I'm inspired

I'm inspired!  I won't say it's the new year, as my only resolution for 2014 was to "pace myself".  Let's just call that wisdom.  I know better than to commit to anything outrageous, but do know there is a need in my life to better pace myself, so that I can indeed enjoy my life.  I don't want to go out on a limb and say I'll work out more, be a better blogger, get more done - Jesus, I do as much as I can every day.....so let's just say I recognize the need to calm it down a bit and have time to enjoy smelling the roses.  Last year, "the year of the merge", this year, yep - "pace myself".  Let it not be said that at this point in my life, I know that I need to keep it real!

so how shall I start the first post of the year?  I was going to post great holiday shots that showed I miraculously pulled it together before the holidays.  Yes, I had the Menorah out, the Christmas trees up and the gifts wrapped.  Sort of seems like old news now and hey I read a zillion blogs that had done all of that by November - so I feel no need to post my success, as I ran down to the finish line in a full sprint.  Am I the only one who is happy that the holidays are actually over and we are starting a new year?

so let's see....1st up.  I'm inspired.  I got the best book ever that has me super inspired.  well, we received several books for the holidays and I'm working my way through them.  However the one that has me most inspired is:

 

Mary McDonald's images have me mesmerized.  Truly.  If you want to treat yourself

to some real eye candy, order it.

Mary McDonald: The Allure of Style

 

 

I love so many things in her book.  My favorite chapter is "The Hunt", but her love of arranging beautiful little vignettes, which include family pieces and beautiful things you love, inspired me to pull out my own little pieces of silver and family inspired pieces and create the following:

 

 

An old silver tray, some of my favorite perfumes, a clock that reminds me of our trip to Ireland, a new blue/white vase filled with white roses and a candy dish (now holding soap) that was my grandmother's and stolen from my one of my sisters who was not using it.

 

 

 

or take a smaller footprint in a space and move things a bit more closely together:

 

 

This book has certainly inspired me to pull out some old silver pieces and polish them up, then group them together and have something pleasant to feast my eyes on.  It's also given me motivation to actually finish some spaces that I seem to have taken forever to finish up. I no longer can use the excuse that we are in the middle of merging 2 families and 2 households.  Here's to all the finishing details on several rooms that I hope to complete (and post!) in 2014. I'm all about completing spaces this year.

 

What is the major project you would like you to complete this year?

 

Happy New Year.

From a Mess to a Guest

The "year of the merge" continues with the merging of two households, two families and two houses.  This summer we elected to concentrate on letting everyone just adjust to our new shared environment.  I'm pleased to report it went well.  We redecorated the twin's rooms (will show in later post/s) and decided to re-do the last room, after son G left for Grad School in Boston.  So, off he flies to start his next chapter in his life and my thoughts are - well, I really need to tackle that room before he returns for the Thanksgiving holiday.  Fast track to November with Thanksgiving and his arrival scheduled for next week.  Yikes!

Let me show you what I started with:

 

Sort of looks like a scene out of Hoarders!

 

But in fairness to a guy who keeps everything else in his world extremely neat,

I think it was his last hurrah at "let's have a mess".  Somehow he just crawled over everything and drove his father completely insane.....until I came up with a simple solution.

My suggestion - "Close the door until he leaves" :)  Worked like a charm!

 

I decide to turn this room into a guest room, that can function for anyone overnighting.....including him.   IF he can stand to walk into a room that has dramatically changed and keep it relatively clean, I think we are good to go.

 

Here's the revised version:

 

 

 

 I had all the built-ins removed, the Murphy Bed taken to the beach place

and now we have a nice comfortable bed for all to enjoy. 

 

 

 

While the room is not 100% done, I thought I had better take some pics before Son G gets home. 

It might not look quite this clean after his arrival :)

No, seriously - can't wait for him to get here and Thanksgiving fun, food and family time to begin.