Obliteration and Design ADD

Dear readers, there's a trend I hate in decor, and that is the amateur portrait wall. I don't understand why people enjoy walls covered in strangers. Creepy. In my own art, I enjoy the process of obliteration. (See previous post for an example). I enjoy reducing my artwork to render it deceptively simple. I also enjoying dismantling lamps and breaking vases. I don't know why I do what I do what I do, I just know that I have to.

Anyhoo...I was absolutely giddy when I discovered the work of Oliver Jeffers.

Love!  I'm a big fan of color blocking. Love how the lady's eyes are peeking over a sea of aqua. Also love how the color carries onto the frame. When I saw this I wanted to buy all the crappy art at the Goodwill and cover them with paint. (P.S. The Goodwill is a great place to buy frames.)

So here's a piece I bought.

Here it is after painting. I wanted to leave a little peek of what it used to be. I hung it in my dining room. As is often the case, I grew tired of it in short order.

So...I covered it in teal paint by Valspar. BTW, I am loving sample sizes of wall paint. I actually like this. My intent was to do a wall of color blocking using various pieces from The Goodwill.

Alas, after several weeks I grew tired of the piece again. This is what's like to live with the common affliction called Design ADD. The piece felt too heavy and in changing up my apartment for Spring, I feel the need to lighten up.

So, I stripped it down further and decided to use just the frame.

I'm a lover of simplicity and geometry. I hope that one day I will arrive at the perfect arrangement in my apartment, and that I will never have to move a thing again. Ah. Surely that is Nirvana.

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.

Design ADD: The Story of a Little Bookcase

Here's a little secret:  I love puttering in my apartment so much that I move something almost everyday.  Even if it's just a vase or a pillow.  It's taken a while for this place to evolve. I've been really lucky, all my furniture was donated by friends and family.

My talented brother made me this sweet little bookcase.  I intended to paint it gloss white, but my bro told me to check out the mistake section of the paint department. A happy discovery indeed!  I bought a pint of satin enamel by Clark + Kensington for $1.00!  Yep, no shit. $1.00.  After sanding (which I hate) the paint went on smooth.

Bam.  I love it.  I placed the little bookcase on my focal wall.

The chair is a gift from my mom.  It's a little chunky for my taste, and I wasn't sure I liked the sage green.  It sure is comfy, though and did I mention it was free?

After studying this wall for a couple of weeks, I began to go through a familiar stage in my decorating. Panic. I love beautiful things, but I panic when I have too many.  Maybe it comes from growing up in a hoarder home (the subject of a subsequent post).  I decided the focal wall needed to be cleaner.

Yep. That feels good. It's hard to photograph my place, it doesn't get much light. But I kinda dig its cave like feel.  So where did the little bookcase end up?

In the bedroom, where it is the perfect nightstand.  Now that's what I call form AND function.  BTW, I hate making my bed.

My Humble Abode, Part 2: Starting Over

Happy Saturday dear readers!  Hope you are staying warm and cozy.  I'm not feeling well today, so I am blogging from bed. On my Android.  Ain't technology a beautiful thing? As you know, I moved a lot this past year. I am ecstatic to say that I have been in my new apartment for six months! Just goes to show that time flies whether you're having fun or not. Something we should remember during the bad times.

When I moved here, I had almost nothing. Luckily, my cousin had a few of my favorite pretty things in her basement. This is breaking one of my own organization rules, that is: never keep things in storage. Luckily she insisted.  I'll have lots to say about organization in subsequent posts.  Here is what my apartment looked like after two weeks.

The chaise lounge was a gift from my mom, who felt sorry for me because I was sitting on the floor. I'm grateful for her generosity - don't tell her I said this - but the thing was crap! Horrible workmanship. Shame on you Brylane!  Completely impossible to sit on, it functioned merely as a space filler and a place to display pillows, nothing more.  A month or so later, after my neighbor gave me his sofa, I carried the bitch to the dumpster all by myself.  Bam!  See pic of the sofa, after de-catting (is that a word) in the post above.

It's been a slow process, but baby, my apartment has come a long way.  I'm hoping to do a full reveal early next week.  Want more pictures and less words?  Be sure to follow along on Instagram @margiemax.    xo

Austerity Measures: How Low Can You Go?

