I haven’t finished, but I am getting closer. On top of this, I figured out how to make a numbered ticket in Publisher. Add another useless skill to the resume, just in case I decide to work for the circus…
Monthly Archives: March 2009
Drawing in My Sleep
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Filed under Current Projects
Still Chewing…
Filed under Current Projects
I am still here, just buried in musical production. The show opens three weeks from yesterday, but we have spring break thrown in there. Thankfully, as of three days ago, we have a musical director. And if anyone can pull off such a task as teaching 30 kids to sing their parts, and to do it actually in key, it is she.
I am still working on the comic headshots. I think I am getting better, which means some of the first ones will need redone.
WHAT IN THE WORLD DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH DECORATING???
Well, if anyone wants a personal-lifestory-comic book mural, I will be ready!
Chewing…Chewing…
Filed under Current Projects
I have a tendency to take on a lot. My mom used to say, “Don’t bite off more than you can chew!” And yet, somehow, I always end up with so much on my plate.
I won’t lie and say how crazy busy I am with work. Ha! Recession, remember? No, I am busy with my daughter’s play. I allowed myself to be talked into producing the big spring musical. (My daughter attends a Performing Arts high School.) …Because I want it to be a good experience for her, and because I had already produced three musicals a few years ago.
Then I should know how much work it is, right? Well, leave it to me to come up with MORE WORK. I thought it would be really cool if all the headshots looked like comic books…which accounts for that chomping sound that has been coming from the area around my desk nonstop for the last 48 hours…
AND I ONLY HAVE 8 DONE. There are about 35 in the show.
I don’t really want the kids to see them until they are all finished, but I’m going to put them here. It will be interesting to see if they find them, I mean, it IS possible that their parents could be readers, right?
Some Days Are Strange
Filed under Friday Collage
clockwise from top: Faux Fur Leopard Pillow & Throw from Williams Sonoma Home, Donut Rattan Lounge Chair from Surroundings, Rookwood Pottery Turquoise Vase from Seawitch Antiques, Teal Hydrant 8×12 Metallic by Bucks County Frames from Etsy, Angela Adams Stone Rug from Design Within Reach, Wine Barrel Folding Chair from Whit McLeod, Skull & Crossbones Glass Decanter from Plantation
The Rear Endcap 3/18
Filed under The Rear Endcap
Happy Day After St. Patty’s! I tried to find some green clearance and I wasn’t too successful, so let’s just remember that green can refer to money.
Have you been to Value City Furniture in the last few years? Honestly, they are not the slop shop they were in the 90’s. Look at this chair, for instance. Bigger, better and even cheaper than Target! The Hollywood Black & White Accent Chair is $129 from $249.
My kids, like many today, love the fabric handbags from Vera Bradley. My oldest carries her books everyday in this. It was a gift from her BFF. And my younger HAD to HAVE this one for her 11th birthday last summer. Don’t tell her the lamp (with shade in the same fabric) is on sale–or even exists–because I will never hear the end of it. It’s available at Shades of Light for $69 marked down from $125.
I still haven’t tried Flor carpet tiles, but I want to. They can get expensive. The prettiest shades of Solid Ground (Palm, Seafoam and Mist) are marked down from $14.99 to $11.99 each. Is it time to try them? Because I do love this color combination.
Seize the Days are back at Ikea! This Saturday head over for Droppar Jars. Neaten your Kitchen for only 99 cents each!
The End of an Era
Filed under Uncategorized
I have left my business group. I’ve been a member for 3 years and 3 months. Joining was the first thing I did to promote Decorate Your Space, and it quickly became oblivious that I was getting much more than promotion from my membership.
I met mentors. Effective, successful people became my colleagues and later my friends. Many different categories of business, many different types of people, many different styles of work behavior allowed me to see how to behave in my own personal situations. I am proud of what I have accomplished since December 2005 and I have my Wednesday morning group to thank.
The expressed purpose of BNI is passing referrals. At least 30% of my clients are the direct result of my involvement. At this point most of my clients are second and third generation referrals.
