I will never be 5’2″.

Somedays, I accept that I’m 5’10” and somedays I have a “why me” moment.  Why am I not (insert anything) etc?  I probably will never have crazy curls, 6″ heels, or be an amazing dancer. But that’s okay. Somedays.

This reminds me of a motto that came about during college.

Work with yourself. Be Sarah.

It’s simple, but I try to remind myself when I see a super tiny amazing dancer. Damn you, Elton John! Work with what you’ve got. I remind myself to be proud that I can sport the skinny jeans, play sports, help elderly/shorter individuals get things down from the taller shelves, AND I can successfully gain (and lose) 10 pounds without most people’s knowledge.

This idea can also correlate to home design. I was reminded of this the other day by my spouse.   There I was at an estate sale with my husband; I was deliberating between two amazing vintage glass milk jars.

Which one do you like best, Paul?

I don’t know? Get them both. (pause) Mrs. Contemporary.

He’s referring to the fact that I had indeed emphasized a few weeks back the need for my design schemes to be more contemporary.

Clean lines. Swanky modern furniture. You know.

But my heart and spirit always lead me to an old person’s estate sale!  Paul, look at this Pyrex from the 1950’s. I’m in love.

I need to work with what I like. I am vintage-y. I like old vintage pieces and add some new, more modern pieces as sprinkles, but rarely as the main ingredient.

Work with yourself… in life, your personal style, and home decor.

And if you’re wondering, yes, I bought them both. Thank you.

Two Vintage Milk Glasses

Recently, I’ve realized (with some help of a best friend) one of my passions… It took almost 30 years to realize, but looking back I almost want to say “duh” to myself.

Like most little girls growing up, I had Barbies, My Little Ponies, and Polly Pockets. But when other girls were selecting Barbie’s attire to the office or her beach getaway, I was more concerned with what her Manhattan apartment looked like. (she had the cutest convertible bed just like My Two Dad’s, I might add)  Her beach bungalow had an impressive set of Hawaiian accent pieces, and her office supplies were positioned not only for function but style.  But don’t worry, she always had an amazing set of footwear.

Barbie's 1982 Office

This progressed to junior high, where I tried my best to explain to my mother, I had a vision of a aqua bedroom… not too green, not too blue. Aqua. During high school, I would cut out multiple magazine photos imagining my lush studio apartment/warehouse in college.

It turns out I never got that studio apartment in college, but I was able to paint the walls of many of my bedroom and living spaces throughout my college career.  I could not understand how people could live in a home with white walls… what torture.

Continuing my journey into adulthood and now marriage, I’ve been blessed with a spouse who understands my desire to design.  He understands that at each place we rent, we won’t lose our deposit money for incidentals, but instead for the mandates to return the walls to their original blank colors.

This leads me to why I created this website… a reason to blog, if you will… to continue my journey of design as we renovate our new (our first!) home, my biggest project to date!  As I work on projects, I will document and share with you my design techniques, my successes, and yes, my failures.  My intention is to share with you some ideas and hopefully some ways to save money turning your house into your HOME.

I’m so excited to get started.