As I mentioned yesterday, I had great vision for this house when we bought it. (5 years ago) I was obsessed with home design at the time, but found it's not always easy to keep up with an older, DIY house. Which many home owners will understand, it isn't always a dream to own a house, but nevertheless I am thankful and love this home.

As you can see the room before (from previous owner) has high, bulky furniture with dark furnishings, and draping window covers. There's nothing wrong with different tastes in style, a lot of people don't like modern, or vintage, or traditional etc... everyone has their own taste. (duh) But when designing a room or this applies to designing yourself too, you have to look at the space and make the most of what you are working with. Which may mean adjusting your predisposed ideas about your style, and doing what will look/feel the best for the space instead.

{For instance, I really wanted a giant, old slay-bed at the time and had a completely different idea for my desired bedroom... however that was obviously not the right choice for a small room like this, so I adjusted my "style" and really enjoy this other thing I've got going right now even though it wasn't my first pick.}

This room is tiny and carpeted. We redid the floors on the bottom 2 floors of our house, but kept the carpet upstairs which I think I'm allergic to. But sometimes you have to pick where to spend the money on renovations, especially when on a budget. I thought I could live with the carpet, so I found a shag, creamy white colored rug from Ikea to lay on top of the carpet to give the room some dimension and texture without spending money on new floors. though this room would look freakin amazing with new floors.

BED: My philisophy with this room is: this is where we rest, we sleep here, which is so important. So rest is the value of this space. So we got a King size bed (first bed I ever purchased) per the advice of some friends who had several children and told us one day you will wish you spent a little extra and got a King... and I have never regretted this purchase EVER. We got a super comfortable mattress at Costco (that was really reasonable) and the frame at Ikea. Choosing a lower bed with a simple frame gives the illusion that there is more space in the room if you have low ceilings.

ORGANIZE: Having the shelving on the side keeps all of our "stuff" and my husband's million book collection, (he had a whole room dedicated to books) in order and in one place. I like simple, clean spaces for sleeping. I was feeling claustrophobic in my bedroom before we moved the bookshelves in... but now I feel so good. All the nicknacks, all the loose ends are organized in one place.

LIGHT: Natural light is everything to me. EVERYTHING to me. I need it in my life, I need it in my job I need it for creativity. So doing everything  I can to let that light in is so important. Heavy curtains, or thick textures would depress the space and make you feel trapped, so light airy outlines work the best if you have to have them for a small room. Paying attention to where the light is and showcasing that light is the best thing you can do for an uninspiring space. Natural light is so beautiful, calming and refreshing... we all need it.

There are obvious exceptions to everything I am saying and the entire opposite can be true... this is what worked for THIS space and my budget.


More design soon...

I like this rose bouquet for many reasons.

1. Using Eucalyptus or herbs in an arrangement makes them smell so nice.
2. Color: I like orange or bright pinks in flowers
3. Mix of textures. I love sprigs of berry-looking flowers (hypericum) or leafy strands to crown the roses.
4. My husband listened to my floral picking desires and is getting closer to knowing my style. ;)

gemma ward by greg kadel for numéro 11/06


it feels like this today!

Have you ever splurged on something completely random? This is not my usual tendency, especially when it comes to online treats, but one day I was reading a blog about Big Picture Farms Goat's milk caramels.... and I COULDN'T GET IT OUT OF MY HEAD. So I ordered a pack on a whim. And preceded to eat the entire box in two days (in my car). that was having self control and I didn't share!

So if I could re-do the traditional Valentines gift, this is what it would look like! Please, please dear boyfriends, stop getting girls overpriced, long stemmed roses with baby's breath for Valentines day! There are so many other beautiful, affordable options!

And I'd prefer a home made card too... I just love to look at anything Rifle Paper co.

I love these Cute Cupcake Toppers by Fiskers. You can make these yourself using their tutorial!

This recipe was made completely on the fly with the mood of experimentation driving. Meaning, I made this up.

I started this recipe by sautéing cubed butternut squash in coconut oil and a little bit of onion. I didn't have chicken stock so I added coconut milk instead. I sprinkled curry, and some dry herbs (sage, basil, thyme...) a splash of soy sauce and let simmer until the squash was soft. I pureed the soup in a blender pouring a little cream in with the mixture, put back in the pot and splashed with chardonnay, salt, curry powder and water. I let this cook a little and garnished with a stir of greek yogurt, apples, shaved pecorino cheese and dusted curry.

The only thing that would have made this better was a little bit of stock and some bacon on top. next time!