Simplicity, Pretty Things and a Long Hiatus

 

Dear readers, how are you? You look marvelous! I've missed you. Hope you are having a great holiday season. I'm happy to report that I'm not participating. Ahhh. Such freedom. I'm also happy to report that I am not taking part in anything that causes me unnecessary pain, such as news, politics, dishonesty, drama. Time is too short to be inauthentic. My mother had a recent episode, which brutally reminded me of our mortality. In the blink of an eye, none of the stupid shit I worry about matters.

As I've been doing for the last several years, I've been ruthlessly editing my life. I want to live as simply as possible. No, I don't want to grow my own food, but I do want to leave a small footprint and to be free to pick up and move as I please. Don't get me wrong, I still love beautiful things, but I want just a few and I don't need anything precious. I have only four pairs of shoes, all of my paper and photos have been either shredded or put in electronic form. Things I live easily without are:  a TV, coffee maker, microwave oven.

Like many of us, I'm feeling over-stimulated and overwhelmed. I refuse to participate in the harried "crazy busy" life that is popular now. I feel a deep urge to let go, and to live. I've given up the news, and many blogs. I have a few favorites that I continue to read. I'm even questioning whether I want to continue blogging.

I'm in the process of extricating myself from Facebook. Never really liked it anyway - it mostly made me feel excluded.  I've given up most of my possessions. I know I'll be moving, I just don't know where yet. With getting rid of most of my stuff (some donated, given, tossed and sold), I confirmed something I've known for a long time. I love the freedom of simplicity. It's been a slow process, but the more I watched my apartment get cleaner, easier to keep clean and organized - the better I felt. Less weighed down. It feels lighter and airier.

Even though I am not currently decorating a specific place, I am still contemplating colors, as always. In my next place, I will be free to paint the walls. I'd love to do color blocking on the walls instead of art. The above is my most recent painting. I love these colors. Cobalt blue, silvery periwinkle blue, and of course, pink!  I am currently loving gray, cave like interiors, so would love to have a gray accent wall. I still really love the gray accent wall I did in my kitchen (see previous post here). I still love white floors.

Most of my vase collection has been sold, but here are a few in my collection. Not sure yet if I'm selling these.

That's where my head as it. I have an urgent need to unplug. To get out in nature, meditate, pray and breathe. I have been writing a lot about living simply, so there may be a book there. I don't know. It's amazing that I've been blogging almost 8 years. I didn't even know what a blog was at first, and I've never really known what I'm doing, I just jumped in. Blogging has done a lot for me. It's boosted my confidence. I've "met" some wonderful, fellow creative types who have provide incredible moral support. There are couple of bloggers I actually hope to meet, something I never thought I'd do.

So I'm feeling a little sentimental. I've decided to take a long hiatus on the blog. If you've read this post, have a wonderful holiday season and I just know 2015 is going to be the best year ever. As always, thank you for reading. I'll be spending the holidays in Colorado. This is a lifelong dream of mine - to go away for the holidays! I've never done this before so I'm really looking forward to it. Of course, I am packing light, lol!

See you sometime next year.......maybe.

Love, Peggy xo

People and Places to See in Akron

Dear readers, I've been preparing for a big move. Over the last month, I have been ruthlessly paring down my possessions. Along the way I discovered (or perhaps rediscovered is a better word) that possessions don't make me happy. Conversely, the more I created open space, the happier I felt. I crave freedom. Sorry, I digress, this is the topic of a future post.

So I've donated a ton of stuff - books, vases, shoes, purses, clothes, furniture to the Goodwill. One day I found I was down to my few favorite vases, so I thought I'd visit Land of Plenty to see if the owner would like to buy my vases.

 

Here is the lovely Kristi, owner of Land of Plenty, contemplating my vases. Normally I don't have any sentimental attachment to stuff, and can clear it out with ease. This was hard. Like I said these were my favorites. I had a lump in my throat as I looked at them on the counter. Don't they look pretty? To ease the pain, I took a look around the store. Kristi always keeps the inventory fresh by keeping her prices low. Every time I visit there is new stuff to see.  On this particular day she had some fabulous art by local artist Evona Dixon.

