Enjoying the View

I'm pretending to enjoy a luxurious continental breakfast in my bedroom this morning.  Well, that was the intent, anyway, but who makes their own bed before having breakfast in bed?  Um . . . that would be me!  Truthfully, I don't really like eating in bed, even when we are staying in hotels, but just for today, I thought it would be nice to pretend having breakfast in a space I am in love with!

You see, I have made redecorating the Master and Mistress Bedroom my COVID-19 project.  With all the time being spent at home, I needed to make my nest cozy, and, to finally, add pieces to my taste, instead of the ones I inherited from parents and in-laws.  But more of the redecorating project to come later.

Breakfast consisted of a Coddled Egg, Orange Scone (from Panera Bread, which we had picked up the day before), and a pot of Oolong Tea.  The dishes are Evesham Gold, by Royal Worcester.  I only have a few pieces of this beautiful china, purchased at an estate sale.  The Sferra linens are mismatched deliberately.  I liked how pale pink and gold looked together.

To make Coddled Eggs:  Butter the cup, add a raw egg and screw the top on. Place in simmering water for 4 minutes, or according to desired doneness. I like it so that the yolk is slightly runny, and the egg white is creamy.  The eggs would normally look even better with some chives sprinkled on top, but, alas, no more fresh herbs for us until next Spring.  Our garden is dormant for the winter.

Have you ever noticed how many European dish patterns there are featuring fruit?  It must be derived from the centuries of still life paintings that European masters put on canvas.  I'm very fond of how they are depicted in this china.

Here's a sneak peek of the newly decorated bedroom.  Unfortunately, it's not completely finished yet.  There have been countless delays related to the pandemic.  More will be forthcoming in the coming months.  For now, I'm sitting down and enjoying my first breakfast ever in the bedroom!

John's Room Updated

The "before" pictures were taken on July 9, 2008.  We had just put in the flooring and freshened the room with paint and new bedding.  After four years, the comforter was looking a little ragged so we bought new bedding in preparation for my sister's visit this past summer, but since this was John's room, I dragged him to the store to pick it out.  It's been fascinating to watch the evolution of his taste and his flare for organization.  This room is so John.

2008 . . .  John's favorite color has always been green, but when we bought this bedding he was deep into green.  Everything had to be green, his blanket, his clothes, his backpack, his pencils . . . green, green, green . . . I was a little bored with it . . .

NOW . . .  While he still loves green, he's experimenting with other colors.  I almost fainted when he picked out this plaid quilt from Nautica.  I would have been O.K. with whatever he picked for his room, but, boy, am I glad he picked this one!  I really like it!  I have a weakness for both, quilts and plaid.

2008 . . .  This was the first room in the house to have the wider molding installed at the base of the wall.  It may seem like a little thing, but it really added a nice architectural touch to a bland, contemporary space.  Lee has slowly replaced the trim in most of the house now . . .

NOW . . . From IKEA - a two-shelf "Billy" bookcase that can also double as a nightstand.  John chose the black-brown finish.  The lamp is also from IKEA.

2008 . . .  This dresser was my husband's when he was a boy.  Besides the sentimental value, it was built so well that it will be around forever . . .

NOW . . .  The empty wall is now covered with a copper etching project that my son completed at school and a Macbeth poster from a recent production . . .

Here's a closeup of the copper etchings.  John also made the frame - an aluminum one with embossed marks that mimic the ones on his etchings.  It makes for a very finished work! 

2008 . . . The desk and study area are reflecting John's emerging interest in things oriental, with bamboo growing in a pot, green and red boxes placed together, chinese symbols for Harmony, Happiness, Serenity and Peace, framed in jade-green linen  . . .

NOW . . . I took these pictures after John left for college in August, so his printer is missing.  He's added bookcases from IKEA - the good ol' "BILLY" bookcases in black-brown . . .

He's also added a memento/vision board to the right of his desk . . .

Here's my favorite item from his board . . . It's a bumper sticker that at first glance reads "EARTH" but upon closer inspection you can pull out the word "ART" from its center. John is majoring in Fine Arts and Education. 

The green floating shelf has now been replaced with a black-brown shelf with brackets from IKEA.  The red pencil holder to the right, was one of John's first projects in clay . . .

He still has it now . . .  It reminds me of the John Hancock Building here in Chicago . . .

John even made the pulls for his ceiling fan.  He made the glass beads in his little basement workshop.

This room has been a haven and an art laboratory where John's tried out his latest interests.  While I'm happy and proud of what he's doing now, I miss him.  There's no way that such a strong, creative personality would not be missed.



I am participating in PHOTO OF THE DAY at Two Peas in a Bucket and METAMORPHOSIS MONDAY at Between Naps on the Porch.

This and That

The Easter lily has finally succumbed, but it brought us so much joy!

This year's plant was loaded with buds . . .

It bloomed and bloomed and bloomed . . .

Seventeen blooms!

We went to NIU to see our son and his work at an installation art exhibit.  The subject of his work was color and how humans make judgments based on cultural connections to color.  I told him that this picture of him reminded me a little of Che Guevara.  He said:  “Who's that?”  Goodness, I'm getting old!

We finished painting our bedroom!  The room went from Havana Cream yellow to Mountain Air blue . . . and we now have a lovely, smooth ceiling . . . the popcorn is gone!

The bedroom has a tall ceiling and it would be perfect for a beautiful chandelier, but then I'd have to give up the ceiling fan . . . I like having a ceiling fan, it really helps to circulate the air. It's nice when both form and function can be combined, but, for me, function has to come first . . .  We have wall controls for the fan, but I couldn't resist these swirly fan pulls.  It's like jewelry for the ceiling!

Today, for the first time, I pulled out the beautiful quilt my sons gave me for Mother's Day last year.  It has a muted palette that makes the room feel so restful!

Here's a shot of the little corner I call mine.  It has all the essentials:  Good reading light, my iPod, the Kindle, lots of pillows, an old, faded, comfortable chair . . . However, it's lacking . . . je ne sais quoi . . . style?

Once when I was a teenager, I became ill while visiting a friend of my mother's.  She took me into her bedroom to lie down and forever changed how I felt about bedrooms.  Her bed was soft and the scent of lilacs perfumed the air.  Her sheets were impeccably white and crisp.  The decorations were sparse, but she had just enough touches in the room to make it a pretty and very personal space.  I fell asleep and when I woke up, I felt better.  I've never forgotten that wonderful room. 

In recent years, we've gotten sidetracked with other projects, but seeing the freshly painted room and the lovely quilt has reminded me of how important it is to have a welcoming haven in which to read, pray, meditate and relax.  Now I'd like to try and recreate the feelings evoked by that calm and inviting room of long ago, and I hope you'll come along for the journey . . . stay tuned!

Yep. We're at it again . . .

Spiderman doesn't always wear a red, spidery outfit, didn't you know?  Sometimes, he wears good ol' jeans and a polo shirt that has seen better days . . . and he actually uses a ladder or two to get up high . . .

This is a shot of my bedroom today.  Lee has scraped off all the popcorn plaster that was part of the "builder special" finish that came with the house.  Now he's adding a thin layer of joint compound and re-taping all the edges . . . then sanding and smoothing things out so we can paint the ceiling . . .  I have the paint color all picked out:  It's called "Popcorn" by Behr.  Seriously.