The man of my dreams...

Well, although I'm happily married to a great guy, I think there's a man more compatible with me. I know his name and where he works, but I don't think there's a way to wrangle a meeting. This is probably a good thing as we are both married and it would require one of us to move, or enter into a long-distance relationship...

Now, before you start thinking I'm a woman of loose morals or a homewrecker, I'll bring you up to speed. My perfect man, at least from a decorative standpoint, is Matthew Mead. For those of you who are saying, "Who??", Matthew Mead is basically an icon over at Country Home magazine and is a creative genius with a love of all things vintage and dog-eared. He frequents flea-markets, tag sales and thrift shops on his weekends; and obsesses over seasonal decor ideas in a way I can totally relate to. He is basically a male Martha Stewart, albeit he probably has a little more balance in his life than poor, workaholic Martha. He is a powerhouse of creative ideas and his style features appear in magazines like Country Home and Pottery Barn, among others. He just looks friendly and approachable and I can only imagine how much fun he is to be married to. In fact, I bet he is the only husband who probably had a hand in truly designing the pew markers and centerpieces at his own wedding!!

My husband does not brake for yard sales...in fact he speeds up!! He doesn't see the beauty in time-worn objects. He thinks they smell and are ripe for taking to the dump!! He has thrown out more than a few of my treasures in the name of "decluttering" and clearing out "junk". It has been a sore spot in our marriage, indeed. In fact, during one of our many moves, the lid of an old ice box I painstakingly painted (okay, I spray-painted it) mysteriously fell off the back of his truck when he was moving it to our new place. Even more conveniently, he accidentally ran over it; and lo and behold, that was the end of my plans for the icebox. Do you think Matthew would do that to his wife's treasures...? I think not. He'd probably wrap it in vintage, tattered quilts and carefully transport it in a vintage pick-up truck. Then, we'd stop in a field of daisies and have a picnic on a tartan blanket, sipping fresh-squeezed lemonade out of an old flask and munch on hot milk cake with mashed, fresh strawberries and cream. Then as we ambled back down the road, talking about the crafts we'd be doing for fall, we'd stop for each and every yard sale and pile more wares into the back of our truck. ~Sigh~ Sounds perfect, doesn't it??

Check out more of Matthew at his website, Matthew Mead Style. He changes things up seasonally, has wonderful archives and downloads, and has a personal blog, too!!

Here are some of examples of Matthew's creative genius:

all images, Matthew Mead Style

By the way, check out Matthew's Country Home blog...in particular, this wonderful post that will appeal to your senses.

Just don't go getting any ideas about stealing him for yourself!!

My trouble spot...

Trouble spots...we all have them, and I'm not talking about thick ankles, frizzy hair, or knobby knees. I'm talking about the decorating kind...almost as irritating, but easier on the self-esteem. My trouble spot is my master bedroom. Always has been. It is the room I give the least attention to. It houses the cast-offs from the rest of my house and has a very disjointed feel to it (at least in my mind). I have three good elements in it: the bed (footboard and headboard), and our bedside tables. The rest I could toss into a dumpster and never look back.my current bedroom: summer edition

I don't know why my bedroom has always suffered from the fate of the ugly duckling role. Over the years, finances, lack of motivation, and impulsive purchases have all played their part. I own three rather nice quilts/coverlets, but none wow me and make me breathe that happy sigh when my eyes rest upon them. Paint colour has been an obstacle, too, and I have had three yellow bedrooms (including my present one), one blue, one taupe, and one green ( a light and fresh shade), and they have all basically left me cold.

another shot of my current bedroom

Monday morning, I awoke with a fresh resolve to take this bull by the horns and recreate my bedroom into a space that I love. I lay in bed that morning making mental sketches as to what I would like it to look like. I mulled over colours, lighting (my ugly, but necessary ceiling fan just broke...I can now justify pitching it), and bedding. Then came the self-doubt. Would I actually achieve a look that I wouldn't tire of in a year; would it be all that I hoped; and would it be worth the effort? I immediately began dreading the prep work required to get it ready to paint, the continued ( and so far fruitless) search for the perfect drum shade to be made into the perfect overhead ceiling fixture (there is no way I'm going to keep up an ugly, non-functioning fan), and the additional search for the perfect, affordable bedding needed to pull off a smart look. It is so much easier to do this for a client than myself. What I have to work with is not really what I want...not to mention budgetary restrictions and a creeping feeling of laziness washing over me...

