From the monthly archives: February 2012
Hello me little leprechauns!
Do you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in your parts? ’Paddy’s Day’ (as we call it here) is HUGE where I come from. Our history and culture is strongly connected to Ireland, so it’s a pretty big deal here.
Newfoundland has been described, with little fear of contradiction, as the most Irish place in the world outside of Ireland. To this beautiful yet forbidding land…the Irish brought their surnames and place names, their Gaelic games and language, their folklore, music and religion.” Source
St. Patrick’s Day is always celebrated on the nearest Monday to March 17 each year. That means it’s coming up in a couple of weeks.
I wanted to add a little nod to St. Patrick’s Day in our home. So I decided to create some printables that I could frame. I’ll be putting them in white frames.
And guess what? You can too! I’m sharing them with you here completely FREE. No catch! It’s my little gift to you!
All you have to do is right-click on the really large images down below, and then save them to your computer. Then you can print them out and do with them what you wish.
The first two printables are based on old Irish blessings. I couldn’t choose which one to use, so I made both. The sentiment in each is equally lovely! I think they’d make great wall art any time of the year.
The third one is just fun 
.
If you’re a pinner, I’d love it if you’d share these with your followers! The more the merrier!
Since this is my first experiment with creating printables, please don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any trouble printing them. I’ll admit, I’m a little technologically-challenged .
Until next time,
Kerri
Printable #1: May the Road Rise Up…
Printable #2: May Flowers Always Line Your Path
Printable #3: Kiss Me, I’m Irish {Today}
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I spent Friday evening putting the living room back together after the week of painting.
In case you missed last week’s posts, we just painted the living room with Benjamin Moore’s Woodlawn Blue and Navajo White. It used to be a green-beige color (Kalahari Beige by SICO). I can’t tell you how much better this feels! (Click here to see the before pics).
I still haven’t put my drapes back up, or put anything back up on the walls. To tell you the truth, I am LOVING the bareness. I know, I know…for a gallery wall freak like me, that’s really something. There used to be 30 pictures above the sofa…now nothing!
But the bare walls make the room feel soooo quiet and peaceful. And believe me, after a day with 2-year old twin boys, I need all the peace and quiet that I can get!
I’m not sure if I’ll go back to a gallery wall in this room. I loved it, but it doesn’t seem like it would work as well now. The colors are very serene…so why add extra ‘noise’?
We are waiting to review some family portraits this week that we had taken before Christmas, so eventually, we may hang some of those photos in b&w in here. But for now, I’m just enjoying my naked walls. It’s such a big change from before; but a surprisingly welcome one.
Next, we’re on to the kitchen, which is directly across from this room (its open concept). For the walls with our white kitchen cabinets (click here to see that space), I decided on a gray with a hint of brown/taupe from Benjamin Moore. It’s called Silver Fox. I think its going to look good, but you never can tell until that first coat goes on! I’ll show you how it goes over the next few days!
Have a great Monday.
Kerri
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My “Saturday Swoon” this weekend is seriously GORGEOUS.
I came across this stunning South Carolina home yesterday on Houzz.com. It is originally credited to Julia at the blog Pawleys Island Posh. I’m not sure if it’s because we painted our own living room blue and cream this week, but my heart literally skipped a beat when stumbled on this photo. I’m sure I would have fallen for it anyway, as I’ve always been a huge fan of toile, and of watery blues and creams.
Source: houzz.com via Kerri Roche – A Pop of Pretty on Pinterest
This room is so serene and sophisticated, yet it’s modern and youthful at the same time. The zebra-patterned lumbars are completely unexpected, and they give the room a big dose of personality!
Source: houzz.com via Kerri Roche – A Pop of Pretty on Pinterest
There’s a full house tour over at Pawleys Island Posh which includes a very pretty nursery! You can find more eye candy from this lovely home by clicking here.
Enjoy the Oscars!
Kerri
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You know a decorating trend has gone mainstream when you spot it at HomeSense (or its American equivalent , HomeGoods)! The other day, during my near-weekly stroll through HomeSense (um, yes, I’m an addict…don’t judge, lol), I spotted a bunch of storage bins covered in pastel Ikat fabric.
I know that Ikat decor has been described as ‘trendy’ for a year or two in fashion-forward blogs and mags – and its been on the shelves for awhile at places like Anthropologie. But, until recently, I hadn’t seen it in any great volume at mainstream stores. But now it seems to be everywhere.
Ikat 101
Ikat’s been around for centuries, and is thought to be one of the oldest weaving techniques of all time. Ikat (or , or Ikkat) is a dyeing technique used to pattern textiles that uses a resist dyeing process similar to tie-dye. The defining characteristic of Ikat is the dyeing of patterns into the threads before the weaving of the fabric takes place. (Source: Wikipedia). The result is a soft, watery, free-flowing effect.