Evona stole my heart with her collected aesthetic. She explained to me that she instinctively uses zentangle in her work and that she uses prismacolors. The results are fabulous.

Here is the lovely Evona explaining her multimedia works. Evona is meticulous in her work and seeks to leave no white space on her canvases. I feel as if she and I are kindred spirits, I've collected many things over the years to make into collages. Collage is an art form that is not as easy as it looks, it's like a puzzle where many seemingly disparate objects are brought together to form a gestalt. After meeting Evona, I had to check my natural collector tendencies, I kept finding things I wanted to give her for future works!

Sorry for the quality of the pics, I took these with my phone.

Look at this meticulous drawing!  I adore it, I'm a big fan of cute little creatures. I could see many of her creatures produced by KidRobot. It's amazing how active her brain is. She explained to me that each creature is a character in a story that she tells her niece. I'd love to see Evona write children's books. I am amazed at the patience this work would require. I'm going to be following Evona's career, and you can too at her instagram page @nightofthelivingdread.

O.K. Peg, step away from the lamp. I had to quickly exit the store before I bought this lamp. Ya'll know that I am a lamp tramp. It wasn't easy. I had to remind myself that I am getting rid of stuff. Ahh, it's a sickness, getting rid of stuff, still looking at stuff.  Humans sure make beautiful things, don't they?

As I exited the store, I met N. William Tomlinson, owner of Venia Design. William recently opened a new store next to Land of Plenty.

As you can see, he's a real cutie. And he makes you feel very welcome in his store.

I fell in love with William's artwork, which he likes to incorporate in his design.

I love the ghostly nature of his work and his use of negative space. It was all I could do not to buy this piece.As you can see, his prices are very reasonable.

There are many eye pleasing vignettes in his store, each lovingly done. How cute are these orange vases?

Dig this coffee table with sunken section for plants!  Love it!  If you need help decorating your place on a small budget - including art selection - you don't have to travel all over town. You need look no further than this small block on W. Market in Akron.

Something Old, New and Blue

I've been going through some guilt lately, because I've spent a little money decorating my place. Of course, I do it on the cheap and I barter, trade and sell so things always remain dynamic. As you know, I'm cheap. Cheap. It takes a lot for me to pay full price for something. Such was the case with my new Sultan Canister from Z Gallerie. At $29.95 (plus shipping and handling), the price seemed too steep. I thought I'd wait for it to go on sale.

I've fallen in love with art glass and love it mixed with my ceramic pieces. Well, I've waited and watched this item for several years. I never stopped thinking about it, and it never went on sale. Okay, it's not so expensive when I compare it to the prices of Blenko, Joe Cariati and Elizabeth Lyons (all of which I'd love to own).

Oh my, how we consumers rationalize our purchases. I sometimes feel guilty and greedy, but it can't be denied that humans make many beautiful things. I love the new decanter. It is pictured here with an old vintage barber shop bottle that I had in the closet. It was only $5.00 some years ago. I think the pieces look great together!

Okay, that takes care of the old and the new. I have nothing borrowed to show you today, but here is something blue. Super groovy painting of blue lady on velvet seen at vintage store in Cleveland. I did not buy it, but it tempted me. I gotta thing for blue ladies, don't know why. Does anyone know the artist of this work?  Kind of reminds me of Picasso's blue period. I adore her long neck.  Want to see more blue ladies?  Click here to see my pinterest board.

Future Vintage

I don't use a lot of mass produced items in my home. Most of my pieces are second hand, flea market and vintage finds. I don't rely on Target nearly as much as I used to. However, I still like to mix in some fresh new pieces, and I'm not shy of a knock off. When I purchased my oh joy! ice bucket recently, I realized that I had a little collection of Target limited edition pieces:  a turquoise bread box holds tea, a hot pink tray and the new ice bucket look fabulous together. I love the simplicity and geometry of the pieces together and I love their color story.  And even though I don't like items to look mass produced, I do believe beautiful design is for everyone.

In contemplating these pieces, I began to think of things that I see in vintage stores that I remember having.  It's strange to me to see things from the 80s and 90s considered vintage! It occurs to me that one day these pieces will also be vintage! Time flies so fast it boggles the mind.

