visual virtual real home

Let's start off with the tangible and real:

These real design moments (or furniture pieces, accessories, or art) come few and far between and are a long grueling, tedious, thought provoking, indecisive labor of creative effort for me.

This year has been like our home's jackpot year. -after nine happy (and contented) years of marriage and eating supper on our couch (which is still our preferred spot honestly) we decided it was high time we search out and purchase our first dining room table. And with the above stated 'ado' we finally found [had it made by an Amish craftsman] our gorgeous walnut table that expands to seat 12-14! YAY! Bring on family gatherings and friends! (ps, I'm really bad at planning these sorts of things, so you'll just need to invite yourself over).  It was a huge relief to have that added to our home.

note the bareness of the floor and seating

Charlie and I have very similar taste, and we both care quite a bit about our home and it's visual feel, and functionality. I adore having a husband with a great eye for nice lines and classic, solid construction. So we both spent many a weekend perusing our local Room and Board outlet (where we have bought all of our furniture) for our upstairs living area. (this is tricky with a Little)

After months of searching, wa-lah! All in one weekend we found our stuff! A great mid-century modern neutral, tufted couch and an walnut coffee table. Then we scored vintage tufted black club chair on craig's list. SO happy.

Still needs to be styled a lot, and edited, but you get the point. we love the bones.

Add in 5 more months of searching for dining chairs- finding ones we liked was not the problem- finding ones we wanted to afford was the problem. But just in time to save the day, World Market through open their doors to the Twin Cities once again and there, on sale, plus a grand opening special, were sitting our new chairs. Six little ones just so happy to join their other new friends in our dining room.

Any idea's for a center piece?

Also getting an honorable mention is our wool rug. It's a navy/royal blue color and is big and beautiful and grounding. On a 75% off sale, with an extra 10% off on top of that. -major sweet. We were a little nervous about rug shopping online, but it was worth the risk, for sure.

Let me look around did I miss anything else?....  hummm. don't think so. Our big comfy brown couch found a new area in our downstairs family room, and is quite happy there it seems.

My next gigantic task is to edit a little more then accessorize. I feel like this is harder than you think. I dislike clutter, but there have to be some key, beloved items that help tell the story of us, our family and our interests sprinkled throughout our home. That helps to make it ours, and is much more cozy.

Oh yes, I know what I forgot- Asher's new big boy bed and all the fixings. well that can be a post of it's own at some point.

As for the imaginary and intangible:
I have had so much fun on pinterest designing, dreaming and planning all sorts of homes, each that in some way describe more parts of me. I discovered I'm rather classic eclectic. For me, pinterest has been such a useful tool. It has allowed me to explore my taste more. I can "commit" (by pinning) without committing (not buying). I "live with it" for a few months and revisit that board and suddenly discover I adore this look and very much dislike another. It's helped me refine my style.

I often wish I could have a stylist come and redo my home. If I could choose anyone, it'd have to be Candice Olson, she nails it for her clients nearly every time.  But since she's not an option, I have some excellent friends who have been gifted with an eye for design. Some who's rooms you may have seen on pinterest here and there. Get yourself a friend or two you can bounce idea's off of, and make sure they shoot it to ya straight. They have saved me from many a disaster, or got me to make the leap. Love them.

So here's your unsolicited design advice from me:
1. Don't buy they first thing you lay eyes on and stop looking
2. Don't buy the cheapest thing out there. It is SO worth waiting for the right financial time to buy those big pieces.
3. Give yourself a few years, especially if you're young-ish, or just starting your design journey. Our style has evolved (and will always be, I suppose) into what it is today. But I can say with confidence that if you wait to buy what you REALLY want, in a timeless style, and in an excellent build it will serve you well. Year after year after year. And will likely not be hard to freshen up with various accent items.  So wait for it.
4. Keep looking. Days, weeks, months, years... eventually you will find The One that makes your heart sing. Don't give up. It's worth the wait.
5. Don't get too caught up in one particular style. Mix it up. Be brave and do the unexpected. *now this last point is what i'm really working on* (it's really hard for a perfectionist to not follow the rules, but my home has to be me (us), not a rule book).

That's all for today.
If you have tips on helping with my space, I'm VERY grateful for the input!


Links to the shops I mentioned:
room and board for quality furniture in many modern/classic styles.
rugsusa for great quality rugs at insanely low prices. -i think they have a 75% off sale every national holiday, july 4th, labor day, etc... keep your eye out on those days.
world market  if you just wanna play with a style for a reasonable price or need some culture in your life
Craig's list is awesome, and if you live in the cities, you're just not allowed to look there and steal stuff from me! LOL!  ;-) I love a good deal, I get SUCH a adrenaline rush!

Where are your favorite spots?

a('s) nursery

So, although it needs some tweaking (gotta fix the curtains, and arrange the dresser top, and find a small reading chair for Asher, and a sling book shelf) his nursery was finished last month.

