See it in a room.

I always feel like I've been painting a ton of new things, but then when I sit down and look at what I've actually done, it's not quite so much!  I have so many ideas brewing for new paintings, and I know they'll be put on canvas in time.  Actually, they kind of need to be started soon because I'm going to be the featured artist at my friend Jeff's First Friday event (the first Friday of each month he has an art show at his shop), so if you're in the Lynchburg, VA area on October 4th, come visit me!  Until then, here are a few new paintings I've finished...

From the top: All the Cool Kids, Grandpa Cardigan, Das Ist Nicht OK, Unwanted original

Lately I've been feeling like I should probably sell of some originals, but it must be the hoarder in me that reminds myself of how sad I get when I do sell an original; it's kind of like packing your kid up and sending them to live with someone else, knowing you'll never see them again.  Okay, maybe that's a little dramatic, but it's totally like sending off your favorite pair of shoes that go with EVERYTHING, and knowing you'll ever own a pair like them again.  Anyway, I did list two originals in my shop.  There may be more, and there may not...

bright, clean, and not so much crap.

Every now and then (let's say once a month) I get in these mindsets where all I want to do is go through closets, drawers, and anywhere else Chris and I may stash things we no longer use or need, and THROW THEM OUT!  Of course, the fact that I have a minor addiction to interior design blogs doesn't help my downsize and redecorate mindset, but it never hurts to purge your life of clutter, right?  My house is definitely not cluttered when compared to, say, my Grandma's house, but I think everyone has their limit of knick knacks, and I've passed mine.  I've also discovered the problem(s): first, I don't necessarily like to display a lot of things, I mainly just like hunting for them, and then knowing that I have them; it's not conducive to simple living.  Second, Chris and I seem to be a dumping ground for stuff.  I don't know how it came to be, but we became the people that family just gave their unwanted stuff to, and it's not that we want it or asked for it, we just seem to accumulate it, and then we feel guilty for throwing it out.  BUT, if I can stop feeling guilty and throw things out, keeping only what I really like and will actually use, I wouldn't mind my house looking a little more like this...

I've already got good colors on the walls (white in the kitchen and bedroom, the palest, crispest green in the living room and den, and a dark, sophisticated slate blueish color in the dining room), an overstuffed, modern style sofa, good vintage pieces, retro lamps, and plenty of art for the walls - I just have to refine my collection and then decide how to arrange and display it.  I know some people think spending time or money on your house and the way it's decorated borders on (if not complete falls into the category of) shallow, but I have to disagree; being a homebody, my house is somewhere I like to feel comfortable and inspired, and being surrounded by things you like or like looking at just puts you in a positive mood!

When your life starts to feel cluttered, how do you de-clutter?  And how do you put sentiment aside and get rid of things you no longer use or need?

*All images from Pinterest.

romancing the home

happy valentine's day, friends! bwow chicka bwow wow. chris and i don't really do anything for valentine's day - not because we're anti-celebratory people who think hallmark made valentine's, blah, blah, blah, but because we're just happy to eat dinner while watching a movie on the sofa - but i think this year if i were going to celebrate, i'd show my house how much i love it! and what better way to show love than with a gift that keeps on giving? live plants!

as with life, romance, and funerals, i always think it's important to have a sense of humor with your house and things that go in it. a pink giraffe planter, who would've expected that? a little piece of funny from boy-girl tees.

one thing i can't get enough of is any sort of plant that can be propagated so easily you could do it blindfolded and with your toes. enter succulents. i have a little succulent garden on my living room coffee table, but i'm planning to add a few new species like the ones pictured above from succulents galore. and let's face it, what are plant clippings without planters? trashbound. vintage planters from harlow monroe vintage and bombshell bettie's vintage.

these don't really need any explanation; i just want them. hanging air plant pods from mudpuppy.

so how are you celebrating valentine's day? are you exchanging presents, and if so, what are you getting or asking for?

book talk and butt flashes

i'm a woman on a mission. i've been trying to talk chris into building some built-in bookshelves on the long, windowless wall in our living room and calling it my christmas gift, my birthday gift, my anniversary gift, whatever - i'm flexible on this. so far the wall is still bare, but i'm really determined to dig my heels in on this one because i've got far too many books not to have some awesome shelving. and let's face it, i basically need built-in shelving as a means of storage, and the fact that it will look amazing is just an added bonus, right? and i'm not even picky; i'll take a whole wall of shelves, or just a few long ones on part of the wall!