Austerity measures.  Restraint. Simplicity. These are words that are often unpopular in a culture like the U.S. that places a high value on affluence. Indeed those of us that fall below the poverty line, are excluded from most activities because we can't afford to engage. We're also excluded from political discussions, especially if we're single and poor. Discussions regarding tax breaks and various rights that the United States provides to its citizens are geared towards middle-income families. Poor single woman are not even part of the discussion and largely invisible.

I have a confession to make, being chronically ill and broke is embarrassing. It probably sounds crazy, but I am ashamed of my poverty. This is why I often don't date or socialize, in addition to being not able to afford it. That said, I am fortunate I enjoy living simply. I'm creative and able to create an environment I find pleasing with little to no money.

I have a question for my loyal readers, how far can you go? If you had a choice between living in public housing and having a little extra money; or living in a nice neighborhood with an expensive apartment and money to do little else than pay your rent - which would you choose?

I have lived in public housing. I was grateful for my apartment, but believe me public housing is no fun. There is no privacy. Residents were disrespected by management. At best, we were treated like children. At worst, we were treated like criminals as the staff acted like jailors. New rules were posted on door everyday, cameras watched our every move, our places were inspected continually by various agencies (including DEA dogs) often without notice. We were subject to constant ruthless audits. And the noise. The noise of frustration and hopelessness is deafening. Increasingly, I watched children turn to crime, and have even been their victim.  I watched 100% (no hyperbole) of teenage girls get on the school bus carrying an infant.

I now understand why realtors use the mantra "location location location." I am blessed now to live in a nice neighborhood. People are quiet, polite and respectful. They still drive like maniacs but there's a beautiful thing here you might have heard of:  sidewalks. And, oh yeah, trees.

In order to live in this neighborhood I have had to make many sacrifices. When I first moved here I had no furniture and slept on the floor. I had no electricity for several days.

There are many things I sacrifice in order to be able to pay rent.  Here is a list of some of the things I live without:  a car, a microwave, a computer, a television, cable. In addition I do my own hair.  The most difficult sacrifice I make is that I seldom buy new clothes. This is really tough because I love fashion. I almost never go out to eat or to a movie. I do not have a pet.

We live in a land of abundance and beautiful things and we are bombarded with enticing images. I wish my digital device didn't provide me constant ads for vases. It pisses me off that the internet knows my weaknesses and preys upon them.

Luckily, I like simplicity and minimalism. Also I am grateful that family and friends donated furniture to help me make this apartment a home.

Still, I confront my greed on a daily basis. The list of things I desire is long. I am endeavoring to appreciate what I have, rather than focusing on what I lack.

So my question dear readers, is how far would you go if you were in a circumstance where you came face to face with the possibility of homelessness?

I get asked....

Hello dear readers, hope you are having a wonderful day!  I'm still stuck in the A/C. Not a complaint, just thinking about moving to Alaska. Lol, but really.

I was grateful to have some time to go through my neglected email. I don't get a lot of comments, but I do get a lot of emails. Not, a complaint, I love my emails!  Guess what the number one question I get asked is.

The number one question is......drum roll......that's right, you guessed it.  The number one question is:  "Do you really live like that?  And where's your stuff?"

The answer is YES!  I really do live like this. And in the next couple of days, l will show you how.

As you know, I am working on a social media experiment. I am blogging with my Android and it is a huge learning curve! Could I have a little feedback please?  Are my pictures too dark?  Any tips will be appreciated.

 It's dark in my little cottage, the way I like it.  And small. Very difficult to photograph. I have newfound respect for interiors photographers.  It's much harder than exterior shots.

Want more pictures, and less words?  You can also follow along at instagram, @margiemax #sweetlittlebeachcottage.

I really must learn how to link. ;)

New Painting....Simple, but not easy

Hello dear readers!  In the last couple of posts I've spoken about the process I go through when contemplating a painting. It usually starts with a color I see clearly in my brain, and which continues to haunt me.  Lately a particular shade of blue has been haunting me. When this happens the need to express the color becomes palpable.  I don't know why I do what I do, I just know that I have to.

I humbly present the first successful painting I've done since moving to my new place. It's simple, but not easy.  In fact, the more simple the painting, the more exacting. As you know, much consideration goes into the color. Then there's the mixing of the color. Then execution. In this case, I was going for perfection, although allowing imperfection can be fun too, but that's not what I wanted to achieve here. I did not want brush strokes, nor variations in the color. Indeed, the color itself is the art. This is a great way to experiment with color psychology.

