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!  ❤ 💋

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.

My Apartment - For Today

It's taken some time, but my apartment and I are having a love affair. My personal space is very important to me. Here's a quick peek at how she looks today.

I love color, especially pink.

I'm a big proponent of color psychology. I got the knock off Middle Kingdom vase at a thrift store for $4.00. If you need cheering up, try a pop of yellow.

The chandelier is a work in progress.

Yep. I've got vase addiction.

I wasn't supposed to be shopping...

Restraint. It can be difficult. Balancing the love of beautiful objects with the desire for an uncluttered home. This time of year is difficult for me when it comes to restraint. The cold weather creates a desire to create a cosy nest. Coupled with the after holiday sales and the ease of internet shopping... Well, you know how it is.

So...I had been watching this beautiful vase on Etsy. When it went on sale, it was time to take the plunge, and welcome this divine vase into my home.

This vintage glass vase was designed by Diane Love for Mikassa. It fits perfectly with the retro mod vibe I'm going for in my apartment. It's made of frosted glass, and it's remarkable how it glows in the light. It's also fascinating to watch how it changes color with the changing light of the day.

I purchased the vase from Modern Specific. I can't stop moving it and photographing it! Humans sure make beautiful things don't they?

My Humble Abode, Part 3: Contemplating Color

I obsess about color all the time.  For me color is a meditation, and my home is a lab. I think it was Vincente Wolf who said a room without color is a lost opportunity. I wholeheartedly agree. I got addicted to color when I discovered the work of Tricia Guild. Here is an early version of my place where I was contemplating turquiose. My lovely pillow (and very reasonably priced) from Burlington Coat Factory taking the lead.  Pillows are a great way to experiment with color without much investment.

That's just a blanket on the floor, still contemplating a rug. With tuquiose and/or aqua on my mind, I thought about buying these lovely things from Flower Child.

Luckily, I don't do much impulse buying. If I see something lovely I take its picture. Sometimes this satisfies the urge, and I don't need to buy the piece. Digital collections are the best; they take up no space and require no dusting. Sometimes a piece haunts me, as was the case with this vintage bowl. Not sure who the manufacturer is, kinda reminds me of a McCoy Floraline. I am a sucker for a matte finish.

So, I had to go back and get it.  No buyer's remorse here. It's gorgeous! Looks great with pink and only cost $6.00. I had to spend $12 (round trip) on Lyft to get it, lol.  $18 is still a good price for this lovely. And I love patronizing local business, and meeting Lyft drivers, making it a win all the way around.

Life is good.  xo

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.

Painting Vases

If you've been reading this blog for a while, you already know I have the vase sickness. I prefer vases in simple, modern shapes and in a matte finish. I also love painting them. I haven't been buying many vases lately, as I'm trying to keep my possessions to a minimum.  Not easy - humans sure make a lot of beautiful things. I recently ordered a modernist vase from West Elm. The vase is actually made in Vietnam. I love Vietnamese pottery! And I've got a lot of Asian-influences going on my apartment. But I just wasn't happy with the rugged finish.

No problem. I decided to paint it! Since it had a textured surface, I could get away with sponge painting. I used Glidden Gripper for my primer.  I like to use interior wall paint for my projects because of its self leveling qualities, and Behr is my longtime favorite. This color is called Blue Surfer. I love it! It's influencing my color choices for Spring.

Yellow in My Apartment

Hello dear readers!  I hope you had a great weekend and are staying warm!  I want to continue talking about a couple of my favorite things this week - my apartment and color!

Until recently, I had been using a lot of yellow in my apartment.  I think it's because I was missing the sunshine.  Yellow is a color that can be used in small doses - a little goes a long way. I love yellow, but I don't think I'm going to be using it in my home for Spring.  My place is taking a surprising turn. Stay tuned.  The yellow vase to the right was a gift from Jessie, who is bravely simplifying her life.  Thanks Jessie!  I love it!

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.

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