Cleaning the Cobwebs from my mind...
I had the best day.
I know I am about to paint myself as a veritable lunatic, but my happy day was all about cleaning. Cleaning, cleaning, and more cleaning. My fridge is suddenly empty after ridding it of all its spoils. I surprised my muscles by lugging and pushing beds over carpet to vacuum up long-lost popcorn seeds, cat hair, and foil wrappers from tiny Easter eggs. I did endless loads of laundry, washing all of our winter coats and mittens to pack up nicely for next winter. Speaking of winter, our cold weather wardrobes were finally purged, and tossed unceremoniously into plastic storage bins. I soon realized I have a pretty empty closet that requires a bit of shopping to add spring colour.
As I rotated load after freshly laundered load on my clothes line, I felt my mind actually clear of the kind of stress one can control. Because it's not just about having a clean house or "getting things done". It's about controlling the things we can in this crazy world. We can't control what's going on outside our own insular worlds, but we can take care of our families, ourselves, and create a home that makes us feel safe, warm and calm when we are tucked within. And that is where my satisfaction came from today. I cleared the cobwebs as I cleaned, both in my home and in my mind. Worries were pushed aside as I scrubbed, heaved furniture, and hung out clothes. My mind worked through what problems it could as I laboured, and the physical work quieted the rest.
As I rotated load after freshly laundered load on my clothes line, I felt my mind actually clear of the kind of stress one can control. Because it's not just about having a clean house or "getting things done". It's about controlling the things we can in this crazy world. We can't control what's going on outside our own insular worlds, but we can take care of our families, ourselves, and create a home that makes us feel safe, warm and calm when we are tucked within. And that is where my satisfaction came from today. I cleared the cobwebs as I cleaned, both in my home and in my mind. Worries were pushed aside as I scrubbed, heaved furniture, and hung out clothes. My mind worked through what problems it could as I laboured, and the physical work quieted the rest.
And then I hung out with my family.
***************************************
photo credits:
top photo: Katrin Cargill.com
second and third photo: Toast.uk
The Cool Room
I'm feeling inspired by an Australian furniture store called "The Cool Room".This is a guy after my own heart. He started collecting quirky and unique
objects since childhood and now shares them with the world.
This reminds me of being a kid and begging my mom to buy vintage jewelry and 1950's dinette sets.Not that she usually listened to me, except for the jewelry. I collected vintage earrings, rings, and
necklaces that I would wear while still in elementary school. The funny thing is, to this day;
my jewelry is collected in the exact same manner!
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Tips Membuat Rumah Sehat Bebas Nyamuk
Setiap bangunan rumah, dalam bentuk desain apapun entah desain rumah minimalis, desain rumah mediterrania, desain rumah klasik dan sebagainya akan tetap memiliki fungsi yang sama, yaitu sebagai hunian/tempat tinggal. Bangunan rumah adalah tempat berlindung/shelter sehari-hari dari panas matahari, hujan, perbedaan suhu, gangguan binatang buas dan sebagainya.
Nah, ada satu jenis binatang yang sekalipun bukan termasuk binatang buas, akan tetapi merupakan ‘musuh’ manusia yang merepotkan, bahkan beberapa jenis diantaranya merupakan bisa jadi hewan yang berbahaya. Anda tentu tahu, binatang tersebut adalah NYAMUK. Ada beberapa jenis nyamuk yang selalu ‘setia’ mengunjungi rumah kita, dan yang perlu kita waspadai saat ini adalah jenis nyamuk Aedes Aegypti karena gigitannya bisa menyebarkan virus penyakit demam berdarah yang berbahaya. Selain itu di beberapa daerah terutama di kawasan pedalamam juga masih dijumpai jenis nyamuk Anopheles yang bisa menyebabkan penyakit malaria.
Adalah mustahil untuk menghilangkan nyamuk dari lingkungan rumah. Namun Anda perlu tahu bahwa nyamuk tidak bisa terbang jauh hingga berkilo-kilo meter ke rumah Anda untuk mencari mangsa setiap hari. Meminimalisir sarang berkembang biak dan tempat-tempat yang disukai nyamuk di sekitar rumah Anda adalah strategi terbaik untuk memgendalikan gangguan nyamuk pada keluarga Anda.
