The Courage of NieNie

Watching TV is not something I do a lot, but I was grateful that I turned it on one night last week . . . to be able to view a heartbreaking but truly amazing story of a young woman's courage in the face of unimaginable tragedy.  Her name is Stephanie Nielson . . . and when and if you watch her story,  I know you will be touched as I was.  


Her life as a young mother was literally filled to the brim.  As a vibrant, beautiful and super creative mother of four, loving wife, and, for those who follow the blogosphere, an amazingly talented writer,  NieNie's story of survival and subsequent road to recovery after a devastating plane crash in 2008 is nothing short of miraculous.  Aired on abc's 20/20: http://abc.go.com/watch/2020/SH559026/VD55126905/2020-513-plane-crash-survivor

Stephanie's blog, NieNie Dialogues, continues after a very long hiatus and her spirit is unbelievably inspiring.  The love and support of her family, friends and fans is a very beautiful thing.  You can visit her blog here:http://nieniedialogues.blogspot.com/

Isn't this a great family wall?  I wish I had thought of something like this when my kids were growing up.

image from Anthropologie

Interesting.  Leave it to Anthro's fab designers to come up with something SO creative using cork.  I'd do this one in all whites for pure texture.

Another great wall design . . . created by one of our Switch customers.  Very organic vibe, lots of texture, and looks stunning on the wall behind her dining table!  It's HUGE and represents so many great memories of dinners with family & friends.  Love this Lynne! 

Yay!  Family . . . celebrations . . . Mary & I are off to the last of our girls' college graduations today. Bittersweet, but we couldn't be prouder of them!  The shop will be closed, but we'll be back on Thursday . . . stop by when you can!




Hoping for sun soon . . . have a great day.

Mother's Day Thank You

Thinking about my own dear Mom is something I don't need a special day for, she is with me always, but it is so nice to have one day set aside to honor her and all the great moms past and present, who have given so freely to their children.  Love you all & thank you.

Mother's Day is always one of my very favorite days . . . thanks to my wonderful kids and husband who always make it so special.  This year, the biggest gift I could have received was all the kids coming home and spending the day with me making sense of the chaos that is my house these last few weeks!  Organizing stuff, emptying out cabinets, moving furniture, and generally putting some rooms back into place was a welcome relief and soooo much appreciated.


For as long as I can remember, two things always happen right on Mother's Day. 

The white azeleas in the front garden come into full bloom . . . 

. . . and the blue Forget-Me-Nots in my quiet Mary Garden explode with color.  


May just has to be considered in the top 3 as far as glorious color.  It's everywhere, and what better decorating inspiration for the upcoming warmer months than looking just as far as your eye can see right now.  

Lush new greens of every tone, the soft pinks of dogwood and magnolia, cool blue iris and lavender lilac, and, of course the range of whites in azaleas, hydrangeas, not to mention the spectacular show of flowering trees.

image from Lonniemag.com 

An amazing Bohemian bed dressed in the cool blues of spring . . . 

image from lonnymag.com

Just a few touches of green here on the floor and in the vase bring new freshness to a neutral palette. 

image Better Homes & Gardens

Bringing in just this one pop of violet makes the room sing.  This is so easy to do with a white or neutral wall as a backdrop.

We've got lots of color going on in the shop now as well . . . 

Greens

Blues

And as always, lots of whites to mix in . . . 

Hoping you will get to enjoy some of this gorgeously beautiful day!

Loving Whites

Lately I have been obsessed with whites.  It started last year, when I purchased tons of beautiful white pitchers and white hydrangeas for my daughters best friend's Bridal Shower, which I had in my home.  It was a Breakfast at Tiffany's Theme, and although my house does not resemble the famous luxury shop in any way, we had a blast theming it out with their famous Tiffany Blue palette and Holly Golightly props.

Tasha looks so happy & so were we!  I used lots of white throughout . . . sheeting covers on the chairs, huge Martha Stewart paper flowers from the ceiling, white linens and of course white tulips and hydrangeas,  which all gave the bridal brunch a fresh  elegant vibe.

Since then I have been on a mission . . . to little by little transform my own home from a strong vibrant palette to a more peaceful and simple color scheme.  

