Beauty.

If you read Fieldstone Hill Design regularly, or have ever read my Master Designer Manifesto, then you know how important I think it is that we value and acknowledge the gift of beauty from a lasting perspective. {Do YOU create any thing of beauty? Maybe YOU should be on the Master Designer Blog Roll? I would love it if you would join the most creative, beauti-full women on the web!}

So, of course, I am totally excited about this project that my dear friend Jill has created.

Here is what Jill has to say about The I Am Beautiful Project.

Be sure to watch the inspiring video below. It made me tear up. All of us long to be told that we are beautiful… but there is something about it coming out of our own mouths that seems so hard. After a lifetime of negative voices against ourselves and our own image… these simple words break down walls.

Yes. YOU are Beautiful.

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I am starting this post with two disclaimers:

1. This is not a typical ditto post. clearly.

and 2.

I am breaking a cardinal blogging rule in this post, and I am not linking back to the photo sources for the bidet and potty pics. Why? Because I love you dearly. And call me weird, but I am not entirely convinced that all of these potty pics came from trusted sites. I mean, when you do a search for bidet…. you get all kinds of unsavory things, people.

Onward.

Friends. I am tired. Pooped, actually. {Oh, please do pardon the ridiculous pun.}

But guess who just got back from Russia?? Yes! Russia!

Kaliningrad Oblast region to be exact. Formerly Germany’s Konigsburg. Formerly East Prussia. This place is chock full of history and ancient wars and the changing of hands. Google it. Did you know that little sliver of Russia even existed?  Well, I did not before Agniya came into our lives. We hosted this beautiful exchange-student for a year, and it turns out that God picked us from across the ocean and seas, and made us more than friends. We are family. We love her so dearly! And for the last two weeks, we have been visiting Agniya and her family in Kaliningrad, Russia.

Russians know how to show you a good time. We were hosted with such generosity and kindness. You all will soon tire of hearing about this amazing trip, because there is much more to come on it, for sure.

But, today is ditto Monday. And for the moment, we must discuss the ditto-worthy nature of European potties.

I could not help but think to myself, several times on this trip, that Europeans really know a thing or two about their potties. And yes, indeedy. I really, really want to ditto the bidet if we ever build that Master Bathroom I am dreaming of. True story.

If you happen to be from the US of A: Don’t be afraid of the bidet, my fellow Americans. It is your friend. And without getting too descriptive, did you know that it was possible to feel shower-fresh without actually taking a shower???

The bidet is a practical addition to any bathroom. Truth. Personally, I love a good bidet.

So there you have it:

Bidet. Ditto.

…

Now, onto the second wonder of the European Potty World: The ingenuity of dual flushing.

In Kaliningrad, all of the Potties had a flusher-ma-bobber that looked exactly like this:

Are you ready for this life-changing information?:  Push the little button on the right and you get a mild flush. Push the big button on the left and you can flush the mother-load.

Yes. Yes. I know.

Brilliant, isn’t it?

I have nothing left to say, other than silly potty jokes – from which I shall refrain, and DITTO!

SO…. Would you dare to ditto any of these BRILLIANT bathroom additions in your home?? Do tell!

end of post disclaimers:

1. I am dog tired. Please ignore typos or anything that sounds punchy or vodka-influenced.

2. If you have emailed me or commented with a question recently, thank you for loving me anyway, as I dig out of the post-vacation mire. eDesign consultations are also on hold, as I get back into the groove of pampering my current clients and filling their homes with gorgeousness!

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Inspired To:

Inspired To :: cross my legs like a lady. Flirt with my hair. Flirt with my eyes. Wear flowers on my toes. Drink coffee like a lady. Toss a jacket over my shoulders in a beautiful way. Wear my camel coat to parties. Consider an ankle bracelet again. Watch my sugar intake. Wear gold lockets upon gold lockets. Paint my eyes with charcoal smokiness.

What are you Inspired To?

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{image via Fashion not Fashion blog}

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 Don’t miss a single post from Fieldstone Hill Design! You can have every post delivered directly to your inbox. It is free, and your email is never used for another purpose.

be sure to check your email, confirm your subscription, and get your freebie link!

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Today I am so excited to introduce you to my friend Carrie. She is a blog friend. No wait… she is more than a blog friend… she is a friend friend!

You know. The kind of awesome friend who sends you emails like this:

“Darlene, crazy question. For some reason these candlesticks reminded me of you, they are $5 at the local Restore (maybe it’s the color, I see that a lot in your boards). Do they interest you at all? Let me know – I am happy to grab them and bring them along if you think you or a client would like them.”

Seriously. How thoughtful is that??? I am so honored to know this sweet and genuine girl. And I am so thrilled that she is sharing a guest post with you today. You will love what she has to share with you today {she certainly has me blushing. You are way too kind, Carrie!}. Thank you for sharing your insights with us, Carrie!!

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Ever have something finally click, and it’s pretty life changing?

Sometimes you can hear advice all day long, and for a multitude of reasons not have it sink into your mind the right way.  And then along comes one little word, and BOOM– epiphany!

That’s what recently happened to me.  I’d been struggling to create a home I really loved.  Reading the Overcoming Decorating Paralysis series on Fieldstone Hill was liberating… I could do this, I knew I could!  And yet for some reason I still I couldn’t make the jump to buy pieces I loved.  That’s when Darlene’s Defining Personal Style series came in and rocked my world.  Finally!  I had a list of words to describe what I loved, and more importantly, what I didn’t love and needed to avoid.

And yet, I still couldn’t take that first step.  Something was holding me back.

AH, then came the Design Studio session that Darlene was a part of at the Haven Conference.  And Darlene mentioned one word that changed my life: SEASONS.  As in, seasons of your life… and decorating your home to embrace those seasons.