Nah, bagaimana cara untuk membuat rumah sehat yang bebas nyamuk, ada baiknya Anda menyimak beberapa tips dari www.birobangunan.com yang bisa Anda lakukan terapkan di rumah Anda :
1.Beri pencahayaan alami yang cukup pada rumah. Nyamuk sangat menyukai untuk bersarang di lingkungan yang lembab, dingin dan gelap. Upayakan agar desain rumah memiliki pencahayaan alami yang dibuat cukup besar sehingga mampu memberi akses sinar matahari ke dalam ruangan.
2.Hilangkan genangan air yang bisa jadi tempat berkembang biak. Buanglah sampah dan barang-barang bekas seperti kaleng, tong, pot, baskom, ember yang bisa menjadi tempat berkembang biak nyamuk. Ingatlah bahwa nyamuk betina akan bertelur di dalam air yang tergenang. Telur-telur ini akan berkembang menjadi larva dan kemudian berubah menjadi bentuk dewasa dalam 10 hari.
Kuras bak mandi minimal seminggu sekali untuk mencegah telur nyamuk menetas menjadi larva. Berilah beberapa ekor ikan di kolam taman sebagai predator alami larva nyamuk.
Jika Anda memang tidak bisa menghilangkan genangan air tersebut, maka masukkan bubuk abate sesuai petunjuk untk mencegah larva berkembang menjadi nyamuk dewasa.
3.Ubah kebiasaan menggantung baju dalam jangka waktu lama. Jangan dibiasakan untuk menggantung baju-baju di gantungan (terutama di belakang pintu) dalam waktu lama. Selain menimbulkan kesan kurang rapi, juga bisa menjadi tempat hunian yang nyaman bagi nyamuk. Gantunglah baju didalam lemari gantung dan berilah pengharum semacam kapur barus dsb.
4.Pasang tirai/kasa nyamuk. Untuk mencegah nyamuk memasuki nyamuk, Anda sebaiknya memasang tirai nyamuk pada lubang-lubang ventilasi, jendela atau pintu. Pada saat ini sudah banyak produk tirai nyamuk modern dari berbagai merk, yang bisa dipasang secara praktis dan pemasangannya akan menjadi menjadi bagian dari interior penghias ruangan yang menarik.
5.Pangkas tanaman yang terlalu rimbun. Tanaman-tanaman yang berdaun rimbun di sekitar rumah memang akan memberi suasana teduh, segar dan alami. Akan tetapi sebaliknya lokasi tersebut juga akan menjadi hunian yang disukai nyamuk. Pangkaslah daun-daun yang terlalu rimbun secara berkala untuk mencegah menjadi tempat hunian nyamuk.
6.Tanamlah tanaman yang tidak disukai nyamuk. Ternyata tidak semua tanaman disukai oleh nyamuk. Beberapa jenis tanaman justru memiliki aroma yang sangat dibenci nyamuk, misalnya tanaman Lavender, Akar Wangi, Geranium, Zodia dan Selasih. Boleh dicoba untuk menanam tanaman tersebut di sekitar rumah Anda, siapa tahu ternyata bisa jadi cara ampuh mengusir nyamuk.
7.Pasang perangkap nyamuk. Ada baiknya Anda memasang perangkap nyamuk, yang bisa berfungsi untuk menarik perhatian nyamuk, menangkap dan membunuhnya. Banyak literatur di internet yang memberikan informasi tentang cara membuat alat perangkap nyamuk secara mudah.
Namun jika Anda suka yang praktis, bisa langsung membelinya di pusat-pusat perbelanjaan. Alat tersebut dirancang untuk menyebarkan aroma dan cahaya yang disukai nyamuk, kemudian saat nyamuk mendekatinya akan disedot oleh kipas angin lalu memasukkannya kedalam perangkap hingga mati. Berbagai merk alat perangkap nyamuk telah diproduksi di pasaran dengan harga yang bervariasi.
