Pink & Gray Spring Living Room

March 24, 2020 By Linda 4 Comments

Pink & Gray Spring Living Room – Neutral Living Room Decorating Ideas.

Soooooo …

what are your Spring coronavirus plans?

Me? Well, as I’ve said before, my pre-coronavirus days look eerily similar to my now Spring shelter-at-home coronavirus days. 😉

And yet …

I feel like I should somehow use this whole coronavirus-shelter-at-home time to make some improvements-at-home this Spring.

Honestly, there are a lot of improvements-at-home projects that I just keep … um … postponing.

For instance, this home of ours could really use a good old fashioned Spring cleaning.

The deep kind.

See that storage ottoman up there? It’s packed to the brim with fabric and pillow covers. Some of which I know I’ll never use again.

It could definitely use a good old-fashioned Spring cleaning.

In the dining room (not pictured) I have a hutch. The bottom is filled with … um, well … I’m not really sure anymore.

The only thing I’m sure of is that it’s wasted space. Most likely packed with stuff I don’t need.

It could 100% use a good old-fashioned deep Spring cleaning.

And then there’s the basement …

yikes!

The basement is a bona-fide mess.

A bona-fide mess that starts at the very first basement step down.

Seriously, the steps are packed with stuff too!

At one point in early 2020 I made a promise with myself to spend 15-minutes a day working on the basement.

And 15-minutes later I forgot that promise! 😉

Perhaps I should use this coronavirus shelter-at-home time to reignite that whole basement cleaning promise?

Then there’s the cabinet pictured above.

The bottom drawer is relatively organized. Though it could use some better labeling.

But the top drawer could use some serious organizational help!

Funny thing: I bought that piece to help me better organize my important papers and documents. Ha!

Now I could also use my coronavirus shelter-at-home time for some self-improvement.

A coronavirus health and wellness plan, if you will.

I could eat healthier.

And exercise regularly.

Perhaps my outside time (while maintaining the requisite 6 feet distance from others) could include a little interval fast walk/slow jog training?

Oh, so many coronavirus shelter-at-home possibilities this Spring!

And yet, I fear my coronavirus shelter-at-home Spring may just end up being pre-coronavirus business as usual. 🙂

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Fantel Mantel for Spring

St. Patrick’s Day Mantel Fantel

March 16, 2020 By Linda 4 Comments

I feel like that headline is over-promising. Too big and bold of a statement for what I’m actually showing you in today’s post …

and, dare I say, perhaps a little click bait-ee.

Though, does St. Patrick’s Day count as a click bait-able topic?

I suppose if I called it my St. Patrick’s Day novel Coronovirus mantel fantel that would have been click bait-ee. 😉

But now that I’m actively practicing hashtag StayHome (#StayHome) I thought I’d give the mantel a little St. Patrick’s Day spruce.

Oh who am I kidding with the #StayHome excuse. I’ve been #StayHome for decades and have been working on socially isolating myself for years …

I kid you not.

Especially once the kids moved from our neighborhood elementary school to high school. That’s when the playground interactions with the other parents abruptly stopped …

and the whole social isolation thing began.

Now, granted, I’ve always been a home body. It’s the Cancer in me.

Lazing about on the couch was a much coveted weekend activity of mine.

And ever since I started working from home after the birth of my son, I’ve fully adopted the #StayHome lifestyle.

When I told my husband that this whole #StayHome and socially isolating thing is a total no-brainer for me, he responded with a sad “awe.”

But no. It’s not sad. Truly.

Again, the Cancer in me loves to #StayHome. And a great weekend for me is when I don’t even drive the car! 🙂

And as for my so-called St. Patrick’s Day mantel fantel, I simply traced a shamrock cookie cutter shape onto gold, glittery paper and cut it out. Then I just attached to a thin wood dowel with tape.

Easy.

And not at all click bait-ee 🙂

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Simple, Neutral Valentine Table for Two

February 11, 2020 By Linda 9 Comments

Simple, Neutral Valentine Table for Two – Valentine Table Setting in Gray, White, Pink.