I realized in order to design a home that made my heart sing, I needed to combine what I loved, what fit our life now, and my personal style. Now I’m finally on that road, thanks to one little yet empowering word:  We are all in different seasons.  You can design to your heart’s content, but if it doesn’t match the place where you are now in your life then it won’t work, which won’t make you happy.  And ‘home’ is all about having your heart smile when you walk through that front door.

For years I’ve coveted that “House Beautiful” look where everything
is high style, dramatic, balanced, unique.  In last month’s issues alone
I counted five ceramic garden stools and about 3,482 blue and white
ginger jars.

Do you know what my kids would do to a ceramic stool and a ginger jar?  We’re talking reducing them to mosaic tiles, people!  We see ginger jars, my kids see bowling pins.

I should clarify– my kids aren’t monsters.  But they are inquisitive young kiddos that love to explore and play.

One of the most important steps in designing for your home is being honest with which season you are currently experiencing.  To which season do you belong– single and sexy?  Young married?  Empty nester?  Or does this one sound familiar– the sippy cup and spilled milk season?  The bobble headed toddler season?  The oops-I-doodled-on-your-Berber-carpet season?

You guessed it.  That last one is my current season.

Right now, I have a 2 year old and a 3 year old (serenity prayers gratefully accepted, please.)  Most of the images in magazines just aren’t attainable right now.  I’m coveting a white tufted tuxedo sofa, but ended up with gray microfiber sectional.  And you know what?  I’m okay with that, once I realized that’s what best matched our current season!  And good thing, too, because the sectional already has been attacked by a pen.  Did you know gray microfiber does a great job of hiding pen marks?  White tuxedo– not so much.

Some thinking points to guide you in defining your current season:

What does your life look like now?  

What are your needs as a person, or a family?  

Which areas of your home work well, which need to be improved?  

In which rooms do you spend the most time?

My life right now has two {messy, sweet, creative} little kiddos in it.  We need a space that is open, flexible, childproofed, with lots of storage.  Using the personal words inventory from Fieldstone Hill is really helpful here– what words most describe your life AND your style right now?  And which words don’t?!

Here are a few trends I adore that would not work during this season of our life:

::: You see beautiful white furniture.  My kids see a blank canvas.

::: Ah, high gloss finish, how you draw me in.  But those stairs would be like a skating rink.

::: Barn doors are all the rage.  By the time my kids are old enough to handle not swinging from them, they’ll be old news.

::: Ceramic garden stools, or very fragile drums?  Depends which season you are in.  I don’t even want to think about how my kids would repurpose those stools…  let alone what they’d do to that giant clam shell.

::: Displaying a large collection– two words: dusting. nightmare.

::: Mirrored furniture.  Need I say more?

Now we know what won’t work, I need to define what will:

::: This bedroom exemplifies our style in this particular season.  Soft
surfaces.  Lively.  Livable.  Washable.  Beautiful breakable things out
of reach.  Did I mention soft surfaces?

::: Another master bedroom– very relaxing, very beautiful.  Very childproof!

::: Add in a few booster seats and scotchguard the chairs, and this eat-in area is beautiful yet family friendly.

This kitchen from 320 Sycamore is gorgeous.  Plus displaying breakables out of reach?  Perfection!

Rumor has it this sippy cup season will be so much shorter than I expect.  I’ll be
getting that white tuxedo couch way sooner that I’d like, I’m sure.  At
least that’s what the experienced parents tell this tired mama.  On that note, it’s important to anticipate future seasons when designing for the long-term or making major purchases.  Here’s some guiding questions to get you thinking:

What do you anticipate your life looking like in 5 years?

Will you be living in this home in 5 years?

What major projects will you complete now that need to also fit your life later?

These built-in shelves on this island are a perfect example of long-term designing for seasons.  Displaying ceramics is a beautiful way to show off your collection– when you don’t have little kids, that is.  In our home this might store a basket of toys and some favorite books.  For school aged kids, baskets with school supplies for a homework station would fit that family’s needs.  And later on?  Ceramics all the way!

This sectional is similar to our gray microfiber model.  See, it can be useful now and perhaps even beautiful later!

In summary (for you skimmers among us), here’s some tips for designing for the seasons of your life:

* what season you are in currently, what words describe it?

* what season do you anticipate entering next?

* which words describe your personal style?  Which do you need to avoid?

* what are the non-negotiables?

* what do you need to embrace in this season of your life?

And remember: 

* Always buy what you LOVE, but sometimes that piece may be something you need to love now, for this season.  Gray microfiber, for example.

* A good motto is to buy less things, but better things.  Put your money where your heart is!

Thanks to Darlene’s amazing blog, I’m embracing my epiphany regarding
how to create the home I love through designing for the seasons in my
life.  Someday I may have that white tuxedo sofa.  Just in time for grandkids, I’m sure!

Carrie Higgins is the chief lemon-squeezer over at the blog Making Lemonade, which she began after her daughter suffered a traumatic birth and she needed to make lemonade out of some pretty sour lemons.  While her motto is ‘helping you live a lovely life, for less’ by sharing DIY projects, organizing ideas, healthy recipes and more… her passion is interior design, perhaps to be explored in an upcoming season.  Journey along together on Facebook, Twitter, and of course the lovely Pinterest.

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Thank you SO much, Carrie, for your great thoughts on decorating with the seasons of life in mind. It is SUCH a helpful way to look at things, and also to transform your home in beautiful AND practical ways.

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 Don’t miss a single post from Fieldstone Hill Design! You can have every post delivered directly to your inbox. It is free, and your email is never used for another purpose.

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