Making me smile on this Sunday morning:
This repotted succulent. It was in Riley’s Dish Garden but it needed more soil support than it was getting there. I also smile when I see the sunlight creating highlight and shadow.
More succulents – this one a jade plant that Don brought home for me one day – in my favorite Vernor’s Crate. Oh, for a glass of Vernor’s Ginger Ale!
This little doggie makes me smile. It belonged to my paternal grandmother. I never knew her, so this little piece of hers (courtesy of my cousin, Eileen) that she held and loved and that my Aunt Lettie also held and loved makes me happy.
This hand-painted chair, weathered and worn. It’s like something out of Hansel and Gretel.
Stacks of books in progress or waiting to be read.
What’s not to love here? I called it my ‘labor of love’ on Instagram and it was. And is. It always makes me smile.
Thank you for the lovely comments on my post yesterday. I love design and have always loved decorating the many nests in which I have lived over the years, whether a tiny, tiny studio apartment, a dorm room, a 3 room apartment or a house. (We’re talking varying degrees of ‘small’ here.) I firmly believe that no one should tell you how to decorate your home or what you should display or not display. Decorate from your heart.
I know the world is all about trends and I’m always curious about them, but I never fall into that trap unless I see an item that will enhance my home, trend or not. And that happens rarely. Ultimately, I don’t care what’s on trend. I only care about what resonates with me. And with Don.
That’s my problem with many of the looks I see online. Boho, for example, is big. I admire certain elements, but I never particularly cared for macramé when it first emerged in the 60s and 70s and I don’t now. Lots of plants? Yes, but I’ve been doing that since I decorated my childhood room with potted plants. I like Joanna and Chip Gaines, they’re wonderfully talented, but everything they do has the same look: shiplap, galvanized elements, open shelving in the kitchen, etc. Nothing wrong with having a style that is your brand. (I actually really like shiplap.) But when I see it everywhere, my eyes glaze over. Same thing with all the framed sayings in that certain curlycue font that I see everywhere. I can see the appeal, but they’re everywhere.
Oh gosh, you know what I mean. I don’t want to be like everybody else. I want to be me. If there’s one thing that growing older brings, it’s the awareness that we can be who we are. We don’t have to do what everyone else is doing. We don’t have to use the same decorating elements because someone determined that was cool and ‘in.’ Really? I’m going to rely on someone else’s judgement as to what my home should look like? No thank you.
The design blogs/websites that I’m drawn to are the ones that feature quirky, individual style. I’m not drawn to sites that have the same white kitchens with shiplap walls and open shelving and industrial elements and look like they could be anyone’s kitchen. Give me funky. Give me something that says “Wow! Only that one person could live here – it’s so evocative of that person’s style and personality.” Gosh, I love homes like that. Homes where I can walk in the real or virtual door and ‘know’ that person immediately. Or at least, to be realistic, have a good idea of his/her passions, interests, and loves. That’s what I’m drawn to.
At those times in my youth when I said, “Everyone is doing it” to my mother, she responded (as many mothers do) “If everyone was jumping off the Ambassador Bridge (I’m from Detroit) would you do it, too?” Mom, you’ll be very happy to know that I took that to heart. I shy away from things that everyone is doing, or watching, or decorating with.
I saw a story on the news last night about Van Gogh’s bedroom and an exhibition in Chicago which has all three paintings of that bedroom on display. When I look at that bedroom, I am absolutely convinced that only Van Gogh could have lived and slept there. No one else. It’s his style. It speaks of him and his love of color and his artistic sensibility and his heart.
We should all decorate that way. From the heart.
Happy Sunday.
Good Morning Dear Claudia…I think all our mothers went to the same school of “if everyone was jumping off of something would you do it too” and the “I don’t care what everyone else is doing I only care what you are doing”. Oh how many times I heard that growing up… Now that I am old, I laugh and know how very wise she was. She just wanted me to be me. Thank goodness for that wisdom.