I can't believe I let it slide until he was nine months old! I was in no hurry. (Honestly, I was a little too timid during pregnancy to decorate a whole room, because I had "just in case" syndrome- and not in a good way).  The first several months he wouldn't have noticed anyway. No biggy. The only reason I would now recommend new moms to have the nursery completed before baby comes is this: the new little one creates all kinds of reasons to "do it later" or "maybe I'll finish it when dad comes home or grandma comes to visit".  E-hem. It doesn't happen. Just do it before the little love child arrives and be done. lesson learned. oh well.

These are some snap shots from this morning.

Asher seems to enjoy his new room!

He likes it so much he could (does) eat it!

Any thoughts on preventing this?... some sort of bumper?

I painted white stripes on the wall. Love'n FROG tape!

We went with a burnt orange/red accent color.

The sling bookshelf will sit under the pictures. When I order it.

Asher enjoys looking at and talking to himself in the mirror, so I put one at his level.

a fresh modern look

home -the before time

We love our home. We like the structure and lines in the roof, the tower, etc. It's not so cookie cutter. 

But what we were not fans of at all was the paint- that had faded into this lovely peachy/tan/pink color, and it looked worse in the winter against the white.

Before. Also note the tired door.

So we decided to bite the bullet and get it painted. It was fabulous decision and the only thing it really hurt was our billfold. LOL!  ;-)

During. The painters were amazing! Happy, friendly, careful, clean, sing-y, laugh-y, and precise.

What a change and new fresh look a few coats of paint can accomplish!  We are quite pleased with the color, it's so different and as Charlie said, "it's not yesterday's color".  I agree. And the colors make the brick look great!

After. (All the colors in person are better)

...and our happy little after

home sweet home

random fun

Aunty Anna and Uncle Paul were in town in April and we grabbed supper with them.
They were completely in love with you baby boy!
You were really good while we ate too. 

Mesmerized Baby Blues
(He was feeling grumpy)

It was one of those days. 

He had to be plugged in. Mommy needed a break.

You understand.

We have really been enjoying spending time outside since the weather finally turned nice!
And in the bottom right is my shout out to our house (not done yet).  We're on an improvement rampage.
Recoating the driveway, arrogation, seeding, flower planting, weeding, trimming, and we're getting our house PAINTED at the end of June! YAY! NO MORE PEACHY PINK!
Owning a house is a lot of work and MOOOOLA.   :-P
I'll be sure to post pictures in about a month with all the updates.

magical furniture

I didn't know, but we bought magical furniture. It can change colors!
It changes from a gorgeous dark wood to a weird shade of grey. Huh! WOW! Cool! I wonder if anyone would be interested in purchasing very unique pieces that change colors with time. $$!!$$


Oh.

Wait.


hold on. crap. I was wrong. I just touched it, and it is only large layers of
DUST.

Bummer, no magic here folks. Just a really good old fashioned case of a REALLY dirty house.

So, I guess this means our toilets can't magically turn pink either- that's grime that needs to be scrubbed.  uhg.

I guess I have my work lined up for me the rest of the day.

In cuter news:

asher chews on everything!

And this is what our front lawn was looking like one week ago today!

two helpful tips: kitchen and prayer

I was just baking up some banana bread (because of two really brown banana's sitting on my counter, threatening to create fruit flies) in my kitchen. I realized that two people have shared these to tips with me and I use them a lot, and wouldn't have thought of them on my own, so maybe you'll be helped like I was.

Kitchen/baking tip:
I'm forever getting to the part of the recipe where is says, add softened stick of butter. And the stick of butter is sitting in my fridge, nice a hard. great. I don't want to wait hours for it to soften up...
DUH.
Put it in the microwave Amanda. Duh duh duh.
You just change the power level to 2, heat for 10 seconds and sometimes add 5-10 seconds after that on the flip side on power level 1.

Ta-da! Softened stick of butter in less than 20 seconds, with no melted puddle either!

Prayer tip:

My friend Anne taught me this a few years back. It's been so helpful for me to be able to pray for the people in our lives (I wish I could say daily, but at least often). It sits on our kitchen table and usually while we're eating breakfast I just pull out a stick with a name on it, and they because that days prayer focus. Sometimes general prayer for them, sometimes I know how to pray more specifically, and sometimes it's a good reminder to call or email to catch up with them!
Just write names of family and friends on a popsicle stick and plop it in a glass.
Pull out and pray!

I often find myself thinking of the verse when pulling a stick out:

Proverbs 16:33 (Amplified Bible)

³³The lot is cast into the lap, but the decision is wholly of the Lord [even the events that seem accidental are really ordered by Him].

manda's favorite things -kitchen list

I'm not too much a of a "kitcheny" person. So if I really like something from that room- that's saying something. Cooking and baking are not my forte; but I've mastered the art of consumption. These are the products I find myself using everyday. (along with my dishwasher, obviously).