Styling an Etagere Using What You Have

Hello dear readers, I had a great weekend with family. Hope you had a great weekend too!  In my post below, I showed you my new etagere and now I'd like to show you how I styled it. I used to find display of a collection rather daunting. The key is to use objects you love, but not too many. To strike a balance that is pleasing to your eye - and to most of all have fun!

 

This piece is a little unusual for me, because I usually go for pieces that are very slick and modern. I have been wanting Ikea's Expedit forever. But there's no Ikea locally and they don't do online business.  I worried I couldn't layer this with my more mid century pieces. And then I reminded myself that decorating a home is merely assembling a collection of things you find beautiful and useful. This piece is definitely useful and very versatile.  I almost used it my entry way to hold purses, hats, scarves, bracelets and shoes. I've been thinking of turning my entry way into a dressing room. I've always wanted a dressing room and never had one, so I just might do it. It makes perfect sense in this apartment since the bathroom is located off of the entryway. (Probably poor Feng Shui)

For now this piece is displaying some of my treasures I've collected.  Mostly ceramic.  When I considered styling the piece, I was struck by its Asian, almost island resort feel.  I don't know if it's real bamboo or not, but it's put together very well.  I've always been obsessed with the shape of Asian conical hats, and wished I had one to put on the top shelf.

Inspiration

Image via Every Culture

Image via Farscape, "Thank God it's Friday Again" (Season 1, Episode 6)

Did you ever watch the tripped out show Farscape? This image from one of my favorite episodes. It's deep, visually stunning with fabulous music. I could write a dissertation on it.  But I won't. Anyway, I think that's what started my obsession with the conical hat. And, of course, I wanted it in orange.

Maybe I could find an orange hat like the lovely lady in the photo (from a previous post here). I really dig that table too.

Hat designer extraordinaire Philip Treacy teased me with this shape on Project Runway (Season 8, Episode 4). I need to do a post about Philip Treacy's work. Remember the marvelous fascinator worn by Princess Eugenie at the Royal Wedding?  (see previous post)  I just learned that it's a Philip Treacy design.  Where could I get my hands on an orange conical hat, or even a lamp shade?

I remembered that I had seen a beautiful orange shade at The Bomb Shelter, so I quickly headed over there. Isn't this gorgeous!  It would be perfect for the top of my new etagere. It would be fabulous made into a hanging light as well. Unfortunately, it was not to be. There was actually a pair of these shades for $90. I only needed one and that price is too steep for me. The owner of the shop was not to be persuaded otherwise. As I drove home, I must have something I can use at home to mimic this shape.

I walked in the door, and there it was!  Of course, I can use the rice paper lantern hanging in my living room. It's close to the shape I was looking for and since it's made of rice paper, has the perfect amount of Asian feel to it.

It now holds a place of prominence atop my etagere, which causes yet another obsession. Perhaps I need to take a trip to World Market to buy a couple of other rice lanterns. And okay, it's not orange, but I used an orange pot from Vietnam on the bottom shelf.

This is my first attempt at displaying some of my collection of vessels.  I do love it, but it looks a little cluttered to me.

Second arrangement with oh joy! ice bucket on bottom shelf.  Love it.

Third and current arrangement. I am having fun with boutique style! It pleases me that my favorite pieces are displayed. I sold most of the pieces I had in storage.  As you know, I worry about having too many things, so I am trying to keep only my favorites that are currently on display. If it's in storage, you don't need it!  Ah, the problems of affluence.  One thing is for certain about human beings.  They sure make beautiful things.

Some New Things in My Apartment

Since I've been so remiss in blogging, there's a bunch of cool new stuff in my apartment to show you. I think I have design ADD. I change something literally everyday, even if it is just moving a vase or changing pillows. In decorating - just like in fashion - I believe accessories make the room (or outfit). I love changing my accessories. As you know, I'm super cheap, so when I want something new - something old goes out. I sold some vases that were collecting dust in my closet.

Over the years, I've dreamed of owning my own shop. When I got tired of a piece, it would go into the shop. It's the ultimate in recycling!  And there's nothing more fun than sculpting a vignette with vases.