Thank goodness, indeed. Even though I hated it at the time, I now know how wise she was.
Decorating from the heart, now that’s a style I can do! Never good at ‘decorating’ I have always just enjoyed what I love. I admire the trends but like you don’t think they speak of the person who lives there. So me being me is just fine. Love the succulents. The sun is shining today and that makes me smile also. Wishing you and Don a good day.
hugs,
Linda
The sun is shining here as well. That makes three days in a row! I think it’s going to be in the fifties today. Hurrah!
So happy the sunshine is making you smile! It is supposed to reach 57 degrees today which must mean the old groundhog was right when he did not see his shadow! I hope the same is happening in your neck of the woods.
Lovely photos of your home and dollhouse , thanks for sharing.
I think he might have been right. I’m almost afraid to say it (knock on wood) but let’s hope so. It’s going to be in the fifties here, too. Sunny, as well!
We love Vernors too (I’m originally from Detroit). When we moved to Boston, it was disappointing that we couldn’t get it here. But, my son went to Rensselaer in Troy, NY and the Price Chopper had it!! Now it’s available here too. It’s distributed by Polar. Available at Target, Hannafords, Price Chopper, Stop & Shop. So, be on the lookout for it!!
Okay. Troy isn’t that far from us and I’ve seen Price Choppers around here, so I’m going to check that out! I haven’t seen it at my Target or Stop and Shop but I’ll look again. Love, love Vernors.
My sister-in-law lives in Wappingers Falls and I think she can get it at her supermarkets. Although she’s not fond of it!! WHAT????!!
Is she crazy???
Mothers of a certain era, all seemed to speak the same language. My mom sent me, in my first year of college, different sayings, that I then put up in my dorm room. It was 1969…it was Madison…there were lots of riots. The one saying that has always stuck with me…”dare to be different, if different means right.” In other words don’t jump off of your neighborhood bridge, even if every one is doing it! (I think she was trying to be my moral guide during a turbulent year. ). I have pretty much followed my own path ever since, whether it was life choices or decor. You speak from the heart…you decorate from the heart! We ultimately have our mothers to thank! ;)
We sure do, Donnamae! Love the ‘dare to be different’ quote.
From reading today’s post, Claudia, and ensuing comments, I’m happy to see individualists out there! I’ve never followed the crowd, which made me few friends while I was in elementary thru high school, where different, even in San Francisco, could make one untouchable. I have three very dear close friends from that era, and that’s it, but that’s all I need. Most of my other friends I made as an adult, with adults who appreciate individuality. My heart ached when I saw my bright lively daughter similarly treated in her elementary school, especially her 5th grade class, where everyone tried to be the same….what a colorless class that was. But, ecstatic to report that my daughter blossomed in middle and high school, and is shining so brightly in a college she chose, amidst students who embrace individuals. Always go with who you are. As I love the quote attributed to my favorite fearless individualist Katharine Hepburn: “”If you always do what interests you, at least one person is pleased.”
Love the quote and love that your daughter has blossomed as a true individual. Wonderful! It’s tricky, especially when we’re young and standing out from the crown isn’t necessarily a comfortable place in which to be.
I love your style. And I will say again, you have Amazing floors!! love them! beautiful!
Speaking of Van Gogh, I came upon this short little video of a few of his paintings brought to life. It might make you smile as well ~
https://www.facebook.com/culturainquieta.oficial/videos/1115112541856556/?pnref=story
and if you enjoy the music, it’s not identified, but I found it on youtube with the help of another poster…..I’d never heard of this artist ~ Ludovico Einaudi. It’s hauntingly beautiful and the nature photography is stunning.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zhIMe3PI-4
Hope you have a good day today (and that’s not exactly the squiggly phrase used by Joanna & Chip ;-)
Thanks for the links, Tracy! I’ll check them out.
I do like both of the Gaines – I think they’re really neat people.
Thank you for the links, Tracy. I shared them to my Facebook page.
