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I've update my apt tour with a few new photos.
I hope you have a restful, wonderful weekend. I'm looking forward to making a very unhealthy (but delicious) casserole, tea with Joy and the start of a sewing project.
Oh yes, and happy Black History month.
I used to lean heavily towards shabby chic in high school and early college, I was unnaturally obsessed with toile, but these days I would define my style as modern vintage. Okay, modern vintage with a little bit of prairie and romantic (which is basically shabby chic) thrown in. Where does that leave me? These are a few ideas that are very inspirational to me:
How would you define your style? Has it evolved? Are there any styles you hate? I for one cannot stand too many antiques or knick knacks!
I feel like there are two ways to approach cleaning: either spend a large chunk of time every once and a while or spend small bits of time more often.
I hate the idea of spending an entire Saturday cleaning :(
What I can do is a little chore Monday-Friday. I believe my method is the way to go, and I'm going to share with you how I clean.
Have you ever sat down and really thought about mundane things in a sort of intellectual way? Hm, maybe I am alone. But, I thought about the purpose of cleaning- like why do we do this? Obviously no one wants to live in endless clutter where they can't find anything or fifth that makes them sick. But beyond those extremes I think the point is that everyone wants their home to be relatively clean always, not just the one day a month you break your back scrubbing.
If you want a clean home always this means you have to deep clean everyday, right? NO! This is why the "one" chore a day M-F is so smart: it ensures that every room and space is relatively clean at any moment, so, no worrying about unexpected visitors!
(You are probalby thinking, God help this poor woman/get her a drink, she is going on and on about cleaning!) I know I'm pecuclar!
This is my schedule:
Monday: dusting
Tuesday: floors (swept and washed/vacuumed)
Wednesday: washroom surfaces, restock supplied if needed
Thursday: windows, mirrors, fridge and pantry
Friday: kitchen surfaces, clothes (washing, organizing, mending)
Monthly: wash bathtub walls (mine are tile), sweep out pantry, wash throw pillows and duvet cover
Ya, I have off weeks, but these are so easy to do that I can make up a few days here or there. But, I know in my heart that the week goes better if I just get up and do my chore before heading to the gym.
Anyway, this is what works for me, take from it what you will. I'm so glad I live somewhere small!
Do you want to know something kind of weird?
I love to see other people's houses. It's kind of bizarre.
But... aren't you ever kind of curious, too? Like dying to know how other friends or acquaintances or bloggers organize their kitchen or what color throw pillows they might use? I am so guilty of this! I love when bloggers I read, but don't know in real life share photos of their home.
Yes, I could read a magazine or a serious home decor blog but there's something "not real" about those- I'd rather see everyday women (like me) making beautiful spaces with a budget and parameters like creaky old houses or sterile apartments with strict no-paint rules.
Before I became good friends with Kristy I really wanted to see her house. Here is why: girl is stylish, does so many of her projects on her own and she doesn't have the same Target nick knacks like the rest of the world.
I finally admitted this to her today and she said, "I know."
"How?!" I'm wondering if this is obvious (how embarrassing would that be!)
"You said you did, you said, 'I'd love to see your place.'"
I've heard that phrase before from friends who haven't been over yet, and well, I kind of love it.
I know it doesn't really matter, and it's kind of worldy, but having a beautiful space makes me really happy.
This is my first Christmas in my own little place. I am loving this holiday season. It took me a good while to get into the Christmas spirit, I'm not going to kid you, but I'm feeling it now and I just wish we had snow. Although I'll spend the main event with family I'm happy to add some sparkle to my place. I put my tree up Black Friday and have been mostly decorated since then. Let's take a peak around :)
I have a small space, but the kitchen and dining room is where I spend most of my time. I found these Santa mugs at an antique store in Hastings. I got them for a song and love, love, love them. At my cookie party people were requesting to drink cider out of them, men were asking to do this, how cute is that?
My paper whites are just about to pop. I'm so excited that I grew these guys and they actually survived, I usually am awful with plants! For cards I strung some baker's twine and made use of my darling mini clothes pins :) That gold stuff over my rules frame is Martha Stewart and I wore those antlers to my cookie party.
I have a great collection of 1950s-1960s ornaments... I love them. I think they are perfect for me and my home decor style. I love that even new ornaments blend in well with the old since that aestetic is popular now. I found those green stars 75% off the day after Christmas at Macy's last year, I love them in glass. That lone bulb has a busted top so on the self it stays.
Every year it seems that I have a favorite ornament, this year it's this crazy beach ball, I mean how can you not love that? It is so festive and vintage-y.
I'm grateful that I could get into the Christmas spirit. I've got quite a few gifts to wrap. I hope you're having a good season as well. Thanks for taking a peak at my decor.
