Saturday

Today is a beautiful day - temps in the mid 80s with a cool breeze! Needless to say, the air conditioning has been cut off and the curtains billowing in the breeze. Days like today make me want to relax in a clean and uncluttered home. As a result, I've been sorting through old school stuff recently and have tossed a large amount of things. There are things I need to keep (school supplies, sentimental things, and furniture that is too expensive to be replaced) and there are things that I am saving for an updated room in a new home. Among those things include simple white cube vases I found in the dollar section at Target a few years ago (back when they had good stuff!), Jonathan Adler style vases from Ikea (at a fraction of the cost), wallpaper scraps waiting to be framed, and two beautiful and nearly perfect linen lampshades in someone's trash pile.

I'm eager to get past the clutter and simplify my life with these neutral accessories. I think they'll work well with my many mood altering styles (modern one day, beach cottage another). I want to start collecting original art to be dispersed across my future home. I recently visited a friend who has original art in every room. Each space is layered with large and small pieces, each holding sentimental value to her. The colors in some are bright. Many are landscapes or local places around town. This is not financially possible for me right now, so I've been doing some paintings of my own recently. They are not what I always have in my mind, but I think I can work to improve them. Plaza art sells linen canvases that are a bit more expensive than the regular white canvases I'm used to, but they look chic on walls, even unpainted! I've purchased three for now (two 8x8s and one 4x4) and can't wait to go back for more.

I also picked up a small coffee table book this week. Paris Style is a great addition to any library. It is a small collection of French rooms. I would like to try and have a more European method of furniture selection in the future. I'd like to choose long lasting pieces that are neutral but inviting. I've noticed that many of the rooms include layers of materials, mirrors, textiles, accessories, etc. I think this may inspire rooms in my future home. We shall see!