The Reilly Express

These wood letters have been painted for several months.  Some nails and wall putty were all it took to mount The Reilly Express!  Letters and craft paint were both found at Michael's.  They were originally planned for above my son's bed but he asked they be in the playroom.  The "express"  looks lopsided as they were lined up with the tops of the letters were aligned.  Normally I would straighten them out so that they lined up from the bottom as "the" did but the more I think about it, the more I think to leave it as is.  This is a toddler/preschooler playroom that just happens to have our desks in it.  It feels more child-like.
When creating a space, its not required for everything to be perfect.  And seeing as how I don't live in a magazine photo, I think my slightly messy mounting job looks just fine. :)

Happy Earth Day!

Nothing is too small to help the earth.  Everyone knows about the blue bins we put our plastic and newspapers in each week but there are ways to reuse without having to use the recycling bin.  About twice a year we head to our "local" Stride Rite and get our son new shoes for his ever-growing toddler feet.  While I could recycle the shoe boxes I've done what I think is one better.  He's not too much of a colorer but still, being able to foster that creativity when it arises is important and what better to hold all the rainbow's colors but a bright Stride Rite shoe box?  Sustainable design is important.  It's not just pieces that will last, but ones that are environmentally friendly (ie: voc free paint).  Atop a crayola table/chair set clearanced on Bed Bath & Beyond is a size 11 shoe box filled with every color imaginable.  Happy Earth Day!

Patio Plan

So spring is approaching and it's getting warmer.  Time will be more often spent outside.  Taking a break from chasing a preschooler around the yard can wear anyone out so why not plan a place where you can relax and that makes you want to be outdoors!  I'll be acquiring some more patio furniture this week and I've been looking for months already for the perfect outdoor patio decor.  My first plan was to find something bright and attractive.  I'd picked out a lovely coral lounge cushion, a coral/navy floral cushions, and coordinating pillows that would alternate between the styles.  I loved it, and still do; but realizing how bad that would clash with my existing patio furniture I retreated and started fresh.    I'm always debating in my head, regardless how well things come together so any critique is welcome.  Here are the pieces I've settled on right now.  The furniture is white metal (but we all know that furniture color is only temporary.  Things are constantly repainted or reupholstered.)

Blazing Needles Pillow        Oleana Chair Cushion

Canopy Chaise Blue River           Montgomery Spa Pillow

All pieces are from walmart.com.  I actually really love the muted colors.  No it's not really "springy" but I'd be laying out on that chaise in a heartbeat!  The solid pillows would be placed on the oleana cushions and the montgomery pillows on the Blue River cushions.  

2 important questions

David linked this to me today.  It has some very good advice in the article about midway down.  Instead of taking back what doesn't fit, we just go buy something else.  Don't get the first thing you see.  Take your time in designing any space.  A rush to complete can result in not only an excess of "junk", but also an emptying wallet.

http://consumerist.com

Instead Of Returning Stuff That Doesn't Fit In, We Buy More

By Ben Popken on April 11, 2011 3:00 PM

(Thrift Store Addict)

We've all been there. That purple end table that looked so fetch in the store is woefully out of place when you bring it back to your abode. The rational thing to do would be to return the item. According to a new study, instead, what we do is go out and buy more things like it to make it fit in.

The effect is highest for products that have high "design salience," where aspects of their design are a key factor in the product. This is also known more commonly as "form over function." When products with "design salience" come into a space where they don't match their surroundings, we get bummed and try to go out and get more like them, what researchers in the study published in the Journal of Marketing Research call "aesthetic incongruity resolution."'

The study advises shoppers to ask themselves two questions before making a design-based purchase. Is it attractive and does it fit in what I already have? Unless the answer to both is yes, move on. Otherwise that little impulse purchase can end up costing you several hundreds in upgrades.

Aesthetic Incongruity Resolution (PDF) [Journal of Marketing Research]

what to do, what to do?!

