Fall inspiration

In honor of Fall I thought I'd share some fun ways to spice up a room for the new season incorporating some of the above selected Pantone colors. I wanted to start with a piece of art and I didn't mean to get so literal with Fall, but I'm a sucker for cityscapes and I think this piece from ZGallerie can translate into any season.



From the art selection I picked a paint color. It just happens that Sherwin Williams has already named their color for 2017, "Poised Taupe", which I thought worked really well with the art and creates a really warm, inviting atmosphere. It's actually a really versatile color. As Sherwin Williams says: "This timeless neutral is modern, classic and a beautiful balance of warm and cool."

Paint can be a really obvious way to change up a room, but there are times -- like when you rent, for instance -- that this just isn't possible. Another big way to make a statement in a room is with an area rug and I'm completely addicted to rugs from ABC Home. I will admit these aquasilk rugs like the one I chose are an expensive statement, but they do have sales and sometimes you can get lucky with the rugs on clearance. These are high quality rugs that would be well worth the investment.

The living room just made sense to choose as an example for this post because, after your bedroom, your living room should be the most comfortable room in the house. Arhaus has some gorgeous sectional sofas and my favorite is the Truffle pictured above. What better place to get cozy in the colder months? Of course, throw pillows are the easiest and most cost effective way to update a room. There are so many great colors in the art and the rug to pull from and you can change up the pillow covers all year round. I had to throw in that gorgeous skull pillow from Arhaus for Halloween.

Lighting can make a huge difference in a room. The general rule is to have three different sources of light in one room (overhead, table, ambience, direct, etc). Table lamps are the most fun, in my opinion, and I love this Kelton lamp from Crate & Barrel, but even Ikea has some great affordable table lamps.

Last, but not least, I added some scented candles. One of my favorite things growing up was the smell of cinnamon candles in the fall and pine in the winter for Christmas. Not only can they create a mood with scent, but also with that soft, warm light. These candles from West Elm have the added appeal of stylish glass votives that you can use even when the candle is done.

Happy decorating!

ZGallerie "Downtown" 33"Hx63"W $299.95

ABC Home Aquasilk overdyed silk rug 7'11x10'3 $12,900

Arhaus Truffle 4-piece sofa in Deluxe Amethyst Cambridge fabric on sale now $5,199

Crate & Barrel Kelton table lamp $249

West Elm Antiqued Mercury Glass scented candles $39 (medium), $59 (extra large)

Crate & Barrel Yellow and Rust Orange Velvet throw pillows $44.95 ea

World Market/Cost Plus Teal Overdyed cotton throw pillow $34.99

Arhaus Museum silver beaded Skull throw pillow in natural linen $99

Life is Now

Life is now, not tomorrow or the next day.

Do you know how difficult this concept is for me to grasp? It's like trying to hold water in my hands. (I suppose a smart person who does live in the present would say, "That's crazy. It's not a concept. It just is," like you either did the homework or you didn't.)

I don't know why but I've never (other than when I was small and didn't know any better) lived in the moment, always the past or the future, constantly worrying, wondering, dreaming.

I suppose my mulling this over in my head is close to living in the moment. It's a self-actualization moment. Or something.

Really, I was trying to fall asleep and these thoughts popped into my head, and some rang true and poetic so I had to turn the bedside lamp back on and drag out my pen and paper from the nightstand (because what self-respecting writer doesn't always have pen and paper on hand? or a smart phone; that works too.), and scribble it all down.

I don't know why writing my novel can't be as simple as spilling all my thoughts out on paper.

Well, I do know: I think too much. Dreaming can be a good thing; one must always have goals and plans and things to look forward to, but, as JK Rowling (via Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone) says, "It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live." (you know, that might actually be from the movie, but whatever.)

When did I forget to live?

It must have been some time in elementary when I realized people harbored opinions of me, and I decided to fear those opinions, like walking through a minefield. That dreaded mis-step and poof!

It's absurd, I know. But the first step to recovery is acceptance, when you've past that stage of crippling denial and you want to change your circumstances.

