Urban 'Loft'

As many of you know, one of my passions is design and decorating. I've been in the midst of re-making my space for quite a while now, and last weekend made significant headway... drum roll, please..... I now present to you my living space.


New sofa and chair in a mid-century modern style... gorgeous lime green slubbed fabric with button detail on the sofa... and the chair is a woven mocha ... both purchased from Stacy O's in Saginaw, MI. Also new is the TV cart (IKEA), the tables (which really are very very very similar to the style in Pottery Barn) that I found for a fraction of the cost on Overstock.com (gotta love the Overstock...) and the rug (one of my friends said that it reminds her of 'pepples' because of the size of the felted wool) is one of the softest I've ever experienced (also from Overstock).

The furniture pieces are slightly smaller scale so they don't dwarf the space... the tables, glass and iron to let the light and air dance through the room.

For me the key has been in visualizing what I'd like my space to look like... feel like.... and I wanted it to be a real reflection of me.... the woman I am today.

The best part.... I was able to make my purchases with the money from the items I sold that have been cluttering up my space that I was ready to release on Craig's List and Ebay.... and I sold my old furnture on Craig's List, too!


Baxter approves.

Sharing my Taste of Life

I am determined to change my blog a bit... as I find my voice and my focus I'm also discovering different ways I'd like to organize content.  So I'm on the hunt for a template that will allow me to have tabs or sections or some sort of categorization making it easier to find specific items of interest as well as keep me on track for posting a more balanced selection. 

Specifically my initial thoughts run towards weekly posts on the Life I'm Tasting:  The art I'm creating, the designing/decorating I'm doing, art/craft/diy tutorials, and easy choices for living a health*full life that are fun!

Because I'm new to blogging (less than a year at it) I am not sure of all the protocol involved, etc... so if anyone has any insight, feel free to send me a note... all help appreciated!  I'm not even sure if this is possible having a blogspot account....

So, keep on the lookout for changes.... and hopefully within a couple months end I'll have a new look and feel to the site...!

what changes have you made to your life recently?

...scatter joy...
lindy

Radical Reading Nook Phase II

OH BOY.............!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Working away from home during the week has made it a little tougher to get my home design projects done... it takes a little longer, but last weekend was major breakthrough weekend and, da da da daaaaaaaaaaa.... here it is in all it's glory.

I'm not quite finished yet... but the final stage won't take place til late summer/fall.... so for now, *happy sigh* come join me in my nook and let's read awhile.... Doesn't it just look sooooooo inviting????  and, even though you can't see it very well, there is a great little table next to the chair for my glass of red....

what project are you looking forward to completing?

...scatter joy...
lindy

Radical Reading Nook Phase I

I have a funny space in my living area... it isn't its own room, nor is it really part of the living room.  Over the years it has served multiple purposes and most recently it was where the computer cupboard lived... but none of those uses were ever really the right fit...well, I finally decided how to design the awkward space.  It will be my new reading nook.... so here is phase 1 unveiled....

- new color on the wall ... it is called 'drenched in dew' (and I would really really really love the job of coming up with names for paint colors... ! Wouldn't that just be a fun job???
- new espresso floating shelves (expertly hung by my handy-woman)
- books newly housed and sorted a brand new way... by COLOR!!! this of course brings a whole new criteria when I'm deciding whether or not to purchase a book.... I definitely need more books in the blue and green color scheme.... *grin*

Keep watching as I unveil the next few phases....!

How do you organize your books?

...scatter joy...
lindy

Dancing the zenTANGO

I love arts.  I love crafts.  And I really LOVE learning something new... so my new fascination continues to grow... zentangles.  I am new new new so judge not too harshly.... and have to say... I love it.  It's easy... anyone can do it... and you end up feeling very artistic...!  I am currently in a couple of swaps involving the exchanging of these mini works of art on swap-bot (another new fascination...)

What has caught your fancy?

... scatter joy...
lindy

Kitchen/Dining Re-Do ---Continued

The make-over continues.... As I continue to refine the kitchen and dining area I decided to change the gorgeous green on the side board to a beautiful chocolate cream.... I mixed some chocolate mousse from the bedroom with some marshmellow from the kitchen to create this luscious color.... and changed the hardware from small pewter knobs to long brushed nickel handles.  I LOVE the result.... it now feels more like a 'sideboard' instead of a dresser...!

And... thanks, Jane, for suggesting the idea of simply unplugging the TV and storing in the closet when I'm entertaining.... I did that this weekend and it worked perfectly!

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

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

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

fabric...fabric...fabric

All it takes is a quick trip back to Michigan to add fuel to the flames of design inspiration.... I have a vision.... and of course it includes green in all its fabulous shades with a special emphasis on my current favorite color 'celery-lime' (thanks, Stacy, for the perfect descriptor name....)... here is a preview of some of the fabric I'll be using to create new beauty...

...visions of slipcovers, valances, & pillows are dancing in my head....

What is YOUR favorite color?
...scatter joy...
lindy

gorgeous in green...

Small touches can really make a big impact.... it's the little things I surround myself with that bring me daily joy.... fresh cut flowers is just such a joy.  I recently had a small dinner gathering and this was our centerpiece... my friends thought the blooms were great because they actually are a 'lime' green and notice what I've added to the jar vase.... LIMES!!!!

What have you recently used in a non-traditional way?
... scatter joy ...
lindy

before & after

.... I see most everything in life as a journey.... whether discovering my own 'colors' or the true color(s) that are my kitchen... the more I understand this, the more I appreciate the process... and even when it's 'done' it really is only just beginning....

next up: lose the jetson-esque fan and swap with mini hanging pendants... a few choice pieces of pottery.... and a drum light over the dining table.... the dining table is out of the picture cuz the mound of stuff I'm working through has ended up there for now... lol... although I did make some headway with 4 or 5 Craig's List postings tonight.... yay me!

my space is truly becoming a reflection of the woman I am as well as the woman I'm becoming...

how does your space reflect you or your journey...?

... scatter joy...
lindy

one step closer

I can be somewhat impulsive at times (I call it 'decisive')... although not always with the best results... so... before I paint a WHOLE kitchen the 'wrong' color, I've decided to go with the advice of friends, family, acquaintances, ... basically EVERYONE, and paint swatches on the wall and see it in the different lighting.

I don't know that I would necessarily do this every time... no, let's face it, I KNOW I wouldn't do this every time... but this time, well let's just say I'm glad I did... the colors as they appear on the wall look NOTHING like their swatches... at least in my kitchen and in this lighting... lol

I have found the perfect color choice and tomorrow the transformation begins (today it's the preparation... aka making the existing chaos even bigger!

Happy 4th.

What new approach to something have you tried recently...?

...scatter joy...

lindy