Keeping to My Word??

That word I jokingly chose for the New Year was sticktoitiveness. A non-word actually. Here is where I talked about it ~ and loads of food! Well, yes, in some scenarios I've been diligent...

Spring cleaning while it is still winter, over at my house. I showed you my bedroom changes. The particularly petite hall closet  was in my sights as the next project. Holy proclamation!! I did stick-to-it! The closet got a make-over. It was bad in there, people! Could not have stuffed one more coat in the door {forgot to take a before shot}.

I will preface these photos with a wishful thought ~ I do ADORE the early stages shots, where there's next to nothing inside the closet. But FYI - that doesn't work here in 800-square-foot-cottage land! She's now all organized, albeit still filled to the brim, 'cause it's the only space I've got!


EMPTY and bare ->

Looks a sloppy, wet mess here .. but I papered the inside walls with pages of an old gardening book.

Chalkboard painted the inside of the door ->

Partially filled with storage containers and a board that has pockets to stash our mail, bills, etc. Wish it could've stayed in this state...

the rolls standing are contact paper for the shelves

There was wasted space on the upper wall, and if I elevated the 3-bin storage baskets, I could then use space at the ground.... so darn it anyway - had to"junk it all up" and put in a table first ->

more baskets, the iron fits on the table, slightly-used objects high above on a second shelf...



Some baskets hold toiletries for travel, other bins have electronic doo-dads, while other receptacles house papers; sewing essentials and light bulbs. Boy, do we have alot of stuff!! We surely do NOT live like my husband's Great-Grandparents that built this home in 1940!!

That's all she wrote - not a whole lot more can be said or shown of a silly, tiny hall closet! Still, I'm glad that it's done - now movin' on to the second bedroom. Home of anything-you-never-wanted-to-look-at !

Puttering & Futzing

bedroom 2 years ago... this piece is now moved to the Dining Room

Our bedroom has been in need of a fluffing. Past due for a revamp. The tiny... {really, I mean very small} room that houses our bed has become a place to set down clothes wherever they might land. The minimal closet space that we have is stuffed to the brim. And because of those closets the work-out pants and tennies from the day get thrown in a bin that sits on the floor. UNAPPEALING at best!!


When last you read here about the projects going on and the silliness of it all since everybody with any brains was outdoor enjoying the sun... (whew, long-ass sentence).. well, I've been challenging my hoarding instincts (Hubby's too) and ridding our home of bags of un-needables. {probably not a word}. Progress has been made. The bedroom is a place I actually like sitting in now.

notice oil of ocean on top of black chest... comes into play next

Whether we've got the space, or not, {NOT !} somehow there has got to be a television in here. Masters & Johnson would have something to say about that! I have a distaste for looking at TV screens. In the living room our television is hidden, so I searched for a way to do the same in the bedroom...

Simple solution. Easy on & easy off... Hubby will be more likely not to scowl at this, since it is so simple.

Like pillows much?!! hhaaaa

Small details still to be solved. No end pieces on the curtain rods. Artwork above the bed to be changed.  And... on, and on, and on....  really never ends - does it? Such fun to shop my own home and change my surroundings, makes it all feel so lovely and new!

LOVE a gallery wall! Don't you?

Since the bedroom is all clean and decorated, I'm going to show her off at My Romantic Home.

A Wednesday Two Weeks Later...

Mid-week; chickens cackling in the backyard. The windows are open to the fresh air. I know why the caged bird sings...   {just using that quote that I do love} - Yet, I do know why they're singing...
IT IS GORGEOUSLY SUNNY!! Me, the chicks, my neighbors, every little creature - out and alive!

early morning shadows from my perch

Time spent ridding our home of excess isn't particularly the way I see myself whiling away the brief hours of sunshine. Yet, here I am. I've been enjoying this chore. Bags of clothing tossed aside for a trip to the resale. Furniture dusted and moved to new corners. Happy vignettes of never displayed goodies swapping spots with the old & tired. Rather pleasing. Surely have days and weeks more work to go. Maybe not during such lovely non-wintry daylight.

On a post-rainy day of recent, we did take a road trip through the redwoods, and out into the tiny town of Pescadero. A perfect afternoon with mustard fields, goats, cheese tasting and ocean.

Harley Farms sits in a field with a barn over there, and a couple of out-buildings here, and the milking parlour near to the goat paddock. We tasted cheese, but also some warm and succulent butternut squash & jalapeno soup. At the tippy-top of the barn is this room shown above ^. Here, the farm hosts a once per month field-to-table dinner. Along with the charming goats, lovely scenery and smiling face of the shop tendress, there is also a furniture maker. Sad to report, we were unable to meet this chap. His nickname is Three Finger Bob. Sounds like there must be a story to be told... don't ya think?


Bring on the warm California sun!

Short Days of Winter

Winters begun, nightfall came early today. While reading, I found this lovely piece of poetry and found it perfect for this near-to-Christmas day ~

                                                                         ***

I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says "Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again.”
― Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass

                                                                          ***

Our home is decidedly non-traditionally decorated for the season. As I wrote previously - it's somewhat "organic" this year. Here's the very little rest that I've arranged. It's not much!

 

 

The ironstone pitcher on the right is filled with flowers from Pops' funeral - they just got plunked in the ewer and I never re-touched the bouquet.... sorta sad looking... oops!

notice the white paint splotches still on the walls - so lovely! :-)

again with the unfinished paint

the minimalist look

Boughs of green, wreaths of boxwood, orchids, ferns, paperwhites and pine cones...organic - some straight from our yard -  SIMPLE & BEAUTIFUL and all that will happen for this holiday!

Goat Hill Puttering

An afternoon photo shoot for a proposed holiday article that will be in our local newspaper...


The theme, and the message we tried to portray with these images is ~ *simple yet creatively sublime.. *inexpensive to manage, yet with a look that says scrumptiously ornamental.... * utterly easy shopping, without leaving your home - use favorite objects found in your cubbies & shelves...  *bring the outside inside - scavenge the garden..  *repurpose - find myriad uses for the simplest of objects...  *tell a story, follow a theme, let humor have a place...

At the end of the day each of us wished to curl up under a blanket atop a holiday-colored pillow ~
just like this...

Simple Pleasures

Such a simple and pleasurable thing... searching through photos of other women's homes... and it brings such enjoyment! I won a place in an on-line ecourse from an amazing artist/fashion designer.  Jeanne Oliver and other amazingly talented gals are posting videos, giving information, offering solutions to design and decorating dilemmas. From the beginning it has made for a pleasant look! I've really enjoyed mornings with my tea and my spot in the "classroom".


As a student in this course, we each have a profile to fill. I've added many photos to share with the group. Some of the most recent were views of Autumn around our house...

I'm only posting the small vignettes{simple pleasures in themselves} .. I had already shown the class images of my living space. I haven't dared to put up photos of the kitchen yet!!  :-)  In the next couple of weeks there will be time to show rooms that we really need help with. Also some students will show before and after pictures from their  re-dos. There will not be a re-do at this house!  Perish the thought! I've mentioned before - Hubby's fear of such things!


Can't wait to try some of the projects in this course. One of the most intriguing to me is "How to Make Ricotta Cheese". Will share about how that goes...  eeeeeekk!!