"Getting a woman to do something that she doesn't want to do is like trying to baptize a cat. It doesn't work."
- Dr.Phil
Monday, January 17, 2011
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Paint it Black
If I had to make a list of things I'm scared of, choosing dark paint colors wouldn't make my top 1,000,000,000,000 list. I love dark paint. (And I figure, if it turns out to be too dark or I just don't like it. What did I invest? A gallon of paint? A little time?) Right.
So when we bought our house (it will be five years in the end of May) I jumped right into the dark side. I painted our bedroom "mocha" by Sherwin Williams with an accent wall of "french roast". At the time, it worked.
Then, last year, I grew out of brown-toned everything. (Except my hair- that will remain Garnier "Raspberry Truffle" for a very long time...anyway). So, end of last year (?) I paint our bedroom again, but leave the french roast accent wall. It looked like this:
and this is an even ooooolder photo of the mocha + french roast (notice the color of the window sill- that was before 'Operation honey to white')
We got a new comforter and the french roast wall didn't work with the new bedding. It didn't click in my head how to fix it for about two months! Two LOOOONG agonizing months of waiting, and thinking and waking up every morning and knowing it wasn't right, but didn't know how to fix it. And then, it happened.
I was meeting with a new client and we were going over their new home theatre. He heard that "Mouse Ears" (from the Disney line by Behr, at Home Depot) was the truest, blackest-black, on the market- he wanted to use it for the projection wall (around the white screen...) I couldn't help but start to giggle inside. THIS is it! This is what I need to do for our bedroom!
PAINT IT BLACK! (Well, "Mouse Ears"...)
And so, I did.
The rattan backed chair is my Nana's chair that I've had in my bedroom since I was about 15-ish. So realizing that it truly no-longer worked with our bedroom was hard. Thankfully I put a little ring-a-ding into my mom, who just so happened to say, "I need a chair for the corner of my family room"...AH HA! So now Nana's chair is at mom's house, and until I find another chair that will be PERFECT for our bedroom, the corner will remain empty.
I'm just so happy to have the brown wall gone, I don't mind walking past a big empty hole in our room. Actually, it doesn't bother me at all!
(Oh, and if your wondering about the little green blanket at the end of our bed, that's Jack's blanket. Yes, he totally has his own blanket to snuggle with.)
So when we bought our house (it will be five years in the end of May) I jumped right into the dark side. I painted our bedroom "mocha" by Sherwin Williams with an accent wall of "french roast". At the time, it worked.
Then, last year, I grew out of brown-toned everything. (Except my hair- that will remain Garnier "Raspberry Truffle" for a very long time...anyway). So, end of last year (?) I paint our bedroom again, but leave the french roast accent wall. It looked like this:
and this is an even ooooolder photo of the mocha + french roast (notice the color of the window sill- that was before 'Operation honey to white')
We got a new comforter and the french roast wall didn't work with the new bedding. It didn't click in my head how to fix it for about two months! Two LOOOONG agonizing months of waiting, and thinking and waking up every morning and knowing it wasn't right, but didn't know how to fix it. And then, it happened.
I was meeting with a new client and we were going over their new home theatre. He heard that "Mouse Ears" (from the Disney line by Behr, at Home Depot) was the truest, blackest-black, on the market- he wanted to use it for the projection wall (around the white screen...) I couldn't help but start to giggle inside. THIS is it! This is what I need to do for our bedroom!
PAINT IT BLACK! (Well, "Mouse Ears"...)
And so, I did.
The rattan backed chair is my Nana's chair that I've had in my bedroom since I was about 15-ish. So realizing that it truly no-longer worked with our bedroom was hard. Thankfully I put a little ring-a-ding into my mom, who just so happened to say, "I need a chair for the corner of my family room"...AH HA! So now Nana's chair is at mom's house, and until I find another chair that will be PERFECT for our bedroom, the corner will remain empty.
I'm just so happy to have the brown wall gone, I don't mind walking past a big empty hole in our room. Actually, it doesn't bother me at all!
(Oh, and if your wondering about the little green blanket at the end of our bed, that's Jack's blanket. Yes, he totally has his own blanket to snuggle with.)
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Normalcy returns
Putting up Christmas decorations all through the house makes it feel so warm and cozy and holiday-ish. But here's a little secret, I love taking it all down. I am such a nut for things being clean, crisp, precise, that when its time to remove it all, I heave a sigh of relief.
And last night, we took down the very last of it. Even though I was horribly tired, at 11 pm I was vacuuming up all the "needles" (we have a fake tree) and dusting the shelves, putting things back the way they should be.
So when I woke up this morning and came down stairs I was so happy to see our house back. Normalcy has returned to our casa!!
And last night, we took down the very last of it. Even though I was horribly tired, at 11 pm I was vacuuming up all the "needles" (we have a fake tree) and dusting the shelves, putting things back the way they should be.
So when I woke up this morning and came down stairs I was so happy to see our house back. Normalcy has returned to our casa!!
Friday, December 24, 2010
'Tis the season
Every year our town has the Candlelight walk through the town square. Santa arrives on his sleigh, kids are all bundled up, hot cocoa is poured and carols are in the air.
Its a little Normal Rockwell-esque, but totally cute and gets us in the spirit every year.
This was my mom's first year attending Candlelight, so it was even more special! All the sidewalks were lit with candle lanterns (well, just candles in empty milk jugs weighted down with sand, but whatever. For that night they were lanterns!)
One of my favorite parts of Candlelight is the live nativity scene. No joke! Real goats, llamas, donkies...even real little people sitting in the manger!
From the Erinteriors family to yours- Merry Christmas!
