around the house

something gorgeously dark and moody

Posted on September 16, 2022 by robynbird

Ever since we moved into this house I wanted to do something dramatic for the main floor powder room. I envisioned something gorgeously dark and moody.
It had a basic builder’s grade mirror and I started looking for a new on not long after we moved in. In my mind I saw a large circle mirror. But the more I looked, the more I wondered…it’s ten foot ceilings in there, what if I used a tall mirror? And found a fun pendant light to reflect off the mirror?
I ran this concept by YBW and he was on board.
I finally found the perfect mirror at Target of all places. (only on line)
Light fixture came from Wayfair. (on sale)

I searched out wallpaper on and off for a year before finally landing on a beautiful Victorian floral. It sat for a bit while we did other things, but Sunday of Labor Day weekend, YBW and I took a few hours to get it up. And no bickering, even though I got ridiculously frustrated and rage quit for about three minutes before going back in and finishing it up.

I’m so pleased with the way it turned out!

As I was standing in there admiring our hard work, YBW said, “Now, do the walls stay white?”
I was just thinking the same thing. We were specific about wanting all white walls so we could bring color in textiles and art and furniture and decor. But as we looked at that gorgeous wallpaper we both wondered if the other walls needed changing.
Stay tuned…
Even over a year later, we’re still making this house our home and I am so here for it!

Categories: around the house | Tags: around the house, bathroom, creating a home, for the home, home decor, home improvement, wallpaper | 2 Comments

real life closet porn

Posted on April 4, 2022 by robynbird

A guy called Carlos showed up at our house Monday last.
His mission?
To trick out our closet.
He worked tirelessly over two full days.
And when he finished, we got a system as functional as it is beautiful.

(this is my wall)

(YBW’s wall, but my drawers and shelves at the end)

(YBW’s wall with comfy seat storage bench, he gets dressed here each morning)

Wednesday last I came home from school early (only had one tutoring session) and spent the entire afternoon in the closet.
The result?
Absolutely glorious closet porn!

I’m so excited I can hardly stand it!
It’s beautiful and perfect and I love going in there.
We’ve discussed a rug and new lighting fixtures, but I’m in no hurry…I want to live with it for a while and see what’s really important.
This was the last ‘big thing’ we had to do to make this house our home and we knocked it out of the park, y’all!

(a note about the wallpaper: it’s blue cherry blossoms and we put it up before Carlos came)

Categories: around the house | Tags: around the house, closet, closet design, closet goals, closet organization, closet porn, closet system, clothes, creating a home, home organization, inspiration, organization | 4 Comments

custom closet system

Posted on January 20, 2022 by robynbird

Our closet system is designed and scheduled to be installed March 28 and 29.
All! The! SQUEE!

This is what you see when you walk in the door.
My things go on this wall.

This wall is on the right when you walk in the closet and it’s YBW’s space.

This is the back wall and it’s for my things.

This is the left side wall and it’s for YBW’s things.

Everything will be in ‘classic white’ for a clean modern look.
I’m planning to hang wallpaper behind the bench wall and the one with the drawers and cabinet.

After meeting with the closet designer I made a small change in the size of the hanging area on my side. Then the more I looked at the original configuration, I realized were weren’t utilizing the space as well as we could.
YBW and I went over the plans and discussed for about an hour Sunday morning. He was quick to suggest he give up his bench. I was clear that if I could get the space and organization I felt I needed, there was no reason for him to lose his bench.
When we finally landed on this configuration I knew it was the right one.
We went a little over the budget we discussed, but what we’re getting is worth the extra money.
He was content.
I was content.
This is the closet design for us.

Y’all!
I’m so ready!

Categories: around the house | Tags: closet, closet organization, creating a home, getting settled, home improvement, home organization, organization, organizational skills, organize | 6 Comments

everything changed when the fire nation attacked or how I (finally) organized my closet

Posted on January 7, 2022 by robynbird

We’ve lived in our home for five months but I was still ‘living out of boxes’ in my closet.
Actually ‘boxes’ was a plastic bin and big blue IKEA bag of shoe boxes and loose shoes, and a big bag of every random thing from my night table with jewelry trays of earrings on top.
These things were all in the bottom of our closet. Every time Baby K comes, she finds a new pair of earrings to get excited about. I can’t even get mad, those earrings, necklaces, and bracelets are right there for the plucking.

(a fun little AtlA reference)

Yesterday I was the fire nation and I attacked that closet.

It all began because I needed better access to seasonal clothes. It was summer when we moved and I organized the closet with easiest access to warm weather clothes.
Well, that and I wanted to get my earrings out of the floor and my shoes out of the cedar chest.