Lovely photos! The sunshine certainly has an uplifting effect, doesn’t it?
It’s funny how things become trends. Years ago, I used to write messages in the sand at whatever beach we were visiting on holiday and then take a photo as a fun souvenir. Now I see cards and even Kleenex boxes using the same idea.
You must have been the inspiration for that trend, Barbara!
I am completely over the all white look. White, white and more white. I don’t get it.
Those homes look so cold. I feel sorry for the kids growing up in those homes.
It looks like no one ever completely moved in or they are still unpacking. No individuality at all.
Nothing personal going on in those houses. They are not homes with memories to cherish.
I would love to hear some background on the H & G chair. That is priceless. And that’s what makes a house a home!
Have a sunny day,
Monica
We got that chair at a local antique shop – I think it was about $15.
Love me some Vernors! My pantry here in Idaho has a goodly supply! I am so into doing my own thing in decorating. Who wants to be like everyone else?! I like warmth, not cold industrial, but to each his own!
I’m going to have to stock up on Vernor’s!
My decorating style is grown up Air Force Brat. I have inlaid and brass tables from Egypt, music boxes and Hummels from Germany, dolls from France, linens from all three, paintings and prints from all three and furniture from Goodwill, my parents and grandparents. Appliances are the only things I’ve ever bought new. I’m not a good decorator so it always looks cluttered but I can’t get rid of anything because we always had to give away or throw away our things so often. The military set a weight limit on what they would move so we would have to pare down before each move. Now I periodically pretend we’re moving so the “stuff” isn’t so overwhelming!
Totally understandable why you’d want to hang onto things now that you’re not moving all the time!
I love decorating in my own style too. It may not be for everyone but that’s ok. I don’t really enjoy looking at blogs as much as I used to because everyone has the same style. They are all beautiful but every room has the same furniture, colors, pillows and big islands in their white kitchens. The one decorating trend I just don’t get is when someone covers all their books in brown paper or puts their books on shelves backwards! I don’t understand that one!
I so agree. I don’t visit nearly as many of those blogs as I used to.
Don’t get me started on the books covered with brown paper or turned backwards? Part of the beauty of books, I think, are the covers! They’re books, literature, not decorations!
Isn’t it amazing what small things can make us smile? I, too, decided when I got this new home to do just what I wanted – nothing to do with what was in style or popular. I just wanted to do what made me happy and made me smile. I never thought I would have yellow walls in my home but, oh, how I love them and can’t wait to get moved completely in and live in “my” house.
Have a great week.
Love,
Judy
I’m so happy you have a house that is going to suit you to a ‘T’, Judy. You deserve it!
Claudia, I could NOT agree with you more! I like the Gaineses too. When I first watched their show I was thinking “Finally! A TV decorator who can do something besides a contemporary-slash-modern look…” Yet in a few weeks it was clear that yes, the Gaineses were country, but that’s ALL they were. Mechanics work on all kinds of cars. Cooks are usually comfortably-skilled with multiple cuisines. Shouldn’t a trained designer be able to bring out a homeowner’s unique style? And by using elements that the homeowner already has? What happens to all the stuff these families had BEFORE their renovations? We rarely seen much of it. I’m beginning to think that TV designers – and who knows, maybe all designers – get a little lazy and latch onto a signature look of their own, when what they should really be doing is pulling together the homeowner’s own sense of color, texture, comfort. After all, they’re not being paid to decorate their OWN homes…
And I believe, I’m not absolutely sure, that the furniture is from their shop. So I don’t know if the pieces even stay there, or if they are there as a staged room design. Maybe the clients get the chance to buy it?
Wow, that never even crossed my mind! You’re right, the goodies from the shop may be going right out the door the minute filming ends. And yes, everything Joanna does looks exactly the same. Sage green, yellow, shiplap, washboards, vintage or retro kitchen ware etc etc. They could call me in on the next job and I bet I could easily replicate her style. I have noticed one thing though. It’s on the BLOGS where everything looks so similar. If you bypass the bloggers entirely and go instead to the professional’s OWN website – the architect, interior designer or the landscaper – you see a much wider variety of work. I steer clear of the blogs now and scoot right over to the professional link, if there is one – and there usually is.
