Baxter's new Bath

It finally happened... my new kitchen faucet was installed today.... oh. my. god.  Gorgeous.  and the best thing is the pressure of the spray... it is going to be wonderful to prep with that faucet... the fruits and veggies will be in water heaven and I can't wait to give Baxter a bath.... !  I'm sure he's going to love the spray, too... 

These seemingly small things, for me, are what all combine to make it right.... I am loving how the space is coming together.  I wonder if I should do a video of it all when I'm finally complete?

Although those who know me well tell me that I am never fully 'done' with anything... that one project merely leads to the next... lol...it's probably true.

What kind of 'project' person are you?
...scatter joy...
lindy

bax's new bowl

CUTE CUTE CUTE ... found Bax a bowl that matches the new dishes and the new colors in the kitchen.... It is the small things that help pull the whole look together and add a bit of whimsy!  Don't forget the small stuff....

What is your color?

...scatter joy...
lindy

Don't Read this Post, Mom...

I am reinventing the art of crocheting the granny square.... this due in large part to the fact that I, number one- cannot read a pattern to save my life and number two- couldn't figure it out.... (YET)  I am making this for a Christmas present for mom.... she has lovingly made countless blankets for people through the years... now it's her turn...

and of course, since she's a mom she will love it no matter how crazy it ends up looking......! ; )  The secret ingredient is love!!!

What is your secret ingredient?

...scatter joy...
lindy

Needle Felting... Finally!

I recently discovered a gorgeous shop in Chicago called Sister Arts Studio ... the owner, Donna could not have been nicer.  I have been longing to take a felting class and she offers up several different options (who knew there were so many different kinds of felting techniques??) She has a seriously grand list of offerings for the beginner as well as advanced knitter, crocheter, needleworker, .... well, crafter/artisan.  I encourage you to check it out... in addition to adult classes, she also offers classes for kids & tweens and her passion is bridging the adult/child gap by offering classes aimed at building those relationships through a craft/artistic experience.

In addition to the classes, her shop boasts some of the most beautiful yarns I've ever seen...

And... drum roll, please.... here is my first effort for felting... it is a bookmark!  I'm pleased and dare I say, proud?! lol....  now you all know what your holiday gifts will be.... ; P

What small shop speaks to your heart?

...scatter joy...

lindy

Flippin my Lid!

A major part of designing my small space is the purging of all things 'clutter'.... but at the same time I need to find creative ways to store items. 
I do not have a candy bowl, but I had these wonderful small hard candies I wanted to have out ... so I dug out a jar from the cupboard and did a quick recycle art project on the top to add a little 'new' to something old...

Easy Peasy:  Took the lid, turned it over on top of a gorgeous card (from one of my fave stores, Paper Source) and traced the lid on the paper.  Cut out a smidge inside the mark... I did not measure this, I eyeballed it.  Took some Mod Podge (because it was what I happened upon first when digging through anything that I could use to 'stick' the paper to the lid) and smeared it on the lid.  placed the cut out on the lid then smeared a little more over top of the actual paper. Let dry. The actual 'art' part of this project took me less than 5 minutes...

Isn't it cute??? I think this would be a really fun and easy thing to do for a multitude of things... and of course using papers that coordinate with either the holiday or the contents would be superb....

What ordinary object can you transform into functional art?
...scatter joy...
lindy

Awesome Autumn!

Yesterday and today were simply glorious... we've had a very wet and cold start to our fall this year and it must be said, Autumn is my favorite season... it always has been...so I felt overjoyed at the sunshine and blissful weather... and since I had the luxury of working from home today, Bax and I escaped to the lake for lunch today.....

I have no idea what I am going to do with all these beautiful leaves I brought back, but I needed the beauty of the season back home with me... and they were calling out to be part of a collage... if I come up with something fun, I'll post it here!

what is your favorite season?
...scatter joy...
lindy

Progress????

You know the mess that happens when you are re-organizing and re-decorating??? Well I'm in the midst of just such a mess!

I am seeing progress, however, and here is a bit of a 'before & after' shot of the open shelving in my kitchen...  isn't it delicious???  It's just enough to keep me motivated to work through the rest of the chaos....

What spurs you through your mess?
...scatter joy...
lindy

purse pause...

Well... it's been just over 4 months and the thing we've all been waiting for has finally arrived.... (well, the thing I'VE been waiting for anyway....)... 4 months ago I decided I was going to create some purses.... I had everything... fabric, thread, and desire... the only thing I needed to find were the frames... and so I did. 

I found them online and ordered them.

and then I waited....
and waited...
waited...
contacted the company who said they had sent them and they had been returned (!) and they would resend....
and so I waited.    and waited.     and waited.
and then today.... ta-da... they arrived!  so just in time for something fall or winter-ish.... hmmmmmm... maybe I'll figure out something with a recycled wool sweater.... !!! And maybe this will be my first foray into Etsy....

rugamarole part II

One of the best things about spending design time on my space is watching the seemingly random choices all come together in an eclectic beautiful harmony..... this rug is from Stacy O's and is called Cat's Paw, although Baxter has asked for it to be renamed.... *grin*

I love the colors of the circles.... they are happy and vibrant yet soothing all at the same time...

what soothes your senses?
...scatter joy...
lindy

Plates a Plenty

I've always enjoyed having friends over... cooking, eating, sharing.... and one of the things that makes it so fun is in the presentation.... I admit it... I LOVE dinnerware.... and have some fabulous new finds for the new look of my kitchen & dining area.... here's a sneak peek....

What would you like for dinner?

...scatter joy...

lindy

rugamarole

My current design obsession is the kitchen dining area... so for the next bit of time I'm sure it will also be the focus of my blogging....  I felt as though I accomplished a lot this weekend and yet still had a lot of fun as well... it was the perfect blend. 

I found a rug for my kitchen... it is wool... felted wool.... and baxter approves....  

I think one of the most important things when designing-decorating on a budget is knowing when to invest money in quality pieces and when and where to shop for deals (and still get the look and or quality you are going for...)!  One of my favorite places that delivers on that is Crate and Barrel Outlet.  I'm lucky enough to live in a city that actually has an outlet storefront, but shopping them online is almost as much fun and can definitely garner fantastic finds....  (a few others I'll be sharing with you later this week...).

What do you do to design on a dime?
...scatter joy...
lindy

Lights.... Camera.... AcTioN!

I love being able to say 'I did that' or... 'I made this'.... but sometimes, it's just as great having a handywoman who can do 'it' for me.... my new island pendant lighting for example....  she removed an ugly ceiling fan (err... wait a minute, I forgot, I'm trying to sell it on craig's list... so really it's a gorgeous, beautiful ceiling fan)... and then did some sort of electrical magic to install the lighting!  AND... she installed dimmer switches... oh so cool....  I am loving re-doing my whole place... sort of like 'The Antonio Project' but not.  (My place is much much smaller and it is taking me much much longer than 5 days.... )

What project currently has your attention?
...scatter joy...
lindy