What took you so long? Lol
I can't imagine many who does not have this date seared in their memory for life. My heart and prayers goes out to all the families who lost loved ones and those who remain in the aftermath surviving the horrific events of 9/11/01. Yes, its 20 years later but that doesn't mean it's forgotten. Innocent lives were lost. Each day is a gift not to be taken for granted because there are no guarantees as to how the day will transpire and what any of us might have to endure and or suffer in the aftermath of whatever situation we may find ourselves in. I can't imagine and I don't want to but in reality things do happen, things we never imagined.
I use the words Creativity and Vision a lot because you have to have both in order to make your plan come to light. There are many creative people in the world with and without a plaque that deems them Interior Designer, Interior Decorator or Home Decor Expert or a television show to showcase your skill. When in search of your design style you become the interior expert for your personal space because it is being designed totally by you and for you. Your taste, your home, your style. There are so many different design styles and some even have a few in their home as they decorate room by room.
Design Styles:
Country
Farmhouse
Scandinavian
Traditional
Midcentury Modern
Art Deco
Bohemian
Coastal
Victorian
Shabby Chic
Figuring out your Design Style:
In figuring out your design style make a list of the things you like seeing in your living space that bring you comfort and tranquility. Document the colors you like and types of furniture pieces. List the types of plants or flowers your fond of for your indoor and or outdoor space if you are also designing an outdoor living space as well. Colors are the backdrop of your design so choosing a neutral color makes it easier to layer other things within your space without sticking to one color pallet. With neutral walls and ceilings you can add pops of color from season to season without having to choose certain colors so you wont clash with your wall color. You cant go wrong with a neutral backdrop.
You can find inspiration or ideas from decorating magazines and videos or Pinterest. It is fun to browse and see design pictures. You are bound to find a design or designs you like and just go from there. Most of the time you just need a starting point. I remember mine came from being an avid watcher of Country at Home on HGTV back in the early 90's. They had some beautiful design shows and Country at Home and Country Style really pulled my heart in and before you knew it Country Decor was my design of choice. I have been thrifting since the late 80's and I still thrift. Another person's giveaway can be your treasure at a deep discount, dust it off, clean it up and or repurpose it. I have found many things in good condition and all I had to do was to give it a good sanitizing just for safety sake. I was doing this before the pandemic for each piece I found especially because others were handling it before it made its way to my home. Once you have the walls and ceilings painted and the placement of your furniture pieces you can move on to what you are going to accent your space with. I love shopping for accent pieces.
Tip #1----If love to display things as I do you will want to choose furniture pieces with layered levels so you can display your antiques or favorite decor accents. Hutches, Cabinets, Curios and Shelving units are good choices because they are multi level and have lots of space to showcase.
Tip #2 ---If you have limited storage within your home it's a good idea to choose furniture pieces that are multi functional such as ottomans, side tables with draws and even coffee tables and sofa table that are multi-leveled. Another good idea is the use storage trunks and stacking decorative boxes to store stuff in. They double duty as decorative displays as well. I use a buffet to house my tv in my living room and it has 9 draws which I store placemats, linens, napkin rings, tablecloths and my batteries that I use to keep my battery operated candles lit.
Accent Pieces
Candles
Wreaths
Storage Baskets
Greenery
Rugs
Pillows
Trays
Shelving
Mirrors
Above are a few Home accents but you be the chooser of what to buy that best fits in your vision of pulling the look for your home together.
Aromatherapy
Last but not least don't forget to tickle your senses with smell. You have taken care of the eyes as far as decorating but the smell goes hand and hand with it. It just brings everything full circle. It's just like when you're dining out. The waiter can can bring you a plate of fine looking food and sit it on the table but if it stinks you will refuse it each it and tell him to take it back. When you enter a home and its looks beautiful to the eye but stinks your whole feel will be turned off to a degree. Yes, houses have natural odors, odors that we are use to because we live there but believe me there is nothing wrong with giving your home a boost of lavender, citrus, or eucalyptus. I rarely use burning candles. I have a lot of battery operated ones so to give my home a delightful scent I use oil diffusers. There are many scented oils to choose from. There are other ways to bring other light scents in your home. You can use dried fruit, potpourri, wax warmers and even scented pinecones depending upon the season.
ANYBODY ELSE IN A FALL KIND OF MOOD? I AM SLOWLY BUT SURELY GETTING THERE.
