The Cure...

Whoops! Wrong Cure. It's the Apartment Therapy Spring Cure!! I am soooo in this time. I tried it before in our old house but, dang, that place had sooo much wrong with it...including 7 years of accumulated JUNK.

Now, as you can see by the last post, I am in a new, uncluttered home. The downside is that we have practically NOTHING for furnishings. We weren't able to bring all of our things with us to Wyoming and being a thrifting girl I assumed it wouldn't take long to replenish what was needed. Boy was I wrong. For some reason the prices of "used" home furnishings are CRAZY!! Even the trash! And we are a million miles from any IKEA, Target, or other decent store. I love our new town, really I do, but I can't even find a Domino magazine here. It's all Country Living and Quilting Digest!

So now as Week One is about to begin I am trying to go through the questions in the Apartment Therapy book to determine my Decorating Style which isn't going well. I am to eclectic to catagorize. (That's my way of saying I am a mixed up mess).

Favorites:

1) Actress:

Sandra Bullock

Ashley Judd

Anna Faris

Emma Thompson

2) Actor:

Kenneth Branagh

Simon Pegg

John Wayne because he was a man above men. I just love him the way you love a grandpa!

3) Artist:

Henri Matisse. I do love the colors

Andrew Wyeth because his work is so haunting

4) Writer:

Barbara Michaels/Elizabeth Peters:

Dave Barry

Amy Tan

Elizabeth Berg

Anne Lamott

5) Music (my most eclectic area)

Rock (KISS, ACDC, The Donnas)

Pop-Rock (Pat Benatar, Blondie)

Jazz/Blues (Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday)

Celtic (Clannad, Loreena McKennitt)

6) Restaurant

I rarely eat out. But I love retro diners.

7) Automobile

Mid-60's Plymouth Valiant

8) TV Show

Smallville

Paranormal State

Charmed

America's Next Top Model

Fawlty Towers

9) Clothing

Jeans Jeans Jeans

Bright and Funky accessories

10) How would you describe your style (3 words)

Eclectic

Down To Earth (is that a word?)

Fun

Personal History

Where have you lived:

Born: Vermont

Grew up: Vermont

As an adult: Vermont and now Wyoming

Whom would you consider a role model:

Wonder Woman :)

Quality Admired In This Person:

completely sure of herself

strong

intelligent

Apartment:

What is the problem with your home?:

bland

lack of personality

not enough storage

If your home could speak what would it say is the problem?:

"I am soooo bored! Would you people give me a little help here?"

What would you like to do or do more of in your home:

Have cozy family times

In 8 weeks how would you like friends to describe your home:

cozy

funky

fun

My Manifest Destiny...

That's it! In just one week we will be leaving our home state of Vermont. Leaving our families, our friends, and everything familiar and heading west! Welcome to Lander, Wyoming! We have been itching to do this for years now and finally we decided it was time. We are renting a little (emphasis on little) ranch house in town and it will be a new experience to say the least. Going from a large farmhouse to a tiny ranch is a squeeze but we are looking forward to it. Time to purge the un-needed, un-necessary and un-loved from our stuff. Getting rid of the seven years of accumulated clutter is like having a painful growth removed....hurts at the time but feels great later!!

So here is the new home. Cute, eh? It was killer trying to find a rental in Lander but the personnel director at my husband's new company did the impossible and discovered a three bedroom home that allows our pets!! I just couldn't bear to get rid of my animals! Could you??

So, today I am asking for

KITCHEN HELP

We have this great eat in kitchen with lots of cabinets and nice white appliances. As far as I know right now, I can't paint anything, so any advice I receive will have to be the simple stuff. Also my husband won't even HEAR of me wanting to change out the light fixtures since he doesn't plan on living here more than a year and "the lights are fine" in his opinion. Men!
So we are looking at CURTAINS, BARSTOOLS, WALL ART, ETC.
Here are some shots of the house that the landlady took for us. None of the items (including the cute doggie) are ours since we are still freezing our butts off in dismal gray vermont.

