I finished the "Bo Peep Nightmare" yesterday. The last tier took it from semi-obscene to wearable.=) I debuted it last night at Bible study, and it got a lot of compliments. Hopefully people weren't just being polite, but thinking in their minds that it is the most hideous thing they have ever seen. Here is my own Pinterest-style paring.
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The skirt ended up a bit longer than knee length.
Tons of fabric, but cute enough. |
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A narrow black T to tone things down,
accessorized with a black choker and
mother of pearl cross, and a delicate
white gold bracelet
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The orange of the jacket
pulled out the color in the skirt, added
some "pop" and balanced out the poof factor.
Thrift Haul |
Speaking of "pops", I've been thinking of home decorating. When you get married, you register for all kinds of things for your home. But I know that my own sense of home-style took a few years to develop. As I visit other people's homes, I get ideas of what I like, and what I don't. I am a good borrower of ideas. I have very few original decorating thoughts. But I can adapt other people's ideas to fit my personality. When we got married, dusty purple, sage green and kaki were all the rage. These are still great color combinations that I use, but I have also gotten a bit bolder in my choices. I don't have an overall house decorating theme-I'm not that organized or maybe just not that artistic. But I do have themes in each room. Almost every one of my rooms has one or two eye-drawing pieces. Sometimes it is an accessory, or a piece of furniture, or both. It is the piece the room builds on. For instance, in my bedroom I have a massive round mirror, with a brown wrought iron frame. I have two of my walls painted a chocolate brown, and two are painted a light cream. I have carried that brown/cream theme throughout the room. Brian made me a gorgeous hope chest that plays a major role in our room. It is the darker brown color, but I have figurines displayed on it that are the light cream color. I have other wrought iron candle holders hung, and I just got a wrought iron bedside table. But then I added blue-green for a pop of color. My sheets, some artwork, my lamp shade, and my duvet cover, all pick up this color scheme. And I love it. My bedroom is my favorite room in my house. It is a haven just for Mr. Hippie and I. A retreat from the world. Very soothing. Brown is a great neutral. You can tie
any color with it. My upstairs bathroom is a coconut shell brown. It is a rich color for the small space, but is balanced out by the white shower surround, sink and toilet. We picked a colorful floor tile with browns, pinks and greens. My towels are a sage green, with fluffy dark brown towels and cream towels filling a basket. We also accessorized in there with brushed nickel fixtures. That made it unique. My kitchen is my boldest room. And, I owe that to the former owners. It has terra cotta colored walls, and a pink ceiling. I never, ever would have picked these colors. But they have grown on me. And they prompted my kitchen theme. I like wrought iron, so I have a few of those pieces in my kitchen. And then I have my pottery collection. I have tuscany themed pitchers and plates, with a few pumpkins thrown in. It all started with the chicken pot that was a wedding gift, and has just built from there. I use a huge brick red ceramic bowl for my onions, 2 pitchers for my utensils, and other pieces for display and for use. The funny thing is that when I got married almost 11 years ago, I would never have pictured my kitchen decorating going this way.
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| Not as Meres-proof as I would have thought=) |
Decorating doesn't have to be expensive. Most things we own I have made, found at second hand stores, or have been given to us. A collection or room doesn't have to be finished
now, you can start with a piece or two, and then add to it as you find it. A sense of style takes time to develop, and sometimes it radically changes from what you started with. And life seasons change, which contributes hugely to house needs(and even clothing styles). I baby proofed my living room last week, but I didn't want to completely lose myself. So, I just adjusted the arrangement of furniture, and the arrangement of things on Meres' level. And we are both happy. I feel like I have kept my sense of style, without it screaming that 4 kids inhabit this house. I think that decorating our homes is one way to express our creativeness as women. And, I love being in my home. I love being at home. I have created a space that reflects me, and my interests and tastes. (or lack thereof=)) My home is not a show place by any means. But it isn't a dump either. I am streamlined, and so is my house. We love to read, and our house is filled with books. Have you ever noticed that the Proverbs 31 woman seemed to love her home, and her life? She wasn't wallowing, she was industrious, and I get the feeling that her house would have been a great place to visit. It may not have been large or fancy, but it would have been comfortable and ascetically pleasing.
How about you? How has your decorating style changed? What room eye-popping pieces do you have? How does your house reflect your personality? Does your house theme carry throughout the whole, or are you a bit more eclectic-like me?=) Are you getting the spring itch to give a room a facelift this week? Tell me about it.
Unless one decorates one's house for oneself alone, best leave it bare, for other people are walleyed. ~D.H. Lawrence
Every house where love abides
And friendship is a guest,
Is surely home, and home sweet home
For there the heart can rest.
~Henry Van Dyke
