Summer time and the living is easy...

One of the things I love most about summer is how much slower the pace of our usual day-to-day seems. I know I am fortunate to be home with my kids right now and if I was working full-time, I might feel differently, but I do believe the ease of summer is a state of mind.

Something in my head shifts when the weather gets warmer and really, when school ends.  Maybe it's the teacher in me (or the kid), but I flip a switch in my head and get into summer mode. Now that my kids are a little bigger, I really look forward to this shift and relaxed routine.

This mindset seems to  foster a lot more time to catch up with friends, to head out to the backyard daily and throw super last minute get-togethers with friends, family or neighbors.  This July 4th we did just that. We had no plans until the last minute and as I'm learning, these impromptu gatherings are just as fun (maybe even more) as the well-planned ones.

I literally pulled this together a half-an-hour before our friends arrived using knick-knacks from the basement, Eamon's Rarebits Easter basket, a runner from my kitchen and the Christmas linens I forgot to put away. It's nothing fancy, elaborate or stunning, but an example of going with the flow. When my brain is in summer mode, the filter that usually makes me over think lots of things kind of falls to the wayside.

I really love what summer does to me. Towards the end of August you might be reading a very different post, but I really hope I can tap into this summer brain a little more throughout the year.

Do you look forward to slowing down in the summer or do you prefer adventure seeking or finishing off winter's to-do list?

Whatever your pleasure, have a great day.

Erin

Linking up today's post to:

The Taylor House

Happy 4th!

via The Quillcards blog

There are many ways to celebrate the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.

via history.com

 

via Pinterest and fromme-toyou.tumblr.com

 Whether it's with a big crowd 

Boston Pops July 4th concert

or in your own backyard,

via Skip to My Lou

I hope you get to enjoy the very simple pleasures that quietly bind all Americans 

as we celebrate our freedom.

via Pinterest (could not reach original source)

via examiner.com

Happy 4th of July!

Erin

Etsy love...

Okay. Today's post is not terribly original. It's all about my love for Etsy, something lots of bloggers have and do talk about often, and for good reason. It's a treasure trove of all things handcrafted or vintage.

My love affair with Etsy began probably about two years ago when I purchased this sweet little milk bottle.

from Etsy seller maryscrochetnmore

The lighting is terrible, but it's a quart sized Sealtest milk bottle that I posted  a little bit about last summer. I bought it as a little reminder of my grandfather who worked  as a milkman for Sealtest in New York. He was a pretty cheeky old soul and used to try to teach me the various routes and roads leading from Manhattan to Montauk. My sense of direction is still pretty awful, so apparently it fell on deaf ears.

Since then, I browse Etsy often, usually more as a window shopper than purchaser. But below is a little showcase of some of the handcrafted and unique pieces I've picked up here and there.

I ordered this adorable vinyl decal for my son's room 

 (which has yet to be touched) from decalhappy.

Next up for Eamon's room were these cool map drawer pulls from

DaisyMae Design Shop. I chose custom pulls with maps of both Greenwich Village and Jones Beach, Long Island, favorite local destinations with sentimental attachments.

This spring, Eamon had a thing for bowties and begged me for about a month to get him two: one blue, one green. So, to Etsy seller the Little Gentlemen's closet I went.

Last month I ordered this beautiful, hand-stamped initial necklace from mfrancesjewelry for my niece's 6th grade graduation. I wanted something both age appropriate and somewhat timeless so she could wear it for many years without it being dated. This fit the bill and Mary was amazing to deal with.

Lastly, I ordered this vintage blank note card of Jones Beach from  BlueThistlePaperie just last week to frame for my bathroom. This local beach is full of nostlagia for us, so this cute promotional card is an affordable way to incorporate it as meaningful, whimsical artwork.  The seller, another Mary, was super speedy and a pleasure to work with.

What I love about a place like Etsy:

1. It's like shopping a "Mom and Pop" store: I like giving regular people who have great ideas or talent my money.
2. It's an often affordable way to buy items that have meaning to me and inject some personality and character into my home.
3. Let's face it, the first gifts we probably ever gave anyone were our childhood drawings and masterpieces. This is a way to give a handmade gift when time, means or talent are lacking.
4. Every seller I've dealt with was incredibly nice, helpful and excited about selling their product, I guess because they put so much of themselves into creating or finding it.

It's safe to say my love affair with Etsy will only continue to grow.  I have tons of new "favorites" added to my profile, full of artwork, pillows and well, more pillows.

Have you shopped Etsy? Do you have any favorite sites for gifts, artwork or home decor? Any gems we should know about?

Have a great Monday!

Erin

bathroom before and after

My bathroom has been mostly finished for a couple of months now. I just kept putting off taking the photos since, well, it's not totally finished.  But this is usually the case in my home as I am forever tweaking and hunting for accessories to pull things together. If I wait until it's "finished" we will all be old and gray. Please forgive the photo quality: the lighting was terrible and the space, tiny. I shot many of them from the bathtub.

