Inspiration

Annandale, Virginia | Spring 2012

I have to admit that I have a lot of blogs in my feed reader. I love reading them and getting a little bit of a glimpse into other people's lives. I have my political blogs, homeschool blogs, photography blogs, and my decorating/organizational blogs. As I go through different phases, I gravitate more or less to the different areas. 

Lately, I have been focused more on my decorating/organizing blogs. This past year I have been doing a lot of work with a wonderful organizer (who has become a good friend) and really cleaning out and changing up the house. I will definitely be writing on that more later because it has been such an incredible experience. 

I find that my decorating blogs seem to fall into two categories...the first seems to be very "rah rah, be brave, be empowered, be vulnerable, follow your heart, find your passion, be you!" These are decorating blogs by women who seem to have found their calling and are trying to "build their brand" and actively encourage others. Now don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with that and I still enjoy them, but I have realized that they are starting to sound quite similar. I swear it seems as if everyone out in blog land is "trying to find their true selves." But if I enjoy the projects and like the style, then I will stick around. Not sure why I have become a bit jaded by this recently, but hey, it is where I am right now.

Then there are the blogs which really seem to be mostly about sharing their passion because it is something that they love to do. One of those blogs is Young House Love which I have been following for a couple of years now. I discovered them awhile ago and especially love that they are here in Virginia, just a couple of hours away, down in Richmond. What I especially love about them is that they live in an everyday rambler and shop in every day places. They do big and little projects, but it is all very doable. I love their clean sense of style and it has given me lots of ideas to use in my house. I have learned a lot about style, picking paint colors, and other simple tricks to make a house feel like a more pulled together home. They just seem very down to earth, sharing what they know and have learned, but not trying to "help me find myself." I appreciate that.

My lastest blog obsession however has been with My Old Country House. I just discovered Lesli and I was so taken by her approach that I just had to read through all her back archives. This has become my treat before bed...I snuggle up with my ipad and scroll through her posts, enjoying the eye candy, absorbing how she uses color and how much she just plays around. I now have a mental list of all the things I want to paint and changes I want to make to my house.

I absolutely love her use of color and how often she changes it up...she paints and repaints her furniture and her walls (!) often and has made me realize that I need to get over my fear of "making a decision" when it comes to paint color. I also love the transformations she is able to achieve...much of her furniture has come second hand and given a second life. Now if I can just find as good and affordable an upholsterer around here as she has out by her I would be set.

Interestingly enough, she is also a fellow Virginian, living out near Charlottesville. Again, I think that what I am drawn to with her is her genuineness. You can tell that she truly loves decorating and playing with color. And she is sharing that love with us, not because she is trying to "inspire" us or teach us anything, but rather because she just plain loves it. She is also an artist and does the most amazing custom pet portraits. I am definitely considering getting one of Jez and Ellie (but am also feeling guilty for leaving out Sammie and Lapis, so we will see...)

So that is where I am getting my inspiration lately. Hope you enjoy!