Today

Today is cold and drizzly here in Asheville, and I am fighting a lingering cold that just refuses to move out of my chest. So I will spend a lot of time curled up in front of our wood burning fireplace...

I know this is no way to say hello after such a long absence from the blog, but I felt like sharing a small peek of our new little house up here in the mountains, since today the fire and the light feel so wonderfully cozy.

Noah and I got to spend a lot of time together this summer, which felt like an incredible gift as he grows older. Bill and I also spent a lot of time working on our new place. After all those hours of painting, layering, and moving things around (including kitchen cabinetry - more on that soon), it is starting to really feel like home. Our home.

For all of you who wrote to check in - thank you. Truly, this has been an amazing journey and a real test of (particularly my) patience. But now that it's all said and done, our lives are just as we'd envisioned they would be - and we couldn't be happier.

As always, I hope this finds you all well. Sending much peace your way, my friends.

Still here and almost there

Put simply: I've been busy with work, house negotiations, getting ready to move, and life in general... Funny how life doesn't give you a breather as you add new things to it. Part of me almost expects it, but no: life keeps its pace and demands the same rigorous attention, regardless of our plans and additional undertakings.

I will say this, my friends: it's been stressful, but I am happy. And excited. And even though I am tired, I can see the end in sight and it promises to feel like the sweetest of exhales when all is said and done.

And it is all part of life, isn't it? The highs and lows, the tight squeezes and the enormity of freedom after them; the tears and joys, and the eventual feeling of unhindered motion that comes after working through the narrow, winding turns that life is made of.

I hope you've all been well. I am sending you all much love, and as always, much peace.

(image: 1. via ikea family live; 2. via super rural)

On my mind, lately.

This lovely crochet garland by beautiful Tina. Because when I look at it, I think not only of Tina, halfway across the world in Australia, but also of Allison, following her dreams, and just like all of us, in her words, crafting a life. And I'm inspired by them both.


This little corner in Cindy's living room. Because I am touched and honored that someone who's become a friend would also hire me to help her out in a most personal of spaces: her home. Twice now. (Thank you, dear.)


This hutch. Because it made it to Brooklyn from my friends' store in Asheville and it looks great now that it's stained black and has found a new home in my client's dining room.


This new little cross pillow by talented Liane. Because it is the perfect addition to the (ever-growing, Bill would point out with a little cough) pillow collection on our couch.


This moment. Because I remember not being able to let a loose tooth be. And because I love my gorgeous, growing boy...

...who, all on his own, decided he wanted to play soccer recently and is loving every minute of it.


This photograph. Because in some ways it represents the overarching way I've been feeling over the last couple of months. A bit overwhelmed and awed by the immensity of life in all its possibilities.


We are moving this spring, and I'm excited but somewhat apprehensive about all of the loose ends that still need tidying up. I am one of those people that needs things to be concretely defined, down to the last little detail - all the time. I don't deal with uncertainty very well, but as my wise friend Florence pointed out to me the other day, We live in a world of shifting tides but pretend like we don't, like we can nail it down. And she is right. And the details will get sorted out, eventually. And now, more than ever, I need patience.

Lastly, I'll leave you with this video; it's about 18 minutes long, but well-worth the time when you have a moment. It talks about education (among other things), which has been very much on my mind over the last few months. Fall wasn't easy around here. Public school turned out not to be a good fit for our beautiful boy, and in great part it's because of the issues brought up here. (I believe I have Annie to thank for first bringing this TED talk to my attention. Thank you.)

I hope you've all been busy living your lives weaved with your many dreams, my friends. As always, I am sending you all much peace and love. Be well.

(images: 1. me; 2. cindy; 3. jen; 4-6. me; 7. apartment therapy; 8. moving boxes)

Snow Days

Busy hands working outside, building a snow fort,

trekking up and down the yard delivering shredded ice

to be shaped into bricks with an old metal pan.

Busy hands working inside, hanging a new set of pretty curtains up high,

and trying to capture that beautiful, ever-elusive winter's light, bouncing off the wonderful snow outside.

And the dog, you may ask?


Busy taking it all in, ascertaining that indeed, this is a good life.

Did I ever tell you...

...that after I met with my first paid client, he wrote me a check for the design consult and included a single dollar bill with it for me to frame (as Vintage Simple's first step into the world)?

Such a kind gesture, I thought. And although for some reason I can't bring myself to frame it, I keep it safely tucked away in a drawer along with his thoughtful note.