First, I moved everything out (of my side) and vacuumed.
Then I took all the boxes of shoes out of the IKEA bag and plastic bin. I put all the Chucks, Birks, strappy sandals and fancy summertime shoes in the cedar chest and put boots and booties in the closet. I left out two pairs of sneakers I like to wear to school, and ballet flats.
Next I moved the bin of shorts to the top shelf and replaced it with my winter jammies.
Really I just organized in a way that made better sense.

I didn’t take any before pics.
But I did take some after pics.

I cannot express how much better I feel about how my things are organized in that closet!

The closet system chick is coming next Friday to measure and discuss plans. Of course if this is the way we end up going, they’re scheduling installation for March…
That’s OK, I’m well sorted until then.

I’m so grateful for this snow week!
I had inspiration, motivation, and energy to accomplish so much while I was home from school.

Categories: around the house | Tags: Avatar: The Last Airbender, closet, closet organization, creating a home, everything changed when the fire nation attacked, getting settled, home organization, organization, organizational skills, organize | 3 Comments

continuing to make this house our home

Posted on December 29, 2021 by robynbird

The day after Christmas, YBW and I went out in search of a coffee table.
I ordered one in August and it’s been delayed four times now, the latest delay puts delivery the end of January. And while I’m realistic about the current state of the world, especially when it comes to the supply chain, I was tired of waiting.
And we were kind of questioning our choice anyway…

We planned an entire day for exploration, but we found success at our fourth store.
We chose a two piece set of nesting tables. YBW came up with the idea of adding a second of the lower tables to the original pair.

We initially ordered an enormous square coffee table. It was YBW’s vision from the moment we knew we’d live here.
But with these three smaller tables, we have more freedom of use, which to be perfectly honest, makes more sense for the way we live. We can move them about our living room as needed.
And I’m all about the fact they’re so mid-century!

Of course, we have to wait six more weeks, but it’s a guaranteed six weeks, not this maybe in five months situation in which we’ve found ourselves.

We finally found the perfect rugs for our living and bedroom, they shipped early and arrived the week before Christmas.
Thing 1, Husband N, and even Baby K helped us lay the big one in the living room. The one for our bedroom is rolled up waiting to be laid. Our bed is so damn heavy, it’s going to take proper planning to make getting it set work.

We’re prioritizing our home needs as we move into the new year.
A closet system is at the top of our list.
After that comes the fridge I wanted instead of the one I had to settle for, two new sofas, wallpaper, and having the TV mounted on the wall.
There are other things too, smaller things, I just can’t remember what they are at the moment.

We haven’t planned an order for any of these things other than the closet system.
We’re not in a hurry.
We’ve lived in this house a few days less than five months and continue to make it our home each day we’re here.
We have time.

Categories: around the house | Tags: around the house, creating a home, curating your environment, for the home, furniture, home, home decor, house, making a home, mid century modern, YBW | 2 Comments

the joy of coming home

Posted on November 22, 2021 by robynbird

How precious is this mid-century house?
Thing 2 closes on it tomorrow.

My baby bought a house!
She’s saved for so long, squirreling away nearly twenty thousand dollars. And her credit score is in the 790s! She’s making an excellent investment. She’ll have twenty five thousand in equity when she walks through the front door.
She’s worked hard to get to this place.

She was planning to purchase by herself. But part way through her process, she and Boyfriend M realized they wanted to own a home together.
I’m overjoyed! I truly believe this young man and my daughter could be each other’s forever person if that’s what they want.
His mother isn’t as enthusiastic as we are. My understanding is she thinks they’re going about the order of things incorrectly. However, my gut says the bigger truth is she’s dissatisfied that he son isn’t living the life she expects him to live. She’ll get over that. All parents have to at some point.
I see my daughter and her boyfriend actively asking and answering the hardest questions. They’re working together. They’re making smart choices. They’ve planned and made commitments to each other about how it will work.
I trust Thing 2’s decision.
I trust she has a solid foundation upon which she will continue to build her life.
She’s choosing to build her life in a home with this young man. Just as he’s choosing to build his life in a home with her.
Their trust in the other is considerable.

The inspection showed the house needed minor repairs.
They talked the sellers down in price, well below asking. They got approval to do the work before taking ownership and contractors quickly got in the house.
A friend of theirs has brand new appliances to give them. Everything but the fridge, if I remember correctly.
That’s one hell of a friend!

In our group chat she was asking what Thing 1 and I think about paint colors.
She sent this.

My understanding is she’s thinking Lazy Gray for the walls and Serious Gray for the cabinets.

Y’all, my daughter has worked hard and long to get to this place. She’s been working towards this with a single minded fury.
To say she is excited is an understatement.
I am immeasurably proud for her.
She DID it!

