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"studio 101"
It’s been a while. There’s really no other way to start this post other than to acknowledge it and move on gracefully from there.
I travel a bit more with work these days and have started a little tradition of trying to visit at least one local business before I leave town. My days are [...]
Ten years ago I spent 6 months in Eastern Europe doing humanitarian/mission work with an organization. While I was there, I picked up a few souvenirs and brought them back to Georgia with me. Many of them have long been broken, used, or thrown away. But a few have remained with me over the years.
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My kitchen table is a constant source of design frustration for me. I purchased it for $5 off of Craislist, slathered on a couple of coats of “New Penny” orange paint and first used it as a desk a few years back in grad school. I was so proud of it and thought I’d finally [...]
I have a slightly embarassing confession.
When I go home to visit my parents in Georgia, I walk around their house from room to room looking around and asking my mom if I can have various things in her house. What kinds of things, you might wonder? Rugs, frames, plates, pictures, paintings, and vases, to [...]
In a month or so, my mom is coming to visit me in Seattle. I took a look around my apartment and realized I need to do some tidying up. Here’s what’s on the list.
Linen curtains for the living room
If you notice, I have curtains on one side of my apartment, [...]
Last night I got home from work a bit late and decided to take advantage of the milder weather and start planting flowers in my window box planters. Yellow daffodils, red and yellow speckled tulips and blue hyacinths were the bulbs of choice for this year. It’s difficult to keep flowers from dying in a [...]
I’ve heard many times that it’s pretty common for those who are interested in interior design to get bored with their surroundings pretty easily. No sooner has the paint dried on the kitchen walls or new furniture been placed in the master bedroom and an interior designer can find herself already imagining the next makeover [...]
When I moved into my first house after college to begin every graduate’s rite of passage (paying my own rent and living hand to mouth), I bought this soap in a small boutique in Florida to christen my new place. The honey almond scent was intoxicating and I was hooked the moment I smelled it. [...]
I purposely show you this less-than-attractive picture of my kitchen sink to tell you that I must do something about this area. Generally speaking, it’s out of control.
Ideas, please.
Remember my DIY project earlier this fall, a DIY fabric headboard? Well, finally, I finished the project with this accent piece, Dwell Studio’s Batavia Azure pillow. It was a gift this Christmas from zee boy, and it brings me such joy each morning to plop it on my bed as the last finishing touch before [...]
While home for Thanksgiving a couple of weeks ago, I did a little “shopping” at my parent’s house. It was quite the spree, let me tell you. I have some vintage clothes to show later in the month. But for now, let’s go with home furnishings department. There was quite a sale happening the week [...]
studio 101: diy stackable drawers for storage in small spaces
By mysundrymusings On December 5, 2011 · Leave a Comment · In decorating, do it yourself, studio 101, thrifting
I really can’t remember if I’ve share this on my blog yet but I think this was a clever idea for creating a DIY side table. A year and a half ago a friend of mine knew that I was intrigued by the idea of stacking shelves together to create a side table. The architecture firm she worked for [...]
I recently moved my mood board away from my bedroom and over my desk in the living room. I love the change and it keeps my inspiration front and center in the studio. Lately I’ve had a lot of J. Crew on the pins. Not sure what’s going on there, as I love to put [...]
November will be two years since I celebrated my 30th birthday. If you’ve been following my blog since the beginning, you know it was a night I planned for months and one that I blogged about for even longer. One of the things I loved most about the night was hiring a friend to [...]
studio 101: unfinished projects
By mysundrymusings On September 20, 2011 · Leave a Comment · In decorating, do it yourself, studio 101
Have you ever had one of those times when you find yourself in a design rut? Nothing seems to make you happy no matter how many new arrangements you create or how many new accent pieces you seem to find. You finish one project, and you’re off trying to figure out how to complete the [...]
When I was growing up, my father had his own mailbox in town were he received various communications related to his business transactions. I always thought it was the bees knees to ride with him across town, be handed the key for box # 3436 and walk in by myself to gather his mail for [...]
About a year and a half ago someone gave me the infamous Keep Calm Carry On poster that Great Britain designed as a morale booster during the days leading up to WWII. I’ve loved it for years and watched as it gained popularity among many interior designers a couple of years ago. The day I [...]
