Change of Plans

Well, weather caused us to change our plan to go north on the return to SLC. So we retraced the trip I'd made about a month ago and visited with friends the past two days, but I had to somehow work in some Frank Lloyd Wright time. So, I found a museum in Denver, Colorado that showcases some FLW works.

We visited the Kirkland Museum of Fine and Decorative Arts.  I had so much fun seeing pieces of furniture and art; in person; of the many designers I had learned about in school. I sat in a FLW chair and the windows were his designs too! I was sad to see that I had by 3 days missed the Eero Saarinen exhibit. Saarinen is said to have been the most prolific architect of the 20th century. He designed some of the most iconic buildings of his time before the age of 50. He designed the St. Louis Gateway Arch, which is where we were day before yesterday.

Looking forward to getting home for a little while, but am loving the traveling and exploring all of the history and beauty in our wonderful country! I am not on my own computer so I will post photos later, but check out the websites I've linked here. If you are a lover of art and design, you'd love a visit to these places!!

Wanted: Handy "Woman"*

must be able to spackle, putty, caulk, snap a chalk line, cut tile, clean, paint, do laundry, make daily trips to Lowe's, pick up groceries, pick up take-out, use a measuring tape, use a chop saw, belt sander, hand sander, jig saw, nail gun, hammer, chisel, dremmel (to repair the nails you break), stain, varnish, reupholster, assist grumpy old man, argue through the "creative process", see project through to completion and then repeat as necessary, pick out furniture and accessories, "decorate", load moving truck, unload moving truck, carry large dressers upstairs, repair scratched floors, repair damaged casegoods, ability to design creative solutions for storage, assemble ceiling fans, install light fixtures, sockets and light switches, and all other duties that come up in a day of "off the cuff" remodeling.


compensation package includes momma's cooking at every meal and a clean, comfy bed to sleep in.

bonus package includes spending time with wonderful parents and knowing that what we're doing now is going to be part of our family for generations to come!

got caught sitting down on the job!

*(this was not an actual job posting, it is the description of the position I've taken on here!)




(I'm wearing Daddy's sweatpants and sweatshirt because the "work clothes" I brought were not warm enough... I look like a giant tomato!)

Nell Hill's Inspired Towel Rack

On my drive from SLC to NC we stopped at Nell Hill's in Atchison, Kansas. I love stores like this! It just goes on and on and there are so many ideas to take home, even if you don't spend a lot of money, you can get inspiration to make projects of your own.

Just inside the front door I saw these wonderful iron hooks for $3/each that had been painted, they looked old and immediately I thought about making a coat or towel rack for Mom and Dad's house. I bought four of them and let the creative juices flow while I was wandering around the rest of the store.

Holiday decor made from old windows!

We (my friend Amy and I) loved that they had used old windows in so many neat ways! This holiday idea is just one of the many uses they had displayed. They had used them as shelves, wall hangings, candle holders, just so many things. So, my little wheels were turning and I decided to use an old window and the hooks to make a towel rack/mirror for the bathroom.

this is what we started with.

Amy knew of a place near her house where I could get an old window for $3, so I got the window in Tennessee to go with the hooks I got in Kansas. My dad had pieces of mirror in his outbuilding so all we had to do was get the mirror cut to size. (I even found the screws in Daddy's building that had the paint on them and they matched perfectly!)

 
We had to scrape off layers of old paint and remove some rusty hardware and add a narrow board to the bottom to make it wide enough to mount the hooks, but I think the final product turned out just great! We decided that we needed a way to know whose towel was whose, so we used an eyeliner pencil to write our names on the mirror above our towel, which can easily be wiped off, we used brown and it matches the bathroom! See what you think! We love it!

Stairway to "Heaven"

We've been trying to finish the last bits of several projects. We get sidetracked now and again and start another project without finishing up the one we had going. (ever do that?) So, we've put down shoe moulding and touched up paint and moved the furniture into the new stair landing, the last bit of this project was putting up the banisters. We built every component of the railings from "scraps" of wood and metal rods, we painted it and then assembled it. This was a time consuming and tedious job trying to line up each and every little rod and hold them in place and get the railing fastened, but the end result is awesome!

Mom and Dad's heavenly coffee spot!

