My Apartment for Today

Dear readers, I mentioned below, that I wish I were in Washington, D.C. today. I'm not feeling well enough to be with the marchers today, but I am there in spirit and am showing my support on YouTube and Twitter.  I am so proud of the youth of today.

So, I'm puttering around the apartment. It may seem frivolous, but it brings me great joy. It is a meditation for me. And while I am sending loving support to the marchers today, I am quieting my mind and focusing on gratitude.

My personal space is important to me. I've been in this apartment eight months now. As you know, I had to start over when I got back from Denver. All my furniture has been donated by friends and family. And though my home is humble, I love it.

Here's what I want from my place:  a simple restraint, flirting with minimalism. A modern look, influenced by mid-century mod and Japanese decor. I want it to be colorful and cozy, unapologeticly girly.

Here's what it looks like today. I spent no money, I simply moved things around.

Here's a secret. I use my dining room as my office. Here's what it looks like when I am working.

I often cut up my art to make new art. I like to think that my art is Zen, and that it celebrates the impermanence of all things.

Here's a couple vignettes from my teeny tiny kitchen, which is not clean enough for a reveal today. Yes, my place does get messy.

As you know, I am not very sentimental about things. I purge easily. I don't miss my TV or microwave. However, I do miss my desk top computer and its vast functionality. I am blogging with my Android.   I'm not having great success editing my photos.  Even though I like my place to be cave like, I'm not happy that my photos are too dark. Ahh..wabi sabi photos to match a wabi sabi environment. I have great respect for interiors photographers.

Puttering Around the Apartment

Dear readers, hope you are having a great weekend. I wish I were in Washington, D.C. today. I am so proud of our young people. I so hope they are able to accomplish what we were not able to accomplish when I was young.

While I am following along on YouTube, I am puttering around my apartment. When I am concerned about politics, it calms my mind to think about beauty. Afterall, art is politics and politics is art. Our problems all stem from greed, and the fear of lack. But there's enough to around. We all need beauty in our lives.

A digression? Maybe so. Anyhow, puttering is my favorite thing to do. Admittedly, I have design ADD. I have no budget to decorate, but nonetheless I move something everyday, even if it's just a pillow or a vase. Here's a couple of examples of how areas in my place take on a different look very simply, only using what I already have.

My current look is definitely something from nothing. For more on the issue of gun contol, please see my previous post.

Pretty Pink Vase No. 2...or...Ask and You Shall Receive

Dear readers, I've been listening to the book The Secret (it's available on Netflix). I've read it many times, but I am finding it particularly profound of late. The law of universal attraction is something that I've been considering more and more. I've been following quantum physics, simulation theory and Elon Musk.

BTW, have you seen Cover Girl's model Maye Musk (Elon's mother)?

She is a stunner! I have a major girl crush on her. This family definitely knows The Secret. Sorry, I digress. But y'all know how my mind works. Creativity influences creativity.

So... pretty much the law of attraction is very simple. You receive what you focus on. So one day last week I'm sitting on my sofa and I'm thinking I really want a pretty pink vase for my dining room table. I take to my drawing pad and I'm drawing the vase that I want. I start searching Etsy.

I've got a specific image in mind. I want a fully committed and unapologetic pink. Not blush, not mauve but a fearless, real pink. I want a modern simple shape and I want it to be about 11 inches tall.

I can't find it on Etsy, I find a couple of maybes, but not exactly what I want. And not in my budget.

After spending a little time contemplating the vase, I decide to go grocery shopping. As I walked into the grocery store, what was in my eyeline? A wine bottle. The perfect pink, the perfect height and the perfect (cheap) price. I snatched it without a second thought. Thank you universe, I said. That night I celebrated with a rare glass of wine, as I admired my good fortune. I sent love and gratitude to the manufacturer of this wine for having the fortitude to use labels that peeled off easily.

Isn't it gorgeous! It proves you can decorate on a budget. You will notice there are no dining room chairs around my table. There's a reason for that. Here's another secret: when I want something in my apartment, I create a vacuum for the universe to fill. I want two square ottomans to use as seating for this small space. I have no doubt I will find the perfect ones.

But why stop there? If the law of attraction works on something small, it can work for something big. Sound too simple? All truth is simple. I'll have more to say about that in asubsequent post.

I am taking part in a thought experiment with focus, I'll be sure to let you know how it goes. In the meantime I'm totally in love with my perfect pink vase.

Pretty Pink Vase

Dear readers, as you know, two of my favorite things are vases and the color pink. I have a clearly defined aesthetic when it comes to vases. I love a simple, modern form, and I love a matte finish. I'm aways on the hunt for the perfect vase.

Finding pink vases in a modern form is difficult. Most pink vases tend to be too frou frou. Finding the right color and finish is also difficult. I love a lot of the modern shapes of Haeger, but I don't like their glossy finishes, which make their vases look mass produced. Nor do I like their pink, which is usually too mauvey or fleshy.  I love the simple form and matte finish of McCoy Floraline, but unfortunately, they don't do a pink. (They do a lovely sage green, though.)