8.Gunakan obat anti nyamuk yang aman. Nah, jika cara-cara di atas ternyata belum maksimal, gunakan obat anti nyamuk di rumah Anda. Ada berbagai jenis dan merk, mulai dari jenis obat nyamuk bakar, obat nyamuk semprot, elektrik hingga berupa cream/lotion. Pilihah obat anti nyamuk yang aman bagi kesehatan Anda sekeluarga, dan bacalah petunjuk pemakaian secara seksama sebelum menggunakannya (hh).
Nah, ada satu jenis binatang yang sekalipun bukan termasuk binatang buas, akan tetapi merupakan ‘musuh’ manusia yang merepotkan, bahkan beberapa jenis diantaranya merupakan bisa jadi hewan yang berbahaya. Anda tentu tahu, binatang tersebut adalah NYAMUK. Ada beberapa jenis nyamuk yang selalu ‘setia’ mengunjungi rumah kita, dan yang perlu kita waspadai saat ini adalah jenis nyamuk Aedes Aegypti karena gigitannya bisa menyebarkan virus penyakit demam berdarah yang berbahaya. Selain itu di beberapa daerah terutama di kawasan pedalamam juga masih dijumpai jenis nyamuk Anopheles yang bisa menyebabkan penyakit malaria.
Adalah mustahil untuk menghilangkan nyamuk dari lingkungan rumah. Namun Anda perlu tahu bahwa nyamuk tidak bisa terbang jauh hingga berkilo-kilo meter ke rumah Anda untuk mencari mangsa setiap hari. Meminimalisir sarang berkembang biak dan tempat-tempat yang disukai nyamuk di sekitar rumah Anda adalah strategi terbaik untuk memgendalikan gangguan nyamuk pada keluarga Anda.
Nah, bagaimana cara untuk membuat rumah sehat yang bebas nyamuk, ada baiknya Anda menyimak beberapa tips dari www.birobangunan.com yang bisa Anda lakukan terapkan di rumah Anda :
1.Beri pencahayaan alami yang cukup pada rumah. Nyamuk sangat menyukai untuk bersarang di lingkungan yang lembab, dingin dan gelap. Upayakan agar desain rumah memiliki pencahayaan alami yang dibuat cukup besar sehingga mampu memberi akses sinar matahari ke dalam ruangan.
2.Hilangkan genangan air yang bisa jadi tempat berkembang biak. Buanglah sampah dan barang-barang bekas seperti kaleng, tong, pot, baskom, ember yang bisa menjadi tempat berkembang biak nyamuk. Ingatlah bahwa nyamuk betina akan bertelur di dalam air yang tergenang. Telur-telur ini akan berkembang menjadi larva dan kemudian berubah menjadi bentuk dewasa dalam 10 hari.
Kuras bak mandi minimal seminggu sekali untuk mencegah telur nyamuk menetas menjadi larva. Berilah beberapa ekor ikan di kolam taman sebagai predator alami larva nyamuk.
Jika Anda memang tidak bisa menghilangkan genangan air tersebut, maka masukkan bubuk abate sesuai petunjuk untk mencegah larva berkembang menjadi nyamuk dewasa.
3.Ubah kebiasaan menggantung baju dalam jangka waktu lama. Jangan dibiasakan untuk menggantung baju-baju di gantungan (terutama di belakang pintu) dalam waktu lama. Selain menimbulkan kesan kurang rapi, juga bisa menjadi tempat hunian yang nyaman bagi nyamuk. Gantunglah baju didalam lemari gantung dan berilah pengharum semacam kapur barus dsb.
4.Pasang tirai/kasa nyamuk. Untuk mencegah nyamuk memasuki nyamuk, Anda sebaiknya memasang tirai nyamuk pada lubang-lubang ventilasi, jendela atau pintu. Pada saat ini sudah banyak produk tirai nyamuk modern dari berbagai merk, yang bisa dipasang secara praktis dan pemasangannya akan menjadi menjadi bagian dari interior penghias ruangan yang menarik.
5.Pangkas tanaman yang terlalu rimbun. Tanaman-tanaman yang berdaun rimbun di sekitar rumah memang akan memberi suasana teduh, segar dan alami. Akan tetapi sebaliknya lokasi tersebut juga akan menjadi hunian yang disukai nyamuk. Pangkaslah daun-daun yang terlalu rimbun secara berkala untuk mencegah menjadi tempat hunian nyamuk.
