The things I want tend to fall into a cohesive color palette. Shall we just ooh and ah over warm caramels together? Plus a hint of blush? Let’s.
Standard Jumpsuit in Cotton Twill, Alex Mill I shied away from dresses for a while and went almost exclusively to jumpsuits. I’m back into midi skirts and dresses, but this jumpsuit remains a go-to.
Azalea Brown Chair, CB2 I want these in my library around our round table with the black and white striped sofa in the background. Or I want to see them in a baby blue room, just surrounded in a sea of pastel.
Oud Rosewood, Dior They have crafted a fragrance description to appeal directly to me. “FAVORITE COLOUR: With the most evocative shades of brown, Oud Rosewood conveys both the olfactory image of a warm brown streaked with light brown, found on the round, soft and lustrous rosewood, and the more rugged, nomadic brown of oud wood.”
Compost Nail Polish, J. Hannah “Organic Drab. Jolie-Laide. Baroque Mulch.” My favorite. ♥ Called “the ugliest color in the world,” now available in polish for those of us that like that sort of thing.
The roses I still have in my garden are hardy and easy to keep alive, and they’re looking great this year. The catmint and aliums are thriving and spreading, and everything else is looking pretty good too. There was a 10′ shrubby rose that almost completely died over the winter though, and since it had murder thorns (seriously, it was a danger), I dug it out. I wanted to replace it with a flowering tree, and I spent days researching varieties that could be a good fit size and style-wise.
My grandmother died in late April. We were close, and complicated family dynamics (I’m estranged from my father) has made an already sad and difficult time that much worse. When I realized soon after her passing that there was an Ann magnolia, her middle name, I immediately decided that I was done researching trees; I would be planting an Ann in her honor. A local nursery had them in stock and I brought one home.
My sister came to be here for the planting, but the old rose did not go easily! She’s having another baby this summer, so that lazy git didn’t even have to pick up a shovel. :) I got most of the hole dug that day, but digging it out to be as deep and twice as wide as the magnolia’s root ball was quite a feat. I continued to work on old root removal before planting the magnolia a few days later. I’ve mulched it and am watering it regularly with a low-profile watering bag because this thing needs to make it. It’s small, but it is lush and beautiful.
I planted a pink dogwood tree sapling in back too, but it is not looking nearly as good. I ordered it online because I was having trouble finding one locally and the price was low, but it was crispy on arrival.
I’ve been making more changes throughout the front and back. I got three slowmound Mugo pines from someone who was changing up their garden, and I picked up three spartan junipers to create a hedge along part of the side fence. I want more evergreens, and I want to add dahlias, anemones, foxglove, columbine, rudbeckia, hollyhocks, and baptisia. I also want more lady’s mantle, heuchera, and salvia.
There is a yew between the house and the gate to the backyard that was overgrown. It was overgrown before we moved in, and I’ve never done anything to correct that until now. OFF WITH ITS HEAD, and a good portion of the branches to one side. Turns out I’m good with a chainsaw and ahedge trimmer. But oh, it looks terrible! It will either rebound over the next few years and I shall work to form a magnificent topiary, or it will continue to look sad and I’ll yank it out next spring. I have hope though!
I’m still sad. And sometimes angry. Even writing this little bit about my grandmother made me want to cry. But I do feel better when I’m out there gardening, and I am spending a lot of my time out there these days.
I created a series of outdoor rooms when we added new fencing a few years ago (which has finally grayed nicely). Ideally, I would add a patio to the far back section and furnish it, but it might not happen this year because I’ve got my hands full with other projects. I know what I want though when it’s time!
Gnomes and mushrooms? I don’t care if it’s kitsch, embracing my love of whimsy in the garden. Mixed with modern furniture and nestled in among flowers and bushes, it’s charming.
I adore the Roly Poly Armchair and all the colors it comes in. It would be fine outside in a covered area or in a drier climate than ours, but there’s no drainage hole and I suspect water would pool in the seat when it rains. Realistically for my own yard, I would choose something like IKEA’s SKARPÖ armchairs. Not as interesting in form, but a similar feel and far more practical and affordable.
We went to my uncle’s house this weekend for his birthday (thank you for a returning sense of normalcy, vaccines!), and I had forgotten he has a concrete mushroom that he uses as a doorstop. Jealous! I’ll need to get some of my own.
