A seascape update......

The seascape I posted about earlier this week

got a frame.....a quite chippy/scraped frame which I 

happen to love.  

I had the opportunity to spend a few days this week

out hunting in some of my favorite

Portland antiques stores.

I passed on the ironstone - on this day.

Architectural salvage just makes me start dreaming!

I have always wanted a clawfoot bathtub!

And based on the photo below, I think I might not need

to shop for vintage paintings for awhile......

Happy Friday to you - what's on your agenda for this February weekend?

My big girl's Saturday night basketball game got cancelled -

so I promptly made dinner plans with good friends.

This is the kind of change of plans that makes me happy.

This does not however mean a lack of sports -

we will on the sidelines cheering at not ONE but

TWO soccer games.  Oh, and Valentine's - I must

convince my little girl that homemade Valentine's

are superior to Justin Beiber Valentine's from Target.

Wish me luck!

Collected vs. Decorated

This sentiment {from Suzanne Kasler}

pretty much sums up my design philosophy.

Clients often struggle with understanding it - cause everyone

wants a pretty, finished room 'now'!  But I think the prettiest, happiest,

coziest rooms are ones with personal collections - photos, collections,

heirlooms, books, something old, something new

....meaningful objects that speak to those who

dwell within the rooms walls.  Those rooms truly sing!

I don't hide the fact that I am not a formally trained

interior designer - but my instinct to design imperfectly, 

perfectly collected looking spaces that reflect the life and loves

of those who live in the space is something that 

can't be taught.

The rooms in my own home have many things no 

interior designer would include in a design 

plan but they are meaningful things to

me and my family - they tell the story of us.

That's real life design!

Lamps Plus Design Bloggers Conference...

This is happening.....

A few weeks ago a real life friend sent me a 

text encouraging me to check out 

Emily Henderson's blog.  She said there

was a Design Bloggers conference that was

offering a scholarship to attend for newish

design bloggers.  Emily was one of the

'professional' choosing the winners and that

it was a perfect fit for me.

To enter the the contest I simply had to 

submit an email answering some questions 

about my blog, easy-peasy.  

Well, yesterday I got word that I was

selected along with four very talented ladies

to attend the Lamps Plus Design Bloggers

Conference in Los Angeles!

I feel honored to have been selected but

completely freaked out too - I have never

attended a blogging conference and after

reading the bios of the other winners I am

a wee bit intimidated - hello, an Anthropologie

product designer???

But - ultimately, this is life and it's about living!

Blogging has brought me so many opportunities, like

this, and this, and this -

I would have otherwise never had - so this

is yet another.  Most importantly, I remind myself, my two girls

are watching me, every step of this journey.

And I am blessed to be able to show

them how "it's never too late to become

what you were meant to be".

Now.....what am I going to wear???

Collecting seascapes.....

I had a couple opportunities to visit some favorite Portland

antiques malls last week - I was really shopping for a client

but of course I found a little something for me.

I am a huge fan of vintage art - there are alot

of hidden gems out there - painted primarily by hobby

artists, often unsigned but beautiful and interesting nonetheless.

I think vintage art can add instant character to 

newer spaces and is SO much better than any

Ikea poster or Home Goods piece and can

be purchased for the same price or less!

My favorites to find are seascapes.  I found the small seascape

pictured above for $40 in a Portland antiques mall.

I bought it unframed but now would like to find 

an antique frame to pop it in.  It measures 8x10

so should be pretty easy - just need to hunt for the 

perfect frame.

Of course,  a collection of these types of paintings look 

great grouped together on a wall but you can

also prop them up on a bookshelf like in the first

photo.  You can also hang them by themselves on a small

wall - perhaps near a light switch for a bit of 

pretty when you are doing something as simple as shutting

of the bathroom light!

I grabbed the image above and below from Pinterest{original source unkown}.

Who knew, John Derian collects seascapes!?

Vintage art, do you have some in your home?