Which brings me to answer the question: If everything is so wonderful, why would I quit? Trust me; it was not an easy decision. (And I technically didn’t quit, I just didn’t renew my membership.) Three years is a long time and for almost all of that I assumed leadership roles. I was President last year. I am a regular fixture now. I am one of the “oldies” and I feel like an old chair, barely noticed yet taken for granted. Referrals given to me have dried up completely. And I have given it time. I have changed my spiel. I have conducted one to ones. I worked hard on my keynote presentation and was told by a founding member that it was the best he had ever heard. I have passed thousands of dollars of business.
I know the current economic situation plays in all this, but I also blame myself. I think I am too comfortable, which is why I am leaving. And to be completely honest, attending is just not fun anymore. Perhaps it is the economy and it could be the current leadership, but the atmosphere has changed. My colleagues are no longer inspiring. We don’t rejoice in our successes, laugh and joke at the meetings, and leave uplifted.
My brain is wired to always see the glass as half full. I plan to attend other meeting times. Perhaps I just need a change of scenery. Or maybe just a sabbatical…
I am going to indulge in the fact that I own this blog and it reflects MY life, and give a shout out to some of the people who have inspired, influenced and taught me much more than just how to run a business:
Bonnie Andresakes. Bonnie was the first person to take a chance on me, even though the last thing she needed was a decorator. Bonnie has taste, poise and style. She is well spoken, committed and beautiful and I wish I were more like her.
Wes Stearns. Wes is the founder of our group. You never meet a harder working person in your life. Wes is dynamic and can make anyone laugh.
Stephanie Keyes. Stephanie is more to me than a collegue. She is my friend. A lifelong member of our community, she is the perfect face for the Chamber of Commerce.
Rebecca Barnes. Rebecca would be the mayor of Prince William, if we had one, and with her in charge, our area would lose its current tarnish and would shine. I love Rebecca and I hope she is always in my life.
Colleen Wenger. Colleen is the first person I ever talked to, even before my first visit. Colleen has a heart of gold.
Lou Soscia. If tragedy strikes, Lou is the person you want to make sure that you’re covered. Lou’s honesty seeps out of him.
Charles Calvert. Sometimes at our meetings, I would think that Charles and I shared thought waves. If something struck me as funny or odd, I would make eye contact with him and we would have to suppress our laughs. Charles is brilliant.
Alex Burns. I hope Alex and I don’t lose touch. He has a wonderful sense of humor, and is completely capable. I wish him the best of luck as he embarks on a new business.
Cinde Weiser-McVeigh. Cinde is my golden goose. She can sell ice to Eskimos. I don’t mean this negatively, though. She has a real enthusiasm for life that carries into her business.
Mike Horton. Mike is the funniest person I have ever met. True wit is a gift and Mike has bucketfulls.
Stacia Kelly. Stacia shares my dance with the Muses. She writes, paints and believes…
Kristen Hart. Kristen is a friend, a confidant, a fellow traveler. I hope we will continue are journey together.
There are more: Troy, Beth, Roosevelt, Kathy, Susie, Jim, Cynthia, Amy. And Roggie Arnold and Mike Moss. To me you two are permanent parts of Decorate Your Space.
Decorate Your Space on the Road: Part Four
Filed under Bathrooms, Bedrooms, Current Projects, Rooms
My final installation of Decorate Your Space on the Road features perfect finds and another less than unanimous decision.
I have mentioned Pottery Barn a lot in these four posts because it is the only major mid line chain in Myrtle Beach. It stands without its usual competition in a very nice mixed-use-New Concept-Town Centre-format-outdoor Mall. Being the only people in the store on all three occasions, we had excellent service. But the best part about shopping here was the deals: I selected drapery panels for all three bedrooms at 75% off! Silk Panels for $45! And the complete hardware set for $35!!! This is cheaper than Wal-Mart. I was positively gleeful about this. Like a doctor scanning MRI film showing no cancer or Senator whose pork has passed, these are the moments that make my job.
We were not able to complete a room with the stock available, but at such crazily low prices, we decided to buy larger panels than we needed and have them altered. Out of 8 windows, we needed to alter only one panel in length for the Master Bedroom, split two 105″ width panels into four 50″ width panels for the room with the full bed, and split one 105″ panel into two for the room with the pair of twin beds. The alterations expense came to $180, which is less than the original price from only one panel.
