The Growing Grounds

The Growing Grounds is another of my favorites. It's a tiny garden outlet with lots of charm.


This little store is actually part of something much larger. It is the outlet store for Growing Grounds Farms, a wholesale grower that supplies plants to many local nurseries and participates in an adult vocational program for a mental health program offering paid positions to people with an open case with the counties mental health department. They strive to empower their employees and teach them new skills.


Through the Growing Grounds Outlet store and farm, they provide the area with beautiful plants, garden supplies and (more importantly), vocation and socialization opportunities for people with mental illness.

The Nest

Inside this unassuming storefront there is much to be found. The Nest was my first shopping stop today in San Luis Obispo.


Take a look at all that there is to be found here. I gawked at all of the goods, bought two white starfish and headed out to think about what I can't live without.


If only there were stores like this close to home.

On Vacation

It's that time of year so we'll be heading out for vacation tomorrow morning. I'm planning to take you with me. We'll be heading to San Luis Obispo. One of the best things about this destination is that there is such a variety of things to do, including great shopping. Cala Antiques is one of my favorites there.


I took this picture the morning we left town last summer while Husband appeased me by going inside to see what a great retail store should look like. I'm still working on him to get my own.


Store owner, Kimberly Stainer, has so much style that she has three stores in SLO, two of which are home decor.


I've been over to her website this evening psyching myself up for tomorrow's visit. I can't wait!

A French Contribution

{The Balloon of Jacques Charles and
Nicholas Robert, 1st December, 1783}

{Design for a Hot-Air Balloon with a Diameter
of 120 Feet to Take off at Dijon, circa 1784}

{The Ballooning Experiment at the
Chateau de Versailles, 19th September, 1783}

Today I'm loving these prints at Art.com and have added them to my mental library of design for future reference in decorating and redecorating our home.

If the Price is Right

{BHG February 2007; photographer, Edmund Barr}

Lulu Powers, chef and event planner, is quoted as saying, "If I see something and like it and the price is right, that's pretty much how everything in the house comes about." That's pretty much my life story.

{BHG February 2007; photographer, Edmund Barr}

Lulu's home was featured in the February 2007 Better Homes and Gardens. It is layer upon layer of a kind of accidental chic and believe me, there is no negative connotation to that statement.

{BHG February 2007; photographer, Edmund Barr}

It is amazing the amount of color and variety in each space including the yard.

{BHG February 2007; photographer, Edmund Barr}

Her home really supports the idea of buying what speaks to you and making it work. It looks effortless.

My Newest Find

Again, only $10! I found this table on Sunday. Again, just driving innocently down the road and there it was. Husband and I went back to take a look and upon closer inspection, it wouldn't go together with it's leaf. I couldn't think of anywhere to put it without so I looked at Husband, said 'I hate you' and we left it there.

Two days later a friend with great taste was over and we did a bit of quick design discussion. She suggested the living room furniture be pulled out a little. With that done, there was room for the table. Husband checked and fortunately, it was still there and it does come together without the leaf. We picked it up and it's perfect!

If Only

{Room and Board}

Choosing carpeting is such a daunting task for me. Five years ago, Husband and I went to a flooring store to choose carpeting for our addition. I thought it would be simple. I liked the color and style of our existing carpet so it seemed logical that we would simply find the same thing and order. Wrong! There were thousands of choices. I was overwhelmed. Typically I know what I want and where to get it. Carpet is definitely out of my comfort zone. We ended up choosing a mid length shag that we thought would be perfect and modern and it is in some of the areas we have it in but in the children's room it's just bad.

Now it's time for new carpet in the living room and bedrooms (large tile everywhere else) If I could find wall to wall in this cozy style from Room and Board, a cable rug, I would be sold. It must be available somewhere and I just haven's seen it yet. I'm on the look out.

Regality

{Horchow}

Contemplating trading out my wish for lions in the yard for two of these guys (outdoor version of course). It may be as close as I can get to having a dog.

Discovery

{Bird Seed}

I've stumbled upon the fabrics of Alexander Henry in my blogging adventures. Not only does this studio produce a line of vintage style fabrics for retail sale, they also offer custom design. I have to say that of the designs I've found so far, I either love them or hate them. Purlsoho has lots to love.

Inspired!

The Peace Keeper article in Elle Decor, May 2008 made quite an impression on me. The simplicity of the space contrasts so well with the high impact pieces the owner/designer, Darryl Carter, uses in each room.


I was especially struck by the horse art piece in the dining room which is nothing more than a painted barn door. It's such a simple idea, but in this room it's entirely sophisticated.


The napkin container on the kitchen island is also now on my list of things to copy. On our kitchen counter, there are paper napkins on display. This makes so much more sense.

Oh, Little Babushka

I'm loving the idea of a Babushka theme for a nursery or little girls bedroom!

Think of the many ways that this fabric, a bedspread from Urban Outfitters, might be used; a bumper pad, a bed cover, a throw pillow on the rocking chair, or maybe appliqued to a bed skirt in the way they been on this pillow from Junebugz Etsy Store.


