Let's shop Target.

No really, let's go. Right now. I mean, who doesn't love Target? They have Starbucks right inside! I realized the last time I ran in to grab cat food and conditioner that my blouse, camisole and shoes were all from Target. This has happened to me many times. Usually I am reminded of what a great deal I got on the items, like the gold faux leather moccasins I’m wearing now, found on sale for $6.24. I’m not vegan but I prefer to keep my leather consumption to a minimum, so faux works for me. Target has high end designers create limited run collections of clothing and home furnishings, at deeply discounted prices of course. Designers like Anna Sui, Jean Paul Gaultier and Zach Posen have all created collections especially for Target customers. Usually these pieces fly off the shelves, but sometimes they are just a bit too funky for the average shopper. I’ve managed to get a few steals just by waiting out the clearance markdowns.

But enough about clothes. The home furnishings are a huge step above any competitors. Classic furniture pieces are mixed with trendy designer accessories. New collections are always coming in so you have to grab the hot new items as soon as they hit the stores or you could miss out. One of the latest collections, by designer John Derian, features charming nature prints on melamine plates, trays, stoneware mugs and more.

These salad plates (John Derian) are available in stores and online. $19.99 for a set of 8.

Can we talk about how cute this little girls chair is? It retails online for $89.99. Absolutely adorable for any little princess's room.









Big time style at a (semi) discount price. For $300 it's not that much of a steal, but it is absolutly gorgeous, and would work great in a small space.








Now this is a steal. This cute little accent chair sells for $200. A classic shape with a great print.








We've recently made a few purchases in their home department that left me quite impressed. I was really pleased by their curtains, curtain rods and hardware. The curtains offered a great selection of fabrics and colors, all at very reasonable prices. We picked up a drapery rod, in nickel, along with a pair of cocoa colored drapes, perfect for the sliding glass door in the kitchen. Target has also been great for picture frames, with very reasonable prices, on classic, stylish frames.

There is a lot more to be found online than there is in-store, for the most part, especially in the furniture department. I recently ordered a cute little buffet for my office lobby. It was a snap to put together and I'm really pleased with it.

One of the best things about Target is there is always an excuse to go there. Need toothpaste? Run to Target. Oh, while I'm here I might as well check out the sale rack!

Great Expectations.

Last week, while brainstorming ideas for the guest bedroom ,I was looking for canopy ideas. Something a little different and fun for our visitors. I found what I thought were some really cute inspiration photos, only to be met with a look of distaste from Dave. "That's creepy", he said. I was utterly confused. Creepy? I mean it's one thing to say you don't like it. Too much fabric, too girly, too ruffly, I get it. But creepy? "How is that creepy?" I asked.

"It reminds me of something out of Miss Havisham's house".

Oh boy.

Well now you've done it.

Great Expectations, one of my most hated school reading assignments. I'm thinking now I should re-read it to see if I can figure out exactly why I hated it so much. I can guess why, Charles Dickens has always depressed the heck out of me. But I recall there was something about that book I detested so much at the time. Anyway, Miss Havisham. A name that immediately conjures up images of a old, yellowed satin and lace. A name that instantly makes me cringe to hear it. "You're crazy!" I stated, Miss Havisham?! No way! as I scoured google images for something that was actually a bit more Havishamesque. Something like, I don't know, this...


or this...


I can see guests being uncomfortable in a room like this, especially if it's all crammed into a much smaller room, with much lower ceiling. This is too much. Agreed.

I was determined to redeem my idea, however fleeting it may have been at the time. I kept searching, occasionally getting an "eh" from Dave. We're getting closer. And then I found this...


Oooh. Oh. Oh that's nice. Uh huh, yup. Now we're talking. This is serene, peaceful. A lovely cocoon of coziness. There is a bit more going on here than what I'd imagined for our guest room, but at least we're heading back in the right direction. I'm thinking something a bit simpler, that will still be unexpected. There are so many beautiful fabrics out there that I'd love to incorporate, and this is such a great way to do it. Here are a few more examples of what I think would work.

Stripes and a simple box frame keep this look clean, and let the curves of the headboard stand out. I'd like to see a bit more space between the headboard and the canopy, to really give the headboard a good frame, but overall I like this combo.