Growing up, my parent’s linen closet was a disaster.
Come to think of it, most closets in my house growing up were a disaster save for a few areas that the cleaner family members held sole control. Competing against each other were two sets of people: the mad hatter mess makers (Mom and my brother [...]
When I originally told the story about my good fortune with the new couch, I failed to mention the new pillows I purchased for the sofa! On my way home from purchasing the couch, and before they could deliver it, I stopped by Target to pick up a few things and peruse their home [...]
Should it be any surprise, really?
My inspiration board rotates every few months with pictures, mementos, torn out magazine pages and a cornucopia of visual stimulants to keep my mind fresh with new ideas for fashion, design and life. A few weeks ago I created this board for some looks I either want [...]
Behold.
Let me tell you the story.
I’ve wanted a new couch since the day I first settled into Seattle. When I left Georgia, I sold, donated or gave back all of my furniture and housewares at a garage sale, to my friends or to my mother who somehow believes [...]
Above my stove I have three shelves that hang perilously on the wall, courtesy of my landlord. I haven’t been completely fond of them, to tell the truth, so I’ve had quite the time trying to figure out how to work with what I’ve been given. With the Stella and Dot party tonight, I spent [...]
My how the mint is growing. Will make for some great Mint Juleps for the Stella and Dot party next week. I finally finished my window boxes with catnip. I really love tending to my urban gardens.
I don’t know when it started, but for years I’ve always wanted a window flower box. I know I’ve seen them in the south, but I feel like they are much more common in the city. When I moved into my studio last summer, my landlord let me know that I had the option of [...]
Funny that I am writing about my kitchen table twice in a row, but I was so taken back by this scene last night that I had to take a picture and share it.
I don’t know what caught my eye first. The sun, which has long been in hiding this winter, was [...]
Currently eating Haagen-Daas in my bed for dinner. This is after I ate homemade mac & cheese with Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies & milk for a pre-dinner appetizer. Not kidding.
God knows what I will do when my metabolism slows down and pre-diabetes sets in.
At any rate, a year ago I bought my [...]
Hi lovelies. Have a wonderful weekend and I will see you on Monday!
I’ve become quite the snob these days when I walk into gift shops while traveling. If an item doesn’t pass my stringent test for durability, applicability and sensibility after a vacation, I don’t buy it. I’ve carried home far too many items [...]
Over the past few months, I’ve started using cloth napkins at mealtime. After babysitting for a family who used them, I thought it was economical, environmentally friendly, retro-chic and uber classy. I just had to try it. Now that I’ve started using them regularly, I’ve become a huge fan. My cousin Stacy gave me a [...]
After babysitting for a plethora of families from Georgia to Washington, I came to one very astute conclusion: people have various take on posting things on their refridgerator doors.
I prefer to keep my fridge inspirational and to rotate every few months.
I really, really like my bathroom.
Space is at a premium, most of the tiles are chipped and I’m sure things are leaking behind the walls that would only send me packing to a new place. Nonetheless it has character and charm and I like it. The painting above the shelf was given [...]
I love children. And, I love dinner parties.
A few weeks back I had a potluck at my studio for a dear, dear friend from graduate school who was in town for a few days. I have several “groups” of friends and this time I found myself hosting the “married with kids” crowd. It is [...]
I have yet to do a walk through of my apartment on my blog, studio 101 in my building. I think it’s the perfectionist in me knowing that it’s nowhere near what I want it to be and I can’t imagine hundreds of eyes critiquing every corner and thinking about what I could have done [...]
I can’t take complete credit for this idea since my mother and an old article from Domino Magazine were my original sources of inspiration, but I have wanted a good bookcase ever since I moved to Seattle. For one reason or another I just couldn’t find something that made me happy. After three years in [...]
When I was a freshman at the University of Georgia, I spent the Monday of fall finals week deer hunting with a friend in the woods of north Georgia. Yes. I wore camouflage. Kate Spade would be proud. As I sat quietly in the woods, I watched my friend shoot a spike (to which he [...]
Last week I received one of the nicest cards from a dear friend from high school. We visited over the break and I had the chance to meet her adorable new son, to “oo and ah” over how he looked like the perfect mix of both parents and visit with her cousin, another good [...]