Its a little Normal Rockwell-esque, but totally cute and gets us in the spirit every year.
This was my mom's first year attending Candlelight, so it was even more special! All the sidewalks were lit with candle lanterns (well, just candles in empty milk jugs weighted down with sand, but whatever. For that night they were lanterns!)
One of my favorite parts of Candlelight is the live nativity scene. No joke! Real goats, llamas, donkies...even real little people sitting in the manger!
From the Erinteriors family to yours- Merry Christmas!
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Models let me down
Growing up I always was excited when my parents would look for a new house because that meant we got to walk through models. I was always so excited to see how the kids rooms where laid out (and then go home and try to recreate it in my own room...)
When I got older I'd look at homes differently, from a more functional standpoint. Why is that wall there? Do they really need all those doors? When would you ever need that many lights in your kitchen?
So then I go to design school, get my degree and begin looking for any open model to walk through. To see what some else came up with and to get some ideas.
This afternoon my mother-in-law and I were driving back from a day full of Christmas shopping and the newest development around us had the "model open" sign out front. We put the blinker on, made a sharp left, and walked inside.
This is always my favorite part. The first impression.
Instantly I put the story together:
- The hubs and I just purchased the house
- We are having everyone over to celebrate _____ (fill in the blank)
- Its not "done" yet, but we were so excited to host a party in our new big home, we just couldn't wait to have everyone over- please take off your shoes!
- Dinner smells wonderful, but everyone is too excited to eat, they want a tour and I'm more than happy to be their guide...
Back to reality. We walk inside, get greeted by the nice sales lady and I start to wander through the house taking notes in my head as I go.
Good flow. Weird moldings. Nice choice of carpet, bet that's a super upgrade. Not enough light to work with in the kitchen. What would they anticipate you putting on that counter, a loaf of bread because nothing else would fit...Oh, that's a cleaning ladies dream come true! Who would ever put a light there? What is the point of having a "linen closet" if its not deep enough to actually put any linens in?
As I'm walking around I notice that the novelty has worn off. I'm more upset that this house was actually built/designed/lack-of-designed this way and I must get out.
This is my problem with models, they never are able to live up to my expectations. They tend to fall short in some way, which makes me sad. I don't try and find things that I don't like, I honestly look at the home and think pure function.
She says: That architectural shelf is another upgrade we put in...
I see: a huge dust collector which is not in reach to clean easily (unless you have a ladder or fire truck handy...)
She says: The loft could be a fourth bedroom or, eliminate it all together and have a two story foyer!
I see: A space (that is currently setup as a home office) with two windows that do not open because they didn't think forward enough that if its a loft you might want fresh air. But if its a two story foyer, it doesn't matter.
See? Its really not me. Its the models fault.
(But, I know as soon as I see another "model open" sign, I will be there with my mother-in-law waiting to see it!)
When I got older I'd look at homes differently, from a more functional standpoint. Why is that wall there? Do they really need all those doors? When would you ever need that many lights in your kitchen?
So then I go to design school, get my degree and begin looking for any open model to walk through. To see what some else came up with and to get some ideas.
This afternoon my mother-in-law and I were driving back from a day full of Christmas shopping and the newest development around us had the "model open" sign out front. We put the blinker on, made a sharp left, and walked inside.
This is always my favorite part. The first impression.
Instantly I put the story together:
- The hubs and I just purchased the house
- We are having everyone over to celebrate _____ (fill in the blank)
- Its not "done" yet, but we were so excited to host a party in our new big home, we just couldn't wait to have everyone over- please take off your shoes!
- Dinner smells wonderful, but everyone is too excited to eat, they want a tour and I'm more than happy to be their guide...
Back to reality. We walk inside, get greeted by the nice sales lady and I start to wander through the house taking notes in my head as I go.
Good flow. Weird moldings. Nice choice of carpet, bet that's a super upgrade. Not enough light to work with in the kitchen. What would they anticipate you putting on that counter, a loaf of bread because nothing else would fit...Oh, that's a cleaning ladies dream come true! Who would ever put a light there? What is the point of having a "linen closet" if its not deep enough to actually put any linens in?
As I'm walking around I notice that the novelty has worn off. I'm more upset that this house was actually built/designed/lack-of-designed this way and I must get out.
This is my problem with models, they never are able to live up to my expectations. They tend to fall short in some way, which makes me sad. I don't try and find things that I don't like, I honestly look at the home and think pure function.
She says: That architectural shelf is another upgrade we put in...
I see: a huge dust collector which is not in reach to clean easily (unless you have a ladder or fire truck handy...)
She says: The loft could be a fourth bedroom or, eliminate it all together and have a two story foyer!
I see: A space (that is currently setup as a home office) with two windows that do not open because they didn't think forward enough that if its a loft you might want fresh air. But if its a two story foyer, it doesn't matter.
See? Its really not me. Its the models fault.
(But, I know as soon as I see another "model open" sign, I will be there with my mother-in-law waiting to see it!)
Friday, December 17, 2010
Need to laugh?
Its not often that something will come across my computer screen and I literally bust out laughing. Most things will make me smile, or even snort a little. But a good, hearty laugh? Doesn't really happen.
Until the hubs showed me this video last night before I went to sleep.
Which got me looking this morning for other videos of funny talking animals...
Now my face hurts from smiling and laughing so hard! Thank you BBC and your accents. Spot on! Job well done!
Until the hubs showed me this video last night before I went to sleep.
Which got me looking this morning for other videos of funny talking animals...
Now my face hurts from smiling and laughing so hard! Thank you BBC and your accents. Spot on! Job well done!
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