China Cabinet

I did a little update to the china cabinet. I put paper on the back of the shelves. I've been wanting to do this for a while. Inside the cabinet it is dark and all my pretty things were hard to see. I even went so far as to purchase wrapping paper (twice!) for it. I just never liked the way it looked when I did a test shelf. The paper was too thin and you could see all the wrinkles and where the tape was. Also for as crafty as I like to think of myself, I stink at measuring and cutting straight lines, so I've been dreading this project.

But the other day I found some paper in the Target dollar spot that was pretty. It's a neutral light brown background (paper bag colored) with a black design. The paper is narrow, only 18" so it was easier to handle. I decided to give it a go. I cheated a little. I tore the paper on the edge of the cabinet (no cutting) and folded the top/bottom and sides in to fit it to size. A little rolled up tape on the edges and voila! I think it took me 30 minutes for all 6 shelves. I wasn't sure how much paper I would need so I purchased 6 rolls of it but only used 1.5. So this is a $2 update!

 I swear that the wrinkle in the bottom right of the cabinet isn't noticeable without the camera flash. I tried and tried to straighten that piece out after I saw it in the pictures with no luck.You might also notice on the top right that the paper is shorter than the top left. It's noticeable if you stare at the cabinet but not in passing. Right now it doesn't bother me so it stays. I have enough paper left over to remeasure and try again if it does end up bothering me down the road. Today I'm just happy to have it done. Perfection is not necessary. One little thing off my to-do list!

I won!!

I won a giveaway from Little Green Notebook for a pair of shoes from Shoe Mint. I was so excited!

I was familiar with Shoe Mint but had never purchased anything. It was so fun picking out a new pair of shoes. They are all so pretty. I loved all the high heels but the reality is that I never wear heels. I went with a cute pair of flats (the Meredith) for spring/summer. (Yes, its the middle of winter with snow and ice in Chicago and I'm dreaming of green trees, soft breezes and playing in Lake Michigan).

While there shopping I also spotted a cute purse that was on sale. It's vegan and made with neoprene instead of leather. I don't have a problem wearing leather but I love that the neoprene is kind of quirky.  They also have it in a white/ivory colorway that would be wonderful for spring. I might have to order it! What a fun surprise to win.

Dining Room

I haven't been happy with the newish pink drapes in the dining room. The plan was to paint the lamp a different color and replace the abstract art with a gallery wall of family photos so it would all work.  But I never did that. I really liked that abstract painting and it wouldn't fit anywhere else in the condo.

Sebastian always wants to be in the pictures!

I've scoured Etsy and eBay looking for a vintage pair of drapes with either blue or green flowers on a white background. I found this pair and got into a bidding war on eBay and way over paid for them. But I really liked the way they looked and they were the right size. When I got them they smelled of cigarette smoke. I mean really smelled. It was overwhelming. I washed them and hung them up and they still smelled. So I washed them a second time and used a vinegar rinse. Much better.

I think the blue drapes makes the abstract art make sense in the green room. And I like how the blues are repeated from the open living room curtains. The room is so hard to photograph. The green is really a pretty mix between an avocado and leaf green. It looks like a puke mustard in the pictures but it really isn't!

PS: I wrote this post a couple days ago. In the meantime I think I've made a decision to paint the green walls the same turquoise as the living room. I still love my color but I think I'm going to try to tone things down a little to make everything flow better and be a bit less chaotic. Although I don't know if going from leaf green walls to turquoise walls is really toning things down. But it will have a lot more continuity. 

Frustrated

I'm really frustrated. I want to be done with my home. I've lived here 5 years! I'm just constantly tweaking spaces - changing things up. My problem is that I find something I like and purchase it without having a master plan. And then I'm frustrated when all these things don't fit together. I think part of the problem is that when I moved here I totally changed my decorating style. I went from English Country House (traditional with a bit of chinoiserie) to strictly Mid Century Modern (which felt like a museum) now moving to more of  a Hollywood Regency look (colorful and feminine).

