Home is in The Details

Call it Grand Millennial; call it Grandma Core; call it Maximalism.  My style is somewhere in the mix of those three and probably a few more.  There are a lot of ways to describe and express personal tastes and style, but I've always felt that the true you really shines in the details.  When it comes to outfits, let's face it, the accessories and shoes can make or break it but it's more than that; it's the antique locket, the interesting brooch, the shoe clips you made from pages of your favorite book that make the outfit truly you.  

So it is with our homes.  It's not just the table/couch/color of paint, it's your sassy chain-smokin' granny's vulgar ashtray.  It's the end table you salvaged and decoupaged; it's the little details that came from your heart and creative mind to make your home a unique representation of you.  To that end, and because I am oh so obsessive about the details, I have been filling my home with all the interesting things our family has collected or made over the years, but as we renovate I need a new piece now and then to complete a room.  For example: I put a canvas map over my T.V. as a cover.  Trouble is, every time I want to hang up or pull down that cover, I have to get it from a hook on the ceiling and I need a boost.  

I've been using this shot out old Cosco--yes, not Costco, it's something else--step stool we've had for over a decade.  It has been most useful, but it's not exactly easy on the eyes any more and it no longer latches, so if I don't center my weight on it, it folds up and causes me to fall.  I've gotten the hang of it, but it always makes me nervous.

As I've been searching for something unique and lovely, I've realized two things: 1.  how absurdly expensive old footstools are, and 2.  what I really want is one of those vintage wooden stools with hearts worked into the design such as these fine examples below.

The solution?  Well, Mr. Bleu has been doing a lot of wood working in order to make all the things we possibly can from trees around our property to both save money and get a higher quality wood than we can generally find at the lumber yard.  In the process, he's really becoming very proficient at woodworking.  I showed him some examples of what I was looking for if/when he got some time and a short while later, he surprised me with a completed stool exactly like the vintage pieces I'd been admiring.

It took a little wood filler and some extra sanding, but I now have this beautiful handmade custom piece that precisely fits my decor and I absolutely love it!

This room is still a work in progress, but it's coming along quite nicely and shaping up to be such a cozy, whimsical room that I love spending time up here in this room filled with so many odd/quirky/ lovely/ unique to my home things that make this room a feast for the eyes.

It's All in the Outlook

The English language is a fascinating thing.  Two words can mean exactly the same thing and yet one feels negative and one feels positive.  Take the title of today's post for example.  If you look up the words "rut" and "groove" in a thesaurus or dictionary they're listed as synonyms; they're even used to define each other on Dictionary.com

Yet, even though these two words are so closely related they're used to describe each other, they vibe differently.  For example, If I say I'm in a fashion rut, people respond with, aw, I'm sorry.  If I say I'm in a fashion groove, people respond with, hey, good for you.  Rut implies I'm stuck repeating the same behavior, I'm bored with it and probably frustrated too.  Groove implies that I've found a path that works for me and now life feels a little easier thanks to it.  What's the difference?  The difference is the way I feel about the behavior I'm repeating.

Lately, I've been wondering if I'm stuck in a rut.  I began to wonder if maybe this style was still working for me or if it was time to change.  After much contemplation, what I realized is that personally, in my private life, I actually think I'm in the groove.  My style works for me quite well, to the point where my mornings are easier because I know that each day I'll be wearing a dress/cardigan/flats combo.  It's my daily uniform and quite frankly, I still think it's darling.  I get excited to wear my dresses and to mix and match them with different cardis, belts, accessories, etc. so that even though I'm wearing a dress for the umpteenth time, it feels like a whole new look each time.

So, if I'm happy with my wardrobe, my style and my overall look, what am I stressing about?   I realized what I'm worried about is the blog/my social media style.  Once I realized that, I felt...well, really silly at first for caring so much about social media and then beyond relieved that I didn't suddenly hate my clothes and have to start all over with a fresh look.  And thank God, because my bank account definitely couldn't handle that.

I do wish that I had more time to create interesting and fresh outfits to post here like I did in previous years, but as it stands, between the renovation and going from part-time to full-time work, I really only get the time to take outfit photos once every couple of months and it's usually about 1.5 hours before sunset when I try to squeeze in as many outfits as possible in the same spot in my yard where I know the light will last the longest.  That time frame doesn't allow for locations or even a lot of thoughtful accessorizing or hair/makeup changes.  It is what it is.  This is my life right now, and honestly if you don't like dresses and cardigans, probably best you just move on, because they're not going anywhere.

I think I'm in my groove.  Yes, the Twee Girl phase was, like, soooo 2012, but wasn't Twee just reviving the 1950s/60s.  Quite frankly I think this style is pretty timeless and it will serve me well as I age and as my life changes.  I sort of feel silly for feeling "too old" to wear this style.  If there's one thing I love, it's an older lady with fashion flare, and I won't mind at all if that's what I am or am becoming.

