story, but mostly I became enamored with the gorgeous interior (and lovely exterior) of Diane Keaton's Hampton's beach house. It truly was one of the principal characters of the movie and the reason why I continue to occasionally re-watch it.

The calm, soothing colors of cream and blue, the spacious and cleaning feeling kitchen (my favorite room in the house), the large, round dining table (my dream to have a dining space that could accommodate it), and balance between traditional elegance and informality make me happy and want to live in place like this.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Beach House Decor - Inspiration Board

Sometime soon, my folks will be breaking ground on their new beach cottage. It initially will serve as a getaway for the family on weekends, and then eventually into their main residence following my dad's retirement in a few years.

I've been given the exciting task of decorating one of the guest suites on the top floor. I saw "lovely" without sarcasm or rolling of the eyes because this is my dream - decorating something that is a blank slate. Chic & cheap. Let the brainstorming begin!

From what I understand, the guest suite is essentially two rooms - a larger bedroom with a view of the water and a room next to it facing the front of the house, intended for kids/grandkids.

Here are a few things/images that are part of my online inspiration board:

Alicia Bock's gorgeous and dreamy photos:





First Things First

This is my first official entry on this blog of mine. My goal is to post things that inspire me - mainly those that are related to hearth and home, but I'll also occasionally post random items that just delight me and make me happy. I hope they make you happy, too.