The only furniture that I kept when I moved was the couple of mid century pieces I had in my basement den. I didn't consider them part of my style. They were just inexpensive vintage pieces to fill the space. Some of it was because I thought I wanted a fresh start. And some of it was because the pieces I did keep (like a couch, chair, bed) didn't fit up my crazy short/narrow stairs.

I've never been comfortable here and I'm tired of it. I can't move. I can't totally redo rooms as I have an incredibly tight budget. Decorating my old house was so easy. Everything fit together. Decisions were easy. A color scheme came together quickly and wasn't changed all the time. I bought pieces that I loved and they just worked.

Truthfully I lack a cohesive vision for this house. At least a vision that isn't changing as quickly as the weather. It's like I don't know myself any more. I don't know how to fix it and I'm tired.

Dining Tablescape

My dining room table is really prominent. The dining room is open to my living room and you have to walk thru it to get to the kitchen and back door (which is our primary door). The table is a dumping ground for everything coming into the house and me emptying my purse junk. I've been trying to keep it clean and I've been wanting a "tablescape" for it so it looks more interesting than just a blank table. My problem is that I don't really like lots of stuff around. And I wanted something interesting that doesn't need to be changed out for each season and not too fussy. Maybe something a little Hollywood Regency-ish. Oh and I didn't want to spend a lot of money.

I purchased a bunch of mismatched glass candlesticks at thrift stores and grouped them together. There is still enough space for me to sit and eat my dinner without moving stuff around. I like it! It makes a statement and is a little different. It really fills up the space without feeling cluttered. I spent about $10 for 16 candle sticks and $8 for candles at Ikea. So for under $20 I have a really nice look.

Ugh ... Sick!

How are you? I'm sick. I got a flu shot back in November when my dog bit me. (I don't think I told you about that. He just went crazy when somebody was at the door. He's a medium size dog so it was a small bite). I went to the Dr. and got a tetanus, flu and whopping cough booster shots during that visit. I figured since I was there and was getting stuck for the tetanus shot then why not? So I'm not entirely sure how I have the flu. Maybe it's just a bad cold? I don't know but I've been pretty miserable since Thursday. Today the fever has broken but I'm just exhausted with a cough and running nose. 

I had to venture out to the grocery store today as I was almost completely out of food. I felt so bad for the people around me as I coughed and sniffled and sneezed but I had no choice. The nice thing is that I didn't have to work Friday or today so I was able to just lie (lay?) around and watch some TV and troll Pinterest. 

I've seen more Storage Wars and Pawn Stars than is probably good for a person. You know that I just got a TV after not having one for 8 years, right? I seem to remember better TV shows on in the past. I have 200+ channels and seriously there is nothing good on TV. I'm really disappointed in HGTV. It seems all the shows are just these massive home remodeling shows. What happened to the decorating, crafting or even organizing/cleaning shows? The remodeling shows have nothing for me as I won't undertake any of those projects in my condo.

I'm going to take it easy for the next couple of days and recover. Hopefully this weekend I can start on some projects around the house.

I hope you stay healthy during this flu season!

Back to School

On Wednesday I took my son to O'Hare Airport so he could fly back to college. He goes to SCAD in Savannah Georgia. His only break until the end of the school year is Spring Break and he has to work (he is a resident assistant). I won't see him again until June.  It's too expensive to fly home for a weekend visit. Since I miss him so much when he's gone I try to focus on the positives. The condo stays much cleaner for longer when it's only me here. Also there are less dishes to wash, less food to buy and prepare, and I no longer have to share a bathroom. As the holidays are over and I'll have more time with him gone I can focus on getting some rooms finally completed. Now the big challenge will be to not change my mind on the planned designs and actually get things done!

First things first though. I need to "reset" the condo. For me before I tackle new projects I need the condo squeaky clean, with everything put away, laundry done and folded and put away, no outstanding household chores. I never feel like I can work on something new if have to clean the bathroom or am worried about dishes in the sink. Maybe that's why I don't always get things done. I'm waiting for the "perfect" time to get started.