House Paint

I've been looking at house colors for a long time now - and I've decided on one thing: it's hard to find a nice color that goes well with a brown roof. I think we've got it narrowed down to these three options: Deep Brown, Dusty Teal, and Sage Green (I named the colors - you like the descriptives?).

Option 1: Deep Brown
It's very striking, but maybe too brown? Not pretty enough?

Option 2: Dusty Teal
This is my absolute favorite - but not sure it's got enough widespread appeal to keep the market value of the house up where we want it. Might need something safer.

Option 3: Sage Green
I originally thought this would be the hands-down winner, but looking at it now, it just seems a little un-special.

What are your opinions on these three? Any other ideas? And before you say it, I've already tried hot pink with orange trim - no bueno.

I love this Chair...

But I'm not sure where I should put it. I feel like I have enough seating in this place already.

Not a bad deal, either - check it out:
http://www.wisteria.com/Architectural-Iron-Chair/productinfo/W3766/

My friend Trina introduced me to Wisteria.com today. Not good for someone who's trying to be productive all day!

So Much Time

I've been spending a LOT of time at home lately, since I've started my own business. I'm now working from home, and although I try to get out of the house as much as possible, there are days when I'm stuck here going stir-crazy. So, I've decided to resurrect this blog as I work to keep this place clean, well-decorated, and smelling like a place where I can entertain guests and clients alike.

And though I'm poor and trying to save money to keep my new venture up and running, I've also decided to pretend that I'm rich and visit my favorite home stores around the city, snapping pictures & blogging about what I would do (or will do) if/when I'm rich!

Maybe, just maybe, if I blog like I mean it, I might start to have some credibility on the subject of home decor and where to find the best stuff. Even though I have no formal training on the subject of interior design, I like to think that I have a good eye & an innovative approach to mixing the old & the new. And then, one day, out of the blue, people will start to PAY me to blog about them... and Perch will start giving me free things... and Eclectic Home will ask my advice... and New Orleans Homes & Lifestyles will want me to write a column... and the Gambit will make me guest-editor of their CUE issue.

That happens to people all the time, right?

Dirty Day

I spent 6 hours doing yard work today. That's a record for me. Here is a brief list of the best things I discovered while digging up what used to be (and are now again) flower beds, pulling weeds, raking leaves, chopping down dead plants, etc:

1. 9-ft long chain - looks like it holds a plant from a porch ceiling
2. 6 small gold Christmas ornaments
3. One green wreath frame
4. A baby gate. Seriously. There was a 2 ft x 3 ft white plastic baby/dog gate in my yard and I didn't even know it.
5. An empty pack of Salem cigarettes
6. One cupid-themed pinwheel
7. Several shingles, pieces of 2x4s, bottle caps and a piece of metal pipe

And some before and after pictures for you:

New gloves (purchased this morning from Lowes):


Gloves after 6 hours of work. I've thrown these away, but I think I got my $2.99 out of them:


Beautiful feet (not mine actually, but you get the idea):


Sock line post-yard-work. That's not a tan (nor is it very hairy legs, thank you very much), that is dirt my friends!


Bed 1 before:


Bed 1 after:


Bed 2 before:


Bed 2 after:


I also cleaned out several other areas of the yard, but didn't take After pictures because I didn't think to get Before pictures. I filled up 9 (that's right, NINE) 42-gallon trash bags with leaves, weeds and aforementioned random items.

I'm exhausted, but proud of myself! I really want to pressure wash my front porch & steps so that I can put pretty flower pots on the stoop. I never thought I'd be so excited about yard work. Being middle-aged is changing me.

Bedroom TV Project: Check!

I have a long list of things to do to get my bedroom in order. One of those things was mounting my flat screen TV to the wall so that I could watch it without straining my neck as a I fall asleep at night. This also helps to clear up some floor space in my bedroom, which actually makes the room feel a tad bit bigger.

My parents came in town last week and gave me a belated bday present of a wall-mount that would allow the TV to be almost flush with the wall - perfect. So - in the interest of being very thorough, here is my process of hanging it:

1. Called/texted several friends to see if I could borrow a stud-finder.
Adam's response: you just found a stud.
Greer's response: yeah, I have one. Her name is Melanie.
Karl's response: beep..... beep.... beep BEEP BEEP BEEP! (pointing to himself)

2. Borrowed Greer's ACTUAL stud finder (not Melanie).

3. Realized my whole house is made of studs, in the form of barge boards, so steps 1 & 2 were a bit pointless.

4. Attempted for almost an hour to get the base off my TV. This included several expletives shouted so loudly that my neighbors probably think I have tourette's syndrome, and one trip to Lowe's to purchase a reversible ratcheting magnetic philips-head screwdriver. (I highly suggest you pick one up - SO handy!)



5. Measured the distance between my porch door and bathroom door, then eyeballed a place to hang the TV.

6. Drilled two holes, screwed two screws into the wall & four screws into the TV.



7. Very carefully hung the TV on the bracket, plugged everything back in, and enjoyed Babar the Elephant on Nickelodeon.




Now I need to get some of those fancy cord-covers so that my room is pretty again. Anyone have any good sources for these? I want something that matches the wall or has a subtle pattern to them. I think I could make one pretty easily, but a trip to Bed Bath & Beyond is probably much less stressful than trying to sew a 9 foot pocket.



Up next: curtains for the archway in my bedroom. I do need to sew these - I can't find any pre-made curtains that are long enough. Wish me luck.

Hedge-clipper MADNESS!

I spent about 5 minutes of my Friday night looking for landscapers/gardeners online, and then spent about 2 hours of my Saturday cleaning up the yard myself. It's amazing how much you can get done in 2 hours, how sore it will make you the next day, and how many calories you supposedly burn. Apparently, gardening is the best household chore for a cardio and strength workout.

I wish I'd taken a before picture, but let me tell you that the fence line is GORGEOUS after I went to town with a pair of clippers (compared to the mess it was before, anyway). Saturday's accomplishments include:

- chopped down about 100 weeds that had grown to be taller than me
- pulled out about 100 yards of vine that were choking my beautiful Camellia and Rose bushes
- picked up several pieces of trash that someone felt appropriate to just toss in my yard
- had a nice conversation with my neighbor about dead plants
- accidentally chopped down a part of my beautiful Rose bush; salvaged the one rose that had bloomed and put it in a bud vase in my living room

It's the time of year when my white rose bush starts to produce some amazing results. I look forward to cutting off their heads and bringing the nature inside. I feel like I could spend 2 hours every day cleaning up that yard and it still wouldn't be perfect. I need a mulcher - any loaners out there?

Once in a Lifetime Opportunity

I have a few simple questions for you:
1. Do you love the feeling of being home wherever you are?
2. With the new year, do you feel a need to increase your philanthropic activities?
3. Do you like the notoriety of having your name on a plaque*?
4. Would you like to own a small portion of a home in New Orleans?

Then do I have the opportunity for you!

Several things in my house need fixing! With your check and support, there are no limits to what we can do together. Imagine:

"The YOUR NAME HERE Oven"
"YOUR DEAD GRANDMA'S NAME Memorial Wine Fridge"
"Headboard on permanent loan from the YOUR COMPANY'S NAME collection"

For just pennies a day, YOU can fix a hinge, hang a flag on my front porch, or give an out of work landscaper the opportunity to clean up my yard!

With every dollar comes hope for a better tomorrow.
Call or email today.

*Plaque not actually included with donation