For weeks I have been looking for the perfect print for my yellow and grey kitchen area. I think I have finally found it. I found it on this etsy account today while searching yet again for a yellow and gray that worked for me.
I am absolutely in love with it. Once I get it, I can get the perfect gray paint for the table legs and I can find a yellow that matches for the seat cushions. Then it's just completing my refinish of the buffet and actually doing the projects.
This kitchen is going to come together soon and I am really excited!
I don't like to spend my time blogging about political messages or serious situations, but last night's episode of Glee made me really think about who I am in this community.
Bullying in schools has got to stop. There has to be some sort of consequence that will stop this from happening. Teen suicide rates are rising rapidly, and we as a society need to let our teens know they are loved -- no matter what their skin color, sexual preferences, weight, height, mental capacity -- they need to know they are loved.
As I watched Glee last night, it sent shock-waves through me. It sent me back to a time when I seriously thought life might be better for others if I was gone.
I was bullied in high school. Certainly not to the extent Glee's Dave Karofsky was bullied in last night's episode, and not to the extent that Dave Karofsky once bulled Kurt, but I was bullied. I was pretty low on the food chain and while I had friends that were wonderful, there were plenty of people who weren't. Up until my Senior year, I pretty much hated high school. I wanted to transfer to the catholic school in town because I had some friends who worked with me and I felt like I would be more accepted there. I wouldn't have been.
There's just something about living back in Jefferson City. When I was in college, I would look in a mirror before I left my Springfield apartment for a weekend at home and I would feel gorgeous. I was happy. I would get home, look in a mirror and I would feel like that episode of Seinfeld where the woman was gorgeous sometimes and in other light, not so much.
It has only been in the last three years of living here that I have become comfortable with who I am. I am a communications professional. I am incredibly talented at what I do and I never really gave myself credit for that. Instead, I focused on feeling left out. And I still do feel left out to an extent, but much of it, I expect, is my own doing. A large chunk of my high school class is living in this community and I never feel quite good enough to try to join any of the young professionals organizations in town. I fear the rejection that might come with trying.
But Glee, yes, that show about singing teenagers, taught me something last night. It taught me that until I love myself and show the confidence that I really am good enough to be someone in any community in which I live, I won't ever be that person. I won't ever join a young professionals organization. I won't ever serve on a committee aimed at making a difference in this amazing town in which I live. And I won't ever have that large group of friends that I had in college when I did have that confidence -- when I was far away from this town and all the memories that go with it.
So, in the spirit of Lent and the Easter season, I'm issuing a challenge to myself and I hope it's one some of you will take on as well. I am going to be happy with who I am -- limitations and all. And I am going to truly accept others. I am going to let go of the anger and fear I have had about this community. And I am going to be the best and happiest me I can be.
I should preface this blog post with the disclaimer that I rent my duplex, thus, while I could probably convince my landlords to let me paint, I don't care enough to add color to my home with paint, so I'm doing it with accessories and various other pieces.
This segment on the Nate Berkus Show inspired my design for my dining room. I have a table that we bought from a moving neighbor. I knew I wanted to redo some of it, but I was never really sure what I wanted to do with the room. This segment gave me the perfect idea. I'm a very yellow person. I love the color yellow and the sunshiney feel it brings me when I see it. So my kitchen/dining area is going to be very similar to the dining room Nate put together with the yellow seat cushions. I'm still looking for the perfect fabric for curtains for my dining room area. That same fabric will be used on some lampshades for my sidetable I'm putting in the room.
As far as the side table goes, it's currently a dresser in my bedroom, but I never use it except to throw crap on it, so I want it out of my room. No need for it. This is the dresser that I have been talking about redoing since October. Maybe by next October, I'll actually finish it.
While formulating the plan for this room, I began formulating the plan for every room of my house. We have been looking for new living room furniture but just weren't sure what we wanted in that room. Now, I know I want dark brown furniture with turquoise accents. Our current tv stand, which we plan to replace, will be repainted turquoise and become a home for Alex's various living room items, like books and crayons and even the legos. There's a corner ready and waiting for it now!
I intend to use this tutorial to turn our two small side tables into ottomans, so I will likely re-stain them with a dark stain and use a turquoise and brown fabric for the tops.
I'm not totally sold on this piece of fabric and have been thinking about something like a damask or other turquoise and brown fabric. For now, this is a prototype and this room will evolve over the next few months, I'm sure. I also haven't shared some of these plans with the hubby, who does have a say in how our home looks, so you know, I have that to consider!
As far as art in the living room, I have a plan. I am going to buy three nice sized canvases and paint them the same turquoise I paint the shelving unit. Then, I'm going to buy this wall decal to put across the canvases. Then I'll paint the canvas over again in brown, so the Birds and tree branch will be a pop of turquoise. If anyone has any better techniques on this project, I am open ears!
My bedroom is already black and red and white, and it's staying that way. I will do some wall art, or purchase some wall art for the room, but I haven't figured out what yet. I am also going to be doing some bookshelves in the room that will hold wall sconces which will plug into the two outlets on the wall where my bed is. We are looking for a new bed (mattress set and frame) and are likely going to make our own headboard. All projects which will take considerable amount of time considering the schedule I currently keep. I need some time off from life to get all this done.
Those are the plans so far. I am excited for the projects and taking things one room at a time. I tend to look at the big picture like it's an elephant and I can't get through anything, so I am looking at one project at a time and hoping to get some weekend time to finish things up.
So, do you have any yellow and grey fabrics you love? Any turquoise and brown? Help. That's the first thing I have to do so I can match paint colors and other items!
