Me... a country girl??

There's just something about summer that makes me want to forget interiors and head outside - ya I know how can that be!?!

I grew up in the country... sort of.  It's a community about 25 miles east of Seattle and back then it really was "out there".  Today it's grown into more of a suburb, but that doesn't keep many from trying to make it the country again.   I love being back here, backyard chickens and vegetable gardens abound.

While I love the fresh eggs, I'm not quite sure I'm ready for raising chickens, but I have tried to get back into the gardening I remember from my childhood.  I took a class, I bought some plants and now....

I have tomatoes - and they are starting to get ripe!

Six plants have tomatoes and we've had 2 ripe from our sweet 100's plant.  I'm feeling like pioneer woman these days... Here are a few pictures I captured of my crops!

 

Roma tomatoes

Sweet 100's

it's an heirloom, can't remember the name

These are not tomatoes, they are blueberry bushes that are ready for pancakes, pies and who knows what else... that is IF I  can get them picked before the birds get them all.  Those birds have figured out how to get under the net and are loving it!

Also in my small offering are peas (only one plant and not enough for more than a few at a time - oops!), squash, cucumbers, beets and chard.  Between mom and I, we are trying to keep it all watered and anxiously await a meal where we can both partake of some of our crops at one time.

Oh well, there's always next year!

Shades of the Sea

The Coastal style can be soft and full of muted colors or clean, crisp with lot's of white and nautical brights, such as navy or red.  Either way you go, it's a happy, relaxing feel that can give you the feeling that you are on vacation in your own home!

To get started just get your inspiration and have fun with color and relaxed style.  This photo was shared (and used by permission) by a client who is hoping to bring the coast she loves into her inland home.  This is a pretty good inspiration - huh?

From this one photo, there are different colors you can draw from... pink and blue not your thing?  Go for the deep sea green/blue or the soft greys.  Once you have that bit of inspiration you can start pulling in pieces of furniture that take you back to your happy place.



Bramble Display Hutch



 

Slipcovered sofa

And a pop of wonderful color....

What takes you to your happy place?

A 1919 Farmhouse goes Funky!

A recent project - a 1919 farmhouse with a 1960ish addition, needed new plumbing and some updated bathrooms!  Take a look!

The master bath increased in size from approx 33 square feet to 100 square feet with just a little reconfiguration..



The use of a reclaimed concrete countertop adds the look of age while mixed with the new tile and vanities

 

An old reclaimed window becomes a towel rack - just add hooks!



The old shower space becomes the perfect spot for... we'll you know!

The main bath of the home didn't change in size, but removing an old vanity and replacing it with a pedestal sink, gives it a bigger feeling and loads of funky style!

Refurbished the tub original to the 1919 home, and antique mirror and reclaimed mantel provide the funk!

These updates truly reflect the homeowners.... what does your home say about you?

5 hints for being prepared for holiday decorating

Yesterday I received my first Christmas catalog in the mail and it made me almost giddy!  I love flipping through the pages and dreaming of a new holiday look.  Whether you are looking to have a whole new holiday look or are simply putting up the tried and true, these tips can help you keep the stress level down and the fun factor up!

2011 Mantel Design

Here are my top 5 hints to making holiday decorating fun, and easy!

1) Plan early.   Set aside the date for pulling out your decor from storage and then take the day to enjoy yourself.  You will especially want to start now if you are planning a whole new look - plan to have your new decor planned and purchased before thanksgiving and ready to go up on the date you have set aside.

2) Make a tradition of it!  Put on a big pot of soup or another favorite low effort do ahead meal so that you are smelling it through out the day and then get started.  When you are all done, sit down and enjoy you accomplishment of the day.

3) If you do more than the tree, start with your other areas and end with the tree - so that when you are done, you can sit back and enjoy.

4) The decorating is not done until the storage boxes are put away, so make sure that you have any help you need getting those back into the storage spot!

5) If you have kids that want to "help" - make it easy on yourself and pull everything out and get the "hard" stuff done while they are napping or at school.  Then when they get back you will be ready for their excitement and for them to help you put on the finishing touches.  You might even consider putting up a small tree in a play room that is all theirs to decorate!

What's your plan for holiday decorating this year?

True Confession - I have a messy desk!

The last thing I like to do is clean my office and I will usually put it off entirely way too long.  Being unorganized in my workspace creates more work and takes time away from relationships and fun tasks that I want to spend time doing – not to mention makes it difficult to keep it dusted and vacuumed the way it should be.   But today was the day – I got all my piles organized (they had been moved to the floor next to my desk) so that I can begin to file, toss or deal with them.

In the midst of this process, I decided I want to spend my summer doing more of the things I like to do, and less of the things that I don’t.  In order to do that, I need to be able to find what I need easily so it takes just a few minutes to find what I need and get to the task at hand so I can get it done!  So this is the week that I begin not putting off filing that item because “it will only take a minute to do later” – later never seems to come and then a 2 minute job becomes a huge overwhelming project. 

What room is your “I don’t like to” space, or is it your entire home?  Will you join me in working towards creating a space that is easier to clean and creates a calm atmosphere rather than a chaotic, un-restful place to work, play or just be?

Here are a few tips to get you started:

1)      Focus on your real goal – to spend more time doing the things you like to do and less time tidying up!

2)      Choose an area to focus on – to be successful, you must break the job down into smaller and achievable steps.  If you’re problem area is the kitchen, commit to just making sure everything is clean and put away before you head to bed so that you’re getting up to a clean start for the day.  Or commit to organizing one drawer/cabinet a day until it’s done.

3)      Give everything a home – keep like things together and always put it back in that spot.  Everyone knows the silverware goes in that drawer, right?  We all remember that toys go in a toy box…  Well, now it’s time to give everything else a spot too!

4)      Once something has a home – put them back when you are done using them.   Sounds pretty simple, but we all know that it doesn’t always happen that way.  It takes work!

5)      Remember that it’s ok to reevaluate what you’ve done – say, “That doesn’t work for me there” and then change it so that it does!

6)      Never purchase organizational tools/bins first…. Until you know where something will live, you don’t know what size, shape and type of container you will need!

7)      Remember to take small steps towards your goals and build on them – having an all or nothing mentality can be overwhelming and set you up for failure before you even begin.

Today I took the time to organized my piles... in the coming days I will tackle them one at a time until they are exactly as they should be.   What will your baby step be?

Could it really be Spring?

While those of us here in the Pacific Northwest are still only dreaming of the warmer days to come, and being able enjoy the outdoors for entertaining.  One of my favorite things to do is create an outdoor space – something that extends our living area and offers places to make memories and deepen relationships – or even just read a book!

These pictures give you a sneak peak at a front porch project that we completed last year and will make its way to my website portfolio early next week.  Enjoy!!

Hope you have a wonderful Easter weekend!