I'm going to toot my own horn here - it is too bad that I am not healthy enough to work as a professional interiors painter, because I am great at it.  So it occurred to me that I should use the same technique on a canvas that I would on a wall.

If you want a perfect, flat surface it's important to remember that a lot of paints are self leveling and look completely different dry than they do wet. I think Behr paint in flat finish is the most perfect paint there is, especially if your walls are in bad shape. And Home Depot are masters at mixing custom colors (although I mixed this color myself using paints from Pat Catans.) Wish I could say this is a sponsored post, but it's not. :) These are just my humble opinions based on years of experimentation.

The key is patience and restraint. When we are trying to accomplish a smooth surface, the natural inclination is to keep working the paint, going over areas we've already done and lobbing on more paint. Like I said, most acrylics are self leveling, so not only is this unnecessary, it  can be counterproductive. The way to accomplish a smooth flat finish is to put a whole coat on the canvas, in a thin layer. Don't go back over areas you've already painted. keep moving forward in one direction. Again bear in mind that paint looks very different wet than it does dry.

Put a thin layer on the canvas (or vase or table or whatever you are painting), without stopping and without retracing your steps. Then, patience. Let the coat dry thoroughly before applying another coat. Fortunately acrylic dries quickly. Then apply another coat, same way, sparingly, always moving forward, never back. Again let dry thoroughly. You might be surprised after the second coat dries, you might be done. In fact, I have never had to give walls a third coat, even when painting a light color over a dark.  Repeat the coats the same way until you are satisfied.  For this particulsr canvas, after the third coat dried, it was done and perfect.

I love most art, but the art that I find most aesthetically pleasing in my place is very minimal. And like I've said many times, it's simple, but not easy.

Untitled, 2016, 36" x 36", acrylic on canvas

Sweet Little Beach Cottage

Happy Monday, dear readers!  Did you have a good weekend?  I did!  I didn't do much, but that's just the way I like it. I am loving living the simple life. Less stuff means less time dusting! 

Now just because I love living small and simply, doesn't mean I want to sacrifice beauty.  I still want my place to be feminine, cozy and edgy. I still have design ADD. I'm just very careful what I bring into my home.

Of course I still like to change things up, but I do it with very little money. There's a great dollar store in my hood, so my style could actually be called "dollar store chic," lol.  Here's a few pics of my living room, showing changes I made. I'm so obsessed, I swear I move something every day!

 I'd love to paint the place gray, but it's a rental.  I'm just so glad it's not muddy puke biege, like most of my apartments have been. 

Wanna be by the water...

Hello dear readers!  Hope you are having a good weekend. It's hot here in Ohio and I am feeling a little wistful. I thought I'd take a little break from my Denver series to talk about the simple life.

I crave simplicity and nature. I've got an itch to move,  Here's the funny thing.  I know I will be moving. It's not a feeling, I know it. It's going to be a big move and it's going to happen quickly. Not sure where yet, top choices are Seattle, Portland or Denver. My ideal would be to own a small cabin. As you know, I love living small. I want to live a simple, low impact life.  I crave nature. I've always loved being near water, and I love trees.

I saw this cabin in Wooster, Ohio on Craigslist and thought very seriously about buying it. It's more of a vacation cottage, but  I could definitely live there year round.  Only problem is the place has only a camper toilet. I might be a simple girl, but I still need some luxuries.  I need a full working bathroom.  Still it's nice to dream.

Here is another dream home.  Ahh. I would sit on that porch, smoke a dube and chill to the max. Maybe even learn how to grow weed. Did you know you can take horticulture classes in Denver that will teach you to grow weed? (Warning: there are still lots of legalities which we will discuss later.) I'd probably get a pit bull to alert me if there's trouble approaching.

Image Source Unknown

Image by Peggy

I even thought about a house boat in Seattle. I am so enthusiastic about my future. Things are really looking up for me and it's about time. Better late than never!  I'll be sure to keep you posted. Have a great weekend and, as always, thanks for reading!  xo

Vignettes around my apartment

Good day dear readers!  It's a beautiful day in Akron, Ohio.  It's gentle, gray and misty.  Quiet.  The kind of day where you take things slow and enjoy the smell of a pumpkin spice latte.  As you know, I've been working hard at making my humble, little apartment into an efficient and beautiful work/live space.  And, I am addicted to photography.  So today's post features a bunch of lovely vignettes around my apartment - at least they are lovely to me!  I love styling and rearranging.  All in an effort to achieve Nirvana.  Once the perfect balance between beauty and simplicity is achieved, I will stop (I hope).  For now I am in love with my apartment.