*I really love this bedside table.













Hmmm...twin beds for guests? I love this look when done in pairs. Hot pink balanced with lots of crisp, clean white. The lining really makes the cut outs in the headboard pop. The fun fabric keeps this look from being too stiff or serious.













Symmetry at it's best. This vintage glam bedroom has an old Hollywood feel. Notice the puzzle piece cut outs in the canopy frames.











My favorite thing about this bed is the gentle mix of colors. Gray and yellow zig-zag on the box pleat frame, paired with ice blue drapery lined with fuchsia. The light blue keeps it airy while the dark fuchsia creates a great little sleeping cave.

The end of summer.

It creeps up so quickly upon us. Suddenly, vacation has passed, the Great New York State Fair is here, and Purple Loosestrife lines the sides of roadways. We spent the last week on the beach in the Outer Banks. It was a very lazy, sun drenched, salt-watered vacation. By the end of the week we even got Maybe to dip her toes in the ocean. This took much coaxing, and probably most importantly, her attempting to keep up with her new friend, Dude. Dude is a sweet, yet reserved Airedale Terrier, who mostly wants nothing to do with Maybe. Several times he tells her, in not so many words, to piss off. She of course does not listen. At one point during the week he actually engages her in play. Success! Anyway, on Friday we found ourselves again at the sea shore, Maybe in tow. Seeing Dude trod straight into the crashing waves was enough to get her to take her chances with the rolling white foam that crested on her ankles. A little splash here, a crash there, all was good, as long as I was not far away. When all else fails, hide behind Mom.

All that sun and salt water makes everyone tired, even on a lazy vacation. With all the extra sleep I found myself having dreams about designing the guest bedroom. Of course I wake up in a tizzy, feeling inspired, but also flustered because of course, even in my dreams I can't make up my mind about anything. Sometimes I wished I just liked one style, it might be easier to make final decisions. But I like so many things, so many different things, and I'm afraid if I don't censor myself it will turn into a disaster. One of my big design motto's is if you fill your house with things you love, it will all come together nicely. I would tell this to clients, and usually peoples tastes fall within a range of similar tastes so that it rings true.

Yeah, not so much for me. I like modern, I like vintage, I like just about every color under the sun, I like everything. Maybe I'll just let go. No censorship. Hmmmm...

For us, extended time in the car eventually leads to conversations about the house, to-do lists, timelines, budgets, what if's.

Should we set the dining room on fire instead of trying to get the rest of the wallpaper off? Possibly.

Can we re-drywall the half bathroom ourselves? Only if we plan to re-tile the floor.

How much does one of those vanities cost anyway? A lot.

Can we start to take down the wallpaper in the hallway yet? Only when we finish the dining room and half bath.

Lists. In my head, in my notebook, in my Blackberry...

In the meantime, more vacation pictures of Maybe...

Speaking of plaid...

I mentioned the plaid wallpaper in my last post, of which we still have a relic to treasure. A papered outlet cover, whose origin was a bit of a mystery for a few months until I found a tiny strip of the same paper above one of the office windows. Not to totally diss plaid, it's just really hard to justify wallpapering a room in it, especially in the 80's.

Wiki says: Tartan is a pattern consisting of criss-crossed horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven cloth, but now they are used in many other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Scotland. Scottish kilts almost always have tartan patterns. (Tartan is also known as plaid in North America, but in Scotland, a plaid is a tartan cloth slung over the shoulder or a blanket.)

Tartan is made with alternating bands of coloured (pre-dyed) threads woven as both warp and weft at right angles to each other. The weft is woven in a simple twill, two over - two under the warp, advancing one thread each pass. This forms visible diagonal lines where different colours cross, which give the appearance of new colours blended from the original ones. The resulting blocks of colour repeat vertically and horizontally in a distinctive pattern of squares and lines known as a sett.

I'm all for a nice tartan, used well of course. Here are a few great examples of when tartan works.

Gorgeous. I'm not sure I should even put anything after this one. A classic Eames chair and ottoman, with a shift from the typical leather upholstery. It's a design nerd's dream.








