Let the pinning commence!

Ok my friends... I've finally organized and uploaded all of my home inspiration photos on pinterest!  YAY!!!  Every day that we get closer and closer to our new home, makes us more and more excited.  I  can't wait to get in there and start working on it.  We're really hoping for a breezy, open, and serene feeling in the house, and these inspiration photos I've been collecting totally nail the look.  I think they're the perfect combination of modern and comfortable.  Clean and fresh, but not too fussy, and just the right amount of quirk.  You know, I'm all about the quirk.  If you have a minute, pop on over to my pinterest page and take a look at the Home Decor board.  I'd love to know what you think.  ♥

P.S. Here's a sneak peek of the board: 

Home Reference... Free People headquarters!

I can't tell you how amazed I am by this space.  It's the Free People headquarters in Philadelphia, and it completely blows my mind.  Ok, it's not technically a "home", but this space is just oozing with home inspiration.  Can you imagine coming to work here everyday?  Inspiration overload!  My goodness, it's no wonder their collections are gigantic each season.  I'd be pumping out the goods in a workplace like this too!  

This photo made me think of an experience I had many years ago...  

In an art class, in intermediate school, we were asked to sketch our "dream home".  I drew this building:

I guess it doesn't look like much, but it's a GIGANTIC former sugar processing facility which overlooks Nawiliwili Harbor and Kalapaki Beach.  In the next photo you can really get a sense of the scale of this building, as it sits perched on a hill above a full-sized cruise ship.  Like I said, gigantic.

I'd been enamored with this building since I was a very little girl.  It has sat empty and unused since long before I ever set eyes upon it- fuel and fodder for a little girls' imagination to run wild with ideas.  I imagined a great big wall around my great big home on the hill, an indoor arena for my horses, skylights, and an indoor park...   The possibilities (and the square footage, it seemed) were endless.  My teacher, however, thought it very strange and asked that I choose between a second attempt at the assignment, or failing it entirely.  I attempted a weak argument; something about the clarification of a dream home vs. a dream house...  in the end, I reluctantly sketched a quick little square with a triangle roof because that's what she wanted.  But the truth is, this bulk sugar mill- far past its glory, was the dream.  I still feel its influence in my design preferences, and its spirit in the spaces that inspire me.

James is obsessed with the big, green Victorian on Pacific St. that overlooks Emerson Park.

What was your dream home as a kid?  What it is now?

house bunnies...

The broken, the chocolate, the stuffed, 
and the hoodlum.

d.i.y-not? Terrarium fun!

I love terrariums so much- I think they're beautiful and classic.

And there's something about a happy, thriving, little self-contained world that just makes me feel relaxed.

From Victorian Belljars, to unconventional modern shapes, to mason jars... the possibilities are endless.

And endlessly fun!

I've been so inspired by these guys and this little upstart in the heart of Brooklyn. I love that they're not taking themselves too seriously. They've really elevated the process to a whole new level of living artistic expression.

I mean, look at this:

Amazing.

A few weeks ago, Beverly's had a great sale on large-scale glassware, so I thought... why keep dreaming about my own little terrarium world? It was time to act! Wanna know something about me? I love all things teensy and petite. So anything in the diorama-family is right up my alley. I had so much fun painting tiny people, creating outfits and expressions on them... inventing scenarios, and arranging them.

As you can see, I actually made two terrariums. One enclosed, and one open-topped. I gave one to a friend. In her terrarium-scenario, she and her husband are dressed up for a night on the town- but they end up in a beautiful park instead. He's arranged music, and lights, and a private glittering dance floor just for them, but it's behind her and she hasn't discovered the surprise just yet.

***FYI: My friend keeps hers on her desk at work, and even though

she's usually a plant-killer, her terrarium is thriving and looks gorgeous! YAY!

In my terrarium scene, Jeff and I are holding hands, hiking around the Mountain behind Madonna Inn. The last time we did this in real-life, it kind of turned into a cluster-cuss, so in my perfect mini-world we just hold hands endlessly (superglue, yo) and enjoy the view. We never get tired and my dumb cesarean scar never aches or burns and makes me whine and walk back to the car 5 minutes from the top of the mountain. Ahhh, to be the diorama-me.

This project has made me so happy. You know how watching fish swim can make you feel calm and relaxed? That's what my terrarium does for me. ♥

Ready to make your own? Here's what you'll need:

1. Glass container. Any size and shape works, but make sure you can fit your hand into it for easy workability.

2. Plants. I used Scottish Moss, which is a really basic and common terrarium grass. I also put a little baby cypress in mine- crossing fingers that it will thrive.

3. Rocks. These are your bottom layer. Larger than the charcoal pieces. Decorative. Sand works for succulent variety terrariums.

4. Moss. Some people like to add the moss between layers, and I think that looks great- but I chose to just use it around the top edges of my terrariums.

5. Activated Charcoal. This is so important. It acts as a drainage barrier between the water and the plants, to keep them from molding in the warm, moist air.

6. Soil. Nothing fancy. I just used a potting mix I had leftover from my window boxes.

7. Plants! This website was an excellent resource for determining the best plants for a terrarium and the lighting conditions each plant needs. If you're planning to do a succulent variety terrarium- you'll find a great tutorial here.

