Floor Plan

I always find, looking at a floor plan makes it easier for me to visualize a space. I wanted to share with you a simplified floor plan of our condo (with furniture in place.) I know, we have far too much furniture, but most of it is for storage, which we desperately need. We have plans to rearrange our bedroom furniture (and possibly get rid of a dresser.)

Goooood Morning!

I have a few houseplants. Not as many as I would like, but I used to be better at killing plants than keeping them alive. So I am slowly building my indoor garden. I was starting to think I needed to add more soil to the plants, I didn't know before that potted plants lost soil over time. Now I do. I really didn't want to have to buy soil or dirt, but it seemed like I would have to. UNTIL, I read this super cool article on Apartment Therapy that would solve two problems I have! I only make coffee at home a few days a week, but, I am always throwing out the coffee grounds which seems wasteful. Not anymore! I am going to add them to my plants.

Has anyone done this? Any words of wisdom or caution?

Happy Wednesday!

I posted about Christina Watka's installation at Twelve Chairs Boston. Somehow, she was able to make this amazing installation

even more amazing. Christina created a stop motion video with an amazing original music composition by her boyfriend (and my cousin) Andrew Halchak. I think the installation looks so alive, watching it grow with music makes it even more alive. Enjoy!

Make Them Think it is Daytime!

Many years ago I heard/read (I don't remember which) a reason for painting porch ceilings blue. In my opinion, this is one tradition, like toile, that should never fade away. The reasoning was: people believed (I don't know when it started) that to keep the ghosts & evil spirits (Haints) away, they would paint the ceiling of their porch sky blue or "Haint Blue". The sky blue color would make the ghosts believe it was daytime and they wouldn't haunt the residents. It is such a pretty and simple tradition to carry on. Once I heard this story I started noticing porch ceilings more and more, the minute I buy a house with a porch the ceiling is getting a Haint blue color! But, for now, here are some pretty images of porches...

Southern Living

Evolving Color Palette

Before we moved in, we chose a color palette for our condo. My parents have BM Powell Buff HC-35 in their front hall at their house. I have always liked it, so we chose that as our neutral.

What We Moved Into

We were very eager beavers when we purchased our condo in July of 2007. We were moving in together for the first time, and had BIG plans of what we would do to make this our home. We have done a lot, but this thing called the recession has gotten in the way a bit. I just wanted to share some "day we moved in" pictures with you all! Enjoy the 1980's...Terrible light fixtures/fans, odd off-white color on the walls & tile that makes you question why mauve was ever "in." Don't even get me started on mirrors.

Front Door

Oops! x2

I have had a rough week. Well, not really, just 2 projects that have not yet succeeded.
This is fail #1:
I am painting my black bedroom furniture navy. This piece is a leg of a table that is new to our bedroom so started off stained wood. I took it apart, sanded it, primed it, 2 coats of paint on almost every surface. I kept hoping the second coat would darken it up, then I was hoping it would dry darker. Neither happened. It's bright-freaking-blue. So back to the store I went, with a new color in mind, one coat later, I am happy!
These are the legs, new on the left, old on the right.