So why am I laying here, my eyes burning, my hand already tired of writing out my random stream of thought? Perhaps I'm hoping I'll talk/think/write my way into an epiphany and everything, all this muck I've been stuck in, will become clear, everything will make sense.

And maybe I'm hoping that when I share these random thoughts on this little, insignificant blip of a blog, somewhere someone will read them someday and say, "Yes!" *lightbulb*

There I go again, grasping for the unknown future.

Oh, lord help the idealist who cannot save herself, for she knows there is no knight in shining armor coming to save her.




P.S. I'm still working on my design boards, in case anyone was wondering. I'm having a difficult time deciding what room to do next (and a difficult time with time), but it will most likely be the kitchen, dining room, or powder bathroom.

Goals for a New Year

I'm making this my motto for the year. It applies to so many aspects of my life right now it's scary and exciting at the same time. Things will change this year, big changes, drastic changes and I think I like that. Already things are changing in certain areas of my life that I did not ask for and I'm not happy with. I will be the first to admit I don't do well with change, at least not immediately. It takes time for me, but over time, as I've been told before, I am very adaptable. I'm trying my hardest to see the silver linings here, but I think I might have to make some extremely hard decisions this year.

All that being said, making the hard decisions for myself means I'm being honest, and it means I'm the one creating the life I want, and not one that is dictated by people that are under the misconception that they can use me for their own means or gain.

I started out this year on a good note, making my goals I'm about to share on January 1st and feeling like this was going to be a good year, and now I'm tired and I'm angry. But I have been learning that anger is a powerful emotion that should never ever be ignored or stifled. It means there is something vital to our soul's happiness that is not being expressed, though learning how to express anger in a way that is powerful and productive is an art. Learning to channel anger into creativity and drive to get the things you want most in life is a challenge I'd like to take on.

For now I'm going to continue a tradition I started back in 2013 of sharing memories from the previous year, and goals for the new year.

15 Memories of 2015:

1 Re-wrote my entire novel

2 Finished Calling in the One

3 Reconnected with someone I hadn't seen in 8 years on Facebook, and now we're dating.

4 Went to Aftershock Music Festival in October

5 Consistently kept up yoga and found a wonderful friend in my yoga instructor.

6 Started archery in August
7 Got my first bow
8 Celebrated 3 years at POI
9 Went to Universal Halloween Horror Nights
10 Tried dating on both Match and Eharmony (neither went very well)
11 Sent Norman Reedus a fan letter :)
12 A friend from high school passed away
13 Spent Thanksgiving with the new boyfriend and his family
14 My mom got herself a new car after being car-less for most of the year
15 Had someone to kiss at midnight on New Years eve


16 Goals for 2016:
1 Finish my novel (I feel like I've said this every year since 2012, but I'd really like to finish it this year. It's so close to being done it's frustrating.)
2 Find an agent for my novel
3 Move into my own place
4 Start the sequel to my novel
5 Keep up my dream house posts monthly: boards by room
6 Share excerpts from my novel on this blog
7 Pay off more debt
8 Get enough of a raise to move out on my own
9 Be consistent with my French lessons
10 Buy new pieces of furniture for my new place
11 Complete my gallery wall in my hallway
12 Buy my own Enagic water machine
13 Do a handstand in yoga
14 Visit the beach more often
15 Ask for what I want (I need to get more comfortable with this)
16 Follow my passion planner

Dream House: Outdoor Spaces

I'm not sure I need any further inspiration than this photo for any outdoor space I'll have. I've always been in love with the idea of a pool (and, obviously, there could still be a pool in this backyard just out of sight), and I'm sure I'd use a pool, but I think I'd rather have a smaller yard like this in close proximity to a beach.

But who knows, maybe I'll end up in a city like New York where a backyard like this would most likely be a balcony, which would still be absolutely perfect.

In the spirit of inspiration for the unknown, here are a few more ideas for outdoor spaces that make me want to grab a book and curl up on a cushy chair in the sun.