Simple, Neutral Valentine Table - Valentine Table Setting in Gray, White, Pink

I miss home.

Okay, not so much the house per se. You all know my love/hate with the house.

And if you don’t, I have a love/hate with my house. 😉

But I miss my husband. Mike. And my son. Sam. And my dog. Ernie

I would normally include my daughter, Molly, in all that missing. But she’s in Colorado. So I miss my daughter all the time these days …

regardless of where I’m residing!

By the end of this week I will have spent five weeks of 2020 in Florida.

What?

To some of you that might not sound like such a bad deal.

Am I right?

I mean, it’s Florida. Land of sun and sea and sand and all that.

But …

please don’t hate on me …

I have a confession to make. I’m not a big fan of Florida.

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I don’t mean to offend if Florida is your home. Or your future home. Or your past home. Or your ideal home. Or your vacation home.

To each his own, right?

I’m sure there are plenty of you who hate Chicago.

I’m cool with that. I get it. It’s cold. It’s crowded. And there’s that whole crime, murder and gang thing.

And, admittedly, I have not seen all parts of Florida. So perhaps I shouldn’t judge an entire state based on my various trips to:

Daytona Beach Shores – where my parents currently reside and where I’ve spent (as of Friday) five weeks of 2020. There’s just something sad about it here.

Orlando – again, don’t hate on me, but Disney? Meh. Not a fan of crowds and long lines and crowded long lines in the sweltering heat. Been there. Done that. Don’t need to be there or do that again.

Lakeland – Ugh. No sea. No sand. In the middle of the state. It was an all-to-frequent work destination. Enough said.

Miami – it was the 80’s. A turbulent time in that city’s history. Not at all the glam Miami of today (or so say the Real Housewives of New York. And 90 Day Fiance).

Venice – Okay, I could possibly warm up to the Gulf side of the state …

I think there was a time. Long ago. When I really did like Florida. Was excited to visit. It was an escape …

a true vacation.

And there are parts (hello DJ’s Deck in Port Orange) that I really do like.

But after all these years …

and especially these five weeks of 2020 …

I’m long past the old, “like to visit but wouldn’t want to live there,” sentiment.

Honestly, the live there idea died long ago. And for many, many, many years I’ve been done with the whole visit part too. At this point, there are only two reasons I continue to return: (1) mom and (2) dad.

And by the looks of them (mom and dad, that is) … and dad’s amazing recovery after a fall and rehab … it looks like there will be more visits in the future. 🙂

It’s a good thing Florida sunsets are pretty spectacular …

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Thanksgiving Dining Room

November 27, 2019 By Linda 2 Comments

Thanksgiving Dining Room – Thanksgiving Centerpiece & Table Setting.

I’m not hosting Thanksgiving this year …

but if I was, this is what my Thanksgiving dining room, table and centerpiece would look like.

And although I’m not hosting Thanksgiving, this is a monumental year.

And for many, many, many years following this year I will be hosting.

Indefinitely.

You see, my sister-in-law and her husband are moving. Opting for warmer climes in their retirement.

So she will be hosting this one last time … in the beautiful, cozy home where she raised her family … this year.

And after she leaves, our Thanksgiving celebration will become much, much, much more intimate. Mike and I and our kids. And Mike’s sister Sarah …

though I have the feeling she may travel at Thanksgiving time to visit her sister in the warmer climes that she loves so much.

There is something bittersweet about Thanksgiving this year.

I know this is a natural progression. Families expand. Families compress. And families expand again.

For my family, we’ve now entered the compression stage of life.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all! 🙂

November in Chicago

November 2, 2019 By Linda 9 Comments

November in Chicago – Thanksgiving Table Setting Ideas – Cozy Living Ideas for November.

November.

Sigh.