My little outdoor space has become an extension of my living room.  The three ceramic vases were made in Vietnam and purchased at the Goodwill for a song.  Lighted faux branches were from Big Lots.  Also, for a song.  But you know me, I'm cheap.

Remember my little installation of broken and ugly vases?  (See previous post here.)  Since I've been embracing imperfection, I've been embracing broken vases.  And why not?  I adore little orphaned pieces and get them on the cheap, so why not honor them when they are broken?

Here is a new vase that I got at Home Goods.  I love gray.  Especially with pink.  The vintage pink bowl - probably my current favorite - is from Etsy seller JunkHouse.

A little sake bottle and vintage Japanese tea cups in my kitchen.  The cups were a gift from my uncle.  This little corner sort of explains my color scheme.

I often make vignettes, and then dismantle them as soon as they are photographed.  I am fascinated by the idea of impermanence, like the Tibetan Monk Healing Mandalas.  (Styling my apartment makes me so happy, it's certainly healing for me. Fixing up your place is the perfect remedy for a broken heart.)  I am also fascinated by rendering the impermanent permanent by photographing it.  Meta-photography, if you will.

You already know I can't stop making shit.  And that includes jewelry.  Yep.  That's right.  I am now a jewelry designer too.  I am creating edgy pieces from detritus.  This piece is actually a bracelet, but I love it so much I have it sitting on a plate displayed as sculpture.  Everything looks like sculpture to me.

My spiked hat is hanging with my favorite purse and scarves.  I love its edginess.  A reminder to me to be the warrior with the iron fist in a velvet glove.

New little lamp from Family Dollar!  I almost shit when I saw it!  The shade is made of wallpaper like foil and is perfect for fall.  Only $5.00.  Yep.  You read that right.  $5.00.  Venturing into the hood sure can be fruitful.  Also displayed on the table is part of my rock collection.  Everyone brings me rocks when they travel, especially my sister-in-law.  This little collection includes rocks from Aruba, Alaska, Hawaii, Cleveland and Akron.

Isn't this the sweetest little Buddha statute?  Got him for $3.00 at CitiTrends.  I like that my home is edgy and a bit of homage to the hood.

All images by Peggy

A teaser for your humpday...

Happy hump day, dear readers!   Hope you're not working too hard on this beautiful Autumn day!  I received a couple of emails asking for pictures of my apartment.  No problem!  As you know, I dearly love my humble, little apartment.  It's where I experiment with color and texture.  I've been doing a lot of work making this 450 square foot one bedroom into the perfect edgy, girly space.  Not only must it be beautiful, but it must be simple and functional, since it also functions as my work space.  I have designed the perfect work/live space and I am finally feeling at home.  I intend to do a full blown reveal in the next few days. But for now, here's a little teaser....some vignettes, some new stuff and lots of pretty colors!  Hope you enjoy.

Gray is new my favorite color, it looks fabulous with pink!  The gray vase is a cheapy from Home Goods. The pink bowl is vintage, from JunkHouse.

I love this vignette so much, I couldn't decide which color process to use.  Photo editing software is addicting!

As are vases!  I'm obsessed with their simple, geometric forms.  I also love them because I believe every object should not only be beautiful, but it should also be functional.  Form and function.  My little bookcase has a new coat of paint.  It is white again!

Most of these vases are from the Goodwill, and cheap.  A thing of beauty doesn't need to cost a lot.  I don't even mind if a piece is damaged.  I love hunting for unloved, orphaned pieces, then bringing them home, giving them a bath and a new life!  The exception to this is the tiny dish from from up in the air some where.  I wish it were bigger, but it is divine.  It's kind of expensive for such a small piece, but it is hand made.  It's even hand stamped on the bottom.  I love her work so much, I'd like to have a whole collection of it.

Here's an example of using what you have.  I love changing items to suit my needs, for a purpose other than intended.  I had this gold votive holder in the cupboard.  I love it, but really don't feel like gold in my place right now.  I kept wishing it were white.  So I painted it.  Voila!