Well, here is my plan...if I can summon up the ambition to carry out said plan:

1. Paint the room in a cool taupe (so not typically me...I rarely paint walls in this colour as I fear being beige and boring) and the ceiling in a cool shade of blue. I think the combination will be lovely.

2. Make my own drum shade overhead ceiling fixture. I was intending to install a great chandelier, but I feel the need to break my personal decorating mold...

3. Paint my dressers either cream or a washed out blue...add crystal knobs and pulls.

photo: Better Homes and Gardens

4. Purchase new bedding

5. Purchase brown velvet curtain panels (for the fall and winter season )to be replaced with airy white panels in summer...

6. Find the perfect wall art for my room .

photo: House Beautiful

Oyy...I feel all that inital drive draining from my body...Somebody please give me a pep talk to get me excited about the proposed change again...Somebody...help....!!!

Just to give you an idea as to where I'm headed with this, here are some more inspiration photos I aspire to:

photo: Design Inc.

photo: Cottage Chic Store

The end of the road...

photo: Pottery Barn

I think I bit off more than I can chew with this alphabet thing. I just have the hard ones left, so here goes...

Q is for quoi...as in that certain je ne sais quoi. You know what I mean...it's that bit of style that someone gives to their home that is hard to put your finger on. I think it is basically their personality coming through. Their love of nature reflected in a piece of driftwood, their cheerfulness that can be compared to their detailed pillows or artwork, their memorabilia that tells you that they have travelled...basically just that element that sets them apart. Not all of us have it on display but it's there if we tap into it...

photo: Ralph Lauren Home

R is for rugs (or flooring, carpets, etc.). Choosing a great rug to ground and "finish" off a room can be very difficult...especially if you want it to work if you change your decor with the seasons. In fact, I am in the process of finding a great rug for my living room. Alas, I am having absolutely no luck. Maybe I need to take another trip south of the border...

(For my dream rug...and chairs...see top photo)

S is for shades...Lamp shades, that is. Choose shades in the right proportion to the lamp you will be using (a guide will often be on the lamp tag itself when you purchase it). My favourite shade of the moment is the drum shade. In fact, I am on the lookout for a big one for a ceiling light I want to make. Another really nice variation is a black shade. This looks very rich and classy and can offer a modern touch as well.

T is for treasures... We all have them, we just have to figure out the best way and places to display them. I love to use shadow boxes and mirrored trays to showcase small treasures. Giving them prominence elevates their importance and reminds us of why we consider them treasures. Dig your treasures out from their hiding spaces. If they were important enough to keep, then they are important enough to show off.


U is for up-lighting...(I know, I'm grasping at straws here). But up-lighting is a great tool to use in the garden, especially. I love to uplight the large birch tree in my front yard, especially at Halloween and Christmas. It can give an eery or magical impression to the tree and showcases its magnificent beauty.


V is for vintage...You had to know I was going to choose that!! In my book, vintage anything is basically a great choice. I love incorporating old decorative items and furniture. It gives a home a sense of history, even a new home. I also live knowing that someone else used and loved items now in my possession. It is the best form of decorative recycling. What's old is new again...!!


W is for windows... Great windows are the crowning touch to any home...it is so important to not scrimp when picking out new windows!! When purchasing windows I fall back on one of my favourite sayings, "It is what it is." Windows are expensive, but such is life. You need them and they might as well be pretty, because no matter how beautiful your view from the inside of your home, it will backfire if you cheap out on selecting the windows of your home!! You mustn't forget the view from the street...your home!! Add mullions/grills, beautiful trim, and the creme de la creme of all windows...transoms. Nothing says heritage home like some beautiful transoms topping your windows. So buy the best you can afford..you won't regret it!!


X is for...x is for...x is for...x is for... sorry I can't think of a single thing!!!!!!!


Y is for yellow... one of the best "neutral" paint colours I can think of. Yellow can be creamy, buttery, sunny, earthy (think maize), happy, calm, or vibrant. And you know how I love a yellow house...

Z is for zzzzz's...what I should be catching right now...I have a big organization job in the morning and I need to get myself organized!!!
By the way, if you thought of something for the letter X, tell me!! I hereby X-tend my apologies and can offer no X-cuse for my lack of creativity!!!