Project feminize progress & a new bra.

My "refreshing home" project is still in full swing, even if "full swing" means baby steps.


This past week, I totally splurged on new throw pillows which I've wanted for approximately twelve years.  My sister, Tye, and I went to - where else? - Ross!  You can't beat the prices on their throw pillows and I certainly didn't want to spend a fortune on them, as I know that for the next decade of my life, they will surely be covered in milk and baby drool.


That being said, I really wanted to sort of have an eclectic mis-match of pillows.  Before, I had a brown one, a light green one, and a dark green on each brown couch - boring.  I wanted to semi-feminize and soften the overall feel of the room.  So I chose a few different patterns and textures.

I love the black and white graphic pillow - I wish they would have had more than one!  Dang it.

I also love this purple frilly one.  Stuart's not too sure about it...but 'too-bad' I say.  I love it.  The cute little silver pillows already have dog hair on them.  So that's fun.


I'd still like a few more pillows, but these are the only ones that spoke to me in the shopping process; thus earning themselves a temporary home on my couches.  I'll be keeping my eye open for other ones to incorporate though....

I also added some silk red poppies to the room, casually displayed in a antique brown whiskey bottle.  Now, for being a florist, I'm not totally into silk flowers...or so I thought.  


But then I realized I totally am.  I love the life they bring to a room - IF they are high quality silk flowers.  Cheap silks come across as just that - cheap.  That is not the look I was going for.

But I am in love with these poppies.  They are fun and feminine without being girly or tacky.  


And then I went a little flower crazy.

I added these beautiful hydrangeas and grasses in an antique silver tea pot to our kitchen table....how fun is that!

I also added this cute little nosegay of yellow poppies and ranunculus to our bedroom.  It's sitting in an old cream bottle...I love it.  It makes me happy when I walk into the room.  I do realize that fall isn't exactly the perfect season to be incorporating spring flowers...but that's just how we are rolling right now.  Who makes these rules anyway?!

Lastly, I added a red poppy fall wreath to our front porch to welcome this wonderful season.

And the stacked white birch?  Well, I just thought it had a nice, homey feel to it.


Isn't it fun how just a few small detailed touches can affect the overall feel of a house?  I'm slowly realizing how much I enjoy design.  And learning to do this all on a teeny-weeny budget has been good for me.

Oh!  And a quick COLLAGE update.  Almost all the prints have been matted and hung - though I am still waiting for the perfect piece to put in the big frame, as well as the small frame next to it.

I know it's kind of an eye-sore at the moment...but so is bad art.  The piece shall come in time.  Any suggestions?


And the old bookshelf that used to be where the collage is?  

Well, I've turned that into a strawberry planter.  If all goes as planned, these strawberry plants will grow and drape over the sides of the planter; thus filling this horrible doesn't-get-any-sun garden space that my dog keeps digging up with at least something.


And lastly (for reals this time), while shopping for the new throw pillows, I also bought a new bra.  That's not a nursing bra.  That has lace.  That is unstained.  That is fresh, clean, and wonderful.  That may or may not be slightly padded to account for my double-negative-A-post-nursing chest size.  This has probably been the highlight of my year.


The end.