Love Your Home: Days 10 thru 14. Spring has Sprung!

Ah, Spring.

Not my favourite time of year. Not for the house anyway.

The weather in March is so capricious--like a teenager, rolling out of bed at noon, barely showing her sunny face.

And all the dog does is drag in mud.

But, the end of winter (though we barely had a winter this year) is a relief--and I can celebrate that.

Melissa Michaels, hosting the Love Your Home Challenge invited us this week to bring a little of Spring into the house (but without the mud).

We start with a centerpiece.

Day 10 – Set A Spring Table: Let’s get our dining area ready for spring! Is your dining table buried in clutter? Clear and clean it. Now for the fun part! Find a vase, tray, bowl, glass cloche or a cake plate to use as the foundation for a spring centerpiece. Then shop around your house or go shopping for a few spring items to add to your centerpiece like ceramic eggs, birds or bunnies on moss, or a simple bouquet of tulips or daffodils.

Well, the table certainly needed some clearing and cleaning. And it took me several days. Couldn't find any tulips or daffs, oddly enough. I thought about buying some birds, or bunnies, or a cake plate,... but I've been decluttering and I am just not in the mood for seasonal tchotchkes. So, I settled for a bouquet of my favourite flowers available from the grocery store.

I love it--but it doesn't exactly shout "Hey, Spring!" 

for Day 11, we were encouraged to bring the outside in.

Day 11 – Go Organic: Plant some seeds for an indoor kitchen garden, or find organic elements outside to bring natural beauty to the inside. Sticks or flowering branches in a vase, pretty rocks, or even fruits and vegetables arranged in a bowl can bring organic life to your home.

Yay. I dug out the pussy willow branches--and bought a few more to add height to the arrangement. I also bought a narcissus.

That was so much fun.

Day 12 – Note to Self: What are some meaningful quotes, verses or words you could post around your home to encourage and inspire yourself or  your family? Print your favorites off from Pinterest or create your own version. Tuck printed quotes in drawers, lunch boxes and on bathroom mirrors.

Okaaaaaay. So, I am not an "inspirational quote" kind of girl--at least not the kind who will tuck them into drawers (clutter), lunch boxes (kind of overly sentimental) or bathroom mirrors (definitely, too Anthony Robbins-ish). But I will put a good piece of word art into a frame.

"In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt." Margaret Atwood. Did you know Margaret Atwood lives on Pelee Island? I'd smell like dirt, often, if I lived there.

I couldn't find anything I liked and that would fit. So, I made my own. I like it, though the overall impact is less than I'd like.

Day 13 – Dress It Up: Tonight make dinner time feel like a special event by setting the table in advance! Clear the table of any clutter, set out pretty spring linens and tables settings. Add votive candles and soft music.

Well, I invited my husband to eat with me at the semi-cleared kitchen table. No candles, no music. But it was still special.

Day 14 – Welcome Home: Today let’s give our front door or porch a little spring makeover! Sweep and clean the area around the door, and then add a spring wreath, a pot of flowers or make a spring banner or pendant to welcome you home.

I swept and tidied and I bought a new mat. I loved doing this--nothing like scraping the old pumpkin off the step to put you in the mood for Spring!

my son just got home from school. That's his wet boot print on the step.

I have more planned for the entry. I'll post as soon as it's ready.

I am having a blast doing these little assignments. I may not do one every day--and it may take several days to do one, and I'm not doing them "perfectly" but it's still a lovely way to engage with the house.

I'm curious--are you doing anything to welcome Spring?

****************************************************

Want more like this one? Have these posts delivered right to your inbox!

Subscribe to Prairie Home Therapy

**************************************************

My Fall Living Room: Yep, You Read that Right.

I'm sorry, I don't remember where I found this word art. It was perfect for my colour scheme.

I've been feeling terribly inadequate lately. As a blogger with a blog, I mean, not as a person. (As a person, I'm feeling pretty awesome right now, actually, thankyouverymuch.) But geesh. As a blogger with a home decor blog?

Definitely lacking.

It all started with Fall, actually.

I planned to do a Fall House Tour and it was important for the living room to be just so.  I figured I finally had the decorating chops and I was going to prove it to you all.

That pouf has sure lost its poufiness. But look at that fake cotton! The scale! the drama!

At the same time, I began to think I wanted to expand my readership. I started looking into what it might take to grow my blog.

