March 27, 2014 by gn0mel0ver

It’s The Little Things: Being Home

I have a theme (or a bad habit). And that theme is I will have a post ready to go for my “little things” weekly section, but something else will inspire me more. So, that post gets pushed off indefinitely. And I write some random things instead.

But they come from the heart.

That’s gotta count for something?

Right?

While we were in Vegas, we had a good time, but there is just something wonderful about coming home. I wanted to share the little things that made my heart sing yesterday.

It’s good to be home.

Coffee! From a pot! From my very own pot! Oh, how I missed this. The hotel we stayed at did not have a coffee maker. I yearned for it. And I yearned for a cup of coffee that cost less than $3.

And water. In a glass. Filtered water in a glass. Free filtered water in a glass! Know my soul is splashing in this container right now.

My pillow. My very own pillow. Devoid of stranger’s drool. How I missed thee.

My kids. Okay. No pictures of them, but they were the best part.

My puppies.

It is funny, because Ollie could care less that we are home. If anything, he is sad, because our house-sitter lets him sleep in our bed (resulting in our whole bedroom getting scrubbed before I will go to bed). Murphy was extremely excited. But then he spent the whole night guarding the bed in case Ollie got any ideas that he belonged there.

Fresh baked cookies. These are my new favorite cookies. I will have the recipe up next week. I have been thinking about them all week.

What’s your favorite thing about coming home? What do you miss the most?

It’s The Little Things: Enjoying what you have, where you are at. In other words, home.

Also, the sound of ch-ching! is absent in my house. I find this to be my most favorite thing so far about being back. Unfortunately my mind has not quite come to terms with the silence. And even now as I lay in bed in the dark, slot machines are invading my quiet.

But it still does not compare to my very least favorite thing:

Laundry. Ugh. Laundry. How I did not miss thee.

Let me get back to being grateful for water while I fold clothes and lose money to the slots in my head.

P.S. Tomorrow I will have a huge post up about our Las Vegas trip. Complete with a picture of our wedding from fifteen years ago (just don’t tell my husband I’m putting it on the blog!). : )

August 3, 2013 by gn0mel0ver

The Changing Of The Lights

When we purchased our house eleven years ago, we swapped out our hallway and laundry room lights for the prettiest ones we could find for under twenty dollars. And then we never thought about them again.

Until we gave our home a mini facelift. Nothing extravagant. Just a little injection of love here and a swift cut right above there. I promise, it did not feel a thing.

I once again looked up. And I did not like what I saw. I did some research and swiftly fell in love with these lights: The Sophia Flush Mount light in the beautiful star shape with the brass finish. Trouble is, they were way out of our price point. And my husband hated them. So I moved on, looking for a better option.

I immediately fell more in love with a different light. I am fickle. It was still spendy, but doable. My husband loved the light. Sold. I found my lights from School House Electric & Supply Co. in Portland, Oregon. The base is Newbury 6″ in antique brass. And the shade has the lovely name, HP-2250-11-6SH. They got real creative there. I would have named it something like Silver Rings To Eternity or Endless Pewter River. But HP-2250-11-6SH will do… I guess.

I realize they are rather large. And to be quite honest, you should have seen my face when I pulled the shade out of the box. I think I said something like “HP-2250-11-6SH!”

But I like oversize things. They go with the fantasy house I am creating. My husband promptly installed them and I am in love.

They brighten up the hallway and laundry room. I love how they match the freshly painted grey walls.

I cannot get enough of stripes. Grey stripes, in particular. They are on my pillows, my towels and now on my lights. I think I might have a problem. Is there a support group for this? Is HP-2250-11-6SH the name of the group? What household color combos are you attracted to? Are you in rehabilitation? Is there room for one more?

I shared this on Savvy Southern Style

And My Romantic Home

April 25, 2013 by gn0mel0ver

Felt Gnomes

It is no secret that I love a gnome. I can’t get enough of the happy bearded fellow. But I don’t want a bright garish house overbrimming with them. I like my gnomes small, that way I can hide them wherever I desire. They are not as in your face as a traditional collection, such as this, could be.

