For the love of Wallpaper

It seems as if I find myself vacillating between the memories of the old house and the future visions of the farmhouse.

Yesterday's post about the nook reflected my need to revisit what I had already created.  I needed to go back and review the details.

The farmhouse house is so very different.  I feel like I want to wallpaper everything!

The ceilings are taller, the walls longer and the overall size is begging for a little intimacy.  Each room would love some individuality.

I'll just ask, why such adversity to such a great design medium?  At the mere mention of the word "wallpaper" people begin to wrinkle their nose, create lines in their forehead and of course the old stories of "when I had to remove the wallpaper from my house..." begin.

I've been there.  The little blue house was a fan of wallpaper when I first moved in.  I, however, was not a fan at the time.  I spent hours peeling, scraping, lifting and moistening layer upon layer of wallpaper in that house.  Removing the paper off of plaster walls no less.  I get the wallpaper condendrum, the love/hate relationship.

Here's the thing, though.  Paint is easy.  A well decorated home can't always be easy.  Don't get me wrong, I love paint too.  It will one day get it's glory and individual blog post.  To be fair wallpaper needed to get some recognition.

Wallpaper is a bit more complex than its paint accomplice.  There are patterns to match (or not) and colors to coordinate.  Inevitably there's the "who is going to put this stuff up?" question after you've already purchased the rolls from a company in the Netherlands and paid a hefty shipping cost.

That would be me.  I searched high and low and found the wallpaper I was looking for.  In the Netherlands.  Fortunately they ship to the states and when I received my package I was giddy with excitement.

The company is called Room Seven.

Room Seven focuses predominantly on children's bedding, clothing and accessories.  They partnered with  Coordonne in order to create wonderful wallpaper.  They have the most delightful and exquisite combinations of prints and colors.  While they are intended for children, I believe their wallpaper to be perfect for any space.

I don't intend on covering every inch of every wall but I am beginning to select a few areas in the farmhouse that have peaked my interest.  I am sticking with the Room Seven patterns throughout because I believe they are diverse enough to add interest, yet they create a flow from top to bottom.

 

I have a thing for this yellow.  I love the golden tone.  It's bright, but not too bright and presents a stellar backdrop for virtually everything.  

I immediately fell in love with this pattern.  It appears to me to have a playful sophistication that can be dressed up or dressed down.  The current plan is to hang this in the dining room.

Moving on I found a floral pattern to add to the foyer.  I can't express to you how much I love floral patterns on paper or fabric.  I've tried to look for patterns with simpler lines, geometric flow but the floral patterns get me every time.  I'm particularly drawn to the smaller floral designs, however, this pattern struck me.  The colors are vibrant, yet against the antiqued white background they become elegant blossoms.

The bright floral landscape is perfect for the foyer.   It's warm and inviting and I believe it will be a wonderful place to begin the story of our home as you walk through the front door.

I had originally decided to only wallpaper the upstairs.  The dining room and foyer were just add-on. 

I love my french provencial dressers in my bedroom.  They were my parents and not long after being passed along to me I painted them.  My mum was hesitant to pass them along at first because she loves natural wood.  I love paint.  She knew the outcome and held out as long as she could.

I believe the outcome was worth it.

Due to my affinity for the dressers, I really wanted to try to stay with my previous color scheme.  I cam across this pattern.

 

Out of all the wallpaper I've selected this is my boldest choice.  The majority of the colors, accessories and furniture in the bedroom are soft.  Based on the overall softness of the room, I believe this pattern can be pulled off.  In the evening, when the lights are illuminated it looks a bit breathtaking.  That's when I knew it would work in the bedroom.

For the spare bedroom I decided to be a bit repetitive.  

 

I couldn't help myself! I love this pattern and while I love the yellow, the blue is dreamy.  Perfect for a spare bedroom.  I'm sure there is some kind of rule to not papering the same pattern in a different room, even if it's a different color.  I don't care, I've never followed the rules.

