Tuesday, January 20, 2015

a beautiful space ~ and a peek at my new curtains

In the previous post about my kitchen, I said that I moved most of my cookbooks into
my office. This small baker's rack is just the right size for my collection. I can sit in my
red chair and look through a cookbook, or take the book over to my desk by the window.


I love this sunny, peaceful room, so I thought I'd take you on a little tour. For those of 
you who aren't aware or are new to my blog, this room used to be my oldest son, Phil's 
room. Phil passed away suddenly in September 2009. The canvas family photo - the last 
family photo taken with all four of us in July 2009 - is one of my greatest treasures.


Isn't this a beautiful, vintage dresser? It's been in my family for many years. My sister
had it in her bedroom when she was growing up, though it was either white or pink at
the time. Or, maybe it was once pink and then my mom painted it white. Hard to remember
from 45-50 years ago!  Anyway, when I was pregnant with Phil, my mom gave the dresser
 to a family friend and she refinished it for us and gave it to me as a present when Phil
was born. He used this dresser for his entire 21 years. Now Brian and I share it.


This is the space to the right of the desk...my bulletin board, Phil's memory shelf,
plants and ~ surprise ~ more books.


The living room curtains came in from World Market and hubby patiently hung them for
 me today - which was more involved than it sounds. Isn't that the way it usually goes?
The curtain rod was originally hung lower. So that meant taking it down, patching up the
holes, repainting the wall, then hanging the curtain rod in a new spot. Brian is very patient
 with my decorating shenanigans.


Anyway, I love these curtains! They bring much-needed color into the living room, I dig
 the design, and the material is a heavy, quality cotton. They just need to be hemmed. 
Since I don't sew, I will be taking them to a local tailor. And another thing on the living
 room to-do list: getting a few more quotes for the mantle work around the fireplace.
What projects are you working on around your house? 

Linking up with Cozy Little House Tweak it Tuesday.


40 comments:

  1. Wow, you sure have a lot of cookbooks and I agree you created such a beautiful space. I love all of the plants and the new curtains are beautiful... :)

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    1. I was wondering if someone was going to say I had a lot of cookbooks...that's actually greatly pared down! I've donated a lot of them. And yes, I actually use these cookbooks. Glad you like the new curtains. :-)

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  2. I am so sorry I've been missing your posts. I alternate between visiting blogs after I read a comment on my blog, and then following my "feed". Sometimes I get a little lost!

    I'm so glad you kicked the bug. It seemed to have lasted awhile from what I read on FB. We've been okay here, a little bit of allergies for me and Abby, not sure why. The dryness in the house and airborne dust?

    I love how you changed up your living room. I like that ladder shelf. I saw one at Hobby Lobby the other day and thought about it for Abby. You have some neat ideas in your kitchen, that's cool how you arrange your spices. And the tacos look so good. I'm trying a few new things this week, too. I Pinned a casserole and soup from Smitten Kitchen (You can see them on my Pinterest page). I've never tried Swiss chard or Broccoli rabe so I'm excited to be making some newer dishes.

    Those curtains are beautiful! Did you find them at the website or do you have a store? Never been to one but I once looked at their website and it's so eclectic. Good job! :)

    Jane x

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    1. I was wondering where you'd been, Jane! My flu bug was actually short-lived - I was very lucky compared to a lot of people who've had this flu. I felt cruddy for a week, but the part where I was truly sick (the high temp) was only 3 days. It just felt like forever when I was in the thick of it! I can't remember where I got the ladder shelf...homedecorators.com or overstock, can't remember which. I've tried both Swiss chard and broccoli rabe...I don't like them on their own, but I liked them in soup or a casserole. I found the curtains online at World Market. We do have a store close to us, but these were only available online.

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  3. I've been painting up a storm. I love how your room looks and the natural light. Makes me miss having an office space.
    Brenda

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    1. This room has the most natural light of any room in the house. That's another reason why it's another one of my favorite rooms.

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  4. I love your new curtains, Melanie! They are such a pretty pattern and soften the light coming through the windows. I'll have to remember to visit World Market again the next time I'm in Minneapolis. I must have missed the curtains when I was there last. I love the vintage dresser in your office and the fact that it's been refinished to show off the beautiful wood. I'd hate to see it painted over with ASCP! Nice changes for the new year!

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    1. World Market has a nice selection of curtains, but they have a lot more online. I'm definitely not painting over that dresser - I love it the way it is!

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  5. Melanie Love your cosy room, and that you have all your books around you with your special pictuures and memories. Looks like a calming relaxing place.
    Rosezeeta.