I have so so many ideas and plans for the home that I almost drown in the sea of things I've left to do.  I've always been a list kind of girl and I find it effective for any goal to have a list.  It can help you realize what needs to be done and in what order to do it.  I haven't gotten so far as making a chronological list of what to do when, but here's a general idea of what's going on in my decor mind:

1. paint kitchen (i think i've decided on color its just a matter of time and patience...and painter's tape.)
2. redo cabinets? (right now they are a light wood color with white counter tops.  i'd love to stain them darker and have a faux granite finish counter top.)
3. grape vines to adorn top of kitchen cabinets (I love the colors of Tuscany.)
4. backsplash? (Just have a clear plastic screwed onto the wall.  Effective, but not eye catching.)
5. fridge (Would love to have some kind of organization above.  Baskets always look nice.)
6. paint dining/living area (its really one big wall and I need to figure out what to do about that.)
7. decor for wall behind sectional (it was moved to accommodate view of larger television)
8. corner tv console
9. some sort of coat rack on wall that ends up behind the door (i need something functional that can also fit behind the door with jackets hung)
10. stairwell (would love wood steps with white risers...the part that is vertical....and wall decor.  might move the 3 collage frames that were supposed to be on the funky wall onto one side of the stairwell)
11. patio furniture (receiving the furniture from my mom....need to pick out cushions and pillows)
12. console table (planning on using the leftover shutter for this.  could also end up by the front door outside)
13. front porch seating (this may end up being a wicker or rattan loveseat with some sort of outdoor metal wall decor)

It makes me feel better knowing this is all I really have to do.  But at the same time the funds are required and the research into preferred mood and style are needed.  I look forward to having it done but more so the doing.  It's not just the destination, but the journey.  I plan to have many many before and after posts.  ATM I'm repainting our patio door.   My husband and his dad painted it in a hurry last summer as it was soon raining and my lazy bum just now decided to change that.  I love the crisp clean white on the outside but I'm tempted to be daring and try a different color inside as I feel the white clashes with my more subdued darker mood of the dining space.  I'll try my DIY curtains first and see what feels right.  I love decorating.  It's so fun and interesting to see what different people find exciting.  Till next time....

The deal on shaggy rugs.

I went to Target today to get a rug mat, which is the best invention EVA' and while perusing the rugs surrounding said mat I stumbled upon a trio of shag rugs; one red, one green, and one taupe.  I've been somewhat in the market for a new rug under the dining table for some time; even since I purchased the existing rug years ago at Lowe's.  So here's the predicament.  Do I go Shaggy?  The pile is about 1 1/2" high and oh MY does it feel good!  It's like the feeling you get walking on tall beautifully green grass.  Soft, but not wet :P
Anyways, now that you've got the "feel" for it, what's the logic behind it?  Sure it looks good, but whats the practicality?  What's the function?  How would the lifestyle of the rug be?  I have a nearly 4 year old in the house so I definitely need something that will stand up to the daily life of a toddler home and still satisfy my decorating itch because oh do I need scratching!  (I've really got an itch now that hubby has a new tv which required moving my sectional back against the wall, destroying my walkway in the process.)  So doing what I do, I search the glorious internet for information on shag rugs.  My first stop is Just Shag Rugs.  Did you know how many types of shag rugs there are?  Even I'm astounded.  Seems no shag rug is simply a shag rug.  The rugs in my son's bathroom resemble shag and its so comfortable!  A joy to walk on.  But all I find here is types and brands. What's the scoop really? this website seemed to really know its stuff.  While the rugs offer comfort and style and are a fabulous decor piece,  they can be a pain to clean; and with a small child in the house, this may not be the best choice for me.  But will that stop me from considering it?  NOPE!  I'm tempted to move the contemporary and short pile rug from the living area to the dining area and place a shag rug in the living area as there are no drinks or food allowed there.  But still....will my vacuum be as accepting?  Whether or not you find these sources to be informational, there is a lesson to be learned.  Do not pick your pieces based solely on the pros.  Know there are always cons and sometimes those cons will outweigh the pros and no matter how much you like the pros, its best to go with the up side of the weight scale.  Do your research.  Know what you're buying before you buy.