happy living Design

wallpaper by amy butler

at Graham & Brown

Have a look.

the spending hiatus #2: weeks 1 and 2

So, yea.  Uh.  I was doing a second spending hiatus.  Really.  I am.  Really.

Week one: Was just ok.  I did buy a Drika B bag after literally drooling all over myself about it for like a year.  I put the money I made on ebay towards it but still had to put out some cash.  I have not received it yet and doubt very much that I will feel at all guilty about it when it arrives.  These things are like that.

 

And I am awaiting the arrival of two books that I purchased just before the SH#2, Nourishing Traditions and Healing Our Children.  But I have been using our public library A LOT.  I was there twice last week and am planning on going tomorrow to pick up another book.  I have a healthy stack of books next to my bed.  Remember, you can see what I am reading on Goodreads.com.

Week two: Yesterday I was MIA from the world in general.  It was just one of those days.  I ended up driving and an hour north-east of West Chester to pick up two end tables that I decided to buy that morning off of craigslist.  We have been planning on making this purchase for awhile, I have just been waiting to find the right tables at the right price.

 

The thought of not using the tray tables as end tables anymore makes want to cry with joy.  Seriously.  But now it is really down to business.  We are in the middle of refinancing the house we live in, trying to rent the house we used to live in but still own and are getting ready to start a rehab project at a 5-unit building in the city that my husband owns and that we hope to rent out, plus planning for a baby hopefully sometime in the not-so-distant future.  To say we have some financial planning and plotting to do would be an understatement.  During my last spending hiatus my goals were being more thoughtful about purchases, bringing less into the house and purging some of the unused items we already had.  Those are still important things to me but this time around SAVING COLD HARD CASH (and keeping it in the bank) is my main priority.

So that's where I'm at. :)

Paula, Elizabeth and LobotoME are also doing their own spending hiatuses.

eazy bean

Love this.  It brings me back.

 

eazy bean modern bean bag chair

myperfectcolor : the blog

I have mentioned Myperfectcolor before when I was looking for that perfect Martha Stewart green that my friend used in her kitchen.  They are a New Jersery based retailer that matches colors from every paint company and can even make colors that are discontinued like that perfect green.

They have been blogging since January and I am enjoying their posts.  God knows we have a lot of painting to do around here and I need all the help I can get.  There's a fun one titled How to paint and save your marriage in three easy steps....  What I love most about Myperfectcolor are their 16 oz. sample cans.  All this, and now they are offering free shipping on orders over $50!  Yes, you can get all your paint samples and full size cans of paint delivered right to your door.

shop : read

Check them out and happy painting!

beautiful things :: Saffron Marigold

You must see these beautiful hand-crafted and block printed bedspreads, duvet covers, curtains and more over at Saffron Marigold.  I love the sari-inspired prints and the bright colors.

So pretty and so affordable.  Their 26" x 26" cushion covers are $20!  Saffron Marigold also supports Fair Trade.  I received the most lovely email from Anisha about how Saffron Marigold came to be and just had to tell you about it. 

Lenkart, The Art of Decor

More handcrafted goodness by Lenkart...lovely decorative pillows.  Check out the monthly specials!

A few of my favorites...

 

 

sofa alert

I have been on the hunt for the perfect sofa.  On our way out of the mall on Sunday I dragged the boy through Macy's to check out the Corona Collection.

They had the sofa in Pear and the chair in Stone.  I am almost sold.  It seems like a solid piece and is comfy without being too oversized.  (I wish someone would tell the furniture stores to stop making sofas the size of twin beds.)  The Macy's website lists the price of the sofa as $899 but they had it in the store on Sunday for $699.  I hope it goes on sale again when we are ready to buy.  The salesperson told me that it is in stock in the three colors shown on the website, but there are also a half dozen other colors available for an extra charge and if you are willing to wait 3 to 4 months.

my new favorite snail mail catalog :: at west end

Maybe I have have been living under a rock.  But before the at west end catalog arrived over the weekend, I had never heard of them.  Their address is from Mississippi.  Anyone there know of them?  Probably the slowest I've browsed through a catalog in a long time...move over anthropologie.  I was also pleasantly surprised by most of the prices.  Reasonable, I thought.  Shop online.  I am so in love with the bee hive baskets and birdhouse. But I can't decide if I love the products more or the location of their photo shoot!?  It's like breath of fresh catalog air. (all photos are from at west end)

 

  

 

  

good book :: Let's Get Comfortable: How to furnish and decorate a welcoming home By Mitchell Gold & Bob Williams

For a long time I have been a huge fan of MG and BW's furniture and classic style.  I think this book appeals to many different tastes because their pieces are so versatile and definitely gives both great inspiration and practical space planning solutions for home.  There are tips on finding your own comfort at home, how pieces of furniture affect a room, a "stressless way to discover which furnishings you like", furniture arranging and mixing furniture, colors and textures.

Some quick highlights...

"Making people feel at home begins at the front door.  Much more than a pass-through, the entry sets the comfortable tone for your home." (pg. 36)

"Think of it as collecting, rather than decorating.  Surround yourself with pieces you love." (pg. 75)

"Imagine Your Rooms Naked...Comfort comes not only from the right furniture but also from furniture properly placed."

Check it out!
(images from letsgetcomfortable.com)

Decorating with Pink a la Martha Stewart & Kevin Sharkey

Despite being the magazine junkie that I am, I don't have a subscription to Martha Stewart Living.  The past several issues just weren't grabbing me and I'm more into Blueprint now, so I just snag someone else's copy for a bit or look through it over coffee in Borders if I have the chance.  I digress.

This month I had to buy it, because Martha was looking all pretty on the cover in a pink room!  Not the typical lite jadite green that we've become so accustomed to seeing in MSL.  I was totally intrigued.  And of course her and Kevin Sharkey did an amazing job redoing her guest cottage in Maine.  Whenever the two of them team up, something amazing and inspirational always emerges.

I can say with certainty that I don't own a single piece of pink houseware, accessory or furnishing.  I do have a few pink sweaters.  That's it.  Oh, did have a pink room growing up for a time, but as an adult I have gravitated towards muted yellows, blues and greens.  But since seeing this article, I am seriously considering where oh where I could paint something pink in our house.  Not sure how that would go over with the boy.

There are perfect shades of pink represented in the article.  And I love the pale, pale pinks paired with the medium shades of gray.  Definitely one for the clip pile!  I plan to head to the paint store this weekend and pick up some paint swatches too.

(all photos from marthastewart.com)