How it Began

I told ya, from the get-go....We have a fixer-upper on our hands. Currently or, well at this phase in the photo is was a bit more of a downer. I can not even begin to tell you the work it took to get this lot cleared. It was and continues to be a untamed mess. I am learning to embrace a lot of it. The exterior of the house is filthy-but I have zero desire to have it painted. So-again "I have plans"in the form of lots of climbing ivy-further pushing this home into the boho-commune I always imagined myself to create. This is the spot I chose for our garden space.

After tons of sweat and hours with power tools our cedar beds were built. Organic Soil poured and grid made. I used cooking twine instead of wood to mark the square feet-

(This is my first attempt at square foot/companion/raised bed gardening. All other attempts have been haphazard and complete learning experiences that led to this "science".)

*That's our cat-Marshall*

For about a month before I nursed and started seeds with the very intention to plant them in this space. It's also a super idea to have plants at different stages of growth to ensure you have a "continual" harvest.  Seedlings and Seeds alike began their journeys here and I am completely grateful for their progress. 

This bed is home to three different varieties of carrots, onions, beets and eggplant. Basil and Tomato grow together happily in the back left corner....

I was amazed at how quickly this space exploded. I must admit it hasn't gotten any prettier in the landscape department....but the plants seem to love their spaces and that's all a gardner can hope for.

I Dream....

We woke early this morning. I find it completely amazing that our girls are so eager to start their days, while I walk around one-eyed for the better half of the day. It is my complete desire to have that spark. This morning though it was a bit slow, it was obvious by ten o'clock that- a nap was greatly needed.

So, we ate a mismoshed meal and headed for bed. In our case bed is-complicated. Or not so: an ikea bunk bed...bottom bunk used, an organic cotton futon on the side of bottom bunk-that's where I sleep. My sleeping partner varies from night to night. I think at some points the three of us end up there. Either way, there are tons of pillows and it can be a sweet place to be. (there are some nights my grumpiness takes over and I mumble the words: I am 29 and I am sleeping on a futon-on the floor.)

I am not a good day napper, once I have woken up it's nearly impossible for my mind to shut off. This morning I slept but my mind reeled. In a dream, a small simple dream I dreamt that I had my first comment in this space. A comment by someone I had never met, or known-they took the time to join me and felt impressed enough to comment. I logged onto this space of mine this evening in hopes that maybe a dream-come true.

There was no comment, and I still feel as if I sit here and talk to myself. (which isn't out of the normal and completely ok by me.) I visit blog after blog filled with inspiring content and photos, I notice all of the lovely comments and encouragement the curators receive and I cant begin to imagine-how amazing that must be.

Alas ::sigh:: this is a space I love, and take comfort in-and I will continue even if I am lost in a sea of  blogging beauty. A dream is still a dream and worth holding on to. Until then-oh bla di, oh bla da. <3

A few weeks ago I blogged about this eye sore, or.... I couldn't wrap my brain around the issues at hand: after years of abuse the hearth was in awful shape. it hadn't been cleaned in decades.

the type of paint required is not something allowed in our household-completely toxic.

so after a ton of research (because apparently I have no readers.) I decided on a few things..

I used pumice stone to get the soot off. It worked like a charm. (made a dusty mess)

I opted to paint the fireplace screen with high heat Rustoleam spray paint. (outdoors) I let it off-gas for a few days.

After scrubbing and scrubbing and using a non-toxic/earth friendly cleaner *outdoors* I began to see this amazing patina left behind. A few hours of sun and I was completely thrilled with the outcome.

Before

After

So, keep in mind that I love odd things. I love the fact that we used what came with the house and has lived here longer than I have been alive. I love that it compliments what we brought into the home and that somehow I have found it to be the "Or" instead of the Eyesore in the room.

The Purpose of Repurpose.

I have a few...weaknesses. Some (enter Husband) may call them obsessive compulsions. I love hardware. I love the fact that it's gorgeous on it's own and even more so I love that you can add it to a piece of old rickety furniture(cupboards, closets, vanities) and reinvent it with little time. The greatest thing is that you can change them with times, moods and seasons. Great places to find drawer pulls:
Anthropologie
Salvage Yards
Antique Stores
Home Goods
World Market (stores only)

A few of my favorites from "the collection"...

Pulls vary widely in prices and it's astounding to find the same exact ones at different stores at literally three to four dollars price variance....But when it comes to hardware hoarding one-often does not care.