It’s a lovely look and I am attracted to elements of it, for sure. But I can now pretty much guess how each house is going to look, so I’ve stopped watching. Add to that the fact that all of these shows are ‘staged’ in that certain situations/incidents are contrived for each episode – how can they be totally real when cameras are following them around all of the time. That’s the problem with all reality television. I’d rather watch a straightforward show about decorating, than something that falls under the heading of ‘reality.’
And you’re so right – it’s the bloggers that echo what they’ve seen and what is trendy and pretty soon, everyone’s house looks the same, give or take an item or two. I visit far fewer decor/home blogs than I used to.
Give them time. They’ll find their own style.
Again, FULLY agree. :>)
xo
Well, you have a lot of wisdom about what makes you happy and how to decorate, that’s for sure. But I confess I had to look up shiplap.
I’m pretty much design-clueless. Go with your heart is a good way to solve it. My problem is I like A LOT of looks. Faded beachy, Rachel Ashwell shabby-kind-of-chic pastel/vintage florals (but not TOO chippy). Country French/Provence with vivid blue, yellow, red. Stuff from the 50s. Spanish/Moroccan/Mediterranean with velvets, tapestry; purple. My tastes are all over the place and it’s too jarring, when rooms really should have at least some shred of continuity. I lived thru the 70s and I got very tired of having everything ‘natural’ and wood-y, putting away my pretty pink and baby blue porcelains, lace-y things and satiny ribbons for, yes, macrame, string, rope and burlap. And I’m not a minimalist, but I have another favorite blog I visit where the blog owner decorates (sparsely) in mostly neutrals (creams, beige), which I find exceedingly calming and lovely yet I know I could never live in something so pristine.
I commend you, for as much as your heart is hurting, that you’re reaching-stretching to find gratitude and appreciation when instead you could be understandably wallowing/drowning in a sea of (again, very understandable) self-pity. We’re mortal; it’s easy to succumb to that, and I have, too many times. But I think you can feel better by counting the blessings, doing the reminders of ‘yeah, that happened, but if it hadn’t of, then I wouldn’t have THIS’ – just heard a guy saying something along those terms, lamenting of something gone but in the same sentence also saying, ‘but how great it happened; what if it had never happened at all?’ I’m probably not making sense, but it’s like bitter and sweet. Better to have loved and lost, than never having loved at all. Etc.
Are you up for the Oscars? It’s probably going to be ‘edgy’ and I know few of the performances…but I like to see the designer gowns (that kind of fashion often seems like ‘art’ to me!).
Don’t be fooled, I do find gratitude, but I have moments of deep sorrow. So does Don. We’re just trying to get through the day. Each day is a tiny bit easier.
I’ll watch the Oscars, or at least part of them. I’m used to going to bed at around 10 pm our time, so we’ll see how long I last.
To me, deep and sorrowful moments, considering everything you’ve been going through, are…I’m overusing the word…understandable, normal and expected in good people who have loving hearts which have been cracked in two.
Thank you, Vicki.
Oh, Claudia! Amen and Amen! I thought your post yesterday was the best you had ever written. I think you are coming from a deep place of authenticity at this time especially. And the home YOU and Don created is the perfect solace. I too like Chip and Joanna but I would never want a decorator to come in and provide the surroundings for me. I want it intimately me, not someone else. I too, glaze over at all the repetition and trendiness. That is why I’m drawn to your cottage. It is the real deal. I too like to take bits and pieces I like from others homes. It can be an inspiration to improving my cottage. I think it has been good for me that I can’t afford to go out and buy my “style”. It has evolved over time using what I have to work with. Not everything works in our house but we have made it work for us. We can’t remodel the home but can enhance it the best we are able. And the secret is contentment with what you have and enjoying that to the max! It is the inhabitants of the home that is most important! It’s nice to be on the same page with someone. :)
I’ve never had the desire for a decorator. It’s my house, my style, my choices. I understand why some people do and that’s just fine. But someone else finding art or furniture or whatever? No can do!