Vintage cool. This old school thermos is available online at www.etsy.com or possibly in your gramma's attic. Perfect for carrying peppermint cocoa on a winter sledding adventure.








The pillow in the foreground is similar to the wallpaper that once graced our office walls. Very cute in a pillow, but I still shudder when I think about it as wallpaper.









This striking lampshade works when paired with a cut crystal lamp and crisp white paint. I love the little Greyhound statue, it's a great element in this little vignette.









You know I love my flats. Enough said.









A girl can never have enough shoes. These give plaid a little street cred.








And to close, a sweet example of how plaids, paired with stripes, can be very nicely executed. This classic settee is brought down to earth with a navy pinstripe upholstery. The plaids make it even more cozy.

It's not easy being green.

Better late than never right? I hope. We've been so busy doing actual work on the house that I haven't had time to blog about our accomplishments. More is on the way, but here goes with the office finally.

Green is one of my favorite colors, but it's also one of the toughest to get right in a paint color. I think we've pulled this shade off. It's called Asparagus, and we're thrilled with the outcome. We thought it would be fun to go a little bold in the office, and we wanted to find a shade that would work with the pictures and diplomas we had to go in there. Here are a few before and after pics of our first completed room. Oh shoot, well, almost. We do have blinds to hang up, but it's pretty close to being done.

Before, the office was boring white. The built-in shelves were in disarray and the room was generally disorganized.










Cleaning up and organizing the built-ins made such a huge difference. It took a few hours one night to accomplish this, taking everything down and then putting back into place. Of course I'm completely anal about these types of things, so everything had to be placed within a millimeter of perfection.

Here's a better view of the wall color. The room is a bit tight to get a better view than this. We're lucky the walls were in such good shape, because don't you know it, there used to be wallpaper there. Plaid wallpaper. Yes, plaid.



So we'll call it done since the blinds were an afterthought. For me, especially in this house where we're plagued by all this wallpaper, a sign of a finished room is art on the walls. It felt really great to get some pictures up finally. For our first painting project I think we did a great job. Since there is crown moulding and trim everywhere it was easy to tape it all off and get to work. There were lots of high fives in our house that night.

Oh, it is ON!

Well now they've done it. And this time they've gone entirely too far. I am using every ounce of strength not to swear up a storm here. The deer knocked down my fence and picked everything clean. Everything! Hostas? Gone! Bleeding hearts? Gone! The fence was literally knocked over at one end, and at the other, the netting was trampled to the ground. I don't think they are lacking for food, but for whatever reason they prefer my plants to anything else. Don't they know how limited I am with what can grow in the shade here anyway?

Fresh paint.

The living room is on its way to being done. It is slowly taking shape as the game room, since we have no need for a formal living room right now. It’s been painted a lovely shade of blue, much improved from the matte white it was. I think this may be the only room to never have had wallpaper. Which means no spackle, no sanding, just lots and lots of painter’s tape before we got started. We did find evidence of another paint color, something in the taupe/cocoa family, not a bad color actually. The trim is still a very creamy off white, as it is in the rest of the house. When I say very creamy, I mean it’s almost yellow. I’d love for it to be a bit more white, but with all the trim in the house that’s quite an undertaking. Another year maybe.

The smaller flat screen now sits on top of the fireplace mantle, flanked by my vases of peacock feathers. I think they look great there, and it’s also the only place they can really live since Andre would eat them if he could get within reach of them. The Wii is all hooked up, and has been tested of course, so now there is an official Wii TV, with plenty of room to rock out and jump around. I tend to throw elbows when we play hockey, and Mario Kart, well pretty much anything where I’m losing. The rod hockey table is almost ready to go, just waiting on a few replacement parts before we can finish setting it up. We got a really nice dart board, in a little black cupboard, that needs to be hung up. Ping pong has officially been vetoed, at least for upstairs as it would take up the whole room. If we can find a good deal on Craig’s list there is still plenty of room in the basement. I have this feeling that I am an undiscovered ping pong bad ass. I just need a table, and my ping pong legend will be born.

My CL chairs will go in there, along with the most recent CL addition, a corner table I scored for $20 last weekend. It's in the process of some minor repairs to the veneer face. With a fresh coat of paint, a creme found in the Oops bin at Home Depot for $1 (with primer built in!), it will be all set.

