Aspiring Artistry

Floral Design with Thistle

Have you ever used these flowers (I think they are thistles of a sort?) in an arrangement? 

I'll admit it, I've always skipped by them in the grocery and in the flower shop, not knowing what the heck to do with them. They're rather intimidation in appearance, but the color - that subtle purple! - just can't be ignored! (And goes quite perfect with my house.)

When I saw this picture in my online meanderings, it grabbed my attention. I filed it away for "someday," not knowing when I might feel inspired.

Photo via: Saipua  Check out their beautiful arrangements!

I appreciate the stark angle of the arrangement, high to low. I'm not a huge fan of the white box as container, so I made a different choice.

I'm not sure what the trailing flower pictured above is exactly, perhaps some sort of sedum or berry? Obviously, I just used what I found in late fall in my backyard.

I think it turned out pretty well!

The Sweet Spot

It's a tricky spot. Everyone's got one. If you're lucky, you have dedicated container of sorts for all the stuff that accumulates.

These spots tend to be on the counter next to the stove, on a shelf above the stove, or maybe in a handy cabinet below the stove.  Most seem to have a few similar ingredients, like salt, pepper, and cooking spray, and then other ingredients based on your particular cooking style. Mine has cinnamon, red pepper, and usually a head of garlic.

When I came across this antique brass and walnut book rack at an antique sale, I knew exactly where it should live!

While it would certainly look lovely with books, it will be even more useful in the kitchen (next to the stove!) to corral all the bottles and jars.

I've set it up with a few of the things I love, knowing that soon it will be overflowing with other spices and sweets. For now, three of my favorite food-related books, a small painted horn bowl and spoon purchased on my most recent trip to Kenya, and a white sugar dish given by my mother.

Ahhhh ... beauty + organization = satisfaction.

Textures

Here and there, I've been gathering up things that seem to have a common theme ... texture. Whether real or illustrated, these beautiful treasures either feel distinct to the touch, or give the illusion of such touch.

Check out this beautiful French wire tray that I found at a  flea market last month. It's fairly small, just a bit shorter than an envelope, and I love it's gently curved sides and delicate, yet sturdy, wire frame.

In a local home furnishings store last week, I saw this remarkable paper on their walls. I immediately thought about the walls on which I'm contemplating grass cloth, and decided I had to have a sample to bring home. 

The multilayered paper is a combination of metallic finishes and cork products. It is fantastic! It's a Candice Olson branded paper, but I couldn't find the exact one on the website.

And last, but certainly not least, this super-cool faux-bois packing tape. I have no packages to send at present, but come Christmas, this will be decorating my kraft paper boxes. Or maybe some simply-wrapped gifts under the tree!

Doin' The Flea with Eddie

I had a great time this weekend, hitting the flea market with my sister, led by Eddie Ross. We spent about two hours with Eddie & Jaithan, touring the market and stopping at some item-specific booths.

We stopped and chatted at booth's focusing on linens, glass, silver, serving ware, prints, furniture and jewelry. In each of those instances, Eddie guided us through some of the finer points of object identification and construction, and then elaborated on new and innovative ways to use these items. 

The quality of shopping was better than I expected, and I really did learn a lot. Annie from Firefly Hill  was there and has blogged about some of his specific suggestions, tips and tricks. (Plus, her photos are so much better than my phone pics!)

Both Eddie and Jaithan were so interesting, easy to talk to, and such fun! If you get the chance to join them on a trip, I'd highly recommend it!

We did find some goodies, too! I came home with this great little French wire tray, a half-rounded shape. I might use it for mail, but I bet it would be great with a small baguette waiting for some cheese! I've been searching for a small, simple footstool that I can paint and/or reupholster, to go with a rather ornate chair I have in the living room. This one, flimsily upholstered in a grayish-blue, is a simple and inexpensive fix.

We also found a great old apple crate. I might put little casters on the bottom and use it for toy storage, or turn it into a home for my ridiculous amount of magazines. But what makes it really special is that it comes from my husband's hometown. 

All in all, a crazy-successful day. My brain is still swirling with ideas I gleaned on our tour!

House Issues :: Part 2

Recap Part 1:

Option #1: Stay where we are. Deal with the lack out outside, realizing it's just the trade off for living in this part of the city, which we love, and in the house to which we dedicated so much time, energy and resource.

Option #2: Move to the other city neighborhood, sacrificing some house and atmosphere for the outdoor space.

And then we have ...

Option #3: The most practical. Stay. Wait. Bide our time. Be responsible. Save money. Eventually be able to find a house, in our current neighborhood, one that has more outdoor space than we have now. Hope that it won't be ten years from now, and that we'll still have kids actually interested in being outside.

Of course, It would never be as much space as option #2, but it certainly could be a happy medium. The biggest drawbacks are timing and money. There are very few houses in this neighborhood that sit on a large lot. Thus, they're rarely available, and they cost more. 

It's been really helpful to me to think through it all by writing it out, and I expect a decision is forthcoming very, very soon. 

Probably by my next post (hint, hint).

Flea Market Time!

I have little flea market experienced, but am so excited about my guided flea market trip tomorrow with Eddie Ross and Jaithan! 

I'm visiting my sister this weekend, and this will be us totally indulging in girl time. I'm more of a browser than a buyer, but am hoping to find some oval frames (for all the silhouettes I keep planning to do ... someday!) and artwork for my bedroom, living room, and dining room.

I was checking through my reader, and found that the author of one of the blogs I love to read will be shopping with Eddie this weekend, too. Small world!