We can’t afford to do much in terms of remodeling or adding on an addition to our home, so we do the best with what we have.
Much like what I said yesterday, I’m tired of others telling me to simplify, get rid of stuff and how to decorate my home. I have doilies on my tables. There. I admit it. I have had people tell me that they’re old fashioned and so “not in style”. But I made them and I love them and they’re staying, as will my crocheted afghans and the decorations that I have out, many that I have made or have received as gifts. I have green walls, yellow walls and blue walls along with the plain vanilla ones.
I think I must be becoming a rebel in my old age. ha! I hope you’ve had a great Sunday Claudia.
Blessings,
Betsy
Of course you should have doilies on your tables! And anything else you love and cherish. (I think I’m a rebel, too!)
Heading to the Oscars but had to tell you how I loved your pix yesterday. We recently downsized and had to make some tough choices re what to let go and what to keep. I did keep the beautiful oak door trim from our first house (100 yrs old) and that’s my coat rack with all the old metal hooks from every closet I’ve had in 60 years. My new kitchen is white as I love white. I have subway tile as I’ve always loved it. White ? Yes. Sterile? Nah!
My kitchen is white and it’s far from sterile, Deb! I’d love aqua subway tile in my kitchen….maybe someday!
We went to see Romeo and Juliet this afternoon and it was fantastic! I loved the sound of Shakespeare coming from the mouths of actors dressed in 50’s style clothing and we always love the sets at the Hartford Stage. Really enjoyed the performances of Wyatt Fenner, Kandis Chapell, Kaliswa Brewster and of course Chris Ghaffara!
If you understood what they were saying and the meaning of the text….that’s what I do and I’m proud of the result! So happy you loved it, Betsy. I’ve known Kandis for over 20 years. Don’s known her for over 40 years!
You are so right Claudia…I am sure that you will always be you…and your home will reflect that…
Thanks, Nancy!
I’ve always gone with strong colours. Can’t help it. :-) Enjoy your sourrounding! Regula
I love color, Regula and I love seeing strong color in people’s homes.
I so enjoyed yesterday’s post, ALWAYS love a little tour of your cottage! And I’m in 100% agreement with you today. Over the years I’ve certainly purchased my share of items that are “the trend of the moment” – but I always seem to still be displaying, using, etc said item long after the new trend comes along! It’s because I buy/decorate with the things I love, and not because it’s a trend. I enjoy having things in my home that I love even more now, than when I purchased them 20-30 years ago :)
Exactly! Same here. Some pieces – like the loveseat and sofa have been with us over 20 years. The piano has been in my family since my grandmother purchased it in the 30s…these things stay with us and form the foundation for the look of our homes.
I still drink Vernors from time to time – usually at the holidays. The problem is, since I am Diabetic, I only drink diet and while good, it doesn’t bring the same childhood memory. Still fizzy though :-)
I think I would drink Diet, too. Not the same, but better than no Vernors!
This is such a wonderful post with an even more wonderful message – decorate from the heart! We tend to get so caught up with “styles”, and it seems everything has to be labeled. It really irks me when visitors to my home ask me what style it is – it’s my style, a little of this, and a little of that and whatever else makes me happy – Hodgepodge Style!
I hate that too! My style is me!
I prefer the look of a home that resembles a nest – bits & pieces that speak to you, gathered over time. Yours is wonderful!
Thank you, Mary.
