Friday: Pretty in Pink

hen I was a little girl pink wasn't my favorite color or anything like that - but I've always had a fondness for pink. (For the record, my favorite color when I was a little girl was Yellow - and when I was a teen it was Green - and now, it's probably sort of still green but there are days when I love Orange, or maybe certain blues...so I don't know if I really have a favorite color anymore...) - Pink is a kind of hard to resist color isn't it? Like if I see a pink cupcake, I'm going to want it. Any anything that is pink and black is adorable is it not? But still...how do you decorate with pink without making it look like a little girls' bedroom?

Here are some inspiring images of pink that I really love (and grown up too!)

A Rainbow of Inspiration - Green

(Don't you just adore this green behind this faucet? I'm totally in love with it)




've accumulated so many inspiring images lately my computer folders are filled to the brim so I figured it's time to start sharing them here - and I almost have so much stuff saved up that I don't even know where to start. So I thought for the next few days we will take a trip around all the colors of the rainbow and I'll just share some things that I think are just lovely.

Sometimes these images seem over the top - or hard to duplicate, or maybe too daunting or too expensive or whatever. But I really like to look at these things to get ideas. Most of them, I probably won't ever use - but maybe YOU would like to use them? Or maybe they will inspire you in ways that will surprise you.

I took some 'before' photos of my laundry room and the room that is to become the walk in closet and I will share the progress on those rooms as it takes place.

Without inspiring images I am lost as to what I want to do -

Did I mention that a couple of people seemed surprised by my interest in decorating my house? In a not so subtle way they sort of let me know that they weren't sure why I would care so much.

I had to think about that for a couple of days. I mean it was easy just off - hand to sort of blow that remark off - I mean - I think caring about such things is probably much more common than NOT caring about such things right?

But I had to think about maybe they were implying it was 1. a waste of time or 2. waste of money or 3. waste of energy or 4. frivolous or 5. vain? or 6. a waste of resources

And I guess an argument COULD be made for all of those things.

But at the end of the day I just really feel that it really is worth my time and effort and energy and resources. Besides the fact that I just like thinking about such things and getting involved in projects, I really feel that it makes a difference to the people who live in my house and possibly to the people who visit my house and by that I mean that I hope I can create a home that is comfortable and a reflection of our personality and provides warmth and hopefully reflects love and makes you feel good to be in the space. That's my goal.

So for today, let's meditate on the color green, which is one of my favorite colors. It can be restful and cheerful and easy on the eyes and generally a happy color to live with - there are sooo many tones and ways to make green work - so many gorgeous variations, that make it hard to chose the perfect tone!

A New Mission Site

or those of you who follow Holden's mission site, I am in the process of making a new blog for him which will be private - so I am trying to put the information out on all of my various 'electronic portals' that I am happy to give you permission to read if you just let me know who you are and your email that you would like the permission granted to - just leave me a comment here with the email, or email me at lezleehays@gmail.com and let me know.

Thanks!

House Tour

ore cool news!



Apartment Therapy is featuring my entire house in a house tour today - the link is below -

The editor sent me a very nice email. It probably seems a little silly, but it's very gratifying to feel appreciated, even if it is in some small little way like this. Plus it's just fun to see my house on one of my favorite design websites.

Anyway, if you're interested in seeing the whole tour go to the link - they did an interview with me and wrote a short article and in the middle of the article there is a link that says House Tour and if you click on that link it will take you to like 40 photos of the house.

APARTMENT THERAPY BEVERLY MODERN HOUSE TOUR

Coming in 2010 - Photo a Day

hotography is a love of mine. I've been thinking to mix it up here on the blog next year I might try doing a photo a day. You know, just to add some random self-imposed requirement on my already somewhat chaotic life.

I do feel sometimes that my life consists of large amounts of trying to catch up on laundry, being a mom-taxi, worrying about what we will have for dinner (and to be honest I tend to spend more time worrying about it and not as much time actually cooking it -- I wish I were a person who loved the idea of cooking for my family but alas, I don't think I got that gene), paying bills, studying (and I do love that I am finishing school...but the studying can be tedious sometimes), and other random household tasks which are often a little mind numbing.

