Around the house...

Do you ever find yourself curious about the interior spaces and decor of other people's houses? I do and always have. After reading this article in Salon, Chasing Down A Dream House I realized that I'm not alone. Here's an excerpt from the author Meghan Daum's new book:  "Life Would Be Perfect If I Lived in That House." It made me think of when my sister and I would get out all of our Barbie stuff, but half the time never get to actually playing with the Barbies, just putting together their houses! 


"The person I am is a person obsessed with domestic spaces. Since I was a little girl I've been mesmerized with the endogenous world, with hallways and staircases and fireplace mantels, with the inside of things. Panoramic eggs, with their tiny, sugary scenes inside the peephole, were pure magic. I loved dollhouses (not the dolls, though) and at 5 and 6 built my own mini architecturals out of Saran wrap and record jackets. Any excuse to make a diorama, to turn a shoebox into a miniature re-creation of Valley Forge or grassy mastodon habitat, was seized with the enthusiasm of someone who would grow up to be a set designer, or at least a professional decorator. But I grew up to be neither of these. Instead, the salient feeling of my adult life is that of being pulled in opposite directions by two warring sides of myself: the nester and the transient. I want to settle down, sure, but I want to settle down everywhere."


Here's some peeks of some of the things around our house that make me feel at home....

I put these yellow wooden ducks on our wedding registry even though I knew we didn't really need them. I must say, they were and still are one of my favorite wedding gifts! My friend Lindsey gave us the little chicky (who we call Benjamin) perfect for our current family of 3!  This red chair is a one-of-a kind find from TJ Maxx in Illinois. I didn't have a car while living in Chicago, but a friend of mine was nice enough to drive me to the suburbs to pick up some things for my new apt. Its always stood alone, but its red friendly color really ads that nice pop in the corner of our kitchen/dining area.

Another TJ Maxx find! I love the look of Pierre Deux, but found these for MUCH cheaper (they don't look THIS orange in person...thinking it was the lighting from the camera flash). 

This is one of my treasures from the antique store Emilee Jayne in SLC that I'm ALWAYS raving about. I see lots of scroll iron hangings, but this one is SOLID iron. It was a pain to hang, but has a real authentic look to it.

This vase is also from Emilee Jaynes. I use it to hide the remote controls! This ribbon hanging is also solid iron. I just love little romantic touches here and there. It along with the scroll hook on the right are from anthropologie.