Road trips.  An opportunity to expand your horizons.  To be bold and adventurous and see what you can discover.

It all started with this musical being on the Bucket List for Teenaged Daughter and me.  Last chance to see it was in NYC last fall, and we decided on Mamma Mia instead.  So fun!  Then earlier this year, some internet browsing revealed that the Broadway tour of Wicked was coming to Rochester around the time we both have our birthdays.  Rochester…who knew?  Let’s get tickets and figure out the details later.  That’s how it works around here.  Road trip, here we come!

Along came the big weekend, and we had this poignant moment at the border.

Tragic events in Boston during the week made this border crossing a long and sombre one.

Once we were across and Teenaged Daughter had navigated us through a pit stop and into the right direction she quickly got bored and took hold of the camera.  Along with some crazy Selfies, she took this fantastic shot.

Ah, the open road.  Discovery and inspiration await us, and there is a feeling of solidarity as we navigate it together.

First stop, Wicked.  Fantastic.  If you haven’t yet seen it you must make an effort.  If you have, what was your favourite thing about it?  The costumes from the Emerald City were spectacular.  Check out some of the hats and gowns.

The story is a great exploration of finding your own path in life, and a tribute to real friendships.  Best line from a song…Because I knew you I’ve been changed For Good.  True words.

The next day, a walk around the neighbourhood of the theatre and our hotel was like this.

I wonder how my life would be more creative if I lived in a blue house?

And many more opportunities to take pretty pictures…can’t go wrong with an old tree, weathered fence and wildflowers.

A happy discovery…Rochester is home to the Eastman House!  George Eastman was the founder of Kodak and modern photography, and generous patron to the arts and sciences.  We made a visit to his historical home.

Now this is a civilized way to start and end your day.  So exquisite and beautiful.

Can you imagine having a conservatory like this in which to soak in the light…the space…the view…the elephant head?

And check out this library.  Music, writing, books, art, light, fireplace…all my favourite things.  I could live in a room like this.  Couldn’t you?

Ah yes, a good road trip.  We’ve expanded our horizons and deepened our relationship.  Happy Birthday, Teenaged Daughter.  What’s next on the Bucket List?

I leave the rest of you with some decorating inspiration.

Be bold.  Expand your horizons.

Lighting on a Budget

According to Kimberley Seldon, who is a brilliant decorator and equally great teacher, the number one thing that makes an interior look dated is the lighting.  Yikes!  Harsh words to those of us on a decorating budget.  Or who have better things to spend their money on like vacations and shoes.  Lighting can be Really Expensive. 

So my biggest lesson when shopping for lighting is this.  The priorities are function and form, probably in that order.  Shop diligently for something that will meet your lighting requirements.  What size is it?  How bright is it?  Is it hard-wired?  Is it adjustable?  And shop for something that is classic and transitional in form.  It will see you through many more years without looking dated.

What NOT to worry about:  the shade and the finish.  Every big box and discount department store sells shades and these can be easily switched out.  Some of my favourite sources are Wal-Mart, Canadian Tire and Homesense.  And the finish…also easily changed.

So let’s learn from some new lighting that came into the master bedroom recently.

These are the bedside lamps, found at Sears online for less than $80.  Also there was a deal if you bought two.  Score.  So the function was perfect.  A wall sconce which could be plugged into an existing outlet.  No re-wiring required, and I need all the room I can get on my bedside table.  I tidied it up for the photo but in real life it is piled with books, magazines, creams, lotions, beverages, food, books, and did I say magazines?

Also it has an adjustable arm and three levels of brightness.  Perfect.  The finish however is kind of weird.  A pinkish sort of brushed metal that I don’t really understand. 

For the ceiling fixture I was looking for a simple pendant with a drum shade, a very short stem so it would sit close to the ceiling, and a diffuser across the bottom so we weren’t looking up into a light bulb.

You’ll never guess where I found it…Wal-Mart!  Actually!  Less than $30!  So again it’s perfect, except for the finish which looks pretty cheap.  (Well, I guess it is.)  And once you’re at this point, your best friend is a can of spray paint.  For this project I went with the advice of the always-genius Nate Berkus.  If you ever watched his show when it was on, you know he was a big promoter of spray paint for updating or co-ordinating your decor.  But who knew you could get it in an oil rubbed bronze?  Well, Nate, of course.  Oil-rubbed bronze is a great finish for a classic, timeless look.

So this is the product I used.  Since I was impatient waiting for the weather to warm up to paint outside,  I painted down in the basement.  (Well, technically Husband did.)  When the instructions say Well Ventilated Area they are not kidding.  Open up every window in your entire house.

And here is the fabulous, finished, co-ordinated result:

You can see in this close-up how it has the great sheen and texture of a real oil-rubbed bronze finish.

I’m in love with the results.  Just the upgrade I was hoping to achieve in our master bedroom.

So now, Kimberley Seldon, at least it’s not the lighting that makes this room look dated.

