The Absence of Color

I don't know about you but... Sometimes, I get bored. It's not that I don't have something to do--just nothing stimulating. When the urge to do something interesting extends to the decor on the inside of my house, I have to remind myself not to go too overboard with the reinvention. It's not that I'm afraid of change because I'm really not (at least not that I'm admitting here); it's just that my favorites are still the same old things. Yes, I may fall madly in love with the latest looks but the crush won't last and I know that about myself. I like lots of things and am tempted to try new designs for awhile but, just like in a relationship, dating it and living with it are not the same kind of experience. Life parallels aside, you really don't even want to get me started.

So I may occasionally have the urge to throw in a strong color or try a totally different type of furniture but I keep coming back. I love neutral and that's all there is to it. I guess I know what soothes me and gives me comfort. I work with color. Having tons of it in my house isn't what I want. I've heard comments for years about neutral being for the design timid souls of the world but I, for one, want to clearly state my dissenting opinion. Neutral doesn't have to be unadventurous--at least, not if it's done right and it isn't necessarily a "playing it safe" choice. Just today, I was thinking of taking a walk on the wild side... perhaps I'll change some slipcovers from white cotton duck to homespun linen and then really liven things up with some natural ribbon trim on the edges of my curtains.

Brown Paper Packages

Something about this picture makes me think of "The Princess and the Pea." Except, of course, that in this case, the item that doesn't belong in the guest bed is on top instead of under ten mattresses. And except that I can't remember how that story even ended. And... except the gift wasn't intended to tell me anything about my guest; I only wanted to show how special their visit was to me. I placed it on a pillow at the foot of the bed and kind of fell in love with the way it looked. No planning at all. Love when that happens. I used silk ribbon which I hand-dye for my business (Brown Paper Packages) and naturally, a brown paper covered box. I don't think it even mattered what was inside...

Cameo Appearance

I haven't actually ever worn a cameo but, hey, that's no reason not to dress up a

thing or two. These are plaster relief cameos that have the finish of unfired bisque. I wasn't sure what the results would be when I decided to try and make them but their unfinished look makes me like them even more than the originals.

Oh, the ideas these things have given me!