This little landing area is where my parents dream of having their coffee in the mornings and watching birds in the spring and summer, the leaves changing in the fall and the snowfall in the winter. It's right outside their bedroom and we're putting a coffee maker here, so they don't even have to come down to the kitchen to get their morning brew!

As soon as we finished and set the furniture in, my dad said, "That's just like I saw it in my mind." He has "designed" the house in his mind, there have been no drawings or schematics to go by, just what he "sees" in his mind. And, except for the help of a few family members, he's done all of the work himself! I happen to think he's extremely talented to not only dream these things up, but to execute them so beautifully.

With almost every room in the house at some stage of completion, and not one fully complete, except the bathrooms, we've still taken the time and luxury of enjoying our first cup of coffee in this wonderful little nook that just a few months ago was just a dream in the mind of my dad! And for years to come it will be our little corner of "heaven".

Home Again

Back at my parents', working on the house. Making some progress, but not seeing large projects completed. It's amazing how many little projects are involved in every big one. I don't have any photos to share yet, but will be posting some in the next few days. Hope to have the stairs completed before the end of tomorrow! Today we built the banister components. We're building it all from "scraps" basically, and it is amazing, when you are as talented as my dad, what you can do with old wood. (the majority of the materials are reclaimed from an old building he tore down) Stay tuned for photos and more details about the stairs!

Talk amongst yourselves while I'm working here!

Looking for Adventure

Next week I'm heading back to North Carolina to help my parents with their house for another month. I'll be there until the week after Thanksgiving. I'm really excited to see where they have gotten while I was away and I'm excited to see what we can get done before the weather gets too cold! Maybe, one of the most exciting parts of this trip is that I'm driving! My "best-est" high school friend is flying out to SLC to make the drive back with me and along the way, we're hoping to find some great adventures! 

After Thanksgiving, my husband (who is flying out to NC for the holiday) and I will be driving back, and we're taking the "scenic" tour! (weather permitting, of course). We have some planned sights to see, and the rest we'll just play by ear. I do have a few spots that I plan to see and I wanted to share them with you. 

On the way out next week, we'll be stopping and shopping at Nell Hill's in Atchison, Kansas. If you're not familiar with Nell Hill's, click on the link and check out her online store, blog and decorating ideas.  I've attached the link to one of her books on Amazon.com, you can check out more of her books there as well. I'll definitely take tons of photos and post them here, wish you could all come along for the excitement!

 On the way back, we're planning to visit several states to which we've never been. My hope is to make it to Wisconsin to see some of Frank Lloyd Wright's work. I've always had a fascination for his work and the man himself, so it's a dream... hopefully the weather will be nice enough for us to make it. If you are not familiar with Frank's work or design philosophies, I highly recommend checking him out. 

And, if you're not as interested in his design as his life story and a bit of a sordid love affair, then check out Loving Frank a novel by NancyHoran. ( I guess you now can tell just how much I am fascinated with this man!) 

This next several weeks is all about my favorite passions: great friends (Amy, Lenore & Connie), decorating & design (Nell Hill's, Frank Lloyd Wright), remodeling/repurposing (and doing it with parents is an added bonus), travel and reading (I'll be reading on my blackberry & iPod with Kindle) and of course, blogging* about it all. 

*You can also follow me on twitter @designingprose and on facebook @ Regeneration Interiors! 

"I need a volunteer..."

I'm looking for someone who would like to have their home featured on my blog! I want to see what you've done and find out how you did it!

If you remodeled, redesigned or redecorated your home and you have before and after photos, then you are who I'm looking for!

If you haven't started yet, but are embarking on a big remodel, or small redecorating job, then you are who I'm looking for! We can get ideas from readers, I'll share my experiences with you to help you get your project completed!

The idea here is to discuss style, color, design and processes. I don't care if you live in a tiny studio apartment, a cottage or a mansion, I'm interested in how you decided what to put in your spaces and then if you are happy with the outcome!

I want to talk about your lifestyle and how your home reflects who you are and then share some of the secrets you used to get your look! Please join in on the fun and share you home and ideas with the rest of us!

Email me at thedesigningprose@gmail.com or message me on facebook at Regeneration Interiors!