Friday, March 2, 2012

Giving And Art .. Tremendous

Have you ever felt that when you met somebody you knew there was something really special about them?
Well, that's what happened to me when I walked into here..
On this particular day they were having a Chocolate Walk promoting the businesses in this quaint town. 
I immediately felt at home.  The owner welcomed us with open arms.
We started talking and I began to find out "The Why" of this store.
This is a place where local artists can have a voice and sell their art.  Not only that..listen to their mission statement:

Square Peg Round Hole Mission Statement

We will be of service to the Recovery Community and to the Community-at-Large offering Recovery Literature, Gifts, Merchandise and a place for quiet conversation and discussion.

We will provide a place where talented artists' work can be seen and purchased.


We will provide a place for quality consignment artwork and where merchandise can be displayed and purchased.

We will conduct ourselves and our business in the spirit of love and service to all.


Cindy Ridolfino is four years in recovery from prescription drug addiction.



They always have someone there to speak with if you are struggling in these areas.  
It's a place of encouragement.


There she is through the window.

A photographer from the local paper came in and she said for me to be in the shot..


I felt so honored.  She is a true star.

Please check out her sites here:











Thursday, March 1, 2012

Who Said You Couldn't Mix?

Good Morning!

I love when people step out of the design "rules" and mix stuff up a bit.

Saw this gorgeous home on Architectural Digest of magazine editor Darcy Miller Nussbaum and her family.

I love how they mixed gold and silver together..



To see more of this beautiful home go to Architectural Digest

How do you feel about mixing finishes?

Monday, February 27, 2012

Cushy Seats And Cushy Feet

Good Afternoon!
I went recently with the family to Cherry Hill, New Jersey to go shopping.  When I saw the Crate and Barrel sign I had to go in to get my fix.

These chairs were calling my name.  I also took note of their rugs..

I have a similar chair I bought at a consignment store but needs to be reupholstered.  This was a great visual for me : )

A chair for a cottage or a sunroom?

Now onto some great textures.
This pillow felt like you were putting your hand on smooth stones.

From a distance it looks like stone..

It's really a plush rug...and it truly is so cozy on the feet.

Another..

Love looking and sizing things up.  Have more rooms to remodel and decorate in the future..
Have a wonderful week all!


Friday, February 24, 2012

Get Organized Before Spring Cleaning : By Guest Blogger Tim Eyre

Get Organized Before Spring Cleaning 
For me, cleaning has always been therapeutic. There is something about having a mess and slowly seeing that mess disappear that is comforting. It’s like watching chaos evolve into order and randomness into meaning. I realize I’m probably in the minority in this particular case. Regardless, the point stands that I actually enjoy cleaning. I’ve come to learn a thing or two about sweeping, dusting, and organizing all the areas that junk tends to pile up in. If you’re getting ready to take on that ultimate cleaning task, Spring Cleaning, listen up. I have a few tips that you should pay attention to before you get moving on this undertaking.

Take It Slow
There is no rule that says you have to get the entire house organized in one day or even one weekend. Focus on small areas. Divide and conquer. Focus on a few rooms or problem areas and collect all the stuff you just don’t use that much anymore.
Enlist Help
Enlist the help of your family in cleaning up the house. Chances are they contributed to the mess by throwing shoes and socks into the corner of the living room, leaving school work or art projects half-completed in the kitchen, or leaving food in the fridge for about a month too long. You’ll find that the whole project will move much faster when you have some helping hands. It can also be borderline fun. You can sweeten the deal by offering to make everyone ice cream sundaes when the job is finished.

Whistle While You Work
It’s not only true in the movies. Listening to music while you work makes the task much more enjoyable. A spontaneous dance party might even break out while you’re in the midst of your cleaning. 
To Trash or Not to Trash
Once you’ve collected all the excess stuff (we won’t call it trash just yet) out of these areas, you need to figure out what to do with it. If you have electronics like computers, VCRs, televisions, or remote controls, you will need to take special steps to dispose of these.
Most cities have hazardous waste drop off days when people can drop off things like batteries for free. Check with your city and see when your hazardous waste drop off day is and until that day comes, keep your old batteries in an old shoebox.

If you have gently used toys that your children don’t use anymore, call a children’s hospital or women’s shelter and ask if they accept used toys. The same goes for children’s and women’s clothing. Take every opportunity to donate your old items. Old towels and sheets can go to animal shelters and cookware can go to Goodwill or the Salvation Army.