I am the new owner of a used Gazelle! It’s so fun to ride around town.
I had been deep in research mode since Eleanor was interested in a new bike for her birthday. She can ride an 26″ adult-sized bike now, and she wanted something similar to the kids’ Gap-branded Electra Cruiser she learned on. She didn’t just choose something similar, she ended up choosing another Electra Cruiser, this time in the adult size.
I wrote this post a few years ago about wanting to become “a bike person.” I still feel intimidated by the Capital C Cyclists, but I’m finding friendly people that are happy to help explain things and make newcomers feel more welcome.
Here’s all I know about this new Dutch bike of mine. (My blog is always for myself as much as it is for anyone else, and having written record of things like this has always been super helpful.)
54 cm frame Fits roughly 5’5” – 5’9” — it felt borderline too tall for me at first, but I was used to riding with my seat too low
700 cc tires (same as a 28″ tire?)
Fully enclosed chain case (keeps your clothes clean and makes the chain super low maintenance)
Shimano internal 7 gear hub
Internal cables
Dynamo hub powering the front light
Integrated rear wheel lock
Coaster brakes
Front and rear fenders
Adjustable stem (handlebars)
Integrated bike bell (this is exceedingly cute to me)
2011 “Gazelle NL” — I cannot seem to match this up to an existing model, but the frame looks close to the HeavyDutyNL
Did I go look at the beautiful Gazelle Tour Populaire for sale at JC Lind and wish it was a possibility? You know it. We’re a single-car household, but we live close enough to walk for most errands and I don’t ride my bike enough to justify something higher in price. It is fun to dream though.
By the way, start looking at a few sites selling bikes and pretty soon the ads served to you will be overwhelmingly bicycle-related. There are a lot of direct-to-you bike brands with options starting around $300. The brands I wrote about a few years ago are mostly still in play, plus a whole lot of newcomers. I still like the same step-through models from Public and Linus. Retrospec looks like a great way to get the same look for a much lower price. There were others I was looking at too, but I know little about them other than that they advertised heavily to me.
I joined a local biking group on Facebook a few years ago at the suggestion of a reader, and that’s where I saw the listing for the Gazelle. For the price range I was looking at with the new “Dutch-inspired” bicycles, I could get an actual used Dutch bike. They are famously well-made, low-maintenance, lovely upright bicycles* and I’m quite fond of mine.
I Photoshop doodled all over a picture of my bike isolated on a white background like a tween writing the name of their crush with hearts dotting each “i.” She’s cute and practical — an excellent combination.
Rear Rack — I need to head back to JC Lind at some point to see about my options. Not sure yet if I want a crate, basket, or panniers once I get a rack on there. A basket in front is best for little light things, and I want to be able to cart bulkier stuff too.
I made a version of this last year for myself. I’ve expanded on it since then, making it possible to choose the colors of your cabinets, counters, hardware, accessories, and appliances. (You know I only make mods to make my games prettier. Can’t stop decorating, even virtually!)
Set different combinations for your farmhouse, the upgraded cabins, and the island house. Go get yourself a Lovely Kitchen!
There are 12 cabinet colors: gray, pink, birch, white, mint, green, walnut, cream, sky, blue, oak, and black.
Appliances come in pink, sky, mint, white, cream, stainless steel, and copper.
The counters are available in light, medium, and dark versions. Add a stand mixer and book in blue, green, neutral, pink, or red. Hardware (cabinet knobs, appliance knobs, and the sink faucet) comes in red, blue, silver, nickel, bronze, black, gold, or brass.
Lots of ways to mix and match to customize your kitchen as you like!
I’m partial to the options with pink (of course), but I tried to make it versatile enough to work with lots of styles and preferences.
The examples above show Lovely Kitchen as the only mod. Below is my personal house with a bunch of cobbled-together assets from other creators in addition to my own work.
I added a coffee maker replacement as un update to my Lovely Kitchen mod, but it’s also available as a standalone if you have a different kitchen you already like. At some point I’d like to make a mini fridge replacement that turns them into a modular pantry (at least visually). No idea on release dates moving forward since it’s just something I do after the kids are in bed and I feel like making some pixel art or coding. The challenge of making something recognizable that’s 16 pixels wide and fits the game aesthetic is just too much fun.