more in the way of book talk, i've read the painted veil (not so good, but it's my fault since i chose it), the worst hard time (interesting and educational, but a little slow), and bel canto (an epic disappointment) for book club, and now i'm working on the cider house rules. i'm not quite 100 pages into it, but i love it, and i look forward to going to bed so that i can get back to it! what have you been reading lately?

now it's time for butt flashes. i must have subconsciously made it my mission to show the city of lynchburg my cheeks because i've been flashing all over town. EXHIBIT A: last week chris dropped me off at the office, and as i was jumping out of the vehicle my dress got caught under my hand which was placed firmly on the seat, causing my dress to come up to my waist, giving everyone a free show. who surrounds our office? an office full of state troopers and an office full of land surveyors - all male. embarrassing? you bet. EXHIBIT B: the day after that i was walking out of the post office (at lunch time when it's the busiest, obviously) when my foot slid on the wet sidewalk and i did a split...in a dress. my first thought was, "crap, how am i gonna play this off?" then i realized that gymnastics in a dress on the post office sidewalk can't be played off. luckily the only thing hurt was my pride (and i'm pretty sure it's still bruised). last, EXHIBIT C: the case of the flowy skirt and the windy day. i don't talk much about what i do for my part-time job, but technically i'm a field representative, and i go to meet clients (mostly car dealerships) to do their advertising. today while i was at a client's business, i was outside just starting to take pictures for his ad when a gust of wind came and blew my skirt up to my chin. first, this place is located on a very busy highway, so people saw; second, i was wearing a slip (luckily), but seeing as how it was white and semi-sheer, and it was a sunny day, nothing was left to the imagination; third, there were two guys sitting in their car which had broken down, and damn if my skirt didn't decide to fly up right in front of them! embarrASSing? YES!

now that i'm tucked safely away in my quiet house wearing FLANNEL PAJAMA PANTS i'm finally calming down. but honestly, i may never be able to show my face in lynchburg, va again!

wishlist wednesday!

i almost forgot that today was wednesday and i was about to show you my latest obsession/project (no, it isn't jewelry-related), but that'll have to wait until tomorrow! my friend cal can tell you, i've been design crazy lately and i've been doing way too much design sponge archive stalking. maybe it's the changing of seasons, or maybe it's because this is my new thing, but all i want to do lately is redecorate - myself and my house! i've even said something to chris about painting a room or two...which was met with silence and a blank stare. anyway, here are a few things i'd love for said redecorating spree!

you can find these beauties here (from the top): colleen jordan - i especially love this and would hang it by the window at my kitchen sink rather than wear it as a necklace, thief and bandit, flux glass, super duper things, yomemimo, the wood doctor.

today's the last nice day until this weekend, so it's about time i go outside and visit my old friend the trampoline. i hope you're having a great week so far!

wishlist wednesday...on a thursday!

yesterday afternoon i started to get some pictures together of things i wanted to add to my wish list, and it wasn't difficult to decide on a theme considering what i'd spent much of the day doing: rearranging things in my house! when you rearrange things in your house, does it give you new decorating ideas and make you want new stuff? it does for me! i didn't get around to blogging yesterday though because of my weekly chat with carla. i feel like i could talk to her straight through a three day stretch and still not want to hang up. she's just that rad. so here are a few things i'd like to add to my house...

from the top: item #1, #3, #6 from lisa b retro style 2, #2 from emma loves xxx, #4 from oh buoy, #5 from nice.

if you asked chris, he'd say i had a lamp obsession and addiction. and if you asked micaela, she'd say i had a frame obsession and addiction. i'd say they're both wrong. it's just a healthy love affair! speaking of frames and lamps, i think i need to go do some thrifting sometime soon...

also, in case you were wondering, yes, i have been practicing the worm. i kind of have the basic move down (although sometimes it's just a general smash), but i can't get it smooth like the pros, and i also can't get that high off the floor. i need to get better at it though, because i want to randomly bust out the worm the next time carla and i get together.

