Ms. Terri set me a challenge today. Since I don't have much confidence in the area of color and pattern, she suggested I start to save pictures of things I like stylistically.
The biggest problem is, even though I know what I like when I see it, I have a hard time creating it. There's a certain balance point that is reached, decoratively, that if passed leaves the realm of visually appealing and enters the realm of junky and cluttered. I am a pack rat. A horrible horrible pack rat. I don't have much of an eye for style or arrangement, even if I do know what I like.
I've discovered some things about my tastes that, even though I am aware of them, seeing them laid out in a panorama of pictures all over the computer screen brings them into sharper detail. For example: I don't particularly like intense colors. At least, not most of them. I have an aversion for perfection. I don't like right angles. I'd be happier with a mossy rock and a barrel than a wingback chair. I don't care much for upholstery. I want my furniture cracked, scuffed, chipped, and peeling. I think galvanized tin and old soda pop bottles are pretty. I'd rather have "weeds" in my flower box than roses, and I think a flower box made of an old wooden crate or an old tire is perfectly acceptable. I like rust. I like contrasting textures. I don't like visible reminders of technology. I don't like modern light fixtures. I don't like visible wall sockets, televisions, etc. I like lamps, hanging fixtures that are candle or lantern like. I like warm, yellow, or golden light.
I still don't really know what I like fabric-wise. I've been looking. I just don't see much I like. I like burlap. Does that count? I like gingham. I like solid colors. I like plaid. If I have to pick colors... do I have to pick colors? I like colors that I can find in places humans haven't touched. But I've discovered there's a certain limitation to that. I don't mean colors you can find in the Amazon. I like colors from environments I like, environments where I've been happy. I don't like the colors at the beach. I don't like the colors from the tropics. I like colors from the mountains and the north. The crazy intense blue the sky turns in winter in the mountains. The sort of dusty green of lichen, or the emerald green of moss. All the warm and wonderful browns of rocks and dirt and trees and wood. The bashful lavender of lupine and snapdragons, or the warm combination of gold, brown, and green in brown-eyed Susans. The bright red of a male cardinal, and the titmouse's muted silvery gray.
I wish I were better with plants. I want the outside on the inside. I want to be able to come home and feel like I've gone to the mountains and the woods, instead of feeling like I'm in the middle of a neighborhood. I want to feel separate, secluded, isolated, safe and at ease. What I really need to find is a combination of smells that put me in mind of fresh dark earth, crumbling leaves, wild things, and wide open spaces.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Thursday, June 2, 2011
The Hunt
Ugh... Today was frustrating. I'm trying to fix my husband's motorcycle for him before he gets back. He'd already gotten some work done on it, but was unable to find a total exhaust system. There were lots of partials, but partial just wasn't going to cut it. I found one. I've installed it. Rawr!! (I'm not a gear-head by any stretch, so this was a huge accomplishment to me!) I've replaced all the bits and pieces I had to take off to replace the exhaust, and now I'm working on finding bits and pieces that were never there.
I went to several different places looking for some handlebar risers. They're not a very complicated part. It looks like a pair of C's, with studs that go through holes bored on opposite sides to create a complete circle. The handle bars that were on it are bent, and my dad isn't able to straighten them out. But, he's going to let me have a set of aftermarket bars, if I can find the parts to mount the dang things. Which, so far I haven't. I started my hunt in Macon, since I had to go there for a dentist appointment anyway, continued the hunt through Warner Robins, and Byron. Nada. Zilch. Zero. Grrrrrrr. The Yamaha place can't even order me any. I was able to put some various bolts, nuts, cloches and other gizmos on order. Grand total to finish putting the brakes back together was $20. So, that wasn't so bad. I just hope the parts get in town before he and I get out of town.
To top it off, I got a piece of bad news right at the end of the day. As I was leaving the final shop I intended to check before starting the long drive home, I got an e-mail from the Cpt. I'd contacted about being able to actually carry out my Hero Cookie idea. That's a Big. Fat. Negative. *sad panda face* I'm still going to take the cookies and the tray, but I won't be able to take them in to the homecoming area. So, the big, silly, dorky surprise that I was going to pull isn't going to be quite as much fun. I've got some bunting and other stuff, so I'll incorporate the Hero Cookie tray into the decorations I put up in the hotel room I snag when I get there. But it still put a further damper on my otherwise low spirits.
