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So…It’s Saturday

Posted on by TheIrishLady in Inspiring, Sharing

It is rare for me to be home on a Saturday by myself.   The sons are at the TAMU game and the husband travels and is never home anyway.   Himself, the hubby, has called multiple times to check on me.   I wonder what he thinks I’ve been doing all these years while he travels and I’ve been home for days on end with two little boys.   After all, I can sit around and eat bon bons with or without the kids.    (Sarcasm aside, we made that decision years ago so that I would be able to stay home and home school our children.   I consider it a gift and am very grateful to my husband for making it possible.)

Having a blank canvas for the day was very appealing.  Well, not really blank.   I had a few business things to take care of, bills to pay and a sinus headache which is usual anyway.   I wake up before daylight on most days.  I don’t know why.  I just do.   This morning, after the sunrise and a light shower, I found this around the front of the house.

Ezekiel 1:28

Around noon I was contemplating lunch and realized my choices were not limited to all things manly; such as:  the usual, steak or sausage, taco or burritos, burgers or pizza.   It slowly dawned on me that I didn’t not have to cook a large “stick to your ribs”  meal that would be devoured in ten minutes and two hours later the ominous, “What’s for supper?”  would waft through the house.   It was delightful to know that it could be chicken salad and fruit without any complaints and dramatic, “I have to turn in my man card now!”

After lunch I packaged my handmade pumpkin soap.   There are two colors, orange and white, both are goat’s milk with cinnamon spice fragrance.   These will be in my antique booth at Hermann’s Downtown Brenham.

Handmade Goat Milk Soap

The day is winding down, but I saw a rainbow, ate a simple lunch, finished my soap, groomed the dog, talked to a friend, designed a card, and these came in the mail…

Johnson Brothers Plates

So it is Saturday and I just might be able to embrace this soon to be empty nest.

Irish House Blessing

Posted on by TheIrishLady in Designing, Inspiring, Sharing

 

 

Wishing you always—

Walls for the wind

And a roof for the rain

And tea beside the fire—

Laughter to cheer you

And those you love near you—

And all that your heart might desire!

and if things be wrong…

It’s easy to be pleasant
When life flows by like a song.
But the man worthwhile is the one who can smile
When everything goes dead wrong.
For the test of the heart is trouble,
And it always comes with years.
And the smile that is worth the praises of earth
Is the smile that shines through the tears.

 

and…

May there always be work for your hands to do,
May your purse always hold a coin or two.
May the sun always shine warm on your windowpane,
May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain.
May the hand of a friend always be near you,
And may God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.

Busy Chalk Paint Day

Posted on by TheIrishLady in Designing

The Pioneer Woman has a section on her blog called Keepin’ It Real.    I appreciate that and started to title this post “Dear PW:  I am keepin’ it real” and include a photo of my dirty house and the ring in the bath tub.     Instead I will focus on the project and spare you the story of me taking two baths back to back to get all the grunge off after chalk painting all the live long day.    I’m not complaining…I love working in my shop.  I just didn’t realize it was over 100 degrees today and that I looked like a made mud pies all day when I finally came back in the house.   Here is the day in pictures:

Packed up the Aggie with food, boots and moola.    Kindly note that the moola laying on the top was not for the picture.   It was for the forgetful Aggie who called when he got back to TAMU to ask me to bring the hamper full of his clothes that he forgot.   I forgot to include all the fajita meat in the freezer.   Shhhhh,  I keep those things quite.

A Few Aggie Essentials

Then I went out to the garage, aka shop, to forget that the Aggie was leaving again and summer has ended and I miss him and I love him and I wanted him to grow up and be independent and responsible, but I didn’t know it would hurt so much…..so I chalk painted alllllllllll day long.  My younger son helped me.  I think he knew what I was up to and was a little sad himself, probably because he has already started school.

These are Duncan Phyfe Tulip Back chairs, still sturdy, but a little worse for wear on the finish.  I taped them off so that I could preserve the insert and allow the beauty of the old wood finish to be seen.

Duncan Phyfe Tulip Chairs – Before

The better part of the day was spent on the detailed painting of the chairs.  My youngest son made lunch.  He was really taking care of me today.  We had salad and baked chicken breast and he painted, too.   These lovely chairs have a drop leaf double pedestal table with two leaves still with the table to go with them.   I am thinking about keeping it which would create an interior avalanche.  You know how those things work.    You place a new piece in the room and you love it and then you notice some things in the same space that you don’t love so much and decide to change those too and your husband comes home and wonders aloud, “What was wrong with the old table?”    You ask yourself the same thing, but never admit it out loud.

