Tablescape in progress
I love a lazy Saturday. One blissfully unencumbered by plans or deadlines. I did have rather a restless night last night. I woke up around 2:00am because it was about 97 degrees in our bedroom. I kicked off all the covers and in doing so woke up Rick who pulled them back up to his chin, shivering. Then as we are laying there we hear the most inhuman sound coming from the field below the house. "What the hell was that?" Rick just shakes his head, no idea at all. Whatever it is it sounds again. "Do we have howler monkeys around here?" Then the phone rings and both of us jump. Seems the howler monkey is calling us at 2:00am. Well whoever it was they didn’t say anything on the other end of the line. Yep. Nice restful night.
So I’m a bit sleepy this morning and so far I’ve just managed to eat some toast and peruse the Amazon decorating book section. As I’m tossing books into my shopping cart (for further inspection – I find it easier to put things in there and then go back and decide which books I really want) I notice a definite trend in my decorating style. I have no trend. I like it all. Our house would be chaotic if I had all the different styles represented.
I like cottage, I like craftsman, romantic, shabby, traditional, Japanese, Tuscan Villa, French countryside, French cityside – you name it I can find something about it I like.
I suppose that if I was pressed I could get it down to two distinct styles; cottage with it’s creamy tones and faded florally charm and Parisian apartment. You know – watery blue silk curtains, old crystal chandeliers, ornate moldings.
I don’t know why I’m surprised by my decorating indecisiveness; back in my early 20’s my dream was to own a ten bedroom bed and breakfast and decorate each room differently. That was until I figured out how back breakingly hard running a B & B is. How always ‘on’ you have to be. I suppose I could change my fantasy to just being the decorator for said B & B.
For now I’ll just be content to pile books into my cart. Here are a few that I found interesting.
The Paris Apartment by Claudia Strasser. Most of the complaints in the reader reviews are that most landlords wouldn’t allow their tenants to put up fancy moldings and painted murals. But since I don’t actually live in a apartment and the only buy in I have to get is from Rick I think this book will actually make it from my shopping cart into my hands.
Romantic Style by Better Homes and Garden. This is out of print but there are used copies available. I actually bought this book from a used book seller. It is FULL of beautiful photographs. This book appeals to me because you can pretty much take any style of decorating and make it romantic and the book shows you that.
Celebrating Home by Seasons of Cannon Falls. I admit to being a bit put off by a book by the purveyors of seasonal decoration and home accents but after reading the reviews this looks like an interesting book. They show the same rooms in a gorgeous home decorated for different seasons.
Now you’ll have to excuse me while I finish up my tablescape. I am so over the Halloween theme I had and wanted something not quite Christmasy but still a little sparkly. So far I’ve got candles, sparkly pears and a pretty faux bird in a gilded cage. It needs greenery me thinks. Maybe a howler monkey.