I truly don’t expect any paying patrons, but there I am as Lulu Lovely on Patreon. It’s a dedicated place to host the various builds and mods I sometimes make for video games like Stardew Valley and The Sims. You can follow for free.
Moving forward, I’ll share as Lulu Lovely when new things are ready!
I went into this project thinking that this wouldn’t be too difficult. New wallpaper, a fresh coat of paint, a new window shade, and a change of lighting. That’s it! It has taken some time though, as these things often do when you’re doing all of the work yourself and fitting it in around other work and life in general.
The bathroom on the first floor had a lot going for it that I liked. It’s small by modern standards, but perfectly sized to me. The beadboard is charming, the wood floor keeps continuity with the rest of the house, and the leaded glass window offers privacy. The antique console sink is adorable! The separate hot and cold taps are not ideal, but we’re used to them (we had separate taps at our old house too). I also like the antique toilet and its wooden tank. The photos below are from the bathroom as it was when we first moved in.
Hello, inspiration. And wallpaper.
I swapped the wooden toilet seat for a black one years ago and I think that for a toilet, it’s really good looking. Other than that, we hadn’t done anything in the bathroom because while it wasn’t anything I had chosen, I thought it all looked rather nice. But it was time for a change! I found this snakes wallpaper and felt inspired. I know it’s not for everyone, but I’m excited and it’s going to be so good in the bathroom.
This pandemic year has been weirdly great for my creativity, and then completely zonking my energy level and sense of time passing. But hey, who came up with a plan to affordably refresh a good portion of the first floor so that it all feels fresh and works together and looks amazing? This lady.
Kitchen plans on the blog to come! I’m always more up to date in sharing on Instagram these days, especially in Stories, so I’d love to have you follow along there if you’re not already.
Lighting
OK, we’ve got the main jumping off point, the snakes wallpaper. The tiled shower is not changing, and the fixtures are staying. What can go though are those old Guillermo del Toro sconces.
These Sculptural Glass Ribbed Pendant and matching Sculptural Glass Ribbed Sconce are from West Elm. I like the look of them on their own, but also appreciate that they reference the ribbed Victorian glass shades that were in the room before, with a definite Noguchi Akari influence. And they are damp-rated, which is something to pay attention to when selecting fixtures for a bathroom.
The lights have been here for a while but I held one of the sconces over a light bulb the other day and it was beautiful when lit up!
There’s a junction box in the ceiling and what seems to be a corresponding light switch. I’ve already taken the cover plate off and the wires inside look to be newer than some of the horrors I’ve uncovered in this house. Will it work when I hook up a light? Let’s hope! Otherwise, that’s a job for an electrician. I am doing all of this work myself and I can swap out light fixtures, but I don’t feel confident in DIY troubleshooting of electrical issues.
Fabric
I liked the roman shade that was here with its etching-style illustrations of birds and tassel fringe, but it doesn’t go with the new design. My first thought for a new fabric was to go with stripes, but between the fabric, ribbed glass shades, and beadboard, it would have been too much. If I were going to choose a solid color, I’d match the ivory linen of our shower curtain. Nice and easy. But we never ever do nothing nice and easy.
It’s between these two Sister Parish fabrics (Burma in red and Cecil Stripe in dark brown). There was a flash sale and I got such a good price that I ordered both.
Paint
So easy. Our dining room is pink with a red ceiling. The kitchen and it’s little hallway/storage area will be, essentially, Caca Dauphin. (Did you know that story!?) The bathroom is between these two saturated, colorful spaces.
I am not painting the quarter sawn oak on the first floor, but everything else was fir or pine, and I am completely fine with painting that. The doors on the second and third floor are all black, and now the bathroom door is as well. The door trim, window trim, and medicine cabinet have all been sanded and primed, and I’ve given them and the beadboard all a matching coat of satin paint in Benjamin Moore’s Bare Essence. It’s a warm neutral, and a match for Farrow & Ball’s Joa’s White. It’s also a near match for the existing shower tile and looks great with the new wallpaper.
The painting is just about done — I need to do one more coat on the window and medicine cabinet. Then it’s a coat of wallpaper primer on the walls (Shieldz) before I can hang wallpaper and finally install the sconces. Roman shades are not the easiest to make, but I’ve gotten a little experience with them now and feel good about my window treatment skills. Slithering along.