I’ll be honest. If it wasn’t for that big giant feast at the end of the month — you know, the one with the turkey and stuffing and cranberry sauce — you (November) could quite possibly be my least favorite month of the year.

Sure, you’re not the coldest.

Sure, you don’t typically come in with snow (unlike this year!).

Sure, you’re one of the shortest of months of the year.

But none of these truths can overlook the fact that you’re the gateway month. You, November, are the beginning of what will only be a long, cold, gray (and potentially snowy) Chicago winter.

So in November, I find myself bringing the cozy inside. And occupying myself with Thanksgiving preparations …

you know, to try and distract from that cold thing. 🙂

Once again, I’m joining some blogging friends (organized by Jennifer at Town & Country Living) to share some thoughts on how we make each month cozy!

In November, I like to focus on creating cozy table setting ideas for that big end-of-month feast. Like this one I recently created that features black, white and orange.

And then there’s this more neutral centerpiece and table setting, using fabric pumpkins and jute pumpkins and faux eucalyptus …

I also really liked the year I went all white pumpkin and hydrangea. Everything was real and fresh …

Remember when I was all about color and contrast? Before I adopted neutrals? That’s when I went crazy and painted pumpkins for my Thanksgiving table setting idea …

A few years back I even created a free printable place card for Thanksgiving.

But the #1 thing I look forward to in November … and what truly makes the house super cozy … is setting up the Christmas tree in the dining room in time for that end-of-month feast!

Twinkle lights make everything better!

Be sure to check out my blogging friends to see how they cozy up to November!

Duke Manor Farm / Sincerely Marie Designs / Finding Silver Pennies / Creative Cain Cabin

Town and Country Living / Making It in the Mountains / It All Started with Paint

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Fall in the Living Room

October 22, 2019 By Linda 8 Comments

Fall in the Living Room – Neutral Fall Decor in White, Gray, Greige.

I know it’s technically been fall for a month now. But it hasn’t really felt like fall …

until yesterday.

Fall in the Living Room - Neutral Fall Decor in White, Gray, Jute, Greige

Fall blew into Chicago overnight.

And when I say blew in, I mean blew in with gale force wind that rattled our windows.

And overnight (at least for me) the trees changed colors.

How did I miss that?

Maybe I need to look out the window more often. Or, better yet, get outside more often!

And to make sure that Chicago really, truly realizes that fall is here to stay …

Today is a repeat of yesterday.

Blustery-window-rattling winds. Check.

An abundance of foliage (which, actually, is being blown off trees by said blustery-window-rattling-winds). Check.

Gray skies (why does fall in Chicago come with gray skies?). Check.

I think it may actually be time to put my flip flops away and succumb to socks and toe-covering shoes.

Sigh.

Hello fall.

Hello fuzzy socks.

Hello cozy hoodies.

Hello slippers.

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Fall Table Setting in Gray, White, Jute, Neutral

October 8, 2019 By Linda 14 Comments

Fall Table Setting in Gray, White, Jute, Neutral – Thanksgiving Table Setting Ideas.

Fall Table Setting in Gray, White, Jute, Neutral - Thanksgiving Table Setting Idea - Pumpkin Centerpiece Idea - Pumpkin Table Setting Idea

The weekend before last I returned to New Jersey.

Thanksgiving Table Setting Idea - Pumpkin Centerpiece Idea - Pumpkin Table Setting Idea - Fall Table Setting in Gray, White, Jute, Neutral -

And, yes, I can hear your moans and groans about New Jersey. The snarky “poor you.” And the “why would you?”

But can I defend my birth state for a minute here?

Fall Table Setting in Gray, White, Jute, Neutral - Thanksgiving Table Setting

Sure, Jersey conjures images of the stinky New Jersey Turnpike. Or crime-addled Newark. Or those Jersey Shore folks from MTV (who, by the way, are not from New Jersey!)

But New Jersey actually has some really, really pretty parts.

Fall Table Setting in Gray, White, Jute, Neutral -

Stop laughing!

