burlap for wimps

Main Entry: bur·lap
Pronunciation: \ˈbər-ˌlap\
Function: noun

1. A scratchy, hairy, fuzzy, unwieldy material that is tres chic and the biggest trend since I don't know what. A nightmare to sit on, lean against, or otherwise touch. Darling and the lust of all people home-obsessed, despite it's {many} flaws.

I know you've been obsessed with burlap too. I've read your blogs. I've salivated over your burlap pillows, runners, and window treatments. I have spent hours on etsy searching "burlap pillow" and found many, many cuties I'd be happy to call my own.

But you know what? I can't stand the way burlap feels! I can't stand the hairs it leaves on my black shirts! I can't stand the unraveling! I can't stand the itch I get when I lean against it! I have even tried washing it. That helps a little.

So what's a burlap-obsessed home-obsessed accessory-obsessed girl gonna do?

I'll admit I was at Joann's last night at 8:30 buying burlap. I'll admit I had it in mind for a certain project that was a reinvention of this. But it did not work. Sadly, I admitted defeat. Until. Until my Mom came over. "Just use it somewhere else" said she. "But where?" sid I. And then we schemed and came up with this.

I present you with burlap for wimps. My attempt to somehow incorporate burlap in my home without resting my hiney or back on it.

Fig. 1 Somewhat dated Tuscan-ish fauxpiary from Ross, circa 2005. Not bad, but in need of some love.


Fig. 2 A strip of burlap a little longer and a little wider than the pot it's going on, and jute twine {Big Lots, $1.25}


Fig. 3 Wrap & tie girls. Wrap & tie.


Fig 4. See? It's kind of cute, right?


Fig 5. Even more fauxpiary shrug love:


Fig. 6 What else can we do with burlap? How about staple it to the back of a vintage window for a little texture?

It helps when the window is mounted above a cute new basket with a faux burlap liner. Then it all coordinates. See?

And that's it. Just wrap it around something and get your burlap love on. Any other ideas where I can use the remainding 1/3 of a yard of scratchy perfection?

bon apetit

Even though my dining room is "finished", i still tweak stuff over and over. And lately I've been finding some of the best dining room photos for inspiration. There seems to be a theme to what I like and I have to keep reminding myself that i have some of these very same elements...


this is one of my very favorite dining rooms from Cottage Living. Love the wall color, the chunky table, the fantastic striped end chairs, the b&w photos, all of it. not to mention the rug.

Again, another favorite from CL. I too have a chunky wood table, grey-green walls, mismatched chairs, crystal chandelier.

Love the frames... the drapes are really pretty and the symmetry is nice, although it's a little too formal for my taste. But elements of it are nice.



What even needs to be said about this? The texture of the chairs is amazing and I love the updated dark grey paint. Also love all the white dishes, which I too have an abundance of.

This is just plain adorable.

Love the simple centerpiece and the striking chairs.

Again, I love the symmetry and that bench and chairs are great with the old table. Such a good mix of old/new and high/low.

Love the slips, and the stacks of white dishes, glassware, fresh greenery and textured basket.

And some repeats, but they're also some of my faves so I'm putting them all in one location. Please forgive me...

LOVE!!!

THE LOVE CONTINUES... PERFECTION.

So charming...

ditto...

So what I take away from this is:
I love my walls.
I love my table and chairs.
I love my drapes.
I love all my white dishes.
I love my crystal chandelier.

{click here if you want to see what the heck I'm talking about although I've tweaked it pretty darn good since then...}

I have thinned everything out, accessorized less, and pared down to the basics of what i really love:
texture, white dishes, some tarnished silver, cloches, and my beloved botanical prints, plus a tray of different candleholders as a simple but interesting centerpiece {I know, a picture would be worth a thousand words here, duh me I am so lazy right now}.

So the question is:
Why do I continue to look at all the eye candy out there? Am I ever really satisfied? People compliment me all the time on my "style" and yet I never seem to feel satisfied internally. It is something I am working on. I am so grateful for what I have and yet I always think I could do something better. Does this ring any bells with you? I mean, can you relate???

sneak peek at the boudoir...

just a couple of sneak peeks into my room, which is far from finished... but until then, hope you enjoy these little pictures...

p.s. there really is nothing french about this room {you should have seen all the toile and puckered drapes and french lady pictures I just pulled out of it for french!} other than the writing on the botanical print, so I use the term "boudoir" very loosely here

blame it on Ralph

So I was innocently shopping in TJ Maxx in the bedding section when a beautiful thing caught my eye. It was a ticking stripe sheet. But not just any sheet - a ticking stripe sheet with a slight flouncy ruffle with a tiny trim of cream lace. Stop. It. Now. Naturally it was Ralph Lauren, and at $6.99 I decided I would buy it and make a window mistreatment out of it for the kitchen slider - the bluebird shower curtain thing was beginning to bug me. I know, I know. Crazy.

Anyways, let me cut to the chase and say I haven't taken any pictures of this darling RL creation yet, but I will. But what happened next is why I blame Ralph. Not only was the sheet darling, but it is in the tan/grey/taupe/blue family I've been craving so much lately. And then I walked down the lamp aisle....

I found 2 black lamps with burlapish shades with black trim for my bedroom. And that's where the bedroom redesign all began. Perhaps I should have prefaced this by saying I made several hundred dollars at my garage sale Saturday (yay me!) and I was "recycling" it into home decor purchases. Oh the cycle and the madness. Anyways, before I know it I'm at Home Goods 45 minutes away and am stumbling upon the most fabulous repro botanical in black white and taupe. I had been craving change for some time and a theme was fast developing... I am updating my bedroom which hasn't been touched in 2 years. Out with the red/white/taupe, in with black/white/cream/taupe. It is so refreshing and so much lighter feeling. But until it's done I'll spare you the agony and just post AMAZING pics I discovered on a new site: decorpad. If you haven't already visited it, please do! It is chock full of great images. Here is just a few pieces of pure eye candy in my new obsession theme: neutrals. I promise I'll be back with pictures of my house soon. I am making lots of little changes - think neutral, texture, and sparkle.

oh my.

as a quick postscript to my last note, I believe i just discovered heaven on the internet... please check out Par Courrier for amazing eye candy. To me, these pictures are style perfected.





picking chin up off of chest. wiping up drool. going to dismantle house and start over now.

{escape}

If you read my last post, you know my MIL has been staying with me since June 1. Enough said. Hence the title of this post. I am also preparing for a garage sale and am purging loads of stuff. I have really been craving a pared down, more simple life, focused on family and my home and my faith. The problem is I am a collector, but I also can't stand clutter. And lately my house feels so cluttered - my months of accumulating garage sale and thrifting finds have gotten to me. So I'm a-purgin. And in my desperate attempt to ESCAPE I am dreaming of neutral, pared down interiors... thought you might enjoy these images, even though some of them are probably repeats. They just match my mood so I'm posting them anyways. Hope you are all WELL! Until next time...

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