The last pattern I selected was for Ava's room.  Ava is 11 and cares very much about what her space feels and looks like.  There are days when I highly desire a daughter who says "I don't really care about what it looks like. Pick out whatever you want."  I have to quickly remind myself that I have nurtured Ava's love for design and overall passion for art.  I have to allow her to have her own artistic identity.  

Within means.  Therefore Ava and I compromised on a more modern pattern for her room.  She is very interested in clean lines and structure, the opposite of her mum.  She loved the polka dot pattern.  We're a polka dot loving family.  While this paper takes on a different look I believe it will play well with the others.

The only area I have formally hung is the foyer.  I was confident with my selection for that area and when it was completed I loved it even more.

I hung the foyer over the girls spring break from school and we had a brief stay in Wisconsin.  I haven't been back to the house since.

I'm glad to have had the chance to recoup because here are the things I'm certain of when it comes to wallpaper.

1. Have your checkbook ready 
2. Have plenty of time available 
3. Have a replenished liquor cabinet

Regardless of what kind of wallpaper you are doing you are going to end up investing some money.  It just isn't cheap.  Nor should it be.  It's truly as if you are hanging a work of art so you need to be confident about what you are putting up.  You need to know you're going to love it tomorrow as much as you would today.  I can never do things the simple way.  I'm always looking for that unique, one of a kind.  Room Seven would be quite affordable for me if I lived, lets say, in the Netherlands.  But, alas, I do not.  Therefore, for the love of the paper, I will continue to save and buy each room as I can.  That's commitment.

Hanging wallpaper is a time consuming and detail oriented task.  Do not take shortcuts.  I highly considered hiring out due to the cost of the paper.  I didn't want to screw it up!  What I found was that if I took my time I was able to hang the paper quite well and most importantly to my liking.  I'm a type A.  I may have found a new career.

Give wallpaper a chance.  You might just like it. 

Please leave your boots at the front door: Getting started after the big move

People continuously ask me "how do you move with all that stuff?" Where does one begin?

Here's my answer: I have no clue.  I've never moved an entire house. The last time I officially moved was my apartment in Bowling Green, Ohio where I completed my undergrad.  I was engaged and Dave's company came to my little apartment, packed me up and transferred all my belongings to Washington, D.C.  Even in college I had begun to collect antiques and keepsakes.  That was 17 years ago.

Fast forward.  It's now 2014.  You've seen the pictures of the beautiful, empty farmhouse that we were preparing to move into.  I absolutely loved the way that house looked empty.  So clean, fresh and full of possibilities.  In the world of design, who doesn't love a blank canvas to make your own?

But before I go any further, let's talk about another important point of moving.  Timing.  Who moves to a cold, frigid state in the middle of winter?  We do.  Sure, why not. We're moving from Ohio, we totally get snow.  We can do this!

Well, the fact is the snow wasn't so much of an issue as the cold. Record low temperatures and we completely froze our asses off.

 

So we hadn't moved for 17 years and now we decided to move in the dead of winter, to Wisconsin during a polar vortex.  The stars were really lining up for us. 

The movers arrived at the house in Wisconsin and I took one last, good look around before the "stuff" began to fill it.  Box, after box, after box.  I really had no clue how much we owned in our lives until those boxes were being carried in.

Totally overwhelmed.  That's what I felt.  I thought to myself "where is the manual for this shit."  Will someone please tell me how to do it and not go completely insane.  I think I felt the same way after Ava Claire was born.  There was no manual for that either. 

The movers continuously asked me where I wanted each box placed in the house.  I couldn't think, let alone tell them where to set a box.  Inevitably 90% of the boxes would end up in the basement or garage.  Retrospectively, I can say this was a really bad plan considering nobody wants to go to the garage in frigid temperatures and haul a box up two flights of stairs.

Moving day was a blur.  A bad dream.  I woke up the day after to a room full of sunlight shining in on half opened boxes and a new beginning.

I woke up to this face, that I love.  In a different state, but the same face. 

I woke up to fresh flowers in a hand crafted, ceramic vase from the previous owners.  How could they have known my affinity for pottery and fresh flowers.  The bad dream was now replaced with new hope.