6.Tanamlah tanaman yang tidak disukai nyamuk. Ternyata tidak semua tanaman disukai oleh nyamuk. Beberapa jenis tanaman justru memiliki aroma yang sangat dibenci nyamuk, misalnya tanaman Lavender, Akar Wangi, Geranium, Zodia dan Selasih. Boleh dicoba untuk menanam tanaman tersebut di sekitar rumah Anda, siapa tahu ternyata bisa jadi cara ampuh mengusir nyamuk.
7.Pasang perangkap nyamuk. Ada baiknya Anda memasang perangkap nyamuk, yang bisa berfungsi untuk menarik perhatian nyamuk, menangkap dan membunuhnya. Banyak literatur di internet yang memberikan informasi tentang cara membuat alat perangkap nyamuk secara mudah.
Namun jika Anda suka yang praktis, bisa langsung membelinya di pusat-pusat perbelanjaan. Alat tersebut dirancang untuk menyebarkan aroma dan cahaya yang disukai nyamuk, kemudian saat nyamuk mendekatinya akan disedot oleh kipas angin lalu memasukkannya kedalam perangkap hingga mati. Berbagai merk alat perangkap nyamuk telah diproduksi di pasaran dengan harga yang bervariasi.
8.Gunakan obat anti nyamuk yang aman. Nah, jika cara-cara di atas ternyata belum maksimal, gunakan obat anti nyamuk di rumah Anda. Ada berbagai jenis dan merk, mulai dari jenis obat nyamuk bakar, obat nyamuk semprot, elektrik hingga berupa cream/lotion. Pilihah obat anti nyamuk yang aman bagi kesehatan Anda sekeluarga, dan bacalah petunjuk pemakaian secara seksama sebelum menggunakannya (hh).
Hoops Earrings - White Gold Earrings
Sapphire Hoops in 18k White Gold Earrings, 18kt white gold oval sapphire hoop earrings. (E7678-S) $598.83 ctw of Sapphires, Weighs approx 3 grams, Hinged snap closure for pierced ears only, Measures 5/8" wide.
Hoops Earrings - White Gold Earrings
The Treehouse: Living Room Plans & Ideas
INSPIRATION: 
(Above Chaffee Braithwaite's living room AGAIN ;) I'm using it as inspiration... I'll be going with a bit more warmth & a little washed/ muted pattern. My goal is for the room to feel light airy, natural, raw, fresh with a classic modern feel and a hint of old-fashioned pretty. I want a fairly neutral backdrop for ever-changing accessories & shots of color. (In the image above, I love the jolts of green from the wheatgrass and views for Springtime!)
Below, here's what our living room looks like now: (Since the living space is on the second floor, you're way high up in the trees, hence the name "treehouse.") For now, I'm keeping it this shade of white & will get the perfect white on the walls once we're more settled. (we've got bigger fish to fry for starters!!)
The only thing is, I just came accross this driftwood chair from Oly Studios & I'm sort of in love... I really like balance & don't feel that a piece like this should have a matching partner & don't so much have a spot for a lone chair... (I might be able to squeeze it on somewhere though)
Now, across from the sofa will be two chairs with my fun metal vintage table in between: 
(Above Chaffee Braithwaite's living room AGAIN ;) I'm using it as inspiration... I'll be going with a bit more warmth & a little washed/ muted pattern. My goal is for the room to feel light airy, natural, raw, fresh with a classic modern feel and a hint of old-fashioned pretty. I want a fairly neutral backdrop for ever-changing accessories & shots of color. (In the image above, I love the jolts of green from the wheatgrass and views for Springtime!)Below, here's what our living room looks like now: (Since the living space is on the second floor, you're way high up in the trees, hence the name "treehouse.") For now, I'm keeping it this shade of white & will get the perfect white on the walls once we're more settled. (we've got bigger fish to fry for starters!!)