I have quite a few from a wonderful seller on Etsy with a store named Moongoat. She handfelts each one of these little guys. Some women drool over jewelry on Etsy. For me, I cannot resist someone’s handfelted work. Aren’t they adorable?

She also did these two little gnome tapestries that I placed in our green cabinet:

I bought these felted guys (and gal) on a trip to New York. We visited my favorite spot, ABC Carpet & Home. They happened to have this strange little trio in a case. Someone had obviously been lovin’ on them hard. They were originally priced at something like $48 ea. but the kind sales associate sold them to me for $10 ea. I guess she didn’t know I have a penchant for used things. They were the prize of the trip!

Now they have many adventures in our crazy fun home.

Do you have a collection you are passionate about? Do you also love a wee little gnome?

March 10, 2013 by gn0mel0ver

Kitchen/Family Room

When I was heavier, I tended to not care about what I wore. I concentrated all of my creativity on decorating our house. I wanted a home our kids would remember being fun and colorful. I also happen to have an obsession with gnomes.

The story goes…

About eight years ago my husband came home from work and looked a little disgruntled. I asked him what was bothering him and he said he had had a miscommunication with someone at work and proceeded to get upset. The person involved in the discussion informed my husband that he looked very much like an angry gnome.

Which of course, I happened to find hilarious. Especially since he is a handsome youngish man with a moderate amount of facial hair (the sexy right amount). But when he is angry, he does kind of stamp, okay, shuffle really, well maybe just shift his feet. As time passed, his coworkers started slyly bringing him gnome figurines and shirts. And that is how, my friends, the wonderful wife that I am began collecting gnomes around our house. I buy them on vacations and on etsy. I had my daughter paint him one for Christmas. I have a very real fondness for the little guys. And my husband has a very very good sense of humor.

My husband and I share a love for fantasy and science fiction. We also collect dragons. I wanted our house to look like Alice in Wonderland went to live in The Shire. Yes, I guess that would make me Alice. I do get lost a lot. And I do not know what that makes my husband…a hobbit? Well, Sean Astin was a huge crush of mine in my younger years. I would write him love letters until my heart would burst. Sadly, naught a peep was ever heard from his side. I actually think my husband looks like a skinnier cuter Sean Astin and so this whole weird fantasy scenario kind of makes sense.

Here are some snapshots of our fun house. These are our family room and kitchen areas.

The couch is my 13 year old Charleston sofa from Pottery Barn (hence the many throws covering my “comfy” couch). On couch, John Robshaw pillows, Anthropologie suzani pillow, Anthropologie knit throw, grey stripe pillow from Home Goods, small blue pillow from World Market. Kantha throw on couch is a sale find from Pottery Barn. Otomi fabric on couch is from our trip to Mexico last year. Small yellow planter on floor from Anthropologie, I use to hold remotes and kid games. The lamp was a sale find from Pottery Barn.

2 Anthropologie Corrigan chairs in mustard
On mantle: 4 Anthropologie candle holders, Lego Volkswagon bus, rope dragons from trips we have taken, gnomes from etsy
Pottery Barn console (many years old)
Pottery Barn Kantha ottoman
Cake stand from William Sonoma
Cake glass dome from World Market

*Peacock painting I commissioned my favorite artist, Ginette Callaway to paint years ago. She still sells the print.

My favorite cabinet from a local antique store. It holds my collection of Anthropologie and vintage linens. It also holds my small Anthropologie cookware. Painting is by Ginette Callaway.

Anthropologie Corrigan chair
Anthropologie throw
Target pillow
Antique Green chest was a huge score at Anthro. It was originally priced at $300, and I paid $32.
Other chests in the picture were collected from antique stores and flea markets

Close up of kitchen clutter.

It’s me in our kitchen! I look like a crazy lady in this picture. Running errands all day and then a trip to the orthodontist with the kids will do that to you. Hey, I’m just happy I had any hair left after that day! I have a clutter fest of Anthropologie cookware and serving pieces. Our tile was from www.justmorocco.com. My husband installed it. I am wearing Anthropologie blazer, Anthropologie top, necklace from Baublebar, skirt from eshakti.

Gnome Lover

Stumbling through life while still having fun

Home

It’s The Little Things: Being Home

The Changing Of The Lights

Felt Gnomes

Kitchen/Family Room