We had more perfect finds. Two lamps, exactly right for the Master Bedroom, were just sitting on a shelf and waiting for us at HomeGoods. A solitary picture containing all the proper colors for the Guest Room hung on a peg right under an ideal black lamp with a green leaf shade at Target. A pair of prints framed in an exact complement to the pair of twin bed frames was found on clearance for only $30 each. We loaded the van again and again, happy with our purchases, our bellies full of fresh seafood.
I created a plan for the half bath rather late in my trip because I just couldn’t grab a vision for this space. Since wallpaper was off limits, I felt tapped out. Until I saw it. A pretty little chandelier, coral and green and white, of painted iron with tiny flowers. This was it. I instantly saw a more feminine space, true to the color story in the Great Room. In the showroom, wordlessly, I pointed up. Jim’s face lit up. He, too, received a vision of it hanging in the half bath.
This time Roseann was the holdout. “No way!” “Too grandma!” “Not my taste at all!!”
It was the last day. I was flying home in a few hours. I had to get tough. “WRAP IT UP”, I said to the salesman (all along knowing that today the credit card was in JIM’S wallet…)
Lime & Black
Filed under Friday Collage
5′ Round Black, Cream and Lime Variegated Round Braided Rug from Shades of Light, Swag Style Bold Lime Green Stripe Shade Plug-In Chandelier from Lamps Plus, Green Ice Bucket from Pieces in Atlanta Georgia, Treetop Art Insert from WestElm, Philippe Starck Bubble Club Outdoor Sofa from La Difference, Intersect Pillow from Chiasso, Serveware from Jonathan Adler
Decorate Your Space on the Road: Part Three
Filed under Current Projects, Kitchens, Rooms
Kitchen
Let me start by saying: Jim and Roseann know the Myrtle Beach area restaurants better than Tom Sietsema knows DC. I heard much about which has the nicest staff, the best view, the freshest catch, the fluffiest omelet, the best grouper sandwich…and of course, Jim and Roseann do not agree as to who is the winner in each of the said categories. (Read my post from Tuesday to experience a little of my culinary tour.) So it was a bit obvious that the Kitchen in their new home will never be properly loved. Still, I had amazing spa-like breakfasts of precisely sliced grapefruits, juicy blueberries, plump sweet strawberries and moist zucchini bread.
The Kitchen allows plenty of options for relaxing with a cup of coffee. A tall bar divides it from the Great Room. My clients had this area wired for pendant lights, but have not been able to find something they both like. Lots of Venetian Gold granite counter space, tall warm cabinetry and bay windows leave little wall space to inject personality, but a pair of Banana Leaf Mini Pendants will do the trick.
And a nice grass green, Benjamin Moore’s Ivy Lane, will complement the bit of wall there is. They chose-without my help!-a wonderful glass and wicker dinette set. When it arrived, two pairs of different chair backs were mistakenly shipped. But both Roseann and Jim thought it contributed to the interest and decided to keep them. Do I need to explain how proud of that I am?!? I am still working on finding just the right drum shade pendant to hang over it. I need pattern and color here…
There was some discussion about decorating the space at the top of the upper cabinets. This is one of those areas where I have a strong opinion. I say NO WAY. Just a repository for nasty grimy kitchen dust, if you really want to know how I feel. Roseann wanted to collect some large colorful platters and display them there, so when we found a large metal art piece at Pier 1 she was very pleased. This would satisfy her wishes nicely except…
Jim hated it. A few times more around the store we went, debating various shelving units for the half bath. Roseann slips into the conversation admirations of the piece with unwavering commitment. Jim meets them with a steadily increasing agitated “NO” until it crescendos into, “THAT IS THE UGLIEST THING I HAVE EVER SEEN!”
So as we began to collect our purchases at the register, Jim tells the clerk, “Don’t ring it up.” But since the van was already packed, and we had just bought two more substantially large items and a bevy of littler things, he had to go to parking lot and rearrange. Roseann took the opportunity of his absence to return the art to the pile. Seconds later, the manager walks to the register, on a mission from Jim to see if Roseann had done just that. The poor girl, forced to choose between satisfying her best customer all week and actually INCREASING the sale. This is why the couple has been so loyal to me: I know when to step in and make the final decision before any feathers fly.
The piece has found a perfect home nailed horizontally above the pantry doors. Jim hung it where I asked him and I ignored the mutterings under his breath.