Inspiration

When I saw this lovely home, I almost had a heart attack.  Pomona's Boutique-Style Space via Apartment Therapy.  Of course!  Boutique Style!  I could create a boutique in my home.  I dearly love beautiful objects, but I have several rules for the use of objects.  To be beautiful is not enough, they must also have a function. This is why I love pottery, tea pots, dishes and candlesticks.  Also, display is as important - if not more so - than the collection.  Beautiful objects must have room to breathe, and not compete with each other. Clutter just won't do. I love how Pomona has gone vertical with her collection of beautiful objects.  A quick word about yellow.  Is that yellow vase just too fabulous or what?  I want it!  Pomona is very smart in her use of yellow.  A little yellow goes a long way.

Pomona spoke of her treasures as being things she collected during her travels. I felt a little wistful when I read that. I think I'm catching the travel bug. Then I realized - I also have treasures collected from my travels.  Okay, my travels mostly consist of traveling Northeast Ohio, but hey, I've still collected some lovely vessels. This is a big step for me. I decided to admit that I am a collector (shudder!). So my lovely collection needs proper display. I knew I wanted to go vertical. After much consideration, I got this lovely piece from Land of Plenty. I got a great deal on it, the delightful owner cut me a break since I blogged about her shop. I had a lot of fun considering this piece, I measured the piece and measured the space and plotted my display - just like a real designer!

Look at this fabulous score!  I got this lovely vintage Indonesian batik from The Bomb Shelter. Of course I got it on the stupid cheap. It's large and it's framed. Heck, a frame of that size could cost $100. I love it! My place is kinda taking on an island resort look that I think is cool. I think it might also be maturing a bit. I want to make old lady chic a valid style.

I bought this necklace at Dot's. It is so gorgeous, I couldn't put it in the drawer, so decided to display it with my scarf collection. My place is unapologeticly girly. This necklace makes me think of Stacy London, who I adore.

Here's a couple of cute little vases I got for 99 cents each at a vintage store.  I love the Asian-inspired shape of the lidded vase.

As you know, I love deconstruction, and I love using items for purposes other than they were intended. My red lamp is now functioning as a vase.  Don't worry, it's easy to turn it back into a lamp should the mood strike me. I am addicted to the genie shape!

I mostly use second hand and vintage objects in my decor, but I like to mix in something new now and then. I got this ice bucket from Target. It's part of the oh joy! collection. I love the color, although I wish it were a little more peachy.  You have to be careful when using coral or salmon color as too much can look to fleshy. Originally I bought it because I needed something to store my curlers in, but it's too cute for that. It has a place of prominence on my new etagere. I'll be showing you the styling of my etagere in my next post.

Spring Cleaning

Hello dear readers!  How are you doing on this beautiful day?  I know it's a crime to be inside on a gorgeous day like today, but I've been a little under the weather and in deep hibernation mode.  I've needed a little time to unplug.  Don't you feel that way sometimes? I may take the summer off completely....not sure. I am daydreaming a lot.  Such a joy. My thoughts are of Buddhism, nature, tiny houses and, of course, pottery. I am also thinking of taking a trip to Portland.

My humble little apartment is finally starting to feel like a home....just as I am thinking of moving, lol! I am grateful for the energy I feel today (and for my perfect cup of Colombian coffee).  A lot has changed in my place over the Winter.  This apartment has spoken to me and is taking on its own character.  I'm kind of surprised to see an almost island resort paradise emerging.  There is, of course, lots of retro and Asian influences. There's also some Moroccan, Bohemian and romantic influences.  I am still having my feverish, passionate love affair with color - but you might be surprised not to see as much pink as you have seen in the past.  Not a divorce, merely a respite. I still dearly love pink.

The next few posts may seem a little random, but I'm going to show you what's been going on in my beloved space. I am so grateful for this space, I thank God everyday. Personal space is very important to me.  Virginia Woolfe was so right when she said women need a room of their own.

