Making Beauty Anywhere

Making Beauty Anywhere
Live with what makes you smile

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

One year later

A year ago I started this blog with a 4mpeg camera (what was I thinking?) while sitting in a condo with brown walls. My original intent was to show that it doesn't matter where you live, you can live beautifully. I had to keep reminding myself of that since I was recently separated and left a 2500 sq foot house for a much smaller condo.



  I grew really comfortable with my new space and it confirmed for me it's not the money you spend, it's making a house your home.



For me it's usually as simple as paint.


Before

After with creamy white paint.

As I plodded along I got enormous encouragement from everyone who read and commented.  Thank you all.  I now love my house.  I have always loved a smaller home and it is filled with love and light, a white couch, good music and happiness.  It's all I  and my sweet girl need.


Ideas and influences  show up in the oddest place sometimes. When I was 11 or 12 I  watched The Great Gatsby with Robert Redford.  I saw it again this weekend and realized I had been inspired at a young age.  Daisy loved white roses, and Gatsby remembers being at her house and all her rooms were all white with silver.  This probably started me thinking as I watched in a 70's dream house with red carpet!  The sets were stunning and Robert Redford in a pink suit is a dream.


The women are badly played in the 70's version,  but Baz Luhrmann is re-doing it so I'm looking forward to grand white rooms with silver and white roses everywhere.  Watch the 70's version for amazing homes, chandeliers, white rooms and Robert Redford.

What is always interesting to me is how my top rated post is still, http://whitecottagechic.blogspot.com/2010/08/shabby-chic-bed.html .
My original post about about having a bed that I love.  My second post on the subject http://whitecottagechic.blogspot.com/2011/03/shabby-chic-bed-part-2.html  has created a question I need to answer.  How did I put a bedskirt on a Leirvik (Ikea) bed frame?  It does have a bar going down the centre which makes it awkward looking at the end of the bed.


I come in my bedroom and see the side of the bed with the bedskirt so I ignore the ugly bottom. 

I placed the bedskirt over a mattress pad which is placed over the rails and the bars.
(here is the ugly truth - looking down at all the beauty!)  If you have any questions on this let me know.

It's been a wonderful year, here's to the next.

Cheers - Patricia

5 comments:

  1. What a wonderful post! I am so glad to read that you are happy in your new home -- and you should be very proud to have tackled it, and made it your own.

    Here is to a year of MORE wonderful things, and even more encouragement from the blogging community. In fact, I'm signing on as a Follower to see where you'll go next.

    Best wishes -- Cass

    ReplyDelete
  2. Happy anniversary! Doesn't time go by really, really fast in Blogland? I love what you've done with your place... this was my first visit to your lovely blog and I enjoyed all the fabulous pics and posts!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love what you have done with your space. More importantly is that you have prevailed and created a warm and inviting home for you and your daughter. Congratulations.

    I have some questions regarding your bed. I am thinking of doing the same thing in my room and would appreciate your guidance. Do you have the wooden slats that typically support the mattress on most Ikea beds? I can see the feather bed topper, then the Coleman mattress, but what purpose does the foam serve?

    Thank you for any advice.

    jaime

    ReplyDelete
  4. Jaime:
    Yes, the ikea wooden slats are on the bed. Ikea reminds you a lot to grab them and they are all connected and easy to use. I added the foam topper to make a flat surface for the bedskirt and prevent a sliver popping the mattress. I added the feather bed because the mattress holds the cold in. It does a great job of keeping me warm. If you have any other questions, just ask and if you wanted to email me my address is Patricia.d21@hotmail.com. I would love to see how it works for you Jaime, please let me know. Patricia

    ReplyDelete
  5. It is good to see posts that give truly quality information. Your tips are extremely valuable. Thanks a lot for writing this post and sharing it. Keep blogging.

    ReplyDelete