The next piece on the agenda here is...a bit subjective to beauty and hasn't met it's true fate as a "piece" in our home. I found this board washed up on our last Beach walk. I instantly picked it up and imagined the great places it must of seen. I told the girls it was part of an old pirate plank and we started silently daydreaming together. I bring it home (enter husband-again) and my head (which is often in the clouds) became a bit more front and centered with the words: "looks like someone was doing some work on their dock..." ah...well either way I found it to be gorgeous. A bit smelly but gorgeous. I have big plans...

but for now.....it houses our clementine adoration on the sideboard.

The beauty in things is that YOU find them beautiful. 

Upon Us...

Fall is upon us....it's creeping in sweetly. Florida summers typically go out with a BANG!: in the form of gnarly storms and what seems to be an explosion of colors and tastes.

Fall begins in our home with a few definitives:

Open Windows
Anniversaries
.....and
Clementines.

I am disappointed not to see the wooden crates they used to come in this year-but not disappointed to see them for the first time this season.

Fall-I can not wait for you, my friend.
Until then, we have Darling's Clementines.

To If By Sea....

There is something to be said about fleeing to the Ocean to clear your mind and remind you what is GOOD about life. Well, anyhow-that is what we did...

Storms come and go this time of year over the Atlantic...the churning tides bring in the most amazing things...

these sponges were so bright and beautiful they lit the sand on red fire....I was tempted to keep them but I threw them backs in hopes-they'd make it.

(after speaking with my husband-chances were grim that they would-but I knew the bright red meant life, and hopefully the water made their last day a bit less painful.)

A mind cleared and even in the midst of clouds-a brighter outlook and two very happy tired little girls in love with life by the water.

Unpacked Wrinkled Curtains and No Words.

Couch: An Evolution/Revolution.

So....I don't have an actual photo of what our couch looked like when we bought it. It was my first "big girl" purchase about three years ago. A major hearty piece with good bones.  As our home evolves, the personalities of our girls infuse the space and I--find myself completely comfortable in the house that funk is building. You see, I started off in thrift stores wearing five different shades of green--and somehow I ended up in Pottery Barn with a diamond ring and an SUV. When we found this house in all of it's quirks I felt something- a kinship with it. I since have been returning-one funky mismatched piece of fashion and furniture at a time.

BEFORE

TODAY

::smirk::

I wonder how Restoration Hardware would feel about this.

To be honest I feel like it's a bit much. I am not Willie Wonka and the couch I can feel is a bit angry about it's defacement. 

Nothing makes sense about it it was a perfectly gorgeous couch, The slipcover didn't survive our third move so, since then it's been in limbo.  

Eye Sore, Or?

This wall makes my stomach turn-so many eye sores, so little ideas!

A BEFORE OF SORTS

Here's the fireplace we acquired. I have never had more mixed feelings about any other piece of architecture in my life.  Years of misuse & layer upon layer of soot make it one of the most unsightly things I have seen in a home I've inhabited. 

 I go back and forth. Paint it or Leave it.  There's something pretty typical*not that there is anything wrong with typical-or white painted fireplaces) about a white painted fireplace and I am not quite sure that it's what it needs or wants to be.(I have this strange belief that old things have opinions. Including inanimate objects such as: our fireplace.)

I think it has an English cottage side to it that kind of makes me respect it for what it is: sixty years old and mistreated. I haven't tried anything caustic to clean it--coconut oil and vinegar are as far as I have gone. If I could just get it clean and give it a running chance, perhaps even here that Mr. Clean "DING" that commercials for chemical cleaners impress upon us--then maybe...maybe it'd be ok. *Just a note-we are a chemical/conventional household cleaner free household.*

I'm a big fan of making due with what you've got. There's a ton of stuff being produced out there most of that stuff mass produced at less value. Meaning it wont last long and it will end up in the garbage--and that garbage will end up in our air, water and ultimately children...so RE-USE! Don't get me wrong I am a HUGE shopper, I just think if you can re-work it, there's little reason to scrap it all together and get something else.

 Exhibit B: The fireplace screen. Oh, I've got plans.

Exhibit C:Air VENTS.  Necessary--again Florida Mid-August 70 percent humidity and 101 temperatures.  Something about painting over them doesn't seem fit I've seen painted air vents and it doesn't make them seem any less--airvent'y.

This wall has my wheels turning. Each day I figure it out a little more until soon-implementation status. In the meantime if anyone comes across my secret blog and knows what can clean this little doosie up, please let me know!

P.S. No need to mention the candles and amethyst. Total mantel party foul.

The Kids! The Kids!