Here's some new stuff in my place. As you know, old stuff goes out before anything new comes in. I like the feeling of recycling. If I want a new vase, I either sell, gift or donate an old one. I do worry that I have too much stuff, especially since I am thinking of building a tiny house. The apartment is feeling complete, and that makes bringing anything new in so much less tempting.  Although humans do make such beautiful things, don't they?

I bought a couple of plants!  Aren't they sweet?  I've been so scared to buy plants, I kill everything and it breaks my heart. The difference is now we have this lovely tool called YouTube and you can learn anything there!  I tried to pick up a couple of easy care plants, but lately I have my eye on an orchid and a bonsai...oh dear.

What made me finally take the plunge on a couple of of plants is Eva's beautiful and serene attic apartment.

Inspiration

Eva's Sense of Clarity via Apartment Therapy.  I adore the way she has used plants as an integral part of her environment. She helped me to realize that plants - like any living thing - are a commitment. And though, I admire her level of commitment, I don't want that big of a commitment.  So - I am committing myself to two little plants and we'll see how it goes. I am a nature lover, but I think sometimes I prefer to see nature in its proper environment.  Oh well, that's a post for another day.  I have been wanting more organic touches in my home.

This vintage amoeba-shaped dish fit the bill nicely.  And only 99 cents at the Goodwill.  Score!

I'm in love with my new deceptively simple painting.

I'm still loving this monotone blue room from House Beautiful's March 2010 edition  So tranquil, and loving the various textures (see previous post here).  But I'm also still dreaming of the Prada-inspired jewel tones of my favorite Domino cover.

I know I've shown you this cover many times, but I just can't get it out of my mind.  Love that royal blue sofa.  Love the global influences.

Here's another new accessory.  Cute yellow glass vase.  I am hooked on the genie shape.  I can't decide whether I want to go with a hot pink....

or turquoise sofa cover.  I am really digging turquoise.  I think I might really be a homebody, and I love making something out of nothing.  Of course, I am listening to music while cleaning.  Today I'm digging me some Drake.

Started from the Bottom.  Warning:  Explicit language.  Also, here's a hint:  skip from about :57 to 2:17 - major snooze.  Not sure why they interupted the flow like that.  But the rest is dope.

Take care. This one is the dreamy, tender side of Drake.

A Surprising New Outfit for My Apartment

I admit it, I have design ADD.  I suppose that's obvious, you have to have a little OCD to be a blogger. My new incarnation of my apartment was an act of sublimation. I recently went clothes shopping - which I hate! Honestly, clothes shopping - which should be fun - just makes me feel ugly.  But this time was different, I was feeling optimistic since I recently lost a few pounds.  I wanted a pair of jeans I could dress up for a party. It was not to be. I was exhausted after trying on about a zillion pairs.  Instead of getting upset, I decided to check out a few local shops and came home - by accident - with a new outfit for my apartment. I am selective about what I bring into my home, and I only bring items in after I've made some room by donating some things I no longer use.  I love beautiful objects, but not clutter!  The best part is that whatever I buy for my apartment always fits - because I can make it fit!

Here are my new - and rather surprising - items from The Bomb Shelter and J. Paris Designs (see posts below about these fab shops).

I think it's a little crazy and selfish to buy things for me at the holiday season.  But, honestly I always feel a little guilty when I buy something for myself.  Maybe that's why I'm so cheap!  (Hmm, I need to examine this, maybe I think I don't deserve nice things, surely that's not the case.  Maybe I'll examine this in a subsequent post.)

Most surprising is that I went crazy with pattern.  Perhaps it's because I had just read the new Domino magazine (review of this magazine coming in a future post).  Or perhaps it's because I read Emily Henderson's blog too much.  I love Emily, her blog and her show, but not her style so much.  It always looks to OTT for me, but I do find it interesting, charming and always happy.  It's just not for me.  Too much clutter and pattern makes me anxious.

