Who Will I be?

What do you do when your life plan has stalled? When for the first time in life...you don't have to do something. Well maybe, a little something like pack a lunch, wake up a kid, do laundry. You are the same person you were only different because you are not doing as much of the same things. Work has defined who I was for so long and now less time is spent on work and more on my family. I am lopsided or maybe I was lopsided and am now evenly balanced.

I am still coming to terms with all the different "doing" since closing my stores. My family has managed to fill my time with errands, wants and needs and totally reversed the balance of my time. I get up in the morning and yesterday finally sat down at 9 pm to read my design magazine.Where did the day go? And how did I get the title "sort of a stay at home mom" from my oldest? He lives in fear I will join the PTA.

My day went like this....
Scheduled and fixed the garage door
Scheduled the lawnmower repair and septic repair at the lake
Bought brake pads for David's bike
Bought school supplies
Bought new food processor ( didn't work have to return it today)
Cleaned
Unpacked from vacation
Laundry
Made a fabulous dinner borrowed the neighbors food processor
Went to the gym
Worked on my Mom's addition for her house and kitchen layout
Consoled and cheered up my 80 year old mother on the phone multiple times through the day

I sit here still trying to figure out who I will be when I grow up and how I will balance my passion design with the needs/wants of my brood. Hhhmmm. Maybe I need an office or a store outside of this place to keep everyday details from stealing my time. At least I got to write in my blog and maybe I will get to work on my headboards today with Reedy Roo as my assistant.

Anyway, life has changed my plans, no headboard and I am off on a plane in the next few minutes. Back home where I just returned from to take care of my Mom. Maybe, I need a mobile office......

Love
Melinda

How to fake it?

No, I am not talking about that. Is that all you think about? I am talking about height, size, scale of a room.What do you do when you are not blessed with 9' or 10' ceilings? Yours are a mere 7' ( really tough) or 8' foot. Most of us know the tricks for dressing skinny and looking taller? Well, they work for your room too.

Model-Head to toe color. Rich warm browns in different textures create a long lean silhouette. I forgot who this is....

Ilse Crawford founder of brittish Elle Decor creates a stunning room in neutal shades of stone. Hanging chairs float above the floor to create an open airy feel. And you can't avoid following the lean line of chain all the way up to the ceiling. The low couch and chaise exagerate the room height. The same as when you dress...don't cut your self in half applies to a room. The basic rule of a long tunic top with slim jeans or a cropped jacket with a high waisted skirt. It's all about playing with proprotions.

Miles Redd draws your eye up, up and up with lacquered rich navy cabinetry to the ceiling. If this was an outfit it would be a lean tailored pant suit with a simple thin alligator belt around the waist.

Somtimes packing more into a small space makes it seem larger. I won't share a pic ( wouldn't be nice) but we all know the power of spandex and forcing a little extra into a pair of  bike shorts or skinny jeans. Remember the Saturday Night Live episode of " Gloria Vanderbilt Jeans" and them lying on the bed to zip them....It works great for a room not for your thighs. Pic courtesy of Domino Mag (RIP) but check out Lonny Magazine online for most and by special order in print for those of us who need paper.

Draw the eye up and around the room with repeated pops of color. Make sure that is not your husbands photo with the face painted over...might not inspire romance. OOPS!!!! I forgot where this phot is from if you know please tell me so I can give them credit.

PATTERN, PATTERN,PATTERN.....BUT IT MUST BE THE RIGHT ONE.  The herringbone wood walls point right up to the sky, breaking up all the wood with an unexpected detail. So much more intersting than a vertical paneled wall or even a horizontal paneled wall.

Off to my closet to find an outfit that will make me grow an inch or two. Have a wonderful weekend.

Love
Melinda

Summer Happiness

Heading into the last big weekend of Summer... I am reminded of something my father taught me. "Happiness is a choice". I am reading a great book Happy: Simple Steps to Get the Most Out of Life by Ian K. Smith, M.D.

I love taking tests: style, personality love, relationship and this book has a Happiness Test, a first for me. Now I won't reveal all the questions because it would take way too long to type it and I might get in trouble with the copyright cops. You need to go out and buy the book and take the test for yourself. In less than 5 minutes you'll know how happy you are. The biggest surprise for me was my realization...if I could live my life over, I would change nothing. I couldn't think of one thing that mattered enough for me to have done it differently.Now part of that is probably due to hormones and not being able to remember parts of my life anymore and part of it is I really am Happy.

With the days getting shorter it is time to say goodbye to some of my Summer happiness makers and allow new ones to enter for Fall.


2010 Summer Happiness List:
A perfectly still lake,a slalom ski and a boat that can pull me at 32 MPH
My memory of Reedy Roo falling asleep on the potty with his pants around his ankles and his head slumped to the side...worn out from the beach
Hanging out on the lake with all three of my boys David( husband),Cameron, and Reed
A cold beer with my friends in the 100 degree heat
Early morning with a cup of coffee on the dock the chairs still moist with dew
 Staring up at the inky sky filled with thousands of sparkling stars

Goodbye Summer.

Happy Heritage Americana

Lately, I have been avoiding reading the newspaper. The headlines are depressing...economy slows, housing sales down, you know the titles.The rocky stock market, loss of jobs and malaise is turning us back to our roots. Forget the global trends for a second, take a look at the resurgence of plain and simple Americana designs popping up everywhere. Comfort food for your home via the Wingback and the Windsor chair.

The wingback is the quintessential New England, Martha Stewart style chair pulled up before a fire. Ever wonder why the wings? The original purpose of those wings and the high back was to keep drafts away and to protect the milky white complexions of women from the roaring fires flames.

Restoration Hardware Wingback

The Windsor Chair originally from England was introduced to America by the 1726 governor of Pennsylvania, Patrick Gordon. American chairs were constructed out of softer woods like pine. The soft wood required thicker seats for strength.Unlike their English cousins they were always painted.

Modern Windsor Chair in Cast Aluminum from Oly Studio

Did you watch Secrets of a Stylist on Sunday night? Fabulous new HGTV show with Emily Henderson the natural beauty, winner of  Design Star who makes you want her as your B.F.F.

She used both the big W's in her design more than once.Check her design out below.

Windsor Style bench and it's even painted Way to go Emily!

See that chair tucked in the corner a black painted Windsor.

Center stage Emily's chair choice the Wingback.

So get out that dusty blue or maybe even mauve pink wingback hiding in your attic.Change out the dated upholstery for some simple natural linen in grey like Emily used or griege like Restoration Hardware's.Update the legs with paint or even more fun liming paste.