What's My Style



Michele Tests Me on "My Style"

 What's my style?  Over the years "my style" has evolved until I felt truly comfortable in my own skin and my surroundings.

I had a drapery lady come in to do some drapes for my living/dining room combination in the mid 1980's.  She was so awed by the rooms that my children and I called home that she submitted my home to the Dallas Morning News as home of the month.  I won and the DMNews sent out a reporter to interview me and take photos of the house.  Now, mind you, my home was not grand ... it was a 1970's brick house on the small side.  What it did have was rooms put together with lots of love and hard work.

Jane decorated her room with a Laura Ashley touch ... a white iron bed covered with a white, lavender and green comforter.  She studied at an antique desk.  Tommy picked out Cargo bunk beds, a dresser/desk and a TV stand.  We used Ralph Lauren plaid comforters on the bed and used his sports shirts as decoration on the walls - later on we added sports pictures.  Both of my children were rather on the neat side and loved their rooms.  When Jane was a teenager, her boyfriend, climbed up in the attic and dropped a line for a phone for her.  Tommy was 5 years younger and the typical tattle-tale kid brother.  Not too much went on in the house that I didn't know about!  At least I thought I knew everything ... now that my children are grown they keep confessing these little secrets that they got away with.  Hmmmm 

The rest of the house was more on the English Cottage style in an eclectic way.  My wooden indian graced a corner in the kitchen and furnishing came from thrift shops and flea markets.  Somehow, it just fit and Jane, Tommy and I enjoyed many years there.  It was a safe house where love flowed and friends where in and out continually.  It was a home worthy of being Home of the Week!  Mimowee is still with me in 2010!!

There is a store in Dallas called The Market.  I used to go in the Market and drool.  I would study the placement of furniture, pictures and the unusual ways they decorated the rooms of the store.  When one of their stores closed, I bought my first purchase there, a deer head.  That deer head makes me smile.   When we moved into our home 7 years ago, the deer head was sitting on the bed - the man putting up the blinds looked at Michael and said, "You a hunter?"  Michael smiled and said, "No, my wife's a decorator!"  Much to my husband's chagrin, my deer head goes where I go!!  My daughter loves their Market III candles so every holiday, I ship her some.  The Market has taught me a lot about uniqueness.  Trial and error has taught me about what feels good.  I am definitely NOT a pastel person.  Give me COLOR!!  Give me reds, golds, lime greens, purples, browns ...then, I am happy.  Blue makes me sad and sleepy.  Pink ... I can take that or leave it depending on the shade.  Also, every room needs a touch of black...not too much just a dab.  I'm not picky, I'm ME!!



Dining Room At The Little Casa



When we decided to redo the house Michael grew up in, we decided to order our living room furniture pieces from Ethan Allen so that we could get exactly the right fabrics.  I worked with a young lady who tested me on my style.   "My style" is Romantic Country English (with a Ralph Lauren twist).  I'm not a formal person thus the doing away with the formal dining room in this house and moving it to the little casa.  Being a Christian, I also bring my faith into my home.  I collect crosses and have a special one that came from a church in France.  My friend, Etta, gave me a beautiful picture that a man drew of Jesus using scripture.  I  had it framed and it is one of my favorite pictures.  I also like pictures of the English countryside and people.  I make wreaths and floral arrangements and play with my house moving things here and there.  Once I was in the country and found an old block that babies used to play with in the early 1900's ... for years, that old block sat on a dresser in my bedroom.  I just never know where I'll find that next treasure!

I am a huge animal lover ... my dogren give me such joy and I bring that love into my home -- every time I find a special Scottie piece, I find it difficult to resist.  I also decorate with pigs chickens ... anything that reminds me of the countryside.  ALSO, a big part of my style is taking photos of my family and friends, framing them, and scattering them all over the house.  Oh how I love my family and friends!!  "My style" is having a place where my grandchildren can play and not worry about breaking something...it's a place where family and friends can come and feel cared for.   A place of safety ... a place of joy ... a place of rest!

Some time ago, I read an article stating that you can tell a person's personality by the way their home is decorated and how they dress.  I hope that is true about me.  I'm always a work in progress not caring about the latest fashion trend but playing with "my look" as I get the itch.  I love to get dressed up and have my husband say, "wow."  I also love my sweats & jeans and digging in the dirt!

When I married at 19 I knew nothing about design of any kind.  I'm not sure what happened but it seems like all of a sudden I found design a challenge and a rewarding experience.  I think it all goes back to my paper doll world as a child and decorating homes for the dolls using shoe boxes.  It goes back to a child filled with imagination and a love of adventure.  It goes back to a child who used an old treadle sewing machine to design some clothes...some turned out good some, well, let's just say, not so good.  It is my love of people that makes me as comfortable with the most famous of people or the man in the fishing boat.  I am who I am and "my style" is  ME!

Dottie and Zeus

Who are you and what's your style?   It's always fun to think about.  No one can be "you" but you and that's a precious gift we've all been given.  We're all special!!

It's going to be c-o-l-d here the end of the week and I haven't finished mulching my perennials and tender plants so I'd best get busy.  Michael promised me he would help me tomorrow if I would just go get the bags today.  I'll just take him up on that.  Since he reads my blogs, it'll be a good reminder!!  Have a great day everyone ... I am!