So it’s a start. We’re still working on coordinating the artwork for the room. I have my heart set on getting this daybed as well.

New, can you believe it? I’ve seen this in the last few West Elm catalogs but without a need for it I never really gave it much thought. When I saw it again the other day I thought it would be perfect for in there. We want something casual, for lounging, and as this holds a twin mattress, it would also be handy for extra overnight guests. I’m crossing my fingers it will go on sale at some point in the next few months, so we’ll hold out for that.

Before and after pictures to come this week! Every time I walk by the room I love the color more and more.

Holy aftermath of a storm Batman!

We came home last Wednesday to find our neighborhood looking like it had been hit by a tornado. Tree limbs down (those damn locust trees fall apart with the slightest gust), debris everywhere. There was one branch next to the driveway, about 5’ long, that had fallen and stuck straight up, impaled into the ground. We spent over an hour cleaning up what the storm had knocked down. We could’ve done more but the mosquitos were driving us crazy, even with bug spray on, so we called it a night. One particularly large branch landed dangerously close to the house, resting just next to the front porch. It nearly toppled my deer fence, but I managed to untangle everything and save the delicate netting. Another lovely feature of these wretched locust trees is the extra large thorns, not so fun when you’re picking up a yard full of their branches. The back deck is still a disaster but we’ll have to wait until everything dries out to clean that up.

The good news is that the town came back on Thursday to pick up the massive pile of sticks, twigs, branches that we piled up over the weekend and finished off earlier in the week. We figured if the town was nice enough to send a huge truck, a front loader and a crew of three to pick everything up, we might as well make it worth their while. It was quite a pleasant surprise to come home to find it all gone on Thursday. Of course we had to start a new pile once we cleaned up from the storm, but not one that will require the heavy duty equipment.

So the side yard is now mostly cleared. There are still a lot of leaves and small sticks everywhere, but it should all compost well if we can get it collected. We have so much more “yard” now. Granted it’s in the front, and a good chunk of it is sloped, but it really does make things feel more open. There are still enough trees for privacy between the neighbors, but it doesn’t look like an overgrown mess anymore.

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday

Another successful weekend of hardcore landscaping. Our faithful crew returned, with chainsaw in tow, for another round with the overgrown mess that is our yard. I planted the three remaining azalea and the lilac, which have sadly still been in their pots from the store for about two months now. They seemed to be doing fine so I procrastinated a bit, but now they are finally in permanent homes. We cut down a few more trees and lots of shrubby, weedy bushes in the side yard. Lots of weeding and pruning (thank you! thank you!) on the trees and bushes we're keeping.

Dave had his sights set on the bush at the end of the driveway, an overgrown and mostly dead Juniper. He hacked it back and then it was finished off with the chainsaw, clearing up a huge section of the side yard, and even revealing a small post fence in front of the transformer. Who knew! I was a little nervous about removing something so large, mostly because of the work it will take to cover up the mess it left, but it looks so much better. There is a huge bare spot, surrounded by weeds (below) that need to be taken care of, but still, better. I'm thinking that it might even get enough sun down there to plant flowers. Actual flowers that bloom colorful blooms. I know this may be a lot to ask, but it seems to have worked for some of the neighbors.



A cluster of pine trees also fell prey to the chainsaw. I was a little unsure about taking them down at first, because it would make the driveway so much more open, but again it was a great improvement. Our massive pile of sticks and branches decreased for a time, and them filled right back up again. I hope the neighbors don't mind. This is what one side of the driveway looks like now.



I am still trying to wrap my head around the neglect that this yard has suffered over the years from multiple owners. Yes, the work is a bit daunting, but it only gets worse if you continue to do nothing. I guess they were too busy putting up all that wallpaper to worry about the outside.

In the meantime we're hoping the town comes back to pick up the pile we left in the road. The town website says everything must be put in bins to be collected, but everyone else on the street just puts everything right in the road (which I absolutely hate!) but it gets taken away just the same. This morning they emptied the bins full of sticks we put out as a good faith gesture, like look! we tried!, but they left the large pile. Fingers crossed that they come back for the rest!

