What Would Mario Do?

I recently had a birthday and it has caused me to make some changes.  Suddenly things I could get away with in my 20s and 30s cannot be forgiven now that I am pushing 40.  So,  I bought a nice handbag, got a good haircut, and started slathering wrinkle cream on my face every night.  I know, a little late now huh? It hasn't made me feel better anyway.  I also started looking around at my home.  My decorating is not fit for a 40 year old.  Too many thrift store/diy/spraypainted things.  Too many styles going on at once.  I like to call it blogger style.  I read dozens of decorating blogs and it shows in my home.  Too many ideas!  My home needs a more grown up look.  So I am starting over.  And my inspiration is Mario Buatta! 































Tradition and chintz!  Perfectly proper for a not quite 40 year old lady don't you think?  With my budget there will be some diy and help from my good friends etsy, ebay and Mr Craig.  Any Golden Girls out there looking to get rid of their chintz?  

To see more of this beautiful home, visit the New York Social Diary.

Frivolous Decorating! Some days you just need pretty!

 Well I can't seem to stay away from decorating! Reading about decorating, thinking about decorating, dreaming about decorating, or writing about decorating.  There is more to life than decorating, so please visit my other blog, Lady of the House for some great stuff!


 I love these rooms from  Megan Young.  They are very traditional but feel young because of the fun colors used!





Notice the gold interspersed throughout the room.  It really brings the room to life.











A very glamorous living room!







LOVE this color combination of pale blue, minty green, and orange!  So cheerful!







































Rich colors!



Megan Young always inspires!  Go here for more!

Changed

I have kind of a morbid pastime.  I like to read the obituaries in the newspaper.  I like to sit in my chair and  look at the pictures of the faces and read about the lives lived.  Most are old, some are young.  Life here on earth is fleeting.  It is temporary.  And it makes me think.  If your life ended tomorrow, do you know where you are going?  There are only 2 answers.  Up or down.  Heaven or Hell.  We all want to go to Heaven, but how do we get there?  I am not an expert, but this is what I do know.  I know that doing good deeds does not get you into Heaven.  I know that being a nice person most of the time does not get you into Heaven.  Even going to church does not get you into Heaven.  There's only one way up and that's accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.  Accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior will get you into Heaven and change your life here on earth forever.  So how do you do that?

You can start by saying a prayer to not only ask Jesus into your heart, but to change your heart as well.  You  can speak to God from your heart, or if you need a little help you can say a prayer like this:

Lord Jesus, I believe that you died on the cross to give me new life.  I ask you to come into my life and to give me your supernatural peace and joy.  I confess that I am a sinner and have gone my own way.  Please forgive me for my sins.  I want you as my Lord and  Savior.  Please change my heart and fill me with your Holy Spirit.  Help me to serve you and follow you all the days of my life.  Thank you Jesus.  Amen.

Once you have said this prayer, all things are new.  You are a saved child of God!

But wait, there's more!
To follow and worship Jesus, you must be in a relationship with Him.  When I was 21, I said a prayer and then said done.  I can check that off my list.  I am saved.  Don't have to do anything else.  Don't have to give God another thought.  And I missed out on so much goodness!  Three years ago I repeated a prayer and also sought a relationship with Jesus and my life has been forever changed!  To have a relationship with someone, you must communicate and think of them daily.  You must know them.

Seek Jesus daily and you will know Him!


You might be wondering what this is doing on a decorating blog.  The answer? God has changed my life!  I still love decorating, that will always be a part of me, but it is no longer my addiction.  Check out my new blog, Lady of the House. 

CHRISTMAS

is not about shopping malls or wish lists.

It's not about the perfect outfit and the perfect background for the perfect Christmas card.

It's not about how many Christmas cards I have received or how many  parties I have been invited to or not been invited to.

It's not about the merits of fake trees versus real trees.

It's not about sparkly wreaths or colorful lights.

It's not about baking and cleaning and decorating.

It's not about Rudolf or Santa or even the Elf on the Shelf.

It's not about the latest "it" toy.

It's not about how many gifts are under the tree.


But Christmas is about one gift we have all been given...

the birth of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.


Have you accepted this gift?  Have you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior?

"...If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you shall be saved;  for with the heart man believes resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation."
-Romans 10:9,10

Designers Who Inspire. #6 Megan Young

Megan Young's interiors can be described as timeless, classic, and elegant.  There is very little that is trendy in her designs.  Her style is traditional with a twist.  The twist being the vibrant and modern colors and patterns that she masterfully mixes in her otherwise traditional rooms.  The pictures below are of her home that was featured in Southern Living Magazine, along with some from her portfolio, which you must check out here.






This room is so fresh and airy.  Orange, light blue and white look so great together.





The bamboo chairs look great with the tulip table.  It's good to mix styles to keep your rooms from being boring.




The dining room looks fresh with the white dining room table and graphic print on the chairs.




From her portfolio.




Beautiful ice blue taffeta curtains puddling on the floor.




Interesting artwork.  Check out estate sales and thrift stores for fun artwork.








I love the leopard print carpet in the bedroom.  Animal prints are a decorating classic!




Another shot of her bedroom.  This one is from her portfolio.




One of my favorite living rooms ever!







Some of Megan's own artwork hanging up.




Her sunroom from her portfolio.


Did you notice that she uses  all of the top 5 decorating classics?  Antiques? Yes.  Blue and white ginger jars?  Yes.  Leopard Print,  Chinoiserie,  a parson's desk?  Yes, yes, and yes!

To read a great article and see more pictures of Megan's home, go here

Winter Whites

Winter is coming and you CAN keep your white bedding during the cooler months!  To keep it from looking summery, I suggest layering the whites with some velvet and fur to make it really cozy.  Here are some inspiration pics.




 Full House.




 Decor Pad.








House Beautiful




Image from here.




 Decor Pad







Etsy has a lot of beautiful velvet pillow covers to choose from.




I LOVE this one.




And this one too!  It it is only $15!


This pillow cover is pretty too!







Ikea also has some pretty velvet pillow covers for only $13!


And I saw some nice looking fur blankets at Homegoods the last time I was there.

Hope that helps mom!