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Planning a Moth-Inspired Dining Room

Our dining room sconces are in, and the additional light is room-changing. It only took me seven years to finally add the fixtures I always felt should be there!

The room is pretty, but she is plain. I’ve liked that because I could add any tablecloth, set the table and decorate for parties in any color, and it would work. But ho hum. A little boring day-to-day.

I was looking at some of my favorite bugs (because that is the kind of thing I like to do) and inspiration struck. Apantesis incorrupta shall be my muse! For something! For… the dining room? Yes! The garden tiger moth (Arctic caja) has similar markings with more vivid coloration and so is also serving as inspiration.

What to do first? Paint the ceiling orangey-red of course.

Want to see where this is going? I have a plan. Sort of.

The red ceiling: yes. Walls: a deeper, cooler pink than the subtle beige/pink we have now. The wood stays unpainted, the furniture all remains unchanged. Some art and a new wallpaper backing in the hutch? A lamp for the gateleg table on the other side of the room? I’m letting the room come together as I go.

The floor is starting to show some wear and could benefit from being covered. That rug above is indoor/outdoor and affordable, both good things for a rug in the dining room, but I am still looking. It’s a little on-the-nose inspired by the wings. The entry, dining room, and double parlor are all fairly open to one another and I’m always thinking about how they work as a whole, so I would love something old that works with my entryway runner. I did have a hand-me-down rug that I loved and had hoped would work, but the scale was all wrong.

The dining room and entry are nearly the same color, with the library coming in a paler shade of pink. When I paint the dining room walls, I may end up wanting to repaint the entry at some point too, being careful to avoid anything that in combination makes the first floor look like Easter eggs. A muddy green or toned yellow could be right — something close to the value of the woodwork to lessen the contrast from room to room.

I came across this paint palette from Atelier Ellis the other day. The colors align perfectly with what I’m going for (just add that red from the rose petals) and my home’s color palette as a whole, but I was also happy to see more moth inspiration! I’m not the only one looking to the moth side of lepidopterans.

Apantesis incorrupta photo copyright © 2017 Matthew Priebe; BugGuide

August 12, 2020
I Love This $28 Dress
The title says it all. But if I could have fit it, I would’ve also included:

And This Easy No-Sew Alteration Makes it Even Better!

I’m busty and the puff sleeves on this dress were not doing me any favors. I loved everything else about it though! Midi-length with a defined waist, summery cotton eyelet, and pockets. I’m not an experienced seamstress but I thought that maybe I could create cap sleeves or get rid of them altogether, but then I realized I could just snip the elastic and change the silhouette. Easy!
1. Eyelet Dress, Target (A New Day) — It comes in black and orange too, but I’m partial to the white. And those sleeves as-is are darling, just not on me.
2. Hazel Glasses, Warby Parker — These were out of stock for a while but now they’re back. Sort of a round cat-eye? Very much my style.
3. Crescent Moon and Star Necklace, Zoë Chicco — From the new collaboration with Justina Blakeney!
4. Poppy & Polka Cat Twilly Skinny Scarf, Centinelle — I have a favorite Centinelle scarf tied around my circle bag. Looks like it’s no longer available (It’s several years old), but now I want this one! There are other sizes too.
5. Julien Leather Tote Bag, Anthropologie — My love for the circle bag continues! This one is far nicer than mine.
6. Fabric Face Mask, Target — A must. I keep recommending cloth masks that are inexpensive and cute, because that’s what I’m buying multiples of.
7. Temple of the Sun Serpent Ring, Anthropologie — Have I already included too much Masonic imagery in this outfit? Maybe split it up?
8. Boardwalk Anklet-Strap Sandals, Madewell — Or heels if you’re feeling fancy. I like these red flats with the dress too.
July 23, 2020
Updating the Dining Room

My sister-in-law had a rug in her family room that used to belong to my mother-in-law, and now that she’s redecorating it’s ours. I’ve always liked it, and the colors are ones that I tend to gravitate toward — rust orange, pink, olive, and blue on a warm neutral base. (This rug has a similar color palette and feel.)

Ideally, for maximum before and after effect, I would reupholster the dining chairs. Practically though, the beige fabric is still in great shape and I have matching waterproof seat covers to protect the kids’ chairs. They’re fine! The fabric may be a bit on the boring side, but it’s fine.

Our dining room is always dark though. It faces North and our house is close to the neighbors on that side, so even with two huge windows, there’s not a lot of natural light. Not helping is the antique pendant which, while very cool, has only a single bulb. I’ve always wanted to add sconces.

I’ve also always wanted to add wallpaper, but sconces first. And now that we’re brining in a new (to us) patterned rug and more lighting, I’m thinking a coat of paint may be in order instead of papering. The walls are a subtle pink that I still like, but would be happy to change for something more fun or dramatic.