Duncan Phyfe Double Pedestal, Drop Leaf Table and Tulip Chairs

This has been a tribute to “Keepin’ It Real”.   I thought it might be nice to see how chalk painting takes shape outside in the shop, aka garage, which is very messy and needs a good organizing session with a professional organizer.   Let me know if you know of a professional organizer who will take on an Irish Lady who chalk paints like a little kid making mud pies.

P.S.  I’ll try to remember to take a nice photo of the table and chairs when I figure out where they will land.

“The Fitting Room” Scale, Proportion and Layers Seminar Notes

Posted on by TheIrishLady in Designing

Basis of Scale for this space:

Room Dimensions:  22×24

Ceiling Height:  20′ Vaulted, 10′ Window Wall, 12′ Entry Wall

Fireplace:  Top of Mantle 5′

There is such a thing as a “Fitting Room” in design.  It just means that when you walk into a room it just seems to fit just right.   It’s a feeling you get that this space is well done,  put together, pleasing to the eye, beautiful, tastefully done.   All those adjectives can be used to describe a “Fitting Room” and it depends on a few simple rules in design that relate to Scale, Proportion and Layers.    As a fellow rebel, you may want to scratch the word ‘rules’ and call them tips.  Here are a few you can rely on to achieve a well put together space:

1.  Scale:   If  you will,  picture Lady Liberty and The Scales of Justice she holds in her hand,  with each side of the scale being in balance,  this is your room and as you add each piece of furniture you can easily tip the scale in the wrong direction by placing something too large or too small on either side of the level scale.      If your room is 10×12, the size of most secondary bedrooms, you will not want to put in that king size poster bed.   To summarize:    In order to consider scale you start with the dimensions of your room including ceiling height, entry ways and architectural elements such as windows, fireplace and built-ins.  These elements have already been considered by an architect if your home is existing.  (NOTE:  If you are building or remodeling of changing architectural features,  I HIGHLY RECOMMEND working with a proven decorator or designer along side your architect.

2.  Proportion:  The best way I can describe proportion is with the picture above.  There are four chairs and they can all be used  within the scale of that space.  However, the proportion of the chairs in front of the fireplace is smaller so that it compliments the larger scale of the  fireplace.  The larger chairs are to scale with an entry way, that you don’t see in the photo,  and in proportion to the larger conversation sofa which is much longer and deeper than a standard sofa.   Therefore, proportion of a piece is meant to compliment the scale of the room and the scale of  the main furniture.   Most of the time I just use Scale to describe the same thing as proportion.   The importance of proportion of a piece really comes into play after you have chosen the larger pieces  for a space and then begin to add the additional design layers.  This is when size or proportion to scale really does matter.

3.  Layers:  This is where the difference of opinion on how to approach a design project occurs.  If you speak with two equally qualified designers you will receive two different responses.    Here is my opinion on the layers of design and how they best work to achieve the ultimate goal of a “Fitting Room”:  1) begin with your inspiration piece, develop your color palette and style from this piece.  This leads to paint colors  and painting the space; 2)  Flooring or Rugs are next and should be a simultaneous selection when choosing your color palette and paint colors; 3)  Sofa, Bed or the main furniture pieces; 4)  Textiles or fabrics come after the big choices because there are literally hundreds of thousands of  textile options.   Fabrics are for the window treatments, pillows, upholstered pieces; 5) Accent furniture which are the non-upholstered pieces such as occasional tables; 6)  Accessories are the fun part for everyone and easiest way to change up a space and add character to make it fit your style; 7) Life and Lighting is what I like to call the last layer.  It includes lamps or ceiling fixtures and greenery in the form of  live plants or silk arrangements.

This has been a quick and simplified explanation of  achieving a proper and “Fitting Room”.   Together with, Jennifer Hermann, we presented a design seminar at Hermann Furniture on August 22nd with more details and visual examples of  Scale, Proportion and Layers.   I have  some others tips to share on how to overcome small spaces and using what you have or love even if the scale seems wrong in the space.

Thank you to everyone who attended “The Fitting Room” Design Seminar.