I know, life is tough. Decisions, decisions.

And for giggles let's just throw in the completely unrealistic idea that I won't end up doing, but would like to dream about. Sigh, Wisteria.

Or like this smallish profile stand:

Then there is a more traditional idea, something like this. This poses a problem on one front, however. One of the challenges is that because of the size of the space, whatever the TV is on is rather close to the coffee table, so these two pieces need to be different heights - and this one is approximately the same height as the coffee table. Blerg.

From Pottery Barn, extremely reasonably priced:

See what I mean!?! All over the map. Can you guess which one I'm leaning toward?

No... not BEIBER FEVER! Please, have a little respect, people.

Um, fridge-organizing GENIUS!!!!....

Yes, things have been sort of busy lately but still not anywhere near what the last year and a half has been like up until this last December.

And for the bedroom.....

I've long had an internal battle about headboards. Internal in my mind, that is.

Did anyone else catch the 20% off sale that Z Gallerie had from the 11th - 15th?

2. Obviously I need a large silver bowl for display. Obviously. You do too.
3) A small mercury glass hurricane lamp? Don't you think my mercury glass 3 foot tall vase would need another friend... a hurricane lamp?

4) And what about... okay, enough about the glass, just know I love it as much as it sounds like I do.
5) And yes, believe it or not, I am in the market for another Little Table. I know, I know, some will say I have simply fallen off the wagon, only to repeat the mistakes I made before going into a 2-year period of Little Table sobriety. But I SWEAR I need one for beside my best so I can move my actual nightstand across the room and build out a little sitting area. See what I mean? Major need.

It's been quite a week. And quite a few months.

Good things have happened the last 8+ weeks with a few crazy moments, not a whole lot of sleep, a lot of stress... but also a lot of fun.

I'll be taking a much needed breather in a few weeks, FOR a few weeks. Fantastico. So many things are ahead in the next two months that make this my favorite time of year: Thanksgiving, cold weather, Christmas, Christmas cards, the whole shebang.

Today is the day for Christmas cards so I'll be putting that order in this afternoon, oh the decisions! It's down to three different versions so I'll share the outcome and the final contenders after the choice has been made. Then on to the writing and the sending!

Other than that the decor updates for the house are few. A Home Goods has gone in up the street from me and it is a big one. Danger, danger! So there have been a few new towels and such but nothing outstanding. I did, however, purchase a rug for my room which is slowly coming to the end of being complete decorating wise. I'll post some pictures after I get it out and make sure it works.

My hopes for an excellent last month or so for you. Can't wait to get in to the season now that my times has freed up some, and catching up on all your blogs & my magazines!

I think it's time for a new bed.

I've been avoiding this purchase for some time, being that my mattress is entirely comfortable, and frankly a new mattress, box spring, and bed are a pretty heft purchase. But, the last time Mom was in town, we figured out exactly how old my mattress was and.... let's just say... it's time.

I'm not sure why, but since I really like my sleep - and get entirely not nearly enough of it - this new mattress purchase feels like a really big deal. I've been sleeping in the same bed for a lot of years and it feels like a big upheaval! I'm actually hoping that the mattress I bought two years ago for my guest bedroom is still around and comes in a queen because THAT mattress is so comfortable that sometimes I sleep in the guest room! (Sorry, visitors, no, it's not only yours...)

The mattress is one thing....

... the bed is another. What in the world do I want to accompany my mirrored furniture, wood floor, and wonderfully taupe and grey walls? Right now I have this bed frame in mind, but in a dark wood, not in white. My lovely lovely lovely quilt that I am still absolutely obsessed with is a bright white, so the loveliness of the bed frame would certainly be lost with the white quilt. I just don't know! Decisions, decisions...

It's true, the blog hasn't been updated in a bit - which was mentioned to me today. True. Fact. All the way.

I've talked about my colors with you before, right?

Base neutrals: grey, brown, and white. Accent shades, in order of dominance: teal (dusty & bright shades), green (apple), yellow (strong but not bright).

When I bought this townhouse, it was all pale yellow inside. Yes, they had repainted it for the sale, but it wasn't really even a shade of ivory or white, it definitely would have been on one of those little yellow paint strips! At the bottom... but still! To have the entire house one color would simply have driven me batty, so the first thing to do... paint. And paint. Oh, and maybe paint some more!

I chose a light - but still substantial - dusty grey for the downstairs main living/dining area, and carried it up the stairway to the upstairs hall. Some people balked... "grey?!" they said with a little hint of, "ew, so boring, why GREY?!"

At the time I happened to be on a grey/brown combo kick, but looky who was RIGHT ON THE MONEY!! Not that this front page of Z Gallerie proves I am, eh em, ahead of the curve, but... okay, it does.

Pat, pat, pat my own back...

But really, let's take a look - grey has made a huge resurgence as a main neutral instead of the yellows, taupes, and ivories, and every time I look at my walls, it makes me realize it all fits together so nicely! A few of my favorite grey pieces are below - not all decor!

A little top I bought from Old Navy recently because I just loved the grey and yellow combination so much:


Hellllllo chair that I'm in love with and want to hug and kiss and sit on in black skinny pants and my grey and yellow tank (over the top? Yeah, well, welcome.)