First impressions...

Sometimes a great entryway is all you need. In my friend Jen's case, sometimes it's all you've got. Having recently moved into a new apartment she's found herself starting from scratch with her decor. Being a money savvy girl she's been taking her time making the place her own. I think this is the best way to do things. When people rush out and try to fill a room all at once it looks forced and cold. If you take your time and find things you really love it will always come out better.

So after major purchases like a couch and a bed, she went to work on her entryway. She found a great painted white console table (at TJ Maxx) and got them to give her a discount due to a few minor nicks and scratches. A total steal at the end of the day. Above it she hung a large square mirror from Pier One Imports. On the console sat a small hammered silver lamp and a rectangular tray to catch keys, change, etc. Beneath she placed a square basket (with hinged lid) and a blue and white Ming style urn. Of course I neglected to take a picture, and I'm sure I'm leaving out a few details, but the results were impressive. We stood in her entryway for 15 minutes admiring everything and chatting about her finds. It made for a great first impression.

We liked it so much we bought the same table, in black, right after we left her apartment, with her blessing of course. I'm hoping to spiff up our large front hall, but of course there is a major amount of wallpaper to be dealt with first. As usual I've dreamt up all these things in my head that I'll probably never find. But if I give it some time I'm sure I can find a few things to love to adorn the new table.

So no matter what your style is, put your best foot forward with a great entryway. I found some great images that reflect a variety of different tastes and function...










A great way to display a collection, whether it's vases, model boats or ceramic cats.

























I love the use of pattern and color in this hall. And the recycling of an old dresser works perfectly if you have one hanging around. This could be great if you have storage issues. You could stash linens, winter gear or other miscellaneous items.









Funky, function, minimalist or glam, the key is to keep it simple. As you can see it doesn't take much to make a statement if it's done right.

Tribute to an old friend.

Oh domino, how I miss you. Domino magazine was published by Conde Nast from 2005 until 2009, when the recession finally took it's toll on the publication. The day I heard this news is one I will not soon forget. I got in on domino early on and was quickly hooked. As I already had a subscription to its sister publication, Lucky (a fashion shopping magazine), I was sent a preview issue of domino. I was sold. Not only did it have beautiful glossy images of chic homes, the best part was that it told you where you could find all of the items shown and how much they cost. It blended expensive designer items with bargain finds, listed paint colors, and gave alternatives for one of a kind or antique items featured.

Since the first issue it's been a great inspiration to me. I'm sad to say I don't have every issue in my library, but I do have a sizable collection. During one move I hastily threw away some of the early issues but I have not made that mistake again. Domino also had a great website that was unfortunately shut down along with the magazine. However, thanks to the internet many of it's images still live on. Here are a few of my favorites...


I can't say enough about this kitchen. Stainless steel appliances, gorgeous marble, my favorite color blue paint, and an over the top chandelier. If I could copy this exactly in my house I would, but I don't think it would translate as well with our set up. It is however a great inspiration photo.


I love the bold use of such a dark color in a children's room. A bit taboo one might think, but balanced with the bright white paint on the fireplace and brightly colored toys, it comes out quite fun. This kind of a room growing up would most certainly breed sophistication and cool into any kid.









Again, bold color, but when played off lots of white, whimsical prints and laid back artwork it all works. This room has a thrown together, flea market feel that's actually pulled together pretty perfectly. It's a bright and inviting, quaint little space.











Ah symmetry, a beautiful thing when done as well as this. A pair of twin beds has never looked so chic. The mix of light blue and bright pink, paired with crisp black and white is one of my personal favorites. I love the odd juxtaposition of the butterfly prints above the bed. I would have never thought to do that, but somehow it works quite well.








I almost forgot the best part! In 2008 domino released The Book of Decorating. A guide to domino style, chock full of pictures and how-to advice. It breaks decorating (I know, not my favorite word, but in this case I'll go along) into simple elements and tells you how to put everything together in a way that works for you. It retails for $32 and is available online through Amazon, Overstock, etc as well as in store at Anthropologie, West Elm and many more.

Awwww...