I was recently going over photos of our first move about five months ago, now.  I noticed something that made my heart melt a little bit. Zia, our oldest still had a baby face about her. She was in her last bit of the age of two. I panicked about the move before hand, I never moved as a child. I don't know what I would do if my childhood home was no longer--mine. I work so hard to make home our life and here I was about to uproot it. She was my number one concern.

She had only known one home and she loved it.  The month before we moved everyday I made it a point to tell her what was going to happen. Each time I packed a box I told her WHY I was packing and where are things were going to go.  I made a big mommy stink about the perks of the new house, in our case a pink bathroom and a big driveway to ride her bike around.

We are avid co-sleepers (meaning we sleep with our babies until they no longer want to share a bed with momma and poppa be that at three or seven-I've never known a college kid to take their parents with them for tuck-ins and bedtime stories so I believe that our girl's are better for the time they spend secure.) but, Zia was ready for a "big girl bed". We made it a point to go to IKEA and have her choose whichever bed she wanted for the new house. I made sure to keep her things in the same configuration once we arrived and I didn't spring any new things on her too soon. I let her choose her paint colors and where she wanted to put things.

We made it a point to keep her informed and aware of every situation. We tried to keep our stress levels in check, however it was//is a very REAL part of moving and children need to know it's OK to feel insane inside when your world is being turned upside down and your life is surrounding you in walls of boxes. Despite how prepared we thought we had made her, she still had an incredibly hard time. I turned to the help of homeopathics, BACH REMEDIES to be exact and it did help a bit. (I was also taking a potent concoction of essences.)

She would cry for her home. (hello, heartbreak) and I would feel like the utmost worst parent in the world for causing my child such pain and confusion. Worse-there is nothing to do but let them feel sad and ride it out. She threw tantrums, which she never did. She panicked, which she never did. I believe that the move changed her little life-and I hope that one day she will be better for it.

The hardest thing is them grasping (long-distance moves) not being able to go to your friends house as often anymore; and that our friends aren't going to meet us at the park, (or Chipotle for beans and rice.) anymore. Oh, true heartbreak. There have been different times in my life where I have truly felt like a mother but the times where my little girl shows that she is growing up and having a hard time understanding how unfair the world can be--those are the times I feel I have arrived in the Mommy hood and on my knees holding her-I cry with her. There is beauty in feeling your child's pain and knowing that your life and your feelings up until that very point have been nothing compared to the true feelings felt in motherhood.

So to sum up a very intricate subject my tips on moving with little ones are as follows:

Prepare them. Make a storybook and in detail (colorful) describe what is about to happen. From the packing to the movers to the first night in the new house/new room.

Keep them in the loop. Each box you pack remind them where you're going. Make a game or poster of counting down the days to moving day.  Movers themselves can be totally scary. Men taking your things, be sure to tell them what's going on when the day arrives.

Don't freak out when they do. It's stressful enough having to unpack and deal with all of the things that come with settling in-and you begin to notice a few extra tears or behaviors that didn't exist before the move. As sleepless and stressed out as you are remember: they are tiny little human beings and they are only trying to cope. Make them feel safe. Take a deep breath.

Grab your pom-poms. You play up your new house like it was Oz's WonderCandyDisneyLand Extravaganza. Make a big deal of things: The Lazy Susan in the kitchen cabinets ("Isn't this the neatest?!", in my case: "get in the cabinet and spin around on it, isn't it fun?!") the super funny squirrels in the new trees--anything, make them excited!

Wine. Kidding. But, not. Whatever helps you unwind. A ritual for yourself of peace and comfort.  Talk to friends, take a walk and get to know your new surroundings. After it all settles down remember: you are creating a new sanctuary for your family-and it takes time. Infuse your home with smells from essential oils and cooking and play lots and lots of your favorite music. Make it A POINT to touch each inch of your new dwelling with your fingers and toes, make it yours and a place they(your family) can be themselves in. The rest, including all of those boxes you hid in the closet because you'd had enough unpacking--will fall into place.

Throwbacks and Unpacks.

I remember walking through this house behind a family....Let me just say: "ALL OF THIS NEEDS TO BE RIPPED OUT...." was heard over ten times, and each time I lunged at them like a jungle cat (mentally-of course). Here are highlights of what I am in love with most at this our first day.... Keep in mind we moved in at 6am this morning. That's blogging dedication, my friend.

A pink and teal bathroom...

only semi-funk on the caulk-we will take it!

and my four year semi-stalker relationship with a shower curtain-now an official relationship.

Lastly I will leave you with a few color palette reveals and what our eyes see...at this moment...