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Our adventure began at Newark Airport. It’s quadrupled in size since I last flew in/out of that airport. And stepping off the plane onto one of the new concourses was mind melding.

Seriously.

I thought we may have landed in Tokyo. Or Singapore.

The concourse was super, duper high tech. Tables with iPads at each and every seat replaced the traditional benches you typically see outside gates. The center of the concourse was a giant bar/restaurant with an iPad at each chair.

Did I mention it was mind melding?

You could use the iPads to order food. Or drinks. Or go online. Or shop. Or, or, or …

a hundred other things you could explore based on all the apps loaded on each one.

After we finally figured out (with some airport personnel assistance) how to find the rental car, we hit the road.

And it didn’t take long … as we headed north west to the destination of my niece’s wedding … for me to realize that New Jersey is actually pretty lush.

Lush!

Seriously, stop laughing!

Living in the Midwest for so many years I’ve become accustomed to everything being flat. But New Jersey? Well, at least the northwestern part of New Jersey is hilly. And lakey …

yes, I said lakey as in we were in a region with lake communities.

On the afternoon before the wedding, we joined my sister and her husband for at a lovely (and very Pinteresty) lakeside restaurant. The day was gorgeous. The views spectacular. Yes, the views in New Jersey were spectacular …

I can still hear you snicker …

and the wedding was beautiful. A Pinterest dream. At a remote historic site with multiple barn-esque structures for the ceremony, cocktail hour and reception.

The bride was beautiful. The groom beamed. And my brother (the father of the bride) was filled with such pride and joy!

And me?

It was so wonderful to reconnect with my family — all together in a single space — after such a long time apart.

And it was wonderful to reconnect with my birth state and remember that New Jersey has some really beautiful parts.

Oh, and we actually caught some early fall foliage in those lakeside towns.

Beautiful!

You can stop laughing now. 🙂

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October in the City

October 5, 2019 By Linda 14 Comments

Fall Front Porch with Pumpkins and Mums – Chicago Front Porch for Halloween.

It’s the first Saturday of the month and you know what that means …

okay, so you probably don’t know what that means since it’s only the second month I’m participating in this blog hop.

But for future months it means it’s time to for me and some of my blogging friends to get all warm and fuzzy for the upcoming month by sharing … well … things that make us warm and fuzzy about the upcoming month! It’s part of a Cozy Living series organized by the fabulous Jennifer at Town & Country Living. You’ll find the links to my fellow Cozy Living bloggers at the end of the post.

There are some years when October is right up there as one of my favorite months of the year: those years when October delivers the most amazing Indian Summer. Perfect crisp-but-not-too-cold temperatures requiring only a light jacket or sweater or hoodie. A month when you can swing open the windows and let all that fresh (city of Chicago) air inside!

And then there are the years when October does me wrong. When it’s day after day of gray skies and rain. When light coats and sweaters are covered by heavier waterproof jackets and rain boots.

But either way … whichever October decides to show up … my all time favorite part of this month is dressing up the front porch for Halloween!

And I gotta tell you, Chicagoans takes dressing up their front porches for Halloween super seriously.

Olympic level serious.

Some with much bigger displays than any Christmas lights show.

Some go super, duper spooky.

Some go super, duper cutsie.

And some (like me) some try to strike a balance in-between.

I’ve changed things up over the years (though the mums & pumpkins combo on the steps has pretty much remained a staple). Like back in 2012 when I had bats flying across the door.

More recently, at my daughter’s insistence — I’m thinking she’s siding with the super duper spooky folks — we’ve recently added some skeletons to the mix.

Our front yard was pure dirt last October (thankfully there is some nice lush grown-from-seed grass out there now). But last year we placed the bones in the yard, and after a few heavy rainfalls, the skeleton looked like it was just unearthed …

and ready for an episode of Bones! 🙂

Be sure to visit my Cozy Living blogging friends to find out what gives them the warm and fuzzies in October!

