Like a Flower Shop

1. Flower Shop, 2. Carnation Heaven, 3. The Blue Hat, 4. Flower Stall 1

It's no secret that I've been wanting to redo my room for a while now. While I do like how it is now, it just doesn't feel quite right. Many of the pieces were purchased for immediate necessity so I had to go with what was cheap and readily available. It's also become confused in design, pieces from my childhood and newer favorites all jumbled together. There are some things that I've known that I wanted to do for a while now, such as switching my furniture over to white pieces to freshen things up. Otherwise my mind has been a blank slate, and not in a positive way.

Until now that is! During my most recent trip to Home Goods I came face to face with a painting that spoke to me. It was a large canvas depicting a pretty flower shop in Paris. It was gorgeous and even though it was much to large for my space it gave me just what I needed. Inspiration. I want my room to be filled with the vibrant colors of nature. I want to feel as though I'm living in a flower shop. Considering my penchant for such things one would think this would have been an easy conclusion for me to reach, but it just never occurred to me until I saw that painting. I have so many ideas swirling around in my head, I can wait to bring some of them to life. I'm excited to have a direction again, one that feels authentically me. I have a feeling this new vision will start carrying over to other aspects of my life (this blog included) ♥

I've always been interested in seeing others' design processes... When you're working on something (from a painting to a website to a room design, anything!) how do you begin? Do you use directional phrases to help shape your style or do you go with the flow?

The Comfort of Oatmeal Cookies

There is nothing I like better than biting into a warm cookie on a chilly winter day. Even better if that cookie happens to be full of cinnamon and nutmeg. Those scents fill the house so perfectly, just like a fuzzy warm blanket. I can see why they're so often used during open houses, they instantly create that feeling of home.

I've been searching for a good oatmeal cookie recipe for ages and I think I've found the one. This has been one quest where I've been more than a little picky. My treasured favorite from childhood had lost their luster as I noted that the last time I made them that I've developed a distaste for the flavor of shortening. Raisins are out as well, especially if I want my family to enjoy them. These were perfect, nice and crisp with a warm and comforting flavor. The recipe I used is from the Williams-Sonoma Cookies book if you're curious to give these a try yourself. For a similar recipe online, this one is close (substituting the raisins for chopped walnuts).

Other things I'm excited about? These plates! Mom and I have been on the hunt for a new set of plates for almost a year. Nothing was quite right. I was inspired by a set that I saw in the Farm Chicks cookbook, but thought something similar would be impossible to find. A trip to Home Goods on a completely unrelated note proved me wrong. I am smitten.

Raindrops Keep Falling

This weekend was another perfect spent snuggled up with a mug of hot tea and a good book. I decided to take my camera out for a spin (something I always mean to do during a storm, but never get around to) and seek out some new sights. I love the droplets hanging from the branches of the neighboring tree that never did fully lose its leafs. The puddle and resulting splattering droplets were mesmerizing to watch. I love the rain.

The scent during a storm is something magical. The scent of the world being washed clean. The scent of a fresh start.

One Last Look

And today concludes the tour with one of my favorite parts of my room, the closet. I've done the majority of my home improvement projects in here as I am desperate need of the storage. I would like to hang one more shelf, where one below it had fallen, but otherwise I content with both the storage and look of it.


From the doorway... On that hanger is my favorite blouse, I use it as an inspiration piece.


My clothing and purse collections. I am a bit of a purse addict, particularly when I can do some bargain hunting. That shelf was a bear to hang up, but so worth it when it comes to the storage it adds. I use my purses so much more regularly now too.



The top shelf of my closet. This is a miscellaneous sort of section with my fashion books and hats alongside my bento supplies and scrapbooks. My favorite piece? The clock made by my great grandfather.



The top of my drawer storage unit. I use this spot to display some of my favorite pieces alongside boxes that store my earrings, rings, and bracelets. I use the cake stand to lay out my jewelry everyday. Can you tell I love polka dots?



