Fear Factor

Deciding to blog about my passion for beautiful homes and interiors is a little more than intimidating.  I've been browsing decorating and gardening blogs for a long time and I'm so inspired at the level of talent out there.  I'm also amazed at how many people have taken their visions and made them a reality.  I wish I could say that about my own house. It's not that my house is bad by any means, it's just that it's not at all where I want it to be.  And, truthfully, I don't know that it ever will be.  First there's money.  Then there's time.  And then there's the biggie:  spousal interference!  Ha ha!  That's a major one around here.

But seriously, it's very hard to remain confident about opening your own home and ideas to the blogosphere when there is so much stinking talent out there! 

Source:  Holly Mathis Interiors

(source:  The Lettered Cottage) 

(source:  The Inspired Room)

(source:  My Sweet Savannah -- she makes these!!)

(source: Vignette Design)

(source: The Cottage Mix --Lauren Leonard Interiors)

(source: The Polished Pebble)

See what I mean?  So many people with a fantastic eye and the ability to make their vision a reality.  Sigh.  I love the fact that these people take the time to share their passion and talent with people like me.  It truly is inspiring!

What's Not to Love About Sarah?

Seriously.  Sarah Richardson makes me swoon.  That girl knows how to decorate! One of my absolute favorites of hers is the farmhouse she did on HGTV.  Can I move in please? 

I love this entry/mud room.  I am seriously thinking about painting the doors in my entry red like this.  The cute knobs on the doors, the unique light fixture, the antique dresser and the hats...LOVE it all!

(all pictures via HGTV)

Sarah really knows how to mix things up.  I would love to be able to make all this collected stuff look so classy!

I know I posted this picture of this bed in my last post.  I absolutely love how she has mixed these fabrics with this beautiful quilt.  Have I mentioned that I really like red?  This room epitomizes my style.  Now, if only I could pull this off myself! 

Across the room is the cutest little built-in little seat and storage.  Could she have updated the antique chair any cuter? LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!!  I love how she painted the wood red and that fabric would have never caught my eye...but the way she has put it all together is just lovely.

So fresh and clean looking.  My grandma's bathroom was white and yellow.  It's just so happy!

I'm always a sucker for an antique cabinet turned bathroom sink.  And to think she found matching ones!

I like the two-toned walls here.  It gives the appearance of wainscoting.  So well done - bravo Sarah!!

Just admiring the simple way she styles pillows and fabrics.  She often chooses fabrics that would not appeal to me on the bolt but when I see how she uses them and puts them together I absolutely love them!

Again, this girl knows how to make an old quilt sing.  I would have never put all this stuff together. 

I didn't find a picture of the kitchen in this home.  Oh...and forgive the black bars on the pics...I grabbed them off of HGTV's photo gallery and this is how they appeared.

Hope you enjoyed Sarah's eye candy!

Stuff I Love

With the invention of Pinterest, it's not hard to get a girl like me drooling all over the place.  Wow does my house seem BO-RING when you look at some of these beauties:

Sarah Richardson

Pinterest (unknown source)

Pinterest (unknown source)

I pulled these pics off of Pinterest awhile back and don't have their original sources.  These are just a few of the things that grab my attention.  Here's some more eye candy:

Love this kitchen and comfy chairs at the table!  Source: Pinterest

This kitchen beauty is from the blog "Life in Grace" -- she is one lucky lady to be cooking in this pretty space!

 

The trouble with sites like Pinterest is that it's easy for me to stop seeing the beauty in my own home and to start seeing all the ways I need to change it.  Contentment.  Somehow I need to be able to appreciate these pictures as eye candy and not get too wrapped up in tearing up my house and spending money to emulate everything I see.  Life is a journey.  :)