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    1. Thank you so much, Rosezeeta. It definitely is a calm, relaxing space.

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  6. Several comments :

    1. Tim looks so young in your special photo
    2. Everything looks lovely
    3. You can buy iron on hemming tape - I actually use it on my jeans (short legs) because I have trouble getting my machine to sew through all the layers when hemming. You can buy the hemming tape in several widths. If you can't figure it out, I can make you a little tutorial. It will be much cheaper than going to the cleaners and really works great.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Yes, Tim does look very young in that photo - maybe because he didn't have any facial hair then?! I know about hemming tape, but I was wondering if it truly worked on curtains. You are so sweet to offer to make me a little tutorial, but I think I'll look at youtube videos first, to see if this is what I want to try. I figure it can't hurt to try the hemming tape first, right? If it doesn't look good, then I will have them professionally hemmed.

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  7. Your curtains are lovely! I don't think that any home can ever have too many books of any kind!! xx

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    1. Glad you like the curtains, Amy! You are right - there's no such thing as too many books. Unless they're piled all over the floor and there's no room to walk. ;-)

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  8. I like how you found a way to remember him in your library with the special items that have special memories of your son. xoox

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  9. Oh I envy you that light filled space. We have a dark house the way it is situated.

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    1. That room truly is the only light-filled space in the house because of its two windows. All the other rooms in my house are dark.

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  10. The new curtains are really nice, especially with the ray of light filtering through them. I also need to hem a curtain!

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    1. The light does filter through these curtains so nicely...I can't wait to see how they look in the summer with brighter light.

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  11. The room looks so nice, Melanie. I really love the lightness of it. Your chair looks really comfy for reading. I think it was a great idea to put those books in there. I'm glad you have this space. You must feel close to Phil when you're in his room.

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  12. Everything looks great, love the curtains. Sometimes it's just what a room needs for the finishing touch. I know a lady with a sewing machine ;-) if you need those curtains hemmed.xxoo Penny

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  13. The room looks good and it's great to have all your cookbooks in one place...I can't say the same? Love the new curtains and that you hung them higher. It must be nice to have this space to enjoy, remember and to feel close. My goals are to get organized, our two projects are our downstairs masters, 1 into a guest room the other to updo the office. Have a good night, and so happy you liked and Brian liked the pork chops!

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    1. I do have some cookbooks in my kitchen, too. ;-) I'm still working on the organizing...believe me, my basement has a long way to go.

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  14. Love your new looks darling. I need to hem my curtains in my bedroom as they are about a foot too long. I have the sewing machine and I would do yours too, but I'm so afraid of making them crooked. There has to be a catch to hemming straight. I'm going to look at some tutorials on uTube and see if I can get some tips. Right now I'm busy with Philip's quilt so after I finish that which I'm hoping will be next week. I'm really scared about putting the backing on. We'll talk...Love the curtains and of course Brian is patient. Why not, you are a good wifey!! xoxxoo

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    1. Thank you for offering to do my curtains, but I think I'll pass, lol. I'm going to try iron-on hemming tape first. If that doesn't work, I'll bring them to the cleaners/tailor.

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  15. Melanie, I love your new curtains, the colours, the patterns, the material, it all looks so breezy beautiful! I've commented before about how much I like your new office and why, but every time I see it, it appeals to me even more, for its sunny nature, sweet family photos, and charming decor. Enjoy it, my friend!

    Happy weekend! Stay warm!

    Poppy

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  16. Love those curtains. I like your sunny room as well.

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  17. The room is lovely, Melanie...I keep most of my cookbooks in the office, too. The curtains look perfect in your special room! I love the idea of a memory shelf...xo

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  18. I love your cozy office space with the lovely light and pretty plants all around. That family photo is truly a treasure. I was able to get a family photo while Yusef was here. They are hard to come by these days since we aren't often all in the same place. Of course, my 16 year can't seem to smile normally for the camera anymore so he always looks like a goober. ha! The curtains looks great. Have a peaceful Sunday. Tammy

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    1. Once kids hit around 11-12 years old, especially boys, they hate having their picture taken. And asking them to smile for a photo is like pulling teeth. Glad you like the curtains.

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  19. Beautiful! I wish I had your eye for decorating.

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    1. Aw, thank you so much, Joni - you are very sweet.

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  20. Your office looks like such a sunny happy spot. I love how you've surrounded yourself with good family memories. Your living room curtains are so pretty too.
    Mary Alice

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    1. Thank you, Mary Alice! The pretty white curtains are now hanging in my bedroom. ;-)

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Thank you for taking the time to leave a kind comment - I read and appreciate each one!