Ikat was has been in vogue at different times throughout history, most notably in the 80s and again in the last few years. ”Given it’s lengthy, well-documented, well-distributed history, it’s safe to say that Ikat isn’t a ‘new’ trend per se, but an ancient ritual unearthed and reinvented by designers seeking to infuse their collections with a sense of worldliness, of glamorous globetrotting. Because of the fabric’s diverse history, it’s versatility comes as no surprise. Ikat can be exotic, luxurious, ethnic, earthy, posh, and bohemian.” Source: Ikat, Ikat Everywhere: Miami Fashion Blog, July 2011
I like a good decor trend like the rest of you, but I’m not loving Ikat. Being a child of the 80s (or at least a teenager, lol), it feels a little dated to me. (And, not in a good way.) I do like the ethnic, bohemian vibe of Ikat, but I’m just not a fan of fussy pattern. I talked a little about my aversion to small-scale florals awhile back.
Nope, I’m more of a big bold stripes kind of girl. I like graphic patterns with strong, clean lines. It must be my overly-analytical, Type A brain that craves strength and order. I can even handle a large-scale mod floral if its got some discipline to it. But the soft, loosey-goosey effect of most Ikat patterns is just something that my brain doesn’t process well.
I think I could handle it in small doses or in neutrals like in this gorgeous room.
Photo credits to: Lauren Muse, Muse Interiors. Sourced via Houzz.com.
Or even in as a bright pop of pink, as long as its was in a simple, 2-toned pattern like these chairs …
Photo credits to: Armonia Decors by Emily Ruddo. Sourced via Houzz.com
And, well, if the Ikat was in a watery turquoise like here, I’d love it ‘just because’…
Photo credits to JMA INTERIOR DECORATION. Sourced via Houzz.com.
But under any other scenario, I think I’d pass.
While I might enjoy it for a visit, my brain just wouldn’t do well long-term in a room like this…
Source: Houzz.com
For me, the trick to enjoying Ikat would be simplistic pattern in small doses, against an otherwise quiet, neutral backdrop. Kinda goes against the whole raison d’etre of ikat, though doesn’t it?
How about you? Are you hot on Ikat, or is this one trend you’re cool with skipping?
Until next time,
Kerri
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You know me, I love gallery walls!
My living room gallery wall, before we started painting.
But despite my adoration of gallery walls, they do have an ugly side.
Apparently, that ugly side only reveals itself when you disassemble it.
If you have a gallery wall in your home like me, then you’ll relate to the little row of 3 pictures that didn’t line up quite right the first time…
- so you hammer another 3 holes because, well, who’s gonna see it anyway…
- and then later, you decide you don’t like that little row of pictures, so you change it again, and none of the first 6 holes will work…
- so then you say, what the heck, what’s another hole, the wall already looks like swiss cheese, so you hammer a 7th hole…
- only to discover that the new picture doesn’t look quite right there after all…
- so then you decide to put 2 pictures there instead of that one, and you hammer the 8th and 9th hole.
- Then you repeat. (Another section of the wall needs to be changed, and, well, now you’re a ninja and any hammering inhibitions you once had are now toast).
Before you know it, the hole to art ratio is at least 4:1, and when you finally re-paint the room, it ends up looking like this…
Seriously, I persuaded myself that I had butchered the wall beyond repair.
So when we started to re-paint our main living area the other day (click to see that post), I had convinced my Dad (who is painting for us) that he would need to fill at least 57,491 holes before any painting could begin. I think I even left the house when he started to fill the holes, lol.
But here’s the encouraging part! It wasn’t so bad after all. Yes, there were A LOT of holes. But not nearly as many as I had imagined. And they were pretty easily and quickly repaired with nail filler and paint (and a fantastic dad).
Seeing that nice, perfectly repaired wall up there reminds me of one of my favorite blog posts by one of my favorite home decor bloggers, Nester. In it she says,
“A nail hole doesn’t represent something broken that needs to be repaired, it represents opportunity and just about the lowest entry level risk taking possible in life besides getting no whip on your coffee or something. Please, for the love of all that is lovely don’t be afraid to make a nail hole. Whether you are a templater or not, just make the hole, hang the art, I beg of you.” Source: Nester
So, while, yes, there is an ugly side of gallery walls, it’s a very short-lived one.
And, seeing the ugly side wouldn’t prevent me from nailing another 100+ holes in this wall again if it means the result will be a great art display. (EEEK…I just hope my Dad isn’t reading this, lol.)