This is turning out to be more of a shopping weekend than I expected. My sister lives in this great community, a mix of residential, retail and business. Literally right across the street from her are two of my favorite stores, one an old favorite and one a new favorite (I've only been an online shopper ... have never been inside!!).

I hope to be back early next week to show you all my bootie and finds from both this local shopping and the more adventurous shopping with Eddie. Oh! And I'll conclude my earlier House Drama post.

I Have Issues: House Issues, That Is. Part 1.

I love my home. It's a beautiful brick row house on the edge of a great city neighborhood, built at the beginning of the last century.

I certainly didn't love it when I first saw it: a run-down duplex that hadn't been treated well in years and years. But after enjoying the rent from our tenants for a few years, we fixed up some areas, ripped out and started over in others. It's unrecognizable from it's decrepit past, yet maintains the important historical moldings, and some of the room layouts.

This was our first home as a couple, and it's the house that my children came home to from the hospital. I know every nook and cranny, because I made it.

However, it is missing one thing: outside space. Grass. Room for a table for four. 

Yes, we have a garage (huge deal around here!) and a small backyard postage stamp, which we have made the best it can be. But it's still tiny. It's still paved.

This is not my house, but you can get the general feeling from it. 

Frankly, I never thought I needed more. The house is more than generous in size, but I'm getting more than a little tired of not having a backyard to send the kids out to, having to pack up a bag or car to get to an actual green space. I want to dig in the dirt and grow beautiful flowers, I want the children to climb a tree and maybe even fall! Thus, I've been looking at "house p*rn" for about 2 years now, and we've put an offer on one house...it was perfect. It obviously failed. And yes, I'm still bitter.

I'm okay with leaving this house, but I'm not so hip on leaving the city. Nothing wrong with life in the 'burbs, it's just not for me. 

Thus, my choices are limited.

I recently came across a great old farmhouse, a la Martha Stewart, that's still within the city limits, but not really a walking neighborhood. It's on a beautiful acre lot, hosts some magnificent old trees. The house has charm, very different from my big-moldings home now, but a quiet charm full of natural light. Oh, and some awful 1970s remodeling. 

Awful. Awful. Not livable. As in: must-renovate-before-moving-in-type-bad. But the price is right, and this house with renovation would equal out with the sale of our current home.

Nor is this the house I'm contemplating, but you get the idea. Imagine a similar house, in a city neighborhood, significantly more run-down, but with great potential.

There are kids on the street, great potential for a beautiful home and crazy-big yard (by city standards, that is!), and definite livability. But no place to walk. Wait, I already said that. Yea, that's because it's important to me.

Alrighty, that's where I'm cutting this one off. If you've read this far, I commend you. This is therapy of sorts for me, and I'm hoping after writing it all out, I'll come to a decision.

I'll continue later with Option #3. Hint: it's not moving to the 'burbs.

Cookbook Stand Roundup

It's a continuing challenge. There the cookbook lies, a mess among bowls and spatulas, partially covered in ingredients and dirty fingerprints. And it lies flat on the counter, which isn't the easiest view when trying to follow a recipe.

Enter the cookbook stand. Something to prop up your book to reading level, and hopefully something you don't mind leaving out.

There are lots of acrylic or metal frame cookbook stands out there, but suppose you want something remotely attractive sitting out on the counter? 

(1) Super-useful interior storage, for all those scraps that make their way into your recipe files. (2) Easy on the eyes:  cherry-toned and lucite. (3) Can’t decide on a style? This tucks away under cabinet. (4) Traditional iron scrolls (5) Why go rummaging through the drawer to find measuring equivalents? These are right on the side of your stand.

 

My Continuing White Obsession

I have almost no white in my house, save the washer and dryer, so I'm not sure why I keep snatching up white pieces for my home. Especially faux bois.

When I saw this in a local lifestyle magazine, I sighed. Well, first my hands clenched the pages tightly with excitement, then I sighed when I thought that I'd never be able to have one of my very own.

Until I flipped to the source list in the back, and saw it was carried by a wonderful shop here in my city. Again, though, my heart fell as I realized the magazine was eight months old. As a former home furnishings retailer, I knew the likelihood of it still being in stock was tiny, and perhaps impossible to reorder.

But alas, they had it, I called in my credit card number sight unseen, and grinned from ear to ear. 

With the addition of a few simple orchids, reindeer moss, and this super-cool burlap printed runner/rug, I think it fits in just fine.

But uh oh. Have you checked out the manufacturer website? There is waaay too much to add to this new obsession.

What Would You Do?

My mother brought this to me when visiting last week. She and my father lived for many years in Asia, and purchased this on a trip to China, probably back in the 70s.

My first intention was to make it into a sleek, sleeveless/cap sleeved, straight dress, leaving the frogs up the front (but sewed shut, of course!). 

However, some unfortunate stains dot the front (looks like soy sauce to me), and we can't get them out. It leaves the front pieces unusable for the most part, although I'm sure pieces could be salvaged. 

I'd really like to keep this, and use it in a meaningful sort of way. I grew up surrounded by photographs, artifacts, and books from my parents' time in Southeast Asia, and it really made an impact on me over the years. This certainly isn't a fine piece, but my mother has wonderful memories of it that I would love to honor. 

She told me I could just wear it to lounge around the house, to which I asked "When do I ever get to 'lounge around' these days?"

She wore it "all the time" (thus the soy sauce stains?) when she brought me home from the hospital. Lovely, I thought. You were also 25, were lucky enough to spend a decent amount of time recovering in a lovely hospital setting, living in a third world country, and enjoying the company of a full-time housekeeper. My life doesn't work that way.

I thought about some sort of runner for the dining room - it would match beautifully. Any other thoughts?

WWYD?