For now I'm putting the sofa on the right wall facing into the room. Opposite it will be two chairs with a table in between and under the window i'd like to have a couple of chairs or possibly a settee. (My computer & scanner are still down so I'm not able to get you the floorplan) We're hanging drapes from the ceiling on simple iron rods. I'm going with simple white linen for an airy feel & a fresh, clean backdrop for changing up accessories, slicovers, pillows, etc:
For the sofa, I knew exactly what I wanted: English arms with turned legs on casters. (Because- #1- I like to rearrange often & usually do it by myself while my husband's gone & the sofa is always the toughest thing to move, so casters = problem solved!! #2- I want the space to feel large, open & airy, and of course legs will help with this, and #3- I love the classic with a hint of old-fashioned lines of this sofa. It'll work perfectly with both traditional & modern pieces. So, below is what I was looking for ( I was hoping for 1 or 2 cusions instead of 3)
For the sofa, I knew exactly what I wanted: English arms with turned legs on casters. (Because- #1- I like to rearrange often & usually do it by myself while my husband's gone & the sofa is always the toughest thing to move, so casters = problem solved!! #2- I want the space to feel large, open & airy, and of course legs will help with this, and #3- I love the classic with a hint of old-fashioned lines of this sofa. It'll work perfectly with both traditional & modern pieces. So, below is what I was looking for ( I was hoping for 1 or 2 cusions instead of 3) And the sofa below is the one we just bought on Craiglist!!! (Since we're on a budget & the similar sofas I was finding were all around the $2500- $3000 range, I decided the search on craiglist. After searching through listing after listing & saving a few possible options that were close to my dream sofa, I came across this one!!)
I couldn't believe my (exhausted) eyes!! it was exactly what I wanted!! It's a Lee Industries sofa that retails for around $3000! We picked the sofa up in our new (to us) pick-up truck (it's actually old- 250,000 miles) in Capitol Hill and the family couldn't have been nicer!! The owner of the sofa worked for the Kellog Collection for many years & was so sweet & her son arranged the whole deal & helped my husband load the sofa. (I'm sure I sounded like my usual nutcase-self, because I just couldn't stop telling them how excited I was to have "THE" sofa I was looking for!! haha) So, we're reupholstering it in this cotton velvet below:
As I mentioned in my previous post, this image doesn't do the fabric justice. It changes witht he angle and it looks creamy, golden or whitey-beige. It should look something like this chair (from Oly Studio) below when reupholstered:
I'm planning on pulling in some grays & whites in the pillows for "base" time (when the room's not decorated seasonally with other colors) with lots of different textures including this super-nubby linen (below) *** You can find a very similar fabric to this one at Calico Corners called "Slubby linen" ***
Now, here's where things become less settled-upon. I'm using the fabric below on the reverse to give the piece a more time-worn, muted look. (Darryl Carter's trick!!)
Now I'd like whichever piece the fabric goes on to be situated under the windows & facing into the room. So, this could possibly be couple of chairs or a settee (I was condsidering a gilding settee with a shirt, how fun would that be?! I don't love the shape of this one but did come across a pretty one & have now forgotten the source!)
The only thing is, I just came accross this driftwood chair from Oly Studios & I'm sort of in love... I really like balance & don't feel that a piece like this should have a matching partner & don't so much have a spot for a lone chair... (I might be able to squeeze it on somewhere though)Now, across from the sofa will be two chairs with my fun metal vintage table in between: I'm having so many different thoughts on the chairs. (In reality, I'll most likely thrift store/ flea market or craiglist them but here are some of my loves now. Also, any of the chairs pictured could possibly under the window as a pair or combined with the reversed toile or driftwood chair)
A pair of (washable!!) slipcovered wing chairs like the chair below would work really nicely because the shirts to the floor would stop the eye and that's sort of what I want because the dining area/ work area is on the other end & I like the separation. This is pretty budget-friendly because old wingchairs are really easy to find via thrift stores & craiglist and they could be easilty reupholstered!
I also can't help loving this modern wingchair from Oly Studio (below). It comes in other leathers but I really love this one... A pair of these with the silver table between would be amazing... I love the modern jolt in the room (I'd like to have at least 1 in each room becasue the house is so contemporary).. These could go across from the sofa or under the window. (Oh, and quick reality check here--- these would not be arriving for a VERY long time because of the unfortunate existence of a low budget.)