The inside is still gold, so it casts the most beautiful candle light.  The square piece is depression glass from the Goodwill, the small white candle holder is also from the Goodwill.

I also love deconstruction.  I am in love with teal.  It looks great with gray.  I got this lamp for super cheap at the Goodwill and made it into a vase.  The small vase is a gift from a friend.  It's an inexpensive, mass produced piece that is heavily influenced by Celadon.  Its shape is perfect and adds the perfect Asian touch. I wish it were mint green, a color I am falling in love with all over again.   (I did a ton of mint green in the 80s.)  I am loving mint green with sage, with olive and chartreuse.  I thought I'd never use green in my decor. When it comes to color, I've learned - never say never.

Got a couple of new side tables and ottomans on sale at Target.  Perfect in keeping with my low scale motif. Heavily influenced by Asian design.  Perfect occasional pieces too for those times when my nephews visit.  A simple and effective way to provide enough seating for company, and take up very little space.  Important in a small space.

In keeping with low scale, I arranged some of my favorite books under the kitchen island.  I dearly love books, but this makes me so much happier than keeping them in my eye line.  I just don't care for the cacophony of colors.  I prefer things neat, simple and sparse.  That's what inspires me.  Clutter just won't do.
New cake plate from Home Goods.  White vases:  clockwise, ASA Selection, Z Gallerie, TJ Maxx and Donna Karan Buddha cup.  Architectural remnant from Goodwill.  Painting is one of my own.  It's one of my favorites.  I've given away a lot of paintings recently and am down to my favorites.

A trio of vases in my kitchen.  Green vase and white bottle are from Big Lots.  The Big Lots near me is moving so are having ridiculous sales!  The pink bud vase is a gift from my sister-in-law and is from Ikea.

Another trio in my kitchen.  Love the simplicity of this one.  Have been wanting to add light wood, helps with my desire to add more organic touches to my apartment.  The white flower pot is from the Goodwill.  Large serving bowl from CB2.  BTW - have you seen CB2's Fall catalog?  Oh gosh - it's the best ever!  If you haven't had time to check it out, you can check out my CB2 pinterest board.  Of course you will be looking at my favorites.  :)

Here's another little vignette in my kitchen.  I really like this one.  When I am arranging a vignette, I keep a close eye on balance, and try to maintain simplicity.  I like to display objects on plates or bowls to corral clutter.  This arrangement is sentimental to me, because it's all gifts from people I love.  The black river rocks and cute little fish are from my sister-in-law's trip to Japan.  The vintage Japanese paint brush is from my uncle.

Close up on the cute little fish.  Love it!  Tried to get a close up on the calligraphy on the paint brush, but wasn't patient enough.  Oh well, another day.

Oval shaped bowl from Target is coraling part of my rock collection.  On my window ledge in my bedroom. I'm pleased to say I've been working hard on my bedroom.  It's been very challenging because the closets in this place are the size of a pea.  Hyperbole, yes.  But only slight.

Got these cute little ottomans from Target.  A perfect place to charge my cell phone and rest my glasses at night.  Also provide needed storage for blankets and pillows.

Another fine gift from my sister-in-law.  Kimmidolls on my dresser.  Butterfly barrette honors who mother, who we lost too soon.  I miss you, Nora.  And, yes, I do wear the barrette.  I'm really five years old stuck in a 52 year old body.

I hate making my bed!  So this is how I roll.  I embrace imperfection!  I love that the bed is low scale.  I have a lot of sexy pillows and am obsessed with bedding.  I just throw the stuff around upon awakening. There's no wrong way to make this bed.

I got a couple of new comforters from Home Goods.  I bought both the pink and the gray.  They were a crazy insane price.  Something like $39 for two queen sized!  I paid more for that for sheets at Target, which were pretty but not very pleasing on the skin.  Can we talk sheets for a second?  Can someone please tell me about thread count and such?  I have very sensitive skin.  Cannot bear microfiber, flannel or jersey.  I need very soft, very cool feeling sheets, but also don't care for satin.  Any ideas?

I hope you enjoyed this mini-tour of my place.  Stay tuned for a full reveal in the next couple of days.  Hope you have a great day!  And, as always, thanks for reading!  xo