Z Gallerie's Labyringht bedding, which they have carried in a variety of colors, also now in grey:

Oh how I'd love to wallpaper the wall that runs upstairs to my second floor - just on that one wall, all the way up. Heaven. For now, I will just keep coming back to this post and to Brocade Home's site to gaze at it:

A nice little Ikea cushion, grey and yellow as well, only about $30:

Talk about a dream shoe. This is a metallic silver from Butter that looks just lovely - so lovely I could never get them for fear I'd sit around looking at my feet all day instead of working!

And finally, who can forget my newest obsession with grey nailpolish?!

Yes, I've now become your enabler.

Houses in movies? Check.

Tiny houses? Check.

Old houses? Check.

Funny houses? Check.

Bad MLS photos? Check. (And funny!)

Might as well save this one for a Saturday morning - you'll spend a good hour on your first looksie through Hooked On Houses...

I got the nicest compliment I've ever received about my house and decorating the other day.

My temporary roommate had a few friends in town. After they walked in and took the [tiny] tour, one girl said (sit down for this, dear reader):

"Your house looks like a spread out of an Anthropologie catalog."

Be. Still. My. Heart.

Now I don't think that's necessarily true, mostly because on home items I find most of them at bargain stores, Luckett's, or furniture flees - but hey, I'll take it any day!

I rearranged some furniture recently in the family room, so here's what it looks like for the moment (the photo wall & tv are off to the right....)

Some of you might remember my adventures in covering up an incredibly ugly thermostat a few months ago.

I found a lovely bird cage at - wait for it - Home Goods, and planned to attempt to hide the ugliness of that thing. I think I'm there. I admit it was a little bare when you saw it last.

But now I've added a few more items, with incredibly easy access to the temperature-changer-knob-thing on the side. Hint: it's aligned right with the right edge of the frame (which also now has a picture of Ms. E in it).


All pulled together, here is the full picture of that section of decor. I'm hopefully getting around to photographing the house as it is now - on it's two year anniversary coming up - since basically everything is almost done now.

But here is a little section of decor love for now.

No, not like that. Not that I know which “that” you thought I meant, but I know I didn’t mean that “that.”

My good friend LK is moving in next Monday. She and her fiancé are getting married on June 12 (did I mention I’m planning the wedding? More to come.) and her lease is up next week, so… she needed a place to live.

Just so happens my guest bedroom would like to have a long-term visitor. Which all means I will have a roommate for the next three months. In preparation for LK’s arrival, I’m having to clean a bunch of rooms so that she has enough space for her things in her room, but also elsewhere in the house.

The first space I tackled was the front/coat closet. See here what a disaster it was:

I know, doesn’t look that bad.

Allow me to explain: this thing is what, 18 inches wide? 20? Maybe. Further, it is the only closet on the first floor. Wait, it is the only closet in the entire HOUSE that is not a closet in one of the two bedrooms. That’s right – no kitchen pantry, no linen closet, no storage closet. In fact, no bathroom cabinets even (hello lovely pedestal sinks – I love you, but I also hate you).

You can see where this is headed. So in this itty bitty closet was everything else: coats, winter gear, hardware, tools, step ladder, camera equipment, umbrellas, racquet ball equipment, two overhead lights I want to switch out, light bulbs, reusable grocery bags… you get the picture. (And you’re impressed it all was in there).

So I emptied the thing out.

Then I moved a little shelving deal I had in my upstairs closet into this closet, but sideways. One cubby for camera equipment, one for winter gear, one for reusable bags, etc.

Then, I found this nifty little hook that I got at World Market years ago but never put up. (Another post one day on all the hooks I have in my house.) Turns out it's a pretty decent scarf holder.

And I couldn't leave the top of the white shelf unused, so this fabric basket is where the "currently being used" items go. For winter it's hat, mittens, and scarves. For spring it will be umbrella and who knows what.

See, and then the coats have their own designated little space:

On the top shelf we have, from left to right, electric drill, grill equipment, and a boxed mini chandelier. And in another fabric basket (yellow & gray) we have two seasonal wreaths for the front door, light bulbs, and extra hardware.

And voila! A brand new, organized, crafty closet that just might allow space for someone else's coats too!

Hey, when you live in an old (ie no closets) little house, getting creative with your organization is pretty key. On to the next project!

Where do I even start on the backyard?

And I say “backyard” as though it is an actual space – which, frankly, it’s not. I don’t want to sound ungrateful, because I do love my backyard space, but the photos are deceiving. It is quite teeny tiny!

Bloggerettes: I need your help.

What is a Girl to do?

Here are some of my preliminary thoughts. First, a deck. Second, a deck. Okay – so I want a deck. The biggest hurdle at this point will be the neighborhood association, which has to approve all new structures. When the time comes, I’ll go through the appropriate motions but I don’t want to get into the forms and requirements until I’m decided that’s what I want to do .

So second option might be… ground cover with walking stones? This is a great suggestion that I think would look great, but then a green-thumb friend of mine said that ground cover, especially in the DC area, is a great place for rats – RATS – to make their home.

Rats? Yes, rats – and I’ve seen in the neighborhood flyer that there are a few people that had rats in their yard before. Hrm.

Last, just a few points you should know if you have some thoughts about the yard. The dirt portion is 100% shade because of the tree, and the brick portion is about 80% full sun. Also, the roots of the tree are at the surface of the dirt, so it’s a very bumpy terrain, and the roots actually protrude out of the dirt. I think before I moved in, there was brick patio extended to the tree, and they had to remove that part because of the roots.

Help, friendlies, help!