Den
This is Jim’s domain. He has a large desk, a credenza, and a file chest and hutch. A console is still on backorder. Jim displayed his collection of old cameras on the hutch, so when he expressed an interest in the Photographer’s Tripod Floor Lamp from Pottery Barn, I agreed. We picked up the Adeline Rug as well, since if you remember from yesterday, finding rugs was such a challenge.
This room has wide, dark cherry planked wood floors. Crisp white beadboard would really add architectural detail. And Jim agreed. I imagined a richly textured green grasscloth to grace the upper portion of the walls. And Jim disagreed. Again and again. I worked on him over three days and many meals, and as often as I thought I could get away with it. I flew back home understanding my place as the employed one and before I left I chose Benjamin Moore’s Chopped Dill. But insisted it be done in the Matte finish. Maybe I will come back and faux finish it…
Decorate Your Space on the Road: Part Two
Filed under Current Projects, Dining Rooms, Foyers and Entryways, Living Rooms, Rooms
Here is a break down of some of the things I accomplished with homeowners Jim and Roseann during my trip to South Carolina. Today I will highlight the most public spaces, the Great Room and Dining Room. (Remember- we ordered the furniture last summer before they moved.)
Great Room
The Great Room was designed to showcase a view. We discussed treatment options for large bank of windows looking out the screen room viewing the pond and the new landscaping with gorgeous lighted palms. Neighbors have fabric covered verticals which Roseann really likes. My recommendation was to have window film professionally installed and then address if treatments are still needed.
A new shelving unit had been designed and recently installed. I accessorized with family photos and added orange pieces with intention to collect more. I decided not to accessorize the fireplace as the speakers and television are already crowding the space. New accessories were purchased for the sofa table. Two huge ceramic spheres and a long row of tea lights in the same two colors follow the horizontal line of the table with texture, color and drama. We purchased four large metal platters with hammered designs to hang on the siding in the screened room.
Concerning the large empty area to left of fireplace, Roseann loved a photo of a basket display in Pottery Barn catalogue. We used this as inspiration and purchased a wonderful array of highly textured woven trays and shallow bowls and hung them in a pleasing, random pattern. The arrangement will look less harsh once the walls are painted Ralph Lauren Crab Apple, a very complex taupe. We still need to procure a long low bench for this area to ground the basket display and to hide the sub-woofer. The bench will be easily moved to the conversation group when Jim and Roseann fill the house with neighbors and margaritas.
I designed a tile pattern to be installed on the wall area under the bar using colorful glass tiles and matte ceramic squares. I tried to convince Jim that tiling the entire 70 square feet of an angled and awkward wall visible upon entry with glass tiles would be completely amazing. My rough-estimated cost of 3K combined with the permanence of it seems to have overshadowed my enthusiasm. (Trust me–IT WILL REALLY ROCK!!)
Dining Room
After much searching, we decided to purchase a colorful, graphic wool rug at Pottery Barn. Roseann was very unsure, as her taste is more traditional, but loved it once it was in place with the Dining set. (The Dining table, chairs and buffet were some of the only pieces to come from the Woodbridge house.)
The rug set the tone for the accessories. We found a wonderful squat glass vase in a gorgeous orange. I filled it with oversized tropical fronds. The perfect giclee canvas presented itself in our shopping frenzy for a crazily discounted price of $15. We found a small wool rug in a perfect mustard for the Foyer on clearance.
We ordered a beautiful new chandelier from Ferguson sight unseen. It’s partner, a carriage light, was on display and we all immediately fell in love with it and decided it would be exactly right for the foyer. We felt a bit of economic desperation at the store and received both at a fantastic price.
I chose silk striped panels at Pottery Barn for the pair of windows. I advised them to wait for an inevitable sale. The colors in the stripes are lighter, slightly off versions of the paint I chose.
Jim has an irrational phobia to wallpaper. (…Which has absolutely nothing to do with the miles and miles of square feet I forced him to remove in the old house…) Texture is necessary in this space so I chose Ralph Lauren River Rock in Sandstone Cliff for under the chair rail. The rest of the Dining Room and shared wall in the Foyer will be Benjamin Moore Adams Gold.
Tomorrow: the Den and the Kitchen. And Drama over Plates!!