Posts Tagged With: creating a home

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 | 3 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

I feng(ed) the shui

Posted on February 28, 2022 by robynbird

Friday morning I came downstairs and said FUUUUUCK!
Why? you ask.
Well, because the room was perfect.
What now? you ask.

The guy was coming to finish the installation of the automated black out shades. Which meant the sofa, console table behind the sofa, and a jungle’s worth of plants needed to be moved to allow him room to work.
YBW and I didn’t even think of it before we went to bed Thursday night which left it all to me Friday morning.

I mean:

But that damn sofa is heavy to move all by myself.

I was able to push everything away from the window without messing up the rug (go me!) then waited for the guy to arrive.

Sent this pic to YBW, “So we forgot something last night and I’ll be needing your help when you get home.”
I also sent it in the group chat with the girls.
Thing 2: “You funged the shway!! (phonetic spelling, because I’m not gonna try that)”
Me: “Bahahahahaha!”

I feng(ed) the hell out of the shui, y’all.
But it was so worth it.
Check out the light blocking shades.

Now we can watch TV during daylight hours without glare.
In the grand scheme of things, television glare isn’t that serious, but in the Roby scheme of things, it kind of is (that serious).
YBW’s happy because they’re automated and connected to the smart house hub. I actually prefer the app on my phone, I think it works faster.
I’m happy because there’s no more glare if I want to have the TV on while I eat lunch.

We continue making this house our home.
It doesn’t have to be all at once.
Creating a home takes time.
Creating a home takes care.
We’re on it, y’all!

Categories: me | Tags: around the house, automated, creating a home, feng shui, furniture, home, humor, humor and truth, living your best life, making a home, mindful living, smart house | 6 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

it’s (meteorological) fall, y’all

Posted on September 9, 2021 by robynbird

Autumn is my most favorite time of year!
It’s still eighty degrees out, but I’m embracing all things fall.
I’m all about pumpkins and leaves and cotton up in here (up in here)

This is what it looks like when the pumpkins aren’t gathered up by Baby K.

There are other little collections in the living room, but I chose to share this one because I like the way it looks best.

My God, y’all! The light in this house never ceases to amaze me.

Categories: around the house | Tags: around the house, autumn, autumn style, autumn vibes, creating a home, decorations, fall, fall vibes, home decor, it's fall y'all, seasonal decor | 2 Comments

a little linen closet organization

Posted on September 8, 2021 by robynbird

Last week y’all saw what we did in the laundry room.
I’m going to share a peek at the linen closet this week.

When we first moved in and began unpacking, I simply crammed stuff into the linen closet. All I cared about in that moment was getting it out of boxes and (for the most part) where it belonged.
I don’t have any photos of the towels and bins and random supplies, but I can assure it it was somewhere between hot mess and shit show, but not as bad as a cluster fuck.

Once I got the laundry room the way I wanted it, and necessities appropriate stored in bathrooms, I went after the linen closet.

I began by taking everything out.

Then after I had an idea about what I was looking to put back in, I got on my Target app and bought a load of gray bins.
Had to pick them up and two different stores, but one is only a bit further from home than the other so it wasn’t that big of a deal.
That was the day the remnants of Ida came our way so I swung by YBW’s office to pick him up so he didn’t have to walk home in the pouring rain.
When he got in the car and saw all the bins he said:

As we do…

I sat on Baby K’s little bathroom stool in the middle of the hall refolding towels and sheets. Putting all manner of necessities in bins and finally loaded everything back in a way that made sense to me.

So far so good.

While I was getting all those gray bins for the linen closet, I got more white ones to use in the laundry room, so here’s a photo update of that for your ‘house porn’ viewing pleasure.