I am currently working on a couple of projects, including one in Maine, which I'll get to in a minute, and another one in Brooklyn.

First, I thought I'd share a few little peeks from when I was up NYC in November. Most of the painting in the house is now done, bringing out the gorgeous details of the old brownstone...

Some of the light fixtures have already been put up,

while others still patiently await to be installed...

This one, by Cisco Brothers, will go in the parlor. I think it was love at first sight for my client, and it makes me smile to think that it was so. (Such things do happen after all.)

The parlor has a new fun blue couch and wire chair, and a big mirror over the mantel to bring a little more light into the space... It is a north-facing room, so it can be pretty dark in there. I think the chandelier will be a great addition to the space.

We're thinking perhaps a light such as the one you can spy in the next picture will go in the dining room, creating a beautiful foil to the more rustic one in the parlor.

But then again, we may look into having something custom made that relates more directly to the parlor's chandelier, without exactly replicating it. Perhaps something along these lines...

As far as Maine, I thought I'd post some of the sketches I've drawn for my client there, just to give you a little sense of what's been going on with that project.

Here's one of the foyer, with a proposed antique Swedish bench, mirror, window treatments, and lighting suggestions (still trying to figure out my new scanner - heh)...

A sketch of the sink wall in the kitchen, filled with sources and recommendations...

And here is one with ideas for the lounge/TV area in the living room...

Both projects are still, clearly, far from being completed, but I thought I'd share with you a little bit of what I've been working on for the last couple of months. These things do take time - what with the business of living, and budgets, and dreams... but the work itself is great and I am happy to report that I am thoroughly enjoying it.

On a more personal note (related to this idea of dreams), I've been trying to watch myself more closely, paying attention to all these hopes and plans and dreams of mine. And as I watch myself trying to stubbornly hold on to them all, I am also painfully aware of my wish to rush them into certainty right away. But that is not really the way life works... is it?


And so it is that I hold my many dreams with my many imaginary arms... And I am starting to think that perhaps the trick lies in the holding - with purposeful intent, but patiently and...lightly. Ever-so-lightly. And always (always) with an open heart.

So, I am working on finding more balance in the way I hold myself and that which is dear to me, including my dreams. And I hope that with each passing year, I will be able to hold myself and my goals more lightly - in a more forgiving, quiet way.

It is not a complete thought, I realize - but it will have to do for now. I am wishing you all peace, my friends - now and always. See you at the other end of 2010.


(images: 4. cisco brothers; 6. rebekah sigfrids via design sponge; 7. photo by richard powers, collaboration for lights - fearon hay and katie brown; 11. & 12. katie daisy's etsy shop; all others by me)

Brooklyn-bound

Little bits and pieces of some of the things that have been inspiring me lately...

I hope fall is treating you all well.

(images: 1. workstead; 2. twig hutchinson's home, photograph by polly wreford; 3. ikea via splendid willow; 4. lindseyadelman.com; 5. recycled painter's scaffolding flooring - no idea where I got it; 6. bddw.com; 7. hmmm... not sure where I got this one either... sorry about that!)

Progress

Well, the wall with interior windows is finally done...and I couldn't be happier. It really does look lovely, and the photos hardly do it justice.

Our friend David* was kind enough to come help us finish up. I was really tired of the inevitable clutter and disarray that come with weekend projects of this scale, so it was wonderful to have an extra set of hands - and one so talented at that.

It was a lot of work, but really worth it in the end... I can't imagine a better solution for this space. What was once an open attic expansion lacking definition is now a beautiful space that allows for separation without sacrificing light.

I also love the way enclosing the staircase gave it an incredible sense of volume - it looks so grand now..! It feels completely decadent to go up the stairs, lured by the inviting light streaming through those windows...


In other news, I have been very busy with clients and have even traveled to Maine (!!) to help one of them, and I am going to Brooklyn next month to visit yet another client (!!!). So, all very exciting things for someone who just a little bit over a year ago started this blog with a dream of sorts that is now slowly, quietly, but surely coming true. There are no words to describe how lucky I feel... And grateful, too. Incredibly grateful. I am getting to do what I love, which is...well, priceless, really.

So, I would like to officially announce that I am available for design assistance, and I will gladly help you with projects big and small. I will even travel - as long as all expenses are covered and my schedule allows it, of course. For more information, feel free to contact me.


*if you live in the Upstate of SC or WNC region and you need a terrific craftsman, let me know and I will put you in touch with David - he is fantastic and fantastic to work with.

(images: me)