After a cup of tea, the sunlight, sweet Cate's smile and fresh flowers the new hope seemed a little too much like a fairytale. 

Soon my visual field began to take in the stacks of boxes, scattered furniture and rolled up rugs.  Um, who was going to deal with this.  Oh, that's right...me!

The best part.  I have absolutely no visual proof.  I decided I was going to use my Nikon to take really good pictures of the evidence.  I wanted everyone to see what we had accumulated and purposefully done to ourselves or they would never believe us!  Well, that card with all of those pictures is long gone.  Someday the evidence will reappear.  Maybe during the next move.

Here's what I can tell you about starting over after a move.  It's like everything else in life.  Spontaneous and unplanned.  I would compare it again to the birth of a child.  You have the birthing plan all ready to go and then life decides to give you another plan.  In the end it all works out, it has to.

My keepsakes have started to find new nooks and crannies to reside in.

My favorite aprons are hung in the kitchen with care.

Harper is finding her place.

Games are being played.

 

Smiles have replaced frowns.

Secret escapes are being created.

Treasures are carefully unpacked and displayed.

The sun continues to shine. 

 If you want to survive a move, a big move, here are my top ten tips:

1. Take a look in the mirror.  Do you know what you're getting into? Do you know what you want?  Take a look and decide before you dive in.
   
2. Prepare, but not too much.  Be prepared for the curve balls. They're inevitable!
   
3. Let go.  I'm about as Type A as you can get!  Moving anything, anywhere when I'm not in control just about gives me a hear attack.  Just let go.
   
4. Mark everything for your sanity.
   
5. Purge before, not after (lesson learned).
   
6. Create realistic expectations for today and tomorrow.
   
7. At the same time dream about what could be...you never know.
   
8. Enjoy the moment as difficult as it may be.
   
9. Accept help and guidance (yep, struggled with this one too).
   
10. Laugh.  It's life and it's going to happen whether you're laughing or crying.

Let's add one more...go with the flow.

Christina Herman Art~ The Zen of Art

Today's featured artist just happens to be from...you guessed it Wisconsin. Christine Herman Art is vibrant, detailed work. Her color choices  demand attention and you can't help but feel an optimistic tranquility when you stare long enough. 

Christine not only creates brilliant mixed media acrylic paintings she also hand dyes and stamps leather while adorning it with stamped metal. Multi-talented- We say absolutely! 

There's an elegance to her jewelry as well as her paintings and you won't be disappointed when you see her work. The true zen of art, Christine Herman Art brings beauty and sophistication to each piece she creates. Trust your gut and bring a piece of that tranquility into your life. You won't be disappointed.

Note that Christine has not one, but two Etsy shops. A line for her painting and a line for her jewelry. Do yourself a huge favor and visit both! 

Christine Herman is an artist living in a tiny town just outside of Green Bay, Wisconsin.  She loves all things hand made and especially loves painting – acrylic, mixed media, watercolor doodles.

https://www.facebook.com/HermansCreate

http://www.etsy.com/shop/ChristineHermanArt

http://www.christinehermanart.com

http://www.etsy.com/shop/charttherapy

http://www.christinehermanart.com/blog/

You had me at Toad

It was a cool fall night. Fall at BGSU meant one thing- fun. I was getting ready to go out with some girls for a night on the town. This meant the hot rollers were out, closet raids were happening, the brown clogs and jean jacket would be in full effect. It was 1993. That stuff was cool.

The night took us to house parties, but inevitably you would end up at a little place called Marks. A watering hole dive, it was our Cheers. Everyone knew everyone and if you didn't, well you would by the end of the night.

The night I wore my jean jacket and brown clogs is a night I'll never forget. Standing at the other end of the bar was a guy. Glasses, long hair and a smile. A great smile. Somehow, through the crowd we met in between.

He smiled, dimples in full effect and said "Hi, my name's Toad." Ok, at that point my mom would have been advising me to run. Fast. The guy had long hair and he introduced himself as Toad. Not to mention I was meeting him in a bar.
I didn't run. The rest is history.