I've always loved color and now a home that makes it make sense. (to me)

It took me all of five minutes to go through the hundreds of color choices available, a couple of months ago. I am so thrilled that there are safe non-VOC options in even the coolest of colors. 

I wish I would have been true to my before and after photo document version, but a girl's got kids. So. I will paint a mental picture. Years and years of smoking, then years and years of vacancy. Then lots and lots of dirt. Result: a dingy yellow on everything that required some hardcore elbow grease and lots of hot days with the windows open.

In all honesty the smoke thing really threw me crazy for awhile. Here's a more detailed list of what had to be done:

New air ducts, New AC unit, cleaning the walls with coconut oil and vinegar, For days when the house was empty I put diffusers in all of the linen closets diffusing lavender and sage for 48 hours, then wiped it down with vinegar and coconut oil, again. We ran several ionizers and air purifiers for days. We haven't gotten around to the ceiling fans yet but we cleaned them again, with vinegar. We smell nothing other than the obnoxious left overs of the febreeze plug-ins the realtors left behind. Funny how THAT smell is harder to get rid of than the smoke. Makes you wonder what those synthetic fragrances do to your insides, doesn't it?

All in all it was a task. I don't think the house had been smoked in for at least twenty years, so please don't get me wrong-I am sure it could be harder to beat the smell. 

It's so important to make a home yours, from the get-go. Whether you are owning or renting, your space is sacred. Approach a new home with your intent of making it your sanctuary and you'll be surprised how quickly you will feel cozy and settled in.

Welcome Us. Welcome You.

With a little less than a week left before we turn the key and start our lives in Olde Florida I am filled with: excitement, nostalgia, stress, apprehension, and creative inspiration. When I think of our new home--a montage....

What a GREAT ROOM is Made Of.

You would think that after a not so favorable stint as a retail manager at this my favorite store (many many moons ago) would have soured me--but it didn't. I just can't help myself.

We are T-14 Days until we nestle Under Our Canopy...and soon Photos and Projects Galore.

~Stay Tuned~

Throw in some BOGUSLY BANANAS VINTAGE FINDS

and you have...

The Makings of A Great Room....

(thanks to anthropologie and west elm for gorgeous photographs.)

First There was House.

Well, where to begin? Oh, it's been a journey. If you're here for the first time--Welcome. If you have about sixty five day's worth of time to catch up you can see how we got here by giving this a little read. If you totally don't have that much time or patience I completely get it. I can cliff's notes it for ya:

We have moved three times in five months.

We left a little town by the sea to be closer as and to family.

Our adventures in renting and finding a place to Root our family of four have been rough but we finally seem to have found promise in the form of a 1950's fixer upper in our dream neighborhood.

 Don't buy the house, buy the neighborhood.   

~Russian Proverb

She isn't the most charming of houses, is she?(I suppose that's subjective.) She sits nestled on that hill amongst a vast array of new and olde charmers(houses), under a Canopy of Oak and Camphor Trees with her yard completely atrocious and in front of her- a brick paved street and a lake named Sue. She could simply and easily be called the most unsightly house on the block but there is something about her.  

Teal Formica(speckled with gold flakes) kitchen counter tops and all.

In about a month we will nestle in under our Canopy of trees and begin our new chapter in a City that makes us finally feel we have found a place to call home. Until then a heap of things are happening. Like busy (neurotic, on the edge of homicidal breakdown) little bees; everyone is working diligently to make this, our third move in five months, as seamless as possible.

Packing has begun four weeks early, who knew THAT was the key to organized and stress free moving? A fourth round of purging makes me feel so confident that we are lucky even in the insanity of these moves to be given clean slates. A color palate of bright greens and golden yellows with soft whites has been chosen and we are counting down the days to be a bit closer to--settled.

::deep sigh::

(When I ::deep sigh:: I REALLY deep sigh.)

 I will be trying my hand(or my green thumb) at companion gardening (sorda like a plant/flower quid pro quo type of love affair) possibly keeping bees, re-purposing tons of furniture/fixtures, rediscovering a love for all that is used and dated and being a part in the four of us, 

::: A quick introduction: Chris-He's the Papa. Amanda-That's me, the Mama. Zia- Brilliant and Three. Bria-Charming and One.::: 

creating OUR definition of Sanctuary. 

We hope, sincerely hope that you will kick those confining un-necassary shoes of your feet and stay a jot.  Join us while I clumsily become our family's butcher, baker and candlestick maker and hopefully feel inspired to define and create your sanctuary(and have a little fun doing it).