Leave it to Martha

Have you ever wondered how often and when to do certain household chores like cleaning the baseboards or washing your light fixture covers?  Martha Stewart has some great cleaning checklists that are good to keep on hand and reference from time to time to see that you are keeping on top of your household cleaning.

Thanks Martha!

A Happy Kitchen

I've been thinking about revamping our kitchen for quite some time.  It won't be a major renovation, but just a little freshening up.   A few months ago Apartment Therapy posted an article called "10 Simple Things to Make you Happier in Your Kitchen."  It really got me thinking about what would make me happy in my kitchen. 

1.  The rest of our house has some fairly neutral wall colors so I thought it might be fun to add a little color to the kitchen.  There is not a lot of wall space in our kitchen so it's not a huge commitment to go with something like this coral color.  The biggest project will be repainting the cabinets.  I'm liking the idea of a medium to dark gray.  I love this inexpensive chindi rug from World Market.  Check it out in this Epic Room Makeover by Mandy from Vintage Revivals. 

2.  I need to put together an entryway.  We enter our house through the back, kitchen door.  It would be great to have a place to put my bag, my keys, and hang up my coat.  Of course I'd love to have a cute tea print hanging in the kitchen. 

3.  Music is a must for my happy kitchen!

4.  Since we don't have an eat in kitchen, it would great to have a little nook to sit and relax with a cup of tea and a magazine.

What are some things you need to have to make your kitchen happy?

Winter Weekend Getaway

My husband and I are getting ready for a little weekend getaway to celebrate Valentine's Day and our "Monthiversary" as we call it.  I am always trying to become a more efficient packer, so I thought you might enjoy a look at the kinds of things I'll be taking along.  Happy Valentine's Day, and have a great weekend!

Syncopation

In music, syncopation is when the normally unaccented beat becomes accented.  The beat is displaced.  I am starting this blog to chronicle my journey in creating a home.  I love all things having to do with home, and I hope to explore many aspects of that here on the blog.  I enjoy trying my hand at decorating though I am certainly not a decorator.  Let's start the blog by looking at some images that inspire me. 

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Check out this interior by Shuyler Samperton.  It's such a quirky mix of prints.  I love the rug, curtains, and that striped chair.  It looks stylish and comfortable.

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My favorite thing about this dining room is the wicker chairs.  I love almost anything wicker.  It makes a room feel earthy and cozy.

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 In the past year I've come to enjoy gardening.  Someday I hope to have an English garden.  Maybe this picture is a little bit of a dream,but it's a beautiful dream.

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I couldn't start this blog without mentioning my obsession with tea. 

I start each day with a cup of tea.  It just makes life nicer.

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I enjoy mixing and matching the clothes in my closet.  With the right pieces there really are endless combinations.  One of my favorite places to go for inspiration is Jessica Quirk's blog What I Wore . 

Thanks for stopping by!  I look forward to getting to know you and sharing more about my life!  Enjoy!