Monday, November 7, 2011

Can It Be : Living Room Reveal

                           Good Morning!  Isn't it wonderful to get that extra hour of sleep?  That is one of the things I look forward to with the changing of the seasons.

Speaking of looking forward, I am so happy to share with you our living room reveal.  Now I must be honest we are not completely done but what has to be accomplished is minor.

Here is the inspiration for the space..

My daughter found this picture while we were at the mall.  Everything from the color of the walls to the the feel of the room came from this.

 You can check out the process here, here, and here.

Remember this piece?
It came home with me months later after heavy negotiations with the store owner.


The ottoman...
I got for free.  It was about to be thrown out in the trash.

And when not in use fits perfectly underneath the side table.

Walking in from the foyer.

My daughter enjoying a quiet time reading.


There is a lady that we know who makes these beautiful crochet blankets.  She graciously gives them to us.  I own five of them now. 



Magazine ladder .. ladder from a one hundred year old barn.
Floor lamp from a garage sale.

Vase purchased at garage sale for $1

EVENING PICTURES








I still have more to do.  Looking forward to Thanksgiving now : )

Have a great week everyone!





Thursday, November 3, 2011

Design = Passionate People : Paula Katrina Cañete

 I have to say the world of blogging has opened me to experience very gifted individuals in the design realm.  It also has brought on some budding friendships with people of similar interests.  I came across Paula form The Sea Green Journal.  She has such an eye for design and her writing is relatable.  I am honored that she would allow me to feature her on my blog.  Enjoy.


  DESIGN=PASSIONATE PEOPLE : Paula Katrina Cañete
  (The Sea Green Journal)

 Some people would (always) say that their childhood interests are premonitions of the professions that they will choose later on, of careers that will take shape when they become adults. I try to continuously go back to my own childhood and my interests then to find a similar link. Yes, I have always loved art when I was a kid. I cannot entirely say that I was a Picasso (though I loved doing abstract art) and I most definitely was not a Monet (though I wish I was). I believe I loved color even back then, I enjoyed art and was always excited when I got to open a fresh box of crayons or when looking at art supplies (I still am the same way with regards to the latter even up to now by the way). Perhaps those things are my own premonitions, of how I would eventually dabble in design and the arts.

I cannot entirely be sure though because before the “Interior Designer” part of myself came to be, I had a couple of options of what I wanted to pursue career-wise.  To start off, I wanted to be a Chef (I love food and I love the thought of cooking), an Archaeologist (Most especially! I watched Indiana Jones and Lara Croft while growing up, I love history and would love to discover and dig new artifacts), or a Pediatrician (Simply put, I love kids). See what I mean? Fields that are quite different from each other but do correlate in a certain way, now that I think about it.

It wasn’t a single moment but a series of instances per say that made me figure out my passion for Interior Design.  I chose to be in this field because it is a profession that I see myself enjoying (Fabric and paint swatches make me giddy! I assure you I’m not a weirdo. Really. Haha.). It is a practice that I am constantly fascinated by. The commonality between all my other options is the concept of being able to help, of being able to find a solution. Interior Design doesn’t take that away from me, it helps me find solutions for design dilemmas and lets me dabble both in science and creativity. I don’t mean to bore anyone by being so serious or sounding like I am making an academic essay but Interior Design, I find is a passionate endeavor that I plan to continue on pursuing.

I am entirely young (and by my standards, still new) to the design industry. I feel that I have much to learn. But I am quite excited by this thought, of improving and being the best interior designer that I can possibly be. I love looking at an empty space and thinking about it’s potential, of conceptualizing a vision of what it will become. I do admit that conceptualizing (and the whole design process itself from conceptualization to installation) is no easy task, you have to manipulate your brain from all sorts of directions and turn it inside out at times – the design concept, client preferences and needs, function, aesthetics, the budget, the limitations. Did I say I love doing what I do? Haha.

We do not entirely know what we will become in the totality of things, I might end up becoming a nomad or running away with the circus (Hey, crazy things can happen!) but I like to believe that I will be successful in my pursuit as an Interior Designer. My advice to everyone would be, to dream and create big dreams, work crazy hard (I have a long way to go myself) and try not to control everything. A valued mentor once told me, “In life, we should try to continuously challenge ourselves”. - And we shall, my friend.




Monday, October 31, 2011

Our Trip

Good Morning!