My parent's have a neighbor who is like a grandma to me. Her name is Pat and she is fabulous. She went to the U in the 1940s and was in the Greek system and still gets together with her sorority sisters. So, basically we are the same person separated only by years. I love her. She cracks me up. I want to be her and I covet her silver tea set tray (that's monogrammed!) something fierce.
Since she's like family she spent part of the holiday weekend with us. She was asking me what was going on in my life.
"I just can't figure out how to rearrange my living room furniture."
She started laughing and said, "my dear, aren't you glad you have real problems!?"
Seriously, but it's more fun to worry about frivolous things than real stuff.
But I finally figured out what to do and I love love love the result. Once I style my bookshelf I'll be doing a whole post but in the meantime I'm going to try and figure out what the rest of my "real" problems are.
P.S. Do you like my mustard bow pillow? I know, me, too. Guess what? My amazing friend Elizabeth made it.
I was driving along Lyndale one perfectly cloudy afternoon and spied two beautiful chairs waiting for a new home. Like any decent DIY-er I packed them carefully into my back seats and set about fixing them up. They are perfect for the kitchen table.
Before: ugly, brown and sad
After: happy, green and freshly covered
It never ceases to amaze me what people will throw out. I believe these chairs are Jenny Lind and in perfect condition. Too bad their first owners weren't wise enough to see their worth. Their mistake, my gain!
I just need to find a bench and a few more chairs then the area will be finished. I used fabric from IKEA for this project and I love it.
Happy chairs, happy chairs.
Like 1/2 the universe I wanted to try my hand at cleaning supply making. Here's why:
In college I worked as a preschool teacher at a daycare. One of the biweekly jobs was to sanitize the cots with lysol (think of the huge yellow can.) Being the advantageous cleaner that I am I took that job seriously and in the process of quickly spraying down each and every cot front and back I ended up inhaling quite a bit of lysol.
I walked home with a headache. Then I quickly eat dinner and then proceeded to throw it all up. I'm absolutely certain this had to do with inhaling all those lysol chemicals.
I absolutely get that we want stuff clean, and I really love soft scrub, scrubbing bubbles and bleach. I'm just trying to be a little greener and save some money; making your own cleaning products is a fairly simply way of achieving both.
After some research here's a few recipes I've come up with and I think they work nicely:
Scouring Scrub/Bathrooms etc:
-1 cup baking soda
-Squirt of detergent*
-Essential oil
-2 cups water
Window Cleaner:
-1/4-1/2 tsp liquid detergent
-3 tablespoons vinegar
-Essential oil
-2 cups water
Everyday Vinegar Surface Spray:
-1 cup vinegar
-Squirt of detergent
-Essential oil
-1 cup water
A few more tips: I use cotton squares from IKEA and they are perfect for everything from hard scrubbing to washing the floors. I prefer to store my scouring scrub in a plastic container because it's actually pretty thick. The window/glass cleaner doesn't leave any residue, but it takes a few minutes to evaporate than traditional glass cleaner. I just walk away and come back and by then it's fine. Oh yeah, and a funnel makes this all easier, too. I got mine at Ace Hardware along with the spray bottles.
Happy Cleaning :)
*I used EOS brand detergent which is also free and clear of harsh chemicals. I got mine at Whole Foods, but you can also find it at Target and Costco. It says it's scented, but it smells like nothing.
Some great sources for homemade cleaning supply making:
One of the things that sold me on this place was the giant living room. It kind of goes on forever, and if you don't have much furniture it seems even larger. I love the green color on the walls, but I felt so stumped as far as getting artwork up. I didn't have a mantle to anchor the room, what would I do? By Saturday morning though, I'd had enough. I needed to get brave and just put stuff up, nothing is permanent :)
Here's the before:
Here's how it looks now:
So much better! And in case you are wondering, no I don't have a TV. I have a flat screen in storage at my parent's house but haven't really felt the desire to go and pick it up. I'd rather fill my time with other things I guess (said in a non snotty way.) I seriously just don't miss it. I have netflix instant and plenty of buddies to keep me entertained.
Here are a few sources:
Easel mirror: Home Goods
White shelves: Target (via Goodwill:)
Lamp & shade: IKEA
Table: Antiques on University Ave
I bet you love the subway art trend as much as I do. I wanted to buy some but a) it was either too expensive or b) not really personal enough for me. I think art/whatever you hang in your home should be personal. That's just me, though. I also don't have a personal tie to England/the tube so why would I have that in my house? Okay, carrying on.
Remember the Keep Calm and Carry On trend? Fun, but I've had enough. So I created some subway art that fits me and switched an old piece for a new one.
Here's the before:
Here's the after:
Uh oh, can't see a damn thing? Me either! ... a closer peep:
This is so easy to do, seriously. Just find a font you like and create some phrases/words that mean something to you. If you're curious, most of the "confusing" ones on here have to do with Alpha Omicron Pi ritual (and ooo, I ain't tellin'!)