Outfit Info:  YeMak Cardigan, Princess Highway Dress, Amazon shoes

The Library: Part 2 The Fireplace

Going in to this renovation, I thought that relocating our wood stove and chimney to the opposite end of the room would be complicated and difficult.  And, it was.  But it was a piece of cake compared to building this little faux fireplace for the library.

Since the fireplace in the library took so much work on its own, I thought I'd devote an entire post to it.  I don't know why we decided to give up more floor space that could have been used for other things; I can only say that having a gloomy Victorian style library with a fireplace and a grandfather clock seemed way more intriguing than extra space on the floor.  So, using the help of my favorite DIY blogger, athomewithashley, we followed her instructions, making a few tweaks of our own along the way to create this fireplace for an electric heater.

These corbel pieces are by Ekena Millwork and made of high density urethane.  We weren't sure of they would stain well or would have to be painted, so we just jumped in and tested one and as it turns out, they take furniture stain very well and look no different than the wood pieces we stained.

The tile pieces were purchased pretty early on and as so often happens, my vision for the project changed over time.  Since I had already bought them, I decided to just use what we had even though they no longer matched what I had in mind.  I had to remind myself that so many of my favorite Victorian homes definitely don't "match" and that is part of what makes them so interesting.  Stay tuned for my next library post to see our progress.

To Thrill a Mocking Jay

So back in the 2010's I watched The Hunger Games and like it well enough that I decided to read all the books. I think it's pretty commonly agreed at this point that the books were great, the movies...not so much.  Eventually, when my children were old enough, we got the audio books and listened to them on our daily commute.  My kids were hitting an age where books didn't really interest them, but when we started these books, they started begging me to just get in the car and drive around with them just so they could hear what would happen next.  

Because of our mutual love of these books, we also got the prequel, A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.  The story was not really up to par, and the voice actor was kind of ridiculous, but we suffered through it together.  Now my oldest child has informed me that the newest installment, Sunrise on the Reaping, another prequel which tells the story of Katniss' mentor, Haymitch, is actually very good and she begged me to read it so I can discuss it with her.  Family book club?  How could I refuse?

So, I'm reading the book and loving it so far, and in the spirit of summer reads, I  thought I would combine this thrifted Modcloth To Thrill a Mockingbird dress with a little Hunger Games goodness.

Outfit Info:  To Thrill a Mockingbird Dress-Thrifted Modcloth, YeMak Cardigan, Shoes are from SheIn

Oh, You Silly Goose

My nostalgia hit pretty hard when I saw this goose print dress from Unique Vintage.  I decided then and there that this would be my Easter dress, not just for the holiday itself, but also for a ladies' tea that I was attending.  Unfortunately the dress arrived without a belt.  I contacted UV and since the dress was already sold out in my size they offered a partial refund if I wanted to keep the dress and find a different belt that would work.  I was so smitten with this dress so I decided to take the refund and make it work.  And, I did.  I wore this dress to both occasions and even ran into someone who remembered the goose wind chime I used to have hanging above my bed as a child (see previous post for context) because she had hit her head on it a few times when she'd spent the night.  The dress was a hit and I even managed to find this belt that matched it well enough.

 Outfit Info:  Unique Vintage Blue & Goose Print Cotton Shirt Swing Dress, shoes are old from SheIn

You Silly Goose!: Calling All Collectors

I was there; I participated.  That's a phrase I rarely get to say when it comes to the vintage trends I adore, but if we're referring to home decor featuring geese in bonnets and/or blue ribbons, I can confirm that not only was I at the party, but I inhaled.  It was cottage core before the term existed and it was darling.  This was a decorating trend over which my paternal gramma and I bonded instantly.  Ceramic crocks, metal tins, wind chimes, and wall art, we loved them all and unofficially collected them together.

Geese.  Wearing ribbons.  And bonnets.  If you're not familiar with this niche, let me give you a mini-history lesson of this micro trend.  It began in the late 1980s and lasted only a few years until about 1994, but during that time if there was a blank surface in a home, it could be covered...with a well-dressed goose.  It sounds simple, but really it was a bit of a rebellious outcry against what I like to call the New York Business Power Couple aesthetic we saw in all the movies.  It was a prototype for the sad-greige-minimalist aesthetic embraced by...well, pretty much everyone right now.  This was a rustic rebellion and I wouldn't mind if it made a comeback.

Looking back it sounds like such a silly thing to catch on and be trendy for years.  But, I suppose all trends seem silly in hindsight and if I'm being honest, I still love this look not just because it reminds me of happy times and shared enthusiasm, but because it's so sweet and wholesome.

My oldest daughter was moving out and mentioned that her new roommate loved and was collecting all the goose goods she could find in her excitement to decorate their apartment.  I decided to make a contribution in the form of some tins and a set of salt and pepper shakers.  