All of these things have to be done and none of them are particularly hard or make me unhappy. I mean for heaven's sake I could live in a tribe in Africa where I had to walk around all day collecting dung! What's to complain about? So don't get me wrong - I can appreciate the blessed state of my existence on this planet. But it's still BORING sometimes. And you know, okay, Kirk get's bored at work sometimes too (well...maybe not bored...but tired of it, yes, over-worked and over-stressed, certainly) but he has this great outlet of being a genius artist. Not that that's always easy for him either - he has to decide to go into that studio and paint even when he is feeling tired, because he has goals. He is a very goal oriented person. I am too, but I'm not as driven as he is. So I really admire that about him - but I digress...

My point is that I have a lot to do this next year. I want to get completely done with school and that's going to be my main focus. Of course there are trips I'd like to take, and children to take care of and raise and I know there will be lots of church things and social events and my life will be full of STUFF TO DO (and hopefully that's going to include a new walk in closet project!). But I'd like it if there was some little creative outlet besides all this task-y stuff.

Here are my top 10 photos according to Flickr's 'interesting' stat - and sadly, I haven't taken any of these photos in the past year. Maybe not even in the past 2 years. I think if I force myself to take at least one interesting photo a day, the new year might hold some interesting creative promise.

Design Fun & Contest Results

I was actually pretty happy to have made it into the contest at all in the first place. Then I was THRILLED to make it into the voting rounds. Then I was ecstatic to get past the first round and into the final 16 in the western division - and beyond ecstatic to place in the final 8 in the West. So when I didn't advance to the final 4, I was not devastated. Just happy to make it as far as I did.

I had a couple of weird queries from people yesterday though - one was "why do you care? I don't get it - why does it matter?" - let me see if I can clarify. Uhhh...in the grand scheme of the world, you know world hunger, global economic crisis, and ethnic cleansing - this contest definitely doesn't' even make the list of what 'matters'! But on the other hand:

I feel like our environments, our homes are both a reflection of us and a place to seek solace from all of the above mentioned world crises. So in that sense, it matters. At least to the people in my house. Also, it's a sort of a hobby of mine and it's always nice when someone tells you that maybe you did a good job - especially if those are people who don't HAVE to tell you that you did a good job - like a magazine editor in California who looks at design all day. Also I really believe the world would be a better place if we all lived in a space that made us happy.

And the trip to New York would have been nice too! So there you go, my reasons.


Okay, so I am on a kind of design roll right now - not that I've actually done anything to the house, but I would like to get a new laundry room (well, not new, keep the one I have, just improve on it greatly - see the previous entry, I think I'm going to try to replicate the one with the blue tile walls) but also we have been planning for months to turn the old studio into a new walk in closet - a HUGE walk in closet! (YAY!) So....

I've really researched closet design online. And there seems to be a few choices - you either pay someone like California Closets to come and do a sort of boring/looks the same as every other closet/design or you can spend a ton of money on Italian closet design companies or you can do it yourself at home depot and end up with something semi-lame OR you can get the Ikea Pax system. From what I've been reading, people really do love their Pax systems. Yes it's a do it yourself and yes, it's Ikea (which means lots of diagrams with arrows and random Swedish words) - but Ikea is like the King of Scandinavian design on the cheap - and honestly, most of the time, the design is really good. There are a few Ikea things I would not recommend (their floors being one) - but I have to say I have truly loved my kitchen cabinets.

If anyone has thoughts to share about closet design I would love to hear what you have to say. Here are a few samples of the Pax system:






In addition a couple of things I know I want in this new closet are a cool light fixture - at least a cool little chandelier:


But maybe even some of these bubble lights I've been crushing on lately, but have no where else to put them:







Then I'm going to need new paint in there - and I think I want it bold and opulent - I am thinking either bold red (as many other walls in my house) - OR going with a red/orange - and if I do the red orange I may skew a little of my bedroom towards red/orange accents as well (while keeping the green walls) or I could go crazy and do Fuscia pink like I've always wanted (I have always wanted at least ONE room in that color and a closet seems like a possible place to try it out):





To top it off I need a tufted bench in the center of the room:






Any thoughts?