De La Torre Design Studio

Terry Hunziker Inc

Wadia Associates

Mac II

I used this last one in my post for pools a year ago and it's one of my favorites from that post. I can imagine coming around the corner of the house and finding a secluded little oasis like the first picture.

31 Things I've Learned

Today being the day I celebrate having spent 31 years on this planet, I thought I'd share some things I've learned in that time. Some of these little nuggets of wisdom are my opinion and may not apply to you, but most, I think, are worth sharing.

1. Your friends are the family you choose.
2. Relieving stress is all about the exhale.
3. People don't change. You can only evolve.
4. Not everyone will like you (and, God only knows, you won't like everyone you meet), and that's okay.
5. Generosity is the key to loving relationships (and I mean all of them, not just your other half).
6. Honesty really is the best policy. (Not always the best solution, though.)
7. You don't have to be besties with your co-workers. In fact, don't even go there.
8. For me personally, yoga is the best workout I've found so far.
9. We already have everything we need within us, we just have to remember.
10. Asking the universe for what you want really does work. It's like magic.
11. Vegas totally is as awesome as everyone says it is.
12. I love Disney more and more the older I get.
13. Inspiration is EVERWHERE!
14. Putting your feelings on paper is like therapy.
15. There is nothing more theraputic for a woman than time spent with her girlfriends.
16. Massages are essential.
17. Book stores are my church, stories my religion, and music my soul.
18. Sleep is the key to good health.
19. Most things you hated as a kid: baths, naps, early bedtimes, you love more the older you get.
20. You will never, ever find the same kind of meaningful relationship as the one you have with your sibling(s).
21. Our dreams and beliefs are like the stepping stones that get us through life. Don't ever sacrifice them for someone else.
22. Worry is poison.
23. Fear is essential. You can't have courage without fear.
24. There is nothing wrong with crying. Crying is to your soul what sweat is to your body.
25. Everyone has a dark side. There can't be light without the dark.
26. Find the things in life you are passionate about. Without passion your soul withers like a flower.
27. Life is not about being right. It's about what you can give to others.
28. When it comes to opinions, no one is ever right or wrong. They are simply different opinions.
29. If you didn't grow up with traditions, then start your own. They make life more memorable, and give you something to look forward to.
30. Words are so powerful they really can hurt.
31. The grass is never, ever greener. Don't waste your time comparing yourself or your life to someone else.

Once Upon a Time

I just have to put it out there: I am so obsessed with, inspired, and over-the-moon excited by this show. The twists on the fairy tales are so genius, I mean, the storytelling. The storytelling. And the actors are as amazing as the characters they play. My favorite is Rumplestiltskin. (Come on, isn't he just the best villain that you can't help but root for?)

And all the love stories.

There are so many. The obvious love stories like Snow and Charming, and the ones between families, which I think are more of the foundation of the show as well as the fairy tales. I think that's the point the writers are trying to make. It's not really about the love stories between princes and princesses, but about the stories of love that made them who they are, that got them to where they needed to be to find their prince or princess. That's what everyone watching can relate to. How you can be angry at a parent, but can't help your love for them. How some of us just want to believe in the good we see in people, no matter how many times those people may choose the other side.

So, back to the storytelling (I feel like I'm all over the place with this show). I really like that it's told the same way Lost was, focusing on one character per episode. If you never watched Lost (really?! Come on! Get on that bandwagon!), every episode was told in the present and then flashed back to the past about one particular character. You are told in each episode exactly what you need to know about the past in order for what's going on in the present to make sense. Like I said, genius storytelling. They always drop just enough on you in each episode to bring out the exclamations of surprise, on top of which I'm usually crying and laughing too. Because, ultimately, you become attached to the characters, you feel for them. The root of a good story is well-developed characters. The characters are the story.

All of these aspects put together and what do you get? A story you just can't stop thinking about.