I’ve always enjoyed how you decorate, Claudia, and I could easily live in a room you design and be happy. Further, I totally agree about doing what you love. I have done that my whole life, too, and as a consequence, I am happy with our things around us, particularly items that belonged to people we love. I grew up with antiques (what some people disdainfully call brown furniture), and I love d it then and now. Those pieces belonged to loved ones long past. I also like painted pieces like the jelly cupboard my grandfather built for my grandmother when they were newlyweds. And speaking of family, my beloved MIL and I decorated similarly, too, so that makes it nice for my husband. And it makes me happy as well. He had to take the lead with some things in the house when I got sick, and he was amazing.
Typically, we have had two-story houses since we first married and moved out of apartments (even then I decorated to please myself). In the places we’ve lived since college, the downstairs usually has a more masculine vibe with feminine elements for balance, and the upstairs has more feminine colors. I’ve never much liked ruffles, even as a child, but I love pink, blue, green, and yellow along with chintz. I noticed this masuline/feminie thing was a throwback to my childhood. My father liked to have a say in his surroundings, and it was always a good say. Hence the more masculine public spaces and feminne bedrooms. Likewise, I clear things with my sweetie, and we almost always like the same things. Makes for a happier marriage!
In our latest reno, the old part of the house has been respected (it has plaster walls), but we were forced to tear off the back addition because it was unsafe, though we had intended to renovate within the existing footprint. I have loved Furlow Gatewood ever since I first saw the barn he designed in a magazine back in the 1980’s, and I longed to do something similar some day. I never tired of it. and his book is just wonderful to me. While he isn’t a decorator per se, he is a lover of antiques and old houses. Like Mockingbird Hill Cottage, I could be happy living in any one of the houses he has created. They are personal spaces filled with marvelous things. They have a comfortable, happy vibe to me. They are nests.
Interestingly, I also love contemporary kitchens with stainless appliances and sinks. A cook’s kitchen, if you will. We have never had one so decided it was time. It seems that our love of painted wood walls has coincided with this latest fad, but we are going to use planks in our addition. We prefer wood to drywall, and we are also using other green materials in the infrastructure. We have had wood walls in St. Augustine and loved them here so that was also a factor in the decision. And since the addition was replacing an old addition that replaced the original porch, the wood is a nod to that. Had we been able to save the old addition, we would have had a more country kitchen with open shelving for collections. The back of it was to be a dish pantry with glass doors. But with a clean slate, that idea changed.
There are going to be brick walls, too, as the new walls are the back of a brick house. The bricks were painted, so the old fireplaces which were uncovered and are pretty rugged will be painted, particularly since they adjoin the other painted brick. Because the addition is a small space, the walls will be white, (like in St. Augustine), except where we are using reclaimed cypress. We plan to display our art collection throughout. I have collected since high school. The master bath will have a colorful outsider art collection. Very personal and whimsical. The powder room will have water colors by family and friends that can’t take sun, and the other rooms will have other collections of items and art we have inherited, been given as gifts, or collected. I can hardly wait! The small sun room will double as a breakfast room, and we will hopefully be able to change it up when we use all the dishes and fabrics on the table and chair-seats we have spent forty years collecting together and being given as gifts. That is the plan. I can play “house” aka tablescaping and cooking to my heart’s content. That’s where the colors will come into play.. Nesting = fun! :-)
By the time we finish, the trend will be for something else, but I really don’t care. This is for us., and trends are like the Emperor’s. clothes. I like some trends, but my basic aesthetic remains unchanged.
On a different note, I have been tied up for days, but I spent this morning catching up with you. I love Hummingbird Cottage and can’t wait to see what you do on the TSP. Will check the link to the blog you suggested. As always, I think of you daily and remember Scout. I haven’t seen her little double since I took her picture to send you over a year or so ago. But am always smiling at the visiting dogs.
xo
Sheila
It sounds like it’s going to be absolutely lovely, Sheila! Can’t wait to hear more about it. A true haven for both of you.
Thanks, Claudia! I look forward to sharing it. Maybe one day, you and Don can come visit when we finally finish and get settled. xo
Wouldn’t that be nice!
I just typed the wrong email address, and it let me post ! Sorry!