There is an odd little "pass through" from the kitchen into the living room which is visible in the second photo.
The folding closet doors house some storage and the washer/dryer. That space in front of the closets is where our dining table must go.






Walls are white. Floor is ka-ka colored vinyl tile (but neutral and won't show up the doggie mess which is a plus). I am already itching to paint that back door since it is so dingy. Maybe she will let me just do that....(slap me please!!)

I am thinking of blues, apple green, and yellow in the kitchen/dining area. Here is my 'thought collage'
KITCHEN IDEAS but there isn't enough of the apple green in it. Hm.

I would LOVE to hear your ideas. Gimme a shout! elevenhounds@yahoo.com


Ps: do you like my new banner?? Finally figured out how to do that. Now if I could only get the rest of my blog in line I will be all set!!

Find Your Personal Style

I hope that most everyone has heard of Martha Beck by now. Lifestyle coach extrodinaire, Beck is the author of the incredible book "Finding Your Own North Star" and is a frequent contributor on Oprah who calls Beck "one of the smartest women I know." That is pretty high praise, and I must agree. The book "North Star" has spent many months on my nightstand and is completely bent out of shape and dog-eared.

Buuuuut this isn't a life design blog....it is home design I want to focus on and Martha Beck comes through with some awesome advice for finding your personal style for your home.

The following style quiz was originally published in Winter 2006 O at Home. I hope I am not being naughty by posting this.

1) Look Within

A) How would you describe your favorite outfit, the clothes and accessories that make you look and feel your best? Study that outfit in your minds eye, then write down three adjectives that describe it (for example, pretty, tailored, or funky).

B) Consider an activity you love such as reading, horseback riding, or formenting revolution-whatever gets you most involved. Describe the energy of that activity using three more adjectives (like exciting or peaceful-if these are the same words you would use to describe your favorite person, that's a good thing).

C) Picture a favorite place-city or country, real or imaginary. What are three adjectives that define it?

2) Look It Over

Next, imagine you're watching a movie that's just beginning. The screen shows a person dressed in the kind of clothing you described, engaged in the kind of activity you prefer, and placed in a setting like the one you love most. Now put the movie on pause and without waiting for the story to unfold, describe the character's personality. Just take a wild guess. Is this person romantic, exciting, quirky, or genteel? Choose three adjectives that describe this character.

3) Look Around

That was the ten-minute part. Now you have a collection of words and images that you can take out into the word. Go shopping or visit friends, and imagine that you are the set designer for the character's movie and must arrange a set to be "her" (your) home. What does it look like? Can you "spot" her style in a store or the homes you see, or in the magazines you read? Do you see a wall painted a perfect color? A painting that is just right, hanging in an antiques store? Within a week, you'll notice your style items everywhere. Jot down light fixtures, chairs, towels, or any other detail, and when flipping through magazines, tear out and save pictures of rooms that appeal to you.



4) Bring Home Your
Personal Style

Once you begin to identify your style, be brave and start incorporating elements of that style into your home. If you're about committing to large pieces, start with the small things such as "you" paint accents or throw pillows. And always follow the "one in, one out" rule. For each new item you bring into your home, remove an object that feels less representative of you. Soon your personal style will feel right at home, at home.

Finds In Odd Places

Lehman's Non Electric store has been the go-to spot for country folk. If you needed a wringer washing machine or a milking stool you were all set. I love to peruse the site because deep down I have a "Little House On The Prairie" fantasy. Imagine my surprise upon finding some super cool items at budget prices. Here are a few of my picks but you are sure to find more. Check them out. The Amish would thank you.

I love this Crosley 3-speed Record Changer with
"Stack-O-Matic" technology. At $169.95 it is a cool deal!


These great 50's style stools with folding steps are a bargain at $59.95

And the Folding Cypress Table ($129.95) and Chairs ($99.95) are a bit on the expensive side but well worth it for the quality. Amish made. Simply beautiful!









I may not actually use Vaseline Soap but dang! wouldn't a few of these boxes look fantastic in the bathroom??
Package of 3 bars for $5.95







I am surprised IKEA hasn't thought of this one yet! Battery Storage System for $12.95. It ain't pretty but neither is a miscellany of Duracel packages!