8. Diorama! This is the super fun part. I bought the 1.5" men and women mix. They start out completely stark white, but clothed- and from there your imagination can just run wild! I also used a package of very tiny flowers in multiple colors. They were kind of like the icing on my terrarium cake. :)

9. To lid or not to lid... Care is slightly more complicated for the enclosed terrarium, but I really enjoy the look of the lid. More info here.

I hope you have a chance to make one too!  ♥

3 adults + 2 days + $510 = major room make-over...

Sooo... with the kids getting older now, I thought I'd give them something a little more substantial for Christmas this year. Rather than go the usual toys/clothes route, only to see the new clothes shoved in the back of a drawer in favor of the old favorites- or new toys played with for a few weeks and promptly forgotten (or worse, broken), I wanted to give them something special and lasting; that could be appreciated for the long-term. I gave myself a $500 budget, which I'm very proud to say went only $10 over in the end. I enlisted the help of my dad, which was indispensable, and poor Jeffrey stayed up until 4:00 am varnishing on his hands and knees Saturday night, but WE DID IT! In one weekend, we managed to completely overhaul the room and it turned out even better than I'd imagined.

The dreaded BEFORE pictures... Of course I thought to take these after we'd begun to disassemble the beds and move things out. But you'll definitely sense the impact of the change. Note the sad, white walls and the HORRENDOUS commercial carpet.

During...

And AFTER!

Because space is always of the utmost importance in any shared room, and bunk beds are typically used as a space-saving sleep system- I thought long and hard about transitioning them into twin beds. I sketched, measured, met with oppposition, and finally took a leap of faith. Guess what... It was so worth it! The twin beds opened the room vertically, unblocked a window- letting natural light flood in, and made the room feel so fresh and mature. Our initial plan was to make a trek to Ikea, but I'm so glad we didn't! Not buying everything new was a huge asset to the space. It's incredibly cozy, soft, and serene, with a comfy, lived-in quality; like a great little B&B. Evelyn says it makes her feel like her room is its own house inside our home.

They came home on Sunday, walked into a brand new room, and were totally thrilled. So sweet, and excited, and truly grateful.

I have to say- though we did this for the children, the project has really affected the whole family. We actually find ourselves hanging out in their room with them. Not typical for us. This is by far the best Christmas present we ever could have given them. The kids are genuinely enjoying the time they spend in there, taking pride in it (i.e. keeping it CLEAN *gasp*), and while we were out yesterday Evy said "I can't wait to get back home to be in my room" - that in itself is pretty heartwarming. James even blogged about it.

Amazing.  :)

I cut a few corners by:

1. Leaving the trim "as is", both above and below the new paint-job.
2. Purchasing a big California King sized duvet from Ruby Rose, and sewing it into two twin-sized duvets. I fell in love with the classic ticking, and the oh-so-soft-washed-ten-bazillion-times feel of it. :)
3. Cutting a sturdy, old, wooden bunk-bed into two twin beds. THANK YOU, DAD!!!
4. Sewing an amazing pair of 1940's curtains (that I've hung on to for 10 years) into pillow shams.
5. Using hand-me-down inherited antiques, Louis XVI chairs, and gigantic rug from Jeff's grandma.
6. Dresser was a thrift-store find. Handles are painted with Montana 94 paint in "Magenta".
7. Window cut-outs are our old Sam Flores shower curtain, re-purposed.
8. Set of 4 vintage curtains from Ruby Rose.

I splurged on:

1. An awesome faux-fireplace heater, on stone base hearth. This thing is totally mesmerizing and really took the whole project over-the-top in terms of awe-factor with the kids. Also, it heats the room SO well, and has both high and low wattage settings to save energy. I want one in our room!
2. A new ceiling light fixture. The old fluorescent lighting was just awful. Cold, clinical, unflattering, and so depressing. We replaced it with a really pretty bronzed metal track with amber colored glass shades. It casts a warm, glowing light throughout the room and really elevated the project.
3. New throw pillows for each bed.

*Paint is Behr's "French Grey Blue" in eggshell. I'm definitely buying more of it and using it wherever I can. It's incredible. It feels very clean and contemporary, but also like it's been there forever. Calming, soothing, beautiful and somehow both warm and cool at once... a dream color.

Atmodsphere Opens! At last...

Carla was sweet enough to let me trail around while she put the finishing touches on SLO's newest retail/design addition. ATMODSPHERE is surely the most beautiful example of mid-century modern home furnishings in town. Recognize this space? Mid-Cent Mod fans have been eyeing it for months, first in admiration of its structural and cosmetic face-lift, and more recently for the amazing inventory that's trickled in behind locked doors. Including furnishings by super, incredible, ohmygosh, Jory Brigham! Local architect extraordinaire, George Garcia did such an exquisite job retrofitting and redesigning this darling Chorro St. building while maintaing its character and keeping the past 100 years or so of worn-in loveliness entirely intact. Like a pair of vintage Levi's carefully mounted and framed on a wall- it's all about showcasing the great bones, and appreciating the wear and tear, while admiring the careful addition of fresh, clean lines, and subtly artistic details. It's an absolute gem, and the perfect example of building-marries-business bliss. Major design-crush on this one, people. Major.

Visit ATMODSPHERE today!

1119 Chorro St.

San Luis Obispo, CA

805.549.1119