There was one highlight of this otherwise long, exasperating and fruitless day. On a lark, since I was in the area, I popped in at Kitchen Connection in the Peach Outlets. They have some of the most fun goodies and gadgets. I can spend hours wandering around in there, even though the shop isn't very big. Most of the time, you can find the exact same things they sell at places like Bed, Bath, & Beyond or other rather pricey home stores for *much* lower prices.
I mentioned a stand mixer the last time I popped in over here.
I found one. A good one. A $350 one. For $199. *hop hop* I was so excited, I had to call Ms. Terri as soon as I left the store to tell her about it! While I was there, I also ran across a thermometer with a clip on it, which I've been looking for every time I'm anywhere with cooking gizmos but haven't seen until today. I'm hoping to try my hand at making yogurt. B says he isn't overly fond of it, but he tries to eat at least one serving a day. I bet he'd like it just fine chock full of blueberries. The boy loves blueberries...
Sorry, sidetracked. I really can't wait to see him!
I'm stalled on two of my three projects (the table and the bike), and the one project I've successfully finished to my satisfaction has kind of had some of the wind stolen from its sails. But it'll just have to get tweaked. However, the other two have me pretty much stumped.
I'm going to go smile at my stand mixer, maybe pet it a few times and try to think of a name for her. She has to be a she, I think. I'm thinking I might call her Asimee. It's pretty, as well as pretty unoriginal, but it suits her. It's Greek for silver. Well, maybe it's a close approximation, anyways.
I went to several different places looking for some handlebar risers. They're not a very complicated part. It looks like a pair of C's, with studs that go through holes bored on opposite sides to create a complete circle. The handle bars that were on it are bent, and my dad isn't able to straighten them out. But, he's going to let me have a set of aftermarket bars, if I can find the parts to mount the dang things. Which, so far I haven't. I started my hunt in Macon, since I had to go there for a dentist appointment anyway, continued the hunt through Warner Robins, and Byron. Nada. Zilch. Zero. Grrrrrrr. The Yamaha place can't even order me any. I was able to put some various bolts, nuts, cloches and other gizmos on order. Grand total to finish putting the brakes back together was $20. So, that wasn't so bad. I just hope the parts get in town before he and I get out of town.
To top it off, I got a piece of bad news right at the end of the day. As I was leaving the final shop I intended to check before starting the long drive home, I got an e-mail from the Cpt. I'd contacted about being able to actually carry out my Hero Cookie idea. That's a Big. Fat. Negative. *sad panda face* I'm still going to take the cookies and the tray, but I won't be able to take them in to the homecoming area. So, the big, silly, dorky surprise that I was going to pull isn't going to be quite as much fun. I've got some bunting and other stuff, so I'll incorporate the Hero Cookie tray into the decorations I put up in the hotel room I snag when I get there. But it still put a further damper on my otherwise low spirits.
There was one highlight of this otherwise long, exasperating and fruitless day. On a lark, since I was in the area, I popped in at Kitchen Connection in the Peach Outlets. They have some of the most fun goodies and gadgets. I can spend hours wandering around in there, even though the shop isn't very big. Most of the time, you can find the exact same things they sell at places like Bed, Bath, & Beyond or other rather pricey home stores for *much* lower prices.
I mentioned a stand mixer the last time I popped in over here.
I found one. A good one. A $350 one. For $199. *hop hop* I was so excited, I had to call Ms. Terri as soon as I left the store to tell her about it! While I was there, I also ran across a thermometer with a clip on it, which I've been looking for every time I'm anywhere with cooking gizmos but haven't seen until today. I'm hoping to try my hand at making yogurt. B says he isn't overly fond of it, but he tries to eat at least one serving a day. I bet he'd like it just fine chock full of blueberries. The boy loves blueberries...
Sorry, sidetracked. I really can't wait to see him!
I'm stalled on two of my three projects (the table and the bike), and the one project I've successfully finished to my satisfaction has kind of had some of the wind stolen from its sails. But it'll just have to get tweaked. However, the other two have me pretty much stumped.
I'm going to go smile at my stand mixer, maybe pet it a few times and try to think of a name for her. She has to be a she, I think. I'm thinking I might call her Asimee. It's pretty, as well as pretty unoriginal, but it suits her. It's Greek for silver. Well, maybe it's a close approximation, anyways.
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