Of my own childhood stores of goosey decor, I have kept only one tin and this goose windchime which my grandmother gave to me.  I hung it in a corner of my room which I later moved my bed directly under.  Every time I had a friend sleepover they would invariably hit their head on the windchime, setting it clanging.  I started calling it my Guest Alarm because it always let me know it was time to get up because my guest was up.  It broke somewhere around 1993, probably from a guest who's had just about enough, and I've always kept it because my grandmother died not long after and it just a small nostalgic piece of us.  It's been tucked in a drawer for years now, but this year I finally decided to mend it.  I want it back in a window reminding me of happy times.

Having Your Cupcake And Wearing It Too

I love fashion, love it so much.  And photography.  When I was a photography student so many decades ago, I could never get people to model for me.  Long before smart phones and the endless supply of selfies that everyone now takes, the world was once filled with shy violets who were just to modest to model.  It was a simpler time, but definitely more frustrating for a blossoming photographer.  

On the rare occasion that I could get someone to come for a session, they were always totally inexperienced and sort of clueless as to how to work with the camera.  And, since my own skill set was also still in the early stages, I had trouble effectively communicating what I wanted without just waling up to someone and outright posing them head to toe.  That's why I started being my own model.  It was just easier to work out where I should stand to be in focus and then pos accordingly than it was to go through the model process.  

Years later as I left the single room in our home in Japan where I took my outfit photos and then edited in an interesting background, I had to teach my husband how to use the camera and work with me.  To his credit, he patiently took the notes I gave him, kept clicking until we had the shot I wanted, and learned exactly what I wanted so that now I prefer to work with him above anyone.  It's just so much simpler and easier.  

One of my favorite aspects of photography back in the day was my time in the dark room.  Now it's Lightroom, but I still love tweaking here, adjusting there and making something beautiful.  So, for today's post, I thought I'd share some previously unshared photos from one of my favorite sessions (5-ish years ago) in one of my all-time favorite style dresses, the Cupcake dress.

The Library: Part I

My husband and I have not always agreed on home design or decor, but one room where we always found common ground was a library.  We have both always wanted one, preferably something a Victorian Wizard would feel at home in.  Armed with some inspiration photos (yes, some of them are most likely A.I.), Mr. Bleu and I began to tackle building a library.  Mr. B has not always agreed with the decorative choices I've made, but we have both always wanted this sort of library space, so this was a room to unite us if ever there was one.  You'll notice all my inspo pics contain green couches.  This is because I initially wanted this to be the room that housed my green couch.  But in the end, there just was not enough space for all.  

Things that were a must were: sconce lighting, deep colors, lots of books, a fireplace, and plenty of wall space to hang my collection of antique oil paintings.  During the construction of this room, Mr. Bleu built a catwalk so that he could reach the ceiling and I wondered aloud, why we couldn't just keep it.  After a brief discussion, we did and I'll likely do a separate post about that.

Installing laminate flooring has been one of the easiest and most enjoyable parts of all our renovation steps.  Apart from all the cutting, it's very easy and we managed to get the flooring done on this room in only a couple of hours.  Wallpaper on the other hand is less simple.  I ordered this William Morris print from a company that emphasizes sustainability and zero waste.  I didn't realize that meant that I was ordering numbered sheets that had to be used in order.  I ended up being one sheet short of a wall and thankfully Mr. Bleu is a Tetras Whiz, so he pieced together enough to finish the wall and we had enough left over to cover the small wall above the fireplace as well.  After all that, we decided to go ahead and wallpaper the remaining walls and this time, I ordered the right lengths and just bit the bullet on the cost.

Building this faux fireplace was its own job and I'm going to create a separate post for that project.  For this post, however, I will show you where it all began.

The "Billy Bookcase Hack" is all over the DIY internet scene, so we decided to give it a go.  Initially we were going to build our own bookcases, but in the end opted for the speed and convenience of ready-made pieces that I could assemble on my own and then we could install together. We did end up buying two extender units for each shelving unit so they would reach the catwalk, but this photo only shows the assembled units without extensions.

Very important step here is to either sand or prime or both before painting.  I got started only to watch the paint bead up and scratch off easily after drying.  So, I went back and primed all the boards and that allowed the paint to cover nicely, but it will still scratch off easily for about a year or so while it cures if my experience painting MDF panels on the wall or kitchen cabinets has taught me anything.

I got very impatient to get my books back on the shelves.  They've been dominating my dining room table and floor space for a year and I would love to have that room back.  I cut strips of wax paper to lay down under and at the sides of the books while the paint is curing.  I don't want it sticking to my book collection during what is sure to be a typical humid summer.  I chose to put antique books at the bottom and new books at the top.  

I also ordered fabric baskets from IKEA to fit in the cabinets and water hyacinth baskets to go on the shelves.  I applied a light coat of the same stain we used for the baseboards and trim to the water hyacinth baskets so that they would better match the colors of the room.  I really didn't know if this would work, so I started with a test basket.  It took only two coats of stain to get it to a nice shade and cured nicely.

This project was way too big to fit into just one post, so I'm breaking this room into at least 3 and maybe 4 posts.  Join me for Part II of this renovation project to see how the library wall turned out.