What it means to me to be American

I’ve been giving some thought this week to what it means to me to be an American. It is all I’ve ever known. I’ve never been outside the country with the exception of a short trip to Mexico when I was in high school. I do know I was extremely grateful to be home when the plane set down, but that might have had more to do with my relief from nausea from food poisoning. (I don’t recommend getting food poisoning in Mexico.)

The novel I’m working on right now is fantasy, set in a world of my own creation. I noticed early on that I had inadvertently given my main characters a strong sense of duty. They have a job of protecting people, which they take very seriously, and I’ve realized this is something that has been deeply ingrained in me, something that is very American. I’m sure there are others who might disagree with me. My brother has said before that we’re one of the only countries that pays for advertising to encourage people to enlist in our military services. Or maybe we are the only country that does that, I don’t know. (That lack of knowledge sadly seems to be an American thing as well. In my opinion, America is a very ignorant country, but I’m making an effort to focus on the positive right now.)

 

July 4^th is a holiday I’ve always taken for granted.  It’s one that belongs only to America; a holiday that, for the majority of Americans, means fireworks and barbeques and spending the day in the summer sun, relaxing. This year marks the 237^th year since Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Robert R. Livingston, and Roger Sherman were appointed to draft a formal declaration of independence, severing the 13 colonies from British rule. I’ve just recently read that declaration. I must have read it in school at some point, though I have no memory of it. I think I’ve heard Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, or Martin Luther King Jr.’s I Have a Dream speech more often than the Declaration of Independence, and I’m only beginning to understand parts of the Constitution and its amendments.

But I do know this: we may be a young country, but the freedoms our country affords inspire people. I don’t think so many foreigners would immigrate here if that wasn’t the case. I do know that we are one of the only countries with a government that allows its citizens the freedoms offered in the Bill of Rights, especially ones like the right to bear arms, or freedom of speech. I read an article about a woman in Cuba who has been arrested multiple times for speaking out on her blog about what it’s really like to live in her country, and the injustices of the Castro regime.

I also know that I am blessed and truly thankful for the fact that I was born in America; that I will never have to think twice my ability to choose who I want to be and how I want to live my life. That, in the simplest terms, is what it means to me to be American.

Wishing you all a very Happy Fourth of July!

Greatest Desire

Bree from Lux and Lace shared this amazing video with me last week (and shared it on her blog as well), and now I'm sharing it with you.

Belated Anniversary

Your Journey print via Stephanie Morris on etsy

It came to my attention today that I missed my blog's 3rd year anniversary. At first, I was thinking I started it two years ago and was pleasantly surprised to be reminded otherwise. I'm not sure my blog has become exactly what I originally envisioned it to be. I think it's become something better, something I've come to rely on.

But that's the beauty of life, isn't it? You may not understand why things happen the way they happen until much later, and then they have already molded you, and led you exactly where you need to be.

We Remember

Broken Pieces

It is one experience

I feel no one will be able to forget

one that changed so many lives

within one hour

I have never seen

such an act of terrorism

and I hope to never see one again

No matter how many times

I see those huge magnificently

built towers

crashing to the ground

or see the pictures and hear the

stories

of the people missing

all innocent

or hear the horrendous numbers

of those people that died

it all seems like some sort of

dream

more like a nightmare

that we all wish never happened

and that we all want to go away

so that things would all be normal

again

It is so hard to believe

and impossible to understand

that something so awful

could ever happen in a country like

ours

Now sadness and tears

are the only things common around

me

It is so sad to think

that the most awful tragedies

are the most unforgettable

like the bad things in life

are the only things that we

remember

But I for one will never

forget

because now whenever I hear

our Star Spangled Banner

I feel that a piece of me

even if it is only very small

was connected somehow

to those that died

and it has crumbled away with

them

and our song is the only thing

that can help

put all of the broken pieces back together

It is the only thing that can

put New York back together

and all of the broken hearts back

together

The one thing

that will remind us never to forget

we are in this together

In honor and memory of all the innocent lost on September 11, 2001. I hope one day I can visit the Memorial built on Ground Zero.

This is a poem I wrote a few days after 9/11 as an English assignment during my Junior year of high school.