The first week of September I started looking at houses decorated for Fall. Um, seriously folks? The first week of September? I remember one or two blogs from Texas saying the temps were still far too warm "to get in the mood." But that's also when I started to get an inkling that this blog will never be like those blogs. I will never have my living room decorated for Fall by the first week of September. (Never mind styled, photographed and written up!)

I loved this mantle. I took photos of it soon after I created it, I liked it that much.

So, my blog will obviously never be a trendsetting home decor blog. That's not going to be my focus. I'm not even sure I want this to be a home decor blog. But the blog does need a focus, apparently. Moreover it needs a narrow focus. As one blogger advises, "The narrower your focus the broader your audience." Harumph.

And s we all know, I do love to decorate.

Yep, I bought a role of burlap and hot glued it to a mason jar for a vase.

So, I started to decorate the living room--as I also planned and executed my decluttering series (because a well decorated home is also an intentional home and while that doesn't mean one needs to be a minimalist, it does mean one needs to decrapify regularly--and boy oh boy did my house need decrapification!)

The living room was ready at Thanksgiving (Canadian Thanksgiving, mid-October)-- well, it was as ready as it was ever going to be.

The day before Canadian Thanksgiving I drove to a store in a snow storm to exchange the pillow covers I'd bought for a different pair. But the store was out of the ones I wanted, so, after wandering around the store for twenty minutes or so, I stood still and racked my brain --and remembered a throw I'd seen at a store across town that might work. If they had any in stock. Twenty minutes before closing, I drove across town --in that snowstorm--  to buy a throw that just might pull it all together for me.

yep, that's the throw. I'm not sure it can do all I want it to do.

And on that horribly stressful drive, I thought about how simplicity is one of the things I value--and how this decorating business --especially seasonal decorating--and decorating to a deadline-- is not -- absolutely not "simple."

I spray painted some sticky dots from Staples with gold and stuck them on fake cream pumpkins 
--and wound up with spotty pumpkins.

So, simplicity is a touchstone for me and my blog--but I'm still figuring out what that actually means. Among other things. Figuring things out, I mean.

I'm still figuring things out: like why the living room didn't gel like I'd hoped.

The sofa strikes me as too white for "fall" but lots of others managed to create the cosyness of fall with their white sofas. I think it's the cushions: one set in particular.

See the orange one tucked back there behind the grey one and the throw? It's from H&M and looks lovely in person--it is orange--but not a burnt or rusty orange--and I think it needs to be. Or maybe a clearer stronger orange? Just not this orange. The orange and the white together actually read as coral more than orange. I had orange velour pillows. I decluttered them a few months ago. Oh well. They were solid and I had wanted a pattern--but I had no idea the perfect orange patterned pillows would be so hard to find!

I wasn't all that happy with this corner, either. The Ikea blanket just didn't do enough for me, somehow.

The truth is, after Thanksgiving, I put the living room out of my mind. Working on my Mom's dressing room took every single minute I had after that. There was no thought to spare for it--and, certainly, no time to take pictures.

Then, I finished the dressing room. I rested.

That's when I took a course on blogging--on photography and styling, specifically. From the course, (and a bit of other reading) I learned that a successful blog should have a pithy tagline. Every post should contain stunning pictures and styling. Apparently, the blog needs to be a recognizable brand --and I need to be on social media pushing every post and instagramming on a schedule. (Good people, I don't have a cell phone--not even a flip phone).

I would totally instagram this awesome photo of the river valley if I did instagram, though.

I don't know if any of that will ever happen. I'm still figuring it out.

I'm all about making life more pleasant--and that means making my house pretty and functional--or at least trying to. Figuring it out. Housekeeping, as you all know, is a struggle for our family. But I want this blog to be about more than just that struggle--but I feel like I need to include it, too.

I've figured out this much:

The blog is my diary, my record of what I do to make this house of ours a home for us. I like to figure out what home is, wht that means to us--and then create it. What I do at home drives the content of my blog --always. This living room was so stressful, in part, I think, because for the first time I let the blog (and my aspirations for it) drive the content.

And that's not necessarily a bad thing--but I don't think it's my thing.

Like the pillows. In person, they aren't that bad.

But I was happy to notice they were starting to pill a bit, already. I can let them go.

But I am not sure I want to let go of wanting to grow the blog.

