Comfortably numb...

the mantel...all ready for spring.

our cat Jack...the definition of comfortably numb...and the inspiration for my title

I can't get out of my own way... yet, I also have been tearing around the house trying to get a head start on spring cleaning and trying to finally finish our now almost two-year old home. By finish, I mean paint a few closet doors that got "missed"; fill in some nail holes in the trim and do touch-ups; and paint more trim so that I can finally see the end to the paintbrush, except when it is called on for a "fun" project. Now that my son's birthday is over and done with, I can move on to other projects that need doing...but for some reason I am faced with dread at the thought of tackling them.

The framed pictures were painted/drawn by my two youngest children. The one in front is of a chick...

I got both of these from Winners...

The kids are off on March Break this week and we basically have a whole lot of nothing planned. I plan to work only if absolutely necessary. The Easter decorations are up, I have washed some curtains, cleaned on top of my fridge (why is it sticky up there?), and yet in between chores and meals, I am walking around in a bit of a daze. I want to be ready to burst through the door when spring finally arrives for real. I want to be ready for the opening of the garden centers instead of feeling the draw to be inside cleaning out cupboards and closets...yet I'm not sure I'm ready. Back to back rotten colds have me a bit down and out, yearning to plop onto the sofa and pretend I've nowhere to be, and no items on my to-do list. Comfortably numb...that's what I am, yet life isn't allowing it. Is it strange to almost wish it was still winter...not the weather, but the slower pace??

...my collection of bunnies

Some days, I want to be a child...relaxing on the couch on a rainy day, sniffing the air for the smells of dinner cooking...taking guesses as to what will be served that night. Or perhaps outside trying out my bicycle after the winter's break...seeing if my legs will be always be as wobbly as they feel on that inaugural ride. Then, thoughts of school and homework snap me back to reality and I put on my big girl shoes and am happy to be an adult again. Because that is what I am...a grown-up with a family, a home, a job, and responsibilities...and I give my head a good shake and get on with it. Seasons change...and I'm good with that. Next week, spring can come...

I picked up this beautiful box of soaps in Halifax...along with the great, wooden tray that says, Postage Stamp

I made this shadow box picture using a beautiful Easter greeting card I found last year. I am pretty sure it is a Hallmark card...

Neither the chocolate bunny nor the candies (sooo pretty) are real. If they were, the dish would be empty...

Cabin fever, winter doldrums, and Thelma and Louise...

all photos: squareamerica.com

Can you sense the connection between the words in the title?? Yep, I finally have them...the winter blues. Not a bad case, but definitely a yearning to stretch my legs, spread my wings...and head out on a road trip!! As I have stated before, I don't hate winter. I rather love the four different seasons and can appreciate the positives in each. I love nothing more in the winter than to watch a good snowfall from the warmth of my living room, the scent of dinner roasting in the oven, and a cup of coffee at my reach. However, this cozy scene is getting rather tired, even for me! I feel like a bear waking up from his winter's slumber (I wish) and ready to sniff out something exciting...new!!

Which brings me to the sudden overwhelming urge for a roadtrip!! I do not know where I feel like heading, but I have a strong urge to "Get out of Dodge" and play tourist. I'm definitely not one to crave a trip to a warm climate (too involved), but I definitely know I am feeling the itch to expand my horizons somewhere! Perhaps it was my trip to Toronto in January, but I quite like the idea of small-scale travel again. Will it happen? I don't know...but I do know that my desire for change is burning my feet!!

Well, she definitely looks like she's having loads of fun...

...and this photo is totally unrelated, but is a trip back in time to the height of child seat safety!!!

Yikes...!!!!

(again...all photos from www.squareamerica.com)

A burst of spring colour...from me to you!!

various artists sell their wares at the Cottage Chic Store...