Toad, a fraternal name I've been told was given to him, is known as Dave to the rest of the world. I describe him as a golden retriever: laid back, friendly and full of love. The dimples invite you in and his sweetness his innate.

To me, he's my best friend. 20 years with a person, which is now going on half my life, is quite an accomplishment. At least for me it is.

The last six months have been a transition of sorts for us. Dave has been living in Wisconsin. The girls and I have been living in Ohio. I'm just going to come out and say it military spouses, single parents, people not able to be with the ones the love on a daily basis...you're amazing. While I can see the light at the end of my tunnel, I have a new respect for what it means to live day-in and day-out without the other half.

Dave's job is ultimately what's taking us to Wisconsin. While we're a dual-career family, his job is unique and we knew at some point it would be taking us elsewhere. Cate and Ava like to call him Willy Wonka. The Director of Consumer Insights and Market Research for an Irish flavor and fragrance company called Kerry, he loves what he does. Waking up to trend food, meet chefs and  explore the world he's fortunate to have found his passion. The boy I met 20 years ago from the country has certainly come a long way.

The weekend commutes are getting harder and the weeks just feel longer. We miss our family dinners and movie nights. Everything and everyone gets crammed into a weekend.

Dave flew home last night instead of driving. The drives usually mean we won't see him until breakfast Saturday morning. We were anticipating an early arrival, however, the plane was stuck on the runway. We enjoyed another gourmet breakfast compliments of Chef Toad.

I would question that old adage that distance makes the heart grow fonder. I think it's more appropriate to say that distance is not for the weak at heart. Here's hoping for nothing but blue skies from now on.

Spin until you're sick

Until I stepped foot into the small town of Lake Mills, I felt like I was on a ride. Spinning and spinning to the point where I was going to make myself sick. I had been in Wisconsin living in that apartment in July and I wasn't seeing any opportunity to get off that ride. I just wasn't feeling like a "home" was going to be possible in the great state of Wisconsin.

The girls were going to be starting school back in Ohio in August and the summer was drawing to a close. I was feeling the crunch. I needed to know there were possibilities for our family.

One morning instead of dragging the girls to yet another realtor visitor I said "let's visit a different lake today." I needed the tranquility of the lake to take my mind off the chaos and I didn't want to over think it. I closed my eyes pointed my finger and placed it on the map. Rock Lake it is!

That's how we came to find Lake Mills. A by chance moment where you let everything go and wait for the rest to come to you. We packed up our beach bags and a picnic basket and headed northeast. Nothing was going to stand in the way of that great day.

Magic. That's what I felt when I pulled off the interstate and began to drive into the little town of Lake Mills. It was picturesque and quaint. Not unlike the towns we may see in a movie or read about in a book. The girls and I went straight to Bartel's Beach. I had a feeling this was going to be another new beginning.

How many lakes does Wisconsin have?

Bear with me. This blog has been in the works for some time now and I need to get caught up to the "good" part of the story. Every picture tells a tale and every word is connected. Stay with me. It gets better.

How many lakes does Wisconsin have? The answer: I have no clue- but it must be a lot! Everywhere you turn there are water, boats and fishing poles. Breathtaking to a land-locked Ohio girl.

During our July trip to Wisconsin we were staying in an apartment with Dave. His company was putting him up in executive housing (fancy wording for a basic apartment). The days Dave didn't work we would go exploring for homes. The days he worked the girls and gathered our beach towels, sunglasses and sunscreen and headed to the lake.

Lake Geneva was about 20 minutes from the apartment. The first day we decided to venture out we ran into this

We could have turned back but of course we did no such thing. By the time we got to the beach the sun was beaming and we were back in business. The girls had their cousin, Millie B. with them so there was no turning back!

Lake Geneva is pristine and elegant. Sitting on the beach from morning 'till night wasn't a difficult task. Dave's birthday fell in between visits to the lake so we decided to visit The Crazy Horse Campground, conveniently (and well though out by Dave) located near the New Glarus Brewery. Apparently a Wisconsin favorite- and now we know!

We camped not knowing where to head to next.