As readers, I believe you deserve an explanation, but I find myself struggling to express all of my reasons.  There are so many.  The truth is that blogging daily is a lot of work.  And finding time (and money) to do household projects to blog about is challenging.  I also find myself comparing my home, my writing, myself to other bloggers which rips at my self-esteem and leaves me ungrateful for all I have been blessed with.  But I think the final straw was that I just lost the joy.  I haven’t felt fulfilled by my blogging at all lately.  It has been a chore, another task on my never-ending “To Do” list.  I find myself resenting the time I spend blogging, wishing instead that I was cleaning or playing with Edward or knitting or reading a book.

Life’s too short.  I need to pursue things that interest me.  I am a Gemini and my interests constantly shift.  Some may see that as lack of stick-with-it-ness, but I think it makes me diverse and interesting.  Sure I am a little flighty, but I am OK with that.  So, I am off to pursue new passions.

I do want to thank you so much for your support these last few months.  Reading your comments was something I looked forward to daily.  Your encouragement really touched my heart and I definitely wouldn’t have stuck it out this long without you.

~  Anne

Back to the story at hand…Luckily, we have a professional photographer in the family and she took some awesome pics (here’s her site for those in the Twin Cities).  But, the pics aren’t really mine to publish, so the birthday party post is a bust.  Instead, I thought I would leave you with a little wisdom I picked up from watching my 4-year old play the other day…

Sometimes the best gifts are the packaging.

Happy Tuesday!

~  Anne

Here are some of my favorite go-to sources for inspiration.  

1.  Fabric – Fabric comes in such a huge array of colors and patterns today.  You can literally design an entire space based on a single swatch.  Check out this P Kaufmann fabric from Fabric.com.  

The colors in this fabric are an obvious source of inspiration, but so is the overall feel – feminine and soft.  Additionally, the faded look of the fabric could inspire you to lean toward chippy, vintage pieces of furniture.  

2.  Artwork – I use this as inspiration a lot.  The colors, the subject matter, the feeling a piece of artwork invokes – all of that can contribute to the overall look of your space.  For example,  

Brooklyn Bridge by Warhol, image courtesy of amazon.com

This Warhol print would inspire me to create a bold, colorful space with an urban industrial feel.  

3.  Photo of object - Sometimes it isn’t an art piece as much as a random image that inspires me.  It could be a picturesque photo from my last vacation or an image of flowers in a vase.  Whatever the image, the photo helps clarify in my mind’s eye the exact elements I am looking for – color, shapes, subject, feel, repetition, details, etc.  

4.  Piece of Clothing - This may be a little surprising, but a wealth of inspiration can be gleaned from clothing.  Take this Maggy London dress from Nordstrom’s as an example.  

When I look at this dress, I see three things – bold, classic color; tailored lines; hints of femininity – those elements can easily inspire an entire home, let alone a room.  

5.  Room from a magazine or catalog - I am not suggesting for one minute that anyone copy a room verbatim from a magazine or catalog.  How boring!  Rather, I think that pictures of rooms that make you swoon can provide clues as to how saturated your color scheme should be, a sense of feeling you are looking for in a space, and a hint of elements you want to replicate in your own space.  

I hope these ideas have inspired you.  Where do you draw inspiration from to get your creative juices flowing?  

~  Anne

So, what is wrong with this bath you ask?  Let’s see…the ugly golden cabinets, the incredibly small bathtub that was designed for 4’3″ people, the laminate countertop that is peeling, the linoleum that is permanently yellowed from the previous owner’s bath rugs, the fact that the counter height is really short resulting in back aches every time I try to apply makeup at them.  Need I go on?

I promise that next week’s installment will be less grumpy.

~  Anne

Image courtesy of http://tinypic.com

When I saw this room, I immediately imagined a retired art thief.  He would be in his mid-50s and extremely wealthy from his years of heisting.  The life of crime left him with extreme anxiety, forcing him to retire.  Since leaving “the life,”  our subject focuses on finding inner peace and calm.  He meditates, practices yoga and Tai Chi, and journals daily.  Here is a typical day’s wardrobe.  

1.  A casual, new age raglan specifically designed for practicing yoga keeps our thief comfortable, cool and stylish.  

2.  Dragon embellished yoga pants are a comfortable choice for him.  These pants make moving from a downward facing dog into a half lotus position easy.  

