Archive for March, 2007

March 19th, 2007

What every garden needs

iconicon Just last week I was wondering if we could still go sledding.  Saturday was a momentous day though because we got to hang up the hammock swings.  They say in Utah if you don’t like the weather wait 5 minutes. I love the hammock swings, everyone always fights over them, even the adults because they are so comfortable & so much fun.  I’m so happy they are finally up, it’s like finally saying ‘Ha winter, I win yet again, take that!’.  I think every patio garden should have at least one.

Note: That is not me in the picture.  I couldn’t take a picture of our hammock swings because while I insist it is Spring, the yard is still a barren wasteland. Although, I wish I had a yellow house & I applaud the model for looking photogenic while sitting in a hammock swing.

March 17th, 2007

I’m a wordsmith

Honestly, purple is my least favorite color. I hardly ever use it in decorating. I don’t’ know why, it just always has been. It’s just sooo…. purple. I know, I know, I’m a wordsmith. However, I have found out some things that make me like purple a whole lot more. Purple is a color often associated with royalty.  There is a very famous poem about purple that goes like this:

When I am Old
I will wear Purple!

When I am an old woman,
I shall wear purple – -
With a red hat which doesn’t go,
and doesn’t suit me.
And I shall spend my pension
on brandy and summer gloves and satin sandles,
And say we’ve no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I’m tired
and gobble up samples in shops
and press alarm bells
and run with my stick along public railings,
and make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
and pick flowers in other people’s gardens
and learn to spit!
You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
and eat three pounds of sausages at ago,
or only bread and pickles for a week,
and hoard pens and pencils
and beermats and things in boxes.
But now we must have clothes that keep us dry,
and pay our rent
and not swear in the street,
and set a good example for the children.
We must have friends to dinner
and read the papers.
But maybe I ought to practice a little now?
So people who know me
are not too shocked and surprised
when suddenly I am old,
And start to wear purple!

–Jenny Joseph

Purple is across the color wheel from yellow, which means these colors will compliment each other nicely. I especially love the idea of using purple for a little girl’s room instead of pink. I think one of the most beautiful bouquets of flowers I have ever seen was made up entirely of deep purple irises. Even purple has it’s beauty. How do you use purple in decorating?

March 17th, 2007

Vegas Baby

I wasn’t expecting to like my trip to Vegas, because I don’t gamble. However, I underestimated the culture. I think I paid $20 to see a Picasso, Warhol, Van Gogh, Monet, Manet & many others. It was so different than just looking at posters. For instance, Van Gogh’s paintings were so thick with paint that it was hard to tell what the painting was close up, it was best viewed across the room. I never thought I would get to see all this because I couldn’t make it to Europe, but I now feel like I have seen more great art than a lot of people will see in their entire lifetime. There are always lots of cool art exhibits to go too. Plus, I got to take my picture in front of the New York Skyline & the Eiffel Tower, without living the city.

It’s also interesting to me how the styles of homes change depending on location. For instance, in Utah there are a lot of rock or log homes with green tin roofs. Las Vegas homes seem to have a lot of stucco & red tile roofs. This is exactly the kind of home that I have always wanted to live in, but we just don’t have them in Utah, even though technically we are in the desert. So there is tons to see in Vegas, if you can go visit, go visit, if you can go live, go live on a fabulous piece of Las Vegas real estate.

March 15th, 2007

Things your kids will make fun of

But Sarakastic, we’re still in the 2000′s, why do we need to update?  Well, you don’t really need too, but decorating is fun.  I just wanted to point out some of the most prevalent styles of this decade. As well, I wanted to speculate what will be outdated & what will be a good investment.  This way, I know where to spend my money & time, & what is just a fad.  Like the 90′s series, I will point out the major styles, what characteristics them, & how to fix them.  Ready?  What do you think will be outdate 10 years from now?

March 15th, 2007

Room generator

Here’s at least one good thing that has come out of watching "Top Design".  They have a cool new decorating game where you can design your dream room with lots of different colors & patterns. It’s not the most sophisticated tool in the world, but it gives you a general idea, & it’s a lot of fun. It’s a great way to get an idea of what colors & patterns go together.  I was surprised at how many patterns that I could fit in one room & still have it look good.  I’ve never been brave enough to try that in real life, but I think now I will give it a go. You can see my room here. Ah, I lied, that isn’t my room, I don’t know where it went but it’s orange & brown & the number is 14220. What does your dream room look like?