My favorite closet feature, my necklace wall. To create more storage space I needed to get rid of my jewelry case and that's one of the best decisions I've made. I love being able to see all of my pieces, jewelry is like art anyway so why not display it?

And that concludes the tour. Posting these has me looking at and excited about what changes I want to make. I'm excited to share that journey with you and hope you've enjoyed reading this over these past few days.

The Tour Continues...

Today I have the rest of my room proper (the closet has it's own post tomorrow) to share. This is where I spent most of my time from working at the computer to crafting to watching a favorite movie to slipping into blissful slumber at the end of a long day.


Arguably my favorite thing in my room, my books. I have them organized by color after seeing an episode of Myles of Style last year, I love the visual effect. Here I also display some of my favorite plushies and my family rosaries. To the right you can spy my beading case.



My desk, where I am for most of the day. This is my window to the world outside and the window to my own heart. In addition to the usual computer work, I also do much of my crafting and painting here.



These are the things that make me smile. They serve no other purpose, but I think it's an important one. This side has changed a little since the photograph, that jar now holds kompeito and I have things rearranged slightly to allow space for a paintbrush holder (that I have yet to decide upon...). Also seen here is the vintage style fan that is a life saver in the Las Vegas heat.


This side of my desk is a little more practical with my cup of pens and notebook as well as the candles that I light regularly. To finish the look I've displayed some of my favorite things from the champagne bottle from my 21st birthday filled with paper flowers, a jeweled owl that I found at a trinket shop years and years ago, a frame that I need to find a photo for, and my favorite of the antique snuff bottle collection that I inherited from my grandma. This view also offers one of the better photos of my curtain. It was originally intended for use in the shower, but when I spotted it in Anthropologie years ago it was love at first sight.



My printer top with various trinkets including my pin cushion, a vintage thimble, a dove ornament, a piece of one of my grandpa's shirts, and the rest of the paper flowers from the set I made for the champagne bottle in the previous photo.



The entertainment unit flanked by my decorative dress form. This is mostly used for storage. Seen in the back is my 'Make It Work' sign that used to hand above the previous location of my bed. I actually liked the look of it off center like this so I decided to leave it.



And finally, my bed. This is the passport to far away lands. It is here that I read and dream and write. I also do quite a bit of my crafting here, though I try not to for my back's sake. The cork boards to the right are fairly new, I fell in love with the recycled wine cork idea and am planning on turning them into inspiration mood boards. The gap between my wall and bed is used for storage for such things as my sewing machine and magazine clippings.

A Room of my Own

A while ago I was reading a book about rooms. More specifically, rooms that women had crafted for themselves, for their everyday life. I've found that the rooms we spend the most time in tend to say a lot about our personalities from the hobbies we enjoy to the books we read to the preferences that shape other areas of our lives. While I was thinking about these things I realized that I've never shared actual photos of my room beyond what could been seen in snippets as backgrounds for other photos. Over these next few days I would like to show you around. This blog is very much an extension of my physical home and I feel like it's time to share the rest of my space with you.



Welcome to my room. This is the view from the door. I finally took the time to rearrange things about a year ago after doing away with my desk hutch and I love my open space.


To start things off, my filing cabinet and "landing zone". This is the first stop right inside my door where I can set my things when I get home. On it I have a few of my favorite things from an antique Chinese box and snuff bottles to my list jar where I work on my lists of things I want to accomplish.



The top of my dresser with one of my favorite prints of a French street. I have a detail shot of the right, but on the left rests a photo of me in front of Windsor castle circa 2002, a stuffed rabbit, a bamboo candle, and one of many beaded strawberries.



A detail shot of the right side of my dresser top. Atop my hollow books rests a mercury glass vase given to me by my mom, a small glass chicken from my trip to Bath, the champagne cork from my 21st birthday, and two more antique Chinese snuff bottles that I inherited from my grandma.

Up tomorrow... My desk and entertainment center. Have you ever shared photos of your space online? If so, I would love to catch a glimpse of the spot you call home.