Thing 2 and her kitty Oliver, and Boyfriend M and his kitty Meryl move into their new home this very week!

We three girls will purchase and move into our new homes in the same calendar year.
Fresh starts for each of us in 2021.
Now that’s something to give thanks for.
My Momma heart is overflowing with love and joy and gratitude.

Categories: around the house | Tags: coming home, creating a home, dedication, fresh start, hard work, home, house, love, mid century, mid century modern, new beginnings, new home, pride, pride and joy, Thing 2 | 4 Comments

in the loft

Posted on November 4, 2021 by robynbird

I finally am completely unpacked in the loft!
Because of the way it’s shaped, it easily divided into two specific areas in the larger space.

When you first come up the stairs you see my library space.

This is the nonfiction bookshelf.
Top, second, and third shelves down the right hand side is all journals. (is three shelves of journals not enough? too much? just right? the world may never know…)

Turning to the left you see my creative space.

I’ve got a couple creative projects I’m ready to tackle, and these tables are the perfect space to get started.

This view is sitting on that tiny stool in the previous photo looking toward the library space.

This the fiction bookshelf.
All four shelves across the bottom are picture books and I am here for it!

YBW helped me hang all the art.
I’m still finding places for small photos and tchotchkes on the shelves.

I spent the majority of the afternoon and evening last Friday in the chair in the foreground finishing a book called The People We Keep.
Now if I can just figure out how to write comfortably in this space…

Categories: around the house, me | Tags: creating a home, creative space, feather your nest, library, new home, work and play, work space | 11 Comments

finding a comfy writing space

Posted on November 1, 2021 by robynbird

I haven’t been writing.
It’s been over a month since y’all got anything other than a tune for Tuesday, and that’s because I oftentimes plan them out in advance.

I had sort of decided I haven’t been writing because I’m spending my time and energy in the final throws of getting us settled. I’m also spending a great deal of my time and energy at school.

But the other day, I realized something outside the boundaries of my time and energy. I haven’t found a place in our new home where I feel comfortable to write.

The loft is a gorgeous light-filled room in which I made for myself a library and creative space.
I’m not one to sit at a desk and write.
In the past I’ve sat curled up in a big club chair with my laptop. I no longer write that way because of the negative impact my neck and shoulder from reaching across my body to use the keyboard on the arm of the chair.
So, I don’t like to sit at the desk, and I can’t really be in my chair the way I like. This means I’m not actually using my computer much at all.

Before I finished setting up my nest in the loft, I used my computer at the kitchen island. To be perfectly honest, I rather loved writing in the kitchen.
The practical aspect of that is my computer can’t always be on the island. And I never found a convenient place to keep it when I wasn’t using it.

Since I finished getting (mostly) settled in the loft, I moved my computer up there.
Literally only touched it to move it.

Perhaps this gorgeous space made for creating doesn’t fit the way I like to write?
Perhaps I haven’t tried it on enough to see how it fits?
I finally unpacked everything and nearly have it set up the way I want.
I need to actually live in the space instead of always being in it unpacking and getting settled.

Whichever way it shakes out, the island is always there in the kitchen waiting for me…

Categories: around the house, me | Tags: blog writer, comfort, comfort zone, creative space, getting settled, learning from life, making a home, moving house, unpacking, writer, writing | 4 Comments

robot vacuum makes a map

Posted on September 20, 2021 by robynbird

Ten days ago, I ordered a robotic vacuum.

Two days ago it arrived.
We put everything together and left it to charge that evening.

Yesterday I set it loose to map the main living level.

It started at its dock in the corner of the dining room. At the point this screenshot was taken, it managed to navigate all the dining area, powder room, and in front of the island.
It went a little wonky near the big glass door in the living room because it could see out but not actually get out.

Later in the afternoon yesterday I took it upstairs to map the bedroom level.

It started in the hall then went into Baby K’s room. Apparently the carpet was a little tricky…
In this screenshot it left Baby K’s room, took a quick jaunt into the hall bath before finding its way into the guest room.

So far, I’m pretty pleased with this Roborock S7. It navigated the runner in the kitchen quite well, and only got a bit hung up on the carpet in Baby K’s room. It needs more help near the big glass door, but I can create a visual boundary for it and that should sort it right out. It was smart enough to know where the stairs went down and properly avoided that.
I plan to let it map each floor two more times to get the best possible idea of where it needs to do what.
I think I’ll let it do that before I try the mop feature, just in case.

This thing was nearly eight hundred dollars, but so far seems like it will be worth every damn penny!

In the app there’s a feature in which I can name this robotic vacuum…
Y’all have any suggestions?