Bodum French Coffee Press

OXO Grip Plastic Bowls

Nonstick 12-Inch Open Skillet

Food thermometer digital

Aroma water kettle

it came out of the closet

I'll hide nothing from you, and spare no dignity. My room was a bona fide disaster area on Monday morning. (See mom, my house isn't always perfect)! My closet was a wreck from three months of neglect, trying on clothes (to find they didn't fit yet -post baby), thrown onto the floor until I found one article that would.  In recent days, to my pleasure, more and more pieces actually did fit so I decided it was time to do another (3-4x's per year) closet clean out. 

I had to work at it all day, when Asher was napping.

My sisters love it when I do this. They usually get to go home with a bag of new to them clothes. And it makes me feel less guilty for throwing out things I don't wear. I have a peculiar way of cleaning- it gets worse before it gets better.  When organizing, I start fresh. 

I pull everything out onto a pile on my bed. (start with bare shelves, etc) -I should've taken a picture of that, it was quite the sight.

As I pick up each piece I evaluate when was the last time I wore it, does it fit perfectly, can I re-purpose/sew it into something I will wear, do I love it, does Charlie find it sexy? (I strive to keep only clothes, etc I will really wear, and feel good about wearing; but must admit I also kept a couple that aren't Charlie's favorites). I tried on the (many) fashion/fit-questionable pieces on to evaluate. 

PART WITH WHAT YOU DON'T LOVE!!! (I've never looked back -but if I do, i just have to raid Cally's closet, LOL!)

I put all the short sleeve (long sleeve, 3/4, tank, etc) T's each in their own pile, by color (usually- I didn't get to that this time, maybe today).

I also like to make sure all the clothes are hanging in the same direction, by type, color, etc.

I store one box of really off season stuff (summer- shorts, and only summer type things, and winter- sweaters and really heavy chunky items). This frees up some space.

As you may have seen on facebook, I loath shoe shopping (how ungirly of me, huh?). It's not so much i hate the fashions, or looking cute when i have them- it's finding cute/comfortable one's in a size 10, that don't look like a granny and aren't like $100+.  (see my embarrassing (mostly) target collection below):

---ENTER, my virtual trip to DSW, they even had free shipping, and the store is close in case I must return any. I had fun yesterday trying to shop for my kind of (NEEDED) shoes online.  We'll see how that went when the packages arrive. (*fingers crossed*)

This is close to the finished product.

I'm a much happier girl when I know everything in my closet is as it should be, tidy, organized, and "gone through".  It always helps me to think clearer and free-er and feel better if my closets (and drawers, and cupboards, and papers, and storage room-etc) are sorted and organized. Life is too short to clutter and weigh it down with unneeded stuff to trap and suffocate me.

Ahhhhhh.

I really do enjoy sorting, cleaning and organizing. -honestly.  My neighbors always tells me I should start a business. -My mom might feel differently- one time when she let me clean/sort out her basement we ended up with an entire 3/4 garage that went to good will, etc. I may even sort to a fault (shhhhh!).  ;-)

Now, onto Asher's room. It has MAJOR issues. 

(most of which stem from not having the proper furniture and storage, etc)

I never made a 'nursery' or prepared a cute little room for him. (multiple reasons)- and he hasn't noticed so far, but he will, and I DO. We'll just say this is the "before" picture. One day I hope for him to have a cute, and special learning and sleeping and playing environment to live in...

obviously a few things must happen first.

gross- what's that smell!

Ok. So, I was about to toss my lunch a few times lately as I'd get weird whiff's of a musty, old milk smell when I turned my head toward my shoulder or flipped Asher's burp cloth on my shoulder or kissed him around his neck... what on earth? I JUST washed this burp cloth, outfit, bath robe, etc...

Baby puke, spit up, or overfill seemed to have "melted" into whatever fabric it landed on. I would always wash it right away, but still this problem arose. I guess it has to do with the (non) breakdown of the proteins found in milk. So I read up on how to get the smell out and this was the most popular fix.

Plain old VINEGAR

I was eager to get home from Target today so I could test it myself. I just finished the load of stinky clothes (I used about 1 cup and my regular detergent) and I am quite impressed with the results. The smell has subsided greatly (if there at all).  What a cheap fix! Hope that may helps some of you mama's out sometime, it did me!

Other handy uses for vinegar. (he suggests stuff like: insect repellent, first aid, cooking, and cleaning!)

cheer up you boards

Upon waking yesterday we decided to clean up (at least the look of) our little grilling/sitting deck. 

It was looking dreadful.

 But afterwards it was looking spruced up, cheery and inviting:

Amazing what some effort and a little paint will do!

