Archive for the ‘my life’ Category

This and That.

Tuesday, January 22nd, 2013

I’m currently staying with my parents as all our floors get refinished before our big kitchen install starts in a couple days! It’s moving pretty darn fast! While here we went to check on the progress of the beach house my parent’s are building (designed by my Dad and his firm).  It’s pretty exciting stuff.

A rendering nailed up in the frame.

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It’s amazing how fast framing happens!

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Looking into the vaulted living room- will have a great stone fireplace between those windows!

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Views to the water and shipyard down the hill.

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We went to one of the local lobster places for lunch (yes, there’s multiple lobster places).  While I don’t like lobster (I know, try to contain your horror- I don’t eat sushi either) it’s a cute place to have some chowder as well!

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Ford’s is kinda famous for their buoys.

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And they go back a ways…. don;t you love the wall color? It reminds me a lot of Farrow & Ball’s Arsenic.

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Love this little painting from a local gallery- too bad it’s sold, would have been a great housewarming gift!

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The town they are building in is a little boating village on the CT shore…. it’s very quaint and cute (P.S. that lighthouse is now a private residence. Oh yeah.)

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I mean, look at the little local store/diner.  How Americana is that?

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While back at my house it looks like THIS.  The Wellbuilt crew is working round the clock to get us back in there!!!

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But our floors are coming out lovely.  I was pretty stressed out about the stain colors.  We tried a few and I wasn’t loving any of them. I wanted them to be dark but not TOO dark, brown but not red. But not grey either.  I actually didn’t sleep one night because I was fretting so about this decision (I know, you don’t want my problems…)  So I researched a bit online and found out that many people, including the DIY expert Jenny from LGN suggested a mix of 50% Minwax Jacobean and 50% Ebony.  I had tested both those on their own and didn’t like them but together- I think we have a winner!

INSPIRATION:

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REALITY!!!!! (Now we just need three coats of poly and we’re golden!)

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How was your long weekend?

My Ad for IKEA and OWN!

Monday, January 14th, 2013

I am working feverishly on my Golden Globes fashion post!  In the meantime, a reader tweeted that she saw my ad for IKEA on TV the other night and now that I’ve found it online I wanted to share it.  This is what I filmed in LA a few months ago and was one of the coolest experiences of my life (and scary, as you can probably tell from the nervous tremble in my voice!)  Working on The Life Improvement Project has been so fantastic- and check out my new full page ad in this month’s O Magazine too!

Simple Goals for 2013

Tuesday, January 1st, 2013

1. Keep decorating my house patiently and purposefully with only things I really love.

2. Now that I will have a new kitchen, cook more. And not just Old El Paso taco kit kind of cooking– fresh, good for us food! (Oh, and be more like Gwyneth, obvs).

3. Try a new haircut.

4. Go outside more and take walks. Hikes. Kayaking. Whatever as long as there is blue sky above.

5. Write. A lot. (As you now know I have quite the massive writing goal this year!)

6. Take breaks. Real breaks that don’t involve the computer or TV.  Be still for minute.

7. Entertain more at home and don’t be stressed if everything isn’t PERFECT. Andrew turns 40 this year so I will be planning at least one big bash!

via Karson Butler Events

8. Invest in classics but take some risks. No more crap just because it’s on sale and I want something new.

9. Keep reading a lot. Doesn’t matter if it’s a literary classic or a thriller.

10. Get back to the mat.

11. Curate love, everyday. Be thankful. Take it all in.