In fact, I was telling Jessica of J Paris Designs that I never use pattern in my decor.  Then I promptly bought a houndstooth pillow.  Actually, houndstooth is kinda of a neutral, right?  In any event, it has always been my favorite pattern.  (See previous apartment where I experimented with houndstooth fabric.)  I was asking Jessica to watch for an over sized lamp for me.  I've been wanting one forever.  Then I turned to leave and saw this lamp.  I am sure I gasped audibly.  Okay, it's red.  A color I never use.  Okay, the shade is an Ikat pattern.  But just look at that genie shape.  And it's tall so it will look oversized.  I had to have it.  Now I had bought two patterns, not just one.  Talk about stepping out of your comfort zone.  As I drove home, I wondered if I had gone crazy. Could I really layer this much pattern in my place?  Yes, since I don't have wallpaper, clutter or chevron.

Here's a breakdown of my new items: (1)  Lamp from J Paris Designs, $45.00!  What a deal!  Ya'll know how expensive lamps can get, and this one is most likely vintage and unique.  Also, shades can cost more than lamps.  Jessica actually handmade this shade!  A handmade shade and a vintage lamp for $45! Unheard of.  Score!  (2)  Tall faux cement vase in simple shape - Goodwill $4.00.  (3) Teal flower pot - Home Depot $6.99. Been craving teal and turquoise lately.  (4) I shouldn't have done it - but I walked past the paint section at Home Depot.  Very dangerous for me.  I've been telling you forever that I want to paint a gray accent wall - I finally did it!  I'll be showing it to you in my next post.  I chose Behr 780-F5, Anonymous, in a flat finish.  A quart of paint cost $8.99.  (5)  So excited about my new vintage marquee letter!  I've been wanting one for a long time!  And I found one in hot pink - hot damn!  $12.00 from the Bomb Shelter.  (6) Handmade houndstooth pillow from J Paris Designs made by an artist named Kristin, the owner of Pillowtalkk.

For approximately $80.00 I have a new surprising look in my apartment. It takes a long while for a new place to feel like home.  I feel like my humble little apartment has finally found its voice, and that it finally has some Akron flavor. Stay tuned, I will do a reveal in my next post.

New Stuff

I wasn't supposed to be thrifting...but there I was in a thrift shop.  Abbey Ann's to be precise.  I almost didn't stay, the smell of cigarette smoke was suffocating.  Then I saw it.  The most fabulous lamp. I couldn't stop staring at it.  I knew it would be coming home with me, I was smitten.  And I knew I would deconstruct it, turning it into a vase.  Here it is in my home.  I love it!  Love its size, shape, and most of all its matte finish!

Remember my all time favorite vase that I broke long ago (see previous post here)?  This vase reminds me of it, even though the shapes are different.  I've never seen that vase again (except one time on a Danish blog), but if I ever run across it in a vintage shop I will snag it!

In the meantime, my new vase looks gorgeous.  I rearranged my little bookcase again and I'm really happy with it.  It just might be perfect.  All the pieces are matte finish.  Matte finishes make the collection look a little more upscale, less mass produced.  A few of the pieces are vintage.

I know I've already shown you my new opalescent bowl, from Sweet Lorain in Cleveland.  Please humor me, I must show you again.  Isn't it gorgeous?  Catches the sunlight so beautifully.

I'm a little embarrassed that I've been on a buying spree lately. In my defense, I do everything on the cheap, and it's about to stop!  My apartment is near perfect.  My pottery collection started to bother me.  I wanted a less mass produced look, and I wanted more vintage pieces.  I craved simple shapes, matte finishes and more sophistication.  And - oh yeah - I wanted more pink!  I just can't live without pink!

I believe these vases are all vintage Haeger.  They came from the following Etsy shops:   Queen Cotton Fabrics,  Cherry Berry Vintage and Happy Day Antiques.  Each shop owner wrapped these beauties very carefully so they arrived in perfect condition!  I so appreciate that.  I love ordering from Etsy, so much easier than Ebay. You can interact with the buyer and everything ships so quickly! I guess because there is no middle man.  And sometimes you get a cute little thank you note from the shop owner.  Such a nice touch.

The little painting is new, and reflects my love of the color scheme gray, brown and pink.  I custom mixed the brown, and I must admit it is the perfect brown.  Kind of like chocolate ice cream.  Oh gosh, I wish I could paint my apartment!

I almost forgot - I got these perfect salt and pepper shakers at Abbey Anne for $1.50!  I gotta thing for shapes.