Several weeks ago we drove down to Ohio and I explained the circumstances here.  


Even through the trying situation we made it an enjoyable trip as much as possible.

Our first rest stop about 2hrs in.  My daughter took this pic : )

We saw many cool trucks on our drive down..

That really makes me happy!  I love this..might have to frame it : )

When we arrived we were honored to have the President of Jane Tv, Jackie Dorman, open up her home for my family to stay.


It was so good to be with them.  There is Jackie getting business done.

She had an interview set up with a magazine in Easton.  I love coming to this place! It has every store imaginable that could meet all your needs.  Check out the site and see for yourself and it is a family friendly atmosphere.

Saw this car there..
STUNNING!
Love the color blue with the camel color interior.  My husband was drooling : ))

While my husband was falling for the car I was dying over this outdoor fireplace.
And of course the obvious question was, "Can you build me one?"  That's me and the other man in my life.

I hope you all enjoy Halloween and stay safe.














Friday, October 28, 2011

Living Room Coming Together

Good Afternoon!  

I am really excited to show you more on the living room and the pieces that are making it all come together.

Not long ago we had our birch tree in our backyard come down in a windstorm

and I had an idea : )
The wall in my living space was totally empty..

I decided to make them into sculptural light pieces that would also expand the height of the ceiling.

We cut the birch to 9ft and placed them in wood containers that I got at Pier1 for $15, placed marble chips from Home Depot for $3.99 and placed Grundtal lights in the center from Ikea.

I had been wanting these curtains from Ikea for 3yrs after I had seen them on an episode of Sarah's House on Hgtv.

I bought this lamp from Pier1 as well from their clearance section for $25..now the other lamp I was borrowing from my family room could be returned..lol.

Here is my son asleep and after I looked at this picture the chair was calling out for a pillow..and so was my sofa.


The pillows we bought from good ol' Ikea.


My eye caught this piece at a consignment store..
hmmm...

Have a great weekend everyone : )


Monday, October 24, 2011

Living Room Arrangement And A Wrap up

Good Morning to Everyone : )  
 
We have been hosting a lot lately and just recently there was a singer/songwriter's group at our house.  I love hearing the lovely sound of voices and instruments through my home.  
Having people over is more of an incentive to create an environment that people love to come to and enjoy.

Which leads me to our living room..
I spoke about it here.  In that post you will see the layout of the furniture before.
I decided to change it because just like the dining room that arrangement wasn't working for us.


The flow into the living room is so much more open compared to how it was before.  


I didn't want to block the view by putting the sofa in front of the window and making the windows seem smaller than they were.  That lamp on the table actually goes into my family room..hahaha.  

Now that flow has been established I will soon be able to add the other layers into the room : )

By the way, I do want to wrap up our basement situation.  If you haven't read about it check it out..


That situation had plagued us for quite some time and I am happy to say it plagues us no more.

This makes me so happy!  That rotten smell and pools of water will no longer be an issue.
Here Corey is filling it back up.  Now we have not cemented it back yet to make sure the pipes were in full working order.  I am happy to say no problems have arose.  Whew : )

  Hoping your week is full of creativity.






Friday, October 21, 2011

How's Your Journey Going?

Hello All!  

A couple of weeks ago around 2am I woke up from falling asleep in my family room and my husband had just finished recording music in the studio when we got the news that someone we knew had passed away.
We were devastated.
He had just got finished speaking and said to his wife, "I love you. I'll see you at home." He never got a chance to make it there.


Corey and I knew we had to go to the memorial service.

We all piled in our car and made the long 8hr drive to Ohio.  It was a lot of time to think.
I thought about how fleeting life is...I thought about my husband..my children.

What kind of legacy will I leave behind?  Will it be something I am proud of?

All I know is this...
I want to be a wonderful wife.  I want to be a place of safety and acceptance for my husband.  I want to stay true to the vows I took.


I want to be a great mother for my children.  A place of assurance and unconditional love.  I want to be an encourager of dreams.


I want to be an incredible friend, one who will sharpen you to become better and tell you the truth even if it hurts because I love you.


This drive was bitter sweet.  It put this thing called "Life" into perspective. The realization that there is more than this.

Yes, Ohio, I welcome you.  I thank you, God, for this dear man and family and for the shift in perspective.

May all of us live a little more purposefully today.
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...