my home: continued and finished

i haven't forgotten to show the rest of the pictures i've taken around my house, but they just sort of got pushed aside. anyway, i wanted to show you the rest as i like to finish things i start, but i also tend to get bored of things quickly, that's why i've decided to compile the last three rooms i'm going to share into one post. fair enough? let the virtual home tour commence...

living room:

i have to be careful about what i put in the living room, otherwise that flower loveseat can look kind of grannyish. we actually rarely ever use this room, which i thought was a waste when we first bought our house, but now i kind of like having a nice, quiet room that rarely gets used! the first thing i noticed when i walked in to our house before it was ours was the white mantle in the living room. it was and still is my favorite thing!

kitchen:

there's not a lot to show in my kitchen, because everyone knows what cabinets and appliances look like, so i picked my favorite things. the antique table i got from my friend haley before she moved to california. i've had many people offer to buy it when they come over to visit, but it stays with me! the bird cage light was a gift last christmas, and i still stare at it! the last thing is an old brass turtle that i keep beside the sink to hold my rings. it was a gift from my sweet friend kassi, and it happens to be one of my two favorite turtle trinkets (the other was a gift from a friend, too)! like the rings? you can find them at pretty in pink boutique.

den:

even though my woopie is gone, i'll always have his paw print (with some extra fur). next, my favorite antique bird print, one of my favorite vintage lamps (that nearly electrocuted me, thus forcing me to learn how to rewire a lamp) and little white birds, all on top of the entertainment center. little bird eggs (the ones i focused on are flojo's) and nests. last, a print from one of my favorite artists.

so there you have it, the place i call home! if you want more, you'll just have to come visit me. while you're here, please don't forget to enter the giveaway, and if you have a moment, stop by an say hi to adri!

animal house style

i thought i'd break up the dinosaur toes home tour because you may get sick of seeing the inside of my house, and i decided to show you this new book that i'm currently in love with (still keeping with the home decorating theme). also, i've done some minor and long overdue rearranging in my bedroom because molly from DwellStudio is going to share some pictures of my bedroom on the DwellStudio blog! how exciting! i'll be sure to share a link once the pictures are up. this is kind of image heavy, but it was absolutely impossible to show less than i have...

i apologize for the poor picture quality, but today has been dark and rainy (not that i mind a rainy day) which isn't conducive to good picture-taking. when chris and i were on the way back from our island vacation/anniversary trip, we stopped in north carolina at this huge warehouse type store that had everything you could possibly imagine; most of it was crap, but this book was reason enough to go! it's called "animal house style" and it's written by julia szabo. it's not only about decorating a house for humans and furry or feathered friends, but it shares tips on everything from cleaning up fur to using safe, chemical free solutions to clean your house. i still haven't read much of it because i always end up looking at the pictures and forgetting where i was at!

i hope you're all having a good wednesday!

this is where the magic happens.

sorry, i couldn't resist using that title. now i guess i can admit that when mtv's cribs first came out, i watched it way too much, hence the name of this post. moving right along, this is a little peek into my bedroom. our bedroom furniture is old retro hand-me-down furniture, and it isn't cool retro, it's hideous retro. the worst part was the headboard, so last week after seeing so much bedroom eye candy sans headboard, i finally decided to remove it! it makes the biggest difference, and now the only retro bedroom furniture we have is the armoire and the nightstand, which actually don't look so bad now! it's a pretty plain room, and we still need to hang art on the walls, but you get the idea.

above: my side of the bed. see that pretty bird pillowcase? i won a set of them and a duvet back in the summer from dwell studio! earlier this afternoon i rewired a lamp for the den, so the cut glass lamp that was there is now in my bedroom in place of the milk glass lamp. i love lamps, and i love switching them around. the picture is one i received in a vintage swap. i don't know who took, and i'm not sure where in europe it was taken, but it's so pretty i felt it deserved a frame.

above: i don't actually use that easel for my won artwork as i think my lap serves as the perfect table, but it's great for holding and temporarily displaying art before it's framed! you'll now see one of the prints framed in my living room and another framed in my den. i still need to find a frame for the largest print. an antique plate is the perfect catchall for my everyday jewelry, with the exception of necklaces, because i do NOT like getting them untangled!
below: this vintage parrot statue stands on top of the armoire and watches us sleep. i was going to add something else there, but i'm afraid you'll think i'm a terrible pervert. which i may be.