3.  Does any new age man bent on self-awareness not wear leather jewelry?  My selections can  be found here and here.  

4.  A moleskin journal accompanies our subject everywhere.  These journals are perfect for jotting down thoughts and for sketching.  

5.  A custom yoga mat with a zen design is the perfect accessory to help relax our former Thomas Crown.  

6.  No other footwear can compete with quality flip-flops in terms of comfort.  This vegan pair is an obvious choice for our gentleman’s reflexology centers.  

Zen, no?  

~  Anne

1.  Hang ‘em high.     Draperies hung high help a room look taller.  This can be done regardless of where the top of the window actually lands.  Many people make the mistake of hanging curtains in relation to the window.  Instead, they should be hung in relation to the ceiling.  Below is an example; notice how much taller and grander the second option looks.  

2.  Spread it around.     Any color you introduce into a room should be repeated at least 3 times and spread around the space.  While this “rule” can successfully be broken, it is a good rule of thumb to follow – especially for amateurs.  Notice in the room below how turquoise is successfully introduced into a primarily white space.  There are two turquoise lamps, a rug and a side table that all feature the color.  

Image courtesy of Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles

3.  Hanging art is relative.     How to properly hang art really varies from situation to situation.  In general, however, it should be hung in relation to something else.  When hung above furniture, it is best to relate the art to the furniture piece by hanging it no more than a foot above that furniture piece.  When art is not being hung over furniture, it should be hung according to average eye level.  This means the middle of the art piece should usually be about 5 – 6 feet off the floor.  Lastly, hanging all art in a space at the same height will help to unify the space and create a natural flow for the eye.  

4.  Variety is the spice of life.     When creating a grouping on a buffet, console table, etc., varying the height of the objects used helps make an arrangement look more interesting.  Pottery Barn is particularly good at this.  Look at how all items on the table below vary in height and visual weight.  

Image courtesy of Pottery Barn

5.  Lighting is vital.     No room should EVER have only one light source.  In order for rooms to be well-lit, there need to be multiple light sources.  There are four types of lighting in design – ambient, task, accent and decorative.  The definitions are as follows:  

• Ambient – Light that fills an entire room or space.  An example would be an overhead light.
• Task – Lighting designed for a particular purpose like a bedside lamp for reading.
• Accent – Lighting that draws attention to an item or feature.  This could include a light directed to shine on a piece of artwork.
• Decorative – This light source is not meant to actually light a space but to create a mood or feeling.  Candles are the most obvious form of decorative lighting.

Every room should have more than one type of lighting, and living spaces usually look best when all four are incorporated.  

Those are my tips.  Have you picked up any pearls of decorating knowledge over the years?  Please share.

What are your thoughts?  

Image courtesy of http://www.houseofturquoise.com/

Image courtesy of http://www.housetohome.co.uk

Image courtesy of houzz.com, designed by Faiella Design

Image courtesy of Country Living

Image courtesy of apartmenttherapy.com

Image courtesy of Veranda

Image courtesy of apartmenttherapy.com

Something about it isn’t working for me.  Is the blue to bright?  Should the painting be rested (as shown) or hung?  Is it the ugly yellow oak that is off?  I can’t put my finger on it, but I do have some ideas on ways to improve the situation.  I think the mantle needs to be bulked up.  It is our planned project for August.  Stay tuned for details and reveal.

In the meantime, do you have suggestions for upping my fireplace’s aesthetic value?  I am a little lost and totally open to suggestions…

~  Anne

The house was beautiful and constructed in the Queen Anne style.  The entire b&b was spotless.  I actually felt guilty about how dirty my own home was.  And the details were incredible.  I snapped some pictures to show you, up close and personal, all of the fantastic touches.  We just don’t see craftsmanship like this anymore.

Darling hubby laughed at me for taking this picture, but I couldn’t resist.  I love how intricate the doorknob is.

Speaking of intricate, look at the carving on the bedpost.

The moulding was to die for, and the bath room was updated but very simple and chic.

And here are more shots of the digs we called home for one night.

The best part of our stay was a terrible storm that came through.  I know that sounds funny, but it provides us with an experience and story we will never forget.  We had run the local Wal-Mart to shop for our son’s upcoming birthday.  While there, the store declared a “code black” and ordered all employees and customers to the storage room.  I had never been crowded in a Wal-Mart store area with complete strangers.  It was an adventure to say the least.  And, the storm also left us with a double rainbow over the b&b. 

Isn’t that pretty?

~  Anne