So! Sconces. Honestly, I keep coming back to the same one and have loved it for years. I could overthink this, as is my wont, or I could just move forward with a pair of Vendome double sconces. It’s a beautiful fixture without being showy, and a classic design that looks great in a lot of homes. I’m not beholden to period-appropriate lighting (my Victorian originally had gas lights), but I do like to go either very modern or classic. These sconces are obviously the latter.

The dog rose botanical print will go elsewhere and the sconces will flank the windows. And I’m excited! I love our home. It doesn’t need constant full-scale makeovers (as fun as those are), and these incremental changes over time always add up to something wonderful and personal.

June 23, 2020
Style: For Leaving the House, or Not
Should we do a style post? Sure, that’s fun!

I haven’t been shopping much, have you? I did have a very strong desire to wander the local plant nurseries and find things to bring home that I may or may not have gotten around to actually putting in the dirt, but alas, that early spring planting window closed. I did get one new dress recently though, and I’ve been wearing it every chance I get. Dress it up for singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to a loved one from a safe distance! Dress it down for not leaving your house for days on end! Versatility.

I’m also wearing my Cupro dress from a couple of years ago with the same frequency. It looks like Universal Standard doesn’t sell the dress anymore, but it’s back as a jumpsuit! Oooh. I’m an XS in the brand for size reference.

Also, bras? Hahaha. Have I professed my love for the True Body bras to you yet? I have a large cup size and small band that can be hard to find anything but an underwire to properly fit. These hold me in with some support and are more comfortable than going without. They are not the most flattering, but they are all I’m wearing these days. The lower-priced Target versions are comfy but not as good.

We are of course continuing to wear a mask when we go out. I miss wearing lipstick, but putting makeup on has never been so quick! My favorite concealer, some mascara, and fill in the sparse parts of my brows if I’m feeling fancy. Done.
1. Mask! Make a no-sew version. Get the pale blue hospital-style ones. Buy one with a space for a filter. Make one yourself. Whatever works for you.
2. Shoes that feel like slippers.
3. A bra that’s actually comfortable all day long.
4. A dress that’s a t-shirt in disguise.
5. Or better yet, a jumpsuit!
6. Easy makeup? Fill in the brows.
7. A little concealer under the eyes and on spots.
8. Mascara does wonders.
9. The best sorts of shorts are cute while secretly stretchy and forgiving.
10. Don’t forget glasses for all the reading we’re doing!
June 11, 2020
Honor Roll
Well, a post in the format of my Honor Roll posts, but perhaps not deserving of the descriptor. I have been sharing on Instagram while being quiet here, and for that, I apologize. Below are a few links that were shared in my IG Stories, but I’m also including them here.

I stand in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. You will find no shortage of reading lists for anti-racist work (Danielle Henderson’s is a good one and it was transcribed here), so I am focusing on the intersection of race and housing. Specifically, redlining, blockbusting, and gentrification.

I have shared the first article below before, but I’m including it again with a newer, related piece.
- Not in Your Front Yard: Why ‘For Sale’ Signs are Banned in Oak Park
- How the Green Line, a Pink House and 12 Cents Changed How I See My City — “I always wondered why Chicago’s mostly white neighborhoods looked so different than the city’s black neighborhoods. Then I studied 168,859 home loans.” (For reference if you’re not from the area, that pink house is about 2 miles away from ours, just past the city border.)
Further Reading
- Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, Matthew Desmond — This is on a lot of Black Lives Matter reading lists for good reason. If you haven’t yet, read this.
- The Invention of Brownstone Brooklyn: Gentrification and the Search for Authenticity in Postwar New York, Suleiman Osman — Brownstones: so romantic and cool! Here’s how gentrification played a role.
- The Edge Becomes the Center: An Oral History of Gentrification in the 21st Century, DW Gibson — Stories from the perspective of the people displaced.
- The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segrated America, Richard Rothstein — This is next on my reading list and was recommended by many of you when I said I would like to learn more specifically about redlining and blockbusting. Here’s the Fresh Air interview with the author.
- Brooklyn Window Series by Adrian Brandon (prints available)
- ‘Just Not a Political Person’ by Katie Benn
June 9, 2020
Birthdays and Foster Cats

Eleanor and Brandon both celebrated birthdays last week. There were phone calls and Zoom meetings with friends, and the best surprise birthday serenades from the sidewalk. Earlier today, we returned the favor for another family member’s birthday. We sang and danced in front of their house to YMCA and I maybe drew a fake mustache and dressed like a construction worker and then realized my face would be covered with a mask? I think the look still worked though, honestly.

And we’re fostering cats! The timing worked out so that I could pick them up and bring them here on Brandon’s birthday. They’re sisters and shy (Samantha especially), but so sweet. They’re also beautiful. So smol! Jeannie is a calico, and Samantha has patches of black and white.

You can tell which one was easier to get a photo of! Both cats are available for adoption as a bonded pair through the Animal Care League here in Oak Park. I imagine they’ll be here with us for a while since shelters are still closed, but reach out to the ACL if you’re interested.

My family is of course hoping I’ll say we can keep them.

May 6, 2020