Duke Manor Farm / Creative Cain Cabin / Sincerely Marie Designs / Town and Country Living

Vinyet Etc. / Finding Silver Pennies / Hymns and Verses / It All Started with Paint

Fall Table Setting in Orange, Black & White

September 19, 2019 By Linda 8 Comments

Fall Table Setting in Orange, Black & White – Thanksgiving Table Setting Ideas.

Fall Table Setting in Orange, Black & White - Black White Striped Table Runner - Pumpkins, Orange Napkins, White Plates, Gold Flatware

I’ve spent the past year or so de-saturating my house. Stripping it of contrast and color.

I’ve said goodbye to the navy walls (which I loved, by the way) and hello to a soothing gray/greige.

I’ve made dozens of envelope pillow colors in various shades of gray, greige & white (see tutorial here).

The bold navy & blue rug was replaced with a natural jute.

And while I’m loving this more calming, brighter neutral palate inside …

I sometimes find myself craving a little color.

And contrast.

And orange!

I mean, if you’ve been around from the beginning it all sorta started with orange when I slathered my son’s favorite color all over his bedroom walls (remember that post from 2012 which you can find here …)

As an aside, those photos make me cringe! If I do say so myself, the quality of my photography has greatly improved over those 7+ years.

So what better way — and what better time of year — to have my cake and eat it too with a celebration of Fall …

with a Fall table setting in orange, black & white!

I mean, Fall is all about the color. And the contrast.

My apologies for the 10,000 photos in this post! I just kept re-shooting the table at different times of the day to capture the right colors.

And contrast! 🙂

P.S. I feel like I missed a funny punny opportunity to play off the whole orange is the new black thing in this post!

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Decorating with Eucalyptus Year-Round

September 3, 2019 By Linda 8 Comments

Decorating with Eucalyptus Year-Round – Faux Eucalyptus Stems.

I love eucalyptus.

I love decorating with eucalyptus.

I love the grayish-green colors of the leaves.

I love the roundish shape of the leaves.

I love that you can find long stems. And I love that you can cut those stems short.

I love that it looks amazing all on its own.

I love how it works great as an accent for my other (faux) foliage. Giving those silk roses and hydrangeas a little somethin soemthin.

What I don’t love? The short time frame you can find fresh eucalyptus at the store (and when I say store I mean grocery store because that’s the only place I buy fresh flowers and foliage.)

Why is that?

Why has eucalyptus been designated as a fall and winter only foliage?

Is it only grown seasonally? And, for that matter, is there really a eucalyptus season? I can get strawberries year-round … but not eucalyptus?

Are they (and by they I mean the grocery stores) telling me that I shouldn’t decorate with eucalyptus year-round?

That I can only decorate with it during the fall and winter holidays?

And since when do I abide by decorating rules …

especially when those rules are dictated by a giant chain grocery store?!?

So I found a work around so that I can decorate with my beloved green-grayish eucalyptus year-round.

Faux eucalyptus!

That’s right. Faux.

I know. I know. When I first started this blog I swore up and down and backwards and forwards that I would eradicate the faux flowers and plants from my home.

But I just can’t! I’ve fallen back on my old ways. And now I sit here surround by faux.

Sigh.

But it makes me happy … so I suppose that’s what matters most. Right?

And if you (like me) just can’t resist the siren song of the faux flora and fauna, here are the sources for my faux eucalyptus stems and sprigs …

Sources*

Click here for long, silver dollar eucalyptus stems, 24″

Click here for small silver dollar eucalyptus sprigs with faux buds, 11.8“

Click her for flocked artificial eucalyptus spray, 16″

*includes some affiliate links.

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Gray, White Dining Room

August 27, 2019 By Linda 4 Comments

Gray, White Dining Room – Board and Batten Dining Room.

What’s in a color?

Or what’s in name?

Okay, more accurately, what’s in the name of a color? Paint color, that is.

They say you shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover. It should also be true that you shouldn’t judge a paint color by it’s name.