I awoke today to snow-dusted streets and roofs...not a lot of snow, but a quick reminder that we are not finished with winter... or more appropriately, winter is not finished with us!! After the large downfall of rain we have experienced I awoke to a different picture yesterday... my front yard was completely devoid of snow!! While we didn't get the realtively balmy temperatures some of the other parts of the province received, it was still warm enough to put thoughts of spring into my mind. In fact, I was eyeing my "snow porch" pretty hard, thinking that now might be the time to dismantle it and change it up for the season. Alas, that idea has been put to rest for another week or so...

I do, however, still have that yearning for warmer weather and the pretty colours that accompany spring and all its beauty...Soooo, I decided to visit one of my favourite online shops, The Cottage Chic Store and bring you some photos that are bursting with colour!
Enjoy!!!



All photos: The Cottage Chic Store and designed by Shelley Thompson:



My idea of the perfect living room...




Isn't this the freshest, most lovely kitchen??

this photo is the inspiration for Sophie's new playhouse:

open shelving done oh, so well...

The gift of flowers...from Matthew Mead

peonies...purchased by me...for me!

Matthew Mead finishes up his guest stint this week with me, and being the thoughtful guest he is, leaves us with some flowers...all dressed up as floral inspiration from him to us!! As I visit with so many of you, I see that most bloggers are feeling weighted down by winter...tired of snow, ice, frigid temperatures, and days that grow dark far too soon. To help lift your spirits and get you in the mode of thinking of the cheerful, bright days of spring, Matthew Mead makes us heady with the scent of flowery goodness.

He said: Inspiring Thoughts of Spring...

"Spring flowers in shades of yellow, lavender, pink, red, apricot, (and many, many more) equals multitudes of color combinations and fresh possibilities for spring inspiration... " (Matthew Mead)

We have touched upon a great many things during these last few weeks in an attempt to re-inspire ourselves in the New Year. I must say, it worked well for me and today I finished a two-step process of painting the floors of my studio. I choose a chocolate-brown for my kitchen floor and I am so happy... I've still got some touch-ups to do, but the cleaning out of spaces and the resurfacing of floors and walls really breathes new life into a room and vanquishes all the cobwebs and trapped negative chi... just as placing a fresh bouquet of flowers on your desk or dining table can do for your mood... which brings me to the final topic and frontier in this series- FLOWERS.

I entered the design realm in my childhood... with flowers. My grandmother had a large garden and grew so many beautiful varieties of blossoms. Cut flowers were part of my life from my earliest memory; and I enjoyed watching my grandmother create lovely arrangements while encouraging me and my sister to place single blossoms in bottles or vases. You really discover, as you grow, not only how enjoyable it is to have flowers around... but the pure joy that is derived from the simple act of cutting stems and arranging them to best please the eye. As children, we would also pick flowers and leaves and force branches as soon as possible in early spring, all under the watchful eye and guiding hand of our knowledgeable grandmother. In the fall, we'd gather large bouquets of wild flowers for drying and weaving into wreaths and garlands.

Flowers and their beauty is of primal enjoyment... it is in our human nature and I would surmise that even cave people gathered them to bring a spot of beauty back to their abodes...

It has been difficult lately to summon up that "Spring fever" as where I live is so reminiscent of a frozen tundra at present! However, I persist - with trips to florists, garden centers, price clubs and grocery stores in search of daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, primrose and whatever else I can pluck from my community sources. We are fortunate to have an anemone grower nearby with miles of green-house, and I am always moved to see their blossoms appear in the market-place. I must say, that incorporating flowers into your life means you will have the task of preparing and arranging them... and that very activity is obviously an actionable and involved endeavour.

Incorporating fresh flowers into your decor is an unfailing way to inject new life, colour and fragrance into your home...all the while, chasing the "cobwebs of winter" away. So, bring out your favourite vases and vessels, and hit the grocers or your local flower shop, and try some of these colorful ideas:

Potted, forced bulbs and primrose, arranged in a vintage basket and dressed with moss, makes a stunning spring centerpiece or gift for a friend with the winter blues...

Recycled glass jars or tins can be filled with water, tied with ribbon and outfitted with your favorite forced bulbs... Float primrose flowers amongst candles for a simple dinnertime centerpiece... Jenny, my wife, was inspired to create this daffodil applique using hand-dyed linens...