Or...

{Enbal, Etsy}

How fantastic the addition of this print would be to most any bedroom along with one of these tiny beauties on the bed.

{Ravenhille, Etsy}

Any way, these Babushka's could make a happy space!

How Bizzare

{Pottery Barn}

I really like these towels and I'm pretty sure that they match the green on my bedroom walls. They might be perfect for the master bath.

The towels in our linen closet are embarrassing. They are fraying and worn out at the edges but I haven't found any that I like enough to replace them with. Now when I think about this it seems quite a bit absurd. I can't find towels that I like so we keep using ones that are worn! Is that rational? No!

I recently took a trip to Target and perused the four aisles of towels that they have to offer. Four aisles! I settled for two sets in taupe and copper. I brought them home. I decided that that they weren't going to work quite the way that I had envisioned in the store so I took them back. When I went back I left them with the clerk to exchange. I had purchased them on sale. I went back to the towel area and began my search again. Nothing! There was not one set of towels that said 'Take me home. I'm the one.' The same towels came home again. Once at home, again I couldn't do it. And so in the end, the towels were returned to the store and we were left with the old threadbare. How ridiculous! Yet this is my life.

Happy Weekend

Here's to the weekend and an opportunity for fantastic finds!

Possibilities

I love this room featured in the May issue of Domino and mentioned at Elements of Style. I am thinking about replicating the design of the headboards in my bedroom. They're from Target and available in quite a few sizes and colors. I need a specific size and have fabric that could work. Besides, any way I can have good looking things and save money is good.

A Few of My Favorite Things

{Domino}

I have a thing for silhouettes (I know, who doesn't).

This is one of my prized possessions; silhouettes of our four beautiful children. We had them done at Disneyland of all places. Watching each of them sit so still for the artist as she cut these out so perfectly, spending only about a minute each was the trip highlight for me. And they only cost a total of $45! It's been 5 years and I think it's time for another set.

{Carter Kustera for Jonathan Adler}

This style seems very appropriate to their current ages/stages. It will be so much fun coming up with each of their statements.

Here It Is

I think I've decided to go ahead with the dresser and later I'll get it's mate, for Husband. I have a beautiful mirror who's frame I can paint black to help unify the bed side of the room with the dresser side of the room.


You can see that I did purchase the Pottery Barn 'Rooms For Rent' sign mentioned previously. I plan to hang this piece above the bed. The wall behind the bed is highly visible from a long hall leading into the room. Thinking now, headboard/no headboard?


I'm hoping that by having a tall dresser it will become impossible for me to pile my daily wardrobe dysfunctions on it's top. Here's the current one minus a large pile of clothing that is usually covers it.

Now I realize that the room isn't that bad but it's also not yet that good. Your opinions are welcome.

One Stop Shop

Ballard Designs has so much to offer right now. I'm sure I could squeeze these in somewhere.


These pendant lights are garden inspired; the bee skep and vintage cloche (with a twist) are two items hot on my want list.


How difficult it would be to have to make a choice between these two adorable doormats.

I think I'm partial to the pigs.

Contemplation

{green bedroom, Sheila Bridges}

A friend has an IKEA, Hemnes, tall, white dresser available. I'm trying to decide if I should use it in our master bedroom. I'm sure that the dresser is in good shape. I know that I like it, I have it's twin in my dining room.

My bedroom is still in it's formative years. I am having a terrible time trying to decide if this is the direction that I want to take it. I painted a couple of it's walls a very intense green which I like very much but haven't gotten it all to come together yet. I've been contemplating getting this chest of drawers as well as it's mate for a long time so this seems like a good omen (the fact that she has one that needs a home). The concern I have is that the dresser would be directly across the room from our bed. On one side of my bed is an old dark sewing table and on the other an old matte black chest of drawers as well as an old chair that I reupholstered (and is really too short for the room). If I add these dressers, you'll see old black on one side of the room and then turn around to new white on the other. It seems a bit strange. I am sure that there is a remedy.

I'd show you for your opinion but then you would think that I have no sense of style and had just been faking the little bit I'd shown so far.

Addiction

Each month a total of 19 magazines are delivered to our home; 14 of them come for me specifically. Here is what I am reading.





I guess to say I am reading all of them is not quite true as I am really a picture junkie. I usually do a preliminary scan of the entire magazine and later go back for the details. Domino is my absolute favorite. BHG I get and tear apart because I love their ideas. I save all of my Domino, Country Living and Cottage Living. At some point I'll probably need to downsize but it works for now. I've only shown the decor subscriptions. I also get Gourmet, Bon Appetit, Lucky and National Geographic. A year ago I only had 4 subscriptions, I guess I've gotten a little carried away.

A Touch of Grey

{images; this is glamorous}

{images; desire to inspire}

I love the use of grey in these spaces. All but the dining/kitchen walls in our main living spaces are are grey. It's not until you see the contrast of white next to them that you notice that they are not your typical white wall. Each of our children has at one point in their life been surprised to find this out about their surroundings.