And here are some other chairs I like:
I like the thought of this one (below, Martha Stewart) upholsered in the toile... The only problem is the legs are a bit red for me & don't come in other colors... I'd hate to buy a new chair that I'd need to change...
We love to entertain & of course kick up our feet so I love the idea of one of these 2 leather 0upholstered benches from Oly Studio:
We love to entertain & of course kick up our feet so I love the idea of one of these 2 leather 0upholstered benches from Oly Studio: I picture them moving around wherever needed & think they would look really pretty accross from the windows when you first walk in, so as to clsoe off the conversation area but not block the view. Here's the other:
I also have a cool camel saddle that looks similar to this one (image from here) but isn't in cow hide. (It's in a terrible brown vinyl right now & I'd reupholster it in a prettier one.)
I actually would love a cowhide rug... 
Here's the view of the dining area/ work area... Since we'll have an eat-in kitchen & island with stools I don't envision nightly meals in the dining area. We'll primarily use it for projects, reading, and entertaining. It'll be nice not to have to put projects away every night!
Here's the view of the dining area/ work area... Since we'll have an eat-in kitchen & island with stools I don't envision nightly meals in the dining area. We'll primarily use it for projects, reading, and entertaining. It'll be nice not to have to put projects away every night!I love the idea of a trestle table piled high with books & 2 comfy chairs on one side and a bench on the other ... I'm having so many thoughts about tables, but it will have to be something rectangular & fairly narrow... (However, my square folding table will have to do for a while!)
But I love some of these options, like this zinc sawhorse table from Bobo Intriguing Objects: (I wonder if we could try to make something like this??--- I did look up some zinc countertop places & they seemed INSANELY expensive... does anyone have a cheap source for zinc sheets?)
I'd also love a trestle table similar to the one in Kirsten Hollister's (of Boho Belgian) dining room: (And look, she has the bench I want too!!! - I know Ikea used to make a bench like this, does anyone know if they still do? -- I couldn't find it online.)
I picture the table with wingchairs & I could possibly go with the white slipcovered ones if I don't go with them in the Living room: (Again, they'd be nice on casters so I could always have options)
The wingchair below is one of my favorite wingchairs, by Martha Stewart. It's got nailhead detailing & is of a really manageable size for smaller spaces. (Some are so huge!!) 
Now, for the chandelier... Here are some I love from Bobo Intriguing Objects: The wine barrel chandelier:
The wingchair below is one of my favorite wingchairs, by Martha Stewart. It's got nailhead detailing & is of a really manageable size for smaller spaces. (Some are so huge!!) Now, for the chandelier... Here are some I love from Bobo Intriguing Objects: The wine barrel chandelier: And also the "planet" wine barrel: (I think this would be kind of cool with all the books!)
And this one I'm CRAZY over, but it's way too big for my house!!! (Over 4 feet high!! JEESH) The drfitwood chandelier: (I really wanted it in my entryway & it would still be too big!! arg)
And here's a chandelier I really love that's so much more in my price range. I saw it at On a Whim & need to go and see if they have anything like it or if it could still be there: (Please don't go buy this!!! heehee ;) Part of me thinks I need to stay natural & rough & quirly like the others but it's just so hard to resist this pretty vintage crystal!!!
And for the back wall behind the table, I want some type of storage. It's really important to me that I have surfaces that I can change up accessories on & also some hidden storage for my son's toys. (I like to keep toys in all the living areas as long as they can be hidden away so that every room's kid-friendly.) I'd use big baskets for toys on the bottom shelves & put pretty things & books on the upper shelves of this pharmacy rack from Bobo Intriguing Objects:
(It's highly unlikely we'll buy that exact piece but we'll be looking for similar items.) I'd also like some type of dresser or cabinet in the living room for more toy storage.
Well, we move tomorrow & over the weekend & I am having a bit of blogging withdrawal from not having my computer!! Also, I just did another post right before this one as a follow up on my kitchen decisions(2 posts in 1 day, I know! haha) so check it out below.
miss you guys,
lauren
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