Idea board:

bathroom update by eecandrews on polyvore.com

I created this board to see how my ideas worked together.  With the exception of the trellis fabric and embellished shower curtain, which may happen at some point, I was able to incorporate many of the same or similar details into the actual space.

Before & After:

 

 

Details

   

I'm thrilled with the Marshalls' mirror I spray-painted Pimiento and the two West Elm rugs that hide a multitude of sins.

The curtains in this Covington fabric are my favorite element in the room. The cheerful pattern and colors offered an easy jumping off point for the rest of the space, including the paint color.  In person, the walls are a bit richer and not so washed out.  After testing several samples, I mixed my two favorites, Benjamin Moore's Feather Grey (thanks to Holly of West Pear Avenue for recommending it) and Blue Haze. My local paint store color matched 

it for me.

I learned a lesson after having my light fixture installed.  I bought the fixture before I bought my medicine chest/mirror and measured for centering based upon the width of my vanity. As a result, the light fixture feels a bit puny to me.

These two watercolors (in frames I already owned) are actually pages torn from a traveller's guide of Anguilla where we spent our honeymoon and have visited a few times.  I hope to gather some more artwork/momentos to frame all the way up to where the molding will be. (someday??).

notice my husband's basket on the right is labeled "Master of the House"? Not my doing.

I kept our existing shelf/basket combo as it's in good shape and really helps for storing daily used odds & ends. The dishes holding the q-tips and cotton were in the clearance aisle at Target. They were part of a set of melamine bowls meant for outdoor entertaining and perfect for my clumsy tendencies. I still need to shop my house/Goodwill/Etsy etc. for some  artwork to go above the baskets.

a new towel holder from Home Depot and a pretty towel from Marshalls.

the view from my hallway

While I have lots of finishing touches still to tackle, I am really happy with the transformation from unfinished and sloppy to bright, airy and cheerful.  Now if someone else would clean it for me, I'd be all set!

Next up: painting and stenciling my hallway and basement, hopefully before the summer's over if the beach, yard and pool don't get in the way too much ; )

Do you have any summer projects lined up or are you smarter than me and take the 

summer off?

Have a great weekend!

Erin

Linking up with:

Tuesday's Treasures: My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
Simple Home Life
Simply Designing
The Shabby Nest
The Brambleberry Cottage
House of Hepworths
Blissful and Domestic
The DIY Showoff: Project Parade
The Foley Fam: Sunday Funday Link Up Party
Crafty Confessions of a stay at home Mommy: Tuesday Confessional Link Party

Karma and a Lazy Boy...

We had a great Father's Day weekend around here with two small exceptions: 

Neve spiked a fever in the middle of the Father's Day, BBQ/Pig Roast/German Fest we attended 

(she seems to be on the mend) and Todd won a Lazy Boy at said BBQ/Pig Roast/German Fest.  

It's probably my fault since I told the man who let us in to keep the raffle ticket since it would be "Over my dead body that we bring home a big fat recliner." 

My fighting words might have led to my karma.

I know I should be happy for his Grand Prize win and really I am, (or at least I'm trying) but I can't seem to get past my Lazy-boy snobbery. 

When I think of a recliner I think of these:

(not that there's anything wrong with them, especially if you own one)

muddy colors, dated, itchy upholstery and bulky shapes. 

I know they're incredibly comfortable. 

I slept on one for a week when I had sinus surgery ten years ago. 

Somehow though, they just don't seem fit into my aesthetic. 

See. Lazy-boy snobbery. 

I'm not proud.

In an effort to kick this ugly trait of mine, I turned to Google. 

Surely in this day and age there must be something out there to marry both form and function.(aka please both husband and wife)  If not, this could be a teachable moment for me in the art of  compromise and designing for the sexes.

Or, I could just end up living with an ugly chair.

Luckily, I was pleasantly surprised with what my search turned up:

all three chairs via  http://www.la-z-boy.com/

Boy has the classic recliner come a long way. 

(Just ask Brooke Shields.)

Although I would never have sought these chairs out, they're really nice and disguise that whole recliner thing seamlessly.  I would definitely consider them and keep them in mind when someday I have clients who want an "attractive" recliner.  But, the choice is not really for me to consider.

Since I usually have carte blanche when it comes to the decorating decisions around here, I think I have to let this one go and trust that Todd's good taste will prevail. His trophy from last year's fishing tournament has grown on me and really, how often does a guy win a grand prize and a free new piece of furniture?

Perhaps his taste in chairs will be equal to his taste in women ; )

What items of your mate's gives you the willies?