I'm afraid any plans I had of doing a fall home tour are now kaput. My husband has already put up our tree. But that's OK. I am feeling the urge to decorate for Christmas.

A little bit.

Just as soon as I get over being intimidated by all those beautifully decorated kitchens. living rooms, and bathrooms (!) out there in blogland.

PS. If you don't mind my asking--why do you read this blog? What would make it more valuable to you?

************************************************** 

If you enjoyed this post, be sure to catch them all. Enter your e-mail address below to have each post delivered to your e-mail.

Subscribe to Prairie Home Therapy

**************************************************

Styling the Mantel

Justina would have me style a console--but I wanted to play with my mantel instead.

It has one function only--to be a dramatic focal point for the living room.

The painting is a thrift store score. I found it while shopping with my Mom--a rare thing. It fit this old frame I had perfectly.

It fills the space nicely.

Tall + dramatic draw the eye. These pussy willows have been on the mantle since the Spring--and though they really do say "Spring" more than summer, I love them. The books not only heighten the drama--they help balance the long horizontal space. They also bring the colour of the vase over to the other side of the mantel and add some lovely texture.

On the right side, I started with this bird I bought last fall at Target. (Dear departed Target. I'm still upset you left me.) The wood matches the buds exactly.

Then, for bling--and colour--I put this vase I bought just last night at Home Sense. You may remember my frustration trying to style the coffee table. I live a fairly accessory-free life and I just don't have that many options-- so off I went in hunt of pretty things. This is one of the things I found.

The rocks were just lying around, so I just piled them by the vase. There's one on the book on the opposite side, too

I love it. There are groupings. There's tons of texture. The colour palette is tight. (Repeating the colour scheme of the vase with the books--but in reverse kinds sorta thrills me to pieces.)

I give myself an A.

This post is part of a series based on a course I am taking at skillshare by Justina Blakeney called Style Your Space Like a Pro.

Assignment 1: (Identifying) The Styling Principles Of Justina Blakeney
Assignment 2: Styling the Coffee Table
Assignment 3: Styling the Sofa, sort of.

My Mmmmmarvelous Mantel: or the Importance of Colour and Scale

Edie Wadsworth has thrown the gauntlet. The challenge? To decorate the mantle and have something to photograph by Friday. She laid out the rules:

“Something alive, something to lean, something you love, something with sheen.” 

I chose to accept. Since I removed 90% of my decor during Nester's tchotchke challenge last summer, I have been quite content with practically bare surfaces.

Yet, the urge to decorate has been slowly returning. So when I read Edie's post, I decided the time had come. I scoured Pinterest for guidance. I wanted something simple, yet dramatic--and something I could easily ditto with items I already had. This was the winner:

source

And this is how I interpreted it:

My first pass wasn't nearly so good, however.

What's the difference? An extra small painting, one more book (with a pink spine) and a switch of candlesticks. Bam! The whole composition sprung to life.

Let's break it down:

Something alive:

In both the inspiration image and my interpretation, the thing "alive" is huge. It is over-scaled to the space--and that adds focus and drama. The only thing I have that would do that are my beloved peacock feathers. I love flowers, too, but I haven't the time to pick them up, let alone arrange them. True story: my husband brought home a bunch of red carnations in early January --and they sat on my kitchen table for two days before someone plunked them in a vase with water still wrapped in cellophane. I still enjoyed them--but I haven't had any since.

Something to lean: 

Ok, so the mirror has been here in what feels like forever, but whenever I think about replacing it, I can't think of anything better. I did add a painting by a friend of my daughter's though. That introduced some much needed colour into the vignette.

Something you love:

Well, the books, of course. I concentrated on pulling books with blue, green and yellow spines. Once I'd added the painting, I also slipped a book with pink binding into the stack. I needed something to "speak" to the painting, to make it look like it belonged rather than placed randomly for effect (though it totally was). That brought the whole thing alive.

Something with sheen:

I started out with these candlesticks. But everything just looked too staid, too polite. Sometimes "sheen" is just not enough.

Sometimes you need sparkle.

So, I ran downstairs and replaced them with the coloured glass.

Ta da!

why yes, that is a pink volleyball in a green bowl there on the left

You cannot imagine how happy I am. I feel as though I am falling in love with my house again. I certainly wish I had more time to spend with it.

Fall Mantel

I finally did it.