What the heck IS apartment therapy anyway?

The first time I heard Apartment Therapy mentioned was out of the mouth of Ryan Brown - those of you who watch Flipping Out (one of my favorite shows) will know who I am talking about. If you don't watch that show, Ryan is a very talented designer. He does things like this:


Anyway, I love Ryan's design and he mentioned in an interview that design doesn't have to be expensive or inaccessible. He said he often gets inspiration from people who may not have the resources he has, but who manage to create interesting design on a budget. And he mentioned that he looks at a lot of websites for ideas and to just stay abreast of trends, etc. Apartment Therapy was one of those websites (and I have a link to Ryan's blog on the sidebar and on his website he has links to a lot of blogs which deal with design so if you are interested, go check those out).

Apartment Therapy really started as an idea website for cool urban design on a budget. Originally, they mainly featured apartments, and they were New York based (and really, who DOESN'T live in an apartment in New York?) - the website grew and they've expanded into several markets and areas - they now have groups in LA, DC, Chicago and Boston. The cull ideas from all over and present them on the website. So it's just a really GREAT idea site. They also do house tours, which are a fun way to see inside someone's home. Originally most of those house tours were just regular people who had managed to create something great on their own. Now they sometimes feature the occasional celebrity - I think Padma Lakshmi's house was on there last week.

So the idea is still accessible design that you don't have to break the bank to achieve.

They have a process whereby you can submit your house for a 'home tour' feature. Shortly after I submitted mine they got back to me and said that my house would be featured. They asked for additional information. Later they suggested entering the color contest - and that's how I ended up in the position of asking folks for votes every day!

My home tour has not been featured yet because of the current contest. I expect that will happen sometime after the contest is over.

The other cool thing is that they feature certain homes in their print format.


And so the other exciting thing is that since Apartment Therapy is perused by other design venue's regularly, the chance of being picked up for a feature in other design magazines (especially local design) is also good.

I have no training as a designer. But I've always loved design and I really care that my home reflects my personality and makes you feel comfortable and happy. I'm always changing things and I'm always on the look-out for a new idea. I always have a little mental list of things I want to change or make better (which seems like a rather endless list by the way).

Partial Current List:

Get a laundry room that is more functional and prettier
Create a giant walk-in-closet where the studio used to be (make it cool!)
Complete all the details in the back yard addition


Apartment Therapy gives me design inspiration and ideas for some of these things - for instance here photos of laundry rooms to die for:





Will my laundry room ever look like those? I doubt it! But maybe I can get a little closer!

Anyway, now you know a little more about Apartment Therapy and why I love it - voting on my room continues today. I'm the underdog so I appreciate EVERY SINGLE vote I can get!

TO VOTE GO HERE

Yep, It's time AGAIN....

New voting again today. I'm getting closer to the Western division finals - ALL the competition is so tough at this point! I'm going to be so lucky for every vote I get! Won't you please be one of those votes?

VOTING HAPPENS HERE


You are awesome! Thank you!

PLEASE vote for me....24 Hours only!

Yes, I'm asking for votes again. Today is the new voting day - 24 hours only. I'm competing against a girl in Denver. So today it's just between me and her. She has a lot of support among her friends and family. Her room has an indie vibe that appeals to a lot of people. I need your vote! (unless of course, you'd really rather vote for her...go ahead...I'm an understanding friend like that! I'll still like you!)

Here is the link:

VOTE HERE

(you will have to sign in - if you haven't registered an account yet, I promise it's super simple and fast to get one - all they need is your email and they will not send you obnoxious emails unless you want them to do so - I PROMISE!)

Elder Hays is Serving In Sliven

We got our first email from Holden this morning from Bulgaria. He's serving in an area called Sliven.



He sounds like things are going really well! If you want to read his letters - I'm posting them on his mission site HERE