Easter Bits and Pieces

So Easter has come and gone for another year.  There were lots of fun traditions that we managed to fit in.  The combination of family time, good food and some candy of course made for a memorable holiday.  Easter lilies are such a beautiful symbol of the season.

I also managed to defrost the outdoor urns enough to replace the evergreen and dogwood branches with some pussywillows and my crocuses from inside.  The blooms are spent but the foliage is so delicate and pretty.

On Good Friday my Family came for lunch.  Here you can see part of the tablescape at dessert time.
 

It’s also tradition for us to colour eggs on the Friday or Saturday before Easter.  The kids all insist on participating every year, which I love, and it’s a lot of fun.

These saturated-colour eggs we do every year.  I make up several glass bowls of different colours, deep enough to submerge at least a couple of eggs at a time.  The colour recipe:  boiling water, a big splash of white vinegar, and a dab of this icing colour paste.

 

 

Covering different parts of the egg with elastic bands, stickers or crayon between colouring it in several different colours makes the cool designs you see above.

This year I tried a new idea from Pinterest.  Brown eggs decorated with a white paint marker.  All the kids were into it and they turned out really pretty!

Magically the Easter Bunny shows up during the night, steals the eggs from the fridge and hides them in the backyard.  Super-fun!  Every year on Easter morning.

Do you think he’ll find it?  He’s pretty tricky, that Easter Bunny!

DIY Repurposed IKEA Desk

I have managed to create my own private piece of heaven in my own home.  No  small feat, as many of you will agree.  After too many years of sharing bathroom mirror, kitchen table, dining table, coffee table…and moving my daily To-Do’s around that circuit and finally into bed at night.  You may be familiar with being chased from one location to another in search of focus and peace.  Or of being faced with the distractions of household and family whenever your eyes stray from paperwork or computer screen.

No more.

Slow Down

Well, it has been March Break in our corner of the world.  But we didn’t get a break from Od Man Winter.  Far from it.  But an opportunity to slow down nonetheless.  Sleep in.  Lazy breakfasts.  Walks.  Movies.  Read by the fire.  Heavenly in its own way.

While the blog was on a break I learned a few things about Instagram and did some experimenting. Very fun.  Click on the button above to see some more results. If you are an Instagrammer let me know and I will check out your feed.

Lest you think it was all quietude and lolling around however, there are always three things in this household to keep us moving along.  Children.  Dog.  Renovations.

Children and pets do insist on waking up and being fed and exercised at regular intervals.  Sigh.  And renovations will take over your household and are best to have some momentum.  As a domino/snowball/explosion result, behind the scenes there has been some commotion.  Disassembling of furniture.  Relocating it.  Refinishing it.  Repurposing it.  The camera has been at work documenting the process.  Reveals coming soon.

Meanwhile The Dog has taken it upon herself to watch the piles of snow to see if they are receding. Are they?

 

You can only tell if you slow down.

What Lies Beneath

Another pretty snowfall during the night.  And look what it is falling on at this time of year.  Trees already budding with the promise of spring.  An opportunity for some pretty photographs.  Before the sun comes up too high, changes the light, and melts the snow.

That’s what the sun will do.  Melt away the cold and the heaviness that covers and weighs down.  Nurture and feed the hope of new life beneath.

What a beautiful life lesson from nature.  Allow what is hopeful and good to be nurtured.  It will bloom in its time.

I see the snow already melting.

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”  Ralph Waldo Emerson

How to Create a Transitional Winter to Spring Mantel

It’s that time of year when Mother Nature and the Calendar are at odds with each other in our part of the globe.  Yesterday there was the slightest hint of Spring.  Sun, birds singing, and slightest of mild breezes.  But mild breeze gathered strength and brought with it a System as the meteorologists call it.  Not at all descriptive of the inches upon inches of slush that are accumulating today. 

The Calendar declares that Easter is imminent.  With winter urns frozen solidly into place but the home otherwise long since de-Christmased, what’s a stylish girl to do?

Well, she looks to the seasonal display at the local Big Grocery Store for some inspiration.  Sponge Bob Square Pants chocolates and Dora baskets didn’t really do it for me.  But this little white ceramic rabbit was calling my name.  I set him on the mantel beside the then-empty lantern for a few days to see if he felt at home. 

Eventually some lime green accents starting keeping him company.  Decorative vine balls, mums, a wreath.

Now we’re getting somewhere.  A Transitional mantel.  Still the lantern and candles from Winter but a touch of green and my little White Rabbit for Spring optimism.  Are you watching, Mother Nature?

An ironic thing happened when I went to the bookcase to find some colour-themed books to add to the display.  I love the juxtaposition of The Tale of Peter Rabbit with the volume of Frost poetry.  Sorry for the pun on your name Robert.  But doesn’t this just say it all?

I leave you with a little bit of Robert Frost verse:

See that Mother Nature?  We can make our own optimism and inspiration.