What's the solution? Painting your vase. Spray painting is best if you have a space to do it. And remember spray paint takes a lot of patience. I don't have the space right now, so brush painting it is.

So, I hunt for a vase with a modern shape. I try to find one with a porous surface so I don't have to use primer. If the base you're painting is glossy, you will need to use primer.

I had a cute vase by West Elm in my closet. I forgot to take a before picture of it. But here's a picture of it from their website.

Dig that shape. I'm a sucker for anything resembling a genie bottle. However, as is often the case when I order a vase online, I was disappointed with the color and the texture. So I decided to paint it.

I used this fabulous chalk paint from Pat Catan's. I'm totally hooked. Because the paint was chalky, it needed no primer. Yay! And how cool is it that the name of the paint is innocence?

Voila! I love it. It's the perfect pink and the perfect shape. I got so hooked on this paint, I used it on my new painting in the post below. I also used it on the back of my shelf in my kitchen.

I can't wait to go back to Pat Catan's to get more of this paint. And I'm on the hunt for more vases to paint.

You know my mantra: you can never have too much pink, pink can be used in a thoroughly modern environment, it looks great on everyone, and it is not just a girly color.

BTW OMG have you seen Mr. Kate on YouTube?  If not, you must!  They are too fabulous.  If you run into them, tell them I need them to come decorate my place!  ❤ 💋

New Paintings

Hello dear readers! I'm very excited about the experiment in color I've been working on. I love color blocking and color psychology. And I'm very inspired by Mark Rothko. My last batch of paintings were all about pink. This batch I am seguing into aqua and turquoise. I am working on a color experience, it's slow going without the funds. Thinking of starting a GoFundMe page.

 Untitled, 24x24, acrylic on canvas

Untitled, 16x20, acrylic on canvas

 Untitled, 8x10, acrylic on canvas

Stay tuned for experiments in periwinkle, teal, turquoise, aqua, lavender and of course more pink. ❤

Mood Board Chartruese and My Virtual Reality Apartment

Dear readers, if you're like me - and I think you are, since you are reading this blog 😉 - you have design ADD. Here's a confession:  I move something in my apartment everyday. Yep, everyday. It's usually just a vase or throw pillow. Oftentimes, I see an object and want to redo my whole place around it. I know you feel me.

But few of us have the resources to redo our rooms everyday, nor do we want to be wasteful. The solution is not more money for things, more space nor more storage. The solution is to live in a virtual reality apartment. Just think, if you decorated digitally, you could create on a whim. You wouldn't have to dust or have storage. Think of dinner parties, for example. You wouldn't need to keep (nor dust) a table all year long, when it only gets used once. In a virtual reality apartment, you'd create the table to suit your needs, and when you want it. Maybe tonight you want a small romantic table, tomorrow you need something larger. You could create ala carte.  The possibilities are endless. It may sound like a pipe dream, but it's actually possible...

Sorry for the digression...So I'm at the grocery store and see a cute set. As I'm walking home, I start obsessing about this set on my focal wall.  I love the modern shapes, the small footprint, and, of course, the color.

Cute, isn't it? Part of the reason I find it attractive is it's short stature. Being only 5'2", it's seldom I find a comfortable chair. With these chairs, I can actually sit back AND put my feet on the floor - a rare and joyous experience. Another plug for VR: just imagine I take the picture, then put in my measurements, and then project the 3d image. When you tire of it, you just change the color or size with the push of a button. Or you send it back to the ether when you want something new.

So here's a wall in my virtual apartment today:

I love the color periwinkle with chartreuse, so would need a modern painting featuring periwinkle. Then a funky lamp. Painting by Artzaro. Lamp available at HaberdasheryGalore. I love that lamp, and guess what? It's 15% off!

So...I love contemplating these pieces, but don't want to spend money today, nor do I have a VR apartment, yet.  So I pulled a chartreuse vase out of my closet.

 Feels like Spring to me.

Mood Board Blush

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you know I adore pink. Always have, always will. It thrills me that pink is such a popular color now, and I like to think I've had a part in that. I believe you can never have too much pink. Pink looks great on everyone, and it goes great with any color. And pink is not just a girly color, it can be used in modern decor.  Not ready to make the leap to hot pink? Can't convince hubby to paint the walls pink?  Try blush.

Blush is a very versatile color. It makes a fabulous and moody neutral with gray and violet. It also makes a great pop color with blue. Use a little, use a lot. You can't go wrong with blush.

Blush drapes add a bit of warmth and reflect the sunlight beautifully in this soft, yet thoroughly modern room.

The swan chair never looked better!

Violet and blush. Dreamy.

Simone Blush Chair at CB2. Drool. Need.

Refurbished table and lamp recently seen at Habitat for Humanity display at IX Center. Man dig that lamp. These would look great with the Blush Chair from CB2.  

A pop of blush with blue. Mysterious and sexy.

Have you seen the Project 62 collection at Target? It's a must for lovers of mid century mod.  I need several of those slipper chairs.