NEW SEASON NEW DECORATING CREATIVITY TO BE BORN.
THOSE WITH A TRUE HEART FOR DECORATING KNOWS WHAT I MEAN.
THIS GIRL LOVES DECORATING! CHANGING MY TABLESCAPE AND DISPLAYS THROUGHOUT MY HOME THIS WEEK.
AUGUST FIRST ARRIVES IN LESS THAN 14 HOURS. ENJOY YOUR HOME, MAKE YOU YOUR SHOWPLACE NOT FOR VANITY BUT FOR COMFORT AND ENJOYMENT FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.
WHATEVER IS PLEASING TO YOUR EYES, YOUR HOME, YOUR STYLE!
Morning dear readers!! I hope and pray that you and your family are well and staying safe in these challenging times we all are living in. The nation is trying to heal and get things more under control in battling Covid 19. Many have been vaccinated and it seems to be a glimmer of hope in getting things as close to being back to normal as it can be. We all are still being careful and remaining conscience of the threat of this disease and continue to take measures to protect ourselves as we slowly but surely venture outside of our homes doing things that we once did before.
I was excited 24 days ago when we entered into the Spring season, the time when most of us deep clean and give our home a Spring refresh. I am really looking forward even more to Summer arriving in 68 more days, beach and boardwalk days is what I call it (Praying to make it there this year with my family). Creating an Designing will always be a joy for me. It has always been a continued mission of mine to create a home of comfort and joy for my family! Ask them and they will tell you that the woman they know me as has always tried to provide a safe, warm and nurturing environment for them to live in, a place where they were proud to to have their friends come visit. I was raised to appreciate and take care of what I had wherever I was. I never let the size of my dwelling place nor my location deter me from making it into a home where love and heart resided. No matter what is going on outside of your door you can control what goes on in the inside and that was always my aim in every thing I did and continue to do for me and my family.
I never take the blessings of each day for granted. I thank God for them and the memories of the past. Sometimes it takes us slowly down a little and being able to reflect on how good the Lord has been to us and continues to be. The pandemic left many of us with no other choice but to do so and in some way that is a good thing, to get back to family and the root of your beginning. That same need for love and care that we needed as children we continue to need in some form even as adults who long ago left the nest of our parents in the continuance of life in starting a family and making a home of our own. We may be physically apart from them but never mentally. We still need that same constant love and nurturing from them from a far.
I Know I am not alone in how I feel. I have just joined the ranks of the other bloggers who are doing the same thing. I was doing this before social media even became a huge part in the lives of others and myself, even before I was able to afford a computer years ago to document my love for and journey in decorating and design.
Surprisingly to my Mother I have always been a farm girl at heart. I still remember being a young girl traveling in the car with my grandparents to visit relatives who actually lived on working Farms with live stock and fresh fruits and vegetables. I remember the grass, the trees, the sunshine, the rocking chairs on the wooden porches and just feeling a sense of joy and warmth. In looking back their lives were a lot less complicated and simple then the lives we live now with all our modern day technology. Many of us in our hearts and minds wish we could go back to the way it use to be in some form or fashion. There were less distractions that kept a family from being a close family. We spent more days talking. sharing and doing things together minus everyone having their own agenda or separate space to be in. Now the holidays and times of bereavement seem to be the only times families get together in large numbers to catch up on life with one another and with the threat of Covid still existing time together has become even more limited and far and few in between for safety precautions.
No one knows when their last day on earth will be and as for myself I try to live each day surrounded by joy and doing things to make others and myself happy. Creating an environment of warm and contentment helps tremendously. We live and chose partly with our eyes so I choose joy and I choose cleanliness and warmth, things that sooth the spirit and keep my mind stayed on Christ. I pray daily and surround myself with things that remind me of Him and His Word. I try to live and operate how I know God wants me to. The most important thing is Love. Love motivates you to do things for others and not just yourself. Love motivates you to share and that is one reason I created this blog to share with you, my readers, my journey in design and in the process hope to inspire any one who reads my journey to live, love, appreciate life and be grateful for every blessing of God. Take nothing for granted. Never put off til tomorrow what you can do right now because tomorrow may not present itself to afford you a chance to do so.
Thank you for stopping by, stay safe, trust the Lord and enjoy the Spring Summer Seasons. Walk in Creativity!
Peace and Blessings,
Sherri C. W. T.
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