In Red or Blue, enamel ware dishes look like something out of Wagon Train. In white they are CLASSIC! White Enamel Tableware: $2.95-$19.95. White Stock Pots: $12.95 and $14.95


The Handcrafted Glass Candy Dish is just beautiful...don't you think? Lovely cotton ball holder in the bathroom! Only $20.00

These are just a few of the great finds at Lehman's so check it out.

Masks As "Art"....?

Once upon a time there were thousands of little children in America poised on the brink of Halloween and searching for the perfect costume. A costume that said "I am cool. I am hip. I have little to no taste. I don't breathe through my mouth."

These children begged and pleaded with their parents for this super-hot character costume trend. Prepackaged and designed by Ben Cooper or Collegeville, I may be dating myself by admitting that I was one of those kids. I believe that I was Wonder Woman one year. Another year, a princess. And, dang, that Miss America mask looks awfully familiar.....

As a tribute to Halloween I thought I would post the awesome decorating potential of these possibly lead-based paint masks. Hung on the wall in a collage they could be fantastic! Funky, retro, nostalgic and just plain creepy. If
you have a taste for the odd, or a yen for large smiles and empty eyesockets check out http://www.ebay.com/ and search Ben Cooper or Collegeville to bring up a plethora of the good, the bad, and the fugly!

My passion? Superheroes. I found these lovelies on Ebay and am considering a purchase. Also spotted: Batman and Wolverine. How cool is that??












Is it just me or is Spiderwoman BUTT UGLY?? GAD!! The mouth paint doesn't even fall on the lip creases! LOL! All the better!!











Some more fun styles I found: Beatnick Man and Woman. Too adorable!















The ubiquitous Miss America..very white and very blonde.


















Listed as "Oriental Dancer" (!) the Geisha-esque is one of the more artistic examples.



















Great ones here: Scary tomato (wtf?) and black cat.

And who can resist the juxtaposition of Chuck Norris and Alfred E. Neuman????

For more Ben Cooper/Collegeville fun check out http://retrocrush.buzznet.com/costumes/
for a selection of more obscure and hilarious examples.

So come on, 'fess up....what plastic mask did you wear??

Global Responsibility

I want to take a minute to talk about Ten Thousand Villages.

"At Ten Thousand Villages, we work with over 100 artisan groups in more than 30 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America to bring you fair trade jewelry, home decor, gifts and more. As one of the world's oldest and largest fair trade organizations, we build long-term relationships with artisans that are based on mutual understanding and respect.
Fair trade enables artisans to earn a fair wage and provides the opportunity for a better quality of life."

The bonus for the consumer is that these beautifully crafted pieces are very reasonable price wise. You know that I am always looking for inexpensive ways to make my home pretty, and by purchasing items from Ten Thousand Villages I know that my money means something...not just to some anonymous corporation that would rather exploit the foreign artisan.

And now, for your viewing pleasure:

And like many of you, I am a SUCKER for trees!!

Items are:

Wooden Giraffe (Kenya) $14.00

Mother and Child Sculpture (Kenya) $28.00

Tree of Life Box (Vietnam) $38.00

Animal and Flower Pillow (India) $28.00 Can you BELIEVE that???

Tree Of Life Bedcover (India) $110.00

Tree Of Life Jute Wall Hanging (India) $68.00

Chulucanas Vase (Peru) $38.00

(And if anyone can clue me in as to how to put my tags directly under my photos without using the html I would sooo appreciate it!!)

Eugenio Recuenco Makes Me Swoon!

Oh boy, oh boy! I scored big time! I just won a Lavazza Coffee 2007 calender featuring the amazingly beautiful photography of Eugenio Recuenco. The calender is The Incredible with these fun scenes of the superwomen doing their day's work....with a cup of Lavazza coffee of course.













Below are some examples of the hauntingly gorgeous art-photography that is Eugenio Recuenco. I urge you to visit his website and be knocked off your feet. You will most definitely want to see these photos full sized.