(all photos: Matthew Mead)

She said: "Let the flowers extend from beyond the vases...let them pull up a chair and be front and center in your decor scheme..."

photo source: www.cathkidston.com

I, too, love fresh flowers...the more natural and old-fashioned the better. I love peonies, daisies, cosmos, sweet william, stock, black-eyed susans...basically anything you'd see growing in your grandmother's garden. Unlike Matthew, my experience with flowers as a young girl was limited to buttercups, dandelions, and plucking daisies from the side of the road. I loved playing "mama had a baby and its head popped off" , but arranging them in anything but my grubby fist after a day's play outside was beyond the scope of my imagination. I remember watching my mum picking weeds from her flower beds, but after a few attempts to help, I'd end up doing more harm than good and I'd be "encouraged" to be on my way. So, off I'd go to investigate whether there were any more peas on the pea plant, and I'd hurry to pop them in my mouth before my little brother could find them first!

Flowers in decorating have had a long and variable history. Floral brocade for the more formal, versus the lovely calico prints of the more unassuming prairie-country style...right up to the decidedly "bad" eighties trend of plastering ivy and sunflowers all over one's kitchen (from wallpaper borders to oven mitts...place mats to curtains...), the use of flowery patterns in decorating can either make one swoon or shudder.

(photo source: unknown)

I am a definite blend of the two opinions. I love floral prints when they are used in a fresh, subtle palette; or when they are bold, modern, and surprising. I personally use them in only smaller doses, but when done right, they can be fantastic in a more predominant scheme. In contrast to Matthew, I think we are either flower people or not. Whether we bother to bend over and pick a stray daisy or add a flower-embroidered throw pillow to a chair... or we banish anything flowery from our homes save for stiff, perfect roses (methodically placed in the perfect square and unbending vase for only those moments when flowers are expected)...we dig them, or we don't!!

photo source: www.countrycream.com

Personally, I love flowers in their natural state, the wilder the better...and used in my decor in rather unassuming ways: not too carefully planned, and definitely not overgrown!!!

I am so thankful to Matthew Mead for collaborating with me on this series and for sharing his inspiration and advice to those of us who admire his work and his many talents. Please leave a comment here for Matthew, sending him some "blog love". Maybe, just maybe...he'll come back and share with us further...!

Easter Treasures

Easter is one of my favorite holidays for all of its significance and symbolism. Beyond that, it is also a time for all that is pretty. Usually, the sun shines brighter, the grass is peeping through and we begin to shed our wintery layers. I love the pastel colours, pussy willows, delicate Easter eggs, and pretty dresses to wear to church.
Because we associate Easter with spring, it is also a time to lighten up our homes. As overwhelming as spring cleaning can seem, I love the feeling of starting anew and refreshing my home in preparation for summer. This Easter, my brother Alistair and family came to visit and we had a relaxed and enjoyable visit drinking tea, watching our children reconnect and discussing their plans to build a new home. My sister-in-law, Denise, wants me to sign on and help her make some design decisions and select some of the finishes. Denise has great taste so I was flattered to be asked to help. She and Alistair loved the idea of building in lockers in their mudroom, as I have, and took some pictures of my kitchen as Alistair wants to build his own cabinets as well. They asked my husband, Paul, to think about building the cabinets for them. Although tempted, he is too busy with his new home inspection business to take the time off.
I am so glad we are content to stay put. I am tired of building (for the moment) and am enjoying helping clients create beautiful spaces. I just started working with a client who wants to update her kitchen. It has wooden cabinets that need refreshing with paint, countertops that will be changed, she wants open shelving, and to take down a wall between the kitchen and living room. I enjoy working with clients like her who know what they don't want, know their needs in the space, and are open to suggestions to get what they do want. I love this job and look forward to growing my business into what I have envisioned. New beginnings, fresh starts, peeling back the old layers to reveal a new beauty. Decorating can be like spring...an unearthing of all that is pretty.