This is my sewing machine.  It is old, old, old.  My husband bought it for me on EBay.  I am guessing it was made in the 60′s from the look of the manual.  It is an excellent sewing machine though.  It is well made and always reliable, and it gets the job done.  I don’t particularly like sewing and I’m not especially good at it either, but it is a means to an end, custom drapes that I can actually afford.  Here I am making new burlap drapes for my living room (see here and here for other drapes I’ve made).  I’ve made several sets of drapes because they are quick and easy to make.  They are also one of the cheapest (if you shop bargain basement fabrics like I do) ways to change the entire feel of a room.

      After I started design school, I realized why I didn’t like what I didn’t like in my house.  I have spent the last year changing things, mostly paint colors.  I have changed a few accessories.  I got rid of what I didn’t like, added things I do like and regrouped everything else.  Now I am happy with my house (except for the flooring, white flooring + four kids = unhappy Mom).  This painting is one of the accessories I have added recently.  My husband and I just adore it, so I put it in our bedroom.  It adds that touch of serenity we need.  Perfect antidote to scrubbing grape juice out of white carpet.

     My son wanted a more grown up color palette for his new room.  We decided to go with gray and black with a touch of orange.  His bed is in a recessed niche so I painted that wall black.  The rest of the walls are gray.  I carried orange around the room in accessories.  He likes modern so we went with lighting from Ikea.  I just love the warm glow this light throws around the room and I love the play of the texture against the glossy black paint.

     I’ve always thought this chair was okay.  It’s not my idea of gorgeous and it’s not particularly comfortable.  It is however well-made and it does fit in well with everything in my home (yes, I have had it in every room at one point or another).  It is now in my family room.  I added this pillow last week and now I can’t get enough of it.  I am amazed at how much a little tweak can change a whole room.