Every once in a while, I give myself permission to take a quick photo of the house ‘As Is.’ No straightening up, no ‘vignettes’ – just real life. If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, you know that Don and I like cozy, relaxed, eclectic and vintage. We read a lot, so there are always books lying around. There’s usually a guitar somewhere – right now, there’s one in the living room and one in the den. It’s early around here and the lights are on.
Practical is the watchword lately. You’ll notice lots of throw rugs that really don’t have any design theme whatsoever. They’re for Scout. They help her navigate. There’s a quilt on the floor in front of the loveseat – also for Scout. And you can just see the edge of a towel that’s on top of the oval rug. You guessed it – for Scout. Don’s Kindle, books, and glasses are on the coffee table.
Nothing exciting. Nothing new. I can’t see spending money on something we really don’t need – just to ‘change things up.’
I don’t decorate for fall, as you know. We are fortunate to live in the Northeast, where Fall will be on constant display in a very short time. Frankly, nothing I could do would be better than the designs of Mother Nature. And honestly, I have so little available surface area that it isn’t practical.
It’s a dark and cloudy morning, so these aren’t great photos. But sometimes, to be perfectly honest, I don’t care!
More throw rugs for Scout. A piece of paper towel on the island (see? no editing.) Dishes in the drainer. Paint brushes used on the dollhouse in a piece of McCoy on the window sill. Cough medicine on the counter. My Peet’s French Roast (single cup drip method) awaiting the boiling water from the tea kettle.
I’ll spare you the den, where there are piles of used kleenexes, cough drops, and a makeshift bed (I came downstairs around 4 am because I was coughing too much and I didn’t want to keep disturbing Don’s sleep.) I don’t know if it is allergies or sinuses and, frankly, I never know. I do remember now that I wasn’t feeling all that great on Thursday when I was in the city. Lots of sneezing – I mean lots – and congestion. So I think this has been coming on for a few days.
There you go. As Is for Monday, September 14th.
Happy Monday.
Your home always looks lovely. Hope you feel better soon Claudia. Take care, Doris
Thank you, Doris. Have a great day.
I always love your unstaged posts, Claudia — they make me feel right at home and that I could just drop in for a cup of coffee and a little Scoutie lovin. We always have books on the end tables, a throw on the loveseat, puzzle on the table and Miss Bella’s dog bed and dragon in front of the fireplace…and the ever present dog tufts of hair no matter how much I clean!
Thanks!
Patricia
Lots of dog hair tufts right now since Scoutie just had a bath!
Now this is a Reality Show I could watch!! Real life is always the best. I do decorate for Fall and have a couple of bins in the dining room making me crazy. I don’t do a lot, but I love my pumpkins that I have accumulated over the years.
We have a new rescue Grey in the family ~ Isabella. She is 22 months old and very very skittish. Never been abused, but it is a trait all of her litter shared as well as her mom and a few more ancestors. We have had her for a couple of weeks now and still she won’t let us pet her. She does come up to us when we sit down and aren’t really paying attention and showers us with kisses. She smiles all of the time. Our older Grey is her BFF and she follows her around every minute. Every time we stand up she runs over to see what we are doing. Not sure how long this process will take ~ but she has the sweetest and funniest personality we have ever encountered. When we pet the other one she kind of stands back and cries and wags her tail like crazy. I just don’t think she knows what to do. She WILL take treats from us which is good. Since we are both retired, if nothing else we DO have the time to devote to her. Another very fun and rewarding project we shall work on for the next several years!!
Have a wonderful week, Claudia!!
Oh good for you! Rescuing an animal is the very best thing we could do…I’m so excited for you and she will thrive under your loving and patient care.
I prefer seeing real life any day…Thanks for sharing Claudia…Sending get well wishes also…
Thank you, Nancy!
This could be my home, right down to the one cup drip coffee filter! Love the ordinary day peek at your home, Claudia. Hope the sinus/allergy/crap leaves you soon. Hedy
And crap it is, Hedy! I hope it leaves very soon. I have to go into the city again on Wednesday!
Thank you. I love seeing real life. I was sitting on my screen porch with my cats the other day looking at all the towels and throws on the chairs thinking I could never have a blog. Cat food plates, water dishes, cat hair, it’s my every season decorating. They love it out there and think it’s their personal paradise. Luckily they let me share it and they love to spend hours with me just enjoying the sounds of nature.
No fall colors here in Florida so I can’t wait to see some of your beautiful pictures of fall. I especially love your pictures of the shed. Thanks again for sharing your welcoming home and for making me feel okay about my decorating style. I’m really starting to tire of all the glossy staged rooms in blog land.
