Stuff

Over the past couple of days, I have been furiously cleaning out all our upstairs closets in preparation for new carpet that we're getting in our children's bedrooms and the guest room. As a result, my house has looked a bit like this . . .

Pretty, right? It is amazing how much junk our family has accumulated over the past six years of living here. It's really rather disgusting. Why do we have so much stuff?? These bags are filled with Goodwill donations and literal garbage. And yes, I know a lot of you out there don't like carpet. Well, I don't love it either. In an ideal world, I would have hardwood floors everywhere and area rugs. However, I live in the real world where my suburban home has an open floorplan that is very echo-ey (not a word) and the carpet helps soundproof or at least muffle some of my children's running and general tomfoolery. Plus, my kids like carpet because it's "soft, cushy and cozy." So, there you have it.

There's also a Sidewalk Sale I'm preparing for at my friend Jennifer's shop, tag, in the Bellevue area of Nashville. She's celebrating her shop's one year anniversary . . . quite an accomplishment, in my opinion. Here's my pile of goodies for that . . . 

There will be lamps, mirrors, art, fabric, brass accessories galore and much more. My friend Brandy from Chateau a Gogo is also participating, so you know there will be tons of treasures to be had. Add that to the beautiful things Jennifer already has in her store and a couple of estate sales just down the street, and you have the makings of a great Saturday morning. So please come out and see us - tag, treasures, antiques and good stuff, 8333 Sawyer Brown Road, Nashville, TN 37221, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. (I may not be there all day, mainly just in the morning as my son has a midday soccer game).

Oh, and while doing some last-minute shopping yesterday, I picked up this Mid-Century Curtis Jere-style metal wall sculpture. 

I was on the fence about whether to keep it or sell it when I saw this listing on V&M:

Um, maybe I'll keep it.

Inspiration Under the Sea

My husband recently returned from one of his diving trips, and this time instead of bringing me back a souvenir he brought home something much more important - inspiration through his beautiful photographs. This trip focused on the corals and teeny, tiny little creatures that can barely be seen with the naked eye, but with the help of his macro lens, they explode with color and texture. Words aren't really necessary. Just enjoy the color combinations, textures and patterns only Mother Nature could create.

Source: making-it-up-as-i-go.com via My Interior Life on Pinterest

Source: making-it-up-as-i-go.com via My Interior Life on Pinterest

Source: making-it-up-as-i-go.com via My Interior Life on Pinterest

Source: making-it-up-as-i-go.com via My Interior Life on Pinterest

Source: making-it-up-as-i-go.com via My Interior Life on Pinterest

Source: making-it-up-as-i-go.com via My Interior Life on Pinterest

Source: making-it-up-as-i-go.com via My Interior Life on Pinterest

Source: making-it-up-as-i-go.com via My Interior Life on Pinterest

There are so many more images that you can see on his blog Making It Up As I Go. I hope you've been as inspired as I have.

Rope a Dope

Once again, my rut was broken by a find. It never fails to revive my spirit. I know, I'm easy. Well, not that kind of easy. But, I digress. Remember when I was pining over a piece of rope furniture in this post? Well, I found a side chair. Now, it's not the rope and tassel/Hollywood Regency style, but more of the 80's style, but I still am loving it. Without further ado, here it is . . .

The fabric is not even in bad condition, just a bit dirty. But, I would still love to reupholster it. Just have to find the right fabric. And the finish doesn't bother me either. At first, I thought I might paint it black or gold, but it's kind of nice to have a different wood tone in the mix. So, I'm still thinking on that as well. I actually found a similar chair at an estate sale recently, but it had a caned back and was much more expensive, so I passed.  

Oh, and I got some "emerald" earrings at Target that make me happy . . .

My birthstone is emerald, and I love all the jewel tones for fall, so for $12.99 they're the perfect pick-me-up. 

The weather here is gorgeous, so I'm excited to be out and about today. Hope everyone has a great Wednesday!

Rut

I'm officially in a blogging rut. I tried to ignore it, thinking topics would just come to me in my sleep, but no such thing happened. I will say I've been pinning on Pinterest like a fiend. So, if you're interested in what's inspiring me, please follow me on Pinterest. Here are some of my recent pins (just so you'll have something pretty to gaze upon):

Source: lavieinterieure.blogspot.com via My Interior Life on Pinterest

Source: thenolaruth.com via My Interior Life on Pinterest

Source: atlantic-pacific.blogspot.com via My Interior Life on Pinterest

Source: thisisglamorous.com via My Interior Life on Pinterest

Can you say Design ADD? I hope to get back into the blogging groove soon. It's just one of those slumps where I feel like I've said it all before and who cares anyway . . . blah, blah, blah. I know we all go through these phases, so I'm just going to wait it out and hope it resolves. I do plan to share some of my husband's amazing underwater photos soon (he has to upload them first). The colors are so inspiring, really. Crazy color combinations only Mother Nature could envision. Until then, please check out my blogging buddy Ashley's (Meet Me in Philadelphia) beautiful apartment that is featured in the new issue of Ivy & Piper. Her design aesthetic is fresh, clean and unique . . . I'm so glad she's getting recognized for it!

Source: meetmeinphiladelphia.blogspot.com via My Interior Life on Pinterest

Peeks

Okay, so I haven't been the best blogger lately, and I apologize. My husband just returned from a long diving trip on the other side of the globe, and the Labor Day weekend involved a family reunion that required travel. Plus, I've been busy doing some stuff 'round here. Here are some sneak peeks of what I've been up to . . .

First, the bathroom at my husband's office was in desperate need of a facelift. So, while he was away and over the long weekend this happened:

Getting a new penny round tile floor, fixtures and a paint job made a world of difference. Here's the before:

The tile and fixtures were really dated, and, yes, that is a shower in a dental office bathroom. Let me explain that my husband's office is in a cute little neighborhood that is mainly comprised of old houses converted into businesses. He doesn't own the building so we didn't want to do major demolition, nor could we afford to totally gut the bathroom. This was more of a cosmetic job. They actually use the "shower" for storage, but I wanted to camouflage it, thus the louvered door.

Here's another shot of the tile:

And the before:

I must admit, I am in love with the black penny rounds. With so much foot traffic, I think the dark tile will hide dirt a lot better than the creamy white floor tile which always looked grimy to me even after a good cleaning. I will share better photos later that aren't taken with my iPhone, but this at least gives you an idea.

Some other stuff, included a mirror I found for a client at a local antique mall . . . 

I know I look lovely with my glasses on and hair pulled back. I'm keepin' it real.

And a horn bowl from World Market . . .

They've got a great selection of horn bowls right now. I'll reveal which one we chose later when her space is complete. 

Oh, and of course, I found a little something for myself there too . . .

Isn't this hammered metal bowl cool? I love the black and gold combo (duh), and it so reminded me of Tom Dixon's Beat Light:

Source: tomdixon.net via My Interior Life on Pinterest

If I were ambitious, maybe I could convert the bowl into a pendant light? But, I'm kind of digging it as just a bowl right now.

Hope all is well in your world. I promise to be back sooner rather than later next time.