Erin

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to my dad:

The man whose quiet strength I admire,

who gave me his humor, his work ethic, 

his laid back personality and most of all, 

his unwavering love and support.

When I think of my dad, I think of airplane

rides and Groom and Clean, long summer afternoons

spent in a pool that he vacuumed and treated more than 

he ever enjoyed. 

I remember bagpipe nights at the Hibernian Hall and the countless
summer road trips he endured with lots of fighting in the backseat.

I remember the secret money he used to sneak me when I was away

at college and the time he took me out when I was heartbroken and lovesick.

I remember the first time I knew that my dad and future husband really hit it off.

My dad set the tone for what to expect in a man and it's because of this, that I'm married

to an equally great one.

Happy Father's Day to my husband:

The man whose strength bolsters us,

whose humor keeps us laughing, whose work ethic is a model for our children

and whose unwavering love and support will  guide them for the rest of their

lives.

We are incredibly lucky to have these two men in our lives and even luckier

that they are friends.

Happy Father's Day.

Erin

I'm back and Mood Board Monday

Good news. I'm still alive. The month of May was exhausting, and quite honestly, kicked my rear.  After the culmination of three months of birthdays and celebrations, nice visits with family, minor construction and a new dog, I was starting to run out of steam.  Then, on Mother's Day a wicked virus blew through our house, hitting 3/4 of us (including me) and finished me off. I'm finally coming out of the weeds and I'm happy to be back today with a new Mood Board for Sarah's Mood Board Monday Linky party over at Pewter and Sage.

Our challenge this month was to select one of these beautiful chairs from Horchow to inspire our virtual room. Our client could be imaginary and if chosen, the budget unlimited.

 

I chose this beauty. 

Old Hickory Tannery Green Leather Chair

Although it's a much more formal, grown-up chair than anything I own, I was drawn the juxtaposition of the classic, elegant lines, and the modern, casual spin the green leather gives this piece. It looks incredibly comfortable despite its elegant curves. I thought it would be perfect for a master bedroom, blending the  feminine with masculine. Here's my imaginary room. The client was me and this exercise was a combination of real possibilities, risks I'm thinking of taking, and daydreaming of a much larger budget than I have!

Where I started:

inspiration for mood board monday june 4 by eecandrews on polyvore.com

1. The Horchow chair's color automatically led me to my wall color:
2. Martha Stewart, Azurite. I love green and blue together, and although it's dark, I kind of like the idea of a moody bedroom.
3. Erin from Skoots and Cuddles used this gorgeous image from Lonny Magazine as inspiration for her dining room. I immediately fell in love with the navy walls, crisp white accents and wood tones. I knew I wanted to incorporate this look into my master bedroom.
4. Right after Sarah posted the challenge, I came across this bedding from Land's End and knew it would be perfect in my virtual space,
5. and would work with my existing Captain's bed which is similar to this one from Pottery Barn, minus the headboard.

Here's how the room evolved:

Mood Board Monday- Modern Nautical bedroom by eecandrews on polyvore.com

1. Fabrics for the space top to bottom, Cotillion Stripe Khaki (for a DIY upholstered headboard), Wilmington, Multi by Covington (for 3 Euro pillows), Tala Bluemarine (a long bolster for bed), Lisbon Linen in Indigo (a throw pillow for chair or to trim the edges of the curtains), all from Calico Corners.
2.Accessories: a ) gorgeous red mirror for a pop of color and a little Americana, b) framed personal letters as seen on Emily A. Clark's blog highlighting Cote de Texas for personal, inexpensive artwork, c) and brass sconces on either side of headboard since we have little room for bedside lamps.
3.Windows: we already have these room-darkening drapes over bamboo roman shades. I would trim them with similar grosgrain ribbon or the Lisbon fabric from above, for some added interest.
4. We have nightstands similar to this one I found on Pinterest from Centsational Girl, which I would add these Anthropologie knobs to for another touch of green.
5. I fell in love with this rug from Shades of Light for its sort of modern, nautical note and the way it connects to the headboard fabric. I think the wide stripes in both help to balance some of the more feminine aspects of the room and add some contrast.
6. The Land's End bedding
7. The inspiration chair from Horchow
8. I fell in love with this dresser from West Elm. I love the tones of the wood and its simple, slightly rustic, yet clean-lined form.

Fabrics up close:

 

 

Looking at the "space" as a whole, I see a hint of a modern-nautical look which I think fits my husband and me pretty well. I'm not sure if I'm brave enough to go so dark in my real space, but the mood board definitely helps me to visualize the potential for this look in our room.

Thank you Sarah, for hosting this fun challenge once again! Please visit Sarah's blog Pewter + Sage to check out all the talented bloggers who are participating in today's party.

Have a great day. I'll be back in Blogland, catching up on my favorite reads and sharing my bathroom facelift later this week.

Erin