Monday, November 12, 2012

Hola... and an amazing blog for you

Hello world...

Not sure if anyone is even reading at this point! I have not forgotten this blog and actually am planning on returning to blogging very soon, now that my life has settled down. Until then, I had to pop in and say hi! I miss the creative outlet this blog brings. And I miss sharing things with all of you.

Like one of my favorite blogs - The Willows. The Willows is located in Phoenix, AZ and although I have never been there {yet} it is one of my favorite blogs. I first discovered Beverly in a book I bought years ago called Family Spaces. I discovered her blog a couple of years ago and it is to die for! She has such a way with styling that is so chic yet so effortless. I love, love, love her combination of rustic luxe with european chic. It's just the best. Here is a little sampling from a recent post, but please do yourself a favor and get a cup of coffee and give yourself an hour or two to look through her blog. I promise you will come away inspired.

*to look at amazing eye candy of her shop, look for posts entitled "around the shop"

**by the way, if you would like to follow me on Pinterest, please do so here. xoxo

Without further adieu... photos from The Willows Home and Garden





Enjoy!
-Kari

*pps I don't know how to edit those annoying white boxes around my links, so sorry!

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

A Happy Update...

Hi girls,

I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to post! A month or so ago we received word that we received a permanent loan modification on our home! Yippee!!! It was a HUGE relief and I'm so excited to stay in our home!

My younger daughter will start school next year at the same school as her big sissy. Their school is wonderful and just received a California Distinguished School honor. So happy we don't have to worry about switching schools and moving! Thank you all for checking in on me and for your kind words and thoughts! sorry I don't have any pix to share today, but I decided I had waited long enough to update this ol' blog so here you have it. I reallllllllly wanted to get back into blogging by the first of the year but we've been so dang busy it just seems to be on the backburner. But I think of all of you all the time and still read your blogs! My commenting habits are sporadic at best but I love you all! Mwah!

xoxo
Kari

Monday, October 17, 2011

thank you

Thank you all so much... from the bottom of my heart. Each of your heartfelt comments has meant the world to me. I was so overwhelmed by the love of many complete strangers and I tried to get to each of your blogs to thank you... but life caught up with me and I couldn't. Please know each comment was read with tears and I have reread them all several times. Thank you for taking the time. You have touched my heart.



I wish I had a definitive answer about our situation, but things have merely been delayed. That is good. And bad. Good because it gives us more time to work on some interesting leads. Bad in that I find the suspense very stressful.


{source}

However after reading so many of your personal stories and thinking of all the other ones I've read on people's blogs, and realizing that it is not the end of the world if we lose our house... I have come to accept that it might very well happen. And I will be sad. But I will be okay. We have a back up plan to move where we will be able to regroup for a few months. And honestly I will try and take on the challenge bravely if it comes to that.



Who's to say there isn't something better just around the bend? Have you ever heard that famous poem by Masahide? It's one of my absolute favorites...

"Barn's burnt down. Now I can see the moon." I love this. The ultimate in making lemonade out of lemons.



I am grateful for so many things. My husband. My beautiful girls. Our supportive family. Our health. And I trust God will take care of us one way or the other.

I hope when I'm feeling like me again, I can post some of the little things I've done for fall around here. It's really my favorite time of year.



I love anything by Ruth Orkin. The one above is one of my favorites... and reminds me I am anxious to feel like myself again, sans the stress... lol

Thank you all so much again. Your friendship and little notes checking in on me (Hi Chrissy and Kate!) and blog posts mean the world to me. I am working on this...


Hope you all are doing well. Have an amazing week mes amis!

xoxo
Kari

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

heavy heart

Uncertainty...

That describes my life since the first of the year. I know I lost almost all of my readers when I took my {very extended} blog break, but if there's any chance someone is reading, I just need to pour out my heart tonight.

This is not an exciting decor post laced with dreamy pictures and fabulous projects, but it's reality and it seems to have really hit me hard tonight. You see, we bought our house 4.5 yrs ago, one week before my younger daughter was born. Through a terrible series of misfortunes, theft, and job loss, we have been struggling to keep our home for the last 2 years. Unfortunately we are not the only owners of the home {very long story} so other family members are also being affected. Which magnifies the situation 10,000 times.






Being in the real estate and loan business {both my husband and myself} 2011 has not been a great year... owning a home only makes it worse, from an income standpoint as well as an investment standpoint. Not to mention running a business from home. If we are forced to move, we have to disrupt and move a business as well. So much stress.


I can't say enough bad things about our lender... we have applied for a loan modification multiple times and been denied for ridiculous reasons. They seem to employ people who have no idea what they are talking about, lose our paperwork, etc. etc. That only makes a difficult situation more frustrating and stressful. It seems they would rather sell our home to someone else for half of what we owe {the current market value is half what we paid for it} rather than work with us and modify OUR payments, the family that lives here, the family who has lovingly cared for and maintained our home and gardens for the last 4.5 years. Currently we are trying one or two last-ditch efforts to save our home, but it is very possible I will be packing up our home in the next month, unsure of where we will move.






This is especially emotional for me since my daughter went through a very rough first 2 weeks of second grade and had to switch schools because of an unfortunate situation with a very mean teacher {another very long story}. She has made new friends and acclimated wonderfully at her new school, but it took several weeks. She is finally happy as a clam. I am ecstatic. It is the best possible school in our area and the one we always wanted her to attend, but we were not assigned there. Until now. And if we move.... well, I don't know if she will have to switch schools again. I cannot stand the thought of that.



I well up with tears at the thought of leaving our beloved home, the place I have worked so hard to make our own... my roses, my hydrangeas, my garden. Our memories here. Living so close to friends. My daughters bedrooms, my 4 yr olds beloved blue room... and of course my daughter's school. Not to mention the marital strain this has caused.






I am just sharing this because my heart is so heavy and I am living a financial and emotional roller coaster and it is so, so very hard. On top of that, I have been struggling daily with IBS for the last couple of months and stress only exacurbates it. So many blogs are filled with decorating with what seem like endless budgets and happy times and friends and vacations and art retreats and I am just struggling to keep my emotions in check and my head above water on a daily basis and find some kind of joy in little moments. I'm sorry this is not a happy, light post... just know if you are in a similar situation to mine, you are not alone. I am right there with you. If that can bring comfort to anyone, then I feel a little better.


I just really felt compelled to pour out my heart tonight, so thank you for reading this and for visiting my blog. The last couple of years have been very difficult for me personally as well as for my family and marriage and I hoped to escape and pursue my passions and creativity on this blog, but reality is just so heavy tonight.

With tears,
xo
Kari


**edited to add... I have shared some very personal things tonight which is not usually my custom on this blog. However, I do hope that in "keeping it real" someone, somewhere will find comfort in my struggles. I love that expression "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle" but I know my problems pale in comparison to the struggles and losses others are facing. Still, thank you for reading and for allowing me to vent and to be human for a moment. It's therapeutic. :)

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Tyler Florence Kitchen of the Year

I just picked up the October issue of House Beautiful and if you haven't seen it yet, run go get a copy...






Tyler Florence has designed the HB Kitchen of the Year... {swoon}.... Just look...
Beautiful and fresh, classic yet updated, modern, interesting



I love the unexpected combination of mismatched upholstery, gold floral chandelier, hammered steel dining table and that black cabinet.. I want to move in.


Look at the details... vintage glassware love


Even the outside spaces are amazing...


For the whole story and all the pictures: {Source}

Well ladies, I am but a mere 30 minutes from his Mill Valley store, featured by two of my favorite bloggers here and here. I think a little field trip is in order, what do you think?

-Kari