Temperatures here have been so wonderfully warm that I haven't felt like decorating for fall at all. In fact, I'm a bit upset that fall is here already--'cause I never got my "summer" look for the living room as completely pulled together as I would have liked. I was waiting to show that off--and here it is, fall, already!

But, here was the summer mantle.

So simple, you might not even say it was "decorated"--which, strangely enough, is kind of how I wanted it.

(Please don't mind me there--in pink!)

Inspired by Layla Palmer's Fall Mantle Link-up party, I set about to create something. I took it as an opportunity to play with neutrals and texture--and spend no money. (I did break down and buy the gourds last night, though. Glad I did).

Something about this seems off. Is globe is too big?

However, there are elements I just love:


The white pumpkin. These are fabulous. I love the creamy whiteness against the rough, old, book.

Look at these faded roses. Love them. They say "fall" to me.



I like the different "golds", here.


Overall, I think it works.

Maybe.


(Since I got this done in time to link up, that's just what I'll do. It's a great resource!)

5 Ways to Create a Cozy, Comfy Living Room

He makes his home where the living is best.—Proverb

One of my favourite things to do when blog hopping is to tour the blogger's home. It lets me know instantly what sort of style she has and what to expect when I visit. So, I thought that over the next few weeks I would do a series of posts about each room in the house (except for the kids' bedrooms). Some of them are better than others, of course. In fact, I am quite humbled (and yes, intimidated) by some of the incredible style and talent out there. I'm not particularly crafty. Nor am I trendy. Nonetheless, I hope there's something for you here, anyway--and certainly I hope you find a big, warm welcome!

So, our first stop is the living room.

Remember those living rooms no one ever entered? You didn't dare sit down in them. My Great Aunt had one in her 60's rambler. She was very proud of it. But, whenever we visited, we went right by it, through the kitchen, around the corner and down the stairs to the basement Rec Room.

My living room is not like Aunt Sybil's.


Ours is a room where the four of us do a lot of living. We watch TV. Listen to CDs or the radio. Play games. Play the piano. Play with the dog. Eat. Read.

It is decorated, but minimally. So minimally, some might say it isn't decorated at all. And that's fine by me, really. I want it to look good--but not intimidating. And it needs to be a place which includes all of us--with all our quirks.

So, with that in mind, let's take a tour, shall we?

This is just to the right of the entrance.

Yep, the TV and stereo. I think we are the last people on Earth not to own a flat screen! And don't tell anyone, but those speakers still use speaker wire.

I had wanted an armoire or a cabinet of some kind for all the components, but we didn't find anything within our price range. I put the shelf above it to "finish" it off, but it doesn't satisfy.

1. Know thyself.

I could have put the dvd's in a basket, but they're from the library--and out of sight is out of mind around here!

2. Keep it personal.

This is a watercolour my son did on a camping trip last summer.



To the right of the TV are two chairs. It's easy to turn the rocking chair around to watch TV.



3. Think balance, not matchy-matchy.

This kind of works, and kind of doesn't.

Does: The chairs are similar in mass: neither takes up a lot of visual space and they are both somewhat airy. Imagine a fully upholstered piece instead of the Ikea Poang: it wouldn't work.

Doesn't: They could be more unified. The wood on the Poang chair is black: it should be espresso to go with the rocking chair. The upholstery could be better coordinated, too!

4. Create a place to play, better known as a seasonally changing focal point.

A fireplace wall is a natural focal point: even when it doesn't function! The mantel is my place to "play." Everyone who likes to putz around the house needs a spot like this, I think.



3. Fake it 'til you make it.

I bought these silk tulips back when my husband and I were first married. But chic design blogs derided them. They got no respect. So, I put them away.

Ugh. Lamp harps. They move.

Then, over at Daisy Cottage, Kim gave this exact same advice: fake it 'til you make it. And I rushed to get mine out of storage, gave them a quick wash and set them up. Thank you, Kim.

4. Let sleeping dogs lie.

(I'm currently talking to the hubby about replacing that artwork with something lighter.)

'nuff said.

5) Invest in original art when you can.

And to the right of the couch, just to the left of the entrance way, we have the piano. Above it is a piece of art we purchased on the streets on Montreal. It is a photograph of a building with the graffiti of the woman on it. We got two artists for the price of one!



I hope you enjoyed your tour of the living room.