The first room was the entryway . . . a beautiful Ben Moore wash on the walls.  I love the way it brings me to a cool and calm place,  replacing the much darker wall color.  A few painted pieces, (white of course), and some gorgeous pots of hydrangeas give me the garden look I'm craving now.

The next room to change mood is my dining room.  You can see the wall color on the right side of the pic, and now that I look at it I think I went a little overboard with reds all around . . . what was I thinking???  

Because the room has never had enough natural light, I decided years ago to do it in a really rich Martha Stewart color called Bee Balm Red, which worked to create a warm dramatic ambiance for dinners.  Since we used the room mostly at night, I figured I had nothing to lose by going dark.  


However I am so, so tired of looking at a nightime room in the morning even when the sun is there, that I knew it had to go.  It did.  

Three coats of Ben Moore White Dove later, I now can see the light, and it feels SO much better.  Lighter, brighter, and I'm so excited to get the table & chairs back in again . . . but not until I move the books that are sitting on the dining room table, which were moved out in the painting process. 

In the process of repairing some major water damage to the fireplace wall in the adjoining living room, I noticed this interesting brick/plaster/ concrete assemblage hiding behind the sheet rock, so I had the guys take it all down instead of repairing it with new rock.  


I LOVe the texture and interest I see there, so it's staying exposed, and it will work really well with the lighter color soon to be on those walls.  If you give a mouse a cookie . . . .

This process of lightening up is of course taking much longer than I'd like, it will probably be months, and the direction I'm heading right now is room to room, (in other words the entire house), but I know when it's finished it will make me happy!  In the meantime, Jackie and family are patiently bearing through the disruption and the mess.  But . . . he looks like he's ready to go over the cliff here doesn't he?

image from Apartment Therapy

Some interesting thoughts on how color, in this case white, physically affects us when used in an interior space.  It all sounds good to me!

White aids in mental clarity.  It encourages us to clear clutter or obstacles. It evokes purification of thoughts or actions.  And best of all it enables fresh beginnings.  I'm ready.  

As the weeks go on I'll keep you posted on my progress, but in the meantime we have some really great whites in the shop right now. 

  

  

So stop on in the shop when you can . . . and, if you're thinking about re-doing a space in your own home give us at call or e-mail us here at SWITCH.  Our re-design services will help you get the look you want!


Have a wonderful day!

Window ReDo

 A few weeks back I told you Mary & I were asked to do the window next door, for one of our (amazing catering) neighbors, Contemporary Foods. http://contemporaryfoods.com/  

Haven't had a chance to post these pics till now, but we're pretty happy with our garden party theme, especially now that the time for enjoying some yummy things outside is here already . . .

We started with some great lime green outdoor seating, our funky owl coffee table to bring in an element of nature, and a bold blast of fabric color on the bistro table. 

Then we added some square white app dishes on a flat wicker tray, some great blue and green glassware, a great ceramic salad bowl, and a few pieces of my newest artwork for additional color.

Btw, most of the items shown here are available in the shop-next-door. Ours. SWITCH.  

The finished window . . .  cannot wait to have the first alfresco lunch of the season! 

You've seen some interior shots of our shop, but here are a few of the outside. . . still working on it, and always switching it out!

Out of view but directly to the right are two more of our little group of four shops, the renowned Arthur Zo Hair Salon, and the studio of the inimitable & noted photographer, (as well as HP's very own best photographic chronologist), Mel Di Giacomo.  You can see some of Mel's incredible photos now at: http://www.Gallery270.com/melchior-digiacomo-gallery-270-artist?gclid=CJC87Na5w6gCFcyQ5goddjagpg

 Up the steps . . .

And down the block.  Come visit!

For the month of May, we've decided to offer our very first Spring SWITCH Blog giveaway. . .

This sweet little white pitcher can be yours as the winner. . . just sign on to be a follower here on the blog, and post a response to . . . 

1.What do you like about our shop?

2. What kinds of things are you looking for in your own home that we can bring to you here at SWITCH?

Mary & I LOVE to hear your feedback!  Winner will be announced on May 31.

Have a beautiful Saturday . . .