Now, I need advice... last year I uprooted 20-year old weeds and vines from under the deck space, and by the house... see it in the picture?  All I've managed to plant there are some hasta's and 2 other little plants. I need them to come up every year on their own, no fussy stuff. What should I plant?  (Morning/mid-day sun and then shade).

bag it!

OK. I just have to share my little treasure bag from this morning...


I bought 8 amazing turquoise coffee mugs (new!), a retro shirt, to lace/linen fabric pieces I'm going to make into something, a stack of hardly used children book classics, an antique white lacy vase, an old websters dictionary (I'm also going to use for a wall project), and my most favorite: the little Red Dirt Devil-see it on the left?
That may seem like a silly favorite to you, but in all honesty I've been combing department stores for one exactly like this for about 4 months+ now. My grandma has one she uses on her carpeted stairs and loves it. I nearly wanted to steal HERS!
So I was elated by this little blessing, from my Abba to me, this morning. I can now vacuum my stairs more than every other month! LOL!
AND the BEST PART....
I got ALL of this for $2 in the last hour of a big church garage sale! I love summer.I love thrifting!

soon...

To Do This Week

TO DO SOON

This is my list I've been dreaming about and working on for about two weeks. And although I've made some progress, there's a lot that remains undone.

Now perhaps most of you don't find that to be a big deal, or stressful, or out of the ordinary. But if you know me, then you know that if I start something I need to finish it, and not let it linger. I'm a 'list-er', planner, type-A, has to be done perfect or I don't do it sort of person.

There in lies my problem (or perhaps it should be more like, POINTING TO MY TUMMY: "There in lies the problem")!! LOL!

Let's just say that being slowed way down and being in bed for the past 9 or 10 weeks has forced me to be pleased with the little accomplishments in my day. If you follow me on facebook, you may have noticed that I'm rejoicing over getting the floors done once a month, or the puke cleaned from the toilet every few days. Things that would've drove me nuts several months ago.

I went to DesMoines to visit my sister Bridget and brand new nephew Landon for two days. (who is absolutely perfect by the way). Being a new exhausted mom all of five days my little sister was feeling overwhelmed with responsibility and newness. I know I would have (and probably still will) felt/feel just like that when my little person arrives. But I was able to relate to her feelings a little. It's hard to not accomplish the things you normally would because you just physically can't.

But something I now know is, those things will be there, and people who care about you won't notice the dust bunnies hiding on every shelf, the 3-foot pile of clothes on the floor, or the way I haven't cooked in weeks. They love us for who we are and the season we're in. And there are bigger things in play for the day that take priority- like nursing and recovering from all that is new-born and growing a little baby inside... (or for some of you, holding a screaming toddler, etc).

I must keep taking care of my spiritual heart, my physical body (as much as possible), and just get through.

BUT- cleaning and list- you had just better WATCH OUT Mr. 'Cuz as soon as I'm feeling better you'll be outta here so FAST!

(unless you're not)

personal walls

Upon urging from my big sister to just post something... you get several photos of things that are on my walls, and very few words. (and horrible photo's, 'cuz it's my iPhone). I know I appreciated finding these types of little tips here and there; they're very inexpensive to create). These are a few ways we've decorated, personalized and livened our home:

BOOK HIM! (isn't that what cops say in the police station meaning: FINGERPRINT?)

Charlie and I used a black ink pad and made 10-30 thumb prints each and I inspected them for the best one and cut it out. I took it to Kinko's and enlarged them to nearly the same size each, and then printed them on photo paper. Framed them up and hung them together. I think it'll be fun eventually to add our children's finger prints to the collage. Perhaps with a printed verse like Psalm 139:16.

Speaking of fingerprints and children, last week our Little Baby J "grew" fingerprints of his/her own! (this happens between week 12-13). We also have so pretty cute foot prints from Bennett the nurse took for us.

Frame a Christmas Ornament on Fun Material

For this, I simply duck taped a "J" ornament to a piece of material wrapped around some cardboard and framed it.

Frame Unexpected Things

Like a license plate, or record album covers, etc. We actually used to live in Johnson county so when we moved to MN we framed our plates. For those of you big time movers- this would be a fun conversational collage of different states plates you've lived in.

Cover Plywood or Wood Frame with Material

This was easy and fun. I just stapled some great fabric around the edges, made sure it was smooth and hung them. Got this idea from Crate and Barrel. I enjoy using Marimekko fabrics.

Little Baby Update

Little baby is now 13 weeks 5 days old.

Fingerprints have formed on your baby's tiny fingertips, his veins and organs are clearly visible through his still-thin skin, and her body is starting to catch up with her head — which makes up just a third of his body size now. If we're having a girl, she now has more than 2 million eggs in her ovaries. Little Baby is almost 3 inches long and weighs nearly an ounce.