And yet, I have.

In fact, there have been times when I couldn’t decide between two very similar colors that I let the name be the deciding factor.

Am I the only one?

Is it strange that I once chose a color called Yarmouth Blue because that’s where Mike proposed to me? In Yarmouth, MA?

And is it strange that, at first, I wasn’t thrilled about this paint color because of its name?

Agreeable Gray. By Sherwin Williams.

When I first pulled the paint chip and saw the name, I thought …

meh …

Agreeable Gray?

I mean it sounded kind of vanilla. Or basic (a favorite term of my teen daughter). And apparently (according to my teen daughter) being basic is the kiss of death.

Meanwhile my wardrobe is filled with standbys from Old Navy; not sure how much more basic one can get!

But I digress.

Back to Agreeable Gray. While I love this shade of gray, which has the right amounts of warmth to make it not too blue and not too green and not too purple, the name feels so …

middle of the road.

The paint name says (to me, at least) that this color is nothing to get too excited about. It’s just okay. It won’t argue. It won’t cause a fuss. But it’s also won’t get your heart racing.

And yet, when I put it up on the walls …

my heart did race.

Perhaps being agreeable isn’t quite so meh.

Or basic.

P.S. The teen daughter loves this color too.

Why I Chose My House

August 6, 2019 By Linda 23 Comments

I would like to think this fabulous idea of telling you all (finally) about how and why I (and we) chose my (and our) house was all mine. But, alas, that honor goes to the very fabulous and talented Jennifer at Town and Country Living.

And you can read all about why Jennifer chose her historic home here …

This week she’s organized a bunch of us bloggers to share the tales of how and why we fell in love with our homes. You can find links at the end of the post.

So, on to my story …

Now, many of you who stop by regularly have heard me moan and bemoan about my Chicago home. It’s old. It’s creaky. It’s drafty …

and, it’s (technically) a tear-down in my now very gentrified Lakeview neighborhood. So I’ve been reluctant to make any large investments. Lately, it’s been a lipstick on a pig situation.

Sorry house!

But it wasn’t always so. There was a time when I swooned over this house!

I was going to correct the headline to include a “we” and “our” because Mike did play a role too. But then I remembered that … technically … I really did choose this house!

Well, at first that is.

Mike was on a business trip when the realtor called insisting she found our first home. So I rushed over (alone) after work to take a look.

It was love at first sight.

Not to mention love at first neighborhood.

I fell in love with the tree lined street. I fell in love with the cast iron fence. I fell in love with the refurbished Victorian right next door. And the house next to that? Yeah, I fell in love with their white picket fence.

Swoon!

As far as I was concerned, it wasn’t just a house I was buying. I was buying the entire block and the entire neighborhood.

And after 25 years (we originally had a 5-7 year plan) I’m still in love with the neighborhood. The block. And (most) of my neighbors. 😉

Shall we step inside?

The interior looks nothing like the house we bought.

Decor wise.

Style wise.

And detail wise.

In the entry we embarked on our first big DIY experiment: installing faux board and batten molding.

In our space-challenged home, it offered up a great storage solution for the kids coats and backpacks.

Okay, they still threw them on the floor. But at least mom now had hooks to pick them up and hang them on!

And we liked the board and batten look so much …

we installed it in the living room too!

The big windows are nice for letting in light, but we’ve never been a fan of casement windows.

Ah well. Twenty-five years later and we’re still living with them!

This is the space I call my office (since I don’t have a space to call an office). It’s where the proverbial magic happens!

Oh, and that side table is usually piled high with notes and papers and cans of diet Coke!

Did I mention we liked board and batten? Yup. We installed it in the dining room too!

Our house is a railroad set up which means the rooms are stacked back to back. So the dining room is probably the least used but most visited space in our place!

And through that French door is the family room we added on when I found out I was pregnant with #2. I don’t have pictures to share today because my son (who was two-years-old when we built that addition) came home from college and set up his electronics back there! 🙂