Someone has taken a liking to Maybe's new bed. Only of course when Maybe is nowhere around. When I'm in the office Andre likes to come in and hang out with me. Dave has informed me this is highly illegal, but I disagree. He looks so cute all curled up on the big cushion.

I owe you.

I know I do. Still no pictures of the completed study. Oh hell, can we go back to calling it the office now? It takes too much energy to remember to say study instead. It really only needs a little bit of work in there to be complete. I just don't want to take pictures until it's 100% done. So, a little cleaning, primping, vacuuming and a few diplomas to get on the wall. Soon I promise. There is just so much going on it's hard to steal a few hours to get it done. I don't think we have a free weekend at home until July 4th. There is too much summer fun to be had, work can wait!

Sometimes it's what you don't see...

Those are the things that can make a big difference. That was the theme of this weekend's accomplishments, not intentionally of course, but it turned out that way. We kicked off the weekend by replacing the broken bed slats with a new support system. My bed frame is very old and did not have any support slats when I got it.

Funny story here about that bed. In my family we have a tradition of sorts, which has now evolved into a joke most of the time. It started with my Grandmother's house, we would write our name with chalk on something that we wanted to take when it became available. It's evolved now to where actual chalk doesn't even need to be used, but you can "chalk" something, aka call dibs, without having to write your name on it. So anyway, a long time ago I was in my gramma's barn and chalked a wrought iron bed frame that I liked. Lord knows how old I was at the time. But, as soon as I got my first apartment she started calling me to ask when I was going to take that bed. While I had forgotten all about it, Grandma forgot nothing. So after some pestering the bed frame eventually made its way from the barn in Massachusetts to my apartment.


This is the closest likeness I can find to my bed, although this is a twin and mine is a full. Even the peeling ivory paint is the same! I still can't bring myself to photograph our bedroom with that hideous wallpaper.


After I acquired it I rigged some slats to fit across the old metal frame. I didn't have much to work with but I bought some 1 x 3" pine boards at Home Depot and had them cut to length. Then I used a hand saw to cut shorter end caps to keep the slats in place, and nailed those to the slats. It worked for a while, but nails were clearly not the best choice and the ends were constantly wiggling themselves off. So I'd pop them back on, sometimes put another nail in, and it would hold a bit longer. Several moves later most of the caps were lost as was one of the boards. Still, it all managed to hold up okay. Until this last move. I think there was only one board with a cap on one end, and nothing wanted to stay in place.

So Friday morning I took myself once again to Home Depot to fix this problem once and for all. I bought two long boards to serve as runners to hold the slats and the box spring firmly in place. And this time I bought screws. Although it was time consuming to line up and measure each piece to that it was even, it came out pretty well. Thank goodness for my drill and cordless screwdriver. It was all good to go until we went to set it into place. I hadn't accounted for a little quarter inch bump out at the corners of the bed, where the side rails meet up with the frame. Ahhh! So we took it off and trimmed down the runners with a hand saw until it fit.

Success finally! This had been on my to-do list for a few months now and I'm so glad it's out of the way. The new runners also made a nice clean line for our new bed skirt.

Also on the theme of things you can't see...drum roll please...we now have wireless internet! After many attempts, and a few calls to tech support both at Time Warner and the router company Dave got everything going. Hooray!

The weekend's biggest project was in the kitchen trying to repair all the damage to the walls from the previous 3+ layers of wallpaper and various shoddy repairs in between. You'd think this house is 100 years old, not 30, from the terrible shape of these walls. We are thinking that at some point the walls, or possibly the cupboards were painted blue. We found bits of blue paint in a few places that have us scratching our heads. After lots of careful scraping, sanding and spackling, the walls are nearly ready to be primed. I'm hoping that we've done enough to make them nice and smooth. It's hard to tell right now as everything is shades of various shades of white. It feels smooth, I just hope it looks that way once we get some paint on it.




Before and after of a tear in the drywall.





And a final view after we cleaned up all the dust and debris. All of this took much longer than we imagined. Our goals changed as the hours passed by. We went from getting excited to see the paint on the walls to praying that we'd be able to even get them primed. Well that didn't happen, but it does look much, much better already. Just a few more hours of prep and we'll be able to prime and paint. I can't wait to see that!