You’ll find that simply cutting back on the amount of stuff you have will make the overall cleaning process much easier. Don’t be overwhelmed by the amount of work there appears to be. Once you divide it up and recruit some helping hands, you’ll find it goes faster than you thought possible.
In his role in the self storage industry, Tim Eyre helps customers care for their cherished belongings that must be put in storage. Tim goes to see his facilities including a Fontana self storage unit . He also recently met up with customers and staff at the Fontana self storage facility. In his spare time, Tim likes to get outside for a game of basketball or a round of golf.
















 

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Bedroom Color

 Hello!!  Long time.. I missed everyone : )
I am back from being in New Jersey for the past month.  For those of you who don't know my father fell ill and I went to help with his care.  I am proud to say he is walking now and is improving but the process is painful.  My brother came from Oklahoma to take over where I left off.  In the midst of the crazy schedule I did get some free moments to go out to a couple places with my mother and sister. 

 I will share some more about our findings in future posts ; )

Now that I am back I am inspired to do some more painting and I am taking my inspiration from..

Here is what it looks like on my nails..
(I am definitely not a hand model.. lol)

 I have gotten so many compliments on this color that I thought it would look great as the wall color for my bedroom.  I looked for a match and I found this by Valspar.

I think it's almost exact.  Wouldn't that look good with pops of tangerine? Hmmm..






































Thursday, February 16, 2012

Shopping In Jersey : Part 1

Good Afternoon!!

I am still in New Jersey.  My father continues to make strides every day..so grateful!
In the midst of his care we have had some fun as well..
We built a firepit and with the nice mild temps it was great for me and the kids.



I have done some scouting out of some places and I must say they need to be on your list if you are ever in the South Jersey area.
While I was taking my mother out for a walk I spotted this place that was tucked away...The Emporium.


Fell in love with the rafters..simply gorgeous!
Are you ready for the eye candy?



These doors made my heart sing..the carvings are beautiful works of art.
I think the mirror speaks for itself.



This painting is huge..would make an amazing statement piece in a home.




WWII Navy Ship telescope.


Now this took the cake for me..my mouth was drooling.  It reached into my latin heritage.


I was really surprised about their prices and in a good way.
424 High Street City of Burlington, New Jersey 08016
609-747-8333
Open every day 11am - 5pm


There will be other shop tours coming your way. 
















Monday, February 13, 2012

Wood heat is some of the best!


Hi guys,

This is Corey checking in (Kelly's husband) and I am honored to write for Modern Earth Design today!

This is the time of year when many of us are enjoying the heat from our fireplaces and wood stoves. It's very important that you clean your chimney once a year to reduce the risk of a chimney fire. We recently did some chimney cleaning and I am going to show you how to do yours!

The tools needed are a chimney brush with extendable attachments (not the one on a rope - they aren't very practical ) which can be purchased at your local hardware store. Also you will need a ladder, flashlight, utility knife, interchangeable screw driver (in case you have a screw down arrestor or chimney cap ), Heat rated fireplace silicone, caulk gun, wire brush, and a "red devil" or "hyde' style knife to help pop the arrestor cap.



As you can see there is a lot of cresote buildup on the arrestor cap from one year of burning. This cresote is a chemical buildup that can be very flammable if left inside your chimney. First we remove the arrestor cap by breaking the seal of the black flammable caulk around the cap by "scoring"it with a utility knife and then gently wedging it free with the hyde knife. Once the cap is off you can quickly clean the excess cresote with the wire brush.



Next take the chimney brush and add attachments as needed according to the depth of your chimney. NOTE: be careful to tighten your attachments because when you're moving the brush up and down sometimes the threaded attachments can fall apart and you will get the brush stuck! Trust me - I warned you:-)



Once you've tightened the brush attachments insert the bristled end of the brush into the chimney opening and push it all the way to the bottom of your fireplace opening inside your home. One of the kid's or your spouse can really help by being a "spotter" to see where the brush begins to show through the fireplace opening. Continue a "sweeping" motion up and down through the chimney walls bottom-to-top repeatedly until there's no major cresote buildup evident inside. Shine your flashlight down the chimney to get a good look at your work.

This is what a clean chimney looks like inside & outside.






Next place the clean arrestor cap on and screw it down, or in our case re-seal it with the heat rated fireplace silicone. You will need to shop vav or sweep out the cresote buildup that fell down into your fireplace when you brushed it out.





Other than that you're ready for another year of burning!










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