I have decided to start a new series here on my new blog called My Favorite Things Lately, with links, so that you can check them out for yourself if you wish. Hope you enjoy this and find it useful too.
Here we go!
MURPHY'S RUG LAW:
Reader Margie in sunny San Diego, CA wrote asking me where we bought our new floral kitchen runner rug. I told her that I had just spilled a big blob of spaghetti sauce on the white area of it, (of course!), and it took some doing to remove it, so if I had to do it again, I'd buy this colorful rug instead so that any residual stain would never show after cleaning it up. Nothing like a little colorful camouflage to hide a stain! :)
ARMCHAIR TRAVELERS GO TO JAIL:
Have a hankering to stay in a beautiful Bed & Breakfast inn and get some rest? My hubby Steve and I have stayed in 69 inns in 17 U.S. states, since 1987, but since we can't do that now easily due to the pandemic, we are armchair traveling! We are at a point with so many inn stays by now that trying some really unique ones in the future is on our bucket list, and doesn't this historic Galena, Illinois Jail Hill Inn look delightful, unique, and fun!? I mean, how clever is their "repeat offender program?!" Enjoy the virtual ambience and decor, my lovelies! The best part? Virtual travel is FREE right now while you save up money for your next B&B inn trip, even if it's only for one night. Since it is the month of love and romance, and you are most likely cooped up at home like everyone else on our pandemic-planet, here's my popular article I wrote years ago, Decorate Your Bedroom Like a Bed & Breakfast Inn. So you can get started on that now in your own home while you are under, um, "house arrest," if you will. :) You don't have to go out shopping right now, (please don't/stay safe!), to create this B&B feeling in your own bedroom; use what you have on hand already and be creative! Or, shop online and have it delivered.
LIGHT IT UP A LITTLE:
I'm a big fan of small dollarwise things to make your own home feel lovely and cozy. (But not so many things that it feels cluttered.) I love the simple candelabra below that I bought for our coffee table. So easy to change out the color of the votive candleholders for varying occasions. I don't think they sell it anymore, but here's another similar style, and another.
KITCHEN CABINET COTTAGE COZY:
I found this cute brick-pattern vinyl wallpaper and we used it to line the floor of the cabinet under our kitchen sink recently. Cottage dollarwise cozy!
ARMCHAIR TRAVELERS LOVE A COZY BOOK NOOK:
Doesn't The Library Hotel look like a fun book-ish place in bustling New York City?! Steve toured their lobby for me when he was in NYC a few years ago for his work and he said I'd love it! Well, some day.
TIME FOR TEA:
Even if you work a super busy job in an office, (and especially if you do!), you can still take time for tea. Store this adorable little travel tea set in your desk drawer and when you go to your office break room for your break or lunch, there you'll be! And you can invite your co-workers too if you wish.
FOR SERIOUS CHOCOLATE LOVERS ONLY:
LIVING LIGHTLY:
Even though I've been home and office organizing, DIY decorating, streamlining, simplifying, and teaching and writing about it all in various ways for much of my life, I still like to read books by others on these topics because everyone has a unique perspective that's fun to read about. I'm not a die-hard-minimalist as I seriously love my creature comforts and a few collected lovelies, but instead I'm a small spaces author and dweller, and more importantly, a simplified-living-tailored-to-your-own-lifestyle-guru. Even so, a recent favorite book of mine is Lightly by veteran-minimalist author Francine Jay. She has a wonderful overall perspective on living, especially for our complex and cluttered-world times, in my opinion. This is really a beautiful book! She's funny in places too; I think you'll like her. Like Francine, I've gone mostly paperless, so I bought her book's Kindle version.
I hope you enjoyed my first Things I'm Liking Lately blog series and if you want to give me feedback, please email me here.
Keep calm, drink tea, and dollarwise decorate your home to make it your haven!*
Kathryn :)
*My eBooks can help you with that and they are all on sale for the entire month of February.