Need more persuasion? Check out my Pinterest folder of inspiring gallery walls and collections: click here.
Catch you next time,
Kerri
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We started painting our main living area with Benjamin Moore’s Woodlawn Blue this week.
OK, so I use the term ‘we’ loosely. We enrolled my dad. He’s a master painter extraordinaire. Does taking photos of him painting while I drink coffee count as ‘we’, lol?
I’ve had a major crush on Benjamin Moore, Woodlawn Blue (HC-147) for awhile now. So when we purchased new living room furniture last summer, I chose a chocolate brown sofa set and a blue patterned accent chair with plans to eventually change the color scheme to somehow incorporate this wall color.
I can’t tell you how happy I am with the Woodlawn Blue so far. I will caution you, though, that it looks entirely different depending on the time of day. In the morning, when this room gets a lot of light, Woodlawn Blue appears more aqua-ish, and in the evening, more gray. Luckily, I’m happy with all its different personalities!
It seems like Woodlawn Blue will look amazing with chocolate brown in any kind of light. It even makes our hardwood floors look like a deeper shade of brown than our original beige/green (SICO Kalahari Beige) walls did. The magical powers of paint!
Another bonus…the painting kept our boys entertained for a full hour yesterday. They adore their “Boppy” (the name all the grandkids call my dad), and I think that watching him ‘color the walls’ was fascinating. I’m just hoping that they don’t get the same idea, lol.
Of course, it doesn’t help that Boppy had some fun with them…
So, Boppy, if you’re back re-painting baby scribbles in a month, you only have yourself to blame, lol…
Next, we’re on to the creamy white walls. (See there’s that ‘we’ again!) I chose Navajo White. Benjamin Moore describes Navajo White as “a timeless shade of creamy white with a generous dose of yellow, navajo white is a reliable choice to warm up cool-hued walls and indoor and outdoor trim”. Let’s hope!
Thinking about going blue too? Here’s some designer favorites from Style at Home: Designer Faves – Blue.
PS – Colors will always appear differently on your computer screen than they do in real life. They might also look different in my rooms than yours. So make sure you test paint colors in your own spaces before committing to them!
Until next time,
Kerri
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I must be living on another planet! Although it was announced in late 2011, I only recently learned that, as of March 1st, Google Friend Connect (GFC) subscriptions will no longer work for blogs that aren’t hosted on Google’s Blogger. Unfortunately, it applies to me as I moved my blog from Blogger to WordPress last year. (Apparently, its part of Google’s big ‘strategy’ to force more of us bloggers over onto Google+. )
So what does it all mean?
If you didn’t subscribe to my blog by clicking on Google Friend Connect (that big box of smiling faces in my sidebar), then it won’t impact you at all. In fact, you don’t even need to continue reading this post. Luckily, most of my followers are in this group. Phew!
But if you did subscribe through Google Friend Connect – and most of my longest blog followers and other bloggers following me are in this category – it means that after March 1st my blog posts will no longer show up in your Google Reader. (Gee, thanks a lot Google, you stinkers.) And, sadly, the cute subscriber box with your 245 smiling faces is now gone from my sidebar since I can no longer offer GFC as a subscription option.
What to do?
Luckily, there’s a super easy solution that will take just seconds. I know you are all super-duper busy, and this is a big giant pain in the bum, but I don’t want to lose you! PLEASE, pretty PLEASE, I would appreciate it soooooo much if you’d take a quick moment to….
Click the orange button below.
When prompted, choose ‘Google+’, then ‘Google Reader’.
Voila, you’ll keep on getting my posts in Google Reader as usual!
The same thing applies to any other non-Blogger blogs you follow in Google Reader that were subscribed to via Google Friend Connect. Come March 1st, you may find that many of your favorite blogs are no longer appearing in Google Reader. Before that happens, I’d encourage you to change your method of subscription to these blogs as well.
I know, I know – how in the heck can you remember how you subscribed to these blogs? Many of us have been following blogs for years. Personally, I follow over a hundred home decor blogs, and I’ve subscribed to them different ways. What a nightmare.
The other confusing thing is that its often hard to tell whether a blog is hosted on Blogger or on WordPress or another platform. A big clue that it isn’t a ‘Blogger’ blog is when the web domain address does not have the word ‘blogspot’ in it (although this doesn’t always hold true).
All in all, it’s gonna be messy for awhile.
Anybody have any advice for quick fixes? Please share!!
Thanks so much. I appreciate every one of you!
Kerri
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Welcome to A Pop of Pretty, a Canadian home decorating blog that chronicles my love of home decor and pretty things. I'm out to prove (mostly to myself!) that a pretty home is still possible amid the circus of 3 young kids, including twin toddlers. {More...}
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