Hope you are feeling better soon.
You and me both, Kathleen! I find myself visiting those blogs less and less. I love making my home cozy and, hopefully, attractive, but endless posts about decorating and, you’re right, overly staged rooms have lost their appeal for me.
Hope you get to feeling better real soon. Love your cozy, relaxed, lived in home. I could just walk in and sit down and be at home. Some day, OK?
Judy
That’s a deal, Judy!
I love all of the throw rugs for Scout!!! We do the same thing for our little cutie who has a fear of walking on the wood floors because he slips too much. We had new guests to our home for dinner and one of them asked about the runners and scatter rugs covering up our lovely hardwood floors. Before I could answer, another guest who is a very good friend replied “they are for her furbaby who dislikes wood floors – don’t you know that animal lovers will do absolutely anything to keep their pets happy”? Truer words were never spoken.
Amen!
“As is”, always works for me! Your home is relaxed…and that says comfort to me. Hope you can shake that sinus/allergy thing! ;)
Me too! I have to go into the city on Wednesday and would prefer not to be constantly blowing my nose and coughing.
It’s home, which (to me), equals perfection – always. Your living room was one of the things that initially drew me to your blog Claudia. I love that this room so perfectly “screams” Claudia and Don! I like being able to see who someone is just by walking into their home. I hope you feel better soon.
That’s the best kind of compliment, Debbie. Thank you!
As always – thanks for the “real” photos. Just wish my house could look so neat and cozy on a whim! Hope you feel better soon!
It isn’t always so neat, Deb!
Your home is lovely. So peaceful, serene, and welcoming. No wonder I hurry by the other blogs with all the perfection and something new at least once a week. Where do they get the time or money? But I always stop and visit and enjoy your blog. I certainly do hope you feel better fast! Thanks for being you.
Ah, thank you, Dottie! I often wonder where they get the money, too!
Claudia, who wants to live in a perfect house??!!!!
Yours is lovely and comfy and just right for you – that’s all that matters!
It sure ain’t perfect, but it’s home!
I could live in your house easily; it’s cozy and charming with obviously-loved things. I never have a sofa without a dog cover on it and, well, the bed needs one because she sheds like crazy. My husband vacuumed for me yesterday and we got up enough dog hair to stuff a pillow.
Ugh, I know what you mean about leaving said bed and going out to sleep on the sofa so as not to wake up significant other. I’ve been going thru this for awhile now with various ailments including my own bothersome cough. It always hits so bad at bedtime. I was trying to get by with a half-dose of the prescription cough syrup but I’m going to go for a full dose tonight. I’m seriously sleep-deprived. I’m not bullet-proof like I was when I was younger…work all day, party all night, get 4 hrs of sleep and report for work again the next morning. Those days are so over. LONG since over! I’ve become energy-challenged.
Speaking of tonight, we may get rain. It’s going to be more significant in the L.A. basin and I’m north of that slightly, but we’ll take anything we can get. Very exciting. My husband is trying right now to get home earlier and before dark sets in so that he can connect the rain barrels and put out as many buckets we have, to catch any possible rainwater. For drought-stricken So. California…and, oh, how I wish it could also occur for our Northern California towns who are on fire…the possibility of rain is a huge event. We’ll stay warm and humid but, I’m telling you, just having an afternoon without that glaring, intense sun is a blessing in itself. I hope, I hope, I hope we get some rain!!
Claudia, I love that you share your home ‘as is’ and no pretense. Mine is so cluttered but it’s
home!
hugs,
Linda
Exactly. Home is the best place to be!
Hi again, just chiming in gratefully for finding you and your real life home sharing your charm and authenticity here! Thank-you and sending well wishes,especially for the Wednesday outing!
Thank you, Grace. I’m grateful for you, too.
Still sniffling and coughing and sneezing. Praying that I’m well enough to get into the city, as I don’t want to lose that paycheck!
I always love your home. It is lived in and honest and simply adorable, I may add! So sorry you have the cough. I think it is a universal cough, as I have friends all over the world who have the exact same thing. I thought mine had gone, but I do think it is trying to come back. Such is life. I may get brave, one day, and do a tour of our abode. That will be a short tour, as it is a small but nice apartment. I’ll even show my bedroom closet, which I have made a craft closet. Egads!!
Hugs to you and Don. Huge hug and a kiss on the head to The Dame.
Cough, sneezing, chest congestion – the whole thing!